Differentiating for Teacher Learners: An Examination of Research in Professional Development Studies
Publication Date
12-2023
Date of Final Oral Examination (Defense)
August 2023
Type of Culminating Activity
Dissertation
Degree Title
Doctor of Education in Curriculum and Instruction
Department Filter
Curriculum, Instruction, and Foundational Studies
Department
Curriculum, Instruction, and Foundational Studies
Supervisory Committee Chair
Katherine L. Wright, Ph.D.
Supervisory Committee Member
Gena Nelson, Ph.D.
Supervisory Committee Member
Amber Warrington, Ph.D.
Supervisory Committee Member
Jim Fredricksen, Ph.D.
Abstract
Teachers need access to quality professional development (PD) to navigate the complexities of the teaching profession. An important aspect of this PD is that it is differentiated to meet the needs of teacher-learners with varying ability levels, teaching experiences, content knowledge, and teaching contexts. Stakeholders need access to high-quality research to attend to these diverse needs in PD. My dissertation consists of three connected Systematic Literature Review studies that examine the current quality of PD research at the secondary level, to determine what research says about differentiating for teacher-learners to provide guidance for education practitioners who make PD decisions. The first study is a systematic literature review to determine the current quality of PD research. Study II identified high-quality PD research and to what extent it supports differentiation practices. Study III is a review of three practitioner journals to determine to what extent the recommendations made in these journals are consistent with what the high-quality research supports. I concluded that while differentiation practices are beginning to make their way into PD research and conversations, more high-quality research is needed to identify effective ways PD can be tailored to meet the needs of individual teachers to ultimately improve student learning outcomes.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.18122/td.2200.boisestate
Recommended Citation
Uriarte, Paula M., "Differentiating for Teacher Learners: An Examination of Research in Professional Development Studies" (2023). Boise State University Theses and Dissertations. 2200.
https://doi.org/10.18122/td.2200.boisestate