Date of Award
Spring 3-28-2024
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Ed.D. Transformational Teaching and Learning
First Advisor
Dr. Amy Pfeiler-Wunder
Second Advisor
Dr. Mark Wolfmeyer
Third Advisor
Dr. Gregory Shelley
Abstract
Pennsylvania has the largest disparity between student and faculty demographics. In fact, over half of Pennsylvania schools employ zero teachers of color. As student demographics change and teacher demographics remain the same, there is an ever-increasing need to train in-service teachers on diversity, equity, and inclusion tenets. Training teachers to be culturally competent requires them to alter their understandings in a transformational way. Often, cash-strapped districts attempt to produce training sessions in-house, developed by administrators who may have little training in the area themselves. This leads to professional learning that is left in the conference room once teachers leave. Research demonstrates that schools that engage in quality equity-focused professional learning show an increase in test scores, better student mental health, and lower dropout rates. This study seeks to examine how teachers experience sessions of equity-focused professional learning to determine what aspects are effective in engaging teachers in the transformational learning process. The teachers in this study underwent equity-focused professional learning led by a consultant in the field in the 2022/2023 school year. The teachers’ experiences will be examined through a survey and ethnographic interviews. This qualitative and quantitative data would illustrate if teachers experienced transformation and what that transformation looked and felt like. Finally, quantitative data analysis on student surveys that measure students’ feelings of belonging can help to determine whether there is reciprocal transfer from professional learning, answering the question: does this type of training help to increase students’ feelings of belonging?
Recommended Citation
Moxley, Melissa E., "More than just checking a box: Teachers' experiences of transformation in equity-focused professional learning" (2024). Education Doctorate Dissertations. 40.
https://research.library.kutztown.edu/edddissertations/40
Included in
Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education Commons, Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons, Educational Leadership Commons, Educational Methods Commons, Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education Commons, Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons
