Date of Award

2005

Degree Name

Curriculum and Instruction

College

College of Education

Type of Degree

Ed.D.

Document Type

Dissertation

First Advisor

Rudy Pauley

Second Advisor

Susan Ferrell

Third Advisor

Lisa Heaton

Fourth Advisor

Elaine Gayton

Abstract

Teaching is an ever-changing profession. The field of education is expanding each year as advancements are made in technology and brain-based research. To keep pace with the changing world, teachers must stay abreast of current pedagogical knowledge and skills, a task accomplished through participation in professional growth opportunities. The professional growth of the teacher has become a vital component of national and state reform efforts. Great investments are being made by federal and state organizations to ensure the quality of professional growth experiences in which teachers participate. This study examined the quality of staff development experiences in which teachers in West Virginia participated during the 2003-2004 school year. Characteristics of quality staff development have been defined by national, regional, and state entities. Six characteristics identified in the literature and within various educational organizations were used in this study to define quality staff development. This quantitative study surveyed P – 12 teachers in West Virginia about their perceptions of the quality of their staff development and its impact on their professionalism. This study found that teachers were ambivalent as to whether their staff development exemplified a quality experience. Further, the study found that teacher perceptions of quality staff development varied according to the grade level(s) in which they taught, the number of hours they participated in staff development experiences, and the type of school in relation to federal funding in which they taught.

Subject(s)

Teachers - Training of - West Virginia.

Teachers - In-service training - West Virginia.

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