Impact of Professional Development Training Curriculum on Practicing Algebra Teachers

Authors

  • Mariyam Shahuneeza Naseer Islamic University of Maldives, Malé, Maldives

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.12928/ijeme.v2i2.10055

Keywords:

algebra, professional development, mathematics teachers, Desimone’s model

Abstract

Algebra is a foundation for mathematics reasoning and complex problem-solving which then requires mathematics teachers to have adequate proficiency to make their students understand about it. The mathematics teachers in the Maldives, however, lacked both the algebraic content and pedagogical knowledge. This study aims to present a mathematics professional development training curriculum designed to address the issue of the teachers’ performance in algebra. There were five participants involved in this study who teach mathematics in the sixth grade of elementary school. Desimone’s conceptual model for professional development was used to guide the mathematics professional development for algebra teachers discussed in this paper. This mathematics professional development was found to improve the algebraic content and pedagogical knowledge of the participants, which in turn improved student performance.

References

Ball, D. L., Thames, M. H., & Phelps, G. (2008) Content knowledge for teaching: What makes it special? Journal of Teacher Education, 59(5), 389-407.

Barrett, N., Cowen, J., Toma, E., & Troske, S. (2015). Working with what they have: Professional development as a reform strategy in rural schools. Journal of Research in Rural Education, 30(10), 1-18.

Baxter, J. A., Ruzicka, A., Beghetto, R. A., & Livelybrooks, D. (2014). Professional development strategically connecting mathematics and science: The impact on teachers' confidence and practice. School Science and Mathematics, 114(3), 102-113.

Borko, H. (2004). Professional development and teacher learning: Mapping the terrain. Educational Researcher, 33(8), 3-15.

Burrows, A. C. (2015). Partnerships: A systemic study of two professional developments with university faculty and k-12 teachers of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Problems of Education in the 21st Century, 65(1), 28-38.

Cohen, D. K., & Hill, H. C. (2001). Learning policy. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.

Desimone, L. M. (2009). Improving impact studies of teachers’ professional development: Toward better conceptualizations and measures. Educational Researcher, 38(3), 181–199.

Ebert-May, D., Derting, T. L., Hodder J., Momsen, J. L., Long, T. M., & Jardeleza, S. E. (2011). What we say is not what we do: Effective evaluation of faculty professional development programs. Bioscience, 61(7), 550–558.

Garet, M. S., Birman, B. F., Porter, A. C., Desimone, L., & Herman, J. (1999). Designing effective professional development: Lessons from the Eisenhower program [and] technical appendices. Washington, DC: U. S. Department of Education.

Goldsmith, L. T., Doerr, H. M., & Lewis, C. C. (2014). Mathematics teachers’ learning: A conceptual framework and synthesis of research. Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education, 17(1), 5-36.

Higgins, J., & Parsons, R. (2009). A successful professional development model in mathematics: A system-wide New Zealand case. Journal of Teacher Education, 60(3), 231–242.

Hill, H. C., & Ball, D. L. (2004). Learning mathematics for teaching: Results from California's mathematics professional development institutes. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 35(5), 330-351.

Jackson, L. D. (2009). Revisiting adult learning theory through the lens of an adult learner. Adult Learning, 20(3), 20–22.

Killion, J., & Roy, P. (2009). Becoming a learning school. Oxford, OH: National Staff Development Council.

Knowles, M. S., Holton, E. F., III, & Swanson, E. A. (2005). The adult learner: The definitive classic on adult education and human resource development (6th Ed.). Oxford, United Kingdom: Elsevier.

Knowlton, S., Fogleman, J., Reichsman, F., & de Oliveira, G. (2015). Higher education faculty collaboration with K–12 teachers as a professional development experience for faculty. Journal of College Science Teaching, 44(4), 46-53.

Krawec, J., & Montague, M. (2014). The role of teacher training in cognitive strategy instruction to improve math problem solving. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 29(3), 126-134.

Lane, K. L., Oakes, W. P., Powers, L., Diebold, T., Germer, K., Common, E. A., & Brunsting, N. (2015). Improving teachers' knowledge of functional assessment-based interventions: Outcomes of a professional development series. Education and Treatment of Children, 38(1), 93-120.

Lehiste, P. (2015). The impact of a professional development program on in-service teachers’ TPACK: A study from Estonia. Development, 66(18).

Lomos, C., Hofman, R. H., & Bosker, R. J. (2011). Professional communities and student achievement–a meta-analysis. School effectiveness and school improvement, 22(2), 121-148.

Loucks-Horsley, S., Stiles, K. E., Mundry, S., Love, N., & Hewson, P. W. (2010). Designing professional development for teachers of science and mathematics (3rd Ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Mansour, N., Albalawi, A., & Macleod, F. (2014). Mathematics teachers’ views on CPD provision and the impact on their professional practice. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science & Technology Education, 10(2), 101-114.

Mizell, H., Hord, S., Killion, J., & Hirsh, S. (2011). New standards put the spotlight on professional learning. Journal of Staff Development, 32(4), 10-12.

Naseer, M. S. (2016). Algebraic content and pedagogical knowledge of sixth-grade mathematics teachers. Dissertation. Minneapolis, MN: Walden University.

Polly, D. (2015). Examining how professional development influences elementary school teachers’ enacted instructional practices and students’ evidence of mathematical understanding. Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 29(4), 565-582.

Sowder, J. T. (2007). The mathematical education and development of teachers. In F.K. Lester, Jr., (Ed.), Second handbook of research on mathematics teaching and learning (pp. 157–223). Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.

Strand, K., & Mills, B. (2014). Mathematical Content Knowledge for Teaching Elementary Mathematics: A Focus on Algebra. The Mathematics Enthusiast, 11(2), 385-432.

Sykes, G. (1996). Reform of and as professional development. Phi Delta Kappan, 77(7), 464.

UNICEF & NIE. (2014). Longitudinal study on the impact of curriculum reforms 2012-2013. Maldives: UNICEF Maldives Country Office.

Van Garderen, D. (2008). Middle school special education teachers' instructional practices for solving mathematical word problems: An exploratory study. Teacher Education and Special Education: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Council for Exceptional Children, 31(2), 132-144.

Downloads

Published

2018-09-01

How to Cite

Naseer, M. S. (2018). Impact of Professional Development Training Curriculum on Practicing Algebra Teachers. International Journal on Emerging Mathematics Education, 2(2), 187–202. https://doi.org/10.12928/ijeme.v2i2.10055

Similar Articles

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.