| Staff development is generally perceived as one of the most promising and readily available avenues to professional growth on the job and to institutional improvement. However, staff development is not a panacea, and many staff development programs demonstrably fail to meet the needs of school districts or their personnel. The purpose of this research is to increase the prospects that locally-sponsored staff development will contribute to the professional growth of individual teachers, and that it will enhance the ability of schools and districts to improve teaching and learning. The dissertation is organized around the professional development research, current professional development policies and practices in four local school districts, and the perceptions and reported participation of nearly 100 high school teachers.;The literature informs us that over the past twenty-five years professional development has evolved from a primarily individual endeavor to a districtwide endeavor which attempts to strategically link staff development to goals for teaching and learning. The importance of career stage, adult learning theory, and evaluation are also discussed. While district policies, planning, and practices have been informed by the literature and legislated by mandates, issues connected to career stage, planning, evaluation, and opportunities to learn still remain. Teachers indicate they engage in professional development because they want to get better at what they do. Yet their collective voices reveal that professional development, as it is now organized and delivered, does not meet their needs nor reflect their preferences. The study has shown that districts need to adopt a wider conception of professional development that encompasses the needs, interests, and preferences of individuals while also responding to institutional goals and priorities.;Based on data from the research, the districts, and teachers the following recommendations are made: (1) District plans need to establish clear links between staff development and teaching and learning priorities; (2) Teacher preferences for the design and content of professional development, career stage needs, and creative ways of allocating time within the work day must be examined; and (3) Professional development efforts must strike a balance between satisfying institutional and individual needs. |
