This interview features insights from Yasemin Copur-Gencturk, who collaborated with Ian Thacker on the article “A Comparison of Perceived and Observed Learning From Professional Development: Relationships Among Self-Reports, Direct Assessments, and Teacher Characteristics.” You can read the full text online in the Journal of Teacher Education.
Article Abstract: The success of professional development programs has typically been determined based on their impact on teacher learning, without much attention being given to the data sources used. Large-scale studies have generally relied on teachersā self-reports, whereas small-scale studies have included more direct assessments and observations of teacher learning. The purpose of this study was to compare teachersā self-reported gains in mathematical knowledge for teaching with those measured by direct assessments. Quantitative analyses of the data collected from 545 teachers who participated in content-focused professional development programs indicated a lack of correlation between teachersā self-reports and direct assessments of their knowledge gains. Furthermore, different teacher-related factors were associated with the learning reported by these two measures. These findings speak to the need to pay careful attention to the outcome measures used to evaluate teachersā learning.
What motivated you to pursue this particular research topic?
We began this research because we noticed a lack of attention to the measures used in professional development (what was captured by them), which limited claims that could be made about the impact of professional development. Because the goal of professional development is to help equip teachers with the necessary knowledge and skills for teaching, we need to know what makes learning opportunities effective in order to develop better professional development opportunities. When we were reading studies on professional development, two major issues stood out for us. One is that the key features of professional development programs were only vaguely identified and that they seemed to vary from program to program. This, in turn, made it difficult to discern what design features helped teachers learn. Second, the empirical evidence underlying these features came from large-scale studies that used teachersā self-reports. However, we were unable to find any studies showing that teachers could accurately assess their own knowledge gains. Thus, we decided to conduct this particular study to examine how teachersā learning based on self-reports was related to their learning when captured by a direct assessment.
Were there any specific external events (political, social, economic) that influenced your decision to engage in this research study?
Some studies that have affected the field of teacher education have been conducted by those with little expertise in teaching and teacher education. Even though these studies may have used rigorous research designs and methods, the content-related issues seemed somewhat problematic. Let me give you an example. I remember one of my colleagues in another discipline telling me that teachersā knowledge does not affect student learning. This comment was based on a well-designed professional development study, which showed that even though professional development improved teachersā knowledge, this change did not have an impact on their studentsā learning. In the program my colleague was referring to, the type of teacher knowledge improved by the program was common content knowledge. As teacher educators, we know that this type of knowledge is insufficient for quality teaching and student learning. For me, what that particular study showed was that the program did not seem to improve the mathematical knowledge that teachers need for effective teaching, which is why the program did not have an impact on student learning.
By using the two outcome measures in this study, we wanted to draw attention to the fact that, depending on the measures used to assess the success of a program, the very same program could be considered a successful or failure.
What were some difficulties you encountered with the research?
We did not have any research funding at that time, and it was almost impossible to conduct a study like this without any financial support. We were very fortunate that our colleagues in the professional development organization, Debra Plowman and Carol Fletcher were open to hearing our research idea and helped us conduct this research. They believed in the importance of the study and helped us, even though there was no direct benefit to them other than contributing to the field. We would like to take the opportunity to thank them again for their support.
What current areas of research are you pursuing?
My current research focuses on three interrelated areas: the mathematical knowledge needed for teaching, teachersā learning, and equity-related issues around mathematics teachers. As part of the first research area, my research team and I are focusing on identifying what content-specific knowledge and skills teachers need for quality teaching and student learning. For instance, we have been analyzing the strategies teachers use when solving fraction word problems and the errors they make to better understand their problem-solving skills. We are also currently working on a project funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to develop a measure that will capture teachersā knowledge of proportional reasoning for teaching. We are using a new statistical model to test the possibility of using teachersā open-ended responses to capture their mathematical understanding. In fact, some initial evidence suggests that topic modeling has the potential to capture the qualitative nuances in teachersā responses to constructed-response items.
My second thread involves investigating the conditions under which teachers learn and which design features are associated with teachersā learning. We are creating learning opportunities that will lead to teachersā knowledge and skill growth. In my NSF CAREER project, we are answering the question of whether and under which conditions teachers who are new to teaching mathematics are able to learn from their teaching. In another project funded by the Institute of Education Sciences, we are examining the possibility of developing an interactive computer-based professional development program with a virtual facilitator to improve teachersā mathematical knowledge for teaching.
At the nexus of mathematics teachers and equity in mathematics classrooms, I also focus on teachersā beliefs and implicit biases that shape teachersā interaction with their students in teaching mathematics. In fact, we have recently published an article on teachersā implicit biases toward studentsā mathematical ability.
What new challenges do you see for the field of teacher education?
Our schools of education are under threat from alternative certification programs that circumvent university teacher education programs, and we need to be better able to articulate and provide evidence that our teacher education programs matter. I see two major interrelated challenges: we know little about what works in teacher education programs to equip teachers with the necessary knowledge and skills, which hampers our ability to improve teacher education programs. Similarly, I feel that as teacher educators, we are not shaping policies around teacher education. I feel that this is partly related to the first issue I mentioned. I believe we need more timely research conducted by teacher educators so that we can shape policies around teacher education.
What advice would you give to new scholars in teacher education?
We always need to remember that we are preparing teachers who will shape the future of students, so we have an enormous responsibility to prepare teachers to disrupt the current inequity in society. As scholars, we also have a responsibility to conduct research that has the potential to improve the lives of our teachers and students. Finally, for those who feel that they are working hard but not getting where they would like to be, I say, āPlease do not be discouraged! Keep doing meaningful research. Always remember that your hard work will eventually pay off.ā
Contact information for corresponding author
Yasemin Copur-Gencturk, University of Southern California, 3470 Trousdale Parkway, WPH 904F, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0001. Email:Ā copurgen@usc.edu Twitter: @copur_gencturk
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