EDU 8672
Instructional Leadership

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Exercise #4:
APPLYING RESEARCH
FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Assuming that teachers follow a fairly routine pattern of professional growth and development and that they are dedicated to their profession, the student will describe in concrete terms how each of the objectives presented in Exercise #3 will be implemented for:

• an entire staff;
• novice teachers;
• proficient/exemplary teachers; and,
• expert teachers

This description takes the form not of a descriptive essay but, rather, a matrix which integrates the instructional leader's "super-vision" (Starratt & Sergiovanni, 1988) or "grand narrative" (Connelly & Clandinin, 1988; McDonald, 1992) as well as the teacher learning objectives identified in Exercise #3. In Exercise #4, the student presents these objectives as specific activities that the teachers will engage in and also which the student believes will enable teachers to achieve the objectives identified in Exercise #3.

In Exercise #4, the student will construct a 5 x 4 matrix (i.e., 5 objectives [listed down the left hand side of the matrix] by 4 levels [listed across the top of the matrix). In the each of the cells, the student will identify the specific activities that teachers will engage in which will effect the psychological change (Tyler, 1949) desired at each level of teacher learning. If necessary, explanatory statement(s) that clarify the elements of the matrix can be appended.

Students should not overlook the fact that this matrix provides a two-dimensional representation concerning what the instructional leader expects will transpire with regard to teacher learning at a variety of levels. However, in actual instructional leadership practice, the matrix has a third dimension which adds depth and complexity as the instructional leader envisions how those activities specified in each cell will be structured into the professional development program over the course of several years (i.e., the short term [1-2 years] and the long term [3-5 years]).

Each student will present Exercise #4 in class for review, critique, and feedback. (A hard copy will be provided to the professor for grading.) In light of the feedback received, the student will revise Exercise #4 and place it in the third division of the portfolio.

References

Connelly, F. M., & Clandinin, D. J.  (1988).  Teachers as curriculum planners: Narratives of experience.  New York: Teachers College Press.

McDonald, J. P.  (1992).  Teaching: Making sense of an uncertain craft.  New York: Teachers College Press.

Sergiovanni, T. J., & Starratt, R. J.  (1988).  Supervision: Human perspectives (4th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

Tyler, R. W.  (1949).  Principles of curriculum and instruction.  Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.