| This dissertation is a case study of seven enhancement specialist teachers who collaboratively planned, implemented, and evaluated a new method of working with students and each other. Organized as teacher study group and assisted by a facilitator from the PDS partner university, these teachers engaged in the type of school-based professional development activities called for by research and reports (Darling-Hammond, 1996; Lieberman, 1995; National Foundation for the Improvement of Education, 1996; National Commission on Teaching and American's Future, 1996). The author provides an overview of the work done by these teachers written in narrative form, examines the process of collaboration that developed, and analyzes the effect that participating in a collaborative structure had on the professional development of the teachers, including the development of more collegial relationships. John Dewey's (1938) conception of an educative experience frames the analysis of the professional growth of these teachers, and Judith Warren Little's (1982) description of collegial behaviors is employed for discussions of collegiality.; The author identifies and discusses four related factors, categorized as affective and support factors, which influence the collaborative process The author's analysis of professional development identified three categories of factors that influenced the educativity of the experiences of the teachers in this study: external events, professional background and disposition, and expectations. This study also provides guidance for future application of Dewey's framework as a vehicle for analyzing the complex and messy process of professional development. |
