Shaping Professional Development to Promote the Diffusion of Instructional Expertise Among Teachers

Abstract

This study examines how high-quality professional development can promote the diffusion of effective teaching strategies among teachers through collaboration. Drawing on longitudinal and sociometric data from a study of writing professional development in 39 schools, this study shows that teachers' participation in professional development is associated with providing more help to colleagues on instructional matters. Further, the influence of professional development on participants' instructional practice diffuses through the network of helping. These findings suggest that in addition to direct effects, spillover effects of professional development can occur through collegial interactions. Evidence presented in this study potentially helps educational leaders develop highquality professional development programs and distribute professional development participants within schools to enhance all teachers' instructional practices.

Black Teachers’ Retention and Transfer Patterns in North Carolina: How Do Patterns Vary by Teacher Effectiveness, Subject, and School Conditions?

“…The affect that teachers of color have not only relates to their own students' learning but can also influence their colleagues' beliefs and practices (Sun, Loeb, & Grissom, 2017;Sun, Penuel, Frank, Gallagher, & Youngs, 2013). For instance, since teams of teachers collectively contribute to student learning outcomes, the presence of a teacher of color in a teaching team may resocialize other teachers to increase their cultural awareness and to change their interactions with minority students (Grissom et al, 2015).…”

Teachers’ preflection in early stages of diffusion of an innovation

“…In fact they benefited more when they participated in professional learning in a collaborative form (Cloonan 2009;Kopcha 2012) and when their school contexts and needs had to be considered (Stein et al 1999). In much of the literature, teachers' learning community and network building were highlighted (Scribner et al 1999;Sun et al 2013). In the context of diffusion of innovation, Dearing et al (2011) proposed the idea of an ''implementation registry'' in the domain of healthcare, which was an online resource for practitioners within or across different institutions for sharing knowledge about solutions to challenges during dissemination, diffusion and implementation of an innovation.…”

Exploring the Use of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) as a Source of Professional Development for Teachers of English Language Learners (ELLs)

“…Sun, Penuel, Frank, Gallagher, and Youngs (2013) found that teachers were able to diffuse learning from PD through their school when helping or supporting other teachers.…”

“…In an effort to better understand the current state of PD, Wei, Darling-Hammond & Adamson, (2010) Recent research has expanded the idea of PD learning to include not just what happens in workshops or meetings, but also to include learning that takes place through interactions among educators. Sun, Penuel, Frank, Gallagher, and Youngs (2013) found that the learning potential of PD can be expanded through teacher interactions and sharing. In their study of a writing professional development in 39 schools, they found that teachers extended the influence of PD by using learning to support and help colleagues.…”