A statewide community of practice: professional development for science teachers

The introduction of new curriculum poses a range of challenges for both new and experienced teachers. To overcome these challenges teachers need appropriate trainings and support. Research shows that communities of practice (COP) are valuable for teacher development and correlated to good teaching. COPs can be difficult to create because teachers are pre-conditioned to work in isolation. The purpose of this qualitative study was to consider how the COP model, at the state level, used the expertise of both new and experienced teachers. In addition to supporting experienced teachers in transitioning to problem-based learning (PBL), this could be an effective method of bringing new teachers into the profession. The study was conducted with high school and middle school science teachers from across New Jersey. The following research questions guided the research study: (1) What takes place in a community of practice focused on developing problem-based learning? (2) What are participants’ perceptions of the value of the statewide community of practice? These research questions were addressed by using feedback forms, informal conversations, a focus group, observations and collecting documents, from twelve participants (myself included) over four months. After reading the data multiple times, coding, and identifying patterns and themes, interpretations were made. Findings showed the importance and particularities of my leadership in structuring and facilitating the meetings to meet the teachers’ needs and that novice teachers worked alongside of experienced teachers to contribute to the collective knowledge of the group. The teachers reported positive experiences during the COP and they appreciated the support provided by like-minded peers. The overall findings of this study also support that from the teachers’ perspectives, a statewide community of practice promotes and sustains ongoing professional growth. Three claims were made when discussing findings: 1) this is a new type of community of practice with unique teacher leadership and willing participants; 2) teachers should have a voice and choice in selecting their own learning communities, and 3) it is possible to create conditions in which novice teachers are full and active participants from the beginning. Practical recommendations and suggestions for future research are presented.Ed.D.Includes bibliographical referencesby Kristina Nicosi