| Driven by national education reform, teachers are experiencing increased demands and accountability for student achievement. Teacher professional development is an integral strategic component for meeting these demands. However, teachers have had minimal, if any, input into establishing policy or making professional development decisions. The purpose of this qualitative grounded theory study was to analyze and interpret 7th and 8th grade public school teachers' attitudes, perceptions, and self-efficacy in relation to professional development and student achievement. The research questions, guided by Knowles and Mezirow's theories of adult learning and Bandura's self-efficacy theory, attempted to reveal teachers' perceptions of professional development, self-efficacy, teacher efficacy, and student achievement in one middle school. Triangulated data collection included in-depth interviews with 15 of 63 (24%) middle school teachers, a survey of 28 of 63 (44%) middle school teachers, and memos. Charmaz's strategies for analysis, including line by line coding, open coding, axial coding, and theoretical coding procedures, were used to identify emerging categories. The emerging themes about professional development were (a) discovery and renewal, (b) practical applicability supporting student development, (c) disconnection, (d) impact of external forces, (e) teachers as student guide, and (f) moral conflict defining student achievement. This study has the potential to support positive social change as it will inform a professional development model, framed by teacher input, which may lead to more effective teacher learning and increased student achievement. |
