Changes in Teaching are Possible When Teachers Work Together to Solve Instructional Problems
Newswire Services
April 18, 2010
Washington, DC -- Teachers are more likely to make deliberate changes in their teaching practices when they work collaboratively and systematically to solve instructional problems, according to a research study published by Dr. Brad Ermeling in the journal Teaching and Teacher Education.
"International research shows us that teaching is a cultural activity, and the routines we learn as teachers are very difficult to change," said Dr. Ermeling. "This study is noteworthy because it's one of the first to trace a connection between teachers working together to study their teaching and specific changes in classroom practice."
The research focused on a group of science teachers at a high school in southern California. Findings from the project informed the secondary school design of Pearson Learning Teams, an evidence-based, collaborative model that brings together teachers to learn from each other, refine their skills to improve student performance and self-assess their progress. Dr. Ermeling is now senior director for Pearson Learning Teams.
The study, "Tracing the effects of teacher inquiry on classroom practice," is published in the April edition of Teaching and Teacher Education and is available atwww.sciencedirect.com.
Although they are widely practiced in professional development, there has been little evidence until now that the teacher collaboration models of learning teams, action research, Japanese lesson study and other inquiry-based models, though common, actually lead to changes in instruction. Dr. Ermeling's study is one of the first to establish this connection through a systematic analysis, identifying a particular instructional innovation that emerged from the team's research and planning and tracing its faithful implementation into the classroom.
The teachers in the study made some small but rather dramatic changes in their approach to teaching science by planning and implementing lessons, observing eac
"International research shows us that teaching is a cultural activity, and the routines we learn as teachers are very difficult to change," said Dr. Ermeling. "This study is noteworthy because it's one of the first to trace a connection between teachers working together to study their teaching and specific changes in classroom practice."
The research focused on a group of science teachers at a high school in southern California. Findings from the project informed the secondary school design of Pearson Learning Teams, an evidence-based, collaborative model that brings together teachers to learn from each other, refine their skills to improve student performance and self-assess their progress. Dr. Ermeling is now senior director for Pearson Learning Teams.
The study, "Tracing the effects of teacher inquiry on classroom practice," is published in the April edition of Teaching and Teacher Education and is available atwww.sciencedirect.com.
Although they are widely practiced in professional development, there has been little evidence until now that the teacher collaboration models of learning teams, action research, Japanese lesson study and other inquiry-based models, though common, actually lead to changes in instruction. Dr. Ermeling's study is one of the first to establish this connection through a systematic analysis, identifying a particular instructional innovation that emerged from the team's research and planning and tracing its faithful implementation into the classroom.
The teachers in the study made some small but rather dramatic changes in their approach to teaching science by planning and implementing lessons, observing eac