Does team-based professional development make a difference? A

longitudinal investigation of teacher learning through curriculum design

Marie A. B. Bakah, Ph.D.Institute for Educational Planning and Administration,

University of Cape Coastmbakah@ucc.edu.gh

marieafua@yahoo.com

EMASA Conference 2012, Pinetown, Durban, South Africa

Overview Research Context Background to the study Professional learning communities Collaborative Curriculum Design in Design Teams Research question Research Approach Results Conclusions

Research Context 10 regionally-based polytechnics

Vocational higher education

Applied science, arts and technology programmes

HND and B. Tech. Programmes

Semi-autonomous institutions (NCTE)

Background to the Study Polytechnic reforms Polytechnic upgrade to tertiary institutions

(November, 2007) Infrastructure Human Resource Development Leadership/Managerial capacity Professional development of lecturers needed Curriculum design Industrial attachment was a professional development

need for lecturers

Professional Learning Communities/ Communities of Practice

An extended learning opportunity to foster collaborativelearning among colleagues within a particular workenvironment or field. It is often used in schools as a way toorganize teachers into working groups (professionaldevelopment and collaboration).

sustainable school reform (Hord, 2004; Lieberman & Miller,

2004)

impact on practice (Louis & Marks, 1998; McLaughlin &

Talbert, 2006)

student achievement (Sackney, et al., 2005; Vescio, et al., 2008)

Teacher Design Teams (TDT)Collaborative curriculum design

(Cohen, 1996; Deketelaere & Kelchtermans, 1996; Mishra et al., 2007; Parchmann et al., 2006; Penuel et al, 2007; Nieveen et al., 2005; Simmie, 2007; Millar et al., 2006)

‘a group of at least two teachers, from the same or related subjects, working together on a regularbasis, with the goal to re-design and enact (a part of) their common curriculum.’ (Handelzalts, 2009, p. 7)

design tasks teacher learning curriculum innovation (Mishra et al., 2007)

Collaborative Curriculum Design in Design Teams

Professional development of the teachers Active engagementCollaboration Teacher ownership during curriculum

innovation Design team supportCollective participation

Research Question

What is the impact of collaborative curriculum design on teacher professional development

and curriculum reform practices?

Research Approach

Design-based Research

First Study:Design &

Evaluation 1

First Study:Design &

Evaluation 2

Sustainability Study

Context and Needs Analysis

Participants

Two Polytechnics Faculty of engineering Full-time lecturers (32) All males (average age 41 years) Six TDTs

Automobile (2) Production (2) Electrical (2)

Students 478 (Polytechnic 1)and 663 (Polytechnic 2). Average age - 24 years

Professional Development Arrangement

• Formation of TDTs

• Introductory workshop

• Collaborative curriculum design

• Industrial visits

• Teaching tryouts of updated courses

• Students’ appraisal of teaching tryout

• Dissemination workshop

12 weeks and 14 weeks

TDT Courses Class Areas updated

PTDT Workshop Processes and Practice 2

HND 1 to select a suitable material for making mould intended for sand casting, to produce a mould for a given simple engineering component, to produce a casting from the mould

Installation and Maintenance (Pumps)

HND 2 procedure for the installation of pumps, process schedules for pumps, maintenance of pumps, trouble shooting and repairs of faults on pumps

ATDT Workshop Process and Practice 2

HND 1 the identification and use of instruments to implement quality control checks on modern vehicles

Vehicle Engineering Science and Laboratory Work 1

HND 2 the use of high speed engine test indicators and hydraulic dynamometers for various engine tests such as: indicated power, break power, mean effective pressure, specific fuel consumption, heat balance test and thermal efficiency

ETDT Electrical Machines 1

HND 1 designing and rewinding single phase transformers

Electrical Machines 3

HND 2 designing and rewinding single phase induction motors

Overview of courses and areas updated

Data Collection and Analysis

Research Instruments: Questionnaire (lecturers and students) Interview guides (lecturers) Industry reports Logbook (researcher)

Data Analysis: Questionnaire - descriptive statistics, factor analysis,

independent t-test & one-way ANOVA test (Students) and paired t-tests (teachers)

Interviews and logbook – Alas ti. 6.2Intercoder reliability (2 coders) Cohen’s kappa (k) 0.93

19/04/2023Title: to modify choose 'View' then 'Heater and footer' 14

19/04/2023Title: to modify choose 'View' then 'Heater and footer' 16

19/04/2023Title: to modify choose 'View' then 'Heater and footer' 17

Results (1) Knowledge and Skills Acquisition

Limitation: time spent at industry not enough

Industrial attachment TDT M SD

Acquisition of knowledge and

skills

ATDT 4.38 .25PTDT 4.45 .29ETDT 4.43 .42Total 4.48 .32

Usefulness of knowledge and

skills

ATDT 4.56 .43PTDT 4.59 .34ETDT 4.65 .38Total 4.60 .35

William (P) ‘...we were exposed to the new processes of casting and varieties of sand ... it was a very good exercise we went through’.

Roland (E) ‘I acquired new skills in the way of rewinding single phase induction motors... new techniques for detecting faults’.

At industries:

Results (2) Knowledge and Skills Acquisition

During collaborative design:

Justice (A) ‘...in fact this is a decentralised way of handling curriculum design especially as long as the skill development and practical side is concerned. This is what we need; this is what we want to do, so this is in a way encouraging a grass root design of curriculum so it is very supportive’.

Teacher collaboration:

Lecturer interdependency, confidence, interaction, tolerance

Varied experiences and ages to a level of thinking and cohesion

Subject matter dialogue, discussions, brainstorming, increase output

Oliver (E), ‘... working as a team, gave me the opportunity to share ideas, come out boldly to work things out together with colleagues .... and I was motivated to learn’

Results (3)Perception of TDT: Perceptions before (M=2.50, SD=0.37) and after (M=4.22, SD=0.37) Significant difference (p<0.05) Effect size (4.70)

Students’ experiences: Means

Presentation (M=3.88, SD=0.66)

Clarity (M=3.37, SD=0.63) One-way ANOVA

Presentation (F=2.41, p=0.092)

Clarity (F=6.91, p=0.001)

Results (4)

Challenge TDT Solution Deciding on time for TDT

meetingsAll Met before or after teaching

periods Workload ETDT Adjustment of schedules Consensus building (only

initial)All Harmony and compromises

overtime Dominance by older or more

experienced lecturer (only initial)

PTDT Prompted by colleagues amicably

Department standstill for TDT meetings

ETDT Met before or after teaching periods

Some lecturers’ having their teaching period(s) coinciding with times for TDT industry trips

All Lecturers concerned gave group assignment to their students within the period when the former were visiting industry

Conclusions (1)Design Teams.......

fostered teacher learning made available significant space for teacher support encouraged collaborative curriculum design enhanced exchange of information Was useful for classroom practice and students’ learning

In professional development, it is worthwhile to engage teachers in teamwork to rigorously plan and implement their own learning

Conclusions (2)

Collaborative curriculum design enhanced professional development and instructional practices of teachers

Teachers explored developments in industry Teachers acquired subject matter knowledge and skills Teachers acquired curriculum design skills Teachers explored concrete scenario for practice Teachers collaboration enhanced subject matter

dialogue and interaction

.

Author & Contact

Marie A. B. Bakah (Ph.D.)Lecturer, Institute for Educational Planning and

Administration; Faculty of Education; University of Cape Coast; Cape Coast, Ghana.

Email: mbakah@ucc.edu.gh

marieafua@yahoo.com