With times changing and technology
usage increasing in the United States, professional development is a vital
aspect for mathematics teachers. Education goes through many changes and
trends. Teachers in our school systems need to be aware of these changes
and make appropriate choices in their classrooms concerning curriculum,
teaching strategies and technology. In an article entitled "Before It’s
Too Late: A Report to the Nation from the National Commission on Mathematics
and Science Teaching for the 21st Century", it describes the
current condition of science and mathematics programs. It states that "America’s
students must improve their performance in mathematics and science if they
are to succeed in today’s world and therefore remain competitive in the
global economy" (National Commission on
Mathematics and Science Teaching, 2000, p. 7). The problem of mathematics
students and teaching is getting progressively worse and there needs to
be some reform and training for teachers of math. The report ["Before It’s
Too Late"] gives direction to a possible solution. "The most direct route
to improving mathematics and science achievement for all students is better
mathematics and science teaching" (National
Commission on Mathematics and Science Teaching, 2000, p. 7). Pre-service
teachers must have improved quality of teacher preparation and in-service
teachers must have continuing professional education.
Although the proposal of incorporating more professional development experiences in a teacher’s schedule is mandatory, it is a tough task to pursue. A teacher’s workday consists of many different things; planning, teaching, parent conferences, paperwork, grading, report cards and meetings. With all of these things happening on a daily basis, it does not leave much room for teachers to grow professionally. In addition, teachers have a great deal of accountability concerning national, state and county tests. If they were to go to a meeting they would then lose teaching time and fall behind in the curriculum. Which choice is the teacher going to pick? Attending the professional meeting to benefit themselves and risk the falling behind in the curriculum or not attend the meeting and then miss the opportunity to learn new ideas and knowledge. It is very hard to find the time to get away from classroom responsibilities and attend a professional meeting. A teacher would have to judge if the professional development experience would be worthwhile to them. Is it an experience that the teacher and students would benefit from in the future or just an experience that the teacher has heard repeatedly? This is a valid question for all educators in the mathematics field. Why risk losing curriculum teaching time if they are going to gain nothing significant from the professional development experience?
Some provisions and accommodations need to be made so that all teachers have the ability to expand their professional knowledge during the workday. I believe teachers want to do their best and have classroom environments and activities where students are confident in their math skills and enjoy the subject. Barbara Brodhagen, a middle school teacher, states, "I hear about new teaching and learning strategies and end up feeling guilty because I am not using them, yet I wonder when will I find the time to learn and prepare how to use them" (Brodhagen, 1998, p. 52). Many teachers (myself included) feel this same way. There is little time during the school day for teachers to expand their professional knowledge. "It is easy to say, "teachers should", but harder to find ways to make this happen" (Brodhagen, 1998, p. 52). Of course there are other professional development opportunities that teachers can pursue, that do not interfere with the school day. These include reading publications and journals, conferencing and collaborating with other professionals, and researching specific trends and strategies in the mathematics field. These activities are left up to the individual teacher and some teachers are not as inclined to do these kinds of things to improve themselves professionally as other teachers.
This paper includes research on effective
professional development and characteristics to look for in a program,
in order to gain the most from the experience. Also included is the National
Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) views and visions concerning
professional development for teachers. A new set of standards has risen,
"Achieve", which is offering their own set of expectations for middle school
mathematics students. Since Achieve’s document is only in draft form and
recent, this paper will examine what professional development opportunities
need to be implemented and offered to mathematics teachers in order for
their set of expectations to be met. Lastly, this paper will examine the
issues and problems concerning all involved in the professional development
of mathematics teachers.
With all of the reports stating
that America’s students are declining in the field of mathematics, professional
development opportunities need to be accessible and valuable. Teachers,
as well as students, need to do their part in order to improve and make
gains in mathematics. Professional organizations (notably NCTM) provide
many opportunities for teachers to expand and build on their existing knowledge.
These opportunities range from publications, networks, seminars, meetings,
trainings, websites, conferences, and team coaching. Feedback from these
kinds of experiences should be taken seriously and cautiously, so teachers
can benefit the most from the experience they encounter.
The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics publishes journals, specific to the grade level being taught. They include Mathematics Teacher, Dialogues and Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School. They are intended to provide ideas, suggestions and communication among mathematics teachers. Articles, studies, resources, student work, teacher ideas and many more ingredients are included. It is beneficial to subscribe to a professional journal because it can spark ideas in teachers and then lead to communication and collaboration between subject teachers. By subscribing and reading a professional journal, a teacher can easily stay up-to-date on the trends and issues in mathematics, without taking much time researching or attending a meeting concerning the state of the curriculum.
Professional meetings for teachers can span from one-day to several days. These meetings should be first researched, in order to see if it would be a worthwhile and beneficial experience for the teacher to take back to his/her classroom (See next section). From NCTM academies to state conferences to district seminars, professional development seems to be readily available to teachers. There is a lot of feedback from teachers concerning which type of professional development experiences are most useful, short-term or long-term. Dialogues, a publication by NCTM, covered this debate in the May/June 2001 edition. Responses ranged from "Short sessions are usually generalized and more of an overview", "short in-service sessions are usually worthless" to "Short in-service sessions are very valuable. Sometimes in a busy schedule, a short session is all that I can handle. Learning little bits at a time is not overwhelming" (Ballheim, 2001, p. 1 – 2). Gail Burrill (Burrill, 2001, para. 4), a past president of NCTM, believes that there is not one view of what works concerning professional development. "Short-term experiences can provide a stimuli for new thinking and can suggest places or people who could offer guidance in local professional development efforts. Long-term experiences are needed to help teachers become comfortable teaching a new program and support them in its implementation" (Burrill, 2001, para. 3).
With all of the opportunities available
to teachers why are our students still not meeting standards and declining
in mathematics? There are numerous amounts of opportunities for teachers
to expand their professional knowledge. So where does the problem lie?
With the professional development programs being so readily available and
accessible, are they going to be worth a teacher’s valuable time? Research
has been done on specific characteristics of effective professional development
and this is what educators should closely examine.
Currently, we now know more then
we did in the 1980’s concerning the issue of professional development.
Many countries, states, school districts are taking this issue very seriously
by supporting large-scale professional development activities. "Teacher
professional development is now widely recognized as a national priority,
unlike in 1985, when the Eisenhower Professional Development Program (which
was new at that time), was almost eliminated by Congress" (Zucker,
2001, para. 3). "North America faces a big challenge of convincing
middle-aged teachers, who were trained in traditional content and pedagogy,
to adopt new and better methods and curricula" (Lott, 2001,
para. 1).
"Helping experienced teachers change the mathematics they teach and the ways in which they teach it is extremely difficult. Many efforts have failed in the past, yet experience and research has taught us a great deal – we now have a better idea of what types of professional development promote lasting changes in experienced teachers"(Lappan, 2000, p. 324). Some teachers teach in the same approach that they were taught when they were in school. "The basic teaching style in too many mathematics and science classes today remains essentially what it was two generations ago" (National Commission on Mathematics and Science Teaching, 2000, p. 7). Times have changed and, although these types of teaching practice can be useful at times, teachers need to know what other options are out there and keep up with the current trends of the mathematics curriculum. For instance, technology plays a larger role now than it has in the past. in the mathematics classroom. In our present technological world, computers and calculators are much more prevalent than in the 1980’s. Should calculators/computers be used in the classroom and when is appropriate to use this technology? With the use of these tools, it can help students solve complex, real world problems. In addition, it would allow teachers to avoid solely calculation work in the classroom. The growing issue of technology increases the need for professional development for mathematics teachers. Making sure that all mathematics teachers (and related curriculum area teachers) know about calculator and computer usage is currently among the top professional development area.
Improved teaching practice can occur when a professional development program consists of specific characteristics. Much research has been done on what is effective for teachers professional development programs and what is not as effective. This is very useful information for a classroom teacher so they can take advantage of the programs that they will benefit from the most. Again, a teacher’s time is limited, and it would be beneficial to them if they went to the most productive and beneficial sessions.
A three-year study (1996 - 1999) researched the characteristics of professional development that improved teaching practice. At that point, they investigated if these specific characteristics were common to the professional development programs currently being offered. The American Institutes Research (AIR) conducted this study under contract with the U.S. Department of Education’s Planning and Evaluation Service. This was done in part because, despite the amount of literature, relatively little systematic research was done on the effects of professional development on improving teaching or improving student outcomes. There were quite a number of findings presented in the document "Does Professional Development Change Teaching Practice? Results from a Three Year Study."
One of the findings of the study was that professional development is effective when it focuses on specific higher-teaching strategies. These include the use of technology for higher-order learning, the use of instructional methods for higher-order learning and the use of assessment strategies for higher-order student learning (Porter et. al., 2000, p. 8). Many teachers in the field will need assistance in providing higher-order teaching strategies and it does seem to make sense that by training teachers on this topic, it would be beneficial for them. When teachers can successfully have students problem-solve using higher thinking skills (such as synthesis and analysis), the mathematics classroom can become much more enriching. But many teachers do not have the opportunities (or the opportunities are not available) in the professional development programs currently being offered. Teachers need training and assistance when trying to gradually adapt and bring these new higher-level activities into the classroom. It can not successfully be done if the teacher is not offered a professional development program covering this topic.
Another finding of the three-year study concludes that teachers experience professional development that varies in quality from one year to the next. Further, teachers in the same school tend to have quite different professional development experiences (Porter et. al, 2000, p. 8). The finding supports the idea that professional development continues to be an individual teacher experience. Teachers who participate with others from their school, grade or department tend to benefit the most from the experience. When only one representative from a particular school attends a professional conference or seminar, for instance, it is very difficult (and time consuming) for that teacher/professional to explain and describe what their experience was. It would be most beneficial and ideal if more than one teacher from that school (and preferably department) attended the meeting and that way more communication and collaboration could take place between colleagues.
In summary of the American Institutes for Research (AIR) study, there were some valuable findings concerning professional development. Consultants, professors, experts, organizers, principals and teachers should all be cautious and aware of these findings. "Having a coherent, long-term plan would enable districts and schools to provide both the depth of professional development experiences needed for them to be effective and the breadth of coverage of specific content and teaching strategies that teachers should learn over time" (Porter et. al., 2000, p. 11).
A different study conducted by SRI
International, sponsored by the National Science Foundation, found some
similar results as the AIR study. Some other findings that were found in
this study was that high-quality professional development activities build
on one another and should include time for reflection and review about
practice over time. It is necessary that teachers have time to follow-up
on the professional development experience and meet with their colleagues
involved in the same process. Similarly, with all of the new trends and
teaching practices (cooperative learning, technology, constructivist teaching,
assessment strategies), professionals need time to discuss, question, share,
revise and review. This should be done on teacher time, as a normal part
of a teacher’s responsibility and not "after-hours." If it is up to the
teachers to do work on their own time, it may be placed on the back burner
and not get the utmost attention it deserves. Sufficient time must be given
during the teacher’s workday so the professional development program can
be evaluated and implemented successfully (Corcoran
et. al., 1998, p.16).
NCTM has written standards in
a document NCTM’s Principles and Standards for School Mathematics
and is continually being revised, in order to keep up with the changing
times and trends of the modern world. The standards are divided into four
separate grade bands and each grade band focuses on specific topics in
the mathematics curriculum. The standards are descriptions of what mathematics
instruction should enable students to know and do and what mathematical
concepts are valued in education.
The following excerpt describes National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) vision for mathematics teachers. "Imagine that all mathematics teachers continue to learn new mathematical content and keep current on education research. They collaborate on problems of mathematics teaching and regularly visit one another's classrooms to learn from, and critique, colleagues’ teaching. In every school and district, mathematics teacher-leaders are available, serving as expert mentors to their colleagues, recommending resources, orchestrating interaction among teachers, and advising administrators. Education administrators and policymakers at all levels understand the nature of mathematical thinking and learning, help create professional and instructional climates that support students’ and teachers’ growth, understand the importance of mathematics learning, and provide the time and resources for teachers to teach and students to learn mathematics well. Institutions of higher learning collaborate with schools to study mathematics education and to improve teacher preparation and professional development. Professional mathematicians take an interest in, and contribute constructively to, setting the content goals for mathematics in grades K - 12 and for developing teachers’ mathematical knowledge. Professional organizations, such as the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, provide leadership, resources, and professional development opportunities to improve mathematics education" (NCTM, 2000, p.367).
Of course this excerpt is only a vision but NCTM feels very strongly about professional development. One of the goals of the organization concerns the professional development of pre-service and in-service teachers. Goal number three states "promoting high-quality mathematics teaching and ongoing professional development throughout the preparation and careers of teachers of mathematics" (NCTM, 2001, para. 6). They expand on this goal by stating the following:
As one glances through any journal published by NCTM, one can see all of the professional opportunities available to them. One of these opportunities is the annual meeting hosted in a different city each year. These conferences last about four days and include many different types of workshops and programs for pre-service and in-service teachers. The offerings are of such wide variety that it seems like everyone’s interest can be served. Included are sessions for teachers of specific grade levels, technology workshops, special education seminars, incorporating the NCTM standards into the classroom and many more. Participants of this conference benefit from:
For those who cannot attend the annual meeting, NCTM also offers regional conferences. They are shorter in duration and are held all over the United States and Canada. Workshops similar to the ones offered in the annual conference, but on a smaller scale, are available. In addition to the regional and annual meetings, another offering available to teachers of mathematics is NCTM Academies. These two to five-day institutes offer intensive and informative educational events designed to provide teachers with the resources and professional development opportunities they need in order to guide students to a successful and rewarding experience in mathematics. Each institute is based on a specific grade band (as set forth in the Principles and Standards). One can learn how to put forth the Principles and Standards for School Mathematics into practice, create connections between high quality mathematics and focus on some specific standards that will help students develop the capability to think and reason mathematically. This school year (2001-2002), the NCTM Academy is focusing on algebra skills and is being offered in North Carolina, Illinois, and Nevada.
NCTM has put forth standards and
principles (which have been continually revised due to the trends and technology),
and is making a concerted effort to help teachers put forth these standards
in their classrooms. The standards that NCTM has developed are achievable
for students. With all of the publications, seminars, institutes, website
lessons and information, conferences and meetings, NCTM is a support system
for in-service and pre-service teachers. There is no other organization
in the mathematics field that gives as many opportunities in training and
professional development for teachers teaching grades Pre-K through 12.
Still there remain professionals and teachers who are unaware of what is
included in the document Principles and Standards and NCTM is aware
of that. They do the best they can to publicize their organization in colleges
and in the school systems. With all of the professional development opportunities
in the field of mathematics, most sponsored by NCTM, teachers can become
more aware and conscious of the choices they are making concerning teaching
curriculum to students.
Mathematics Achievement Partnership
(MAP) created a draft entitled
Foundations for Success: Mathematics
for the Middle Grades. Just like NCTM published a set of mathematics
curriculum standards for grades Pre-K through 12, Achieve put forth a set
of expectations that focuses on middle school mathematics students. Foundations
of Success, although in draft form, encompasses more mathematics than
most American students are currently learning by the end of eighth grade.
They believe that through thorough professional development for teachers
and comprehensive instruction for students, the United States will be able
to perform at the same level as students around the world (Mathematics
Achievement Partnership, 2001, p. 5).
Since this a recent document and only in draft form, Achieve has not set out specific ways to help teachers grow and be able to effectively teach their standards. They do agree that "high-quality teacher support and curriculum guidance is needed," in order to meet the expectations stated (Mathematics Achievement Partnership, 2001, p. 4). They are willing to work with states to provide mathematics teachers extensive opportunities to improve their mathematics knowledge and teaching practices. Being relatively new in the mathematics field, MAP will be identifying materials for teachers that would facilitate the student achievement of the expectations listed in the Foundations for Success document.
By looking at the expectations of middle school students, I feel these expectations can be achieved under specific conditions. Although this document focuses on the middle grades, professional development for all teachers must be arranged and must begin at the lower grades. Teachers in the upper grades cannot be the only ones to transform students into the kind of problem-solvers that this document suggests. All teachers involved in student learning need to be supported and trained appropriately before implementation begins. Specific strategies must be put into place with the younger students from the beginning of a child’s schooling years. That way when the student come to the middle school, he/she will be prepared and have the knowledge they need to be a successful problem-solver.
It may help a teacher to have specific
lessons, like NCTM does on their Illuminations website, about the kind
of content and strategies they would like the classroom teacher to focus
on, in order for the students to succeed. The expectations that have been
developed by Achieve are reasonable. They are similar to the standards
developed in NCTM’s Principles and Standards document. The sample
exercises, included in the draft of Achieve’s document, tend to be quite
complicated for a middle school student. Teachers, at all levels, would
need intense training on what kinds of activities they should be including
in their lessons in order to get a student to think at such a high-level.
Many teachers do higher-order problems but it is not done consistently.
With examples and sample lessons provided for the teacher to utilize in
the classroom, it may make it easier for a teacher to plan those kinds
of high-level activities/lessons on a daily basis. A website or a database
with sample lessons (related to their expectations) which would lead toward
student achievement may point a teacher in the right direction in his/her
teaching strategies.
Professional development is a
worthwhile experience for all novice and experienced teachers. There seems
to be excellent programs and resources for classroom teachers in order
to grow professionally in the field of mathematics. Everyone, whether young
or old, needs to be aware of these opportunities and take advantage of
them, in order to help our students succeed in the mathematics curriculum
and remain competitive with other countries. Research has shown that teachers
need to become more familiar with the latest trends and be able to communicate
and collaborate with their colleagues more often. Professional development
is something that cannot be taken away from teachers. Even though we all
agree that ineffective professional development cannot harm a teacher,
it can only help a teacher grow, three major problems arise. These include
funding for the programs, incentives for teachers to grow professionally
and time restraints.
Every school year there are district budget cuts. In the school system where I currently am employed, they are cutting a big portion of county’s professional library. This will mean that it will be more difficult for teachers to research and learn new teaching strategies for their classroom. It will not be as easily accessible for them and in turn, the teachers may not put forth as much effort, because the resources are not as easily accessible. How is this cut going to benefit the teachers? It is not going to benefit anyone whether it be teachers, students or administrators. Teachers need these resources and materials in order to bring effective research and curriculum strategies to the classroom.
In addition, funding is limited in some school districts and schools. Usually districts and schools have to choose between serving larger numbers of teachers with less focused and sustained professional development or provide higher-quality activities for fewer teachers. Good professional development requires substantial resources. "Re-allocating resources and combining funding sources can be effective in increasing funds for professional development. However, when increased resources are not present, the federal government, states, districts and schools still have to make a difficult decision; sponsor a shorter, less in-depth professional development for more teachers or sponsor a more focused and effective professional development for fewer teachers" (Porter et. al., 2000, p. 10). Eisenhower legislation believes the latter; districts and schools would benefit more from a more focused professional development program with fewer teachers (Porter et. al., 2000, p. 10).
Lastly, in connection with the funding issue, is the idea that certain schools or school districts receive more money for services including professional development and technology. Schools, in inner-cities or impoverished areas, do not have enough funds for books for students. How are they going to be able to support teacher’s professional development, when the needs of these students cannot be met? On the other hand, you have schools who could afford a computer for every student. They are the schools that are able to fund these programs for teachers to develop and grow professionally. Is it fair that just because a teacher is teaching at a school or in a district that cannot afford these programs, that they should not have the same opportunities as other teachers in other areas? All teachers need to have the opportunity to have adequate and beneficial professional development experiences, regardless of their state, school district or school.
Incentives for teachers to participate in these programs which leads to professional growth must be available to all teachers. One school district pays for all staff members to join a professional organization so they remain current in their field. Another school district will pay for continuing education to obtain a higher degree in the content area they are teaching. All of these are great incentives, but it becomes an issue when all school districts are not offering comparable benefits.
Teachers want to have experiences and also get rewarded or benefit not only internally but also externally. For instance, by attending a specific program some teachers would raise the question of whether or not re-certification credits would be given. This becomes a problem because some teachers would shy away from programs where personal incentives are not being met. There are many demands already put on teachers, like re-certification, and they want to get some external reward for their actions.
As stated earlier, teachers have many time restraints and demands put on them. They have many responsibilities that are too numerous to list. Usually professional development is on the bottom of a teacher’s priority list because of other responsibilities they have in the teaching field. This should not happen. "In a 1999 poll of more than 1,000 K-12 teachers, 80% reported needing more time to learn new practices with their colleagues, reflecting the necessity of providing professional development" (Odden, 2000, p. 40). Professional development needs to be one of the top priorities for teachers and administrators. It is sad to see teacher improvement programs placed at the bottom of the priority list. Professional development is beneficial for teachers and also students. "Good teachers are the most important element of successful learning" (Brodhagen, 1998, p. 52).
Teachers also have the demands of re-certification from the state in which they teach. In order to be re-certified as a teacher, he/she must participate in professional development meetings. Since a teacher’s time is limited, most teachers will attend meetings that offer re-certification credits or some monetary reward, more than professional development experiences that do not offer these. There are many demands put on a teacher and who would not want to get two things done at once; grow professionally and receive external benefits.
"Teachers need time to read research
and decide whether a strategy can serve the needs of students. When teachers
can actively study their own practice and its effects on students in their
classroom, real change in teaching and learning strategies seems to occur"
(Brodhagen, 1998, p. 52). But most teachers do
not have the time that is needed to do these kinds of things. Something
needs to be done to improve this problem. One school employed additional
teachers in special subjects in order to release classroom teachers and
provide professional development, planning, preparation time for them.
In the county where I am employed, we have a professional development substitute
who is in the building on certain days throughout the week. A classroom
teacher can have the substitute teach his/her classes while using the time
for professional growth. The strategy is a good starting point but professional
development needs to be a sustained effort for all teachers and cannot
occur sporadically.
The media states that United States mathematics students are lagging behind other countries regarding test scores. We are constantly compared to other countries such as Singapore, China and Japan. The United States is facing some major problems in the educational system that need to be examined and remedied. Our students are not meeting the expectations that are put before them. Why is this happening? Is it because of the changing times? Is it because of teacher shortages? Funding for educational programs for students and educators? Student’s family background changing? Culture differences within the classroom? Whatever the reason, or reasons, may be, it is important that this problem gets solved immediately before big damage is done to the American educational system. American students need rise to the top and remain competitive in mathematics against other countries.
Teachers need to be given the opportunity to look and reflect on their teaching strategies in their classrooms. High interest and high-level thinking activities must be a daily component of classroom lessons in the United States. There has been evidence in other countries stating that when problem-solving classrooms are created and students are viewed as individual and independent learners, improvement in international test scores has been noticed. Teachers need to put an end to one basic teaching strategy they have used for years. They need to reach and teach all students and learning styles within their classroom. The "one size fits all" mentality needs to be abolished. With this in mind, teachers will need much training and support to fulfill the goal of creating such classroom environments.
Everyone in the education field knows
the important role teachers play in educating our students. If we are going
to offer high-quality education in the United States, then we need to have
high-quality teachers in every classroom. Education is not the only occupation
in which professional development is needed. It is required and significant
in every occupation. For instance, the American people would not go to
a doctor that has no knowledge about the latest developments in medicine.
Just like patients expect their doctors to be up-to-date in medicine and
research in their field, teachers should also be responsible for keeping
up with the educational trends in mathematics. Teachers teaching mathematics
need to be certified in the field and hold a valid teaching certificate.
Mathematics, just like medicine, or any other field, has grown and changed
drastically. It is our duty, as educators, to take the responsibility of
offering beneficial and valuable professional development to all mathematics
teachers and making sure teachers are taking advantage of these opportunities.
References
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Brodhagen, B. (1998). Varied teaching and learning approaches. Middle School Journal, 29 (3). 49 - 52.
Burrill, G. (2001). It’s not all or nothing! [Electronic Version]. Dialogues. Retrieved December 5, 2001 from http://www.nctm.org/dialogues/2001-05
Corcoran, T. & Shields, P. & Zucker, A. (1998). The SSIs and professional development for teachers. Arlington, VA: National Science Foundation.
Lappan, G. (2000). A vision of learning to teach for the 21st century. School Science andMathematics, 100 (6). 319 - 326.
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