Professional Development: Implications for Illinois Career and Technical Education Teachers

Karen Drage

doi:10.21061/jcte.v25i2.477

Abstract

<blockquote>Teacher turnover inhibits student achievement, and professional development can reduce the onset of teachers leaving the profession ( <a href="https://ejournals.lib.vt.edu/JCTE/article/view/477/652#center"> The Center for Comprehensive School, 2007 </a> ). No Child Left Behind and the new Perkins Act have redefined teacher professional development. In Illinois, according to the <a href="https://ejournals.lib.vt.edu/JCTE/article/view/477/652#illinoisnd"> Illinois State Board of Education (n.d.) </a> , meaningful professional development must be standards led and research based. This study provides research based professional development needs of Career and Technical Education (CTE) teachers in Illinois based upon the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards. The study provides answers to the following questions:</blockquote>1. What are the professional development needs of CTE teachers? 2. What motivates CTE teachers to participate in professional development? 3. What barriers exist for CTE teachers in professional development?

Highlights

Teacher turnover is costly and spiraling out of control according to a 2003 report from the National Commission on Teaching and America‘s Future (NCTAF)
This study sought to determine (a) What are the professional development needs of Career and Technical Education (CTE) teachers? (b) What motivates CTE teachers to participate in professional development? and (c) What barriers exist for CTE teachers in professional development?
This study sought to determine (a) What are the professional development needs of CTE teachers? (b) What motivates CTE teachers to participate in professional development? and (c) What barriers exist for CTE teachers in professional development? This section presents research data as it relates to the objective of the study and CTE teachers in Illinois and in the specific content areas of CTE

Summary

Introduction

Teacher turnover is costly and spiraling out of control according to a 2003 report from the National Commission on Teaching and America‘s Future (NCTAF). Teacher turnover will continue to drain our public tax dollars, it will undermine teaching quality, and it will most certainly hinder our ability to close student achievement gaps (NCTAF, 2007, 21). Fullan & Steigelbauer (1991) believe professional development is the ―sum of formal and informal learning experiences throughout one‘s career from preservice teacher education to retirement‖ The Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvements (2007) concurs stating teachers need continued opportunities to develop skills that meet the diverse needs of learners. Maurer (2000) states the primary focus of professional development should be improving students‘ learning and that only through ongoing education and development can one become a more effective professional. The difference between ―professional development‖ and ―meaningful professional development‖ is that in order for the professional development to have meaning, it must be ongoing, diverse, and focused on improving student achievement

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Results

Conclusion