PDS Collaboration as Third Space: An analysis of the quality of learning experiences in a PDS partnership

This article documents the self-study processes and findings of a collaborative research group that examined a professional development school (PDS) partnership. Drawing on the scholarship of self-study of teacher education practices and theoretical perspectives consistent with third space, we conceived our collaborative study group as a learning community aimed at uncovering the complexities of school–university partnerships while seeking new directions for an effective partnership. Data were collected from a variety of sources. Themes were developed based on some identified areas of focus consistent with the group's objectives, which included deciphering the state of our PDS collaboration, our preservice teachers' learning experiences, and insight into faculty as learners in professional relationship. The study revealed that experiential disparity existed within and among faculty and students in various PDS sites as a result of poor communication as well as divergent models of collaboration and philosophical goals between faculty and mentor teachers. Disparity in the learning experiences among the preservice teachers was attributed to the quality and scope of the partnership. This study resulted in better understanding of our roles as hybrid educators and recognition of mentor teachers as critical bridges in a PDS partnership.     

Providing school-based learning in elementary school mathematics: the case of a professional development school partnership

Abstract

School–university partnerships also known as professional development school (PDS) partnerships provide potential for universities and schools to establish partnerships that can benefit university faculty, school teachers, university students, and school students. This study examines the impact of a PDS partnership in which the author served as a school-based mathematics coach for two years in a high-need elementary school. Data sources included interviews, surveys, and field notes from classroom observations. Inductive qualitative analyses which were situated in a multi-level framework for researching professional development found that teachers posed more cognitively demanding mathematical tasks and high-level questions in year two compared to year one of this project. Further, student achievement was noted on both state-wide and district-created assessments. Also teachers reported that the school-based approach to professional development led to some teachers taking on more informal leadership roles to support their colleagues’ mathematics instruction. Implications for school-based learning opportunities across the world include the need to establish specific university–school partnerships, and carefully designing research studies to examine the impact of these learning opportunities.     

Professional development schools: Cataylsts for teacher and school change

Drawing on data from questionnaires and 49 interviews with teachers and principals, the impact of involvement in Professional Development Schools on teacher professional growth and school change at seven Professional Development School sites is explored through a cross-case analysis. Each of the seven sites, four elementary and three secondary, served five or more years as a PDS site. Program results were mixed, underscoring the importance of a range of context variables to program success, including school district support, principal, staff and University faculty stability, student body composition, school and faculty size, as well as the nature of teachers' program involvement. Implications for PDS program development and research are discussed and a range of policy issues explored, including those associated with tensions between university faculty roles and PDS responsibilities.     

Power and perspective: the discourse of professional development school literature

This paper reports on the results of a study in which the discourse within 75 professional development school (PDS)-related publications was examined to determine where the power, influence, and representation lies in PDS partnerships, as indicated by how those partnerships are described in writing. The results found that while university faculty overwhelmingly wrote the articles, their perspectives and experiences were under-represented in the literature and, moreover, their influence within the partnerships appeared to be negligible. School and university administrators were similarly absent in PDS writing. Significantly, university authors and researchers represented themselves in a way that was highly deferential to practitioners and denigrated the role of theory and research in PDS work. In contrast to the traditional image of university dominance of partnerships, this research suggests that the real power and influence in PDS partnerships are the classroom teachers. The paper concludes with suggestions for creating a new, shared PDS discourse that tries to blur the artificial lines between theory and practice.     

Responses of First-Year Participants in a Middle School Professional Development Schools Partnership

Abstract

The sources of satisfaction and dissatisfaction of university and public school participants in a middle school Professional Development Schools (PDS) partnership were investigated. Of the 86 participants in 12 collaborative inquiry partnership groups, 66 completed a 22-item questionnaire at the end of their 1st year of PDS participation. Results indicated that satisfaction appeared to outweigh dissatisfaction and that members of co-led (a university and a school leader) groups were more satisfied with group leadership and with the PDS experience overall than were members of singly led groups. A number of sources of satisfaction and barriers to satisfaction were identified. Implications of the results for the long-term viability of the PDS model are discussed.     

Intertwining opportunities:: participants’ perceptions of professional growth within a multiple-site teacher education network at the secondary level

Teachers’ professional growth is far better documented within elementary professional development schools than it is within multi-site school partnerships at the secondary school level. This article fills an empirical gap by focusing on the professional development of 35 secondary school teachers and two professors within a school/university teacher education partnership focused on one content area. The University of Georgia Network for English Teachers and Students (UGA-NETS) is attached to a Research I institution and committed to on-going, discipline-based, collaborative inquiry and the education of 25 teacher candidates each year. Analysis of surveys, focus group and individual interviews, field notes, and documents across 5 years reveals that participants perceive 4 sites for their own professional development: individual school and university classrooms, school and university departments, the teacher network, and teacher education locally and beyond. The author also presents challenges to professional development within multi-site and secondary school partnerships including disturbing the status quo and the question of agendas, levels of buy-in, and diversity and equity.     

Preservice teachers’ inquiry in a professional development school context: Implications for the practicum

Professional development school (PDS) contexts are increasingly being viewed as powerful sites for the preparation of future teachers in the USA. One of their documented strengths is in the fostering of preservice teachers’ inquiry within collaborative frameworks that result from the partnerships between university teacher education programmes and schools. This article focuses on one inquiry-based PDS programme, describes five inquiry projects carried out by interns in the programme, and presents interns’ perceptions on engaging in inquiry during their yearlong internship. The discussion that follows explores the potential of the inquiry approach in PDS contexts to reform the teacher education practicum.     

University–school partnerships: student teachers’ evaluations across nine partnerships in Israel

This article presents and discusses the findings of a study which focused on student teachers’ evaluation of their practice teaching in the context of a university–school partnership model integrated for the first time into the academic programme of a university teacher education department in Israel. A questionnaire was developed to examine the contribution of the major curricular components of the partnership for student teachers’ experience of learning to teach, as evaluated by the student teachers themselves. The questionnaire was delivered to 119 student teachers placed in 9 selected school–university partnerships. The findings of the study underscore the added value of supporting different kinds of mentoring frameworks within university–school partnerships. The international significance of the study is discussed with a focus on implications for emergent tensions, dilemmas and connections between local and global forms of university–school partnerships.     

美国PDS与教师专业化发展及其对我国的启示

美国在20世纪80—90年代逐步建立了一批PDS(Professional Development School，专业发展学校)。PDS是美国大学的教育学院与地方的公立中小学或学区合作成立的一种师资培训学校。这种学校融教师职前培养、在职培训和学校改革为一体，为大学教师和中小学教师提高自身素质，改善自身专业发展提供了一条有效可行的途径。教师专业化现已成为国际教师教育改革的一大趋势，研究PDS这一实现教师专业化发展的有效模式，对我国当今的教师教育改革仍具有重要的启示与借鉴价值。     

美国教师教育的新模式及其对我国的启示

美国专业发展学校（PDS）是一种新的教师培养模式,是通过强化中小学和大学的合作伙伴关系,共同培养教师、开展合作研究而建立起来的,其在促进教师专业发展方面取得了可喜成果,对我国教师教育有重要的启示。结合我国教师教育改革与发展的趋势特点,我们应该在实践与理论上借鉴PDS的经验,这既符合国际教师教育改革的趋势,也是我国教师教育发展的大方向。     

大学生参与科学研究是培养科学思维和创新能力的重要途径 ——以美国南加利福尼亚大学为例

本文通过对美国南加利福尼亚大学本科生科研活动的考察,总结了该校本科生参与科研和创新活动的一些特点。指出研究型大学应重视本科生的科学研究与创新活动,提供给本科生更多独具特色的科研机会,鼓励更多的教师参与这项工作。     

Creating a ‘third space’ in the context of a university–school partnership: supporting teacher action research and the research preparation of doctoral students

The focus of the Education Works Personalization Project was to facilitate teams of teacher action researchers whose goal was to personalize their teaching with the support of university partners including doctoral students in education. The subsequent apprentice-like research experience within this university–school partnership provided an opportunity to study the ways in which teacher action research could serve as a vehicle for bridging the culture gap between schools and universities. Both the research team experience and the development of the school–university inquiry/knowledge network were initially characterized by undefined roles accompanied by ambiguous expectations. Although the ambiguity proved difficult initially, those who persisted and engaged in new roles ultimately found these emerging inquiry communities generative and valuable. We have come to conceptualize these generative inquiry communities as third spaces and we describe how oppositional categories framed by the cultural differences between schools and universities can work together to generate new knowledge.     

Professional learning during a schools–university partnership Master of Education course: teachers’ perspectives of their learning experiences

An extensive body of research has indicated the benefits of collaborative, contextualised and enquiry-based learning for teachers’ professional development and school improvement. Yet professional learning is also known to be constrained by a number of factors, including the organisational limitations of schools, conflicting cultural practices and wider political demands. Schools–university partnerships have been developed to overcome some of these difficulties by transcending particular school contexts and offering alternative theoretical and practical perspectives. The complex combination of motivations, backgrounds and working contexts in such partnership work calls for attention to the individual and collective learning experiences of those involved, including the ways in which school and university contexts are, or could be, effectively bridged. This paper focuses on understanding the learning experienced by a cohort of teachers and school leaders involved in a two-year schools–university partnership Master of Education (M.Ed.) course in England. A mixed group of 15 experienced primary and secondary teachers and school leaders reflected on their learning at five points of time during and shortly after completing their M.Ed. course. Qualitative analysis of the group’s interview responses and reflective writing led to the identification of six related aspects of personal and professional learning experience: being a learner; learning as part of professional practice; widening repertoire; changing as a learner; personal growth; and critically adaptive practice. The identification and visual representation of these aspects of experience emerging within the group offers useful insight into teachers’ perspectives on learning in school and university contexts and their experiences of progression over time. We conclude that more explicit and central attention to the professional and personal learning elements of schools–university partnerships can help to resolve some of the binary ‘theory–practice’ tensions that have been extensively discussed in relation to partnership programmes and teacher professional development. There is a need to acknowledge variation in teachers’ learning experiences within schools–university partnerships, bearing in mind the ongoing nature of this reflective process with each new group of school and university colleagues. Analysis of participants’ learning experiences in school and university contexts also draws attention to the wider structures, values and cultures that influence, and are influenced by, schools–university partnership work.     

世界高水平大学的评估机制对我国大学发展的启示

对大学进行评估认证,主要是对大学办学水平,包括教育质量和办学方向进行综合评价。世界高水平大学的评估机制对我国大学发展战略的启示是:以评估认证完善现代大学制度,以专项拨款评价制度提升大学的科研实力,以学科评估培育优势学科和优化学术队伍,以绩效评估激励大学之间的公平竞争和促进特色办学,以社会评估促进政府管理职能转变,并鼓励高校多元化筹资。     

Action research in the context of a school–university partnership: its value,problems, issues and benefits

The focus of the article is on action research in a school–university partnership, its problems, use and the value of the work from the viewpoint of a professor (university teacher-educator)[1] and two deans. The authors collaborate to first define a partnership. Secondly, they discuss the role and use of action research in the context of a partnership programme aimed at changing and improving kindergarten through 12th grade (K-12) schooling and teacher education. Thirdly, they identify the problems, issues and benefits associated with such work. A ‘tool,’ consisting of 10 questions is presented by the collaborators for university faculty and administrators to use to chart their initiation and institutional participation in action research in a school–university partnership. Selected problems and issues focused on university faculty productivity, and a college or university's reward system for tenure and promotion are discussed, together with the benefits and the ultimate value of the work.     

美国专业发展学校(PDS)标准评析

美国专业发展学校（PDS）是由大学教育学院与一所或多所中小学合作，融教师职前培养、在职培训和学校改革为一体的学校形式，正逐渐成为美国教师教育改革的一大趋势。2001年11月16日，全美师范资格审查委员会发布了美国第一个《专业发展学校标准》，为PDS的进一步发展提出了一系列指导性的办学思想和原则性的指标体系及分级评估标准。本文对这一标准的产生背景、主要思想和目标体系进行了介绍和分析。     

How do primary school teachers develop knowledge by crossing boundaries in the school–university partnership? A case study in China

University experts typically serve as knowledge sources for teacher learning. Experts in China are no exception. Nevertheless, minimal attention has been focused on knowledge flow between experts and teachers, and its contribution to teacher knowledge development. Drawing on the perspective of knowledge process across boundaries, this qualitative study investigates knowledge growth of primary school teachers involved in a small-scale school–university partnership in Northern China. In-depth interview was adapted as the main approach to collecting data. Nine participating teachers, two school administrators, and one university expert were interviewed. Findings show that expert-led knowledge transfer (knowledge-for-practice is directly delivered) and teacher-involved knowledge translation (knowledge-in-practice is reframed and situated) are the main focus of the partnership studied. However, collaboration-oriented knowledge transformation (altering existing knowledge and creating knowledge-of-practice) is insufficiently emphasised. Furthermore, this study discusses significant implications for advancing the transformation of knowledge and expert–teacher collaborative knowledge creation as well as for further study.     

美国专业发展学校中的"合作问题"

兴起于20世纪80年代的专业发展学校已经成为美国教师教育改革的一大趋势.在专业发展学校的创建和发展中,中小学和大学的合作是一个核心理念.本文介绍了伊丽莎白·赫斯·赖斯等对美国专业发展学校中的合作问题的研究分析.     

美国PDS政策述评

美国在20世纪80年代以后逐步形成了“建立PDS（Professional Development Schools,专业发展学校）促进教师专业发展的政策”（简称PDS政策）。一些有影响的政策制定部门,例如霍姆期小组、美国教师教育鉴定委员会、全国教学和未来委员、美国教育部会等都就PDS的有关问题制定了相应政策。这些政策的颁布和实施,有效地促进了教师专业发展,促进了教师专业发展的一体化、终身化,促进了大学与中小学的联合,强化了中小学促进教师专业发展的功能,推动了积极探索实现教师专业发展途径的尝试。     

Exploring knowledge processes based on teacher research in a school–university research network of a master’s program

School–university research networks aim at closer integration of research and practice by means of teacher research. Such practice-oriented research can benefit both schools and universities. This paper reports on a multiple-case study of five participants in a school–university research network in a Dutch master’s program. The research question was: In what way is knowledge based on practice-oriented research by master’s students developed, shared, and used in school–university research networks in which education is primarily offered within a university setting? Twenty interviews were conducted, on the basis of logs, over a period of 10 months. Results show that (1) for master’s students, the most significant motive for developing, sharing or using knowledge was that the content knowledge about their research topic could be useful to school practice and colleagues; (2) research supervisors reported more than master’s students about the procedural knowledge that they had developed and shared. This knowledge focused on the collaborative process of supporting research and knowledge processes in school and university; (3) activities of knowledge sharing and use appeared to depend to a significant extent on individual purposes and leadership initiatives of master’s students and their supervisors; and (4) in the school–university research network, master’s students and research supervisors continued—to a limited extent—knowledge processes based on master’s students research after their graduation. Outcomes indicate that use of existing network structures in master’s programs is complex, but could be a promising avenue for creating successful school–university research networks.