Dissertation Writing Help - enhancing teacher quality: an examination of two teacher development models
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As educators across the United States look for ways to rises student achievement, researchers as well as politicians point to improving teacher quality as the way to improve student achievement. Teacher quality as well-defined repeatedly throughout the literature, comprises two measurable elements- a) teacher preparation and qualifications and b) teaching practices. The assumption is that "excellent teacher preparation and qualifications should lead to exemplary teaching behaviors and practices" and the combined ‘degree of excellence' exhibited in these elements is proportional to the level of teacher quality. Traditionally, only the teacher preparation as well as qualifications element has been used to certify and license teachers across the United States but states are beginning to travel measuring teaching practices as a component of licensing as well.
Measuring teaching practices needs a shift towards self-directed teacher inquiry models of professional development. The purpose of this study was to examine the ways in which two selected teacher development models, ones that emphasis on improved teacher quality and are inquiry-based, prejudiced participating teachers' opinions, thinking and practices. The qualitative study examined teachers' experiences in completing the two models that is the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certification process as well as the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching awards process. Using constant comparative analysis, a framework of theoretical propositions was generated to explain the influence on teacher thinking, beliefs and practices that is the impact on teacher quality and to predict how further models could be developed or replicated. The findings suggest that critical analysis and reflection of teaching practices influence thinking and reflexively influence beliefs; inquiry-based professional development models which include critical reflection of teaching practices and documented evidence of student success are more likely to influence teacher quality and further research is needed to discover the influence of self-directed teacher development models as well as the influence that life and family experiences may have on teaching practices.