Investigating Early Career Urban Teachers' Perspectives on and Experiences in Professional Development

Abstract

Despite their interconnectedness, teacher education, teacher development, and teacher retention are often treated as discrete domains of inquiry. This article and the research on which it reports resist such compartmentalization and instead focus on relationships between teachers' pasts, presents, and futures. In particular, this qualitative study of 15 specialized teacher education program graduates examines urban teachers' perspectives on and experiences in professional development. Specific attention is paid to the role of professional development—in conjunction with other forces, including preservice preparation and workplace conditions—in shaping teachers' attitudes about their work and their professional futures. Findings illuminate four kinds of complexity underlying teachers' early career needs that are discussed and used to generate suggestions for how universities might better support teacher education program graduates to build rewarding and effective long-term careers in education.

Teachers’ Perceptions Related to Characteristics of a Professional Environment for Teaching

“…It is generally believed that prospective teachers hold a negative belief about the urban teaching environments (Anderson & Olsen, 2006;Garcia, 1994). Banks and Stave (1996) designed a qualitative study to investigate 12 pre-service teachers" views toward urban education during a two-week experience in an urban high school.…”

Career Development in Language Education Programs

“…Career development, however, has been mistakenly confined to institutioninitiated formal "interventions and training to direct the evolution in professional behaviour in a more desirable way" (Kelchtermans & Vandenberghe, 1994, p. 45). Fortunately, career development has recently become a process of career-long learning in the workplace (Anderson & Olsen, 2006). As such, career development involves those "ongoing formal and informal learning activities through which professionals continue to advance their professional competence so that they can improve their practices and profession" (Shawer, 2010a, p. 598).…”

Trajetória docente em educação física: percursos formativos e profissionais

“…A trajetória profissional de professores, tanto da educação básica quanto da educação superior, vem sendo analisada por alguns investigadores por meio de fases ou ciclos de vida docente (Barone, Berlinger, Blanchard, casanova & Mcgowan, 1996;Burke, christensen, Fessler, Mcdonnell & Price, 1987;FeiMan-neMser, 1982;gonçalves, 2000;huBerMan, 2000;nasciMento & graça, 1998;rodrigues, 1987;steFy, wolFe, Pasch & enz, 2000;stroot, 1996). As classificações propostas para o percurso profissional dos professores englobam desde os estudantes em situações de estágios ou os docentes em início da carreira até os que se apresentam numa fase de desinvestimento ou que estão aposentados.…”