Abstract
<p>The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of a collaborative teaching model of professional development on new sixth through twelfth grade teachers’ attitudes, self-efficacy, motivation, and implementation of instruction. Educating students in the 21st century requires not only content expertise and the desire to teach, but pedagogical competence. To acquire these requisite skills, new classroom teachers need more than discrete, periodic, in-house or off-campus professional development programs.</p>
<p>This research investigated the effectiveness of a collaborative teaching model for 6th through 12th grade teachers (n = 23) using a Pre/Post Quasi-Experimental Design. The dependent variables were the teachers’ attitudes toward professional development, levels of self-efficacy, motivation, and implementation of instruction. The first three variables were measured by the Semantic Differential Scale (SDS), the Teacher Efficacy Scale (TES), and the Work Motivation Inventory (WMI), respectively. A one-way repeated measures ANOVA was employed to determine change over time. Implementation of instruction was assessed using the Teaching Competencies: Non-Tenured Teacher Appraisal Program Observation. At the beginning and end of the study, observations (n = 6) of three voluntary collaborative teacher teams were conducted using the school district’s teacher evaluation form. To fully describe the effect of this dependent variable, data were described using means, standard deviations, and frequencies to view teacher classroom behavior. Lastly, a Teacher Exit Questionnaire assessed individual teacher (n = 23) reflection of the professional development role of the collaborative model. In this study, the independent variable was the active participation in a collaborative teaching model.</p>
<p>The findings from the one-way repeated measures ANOVA revealed that the new 6th through 12th grade teachers (n = 23) showed statistically significant differences on pre and post assessments on two dependent variables (attitude and motivation). The Bonferroni pairwise comparisons revealed the mean differences for both variables were significant at the .05 level. Descriptive data from the Teaching Competencies: Non- Tenured Teacher Appraisal Program Observation and the Teacher Exit Questionnaire regarding the implementation of instruction showed that 96% of the teachers noted an increase in their ability to identify different student learning needs and apply appropriate strategies. Thus, both the statistically significant repeated measures effect and the teachers’ enacted and reported practice were impacted by the collaborative teaching model experience.</p>
