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ERIC Number: EJ1143626
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017
Pages: N/A
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1528-5804
EISSN: N/A
The Efficacy and Impact of a Hybrid Professional Development Model on Handheld Graphing Technology Use
Ilaria, Daniel
Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education (CITE Journal), v17 n2 2017
Online teacher professional development is becoming more prevalent as the ability to harness technology to bring teachers and resources together becomes easier. Research is needed, however, to determine the effectiveness of models and to share practices that increase teacher knowledge of content and pedagogy. This study examines how a hybrid professional development model impacted secondary teachers' implementation of handheld graphing technology through an analysis of the participants' perceived growth in skill with the technology and their perceived ability to provide support to other teachers using the same technology. Participant surveys as well as follow-up observations and interviews of selected participants indicated an increase in handheld graphing technology use prompted by participation in the professional development workshop. In the current educational climate, many reform efforts are driving changes in content, pedagogy, and assessment. The implementation of new mathematics standards requires teachers to revisit mathematical content from new perspectives. Research on the benefits of discussion (Cirillo, 2013) and formative assessment (Wiliam, 2007) demonstrate the need for teachers to implement instructional strategies that require knowledge of connections between content, pedagogy, and assessment. The proliferation of educational technologies available for classroom use motivates teachers to incorporate technology more meaningfully in their instruction. These changes require professional development of teachers at a time when funding for education is limited. Research indicates that one-shot workshops and one-time in-service seminars are ineffective in producing change in teacher instructional beliefs (Smylie, 1989). Nevertheless, little progress has been made in offering sustained professional development around content. In fact, investments in professional development appear to be increasingly focused on least-effective models (Wei, Darling-Hammond, & Adamson, 2010). At the same time that teachers are expected to use technology to encourage student learning, particularly in mathematics (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics [NCTM], 2000; Common Core State Standards Initiative, 2010), technology has provided teachers with an alternative means for professional development. Online teacher learning provides a way to implement professional development best practices in terms of content, active learning, coherence, duration, and collective participation (Desimone, 2009). Online professional development (PD) also provides the potential for satisfying cost conscious budgets, while meeting the demands of teachers' schedules. Moreover, online PD provides teachers with access to global resources while affording a means for ongoing engagement in learning.
Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education. P.O. Box 719, Waynesville, NC 28786. Fax: 828-246-9557; Web site: http://www.citejournal.org/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Texas (Dallas)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A