Date of Award

Winter 1990

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Program/Concentration

Urban Services - Urban Management

Committee Director

Wolfgang Pindur

Committee Member

James R. K. Heinen

Committee Member

Clare Houseman

Committee Member

William W. Patterson

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of the Effective Teaching Network (ETN), a program designed to develop collaboration among teachers. This study employs the pretest/posttest nonequivalent comparison group design. The treatment group (n = 75) represents an intact group of teachers who participated in the ETN pilot program. Thirty teachers participated in the direct level of treatment, and 40 teachers participated in the indirect level of treatment. The comparison group (n = 77) represents an intact group of teachers who were matched with the treatment group on teacher characteristics and pretest scores. The Professional Collegiality Questionnaire measured interactive teacher behaviors to determine norms of collegiality that exist within each school. Direct observation was employed to measure the teaching practices resulting from the ETN Program. Fourteen trained observers, employing the Checklist for Observers, conducted a total of 80 observations. A stratified random sample of teachers was selected by subject area to serve as observation sites. The Checklist for Teachers was administered to the treatment and comparison groups to supplement the classroom observation data.

Data effects are analyzed by analysis of covariance and analysis of variance procedures. The alpha is set at the.05 level. Results show that teachers who participate in the ETN Program develop norms of collegiality and employ effective teaching practices to a greater extent than teachers in the comparison group. Teachers who participate in the direct level of treatment develop norms of collegiality and employ effective teaching practices to a greater extent than teachers who participate in the indirect level of treatment.

Several conclusions concerning program effectiveness were drawn from the data. Program effectiveness can be maximized by: expanding participation in the direct level of treatment, providing time for teachers to interact on a collegial level, employing peer coaching techniques, and teacher training. The school needs to develop structures that afford the opportunity for teachers to collaborate with colleagues. Program coordinators need to place greater emphasis on training teachers to employ peer observation techniques. Training needs to focus on employing peer observation instruments and methods of providing teachers with feedback from the observations.

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DOI

10.25777/4wp6-ve13

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