Investigating the Needs of Elementary School Teachers of Mathematics at Different Points During Sustained Professional Development

这项为期五年的教师专业连续研究计划旨在绘制小学数学教师从事持续专业发展的演变轨迹。该项目汇集了教育学院和数学与统计系的专业知识，位于圣地亚哥州立大学数学与科学教育研究中心（CRMSE）。该项目的目标是识别和理解小学数学教师在参与专业发展过程中不断变化的观点和需求的演变。从500多名小学教师中抽取样本，包括120名从事持续专业发展不同时间长度的小学数学教师。本研究分为四组教师，每组30名教师，分别为初始参与者、晋升参与者、教师领导和职前准备。最初的参与者处于持续专业发展的开始阶段。高级参与者至少完成了两年，教师领导至少完成了四年的持续专业发展。职前队列为初任教师的进化轨迹提供了一个关键的锚点，并在后来的轨迹点上洞察群体。圣地亚哥县三个不同的学区参与了这项研究。本研究探讨了小学教师在持续专业发展过程中，在知识、信念和实践三个方面的异同点。项目参与者参与了认知引导教学（CGI），这是一项由美国国家科学基金会资助的研究和专业发展工作，重点关注儿童的数学思维。本研究采用横断面设计，在不同的轨迹上考察教师的变化与成长。混合方法和三角数据将用于分析教师成长的多种指标（信念、知识和实践）。研究工具将包括信念调查、内容评估、专业发展和课堂教学的观察协议，以及评估教师课堂互动解释的注意工具。在持续专业发展的背景下，八个案例研究对教师的知识、信念和实践在教师专业连续体的四个不同点上进行了深入分析：未来的教师、最初的参与者、前进的参与者和教师领导者。此外，对八个案例的纵向分析提供了重要的信息，说明教师从最初的参与者演变为高级参与者时需求的变化。次要的核心研究问题是对研究成果在该领域的相关性和应用的形成性评估，特别是专业发展提供者社区。形成性评估将检查研究结果对未来和实践教师的不同专业发展模式的有用性。专业发展促进者和提供者将作为共同研究人员参与形成性评价部分，并将参与研究成果的传播。

This five-year Teacher Professional Continuum Research project seeks to map a trajectory for the evolution of elementary school mathematics teachers engaged in sustained professional development. Bringing together expertise from the School of Education and the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, the project is housed at the Center for Research in Mathematics and Science Education (CRMSE) at San Diego State University. The goal of the project is to identify and understand the evolution of elementary school mathematics teachers' changing perspectives and needs as they participate in professional development. Drawing from a pool of more than 500 elementary school teachers, the sample includes 120 elementary school mathematics teachers engaged in sustained professional development for different lengths of time. Four teacher cohorts of 30 teachers each are represented in the study as initial participants, advancing participants, teacher leaders and preservice. Initial participants are in the beginning stage of sustained professional development. Advancing participants have completed at least two years, and teacher leaders at least four years of sustained professional development. The preservice cohort provides a critical anchor for the beginning teachers' evolutionary trajectory and insights into groups at later trajectory points. Three diverse school districts in San Diego County participate in the study. The study investigates the central research question of what are the similarities and differences among elementary school teachers at three points during sustained professional development in terms of their knowledge, beliefs and practices. Project participants have been involved in Cognitively Guided Instruction (CGI), an NSF-funded research and professional development effort focused on addressing children's mathematics thinking. The study employs a cross-sectional design to investigate teacher change and growth on distinct points along the trajectory. Mixed methods and triangulation of data will be utilized to analysis multiple measures of teacher growth (beliefs, knowledge and practices). The research instrumentation will involve belief surveys, content assessments, observation protocols for professional development and classroom instruction and noticing instruments to assess teacher interpretation of classroom interactions. Eight case studies provide in-depth analyses of teachers' knowledge, beliefs and practices at four distinct points of the teacher professional continuum within the context of sustained professional development: prospective teachers, initial participants, advancing participants and teacher leaders. Additionally, a longitudinal analysis of eight cases provides important information about the changing needs of teachers as they evolve from initial participants to advancing participants. Secondary to the central research question is a formative assessment on the relevance and application of the research findings to the field, specifically the community of professional development providers. The formative assessment will examine the usefulness of research findings to disparate models of professional development for both prospective and practicing teachers. Professional development facilitators and providers will participate as co-researchers in the formative assessment component and will participate in dissemination of the research findings.