| A case study research design involving six teacher leaders and three teachers, from one school district in Washington State, was employed to investigate the nature of teacher learning within two teacher leadership models of professional development. Responding to the limited research, on how teacher leaders adopt and adapt what they have learned from professional development experiences to their classroom practice and how they affect other teachers' teaching practice, this interpretive case study explored the following major questions. What did teacher leaders learn about being leaders? What did teacher leaders learn about teaching mathematics? What did teachers learn as a result of the relationship with the teacher leader? What role did a standards-based mathematics curriculum play in teacher learning?; The evidence suggests that the Investigations in Number, Data, and Space curriculum influenced how teachers taught mathematics. The Investigations curriculum enabled teachers and teacher leaders to present activities for students to explore mathematical concepts and support students' development of mathematical strategies.; Findings show that the teacher leadership models of professional development informed teacher leaders' thinking about teaching mathematics. As teachers of mathematics, teacher leaders had students share strategies for solving mathematics problems and listened to and probed their students' thinking. In doing so, these teacher leaders provided opportunities for their students to become fluent mathematical thinkers.; The findings also illustrate that teacher leaders assumed instructional leadership functions rather being limited to managerial/clerical activities they carried out in the past. Formal opportunities to learn about being leaders and providing professional development enabled teacher leaders to move beyond an “apprenticeship-of-observation” model for becoming a leader. A detailed, descriptive image of a successful teacher leader who fulfilled the seven teacher leadership functions presented in this dissertation holds relevant implications for future research. Teacher leaders also promoted the engagement in professional development experiences to their colleagues to motivate their involvement. Professional development experiences provided opportunities for teachers to learn from each other about mathematics, about teaching mathematics, and being leaders in a collegial and collaborative environment. |
