| Schools are under significant pressure from No Child Left Behind to increase student achievement. Although research suggests that teacher quality has the greatest impact on student achievement, schools continue to address professional learning through a deficit model approach where all teachers receive the same learning opportunity regardless of individual teachers' needs. The purpose of this study was to understand the experiences of teachers who participated, by choice, in one of two collaborative types of professional development activity in the form of professional learning communities. One community functioned as a study group case and the other as a lesson study case. The research questions guiding the study sought to understand participants' experiences, denote any impact on student learning, and determine how participants' thinking about professional learning changed as a result of the activity. A total of eight teachers participated in this case study. Data were collected through interviews, participant journals, and observations. Inductive and interpretive analyses were used, and after separate analysis of each case, the results were compared to identify similarities and differences. All participants responded favorably to their experiences and indicated they would participate in a similar activity again. The results were used to create a menu of reform-type professional development activities for the school. The implications for positive social change from the study include creation of collegial professional development programs within schools that prevent teacher isolation, offer differentiated learning opportunities for teachers, and promote a clear focus on student learning. |
