SCHOOL TRANSFORMATION: EXAMINING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PROFESSIONAL LEARNING CYCLES TO INCREASE COLLECTIVE TEACHER EFFICACY IN A RURAL MIDDLE SCHOOL IN NORTH CAROLINA

Abstract

The state of education is impacted by many variables. Teachers, administration, schools and districts are constantly in a high stakes race to grow students academically. Administration is charged with creating a culture in which teachers are provided the capacity for teachers to grow professionally in order to continue to grow students at a rate which keeps them at or above pace with their peers. Studies indicate that professional development and collective teacher efficacy are linked to increased teacher effectiveness and student achievement. Utilizing Bandura’s social cognitive theory to understand human behavior and influences in conjunction with conceptual theories of professional development and learning cycles, a framework for professional learning was developed. This mixed methods action research inquiry sought to discover if an implementation of professional learning cycles would positively impact collective teacher efficacy. Teachers and support staff met weekly and engaged in four 8-week professional learning cycles with targeted instructional focuses. Each week these educators participated in a structured task with the focus of the instructional target. Qualitative and quantitative data was collected through pre- and post-surveys and concluded with a focus group interview. The findings indicated that teachers were positively impacted by participating in the structured learning cycles which provided authentic professional growth relevant to the specific needs of the participants and learners. Increases were also reported in overall collective efficacy. This framework for professional learning was found to be replicable in any instructional setting, and its design allows for targeted school improvement needs to be addressed.