A project designed to examine the effects that collaborative peer interactions have on the professional development of teachers

Much research links collaborative experiences to the professional development of teachers. The author of this study designed a project, called the Buddy System, which provided opportunities for teachers to observe one another in the classroom and to interact with one another collaboratively. The goal was to determine if these activities provided a means of professional development. After the implementation of this sixteen-week project, the author collected data from a variety of sources which indicated that professional development had taken place.