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Dissertation Information for Nancy Chism

NAME:
- Nancy Chism

DEGREE:
- Ph.D.

DISCIPLINE:
- Education

SCHOOL:
- The Ohio State University (USA) (1984)

ADVISORS:
- None

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
- None

MPACT Status: Incomplete - Not_Inspected

Title: CONDITIONS INFLUENCING TEACHER DEVELOPMENT IN AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SETTING

Abstract: Arguing that a significant part of the professional development of teachers occurs in school settings, this study considers school environments as places where teachers grow and develop. Eight conditions generally thought essential for teacher development are gleaned from the literature. These include: the presence of a strong growth ethic, learner-centered opportunities for growth, necessary challenge, ample support, peer interaction on professional concerns, adequate feedback, opportunities for experimentation and reflection, and time.

Within the framework of the eight conditions, the study explores the case of an urban elementary school with no special reputation, positive or negative, for staff development. Drawing on data gleaned from observation, interviewing, and document analysis over the course of a school year, the study describes the opportunities and constraints surrounding staff development in the setting.

The findings suggest that the presence or absence of a strong growth ethic, coordination, and extensive professional interaction, a cluster of conditions called "developmental drive," is a significantly more powerful influence on staff development than common organizational arrangements, such as the work schedules or incentive systems for teachers.

The study views the nature of the interaction of person and environment in the case as the interplay of four levels of perspective toward staff development: organizational perspectives at the district and school level, and teacher perspectives at the group and individual levels. The specific patterns of interaction in this case demonstrate the effect that the presence of strong developmental drive at a given level of perspective can exert in reinforcing or overriding perspectives at other levels. The levels of perspective framework is offered as a vehicle for describing patterns of interaction is a given case and for conducting comparisons across cases.

MPACT Scores for Nancy Chism

A = 1
C = 3
A+C = 4
T = 1
G = 1
W = 1
TD = 1
TA = 0
calculated 2010-10-07 14:23:45

Advisors and Advisees Graph