| The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of professional development characterized by teacher facilitated learning activities as a way to improve teaching practices and learning outcomes. In this study, teachers were provided opportunities to facilitate their own learning by investigating ways to consistently foster the desired learning outcomes for urban students over the course of three semesters. During the first semester, teachers focused on improving test scores and student motivation. By the third semester, teachers opted to extend time for students to complete assignments, and focused on sharing strategies that worked for students. Second, students of teachers who participated in the study group format using the structured dialogue approach demonstrated dramatic gains on the standardized content assessment in chemistry and integrated coordinated science (ICS) over three years. In chemistry, the percent of students scoring at far below basic decreased by 24%, and the percentage of students who scored basic increased 21%. In ICS, the percentage of students that scored far below basic decreased by 14% and the percent of students who scored basic increased 14%. The research findings suggest that using structured dialogue to facilitate teacher discourse in a way that is conducive to establishing positive discourse about student learning and rigorous pedagogy are key factors in improving teachers' ability to foster high academic outcomes from urban students. |
