Professional Development and Closing the Achievement Gap

Relationships between teacher value orientations, collegiality, and collaboration in school professional learning communities

“…Whilst research on PLCs has made important strides in identifying school and contextual factors which influence teacher collaboration (Harris and Jones 2011;Heaney 2004;Hirsh 2005;Van Eekelen et al 2006;Penuel et al 2007), team relationships and collaborative behaviors are most directly influenced by team members' personal attributes (e.g. demographics, values, beliefs, attitudes) and factors inherent in the social dynamics of the team.…”

Learning to Teach in a Complex Interconnected World

“…Lick (2000) presented a whole-faculty study group as a mentoring model to improve school effectiveness that ultimately Fifty Years of Theory Into Practice resulted in increased student learning. And finally, Hirsh (2005) discussed using teachermentor professional development as a tool for closing the gap in students' achievement.…”

“…Gay and Kirkland (2003) and Howard (2003) contributed to this discussion by noting that culturally relevant teaching practices that helped teachers develop critical consciousness and self-reflection must be a fundamental feature in teacher education programs. Important articles appearing in TIP between 2004 and 2009 related to teacher educators learning to teach about oppression and LGBT issues in schools (Kumashiro, 2004); closing the achievement gap (Hirsh, 2005); teaching teachers to build equitable classrooms (Lotan, 2006); combating prejudice discourse in urban education (Blanchett & Wynne, 2007); listening to students in urban schools as a component of teacher education programs (Cook-Sather, 2009); and learning to teach ELL students (Kaplan & Leckie, 2009;Newman, Saminy, & Romstedt, 2009). These articles served to move forward conversations vital to learning to teach in a diverse and rapidly changing society.…”

Using reflexive photography to study a principal’s experiences of the impact of professional development on a school: a case study

“…Andragogy makes the following assumptions about learning: adults want to know why they need to learn something; adults need to learn through experience; adults learn best when the topic is of immediate significance and value; and adults approach their learning as problem-solving. Hirsh (2005) and Lee (2005) are of the opinion that the beliefs and assumptions regarding adult learning need to form the foundation of PD programmes.…”