Teachers Network Online Course Survey Analysis

Executive Summary

The traditional approaches of professional development such as short, stand-alone workshops, often lack focus and stability (Little 1993) and thus are insufficient for preparing qualified teachers to meet the educational needs of their students (Hawley & Valli, 2001). As educators have attempted to restructure professional development opportunities, Teachers Network offers New York City public school teachers a series of “P” credit courses for professional development.

This report uses an online survey to investigate the effects of the courses on teacher quality and student learning and addresses the following research questions: how did the participants rate the courses and the instructor, what were the key concepts that course participants learned, which aspects of the courses did participants value most, and what were their suggestions for course improvement? The quantitative data analysis focused on the average rating each course received. The qualitative data was examined by using an open coding procedure (Strauss & Corbin, 1998) to develop a codebook that sorted the responses into categories and identified the common themes reported in the responses.

The quantitative data showed that the majority of the respondents thought highly of the courses (M=4.84, SD=0.40). They were satisfied with the instructors’ knowledge (M=4.83, SD=0.47) and agreed that the instructors allowed them enough time to process and practice the information presented (M=4.80, SD=0.52). They also felt that the instructors’ attitude toward participants was professional (M=4.87, SD=0.45) and reported that they would apply some ideas presented in the courses in their classroom (M=4.87, SD=0.43). The participants would also like to recommend the courses to their colleagues (M=4.83, SD=0.53).

Consistent with the results of the quantitative analysis, the qualitative data demonstrated that the course participants appeared to find the professional development activities valuable and the course instructors helpful in many meaningful ways. The participants highlighted that the “P” credit courses addressed the content areas central to teachers’ needs and created essential changes in teachers’ knowledge. They also emphasized that the courses offered them the opportunities to share ideas among peers and learn from exemplary teachers. In addition, the courses enabled them to more effectively apply educational technology in the classroom, to become knowledgeable about the pedagogical approaches, to gain in-depth knowledge of the research in the field, and to develop a better understanding of student assessment. The following presents the commonly mentioned themes in the participants’ responses when disaggregated by course.

The most frequently mentioned key concepts included content knowledge and pedagogy, accommodations and differentiated instruction, integration of technology to the classroom, lesson planning and curriculum, resources (e.g., parents, colleagues, Internet, books), assessment methods and tools, perception change, reflection on practice, and time management.

The aspects of the courses that the participants valued most consisted of idea sharing among participants, feedback from the instructors, instructional methods, the integration of theory and practice, the quality and usefulness of the assignments, and the flexible structure of the courses.

The responses concerning ways to improve the courses were divided into two themes. The first confirmed the excellence of the course or the instructor, essentially offering no recommendations for improvement. The second pointed out specific areas for improvement, including more information on content and pedagogy, grouping the course participants based on grade level or license area, more time, more resources, and more feedback from the instructor, as well as continuing discussion after the course ended and reducing course cost.

In addition, there were both positive and negative additional comments. The major themes among the positive comments were similar to the aspects of the courses the participants valued, including the excellence of the instructor, the benefits of idea sharing and interaction, reflection on practice, and flexible structure of online courses. The negative comments were specific to certain courses and included the difficulty in connecting with students during the summer, a shortage of time for completing the assignments, and the need for greater balance between coursework and field experiences.

Although the course participants held generally positive views about the impact of the professional development courses on their teaching practices, some challenges existed for the course participants to meet the requirements of the courses, especially for those offered in the summer. The difficulty in balancing between their coursework and field experiences was frequently mentioned. Thus, allowing the participants more time to process what is being learned is necessary for successful professional development. Another recommendation for improving course quality is to divide the elementary and secondary or high school teachers into two classes. The grouping could be based on grade level or license area. This way the teachers could more effectively learn and share skills and techniques that work well for them.

In addition, the courses could be improved if the modes of discussion could be more interactive. An email information system could be set up to inform course participants when someone responds to the postings. That way the participants can get online and reply, making the online discussions much more interactive. Moreover, opportunities should be available for the course participants to continue their discussion after they have completed the courses. A large number of participants reported that what they valued most was the idea sharing among their peers. Those ideas from their colleagues are useful resources, and the interaction between peers is an effective approach for them to improve their professionalism. However, when the semester ended, this useful interaction no longer existed.