HOW MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHERS CONSTRUCT UNDERSTANDINGS OF THEIR JOB-EMBEDDED LEARNING EXPERIENCES by BRANDI WADE WORSHAM (Under the Direction of Dr. Gayle Andrews) ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to examine how middle school teachers constructed understandings of their job-embedded learning experiences. In particular, the aim of this study was to explore how middle school teachers made sense and gave meaning to their learning experiences that occurred during the school day as they engaged in the work of being a teacher. For the purpose of this study, job-embedded learning experiences referred to any formal or informal learning opportunity that was grounded in the context of the school day and characterized by active learning and reflection. A qualitative approach was used to investigate how teachers made sense and gave meaning to their job-embedded learning experiences. Specifically, an ethnographic, multi-case study was designed since it allowed the researcher to examine multiple cases within a single context while considering the influence of context and culture on the understanding and interpretation of knowledge construction and experiences. Data were collected via interviews, shadowing, teacher learning logs, and documents and other artifacts. Within-case and cross-case analysis was conducted to examine the collected data. The constant comparative method was employed to generate inductively a well substantiated
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HOW MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHERS CONSTRUCT UNDERSTANDINGS OF THEIR
JOB-EMBEDDED LEARNING EXPERIENCES
by
BRANDI WADE WORSHAM
(Under the Direction of Dr. Gayle Andrews)
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to examine how middle school teachers constructed
understandings of their job-embedded learning experiences. In particular, the aim of this study
was to explore how middle school teachers made sense and gave meaning to their learning
experiences that occurred during the school day as they engaged in the work of being a teacher.
For the purpose of this study, job-embedded learning experiences referred to any formal or
informal learning opportunity that was grounded in the context of the school day and
characterized by active learning and reflection.
A qualitative approach was used to investigate how teachers made sense and gave
meaning to their job-embedded learning experiences. Specifically, an ethnographic, multi-case
study was designed since it allowed the researcher to examine multiple cases within a single
context while considering the influence of context and culture on the understanding and
interpretation of knowledge construction and experiences.
Data were collected via interviews, shadowing, teacher learning logs, and documents and
other artifacts. Within-case and cross-case analysis was conducted to examine the collected data.
The constant comparative method was employed to generate inductively a well substantiated
interpretation of how teachers constructed understandings of their job-embedded learning
experiences in the within-case and cross-case analysis. Themes were generated to present and
discuss the results of the data analysis.
A sensemaking framework was used to unpack teacher knowledge construction.
Sensemaking theory was a relevant framework since it considered how context and culture
influenced teachers’ meaning-making and negotiation of identity and experience with the social
co-construction of new knowledge.
After nine weeks of data collection at a middle school in northeast Georgia, the
researcher found five influences that impacted teacher sensemaking including: identity,
motivation, reflection, collaboration, and application. Each influence was critically discussed
within the context of the school and relevant literature on effective professional development and
job-embedded learning. Implications and suggestions for future research, administrators, and
policymakers were considered given the study’s findings.
INDEX WORDS: Job-embedded learning, Middle school education, On-the-job learning, Professional development, Sensemaking, Teacher learning
i
HOW MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHERS CONSTRUCT UNDERSTANDINGS OF THEIR
JOB-EMBEDDED LEARNING EXPERIENCES
by
BRANDI WADE WORSHAM
B.A., Piedmont College, 2005
M.Ed., The University of Georgia, 2006
Ed.S., The University of Georgia, 2009
A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of The University of Georgia in Partial
Several years later, Guskey (2003) broadened Hawley and Valli’s (1999) work as he
analyzed 13 educational associations’ lists of the characteristics of effective professional
22
development to determine if there was consensus in the field. Guskey (2003) noted 21 common
characteristics across all lists, including that effective professional development provides
sufficient time and resources, promotes teacher collaboration, includes aspects of evaluation,
aligns to reform initiatives, models high-quality instruction, and includes outside experts.
More recently, after analysis of extant empirical research, Desimone (2011) concluded
there were five common features of effective professional development often “associated with
changes in knowledge, practice, and, to a lesser extent, student achievement” (p. 69). Those core
features were as follows:
1. Content focus: Professional development activities should focus on subject matter
content and how students learn that content.
2. Active learning: Teachers should have opportunities to get involved, such as
observing and receiving feedback, analyzing student work, or making presentations,
as opposed to passively sitting through lectures.
3. Coherence: What teachers learn in any professional development activity should be
consistent with other professional development, with their knowledge and beliefs, and
with school, district, and state reforms and policies.
4. Duration: Professional development activities should be spread over a semester and
should include 20 hours or more of contact time.
5. Collective participation: Groups of teachers from the same grade, subject, or school
should participate in professional development activities together to build an
interactive learning community. (Desimone, 2011, p. 69)
Certainly, additional features or factors may contribute to the overall effectiveness of a
professional development program, such as leadership, resources, organizational features, school
23
climate and culture, or community (King & Newmann, 2000); However, numerous scholars
reiterate the features of content focus, active learning, coherence, duration, and collective
participation (Darling-Hammond et al., 2009; Birman et al., 2000; Garet et al., 2001; Guskey,
2003; Wayne et al., 2008; Wei et al., 2010; Zepeda, 2011b; Zepeda, 2012). Refer to Table 2.1 for
a summary of research that supports the key features of effective professional development.
Table 2.1 Research in Support of the Key Features of Effective Professional Development
Key Features Research
Effective professional development is content focused.
Banilower, Heck, & Weiss, 2007; Birman et al., 2000; Cohen & Hill, 2001; Darling-Hammond et al., 2009; Desimone, 2011; Garet et al., 2001; Hill, Rowan, & Ball, 2005; National Institute for Excellence in Teaching, 2012; Wei et al., 2010
Effective professional development includes active learning.
Birman et al., 2000; Darling-Hammond et al., 2009; Desimone, 2011; Garet et al., 2001; NIET, 2012; Wei et al., 2010
Effective professional development is coherent.
Birman et al., 2000; Darling-Hammond et al., 2009; Desimone, 2011; Garet et al., 2001; NIET, 2012; Penuel, Fishman, Yamaguchi, & Gallegher, 2007; Wei et al., 2010
Effective professional development is longer in duration.
Birman et al., 2000; Cohen & Hill, 2001; Darling-Hammond et al., 2009; Desimone, 2011; Garet et al., 2001; NIET, 2012; Supovitz & Turner, 2000; Wei et al., 2010
Effective professional development includes collective participation.
Birman et al., 2000; Darling-Hammond et al., 2009; Desimone, 2011; Garet et al., 2001; NIET, 2012; Penuel et al., 2007; Wei et al., 2010
In the next section, empirical research related to the characteristics of effective
professional development will be presented and discussed. Attention will be given to defining
and critically examining how each study has contributed to the body of research on professional
development.
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Review of Selected Research on Effective Professional Development
Birman et al. (2000) surveyed a nationally representative sample of over 1,000 teachers,
who participated in a program offered by the Eisenhower Professional Development Program, to
identify the features of effective professional development. These scholars subdivided their
findings into two categories: structural features and core features. Their findings suggest the
structural features of form, duration, and participation influence the context for effective
professional development while the core features of content focus, active learning, and coherence
(alignment to professional development standards) characterize the processes for effective
professional development.
Further, Birman et al. (2000) found that so-called “reform-oriented professional
development”—or learning experiences that adhere to the key features of effective professional
development (e.g., study group, mentor, teacher network)—provided more content focus, active
learning, duration, and coherence than traditional sit-and-get workshops while professional
development that included collective participation was more likely to focus on content and
encourage active learning among teachers. Other scholars echo Birman et al. (2000) as they
criticize traditional, one-shot workshops for lack of time, focus, active learning, application, and
In the next section, empirical research related to the key features of job-embedded
learning will be presented and discussed. Attention will be given to defining and critically
examining how each study has contributed to the body of research on job-embedded learning.
Review of Selected Research on Job-Embedded Learning
Akiba (2012) conducted a statewide survey of Missouri middle school mathematics
teachers to examine what types of professional development activities teachers engaged in and
for how long. After examining the seven types of predetermined activities, Akiba (2012) found
37
that most teachers spent their time involved in individual learning, teacher collaboration, or site-
based programs. These findings highlighted the informal nature of teacher learning and
supported the idea that teacher learning was greatly influenced by context.
Levine and Marcus (2010) conducted a multi-level case study of four mathematics and
science teachers at a high school in California. The aim of their study was to explore how
teachers learn from ongoing collaborations with colleagues during the school day. The
teachers/participants met three times a week to discuss and analyze student data and explore
social and academic issues. The researchers found that intentionally planning teachers’
collaboration improves practice and increases teacher empowerment. In other words, establishing
norms and determining the focus of collaborative meetings influenced the success of the
meetings. Levine and Marcus (2010) also suggested that schools examine when it is important to
engage in multiple types of collaboration. For instance, multiple types of collaboration, such as
using protocols or informal study groups, might be complementary for certain topics whereas
other topics might be better suited to another type of collaboration.
In 2009, Mawhinney conducted an ethnographic study of how teachers learn incidentally
during the day. Primarily by observing collaborations in the teachers’ lounge and other
congregational spaces, the researcher discovered that these spaces could be positive places for
sharing professional knowledge. More specifically, Mawhinney (2009) found:
It helped teachers informally earn and understand the practice of teaching, spontaneously
collaborate and create projects, and collectively share information. Thus, all the
professional knowledge in these spaces either directly or indirectly filtered back into the
classroom. (p. 974)
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Teachers, both novice and veteran, collaborated to improve their practice, find instructional and
emotional support, and share their professional knowledge.
The findings of Mawhinney (2009) are further supported by Horn (2005), who conducted
a similar ethnography of two high school mathematics departments in California. In this study,
Horn (2005) wanted to find out how mathematics teachers learned about content and pedagogy
via the context and culture of the work environment. She found that teachers better understood
content and pedagogy when they had frequent opportunities to collaborate and to reflect. Further,
Horn (2005) posited that the everyday nature of teacher learning through informal, collaborative
models account for the majority of teacher change as opposed to more traditional, structured
models of teacher learning offered as formal professional development outside of the work day
(after school, summer, or before school).
Finally, the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching ([NIET], 2012) reported that
job-embedded learning could improve student achievement if it occurs in an environment that
has sufficient organization and resources to support it. For instance, summarizing research by
Biancarosa, Byrk, and Dexter (2010) and Saunders, Goldenberg, and Gallimore (2009), the
NIET stated:
Effective professional development (PD) strategies were successful only under certain
circumstances or only in some schools and classrooms. The determining factor was not
the quality of the PD itself, but rather the conditions under which it was delivered. It turns
out that job-embedded PD can be highly effective, but only when there is a sufficient
infrastructure in place to support it. (p. 1)
Professional development is inexplicably intertwined with the context and culture of a school.
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Thus, considering how schools can provide opportunities for and enhance the process of job-
embedded learning is essential to improving teacher practice and student achievement.
Professional Development in the Middle School
Historically, professional development in the middle school has been a key component
for reforming schools and refining teacher practice. In particular, most professional development
in the middle school has followed a “whole-school” model as schools and teachers prepared to
transition from the junior high school model to the middle school model in the early 1960s
(Dickson, Butler, & Pittard, 2003). During this time, professional development focused on
redefining the middle school as an organization with emphasis on the understanding of
interdisciplinary teaming, flexible scheduling, and exploratory classes. Subsequently,
professional development in the 1980s focused on instruction and assessment while professional
development in the 1990s called attention to service-learning and integrative curriculum (Pate &
Thompson, 2003). More recently, professional development in the 2000s has been dominated by
such topics as specific subject content and curriculum and school accountability.
Aside from the topical trends of professional development in the middle school, middle
school scholars recommended that professional development should be ongoing, focused on
student outcomes, aligned with standards, and embedded in the work of teachers (Hirsh, 2004;
Jackson & Davis, 2000; National Middle School Association, 2010; Pate & Thompson, 2003).
For instance, the National Middle School Association’s [NMSA] seminal position paper entitled
This We Believe: Keys to Educating Young Adolescents (2010) recommended professional
development focused on student learning and grounded in data, reflection, and collaboration.
Furthermore, NMSA, now known as the Association for Middle Level Education [AMLE],
reasoned that professional development should be continuous and based on the identified needs
40
of teachers. Similarly, Jackson and Davis (2000) argued for professional development that is
“results-driven, standards-based, and embedded in teachers’ daily work” (p. 110). Finally, Pate
and Thompson (2003) provided a list of seven recommendations for professional development in
the middle school. The seven recommendations called for professional development to:
1) Promote internal/external and informal/formal professional development
opportunities.
2) Involve all teachers, support personnel, and administrators in professional
development.
3) Determine school, teacher, and student needs so that professional development is
relevant.
4) Identify knowledgeable instructors for formal professional development so that
experience is credible.
5) Provide time to discuss, share, and engage in reflection.
6) Document professional development experiences.
7) Evaluate professional development activities. (p. 132)
Pate and Thompson’s (2003) recommendations for professional development in the middle
school mirror research on effective professional development. Consequently, professional
development in the middle school should be focused on content, offer opportunities for active
learning; encourage collective participation embedded within the context of practice; include
ongoing supports with follow-up, and align with federal, state, and local expectations.
Review of Selected Research on Professional Development in the Middle School
Caskey and Carpenter (2012) examined organizational models for teacher learning in
middle schools; specifically, common planning time, professional learning communities, and
41
critical friends groups ®. Alarmed that many middle school teachers still work in isolation,
Caskey and Carpenter (2012) argued that interdisciplinary teaming and common planning time
provided a perfect structure for collaborative teacher learning built in to the regular school day
and grounded in teacher needs and practice. Similarly, the researchers maintained that
professional learning communities and critical friends groups ® offered teachers opportunities to
refine their professional knowledge and practice while attending to the unique nature of middle
schools. Thus, job-embedded learning via these organizational structures promoted not only
collective responsibility and engagement, but also kept the focus on meeting the intellectual,
social, and emotional needs of middle school teachers and students.
Comparably, Graham (2007) used DuFour’s (2004) concepts of professional learning
communities to conduct a mixed methods case study of sixth, seventh, and eighth grade teachers
at a middle school in a large Southeastern district. The purpose of this study was to explore the
relationship between teacher effectiveness and same-subject professional learning communities.
Using the tenets of effective professional development to frame his discussion, Graham (2007)
concluded that same-subject professional learning communities improved the practice of teachers
because those structures followed a reform model that encouraged collective participation, a
focus on content, and active learning.
Interestingly, Graham (2007) suggested the findings illuminated a shift from
interdisciplinary teaming to content area teaming. He argued, “middle school leaders may need
to rethink some of their assumptions around teaming, the primary work focus of teams, and the
types of team configurations most likely to lead to real improvements in teaching and learning”
(p. 14). Essentially, Graham (2007) contributed to the field of middle school education by
42
considering alternative forms of teaming, how to improve teacher effectiveness, and the
relationship of both to job-embedded learning.
After surveying 33 New Jersey public schools, Mindich and Lieberman (2012) conducted
case studies of two schools to understand how interdisciplinary teams and content teams
functioned within professional learning communities. Mindich and Lieberman (2012) argued that
interdisciplinary and content teams had different benefits or advantages. However they found
that the success of both types of teams in promoting teacher learning was influenced by
leadership vision, school community, and resources. Specifically, interdisciplinary teams were
useful for data analysis while content teams were better for fostering ongoing collaboration about
instruction and assessment.
In an earlier study, Strahan and Hedt (2009) conducted a case study of two seventh grade
teacher teams as they worked with a literacy coach and university partner to improve reading and
writing across the curriculum. Focusing on how participants changed their instructional practice,
how they collaborated with each other, and how instruction impacted student learning, Strahan
and Hedt (2009) concluded that professional growth begins with dialogue about curriculum,
pedagogy, and student achievement. Furthermore, Strahan and Hedt (2009) noted that working
with a coach and university partner helped the teachers to produce more engaging lessons and to
improve assessment practices through a cycle of inquiry grounded in relationships and context.
Echoed by Borko (2004), this study supported the notion that job-embedded learning deepens
content knowledge, enhances understanding of assessment for student growth, and encourages
the integration of new knowledge and skills.
In 2009, Lenski and Caskey explored the use of lesson study with teachers from three
middle schools. These scholars asked interdisciplinary teachers to create collaboratively lessons
43
on a given topic, to observe the created lesson, and to engage in reflection and feedback
afterward. As a result, Lenski and Caskey (2009) concluded that lesson study was a great way to
encourage “teachers to reflect on their teaching practice through a cyclical process of
collaborative lesson planning, lesson observation, and examination of student learning” (p. 50).
The lesson study approach embodied the key features of effective professional development and
provided a way to embed learning within the work context.
Sensemaking
There are many definitions of sensemaking; however, generally those definitions
emphasize sensemaking as a process of meaning making and interpretation (Weick, 2012).
Sensemaking can be defined as the ongoing, active, and social processes of knowledge
negotiation and construction (Glynn, 1997; Weber & Glynn, 2006; Weick, 1995; Weick et al.,
2005). Sensemaking is often characterized as how people come to understand and adapt new
knowledge within existing knowledge in the context of their daily lives (Coburn, 2001; Coburn
& Woulfin, 2012; Sleeger, Wassink, van Veen, & Imants, 2009). Sensemaking occurs when one
uses prior knowledge and experience to understand new knowledge and experience. For instance,
Kezar and Eckel (2000) argued:
Sensemaking is the reciprocal process where people seek information, assign meaning,
and act…. Sensemaking allows people to craft, understand, and accept new
conceptualizations…and then to act in ways consistent with those new interpretations and
perceptions” (p. 33).
Sensemaking is an individual and collective process of negotiation that ties the worldview,
understanding, and beliefs of individuals to their actions (Weick, 1995). From a social justice
perspective, Mitchell (2014) delineated sensemaking into six properties: (1) grounded in identity,
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(2) retrospective, (3) referencing, (4) contradiction, (5) social, and (6) driven by plausibility
(Refer to Table 2.3 Sensemaking Properties).
Table 2.3 Sensemaking Properties Property Description Grounded in Identity
Sensemaking begins with self-awareness (Weick, 1995). Identity-grounded sensemaking allows [individuals] to understand themselves and their relationship to [other] concepts. Who we think we are (identity) shapes our actions and interpretations (Weick et al., 2005).
Retrospective Sensemaking is based in experience (Weick, 1995). Individuals reflect on their experiences to reconsider their thoughts on and action towards [experiences]. This process allows individuals to evaluate their views and (re)align their actions to be consistent with their beliefs.
Referencing Based on the notion of self-authorship (Kegan, 1994), referencing looks at the sources (reading, individuals, experiences) a person includes in her conception of an [experience]. Referencing is either isolated or integrated: isolated meaning the description includes sources without benefit of the person’s voice and/or perspective; integrated meaning outside sources inform the conception but an individual’s understanding is primary.
Contradiction The discrepancy between the actual condition (Jasso, 1998) and an individual’s expectations of community/society/ the world triggers sensemaking (Glanz, Williams, & Hoeksema, 2001). The uncertainty and discomfort fostered by contradiction encourages and inspires a reconstruction of meaning and action.
Social Sensemaking is based in our interactions with others (Kegan, 1994; Wieck, 1995). The process of dialogue and relationship building allows for the introduction and integration of multiple perspectives as well as the collaborative construction of meaning which often brings validity to the process.
Driven by Plausibility
Plausibility relies on confidence more so than accuracy (Weick, 1995). Rather than dependence on the “right answer”, sensemaking pushes individuals to develop a conception in which they are confident enough to take action on these beliefs (Eckel & Kezar, 2003)
Adapted from Mitchell, T. D. (2014). How service-learning enacts social justice sensemaking. Journal of Critical Thought and Praxis, 2(2), 4. For the purpose of this study, sensemaking is defined as how one makes sense of and gives
meaning to new knowledge and experiences based on her prior worldviews, beliefs, and
understandings.
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Review of Selected Research on Sensemaking
Most of the research on teacher sensemaking is centered on the interpretation and
Schmidt & Datnow, 2005). However, a few scholars are beginning to explore teacher
sensemaking within the context of professional development (Blignaut, 2008; Colestock &
Sherin, 2009; Rosebery & Puttick, 1998).
First, Coburn (2001) conducted an in-depth case study of one California elementary
school to uncover how teachers negotiated and co-constructed reading policy. Specifically,
Coburn (2001) used sensemaking theory to explore how “teachers adapted, adopted, combined,
or ignored messages and pressures about reading instruction in their professional communities
and how these deliberations shaped classroom practice” (p. 147). She found that who teachers
talked to, the depth of their conversations, and how leadership structured those collaborations
influenced how teachers made sense of reading policy. The social interactions and workplace
conditions affected how teachers interpreted and implemented reading policy.
In a follow-up study, Coburn (2005) conducted an embedded case study of two California
elementary school principals to examine the role principals have in influencing teacher learning
about reading policy. Coburn (2005) concluded that the sensemaking of principals directly
influenced how teachers made sense of reading policy since principals are largely responsible for
delivery of such reform initiatives and choose which aspects to emphasize or omit. Additionally,
Coburn (2005) noted that the sensemaking of principals is equally dependent on the principal’s
worldview, or beliefs and philosophies, and the school context and culture.
In a different study, Coburn and Woulfin (2012) sought to understand the “role of reading
coaches in mediating the relationship between policy and teachers’ classroom practice” (p. 5).
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This in-depth, longitudinal case study of one elementary school in Massachusetts focused on the
perspectives of seven first and second grade teachers, two reading coaches, and two school
administrators in implementing reading policy. Coburn and Woulfin (2012) found that teachers
were more likely to alter their classroom practices when reading coaches delivered the policy
messages rather than an administrator. The researchers attributed this to the coaches’ familiarity
with the classroom context and ability to persuade reluctant teachers.
Similarly, Schmidt and Datnow (2005) used data from a four-year longitudinal case study
of five schools in California and Florida to examine teachers’ emotions in the process of making
sense of Comprehensive School Reform (CSR), a program established by the U.S. Department of
Education to provide financial assistance to schools that implement research-based practices in
the areas of academics and parental involvement. The researchers argued:
Teachers’ prior knowledge affects sense-making, pointing to how teachers arrive at
different interpretations of the same policy message, sometimes even misunderstanding
the policy intent. Values and emotions, therefore, affect this sense-making process, and
highlight how teachers are often biased towards policy interpretations that fit (or do not
fit) with their prior beliefs and values. (p. 950)
Moreover, Schmidt and Datnow (2005) concluded that teachers made sense of reforms in terms
of their own practices, thus highlighting the need to include teachers in implementation
processes. They summarized that teachers attached more emotions to the reforms intended to
impact their classroom practice rather than the reforms intended to impact school climate and
culture.
A smaller number of studies have focused on sensemaking and classroom practices. First,
in 1998, Rosebery and Puttick conducted a case study to investigate how one teacher, Liz, made
47
sense of her professional development experiences. In particular, the researchers used videotaped
episodes to examine the ways Liz “took up and transformed particular ideas, experiences, and
tools” (Rosebery & Puttick, 1998, p. 654) as she engaged in a professional development seminar
on science instruction and inquiry. Interestingly, Rosebery and Puttick (1998) discovered that as
Liz became more comfortable asking herself clarifying questions about her own learning, she
extended those reflective opportunities to her students.
More recently, Colestock and Sherin (2009) identified five strategies that teachers used to
make sense of video clips on mathematics instruction. Collecting data from 15 middle and high
school teachers, the researchers discovered that teachers focused on issues related to pedagogy
and classroom management rather than student understanding. Additionally, teachers used such
sensemaking strategies as comparison, generalization, perspective-taking, reflective thinking,
and problem solving to connect their own prior knowledge and experiences to understanding
new content in the mathematics video.
In the same year, Quinn (2009) conducted a case study on sensemaking and policy to
explore how a team of middle school teachers implemented reading policy into science. He
found that members of the team interpreted the reading policy differently; however, he noted that
establishing a community of practice, or a group of colleagues who share knowledge and
experiences, helped teachers implement reading into science especially when students were
resistant to the change. Quinn (2009) recommended that the district continue communities of
practice to support teachers in their professional learning and growth.
Internationally a few scholars have begun to use sensemaking as a means to investigate
curriculum and teacher practices. For instance, Blignaut (2008) used semi-structured interviews
to investigate how teachers viewed content, learning, teaching, and assessment in three diverse
48
South African educational contexts. The researcher discovered that teachers adapt curriculum
policy based on their prior beliefs and knowledge about teaching and learning. Further, Blignaut
(2008) contended the unique context of each school influenced how teachers made sense of
curriculum policy and ultimately guided teachers in their classroom practices. Similarly, Marz
and Kelchtermans (2013) conducted a multi-case study of 20 mathematics teachers
implementing a new statistics curriculum in Belgian secondary schools. Marz and Kelchtermans
(2013) inferred that teacher understanding and interpretation of the curriculum policy varied
among schools and between teachers from the same school. This conclusion underscored both
the social and contextual nature of sensemaking.
Chapter Summary
The purpose of this chapter was to examine the literature on professional development,
job-embedded learning, and sensemaking. Beginning with a concise examination of the
definitions of professional development and the presentation of professional learning standards,
the chapter focused on describing effective professional development and job-embedded
learning, broadly and within the context of the middle school, as well as introducing the
literature on sensemaking. In particular, the chapter provided a foundation for designing the
study by analyzing the perspectives of scholars and the findings of recent or seminal empirical
studies. The next chapter presents the research design and methods used to examine how middle
school teachers constructed understandings of their job-embedded learning experiences.
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CHAPTER 3
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY
The research design and methodology provided in this chapter details the research
process used from beginning to end of the study. Included are the (1) purpose of the study, (2)
research questions, (3) theoretical framework, (4) research design and rationale, (5) processes
and procedures for conducting the study, (6) validity, quality, and trustworthiness, (9) limitations
of the study, and (10) risks and benefits.
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this study was to examine how middle school teachers construct
understandings of their job-embedded learning experiences. In particular, the aim of this study
was to understand how middle school teachers make sense and give meaning to their learning
experiences that occur during the school day as they engage in the work of being a teacher. The
overarching research question for this study was how do teachers construct understandings of
their job-embedded learning experiences?
Theoretical Framework
A sensemaking framework was used to unpack teacher knowledge construction since the
purpose of the study was to understand how middle school teachers construct understandings of
their job-embedded learning experiences. According to Weick (1995), sensemaking is the
ongoing, social process individuals use to make sense of or construct understandings of their
world. Sensemaking is a way of socially organizing and assigning meaning to experiences or
50
ideas since it encourages a connection between active reflection and communication (Weick et
al., 2005).
Choo (1998) explained the purpose of sensemaking as a way to create “a structure of
shared meanings and understandings based on which concerted actions can take place” (p. 79).
Thus, Choo argued that sensemaking theory assumes interpretation and action are influenced by
the negotiation of social cues and the co-construction of knowledge within a given context and
environment.
Accordingly, Lee (1991) asserted that sensemaking occurs on both an individual level as
well as a social level:
The sense, meanings, or interpretations individuals attach to their experiences are
developed in social contexts through social mechanisms, such as various forms of
communication and interaction; a sense-making approach focuses on developing and
supporting the capacity of the members of the school to (a) examine the meanings they
give to their experiences and (b) to consider how these meanings influence the way in
which they carry out their work. (p. 85)
Lee noted how important reflection is to the process of sensemaking. Individuals must consider
how their worldviews and experiences influence how they interpret and implement information
from social negotiations to make sense of and give meaning to their experiences. Additionally,
Coburn (2001) stated:
Sensemaking is not solely an individual affair, but is social in two important respects.
First, it is collective in the sense that it is rooted in social interaction and negotiation.
People make sense of messages in the environment in conversation and interaction with
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their colleagues…. Second, sensemaking is social in the sense that it is deeply situated in
teachers’ embedded contexts. (p. 147)
Thus, a sensemaking perspective was appropriate for this study since it examined the meaning
teachers gave to their learning experiences during the day. Further, a sensemaking framework
was befitting because it embedded the negotiation and co-creation of knowledge into the context
and culture of the school site.
Finally, Coburn (2001; 2005) noted that sensemaking is not only influenced by
workplace norms and patterns, but also by the existing worldviews and experiences of those
engaging in the sensemaking process. For instance, teachers’ beliefs and prior experiences
influence how they understand, interpret, and adapt new knowledge just as the conditions of their
learning environment affect meaning making. In fact, Coburn and Woulfin (2012), Colestock
and Sherin (2009), and Sleeger et al. (2009) confirmed the importance of considering teacher
worldviews when studying teacher sensemaking. Thus, the consideration of existing knowledge
and past experiences of teachers was essential to understanding how teachers constructed
understandings of their job-embedded learning experiences.
Research Design and Rationale
A qualitative approach was appropriate for this research given the purpose of this study
was to examine how middle school teachers construct understandings of their job-embedded
learning experiences. Creswell (2007) and Merriam (2009) noted that qualitative research is a
relevant research approach when the goal of the researcher is to understand the meaning people
give to their experiences. Particular to this study, the focus remained on the processes people
used to make sense of their world rather than to test hypotheses related to an empirical
experiment.
52
The nature of qualitative research emphasizes inductive inquiry and thick description to
accurately understand, interpret, and portray the experiences and perspectives of the people being
studied. Bogdan and Biklen (1998) argued that qualitative research emphasizes context,
descriptive data, process, and meaning making. Given that the study concentrated on context,
descriptive data, process, and meaning making, a qualitative approach was necessary to
illuminate teachers’ perspectives and experiences within the context of school.
Acknowledging the need for a qualitative approach, an ethnographic, multi-case study
design was used to examine how teachers constructed understandings of their job-embedded
learning experiences. To begin, a case study is defined as a holistic investigation and analysis of
a person, group, or phenomenon within a real-life bounded system (Merriam, 2009; Simons,
2009). Case studies offer researchers the opportunity to study the processes, perspectives, and
experiences of a person, group, or phenomenon in the original context and culture. Schwandt
(2007) noted:
Case studies are preferred when the inquirer seeks answers to how or why questions,
when the inquirer has little control over events being studied, when the object of study is
a contemporary phenomenon in a real-life context, when the boundaries between the
phenomenon and the context are not clear, and when it is desirable to use multiple
sources of evidence. (p. 28)
Thus, case studies allow researchers to study a particular how or why question in great detail
within the parameters of the person, group, or phenomenon’s unique context.
Consequently, an ethnographic case study emphasizes the examination of the context and
culture being studied (Merriam, 2009). Similar to traditional ethnographic studies, the addition of
53
ethnography to a case study design prioritizes the relationship and influence of context and
culture on the interpretation of experiences. Simons (2009) stated:
Ethnographic case study has its origins in an anthropological or sociological tradition.
This type of case study uses qualitative methods, such as participant observation, to gain
close-up descriptions of the context and is concerned to understand the case in relation to
a theory or theories of culture. It can be conducted in different timescales, in familiar or
unfamiliar cultures and increasingly uses a wider range of methods than in classic
ethnography…ethnographic case studies focus on a particular project or programme,
though still aspiring to understand the case in its socio-cultural context and with concepts
of culture in mind. (pp. 22-23)
Specific to the aim of this research, an ethnographic case study was appropriate since the
examination of how teachers make sense and give meaning to their job-embedded learning
experiences was equally informed by an individual’s understanding and interpretation of her
experiences as well as the influences that context and culture contribute to those understandings
and interpretations.
Given the appropriateness of using an ethnographic, multi-case study design, the first
step to beginning the research was to clearly define the unit of analysis and boundaries of the
case (Merriam, 2009; Stake, 1995; Yin, 2009). Defining the unit of analysis and boundaries of
the case relates to the refining of the research question and context; specifically, the location,
duration, and other descriptive criteria that narrow the research focus and intent (Simons, 2009).
Therefore, recognizing the intent of this research was to examine how teachers construct
understandings of their job-embedded learning experiences, each case of the multi-case design
was defined as one middle school teacher. For each case, the unit of analysis focused on how that
54
particular teacher made sense or gave meaning to what the teacher learned during the school day.
The boundary of the case was described as the learning that the teachers experienced during the
school day while they engaged in the work of being a teacher.
Lastly, a case study design offers many elements that make it appropriate for examining
how teachers made sense and gave meaning to their job-embedded learning experiences. First,
case studies offer a detailed understanding of complex social interactions and situations. For
instance, Merriam (2009) summarized:
The case study offers a means for investigating complex social units consisting of
multiple variables of potential importance in understanding the phenomenon. Anchored
in real-life situations, the case study results in a rich and holistic account of a
phenomenon. It offers insights and illuminates meanings that expand its readers’
experiences. These insights can be construed as tentative hypotheses that help structure
future research; hence, case study research plays an important role in advancing a field’s
knowledge base. (pp. 50-51)
Additionally, numerous scholars have argued that case studies enable researchers to document
multiple perspectives and interactions, explore processes of change, and experience how socio-
cultural contexts influence perspectives, interactions, and processes of individuals and groups
(Simons, 2009; Yin, 2009).
Processes and Procedures for Conducting the Study
To reiterate, the purpose of this ethnographic, multi-case study was to examine how
middle school teachers constructed understandings of their job-embedded learning experiences.
Thus, the presentation and discussion of the processes and procedures for conducting this study
include selecting the research site and participants, collecting data that best reflects the intention
55
of the research questions while representing the experiences and perspectives of participants,
analyzing data appropriately and in consideration of the theoretical framework, and addressing
issues of quality, trustworthiness, and reflexivity.
Research Site
Purposeful sampling was used to select the research site for this study. Purposeful
sampling is a sampling strategy in which particular persons or places are selected because of the
valuable insights and information they can contribute to the understanding of a research
phenomenon or problem (Creswell, 2007; Maxwell, 2009).
In selecting the research site, the researcher located a middle school in Georgia that
seemed to embrace the leadership and organizational characteristics of effective middle schools.
Specifically, the National Middle School Association ([NMSA], 2010) defined these
characteristics in their position paper follows:
• A shared vision developed by all stakeholders guides every decision.
• Leaders are committed to and knowledgeable about this age group, educational
research, and best practices.
• Leaders demonstrate courage and collaboration.
• Ongoing professional development reflects best educational practices.
• Organizational structures foster purposeful learning and meaningful relationships.
(p. 14)
Of these criteria, the requirements related to ongoing professional development and
organizational structures were most important as these provided the case and boundary for the
proposed study. Purposefully selecting a middle school with administrators who embraced
ongoing professional development was essential to understanding how teachers constructed
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understandings of their job-embedded learning experiences. Thus, the research site was selected
using the following criteria: (1) the school strived to implement the leadership and organizational
characteristics of effective middle schools and (2) the school had organizational structures in
place that encourage and support job-embedded learning. The researcher surveyed local
educational leaders to determine an appropriate research site.
To gain access to the research site, the researcher first met with the school’s principal to
explain the research purpose and secure support to seek approval from the school district to
conduct the study in the principal’s school. Then, the researcher sought support from the school
district to conduct the study at the selected school. After the district gave approval for conducting
the study, the researcher proceeded to invite potential research participants at an initial meeting
at the school.
The research site was located in northeast Georgia. The county school system served
approximately 7,000 students in eight elementary schools, three middle schools, a ninth grade
academy, and a high school. The chosen research site met the characteristics of effective middle
schools established by NMSA’s (2010) seminal position paper. Furthermore, the research site
was recognized by the National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform as a Lighthouse
School to Watch in 2008. The Schools to Watch program “identifies schools across the United
States that are well on their way to meeting the Forum’s criteria for high performance” (National
Forum, 2012). The Schools to Watch criteria reflect the goals of the National Forum by
evaluating the academic excellence, developmental responsiveness, social equity, and
organizational structures of successful and high-performing middle schools.
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Sample Selection
Participants were initially recruited during a post-planning faculty meeting. The purpose
of the initial meeting was to explain the research objective and goals to potential participants. A
follow-up email was sent to the entire school staff as a reminder to consider participation in the
research study. The follow-up email (see Appendix A) provided a brief description of the study
and outlined the expectations of participants who choose to volunteer. As teachers expressed
interest in the study, the researcher clarified the research purpose and expectations and answered
any lingering questions. The researcher then sent an electronic copy of the consent for
participation form (see Appendix B) to participants for their review. In total, six teachers chose
to participate in the research study. Participation was completely voluntary, and participants
understood they could withdraw from the study at any time.
Although participants were recruited through a desire to participate, the researcher ideally
wanted to purposefully select teachers according to their teaching assignment, years of
experience, education, and professional activities; however, the number of volunteers willing to
participate in the study did not allow for a purposeful, representative sample of participants.
Nevertheless, the sample of five participants represented the demographics of teachers at the
research site remarkably well. The five participants included:
• A seventh grade language arts/reading teacher with 18 years of experience;
• A sixth grade science/social studies teacher with 24 years of experience;
• A seventh grade social studies teacher with 29 years of experience;
• A seventh grade language arts/reading teacher with six years of experience; and
• A sixth grade language arts/reading teacher with 19 years of experience.
The profile for the participants who took part in the study is displayed in Table 4.2.
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Data Collection
One of the benefits of case study research is its reliance on multiple data collection
methods to represent the unique perspectives and experiences of individual participants
(Merriam, 2009; Yin, 2009). Therefore, the data collection methods for this study included
interviews, shadowing, teacher learning logs, and documents and other artifacts. Considered
collectively, these data sources offered the best possibility of holistically understanding how
middle school teachers constructed understandings of their job-embedded learning experiences.
Interviews. Each teacher participated in an initial, in-depth interview. The initial
interview occurred face-to-face for approximately one hour and used a semi-structured interview
guide (see Appendix C) to gather data about each teacher’s unique worldview, specifically
focusing on her beliefs about professional development and experiences with job-embedded
learning. According to Merriam (2009), semi-structured interviews use an interview guide to
flexibly ask participants a combination of more and less structured questions. Thus, semi-
structured interviews allowed the researcher to ask specific questions in an open-ended format
while providing opportunities for the researcher to adjust questions based on the participants’
responses. Interviewing offered the researcher a chance to explore teachers’ sensemaking while
underscoring the influential role of context.
Interviews were scheduled at the convenience of each individual participant and the
researcher. Prior to conducting each interview, the researcher provided each participant with an
interview guide to allow for thoughtful consideration of and reflection on each question. Further,
at the start of the interview itself, the researcher reviewed with the participant the purpose and
goals of the interview. All interviews were electronically recorded using Audacity and
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transcribed verbatim by the researcher. Any identifying information was removed and replaced
with pseudonyms during the transcription process.
Shadowing. To better understand each teacher’s sensemaking processes within their
unique context, the researcher shadowed each participant for a single eight-hour school day or
for two half days (four hours each) as the participant engaged in job-embedded learning
experiences. Shadowing is a qualitative research method in which a researcher closely follows a
participant over a period of time to understand how he or she behaves and interacts with his or
her environment throughout the course of a normal day (McDonald, 2005; Quinlan, 2008).
More specifically, shadowing a research participant within a particular organization or
context requires the researcher to observe and record the body language, behaviors, opinions, and
interactions of participants for an extended period of time (McDonald, 2005). Shadowing can
provide alternative insights and interpretations of how individuals act and interact throughout the
course of a day since shadowing can capture the fragmented and varied nature of relationships
(Weick, 1974). Not only does shadowing allow the researcher a unique perspective into the
actions and interactions of individuals, but it may also help illuminate the internal, sensemaking
processes of individuals within the complexities of their work context and culture.
During each shadowing session, the researcher documented in a field journal how each
teacher interacted and co-constructed meaning during the school day by focusing on the talk and
actions of each participant as the participant engaged in the work of being a teacher.
Additionally, the researcher chronicled her own insights and questions after each teacher’s
shadowing session to aid in follow-up conversations and data analysis.
Teacher Learning Logs. Teacher learning logs were used to document each teacher’s job-
embedded learning experiences. More specifically, after any formal or informal job-embedded
60
learning experience, each teacher wrote about her experience and uploaded supporting
documents in an electronic learning log that was submitted to the researcher weekly (see
Appendix D). Each teacher was given the same set of prompts to help facilitate her reflection and
writing; however, it was ultimately the decision of each teacher to decide what and how often to
write about her job-embedded learning experiences. The learning log helped teachers document
the nature of their job-embedded learning experiences as well as reflect on those experiences
using prompts from the researcher. Each teacher’s learning logs were electronically stored in a
password-protected/private Google drive document and available for the researcher to review
and follow-up on weekly. Only each participant and the researcher had access to that
participant’s learning logs.
Finally, the learning logs were used to facilitate regular follow-up interviews (see
Appendix E) conducted by exchanging emails or scheduling informal telephone conversations.
The purpose of the follow-up email exchanges and informal phone interviews was to maintain
constant, open communication between participant and researcher. Constant communication
during the data collection period was essential to understanding teacher sensemaking of job-
embedded learning experiences. While there was not a formal protocol for the follow-up emails
and/or informal phone interviews, the researcher asked questions to clarify or to probe further
each teacher’s learning log responses. All emails were retained and became part of the data to be
coded. Additionally, informal phone interviews were recorded, transcribed, and also became part
of the data to be coded.
Documents and Other Artifacts. A number of documents and other artifacts were
gathered to facilitate understanding of how teachers constructed meaning in relation to their job-
embedded learning experiences. Simons (2009) posited that “document analysis is often a
61
helpful precursor to observing and interviewing, to suggest issues it may be useful to explore in
the case and to provide a context for interpretation of interview and observational data” (p. 64).
Prior to conducting research, the researcher informally reviewed and analyzed public documents
and other artifacts in an attempt to gain a better understanding of the district and school contexts.
Documents and other artifacts included district and school websites, the school’s
improvement plan, the district’s balanced scorecard (e.g., strategic plan for improvement), and
the Georgia Department of Education’s database. In addition to publicly obtainable material, the
researcher requested recorded meeting minutes and presentation visuals (e.g., PowerPoint, Prezi,
webinar) from team, content, or other group meetings to clarify and support findings from the
interviews, shadowing, and teacher learning logs. Refer to Table 3.1 for an inventory summary
of the data collected.
Table 3.1
Data Inventory Summary Data Collection Method Inventory Interviews Amanda – 58 minutes
Sarah – 36 minutes Leslie – 47 minutes Madison – 51 minutes Emily – 42 minutes
Shadowing Amanda – 8 hours on 9/2 Sarah – 8 hours on 9/3 Leslie – 8 hours on 9/9 Madison – 4 hours on 9/10 and 4 hours on 9/17 Emily – 4 hours on 9/17 and 4 hours on 9/18
Teacher Learning Logs Amanda – 9 Sarah – 9 Leslie – 8 Madison – 6 Emily – 6
Documents and Other Artifacts
District and School Websites, School Improvement Plan, Team Meeting Minutes, Content Area Meeting Minutes, and Lesson Plans
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Data Analysis
Merriam (2009) and Yin (2009) agreed that data analysis is a continuous process of
examining, categorizing, and interpreting a collection of data. Beginning from the first moments
of the study and continuing until the final write-up, data analysis is an all-encompassing process
that requires the researcher to examine data for themes and patterns repeatedly and often.
Similarly, Stake (1995) extended this understanding to argue, “Analysis is a matter of giving
meaning to first impression as well as to final compilations. Analysis essentially means taking
something apart” (p. 71). Hence, the researcher attended to data analysis immediately following
the first collection of data and continued with data analysis throughout the study.
For this study, the researcher conducted both within-case analysis and cross-case analysis
given the nature of the multi-case study design. Creswell (2007) highlighted that within-case
analysis is used to identify categories within the unit of analysis whereas cross-case analysis is
more appropriate for refining themes across multiple unit of analysis. To clarify, Merriam (2009)
outlined the process:
For the within-case analysis, each case is first treated as a comprehensive case in and of
itself. Data are gathered so the researcher can learn as much about the contextual
variables as possible that might have a bearing on the case. Once the analysis of each
case is completed, cross-case analysis begins. (p. 204, emphasis in the original)
Therefore, the researcher began analysis by exploring the data of each teacher, or case, and
concluded with an analysis that collectively examined across teachers, or cases.
Data were analyzed using techniques of grounded theory (Glaser & Strauss, 1967),
specifically, the constant comparative method. Typically, grounded theory is used to generate
theory, however in this case it was used for its inductive and comparative nature. In particular,
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this analytic approach was appropriate for understanding how teachers constructed
understandings of their job-embedded learning experiences since the emphasis was on
interpretation and unique to each participant and situation.
The aim of grounded theory is to “discover theories—causal explanations—grounded in
empirical data, about how things work” (Bernard & Ryan, 2010, p. 267). Grounded theory is one
of the most widely used methods in the social sciences for collecting and analyzing data that
focus on the language and experience of participants. Further, grounded theory is inductive and
involves the disaggregation of data into concepts and categories. Newer conceptions of grounded
theory include a process called axial coding or the notion of “crosscutting or relating concepts to
each other” (Corbin & Strauss, 2008, p. 195). Axial coding helps researchers to understand the
relationship between and among concepts and categories.
Additionally, grounded theory relies on the “continuous comparison of data and theory
beginning with data collection” (Eisenhardt, 2002, p. 8). This process of comparing segments of
data has been labeled constant comparative. Eisenhardt (2002) and Bernard and Ryan (2010)
defined the constant comparative method as searching for the similarities and differences of data
beginning with data collection and continuing until the final write-up. Schwandt (2010) extended
this idea by describing constant comparative as a method in which “each segment of the data is
taken in turn and (a) compared to one or more categories to determine its relevance and (b)
compared with other segments of data similarly categorized” (p. 37). Thus, due to the relational
power of the constant comparative method, it is frequently used in both grounded research as
well as other qualitative research that assumes some of the principles of grounded research.
In terms of application, grounded theory is typically coded line-by-line (Denzin, 2002).
While it takes a lot of time and effort to carefully consider each line of a transcript, it provided
64
the researcher with valuable first impressions of the data. For instance, Bernard and Ryan (2010)
agreed that disaggregating the text line-by-line allows the researcher more time to effectively
consider, code, and compare the data. It also encouraged the researcher to interact with the data
by asking questions, defining the properties and dimensions of concepts, and comparing concepts
(Corbin & Strauss, 2008).
Specific to this study, the researcher began analysis concurrently with the collection of
data to inform, for example, the prompts used in teacher learning logs, questions asked in follow-
up email exchanges and informal phone conversations, the timing and focus of shadowing
sessions, and determining which documents and other artifacts to collect and/or revisit. Adhering
to techniques of grounded theory, the process of analyzing the interviews and teacher learning
logs included an initial reading of each interview transcript or log to generate potential codes, a
review of the potential codes to consider the properties and dimensions of each to reduce overlap
and redundancy, and a reread of the transcript to apply the new codes line-by-line. More
specifically, as the researcher initially read the interview transcript and teacher learning logs, she
jotted down potential codes. Table 3.2 displays the potential codes generated from Amanda’s
initial analysis.
Table 3.2
List of Potential Codes from Amanda’s Case
• Formal • Informal • Team Meetings • Content Meetings • Book Study
Reflection • Recall from Experience • Make Connections • Source
Collaboration • Team • Content • Informal • Formal
Application • Desire • Lack of • Relevance • Duration
Table 3.4
Selected Excerpt of Coding
Excerpt Coding We do book studies. We have content level meetings, We do a lot of vertical and horizontal plannings…a lot of collaboration. We do RTI group meetings. We meet to talk about RTI students and their needs every other week—just a lot of collaboration on the job. We have teacher collaboration days with our content areas…there’s just a lot of teacher development through workshops and meetings…They [administrators] purposefully put content areas on the same hall so that we can walk across the hall and check-in daily. We talk in the morning and at lunch we check-in with each other and again at the end of the day. We do frequent checks to evaluate what we might do differently and set it up for tomorrow.
Particular to this study, the researcher addressed issues of quality, trustworthiness, and
reflexivity by using data and methodological triangulation, member checking, thick description,
and audit trails. To begin, the triangulation of data and methodology helped clarify and refine the
67
interpretation of interviews and shadowing sessions. More importantly, the collection of multiple
sources of evidence from multiple participants ensured an accurate portrayal of each case. Next,
participants were asked to assess the researcher’s interpretation of how they constructed
understandings of job-embedded learning through member checks. Asking participants for
feedback via follow-up email exchanges and informal phone conversations verified their
perspectives and actions in an effort to reduce the chance of misrepresentation or
misinterpretation.
The researcher used rich, thick descriptions to capture the context and findings of each
case. Rich, thick descriptions will aid readers and other researchers to generalize or consider how
the findings might be transferred to their specific context or situation. Finally, the researcher kept
an audit trail, or a detailed account of methods, procedures, and decisions (Merriam, 2009), as
data were collected and analyzed. In other words, the audit trail helped the researcher document
the processes and procedures of the study so others may understand how and why the study
proceeded as it did.
Subjectivity Statement
While the researcher was not associated with the selected middle school and its teachers,
she was familiar with the organization of middle schools and professional development
opportunities. Specifically, as a practicing middle school teacher, the researcher’s assumptions
and biases about middle schools, professional development, and job-embedded learning may
influence the analysis or reporting of the data. Nevertheless, the researcher attempted to
minimize her subjectivities by thoroughly documenting her procedures, processes, and decisions
in a researcher’s journal with the intention of helping readers judge the quality and
trustworthiness of the research.
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Risks and Benefits
The risks associated with this research were minimal since its activities were considered a
normal part of the teacher’s school day. However, to minimize psychological and social
discomfort, participants were given pseudonyms when appropriate and applicable (e.g., quoting
the interview responses of a participant). Furthermore, the data collected from participants
remained confidential for anyone other than the researcher.
The benefits to participants focused on the overall refinement of their professional
knowledge, beliefs, and practices. Specifically, discussing and reflecting on how they made
sense of job-embedded learning may have helped each teacher become more aware of her
learning and hopefully, in turn, improve her teaching. Additionally, this study contributed to the
field of teacher education and adult learning by providing insights into how teachers understood
and interpreted their learning experiences during the school day. Finally, this research may
broaden scholars' understanding of how context and culture influence teacher learning.
Chapter Summary
An ethnographic, multi-case study design was completed to examine how teachers
constructed understandings of their job-embedded learning experiences. The study was
conducted at a middle school in Georgia during the school day while teachers engaged in their
work. Data collection methods for the case study included interviews, shadowing, learning logs,
and reviews of documents and other artifacts related to the participants’ experiences of job-
embedded learning. Data analysis was framed from a sensemaking perspective and incorporated
techniques from grounded theory to inductively and holistically explore how teachers made
sense and gave meaning to their job-embedded learning experiences. More specifically, the
constant comparative method was used to examine within and across cases. Lastly, the
69
researcher addressed issues of quality, trustworthiness, and reflexivity by incorporating
triangulation, member checking, thick description, and audit trials into the research design.
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CHAPTER 4
FINDINGS
Introduction
The purpose of this study was to examine how middle school teachers construct
understandings of their job-embedded learning experiences. In particular, the aim of this study
was to explore how middle school teachers make sense and give meaning to their learning
experiences that occur during the school day as they engage in the work of being a teacher. For
the purpose of this study, job-embedded learning experiences refer to any formal or informal
learning opportunity that is grounded in the context of the school day and characterized by active
learning and reflection.
The overarching research question for this study was how do middle school teachers
construct understandings of their job-embedded learning experiences? This research question
was intentionally broad to allow the researcher the flexibility needed to explore how teachers
make sense and give meaning to their formal and informal learning experiences during the
school day. Additionally, the inclusive nature of the overarching research question allowed the
researcher to consider how the nature of professional development—such as its format, duration,
and content, or the school culture and context—influenced how teachers construct
understandings of their job-embedded learning experiences.
The participants of this study included five teachers from a high performing middle
school in Northeast Georgia. Data collection began in August 2014 and concluded in October
2014. Through one-on-one interviews, teacher learning logs, shadowing field notes, and artifact
71
analysis, the data reflected the perspectives and beliefs of teachers. Within-case and cross-case
analyses were conducted prior to the development of themes. More specifically, data were
analyzed using the constant comparative method to generate codes and categories necessary for
theme development.
To acquaint the reader with the participants and context of this study, this chapter
provides a description of the school district, the school, and the participant profiles. Next, the
chapter details within-case and cross-case analysis of data derived from participant interviews,
teacher learning logs, shadowing field notes, and artifacts related to the research question.
Profile of the School District
This study took place in Willow County Public School District (pseudonym, WCPSD), a
small suburban school district, located northeast of a large metropolitan city in Georgia. The
Georgia Department of Education (GADOE) reported that WCPSD served 7,256 students during
the 2012-2013 school year while the WCPSD website estimated enrollment for the 2014-2015
school year to reach 6,982 students. WCPSD is composed of 14 schools—eight elementary
schools, three middle schools, one ninth-grade academy, one high school, and one alternative
education school. Overall in the school district, 63% of students qualified for free or reduced
price meals, 14% qualified for special education services, and 14% were classified as English
Language Learners in 2014. The per-pupil expenditure for 2014 was $8,307.95. Table 4.1
summarizes the demographics of the state of Georgia, WCPSD, and the research site, a middle
school in the district.
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Table 4.1
Demographic Comparison for Percentage of Population 2013-2014
State of Georgia Willow County North Willow Middle School
Asian/Pacific Islander Black Hispanic Native American Multi-racial White English Language Learners Economically Disadvantaged Students with Disabilities
4% 37% 13% 0% 3% 44% 7% 60% 11%
3% 2% 25% 0% 3% 67% 14% 63% 14%
1% 1% 7% 0% 3% 88% 1% 55% 16%
Profile of the School and Community
Originating as a high school and then a junior high school, North Willow Middle School
(pseudonym, NWMS) opened its doors to students in the fall of 1995 with a new facility and the
promise of engaging a new group of adolescents with emerging research on the middle school
concept. Through the years, North Willow Middle School established itself as the highest
performing middle school in the county as well as one of the highest performing middle schools
in the Regional Educational Service Agency (RESA) district as evidenced by their many
accolades and achievements. For instance, North Willow Middle School has received the Gold
Award from the Georgia Governor’s Office for the greatest gain in students meeting and
exceeding the Georgia Criterion Referenced Competency Test (CRCT), has earned the title of
Distinguished Middle School from the Georgia Department of Education for consistently
achieving Annual Yearly Progress (AYP), and has been recognized as a Lighthouse School to
Watch by the National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform.
In March 2012, Georgia was granted a waiver from some of the accountability
requirements of No Child Left Behind (NCLB, 2002). This waiver allowed the Georgia
73
Department of Education to replace Annual Yearly Progress (AYP) with a new school
accountability system known as the College and Career Readiness Performance Index (CCRPI).
During the first year of implementation, North Willow Middle School earned a CCRPI score of
91.5 on a 100-point scale. In 2013, North Willow Middle School earned a CCRPI score of 91.7.
In 2014, North Willow Middle School earned a CCRPI score of 89.4. The average CCRPI score
for a middle school in the state of Georgia was 73.8 in 2012, 74.6 in 2013, and 73.2 in 2014.
Thus, North Willow Middle School has outperformed most middle schools in the state of
Georgia.
With regard to demographics, North Willow Middle School has not changed significantly
since its establishment as a middle school almost twenty years ago. The demographics and socio-
economics of North Willow Middle School have remained consistent since much of the outlying
community is composed of housing subdivisions, rather than rental properties and apartment
complexes. In 2014-2015, the year of this study, approximately 550 students in grades six
through eight attended North Willow Middle School. The student demographic at North Willow
Middle School was comprised of 88% White, 7% Hispanic, 1% Asian, 1% Black, and 3% Multi-
racial. Approximately 55% of the 550 students at North Willow Middle School received free or
reduced price meals while 16% of the student body received special education services and 10%
gifted services.
North Willow Middle School employs approximately 42 full-time certified faculty
members. Of those, 35 have earned a degree beyond a bachelor’s while three have received
National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certification. The range of experience at
North Willow Middle School is as follows: 11 teachers have 10 years or less experience, 20
teachers have between 11 and 20 years experience, eight have between 21 and 30 years
74
experience, and three have more than 30 years of experience. Finally, the professional
memberships of the faculty at North Willow Middle School faculty represent approximately 22
different professional organizations, including the Professional Association of Georgia Educators,
the National Education Association, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, and the
Georgia Conservancy.
Participant Profiles
A total of five teachers voluntarily participated in this research study. Participants taught
language arts, social studies, and science and represented grades six and seven. Participants had
six to 29 years of teaching experience while the number of years at the research site ranged from
one to 14. Each participant represented one case within a multi-case study design. Table 4.2
summarizes the profiles of each participant while Table 4.3 compares the characteristics of the
staff at North Willow Middle School to the participants. Overall, the research participants closely
represented the population of teachers at North Willow Middle School with regard to years of
experience, certification, and grade/subject.
Table 4.2
Teacher Participant Profiles
Name Race Grade Subject Total Years Teaching
Years at Site
Amanda Sarah Leslie Madison Emily
W W W W W
7th 6th
7th 7th
6th
Language Arts/ Reading Science/Social Studies Social Studies Language Arts/ Reading Language Arts/ Reading
18 24 29 6 19
4 1 14 3 1
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Table 4.3
North Willow Middle School Teacher Demographic Comparison to Participant Profiles
School Participants
Certification T-4 T-5 T-6 T-7 Average Years of Experience <1 1-10 11-20 21-30 > 30 Gender Male Female
7 20 14 1 0 11 20 8 3 11 31
0 0 4 1 0 1 2 2 0 0 5
Within-Case Analysis
Given the intent of the research was to examine how teachers construct understandings of
their job-embedded learning experiences, each participant represented one case of a multi-case
study design. For each case, the unit of analysis focused on how that particular teacher made
sense or gave meaning to what they learned during the school day. The boundary of each case
was established as the learning that participants experienced during the school day while they
each engaged in the work of being a teacher.
From the onset of data collection, the researcher began to concurrently analyze data
collected from each participant’s initial interview, learning logs, shadowing session field notes,
and any relevant documents and other artifacts. Each participant was analyzed inclusively using
the constant comparative method to identify emergent codes and categories within each case and
unit of analysis. The emergent codes and categories later provided the foundation for cross-case
analysis and the establishment of themes.
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Case #1: Amanda
Amanda has taught at North Willow Middle School for four years. Currently, she teaches
regular, advanced, and gifted seventh grade language arts and reading. Amanda is a member of
the school leadership team, the school’s book study group and, the Response to Intervention
(RTI) committee. She is also the school’s language arts and reading department chair and the
seventh grade team leader. Amanda is certified in middle grades language arts, reading, and
social studies as well as early childhood education. In addition to her teaching credentials,
Amanda holds three advanced degrees and is certified in gifted education. She is a member of
the International Reading Association (IRA).
With 18 years of teaching experience, Amanda has taught at several schools prior to her
tenure at North Willow Middle School. She taught seventh and eighth grade reading in inner-city
Kansas City, Missouri for two years; seventh grade reading in an affluent suburb of Omaha,
Nebraska for ten years; fifth grade at a Title-1 elementary school in WCPSD for three years; and
sixth grade language arts and reading at a different middle school in Willow County for three
years. She is currently in her fourth year at North Willow Middle School.
Amanda is a content and grade level leader in her school. She expresses her opinions and
beliefs with conviction and professionalism while acknowledging the thoughts of others.
According to her colleagues, Amanda is a well-read and intentional teacher. She reads
educational theory and instructional books in her spare time and strives to share her knowledge
with others in the school. Amanda’s classroom is inviting and well organized. The classroom
walls are decorated with a combination of instructional posters, motivational statements, and
student work. Lamps light the room rather than bright overhead lighting and a scent of lavender
is diffusing in the air. The teacher’s desk is neat and clean with space dedicated for students to
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turn in work or ask for assistance. Student desks are arranged in vertical rows, but easily moved
to accommodate different learning activities and groups. As evident from her shadowing session,
students seem to respect Amanda and understand her expectations. She engages students with a
variety of activities and offers assistance and praise when necessary.
During her initial interview, Amanda defined job-embedded learning as “on-the job
training to make myself a better teacher, but done on the job, not outside of school.” However,
Amanda noted that she does a lot of independent learning outside of school and brings those
ideas into the classroom. She pondered if job-embedded learning must occur within the walls of
the school or if any learning experienced by a teacher, regardless of location and time, should
encompass job-embedded learning. Despite her uncertainty about the meaning, expectations, and
limits of job-embedded learning, Amanda was able to provide several examples of how she
learns during the school day. For instance, Amanda stated:
We do book studies. We have content level meetings, We do a lot of vertical and
horizontal plannings…a lot of collaboration. We do RTI group meetings. We meet to talk
about RTI students and their needs every other week—just a lot of collaboration on the
job. We have teacher collaboration days with our content areas…there’s just a lot of
teacher development through workshops and meetings…They [administrators]
purposefully put content areas on the same hall so that we can walk across the hall and
check-in daily. We talk in the morning and at lunch we check-in with each other and
again at the end of the day. We do frequent checks to evaluate what we might do
differently and set it up for tomorrow.
Amanda’s interview and learning logs on job-embedded learning revealed the scope of learning
experiences available to her at North Willow Middle School. Amanda found opportunities for
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learning through formal experiences, such as the book study, meetings, and workshops, in
addition to informal experiences like hallway chats, daily check-ins, and independent reflections
throughout the day.
First, Amanda made sense and gave meaning to information presented in an ongoing,
multi-year workshop titled Common Core Boot Camp. The purpose of this workshop was to
examine Webb’s (2009) Depth of Knowledge (DoK) and develop strategies for how to
incorporate it within the Common Core standards. DoK is a way to think about content
complexity and demand through four levels of questioning—Level 1: Recall, Level 2:
Conceptual, Level 3: Strategic Thinking, and Level 4: Extended Thinking. In describing the
purpose and expectations of the workshop, Amanda stated,
I had already heard about Webb’s Depth of Knowledge (DoK), but the presenter took my
understanding to a whole new level. She helped me see the relationship between Bloom’s
taxonomy and DoK. She provided a matrix that clearly showed a continuum of
knowledge and skills. I was surprised that she recommended that we not look at the
verbs. For years, we’ve been told to deconstruct standards by examining verbs. She shed
new light on DoK and how to ensure we are using level 3 and 4 in our classrooms rather
than 1 or 2.
Amanda found the workshop’s purpose and content meaningful since the presenter was able to
challenge and extend Amanda’s thinking beyond her prior understandings and conceptions of
DoK and Common Core Standards. The presenter helped Amanda refine her understanding of a
familiar topic and develop a plan for ensuring the use of higher level questioning strategies in the
classroom. One might argue that Amanda’s sensemaking may have been different had the
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presenter not been able to connect with Amanda’s prior understandings or encourage her with
practical, relevant examples of classroom implementation.
In comparison, during her initial interview, Amanda described her worst learning
experience as one in which she had to unpack, or deconstruct, the Georgia Performance
Standards (GPS). She explained that the presenter did not acknowledge participants’ prior
knowledge or consider their professional experience. For instance, Amanda recalled that
participants were asked to identify and discuss the verbs within each standard rather than focus
on how to design and implement lessons and assessments that met the expectations of each
standard.
Despite the failure of her GPS learning experience, it is noteworthy that Amanda was still
able to find meaning in the Common Core Boot Camp workshop. She explained the Common
Core Boot Camp workshop not only helped to enhance her knowledge about “types of questions,
performance tasks, and discussions that take place in my classroom” but its long-term, coherent
design provided her with practice and feedback. The learning experience allowed Amanda to
gain a new perspective and insight into what her students need to be able to know and do with
the implementation of Common Core and “Next Generation” testing. She learned how to
incorporate more Level 3 and 4 questions in her lessons and assessments and established a
support group while she implemented her new knowledge and skill.
Amanda used the job-embedded learning logs to reflect on several formal school
meetings, such as content, grade level, and leadership team meetings. Collectively, she found
necessity and value in each meeting, however meaningfulness was influenced by the delivery,
relevancy, and applicability of presented content. For instance, in a learning log entry about
content meetings, Amanda noted:
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It’s always useful to find out if you are on the same page as your cohorts. It gives us both
a sense of direction and solidifies our expectations. The collaboration and understanding
of what we expect kids to walk in knowing and what we expect them to learn over the
year was powerful. It reaffirmed our common goals and missions. It helps us to hold each
other accountable and gives us a true sense of all being in this together.
Amanda found content meetings meaningful since the nature of each meeting was collaborative,
relevant to her classroom, and afforded her the chance to apply her content and instructional
knowledge to new tasks. Furthermore, the opportunity to discuss successes and failures, set
expectations, and plan for student learning with her colleagues, formally every week and
informally daily, encouraged Amanda to continuously refine her teaching knowledge and skills.
Similarly, Amanda elaborated on the objectives and usefulness of grade level meetings.
She wrote:
We met to learn new information for the school year. It was a way for principals to have
a quick meeting. I found all of it useful. I didn’t feel as though my time had been wasted
and it was relevant information that I needed to know. It was very business-like, to the
point, and went quickly and smoothly.
In another entry on grade level meetings, Amanda recalled:
Our principal met with the grade level to familiarize everyone with the Teacher Keys
Effectiveness System (TKES) platform. I was part of the pilot group last year, so I found
it helpful to refresh my understandings of the new teacher evaluation system. We
completed our self-assessments and I was thankful for the time to sit and complete my
self-assessment in an unhurried environment.
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In these two examples, Amanda presented the range of grade level meeting objectives. In one
instance, grade level meetings were used as a way to deliver important, and timely, information
whereas the second example highlighted how grade level meetings may be used as an avenue for
providing professional development and teacher evaluation.
In a follow-up conversation Amanda shared that discussing TKES as a grade level was
not new. In fact, during the previous school year, each grade level met monthly to discuss one of
the teacher performance standards developed by the Georgia Department of Education. She
recalled how the principal began each meeting by asking teachers to read and discuss an article
related to the performance standard. Then the principal would explain, in lecture style, the
expectations and necessary evidence needed to achieve each of the four levels on the TKES
rubric. Amanda acknowledged that the content and duration of the TKES grade level meetings
not only increased her understanding of TKES, but also influenced what and how she taught
since she aspired to be better than average on her annual evaluation.
Finally, independently, and initiated by her innate drive to improve, Amanda devoted
significant portions of her time every day to refining her knowledge about teaching and learning.
In one instance, Amanda scribed in her learning log:
I’m training to be a “Trailblazer” with Edmodo Snapshot. This is a new feature that
allows teachers of ELA and math to give short, formative assessments on Common Core
Standards. I spent over an hour reading through teacher posts, folders of information, and
watching the webinar. I am amazed that this is a free resource for teachers. I will be
presenting this feature to all ELA and math teachers in a few weeks.
In her entry, Amanda highlighted the benefits of digital learning communities. She discovered a
professional development format that aligned with her learning desires and needs. Furthermore,
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Amanda found meaning in the Edmodo Snapshot teacher posters, folders, and webinars because
she was able to determine how she spent her time and govern which pieces of information she
found most relevant for her classroom practice.
Lastly, Amanda used personal time at school to read a peer-recommended book about
writing across the curriculum. Amanda wrote:
I found most of the book meaningful because writing is part of our school improvement
plan. Also, the next generation of testing has a lot of writing and I needed a refresher
course on the art of teaching writing. I’m going to share this book with other ELA
teachers and ask the librarian to add this book to our professional development collection.
There was a lot of good information, especially on how to motivate young writers, and
keep them motivated, even when the task seems overwhelming. This book has inspired
me to use mentor texts to challenge my writers to emulate the craft of quality writing.
Amanda’s intrinsic motivation to refine and improve her knowledge and skills about writing not
only influenced her professional learning goals now and in the future, but also challenged her to
reflect on who she is as an educator and what she wants to do professionally and for her students
in the future.
Case #2: Sarah
Sarah has taught for 24 years, however this is her first year teaching at North Willow
Middle School. She was transferred to North Willow at the end of last school year from another
middle school in Willow County Public School District (WCPSD). Sarah teaches sixth grade
science and social studies and is certified in middle grades science and social studies, high school
science, and early childhood education. Sarah holds three advanced degrees and is a member of
the Professional Association for Georgia Educators (PAGE).
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Prior to teaching at North Willow Middle School, Sarah taught sixth and seventh grade
for 11 years at a middle school in a neighboring county to WCPSD, five years as a fourth and
fifth grade teacher at an elementary school in WCPSD, five years as a sixth grade science and
social studies teacher at a different middle school in WCPSD, and three years as an eighth grade
science teacher at the third middle school in WCPSD.
Sarah is vocal with her opinions and beliefs with fellow teachers, however she is very
reserved when in the company of administrators. She relentlessly advocates for her students and
goes above and beyond what is required in the classroom to ensure success and well being for
her students. Sarah’s classroom is inviting to students and clearly shows her dedication to
designing lessons that are interactive, project-based, and student-centered. Specifically, lab tables
replace traditional student desks and examples of student work with teacher commentary are
displayed on the walls, on top of cabinets, and on the floor. Sarah’s shadowing session provided
a glimpse of her creative lessons as her science students spent the class period at the outdoor
classroom collecting pond water and examining it under a microscope. During one of her social
studies class periods, Sarah engaged students in a project that incorporated technology and
product construction.
During her initial interview, Sarah defined job-embedded learning as “something that
occurs on the job to help you with your job during the hours that you are at work.” She believed
job-embedded learning was confined to learning experiences that occurred during the school day
and offered information and ideas that were relevant to her as a teacher. As Sarah’s interview
progressed, she refined her definition of job-embedded learning to include “learning from the
people that you are around.” Her revision underscored the importance of collegial relationships
when teachers seek to improve and refine their teaching knowledge and skills.
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Since this is Sarah’s first year at North Willow Middle School, she reflected on prior
learning experiences when asked to give examples of effective and ineffective professional
development. First, Sarah recalled an overnight workshop at Cumberland Island, Georgia, as her
best learning experience despite the fact that it took place away from the school and after school
hours. Sarah recalled, “We stayed in dorms. We did all the kinds of ecosystems that are on the
island. We saw all the animals that were on the island. We picked up shells. It was awesome and
it was just fun.” When asked if this learning experience could be replicated at a school during the
school day, Sarah firmly answered no. Sarah believed the meaningfulness of the experience was
attributed to its location and hands-on nature. Nevertheless, she recalled how each participant left
Cumberland Island with lessons and activities to implement in the classroom. However, Sarah
cautioned that only discussing the curriculum at a professional development workshop at a
school site—rather than conducting actual experiments in the ecosystem—would not have been
as powerful or meaningful. In fact, Sarah argued that the implementation of the curriculum back
at the school site may not have been as successful for her students if she had not been provided
the opportunity to apply it and discuss with others how to transfer her learning experiences to a
classroom.
Conversely, Sarah described her worst learning experience as one involving Fountas and
Pinnell’s Literacy Collaborative Framework (2014). She elaborated:
It was not my thing. It was language arts and it was not my thing. It was not my
preference. The presenter was okay and it was good information, but it was not what I
wanted to do. I went though it and I did the stuff and it was useful in class and very
helpful for what I had to do in the elementary school setting in language arts.
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When asked if there was something that would have helped her embrace the experience more,
Sarah noted:
I think it was all me. It could have been better if I had one person come into my room and
actually do it with kids. Some teachers did have that. They had a teacher come in and do
nothing but literacy collaborative and they seemed to like it and didn’t struggle as much
because the literacy coach showed them what to do on daily basis. I might have been
more excited about it if I had that experience because that’s the way I learn—by seeing
and doing it myself.
Sarah’s experience with Literacy Collaborative offers valuable insight into how teachers learn
and find meaning during the school day. Foremost, teachers may find value and meaning in an
experience they recall as their least favorite if the content of the learning experience is relevant
and embedded in their job. Furthermore, teacher sensemaking of learning experiences can be
enhanced when they are provided opportunities to collaborate with coaches and mentors who are
familiar with the new initiative or instructional strategy. Consideration should be given to how
teachers learn in relation to their identities and prior experiences. For instance, a plan for follow-
up and support should align with teacher learning styles and preferences. Thorough follow-up
and support during and after learning experiences may aid reluctant and struggling teachers with
the implementation of new knowledge and skills into practice.
Sarah’s learning logs proved equally insightful as she reflected on a variety of job-
embedded learning experiences, including content meetings, administrator and academic coach
observations and feedback, and digital learning modules provided by the Georgia Department of
Education. First, Sarah stated numerous times how often she relies on her colleagues during
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content and grade level meetings since this is her first year at North Willow Middle School. She
wrote in her learning logs:
Content planning is huge! I’m not familiar with the social studies that I’m doing, but
from what little time we’ve already had to plan, I’ve learned so much from the people
who know about it. They have given me a lot of resources, past lesson plans, and ideas
for projects. For science, they have shown me every experiment, how to set it up, and
given me a list of what I’ll need. It all has been so helpful!
Sarah admitted that she may not use everything her new colleagues have shared, however she
stressed, “team work is the only way to survive. Never forget those new teachers or new to the
building teachers are not used to what is going on.” Sarah’s transparency about the importance of
collegiality was a common theme throughout her learning log entries.
In a follow-up email, Sarah elaborated on the structure and timing of content meetings.
Conducted formally on a bi-monthly basis, and informally as necessary, Sarah wrote:
We met on Wednesday to plan the next week’s lesson. We discussed the first standard we
would be teaching and brainstormed activities to teach it. We also pulled out all the
master copies of maps and things we would need for the week and worked to put together
lesson plans from all of our ideas and resources.
Once again, Sarah found value and meaning in her learning experiences when she was provided
the opportunity to collaborate with her peers during scheduled content meetings. Specifically,
Sarah used the dedicated work time to refine her existing knowledge and skills by negotiating the
new information and ideas presented by her peers. At the conclusion of the meeting, Sarah was
able to reflect on how she co-constructed new knowledge to create a better understanding of the
social studies content. She was also able to develop a strategy for implementing lessons and
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activities to meet the expectations of the standards, the needs of her students, and fit within her
teaching identity and philosophy.
Next, Sarah devoted several learning log entries to administrator and academic coach
observations and feedback. In one entry, Sarah described a follow-up meeting she scheduled
with her assistant principal to discuss why she received a Level II on Standard 4: Differentiated
Instruction during an earlier Teacher Keys Effectiveness System (TKES) walk-through. She
recorded in her learning log:
I set up a meeting with my assistant principal to discuss my first TKES observation. It
was very meaningful. I am not only new to TKES, but new to North Willow and I wanted
to know exactly what they were looking for and how to improve my Level II. I was given
some suggestions and told that the documents I presented on the portal were enough to
raise the II to a Level III. I now know how to make sure Standard 4 is covered in my
lesson plans and documented. I would like to have more strategies to try though.
As a veteran teacher of 24 years, it was difficult for Sarah to receive a Level II on her initial
TKES walk-though, however Sarah was determined to improve her practice and sought support
when needed. In fact, Sarah also scheduled a meeting with the school’s academic coach to help
her identify and implement some strategies for differentiation. She wrote:
I asked the academic coach to find me some ideas for differentiation since I received the
Level II on my evaluation in that area. She gave me some strategies and information on
how to differentiate my instruction. It was absolutely what I needed. It was a relief to
have some strategies and ideas to improve my performance. I have already started
building her ideas and strategies into my lesson plans.
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Sarah’s motivation and drive to improve her teaching skills led her to seek support from others
who had the knowledge and ability to help her succeed. Sarah did not let being both a newbie
and veteran teacher deter her from seeking help; in fact, her thirst for knowledge and
improvement is an example for all teachers to reflect on the value and meaning one can glean
from colleagues outside of your content area and grade level.
Finally, Sarah used the learning logs to archive her learning experiences with digital
learning modules provided by the Georgia Department of Education. For example, Sarah
completed a course on how to create a classroom blog and how to analyze and provide digital
feedback to students. Sarah recalled, “actually seeing teachers in action giving feedback to
students was amazing. I learned a lot of strategies to give feedback to students in many different
forms. I can’t wait to use this.” During Sarah’s shadowing session, she was excited to share how
she implemented the digital feedback in her social studies class. In particular, she asked students
to create a PowerPoint using GoogleDocs and requested that they share it with her when they
were ready to turn it in. Sarah was able to view each PowerPoint and provide feedback
electronically. The digital learning module allowed Sarah to learn something of interest and at
her own pace. She was completely responsible for learning the material and implementing it into
her classroom. She loved this type of learning and has already committed to completing
additional digital learning modules in the future.
Case #3: Leslie
With 14 years experience at the research site, Leslie is a veteran social studies teacher at
North Willow Middle School. She currently serves on the school council, sponsors the Junior
Beta Club, and is coordinator of Katie’s Closet, a program that collects and donates used
clothing to students in need. In past years, Leslie has been a member of the school leadership
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team and the department chair for the social studies department. Leslie holds three advanced
degrees and is certified to teach middle school social studies and language arts. She also holds
endorsements in gifted education and teacher support specialist.
Before teaching at North Willow Middle School, Leslie taught one year as a fifth grade
teacher in an impoverished area of South Carolina. She then taught sixth grade social studies,
language arts, and math for 14 years at a metro-area middle school in Georgia. Leslie plans to
retire at the end of the school year.
Leslie is an innovative teacher and popular among her peers as someone who never does
the same thing twice. She dedicates herself to not only learning about her students, but also
keeping relevant and up-to-date with trending instructional strategies and reading to expand her
content knowledge. Leslie’s classroom is arranged for maximum student participation and is
littered with exemplars of student work. While she does arrange her student desks in rows,
Leslie’s students move fluidly from desk to desk and form groups in all the empty spaces of her
room and the hallway when working. During her shadowing session, Leslie’s lesson plans
revealed how she infuses technology, group-based learning, and authentic projects into her
instructional plan on a consistent basis.
In her initial interview, Leslie defined job-embedded learning as “just what you learn
from your students, what you learn yourself by reading things or taking some classes, as well as
what you learn from your other colleagues and anything in your environment.” Leslie
acknowledged that she was not familiar with job-embedded learning prior to the study, however
her definition reflects the general nature of job-embedded learning as specific to one’s working
environment and contingent on the relationships of colleagues. Leslie provided several examples
of job-embedded learning to support her definition. For instance, she has participated in the
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following formal learning experiences at North Willow Middle School: book studies; collegial
observations and feedback; peer mentoring; content, grade level, and leadership team meetings;
content workshops; and conferences. Leslie also mentioned several informal learning
experiences, such as impromptu hallway conversations and content check-ins.
One of Leslie’s most interesting learning log entries chronicled her time mentoring a
student teacher. During an initial meeting with her student teacher’s advisor, Leslie compared
her teaching experience to the requirements and expectations of her student teacher:
One thing the professor mentioned is that student teacher candidates are to use academic
language in their lessons. As I’m sitting there listening, I’m thinking about my own
lessons and I don’t think I totally use academic language or reinforce it with my students.
I guess I just automatically assume my students know what I am talking about when I say
compare and contrast or analyze.
She continued:
I didn’t realize I would be focusing so much on my own teaching. I plan to be more
conscientious of using and explaining these terms to the students better. I want them to
have a better and total understanding of what is being asked of them.
Despite Leslie’s intent to retire at the end of the school year, she found meaning and value in
mentoring a student teacher candidate. Not only did she enjoy helping to prepare the next
generation of teachers, she used the mentorship as a way to reflect and refine her teaching
practice for the benefit of her current students.
In another instance, Leslie elaborated on a grade level meeting focused on presenting
information about the new Georgia Milestone test and how to prepare students for answering
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constructed response questions in science and social studies. Delivered by the academic coach,
Leslie noted in her learning log entry:
I found the information about the Milestone very interesting. I understand that the
questioning won’t just be recall questions so I do know that I really need to continue
including open-ended questions on my assignments and tests. I found the information
about close reading the most helpful. The academic coach gave us a notebook about close
reading with helpful hints, an assortment of possible assignments, and a box of
highlighters for the students to use when reading articles.
Leslie appreciated the support the academic coach provided as she worked to negotiate and
implement strategies to prepare her students for new testing expectations and requirements.
Moreover, she considered her students’ learning needs when deciding what information was
most relevant to her and created a plan for implementation that best accommodated the unique
needs of her classroom.
Leslie used the job-embedded learning logs to reflect on several informal learning
opportunities. On one occasion, Leslie recollected how disappointed she was that her students
did not perform well on a social studies test. She compared her results with that of another
colleague and discussed a plan for remediation and ways to prevent similar results in the future.
In a separate instance, Leslie described how visiting other teachers’ classrooms during planning
could spark new ideas and applications. She stated, “I walked into Shanna’s room and asked
what she was doing. She said that she was thinking of making a foldable or using a choice board.
I loved both of the ideas and so now I’m working to do these in my classroom.” In a follow-up
conversation, Leslie remarked, “just walking down the hall and seeing how people do things, you
learn, you know…oh, I could tweak this or do that.” Thus, Leslie’s impromptu hallway chats and
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classroom visits helped her stay flexible and enthusiastic about her subject. In fact, another
participant in the study commented on how much she admires Leslie because she never uses the
same assignment twice even in the later stages of her career.
Finally, Leslie’s learning logs documented the influence a school-wide book study can
have on teaching and learning. Every year, teachers at North Willow Middle School participate
in a book study selected by the principal. Typically, teachers discuss assigned chapters at the
monthly faculty meeting and complete an activity to help extend what they read into the
classroom. Leslie recalled:
We’ve read Schlecty’s Working on the Work (2002), Ruby Payne’s (2005) A Framework
for Poverty, and many others. Last year only the math teachers did it, but in the past it’s
been everybody. This year the focus is only on science and social studies teachers, but we
meet once a month to talk about the book and find ways to use it in the classroom.
Leslie admitted that the book study can sometimes be overwhelming with all the other daily
tasks a teacher performs, however she found value and meaning in the books she had read. She
believed the book studies, especially the Ruby Payne book, helped her relate to and consider the
unique needs her students bring to school.
Case #4: Madison
Madison is beginning her third year at North Willow Middle School. She is the only
participant who did not begin a career in teaching. Rather, she returned to school to attain a
degree in secondary English after five years in the business world. Madison worked as an
undergraduate admissions counselor for a small, private college in Willow County and spent
three years as an eighth grade language arts and reading teacher at a different middle school in
Willow County Public School District (WCPSD) prior to transferring to North Willow Middle
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School. Madison recently completed an educational doctorate degree in curriculum and
instruction and currently works as an adjunct writing professor for a small, private college in a
neighboring county.
In addition to her teaching responsibilities, Madison is a member of the Response to
Intervention (RTI) committee, a member of the school improvement team, serves as a team
leader, and serves as both the reading and French club advisor. Professionally, Madison is a
member of the National Council of Teachers of English and the Conference in English
Education.
Madison’s classroom is warm and inviting. She decorates it with lamps, oversized floor
pillows, and paintings. She encourages her students to do their best work and continually
monitors their performance to ensure progress with their reading goals. Madison’s colleagues
describe her as quiet and reserved, but committed to lifelong learning and the improvement of
her teaching skills.
In her initial interview, Madison defined job-embedded learning as “learning how to
teach from teaching.” When prompted to extend her response, Madison clarified, “I think there is
definitely some value in watching other people like a mentorship, but there is also a lot of value
in just getting in there and trying it yourself.” To Madison, job-embedded learning was
characterized by active practice and reflection while one is engaged in the art of teaching or
dedicated to observing someone else teaching.
Madison described her best professional development experience as a workshop titled Go
Green. Go Green was presented by the Georgia Department of Education and provided writing
strategies for teachers to use with their students. She stated:
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Go Green was great when I was giving the 8th grade writing test, but now I’m in 7th
grade. Go Green was great because the state shared all of the materials and all of the
samples so I could easily go back to it whenever I was ready to do a writing lesson…just
to make sure that I’m hitting everything that I thought was important…just the fact that
when you start teaching writing, it is always sort of an in-the-air kind of thing. What do
we start with? And Go Green sort of gives you a lesson to follow. First, they’ve got to do
this and then they’ve got to be able to do this. It gives you a visual understanding with all
of the different colors. Just things that I’ve never really thought about before, but found
to be really powerful. And the kids really benefited from it.
Madison continues to incorporate strategies from Go Green because she found the workshop to
be meaningful to her and beneficial to her students. When asked to elaborate, Madison stated
how she enjoys being able to visually witness student understanding and growth, so she
advocates for her students to Go Green when they write.
Madison chronicled few instances of job-embedded learning throughout the first nine
weeks of the current school year; however, she provided numerous examples of meetings and
events that she characterized as more focused on business, i.e., suited for the purpose of
delivering information or planning an event, such as open house, meeting to design a transition
plan for a student with limited English proficiency, and planning for a Veteran’s Day program at
school. While these business-focused meetings are necessary to plan and manage functions of the
school, these meetings will not be discussed further since the intent of such business-focused
meetings is not teacher learning and improvement. Nonetheless, it is worth noting that Madison
found value and relevance in these meetings even though the impact of such meetings had little
influence on the refinement and improvement of her teaching knowledge and skills. Specifically,
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she recounted how the information from each business-focused meeting helped her plan
instruction around school events and stay updated on issues of safety and personnel.
Returning to learning during the school day, Madison dedicated one learning log entry to
describing how she worked with colleagues from her school and the other two county middle
schools to create a coherent English-Language Arts benchmark examination. She wrote, “I
believe in collaboration with other teachers. I was very appreciative to be included in this
process. It reaffirmed my beliefs in using resources and people at your school to make things
happen.” To Madison, teacher collaboration was essential in making sense of what students are
required to know and do to demonstrate content mastery. In other words, developing quality,
common assessments as a collaborative cohort ensured the development of a benchmark that
reflected the knowledge and experience of several teachers rather than one. The collaboration
among teachers from the entire county also served as a catalyst for creating a thoughtful
instructional plan to help students demonstrate success on the benchmark. Overall, Madison was
able to align her expectations and beliefs with those of teachers from her school and other
schools in the county to accomplish an otherwise burdensome task.
In another example, Madison explained how she used information from a grade level
meeting on Teacher Keys Effectiveness System (TKES) to reflect on her teaching beliefs and
preferences. Madison recorded:
I found out some useful information about the TKES website and how we were being
evaluated this year. I’m not sure that the new TKES evaluations will change anything
about my teaching style, but it is nice to know what the administrators are looking at
when they come into our classrooms.
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In other words, Madison acknowledged that administrator evaluations would minimally
influence her classroom practice. Madison seemed to appreciate the information for the sake of
her evaluation, however she was not certain as to whether she would find value or meaning in
her administrators’ feedback. When asked to clarify, Madison recalled how prior administrator
feedback did not reflect a need for improvement or suggest ideas for consideration. The feedback
tended to focus on what she did “right” rather than challenge her to improve. However, her prior
experience with administrator feedback does not seem to represent the norm for teachers at North
Willow Middle School.
Case #5: Emily
Emily is in her first year teaching regular education language arts and reading at North
Willow Middle School. Previously, she taught one year as a special education preschool teacher
in a neighboring county, four years as a high school special education teacher also in a
neighboring county, and 13 years as a middle school special education teacher in Willow County
Public School District (WCPSD). Emily holds three advanced degrees and is certified to teach
special education, middle school language arts, and early childhood education. She also holds
endorsements in reading, ESOL, and gifted education.
Emily serves as the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) sponsor at North Willow
Middle School; however, she has served in numerous roles during her career, such as student
council advisor, school webmaster, assistive technology coordinator, and newspaper liaison.
With almost 19 years of experience, Emily brings expertise and confidence to her classroom. For
instance, Emily’s new content and grade level teammates at North Willow Middle School have
solicited her for advice on how to integrate technology into the classroom and how to provide
academic support for students with special needs.
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Emily defined job-embedded learning as “learning while on the job through professional
development and collaboration.” Her definition emphasized teacher learning as embedded, on-
going, and relevant to one’s profession. Emily viewed learning as collaborative and contingent
on the relationships and environment of the workplace. She listed content, grade level, and
faculty meetings as well as digital learning modules and videos as examples of job-embedded
learning. Over the course of the research period, Emily participated in many of the
aforementioned opportunities, however she tended to gravitate towards online, independent
learning rather than face-to-face, collaborative learning.
First, Emily dedicated several learning logs to documenting digital learning experiences.
Her first entry focused on using Edmodo to collaborate with other teachers and classroom. Emily
recalled:
I have used Edmodo to collaborate with other teachers. I have met teachers from
Argentina, South Africa, New York, North Carolina, and Georgia, and my classes have
Skyped and collaborated with other students over the years. Also, I love Edmodo because
I was able to find several things other teachers were doing to teach a novel and was able
to set up an interactive blog between my class and hers in North Carolina.
Emily stated how she enjoys the ease of use and flexibility Edmodo brings to her classroom. She
was not only able to collaborate with other teachers at her own convenience, but also apply what
she has learned with her students. Emily finds meaning and value in learning experiences that
meet her needs and desires in the time and manner she chooses.
In comparison, Emily shared during her initial interview how the Compliance Director
digital learning modules represented one of her worst learning experiences. A self-defined
technology guru, Emily stated, “I hated completing the Compliance Review Modules. I didn’t
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like reading and clicking though the various screens. It was time consuming and I didn’t learn
anything. I wish the content and format were more engaging.” Emily explained that each teacher
in the school was required to complete the Compliance Director Modules at the beginning of the
school year. The seven modules reviewed educator laws, expectations, and procedures. Emily
did not find meaning and value in the modules because the content was familiar and the format
underwhelming. She suggested the development of “refresher” modules for teachers who have
already completed the lengthier, more thorough modules. Emily poses both an interesting
problem and a possible solution for required professional development.
Finally, Emily provided another example of how digital learning has influenced her
teaching knowledge and skills. Emily volunteered to participate in a training session on flipped
classrooms. Instructed by the local Regional Educational Service Agency (RESA), Emily wrote:
I was given some new information, strategies, and websites to use in my classroom. I
learned to make a screencast and create videos and QR codes to make learning more
engaging in the classroom. The experience was more fun than I expected and the activity
was engaging because the information was something I could use in the classroom.
In a follow-up email, Emily specified that she would be responsible for redelivering information
about flipped classrooms to her colleagues. She seemed enthusiastic about designing and
implementing flipped lessons with her students and equally excited to share her new knowledge
with other teachers. Emily found meaning and value in the learning experience since she was
interested in the topic and given a chance to assume a leadership role.
In a more traditional face-to-face, collaborative meeting, Emily discussed a content area
meeting in which the principal and academic coach shared information about the Georgia
Milestones test. Emily remembered:
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Our principal shared information about the items that would be on the Georgia
Milestones test and gave us some constructed response samples. This is the first
information teachers have received about the specific number of questions and time of
questions, so this helps me prepare for my students. Overall, I learned I would need to
work with my students to carefully analyze texts and teach them how to do close
readings.
In other words, Emily found the meeting insightful since it provided her with essential and
relevant information in a coherent format. She did, however, point out that tips and follow-up for
how to prepare students for close reading would have been helpful. Emily received a PowerPoint
handout with information about close reading, but she was not provided an opportunity to
practice it or discuss what it’s like with peers who have used it successfully.
Similarly, Emily recalled a content area meeting focused on discussing student learning
objectives for an upcoming language arts unit and finding resources to teach content. Emily
elaborated in her learning log entry:
We met to go over our next unit of study. We divided up duties to create and find
resources for the next unit. We also discussed what was working and what wasn’t
working in regards to how we were teaching content. It is difficult to make time to meet
during the school day, but it is useful to make contact with teachers who are teaching the
same content in order to share ideas and develop lessons collaboratively. It helps keep us
all on the same page.
Although Emily stated a preference for independent, digital learning, her sentiments about
collaborative planning stress the importance of dedicating a common and consistent time and
space for reflecting and collaborating on instruction, assessment, and student progress. Teaching
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does not occur in isolation, but rather as a collective experience. Nonetheless, Emily’s interest in
independent, digital learning does highlight an interesting source for professional development
that is differentiated and in-tune with a teacher’s identity and background.
Cross-Case Analysis
Cross-case analysis commenced after each case, or participant, was examined
individually using within-case analysis. During cross-case analysis, the researcher collectively
considered the emergent codes and categories from each case to identify patterns within the
overall data. The constant comparative method was used to establish common themes from the
patterns and develop generalizations about the data. The findings from the cross-case analysis
will be presented in the context of the related literature review and in relation to the emergent
categories and themes.
Five themes were generated from the data. Each theme represented the processes or
influences that guided teachers in their construction and negotiation of new knowledge and
skills. While these processes or influences often occurred concurrently, each theme is presented
as a disaggregated sub-section for depth and clarity. Each sub-section discusses findings related
to the research question from a sensemaking perspective. The sub-sections include the following:
Identity, Reflection, Collaboration, Motivation, and Application. Table 4.4 summarizes the
research question, themes, and description of themes derived from data analysis.
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Table 4.4
Research Question and Themes
How do middle school teachers construct understandings of their job-embedded learning experiences?
Teachers made sense and gave meaning to new learning experiences using their unique worldviews, beliefs, and understandings. Teacher identity encouraged self-awareness and shaped the actions and interpretations of learning experiences. Teachers made sense and gave meaning to new learning experiences when motivated intrinsically and extrinsically. Teacher motivation considered relevancy and applicability of new learning experiences to explain why teachers engage in job-embedded learning. Teachers made sense and gave meaning to new learning experiences by reflecting on prior beliefs, understandings, and experiences. Teacher reflection fostered the negotiation and melding of new and old learning experiences. Teachers made sense and gave meaning to new learning experiences when they collaborated with colleagues. Teacher collaboration provided support for new learning experiences and challenged teachers to examine how their interactions influence their teaching practices. Teachers made sense and gave meaning to new learning experiences that were applicable to their jobs. The transferability of the learning experience encouraged teachers to establish a purpose for learning something new and to identify a course of action for acquiring and applying the new knowledge and skills in practice.
To reiterate, the findings of this research will be presented as five disaggregated
subsections for the purpose of discussion, however the relationship among the findings is worthy
of emphasis. Figure 4.1 illustrates the connections among the findings within the frame of job-
embedded learning. Identity provides the foundation for sensemaking since teachers use their
unique and respective worldviews, beliefs, and experiences to begin the sensemaking process.
Within identity, the motivations for engaging in job-embedded learning influence the
sensemaking process of teachers. The identities and motivations of teachers are consistently
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refined as represented by the arrow. Beyond identity and motivation, teachers engage in
reflection, collaboration, and application to continuously negotiate and co-construct new
knowledge and skills. The Venn Diagram represents how reflection, collaboration, and
application contribute to the sensemaking process independently, in tandem, or as a collective
group. Overall, the five findings of identity, motivation, reflection, collaboration, and application
occur concurrently as teachers construct understandings of their job-embedded learning
experiences.
Figure 4.1
Sensemaking within Job-Embedded Learning
Identity
Each teacher made sense and gave meaning to her job-embedded learning experiences
using her unique worldview, beliefs, and understandings to negotiate and construct new
knowledge and skills. For instance, Amanda’s beliefs about student learning and achievement
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have largely been shaped by her initial teaching experiences. Amanda stated:
I did my student teaching with CUTE, Cooperative Urban Teacher Education program, in
Kansas City, Missouri. Under the guidance of a professor, we learned about the culture of
our students. We did police ride alongs. We also had to volunteer to teach ESOL for three
nights a week for the duration of our student teaching. We had to live in the community,
work in the community, and volunteer in the community and it was to help prepare us for
the rigors of inner city teaching. That experience changed me as a person and has made
me the teacher I am today. I developed a do whatever it takes kind of attitude to make
sure that my students are successful no matter the circumstances they may bring to the
classroom.
Amanda’s identity as a teacher was guided by her initial teacher preparation program and
continued to influence how she learned during the school day. She believed teacher learning was
essential to improving the quality of teachers, however the responsibility for engaging in learning
activities and applying learned knowledge was up to the individual teacher. In other words,
teachers who are “self-motivated, highly organized, outside the box thinkers, and teacher leaders
tend to be student-driven and always looking for new opportunities to improve, rather than
teachers who are self-driven, tired, and burned out from their job.”
Likewise, Leslie agreed that her worldview and beliefs about teaching and learning have
been influenced by her first couple of years teaching. Specifically, she went from teaching in a
low-income, rural elementary school in South Carolina to teaching in one of the biggest middle
schools in a large metropolitan area of Georgia. Given her experiences, she recalled, “In all of
my teaching experiences, I learned a lot about myself, my strengths and weaknesses, because
each situation was different. The faculty, the students, and the building were all different and
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influenced how and what I taught.” According to Leslie, learning on the job was a continuous
process as she periodically needed to assess and improve her knowledge and skills to be a better
teacher. The constant retrospection contributed to Leslie’s overall identity as a teacher since she
continues to practice a cycle of self-reflection and revision even in her final year of teaching.
Finally, Madison’s initial preparation also influenced her unique worldview, beliefs, and
understandings of how teachers learn during the school day. For instance, Madison earned an
undergraduate degree in Recreation Theory with an English minor and later returned to school
for a Master of Arts in Teaching degree after five years in the business world. Madison shared:
I returned to school because I felt like teaching was what I needed to do. I’ve become
passionate about it and try to learn as much as I can to help my students. I find myself
reading and trying a lot of new ideas because I want my students to also feel safe and take
risks in the classroom. So I guess how I learn during the day mirrors that sentiment of
risk-taking and student focus.
Madison’s experience with a profession prior to education not only inspired her to relentlessly
try new ideas and instructional strategies in her classroom, but also to keep the focus of her
learning on student growth and achievement. Being from the business world, Madison seems to
understand that success is often measured in terms of data and growth. Therefore, she fearlessly
tries new ideas and instruction strategies in an effort to maximize her students’ growth and
achievement.
In each scenario, the preparation and continuation of teacher learning was dependent on
each teacher’s initial, past, and current learning environment. Essentially, each teacher’s distinct
and personal identity, molded by years of experiences, promoted self-awareness and influenced
her interactions and interpretations while learning on the job.
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Motivation
There were a number of factors that influenced the motivation, intrinsically and
extrinsically, of teachers to engage in job-embedded learning. In particular, self-improvement,
passion for teaching, annual evaluation, and the need to strengthen knowledge and skills
influenced the motivation teachers had for learning during the school day. First, self-
improvement and passion for teaching were two of the biggest indicators of teacher learning. For
example, Amanda stated, “I do at lot of reading to help me improve my teaching. I just ordered a
bunch of stuff today on writing practices. I’m always trying to keep it fresh.” Similarly, Emily
recalled, “I love using technology in the classroom, so I’m always looking for new websites to
pull resources from or finding apps and interactive links for my students to use.” Both teachers
often initiated their own on-the-job learning, informally, because they were interested in the
improvement and refinement of their teaching albeit because of an instructional need or personal
interest.
Next, Sarah was motivated to learn more about differentiation after her initial
administrator walk-through. In particular, Sarah asked the academic coach for ideas on
differentiating in the social studies classroom after receiving a lower than desired ranking on the
TKES teacher rubric. Sarah remarked:
I asked the academic coach to find me some ideas for differentiation since I received the
Level II on my evaluation in that area. She gave me some strategies and information on
how to differentiate my instruction. It was absolutely what I needed. It was a relief to
have some strategies and ideas to improve my performance.
In this example, Sarah was determined to improve her knowledge and skills after receiving her
initial administrator walk-through. Her prior experience with a less than stellar review prompted
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her to seek help and support, thus encouraging her to learn ways to enhance her teaching. Sarah’s
sensemaking of differentiation was influenced after she received guidance from her administrator
and the academic coach.
Finally, lack of motivation can hinder teacher learning during the school day. Sarah
recalled her prior learning experience with Literacy Collaborative as one in which she had no
motivation to participate, but did so out of obligation. She recalled:
It [Literacy Collaborative] was not my preference. The presenter was okay and it was
good information, but it was not what I wanted to do. I went though it and I did the stuff
and it was useful in class.
In a follow-up conversation, Sarah elaborated, “seeing and doing it myself is how I learn so I
need chances to try things in my classroom with actual kids.” Madison shared the sentiment, “if I
have to learn something with technology and it was expected that I implement it, I would need
someone to work with me one-on-one in my classroom; otherwise, it probably won’t happen.”
Thus, through Sarah and Madison’s descriptions of motivation, they believed they were
limited in their sensemaking since they were not interested in the content and had concerns
about its delivery. Both teachers believed they would have more motivation to participate in job-
embedded learning experiences if the presenter considered their learning preferences and skill
level when planning and delivering the content.
Reflection
Reflection, during and after a learning experience, proved to be very beneficial to
teachers acquiring new knowledge or skills. By reflecting on prior beliefs, understandings, and
experiences, teachers were able to negotiate and meld old and new experiences. For example,
while mentoring a student teacher from a local college, Leslie remarked:
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He hasn’t begun to teach yet. He’s just been observing me teach, but because of this I’m
more conscious of how I’m teaching and the activities I provide for the students. I want
my teaching to be a positive and meaningful experience for him. Having him here has
really made me reflect on my own teaching and what I do well and what I need to do
better.
In a follow-up conversation, Leslie commented, “I will never forget one student teacher that
came in and did stations on Egypt. I’d never done stations before, but I really liked the idea and
saw it work with my kids, so I kept the idea to adapt for future students.” Leslie found meaning
and value in working with future teachers because it inspired her to take risks and keep up-to-
date on instructional strategies. Moreover, Leslie’s work with student teachers encouraged her to
reflect on her own teaching practices to learn more about herself and her teaching abilities.
Reflection was key to Leslie’s sensemaking processes because it allowed her to meld new
knowledge and skills with her prior understandings and experiences.
In comparison, Amanda dedicated one of her learning log entries to the Socratic Method.
Amanda reflected:
When I taught in Omaha, the whole school was trained to use Mortimer Adler’s Socratic
Method. We were giving Socrates and Aristotle to read to eighth graders who were
reading on a fourth or fifth grade level and they were able to make meaning of it through
Socratic seminars. And when I saw it in action, it was so powerful…and I let it go
through my many moves, but I’ve kept coming back to it and now one of the high school
classes uses the method and I didn’t know it until I started to do it with my kids here. I
thought I was doing something in isolation, but now I see that I’m not alone at all.
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Amanda recalled and applied past knowledge to benefit her current students. Amanda admitted
that she did not always use the Socratic Method with her students, however she decided to revisit
and use her prior knowledge and experiences to implement the Socratic Method once again in
her classroom because she felt like it suited the needs of her gifted students. Amanda made sense
of her current instructional desires and needs by reflecting on strategies that worked in the past.
In other words, Amanda’s understanding of the Socratic Method and her classroom context
allowed her to recall and modify past knowledge and experiences for application with a new
group of students.
Lastly, during a meeting to present the new Teacher Keys Effectiveness System (TKES),
Sarah stated:
The academic coach gave us some information about the constructed response questions
on the new Georgia Milestone test and listening to her got me to thinking about the types
of questions I ask in class and what I could do to make my questions better.
In this example, Sarah reflected on her current practices and brainstormed ways to increase the
rigor of her formative and summative student questions. She made sense of the new information
on constructed response questions by thoughtfully considering what she already knew,
determining the information she needed to learn, and developing a plan for attaining that
information.
Collaboration
How teachers constructed understandings of their job-embedded learning, positively or
negatively, was largely determined by their opportunity for teacher collaboration. Teacher
collaboration provided support for new learning experiences and challenged teachers to examine
how their interactions had or will influence their teaching practices. For example, Sarah and
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Emily discussed the importance and benefit of collaboration when planning with their content
area teams. Sarah blatantly stated:
I could not survive without other teachers to work with and to plan with. When I taught
elementary school, I felt much more isolated. At least at the middle school, I feel like I
am part of a team and can get help with planning when I need it, especially this year since
I’m teaching a new grade level and subject. I’m appreciative of all the stuff my
teammates have given me. I might use some of their ideas, but I don’t feel pressure from
them to do things exactly like they do. It’s just nice to have their support.
Sarah’s response highlighted how collaboration helps to combat the feeling of isolation and
promotes teachers taking risks and trying new instructional strategies. Overall, Sarah believed
that she was capable of learning her new content area and meeting the needs of her students since
she was encouraged to collaborate with her colleagues on an on-going basis through required
content and grade level meetings.
Comparably, Emily agreed, “It is useful to make contact with teachers who are teaching
the same content in order to share ideas and develop lessons collaboratively. I actually wish we
had more time during the day to meet because planning with others is most helpful.” During her
interview, Emily suggested that she learns best by discussing her content with others. She noted,
“I am able to learn new ways of presenting content and can get help with trying something new.
Also, it’s nice to meet with others because they look at stuff differently and can challenge you to
do something different.” In this case, Emily hinted that collaboration not only encourages
teachers to learn from one another, but also works as a sounding board, or teacher support
system, when attempting a new instructional plan or strategy. She suggested teacher
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sensemaking of an instructional strategy or activity is largely influenced by collegial
collaboration.
Finally, collaboration occurred in a more informal manner. When asked how she learns
about new activities and ideas, Leslie remarked, “just walking down the hall and seeing how
people do things, you learn, you know…oh, I could tweak this or do that.” Recently Leslie noted
that she incorporated foldables, choice boards, and close reading into her social studies lessons as
a result of informally visiting other teachers’ classrooms. Conversations with Leslie also
revealed that impromptu hallway chats about student engagement and understanding of a new
activity or lesson as the day progresses were beneficial in planning for future classes. Leslie
commented, “I sometimes tweak what I do from one period to the next based on how the lesson
went or from what I’ve discussed with other teachers.” Leslie made sense and gave meaning to
what she heard and observed from colleagues as she negotiated how to implement their ideas and
instructional strategies into her own classroom.
Application
How teachers made sense and gave meaning to their learning was dependent on the
potential application of the job-embedded learning experience. The transferability of the job-
embedded experience encouraged teachers to establish a purpose for learning something new and
to identify a course of action for acquiring and applying the new knowledge and skills in
practice. Additionally, job-embedded learning experiences that were relevant, coherent, and
ongoing were found to ignite greater transfer and application of new knowledge and skills. For
example, prompted by a collegial recommendation to read a book titled 10 Things Every Writer
Needs to Know by Jeff Anderson, Amanda reflected:
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I had been told that this [book] was a wonderful resource by Carolyn, who worked for the
Georgia Department of Education. I figured she wouldn’t recommend a mediocre book
and I was right. This book has inspired me to use mentor texts to challenge my writers to
emulate the craft of quality writing. I’m going to share this book with other ELA teachers
and ask the librarian to add this book to our professional development collection. There
was a lot of good information, especially on how to motivate young writers, and keep
them motivated, even when the task seems overwhelming.
Amanda found meaning and value in reading the book at the encouragement of a colleague
whom she trusted and respected. Amanda was able to directly apply what she read to her
classroom for the benefit of her students. Additionally, she made plans to share her learning
experience with other colleagues so that they may refine and improve their knowledge and skills
for teaching students how to write using mentor texts. The job-embedded experience was
relevant to Amanda and encouraged her to transfer and apply her new knowledge to her
classroom; thus, highlighting how sensemaking of learning experiences is a process of
negotiation and co-construction.
Next, Emily and Amanda were inspired to learn during the school day by accessing
digital media; specifically, both teachers independently dedicated time to learn about the
instructional features and functions of Edmodo for the purpose of incorporating its online
community into their classrooms. Emily commented, “I love using Edmodo to find ideas and
activities for teaching novels. I have been able to find lots of resources and communicate with
other teachers to find lessons that suit the needs of my students.” Similarly, Amanda wrote:
Since Edmodo does the work of creating and grading assessments for me, I have more
time to revisit concepts and personalize learning for my students. This not only helps to
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improve individual progress, but also makes me think about what I’m teaching and how
to do it best.
In both instances, the ease of accessing and using digital media, such as Edmodo, to collaborate
with other teachers and plan for student learning, encouraged Emily and Amanda to constantly
refine and improve their teaching knowledge and skills with the end goal of increasing student
achievement. Certainly, each teacher’s worldview, beliefs, and prior understandings influenced
their decision to implement Edmodo into their classrooms, however the experience also gave
them the confidence and support to seek out and try new resources in their classroom on an
ongoing basis. Both Emily and Amanda were able to make sense and give meaning to the
resources available in Edmodo since the lessons and activities were applicable and transferable
to their classrooms.
Finally, Sarah best summarized the connection between applicability and how teachers
make sense and give meaning to their job-embedded learning experiences when she stated:
We meet often with our content areas to plan. I don’t mind participating in these meetings
because it gives me new ideas and resources. It also serves as a sounding board for my
ideas and can help me meet the needs of my students when I’m having a problem. I don’t
like meetings where we sit and listen, however I understand that sometimes the purpose
of the meeting is to deliver information rather than learn something.
In this instance, Sarah not only conveyed the importance of collaboration, but also illustrated the
many benefits of content planning. She found the most value and applicability in content
planning experiences since those meetings were intended to offer ideas, encouragement, and
support rather than information. Sarah believed her sensemaking was enhanced following
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content meetings since the focus was on finding and strategizing how to implement teaching
resources.
Case Summary
The findings of this chapter were grounded in the context of the review of the literature
and presented from a sensemaking perspective. After within-case and cross-case analysis, several
themes were generated from the data; specifically, the researcher found that teacher identity,
reflection, collaboration, motivation, and application determined how middle school teachers
constructed understandings, or made sense and gave meaning to, their job-embedded learning
experiences. Figure 4.1 illustrated the relationship among the findings while Table 4.4
summarized each finding independently for depth and clarity. Overall, teachers were more likely
to participate in learning experiences that were embedded, relevant, and applicable to their job.
Interestingly, a lot of teacher learning occurred independently and informally and was initiated
because of need or desire.
The next, and final, chapter will discuss the findings in relation to the current literature on
effective professional development, job-embedded learning, and sensemaking. Additionally, the
chapter will make connections and applications from the findings to present possible
implications for practicing teachers, administrators, and policymakers at the local, district, and
state levels.
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CHAPTER 5
DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS
This chapter draws connections and applications from the findings presented in Chapter 4
and relevant literature. Furthermore, the discussion will consider how the findings might provide
administrators and policymakers with a wealth of knowledge about teacher learning during the
school day as well as offer suggestions for how to structure job-embedded learning, how to
overcome challenges related to job-embedded learning, and how to support teacher learning
given each teacher’s unique worldview and work context.
The purpose of this study was to examine how middle school teachers construct
understandings of their job-embedded learning experiences. In particular, the aim of this study
was to explore how middle school teachers made sense and gave meaning to their learning
experiences that occurred during the school day as they engaged in the work of being a teacher.
For the purpose of this study, job-embedded learning experiences referred to any formal or
informal learning opportunity that was grounded in the context of the school day and
characterized by active learning and reflection. The overarching research question for this study
was how do teachers construct understandings of their job-embedded learning experiences? The
inclusive nature of the research question allowed the researcher to consider how the nature of
professional development—such as its format, duration, and content, or the school culture and
context—influenced how teachers constructed understandings of their job-embedded learning
experiences.
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To further define the study, North Willow Middle School was chosen as the research site
since the context of the research focused on the professional development practices at a high-
performing middle school. For the purpose of this study, the research site was defined as high-
performing within the context of the district and the state of Georgia according to their College
and Career Readiness Performance Index score (CCRPI) and student Criterion Referenced
Competency Test (CRCT) scores. Furthermore, North Willow Middle School was selected as the
research site given the numerous accolades bestowed on the school, such as Distinguished
Middle School from the Georgia Department of Education and Lighthouse School to Watch by
the National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform.
Summary of the Research Design
A sensemaking framework was used to unpack teacher knowledge construction since the
purpose of this study was to understand how middle school teachers make sense of and give
meaning to their job-embedded learning experiences. Sensemaking theory was a relevant
framework since it considered how context and culture influenced meaning-making and actively
melded the negotiation of identity and experience with the social co-construction of new
knowledge. The study was thus designed to examine how sensemaking processes influence
teacher learning given a job-embedded learning experience.
A qualitative approach was used to investigate how teachers made sense and gave
meaning to job-embedded learning since such an approach considered teachers’ perspectives and
experiences within the context of school. Specifically, an ethnographic, multi-case study design
was used to examine how teachers constructed understandings of their job-embedded learning
experiences. An ethnographic, multi-case study design allowed the researcher to examine
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multiple cases within a single context while considering the influence of context and culture on
the understanding and interpretation of knowledge construction and experiences.
Data were collected via interviews, shadowing, teacher learning logs, and documents and
other artifacts. Within-case and cross-case analysis was used to examine the collected data. Both
the within-case and cross-case analysis applied the constant comparative method to generate
inductively an understanding of how teachers constructed understandings of their job-embedded
learning experiences. Themes were generated to present and discuss the results of the data
analysis.
Current and seminal literature was reviewed prior to the start of the study to ground the
researcher’s perspective. Initially, the review focused on defining professional development and
examining characteristics of effective professional development using empirical research. Next,
the literature review centered on job-embedded learning and what it might look like within the
context of a middle school. Finally, the review concluded with a brief overview of research
studies that employed sensemaking theory as a conceptual and theoretical framework. Each
section of the literature review assisted the researcher in designing, implementing, analyzing, and
discussing the current research study.
Discussion of the Findings
Research has found that effective professional development programs include a focus on
content, an emphasis on active learning, attention to coherence, consideration of duration, and
the encouragement of collective participation (Borko, 2004; Elmore, 2002; Wayne et al., 2008;
Yoon, Duncan, Lee, Scarloss, & Shapley, 2007; Zepeda, 2011a; Zepeda, 2011b). A continued
commitment to developing effective professional development programs is imperative since it
has been proven to improve both teacher and student learning (Darling-Hammond & Richardson,
117
2009; Desimone, 2009; Garet et al., 2001) and increase the transfer of new knowledge and skills
into practice (Coggshall et al., 2012; Pate & Thompson, 2003; Sparks & Hirsh, 1997; Zepeda,
2000; Zepeda, 2005).
Job-embedded learning offers a viable avenue for educators to transform their beliefs,
knowledge, and practice within the context of their school while adhering to the key features of
effective professional development. Job-embedded learning occurs when teachers are actively
engaged in and reflect on their daily work via formal or informal activities (Wood & McQuarrie,
1999). Moreover, job-embedded learning is grounded in the daily practice of teachers, occurs on
a regular basis, aligns with school standards and goals, occurs collaboratively, and encourages
active participation (Croft et al., 2010; Desimone, 2011; Redding and Kamm, 1999; Wood and
Similarly, teachers used collaboration, formally and informally, to make sense and give
meaning to their job-embedded learning experiences. In fact, teachers used alternative avenues
for engaging in dialogue, such as digital learning communities, in addition to more traditional
forms of collaboration, such as collaborative planning. No matter the avenue, teacher
collaboration tended to focus on improving both teacher and student learning.
This study is important for administrators since the findings highlight the unique and
varied ways teachers use collaboration to make sense and give meaning to job-embedded
learning experiences. For instance, teachers collaborate informally—via online learning
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communities and impromptu hallway chats— and formally—via content and grade level
meetings. Formally, administrators should provide structured time during the school day for
teacher collaboration. Teachers need face-to-face interaction with colleagues familiar with their
teaching context to receive the most specific feedback and support. Informally, administrators
should encourage teachers to take advantage of online learning communities since such
communities can provide a wealth of resources, ideas, and feedback in a timely and efficient
manner. Nonetheless, administrators should remain cautious about relying solely on digital forms
of professional development as teachers tend to make the most meaning out of learning
experiences that challenge them to negotiate and co-construct new knowledge and skills.
Application
Findings indicated the transferability of job-embedded learning experiences influenced
teacher sensemaking and their ability to apply new knowledge and skills into practice. For
example, Amanda transferred and applied knowledge from a book she read to her classroom. She
wrote in a learning log entry, “There was a lot of good information [in the book], especially on
how to motivate young writers, and keep them motivated, even when the task seems
overwhelming. I found a lot of ideas to use.” Amanda’s experience did not represent the group
norms as most study participants required practice and feedback to successfully make sense and
give meaning to a job-embedded learning experience.
In relation, Sarah explained, “I don’t like meetings where we sit and listen…seeing and
doing it myself is how I learn so I need chances to try things in my classroom with actual kids.”
Madison shared the sentiment, “If I have to learn something with technology and it was expected
that I implement it, I would need someone to work with me one-on-one in my classroom;
otherwise, it probably won’t happen.” These teachers did not like learning experiences in which
129
they were not given the opportunity to apply and practice new knowledge and skills. They
needed ongoing support and feedback throughout the learning process and application phase.
Overall, teachers preferred learning experiences that were self-initiated or directly related
to their current teaching situation or goals, such as content area planning and peer coaching.
Teachers expressed that they had fewer opportunities for classroom transfer and application
when learning experiences were required and/or only somewhat related to their professional
goals, expectations, and aspirations. Nonetheless, most teachers attempted to remain
opportunistic and find something of value to take back to their classrooms. Finally, teachers
asserted the importance of ongoing support and feedback as they implemented new ideas and
strategies into their classrooms.
In their study on how reading coaches mediate reading policy and teachers’ classroom
practice, Coburn and Woulfin (2012) found that teachers were more likely to alter their
classroom practice when coaches, rather than administrators, delivered policy messages. The
researchers attributed this to the coaches’ familiarity with the classroom context and ability to
persuade reluctant teachers. Furthermore, coaches were able to provide more ongoing support
and feedback to teachers. Ongoing support and feedback has been shown to enhance overall
sensemaking and gives teachers the confidence to take action (Mitchell, 2014).
Cohen and Hill (2001), Mizell (2010), and Penuel et al. (2007) also determined that
teachers were more successful in implementing new knowledge and skills when teachers were
given opportunities to practice through job-embedded learning experiences connected to their
daily work. Further, other scholars have found that job-embedded learning experiences should be
ongoing, focused, embedded in context, and connected to what teachers want and need
(Coggshall et al., 2012; Darling-Hammond et al., 2009; Sparks & Hirsh, 1997; Zepeda, 2000;
130
Zepeda, 2005). Given the research on the transfer of new knowledge and skills into practice and
the findings of this study, administrators should consider ways to increase opportunities for
teachers to apply new knowledge and skills in practice. Teachers need time to learn and apply
new knowledge and skills to enable them to more seamlessly transfer their learning into practice.
Ongoing feedback and support over an extended period of time are required if teachers are to
reap the long-term benefits of their job-embedded learning experiences. Teachers make sense
and give meaning to experiences rather than isolated learning opportunities and without applying
newly acquired knowledge and skills in the context and culture of a classroom, the likelihood of
teacher learning and classroom success diminishes.
Implications
There are numerous implications for future research, administrators, and policymakers
given the findings of the current study. First, most research on effective professional
development and job-embedded learning has not critically examined the processes teachers use
to make sense and give meaning to their learning experiences while being engaged in the daily
work of a teacher. This study attempted to address this gap in the research and contribute to the
body of literature on job-embedded learning. Next, how teachers construct understandings of
their job-embedded learning experiences is significant to administrators and policymakers given
the importance of designing and implementing professional development activities that enhance
teacher and student learning. Further, teachers need and want job-embedded learning experiences
that are ongoing, relevant, coherent, collaborative, and active as they attempt to learn, navigate,
and apply new knowledge and skills into practice. Therefore, this discussion of implications will
include ideas for future research and suggestions for administrators and policymakers.
131
Since the context and conditions of North Willow Middle School were representative of a
high-performing middle school, future research should focus on replicating the study in a variety
of contexts, including schools with different demographics and student achievement records.
Implementing a similar study in a variety of contexts will help determine the influence of context
and culture on how teachers make sense and give meaning to their job-embedded learning
experiences and offer general patterns of strategies for and influences on teacher sensemaking.
Future research might also consider extending the duration of the study or designing a
multi-case study in which each school represents a case rather than each participant within a
single school representing one case. Changing the parameters of the study to multiple schools
would provide alternative perspectives on teacher sensemaking and account for different
professional development and administrator practices within each school. Future research might
consider the inclusion of additional shadowing hours since the perspectives gained from
shadowing proved to be valuable for understanding the varied forms job-embedded learning can
take in a school environment and how the interactions and relationships among teachers may
influence their sensemaking of new knowledge and skills.
Finally, future research should closely examine how teacher identities and motivation
influence how teachers make sense and give meaning to their job-embedded learning
experiences. The current study identified teacher identity and motivation as influential factors in
the sensemaking process, but more study is needed to determine how consideration of teacher
identities and motivations might impact the design and delivery of job-embedded learning so that
teacher sensemaking is enhanced.
Next, administrators may find value in the findings regarding how teachers construct
understandings of their job-embedded learning experiences since the role of administrators has
132
shifted to one of an instructional leader (Zepeda, 2011b). Administrators need to consider teacher
identity and motivation when designing and implementing job-embedded learning experiences.
Furthermore, administrators should think about how their own identities and motivations
influence the delivery and implementation of job-embedded learning experiences as several
teachers in the study commented on presenter influence. Overall, attending to teacher identity
and motivation may increase the likelihood that a given teacher will find a learning experience
meaningful and valuable, even if that experience challenged the teacher to reconsider her or his
prior notions.
Administrators might consider the use of personality, learning style, or motivational
surveys to learn more about the worldviews, beliefs, understandings, and interests of their faculty
prior to developing and implementing professional development. Learning more about the
background and experiences that have shaped teachers can lead to more personalized, and
differentiated, learning experiences. The current study found that teachers want and need job-
embedded learning experiences that reflect their wants and needs while adhering to the key
features of effective professional development.
The findings of this study also highlighted the importance of reflection, collaboration,
and application to the sensemaking process. Administrators should designate time for oral and
written reflection and feedback, provide ongoing and purposeful opportunities for collaboration
in a variety of formats, and strive to design learning experiences focused on applying new
knowledge and skills in practice rather than isolation. The findings of reflection, collaboration,
and application support the key features of effective professional development—content focus,
active learning, coherence, duration, and collective participation—and serve as reminders of how
the features of job-embedded learning—grounded in practice, daily reflection, promotes
133
collegiality, facilitates application and adaptation, and adheres to adult learning principles—help
teachers construct new knowledge and skills.
Policymakers can equally benefit from the findings related to how teachers construct
understanding of their job-embedded learning experiences. In particular, policymakers need to
consider teacher identity and motivation when drafting professional development expectations
and requirements. Teachers are individuals who bring a variety of experiences and backgrounds
to their school contexts; therefore, they should experience professional development specific to
their unique needs and wants. Specifically, policymakers should consider ways to include
descriptions and requirements of personalized and differentiated teacher learning into legislation.
Teacher learning needs to consider teachers’ identities, motivations, experiences, and needs
rather than collapsing them into a single, undefined unit.
Additionally, policymakers should specify the need for reflection, collaboration, and
application in legislation as well as establish criteria for ensuring its inclusion in professional
development. At present, the bulk of professional development legislation focuses on teacher and
school accountability rather than specifically addressing criteria for enhancing teacher quality
through job-embedded learning. For instance, the reauthorization of the Elementary and
Secondary Schools Act of 1965 (ESEA) as No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 ([NCLB] U.S.
Congress, 2001) provided schools with a definition of professional development that underscored
the importance of providing ongoing, sustained, and intensive learning experiences for all school
personnel. However, the complexity of NCLB made it difficult to monitor professional
development activities with fidelity and emphasized student accountability over teacher quality
(Islas, 2010).
134
Similarly, A Blueprint for Reform (USDE, 2010) retained the focus on increasing student
achievement and ensuring quality teachers by advocating for professional development that is
ongoing, job-embedded, and aligned with student, teacher, and district needs within a high-stakes
environment. However, more attention needs to be devoted to establishing professional
development criteria that enhances teacher quality rather than relying on student achievement as
the only indicator of how well teachers are able to filter, adapt, and transfer new knowledge and
skills into practice. For instance, the Georgia Department of Education’s Teacher Assessment on
Performance Standards (TAPS, 2013) rubric devotes only one of 10 standards to addressing
professional learning and growth, professional ethics, and support for the school’s mission.
Redefining this standard into two standards, professionalism and professional learning, would be
more appropriate.
Concluding Thoughts
The purpose of this study was to examine how teachers constructed understandings of
their job-embedded learning experiences. Specifically, the primary goal was to explore how
middle school teachers made sense and gave meaning to their learning experiences that occurred
during the school day as they engaged in the work of being a teacher. After nine weeks of data
collection at a middle school in rural Northeast Georgia, the researcher found five influences that
impact teacher sensemaking, including identity, motivation, reflection, collaboration, and
application.
While each influence impacted teacher sensemaking independently, each influence also
often intertwined with and complemented another. Nonetheless, a teacher’s identity initiated
sensemaking as each teacher’s worldview, beliefs, and understandings encouraged self-
awareness and shaped the actions and interpretations of each learning experience. Teacher
135
motivation proved to be a significant finding as previous research had not identified it as a factor
in sensemaking. Teacher reflection focused on bridging old and new learning experiences using
teacher identity and motivation as a starting point. Collaboration was found to provide support
for new learning experiences and challenged teachers to examine how their conversations and
interactions influence their teaching practices and those of their colleagues. Finally, application
encouraged teachers to establish a purpose for learning and identify a course of action for
acquiring and applying new knowledge and skills in practice.
These findings, while limited, revealed how teachers constructed understandings of their
job-embedded learning experiences. In this study job-embedded learning was defined as any
informal or formal learning opportunity teachers engaged in during the school day. However
future research might consider a broader view of job-embedded learning as described by Zepeda
(2015) since it was difficult for research participants to limit their sensemaking to only
experiences that occurred during the work day. Considering this broader definition of job-
embedded learning could help address any gaps in the current study and offer additional
suggestions to administrators and policymakers beyond those given. Despite the potential for
future research and suggestions, the intentions of this study were achieved and contribute to the
body of literature on middle school professional development, job-embedded learning, and
sensemaking. In particular, this study supports the characteristics of effective middle schools, as
outlined by This We Believe: Keys to Educating Young Adolescents (NMSA, 2010) and Turning
Points 2000: Educating Adolescents in the 21st Century (Jackson & Davis, 2000), and the key
features and conditions of job-embedded learning (Zepeda, 2011b; 2015). Further, the findings
of this research pave the way for additional study of sensemaking as middle schools continue to
engage teachers in job-embedded learning through teaming and collaborative discourse.
136
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APPENDIX A
RECRUITMENT FOLLOW-UP EMAIL
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Dear XXXXX Teacher: Hello! I am a doctoral student at the University of Georgia seeking 4-10 middle school teachers to participate in a research study beginning this fall on teacher learning during the school day. Specifically, I am interested in learning how you make sense and give meaning to your job-embedded learning experiences as you engage in the work of being a teacher. For this study, I’m defining job-embedded learning experiences as any formal or informal learning opportunity that is grounded within the context of the school day such as faculty meetings, team meetings, book studies, workshops, hallway chats, etc. As a participant, you would be shadowed for one school day or the equivalent of eight hours, participate in an initial interview, keep a brief teacher-learning log for one nine-week period, and dedicate 15-30 minutes each week to communicate with me via email or phone about your teacher-learning log. The total duration of this study is expected to be one nine-week period or approximately 23 hours of commitment per participant beginning in August. Participation is voluntary and participants will be compensated with a gift card. Specifically, you may earn up to $65 for your participation. Should you withdraw from the study early, you will receive compensation based on the research activities you have completed. If you have any questions or would like to participate in this study, please let me know by responding to this email or calling 706-XXX-XXXX. Thank you for your consideration! Sincerely, Brandi Worsham University of Georgia Doctoral Candidate, Middle Grades Education
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APPENDIX B
PARTICIPANT CONSENT FORM
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UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA CONSENT FORM
How Middle School Teachers Construct Understandings of Their Job-Embedded Learning Experiences
Researchers’ Statement: We are asking you to take part in a research study. Before you decide to participate in this study, it is important that you understand why the research is being done and what it will involve. This form is designed to give you the information about the study so you can decide whether to be in the study or not. Please take the time to read the following information carefully. Please ask the researcher if there is anything that is not clear or if you need more information. When all your questions have been answered, you can decide if you want to be in the study or not. This process is called “informed consent.” A copy of this form will be given to you. Principal Investigator: Dr. Gayle Andrews
Department of Educational Theory and Practice Co-Principal Investigator: Brandi Worsham Graduate Student Purpose of the Study: The purpose of this qualitative study is to examine how middle school teachers construct understandings of their job-embedded learning experiences. In particular, the aim of this study will be to explore how middle school teachers make sense and give meaning to their learning experiences that occur during the school day as they engage in the work of being a teacher. The guiding research question for this study is how do middle school teachers construct understandings of their job-embedded learning experiences? For the purpose of this study, job-embedded learning experiences refer to any formal or informal learning opportunity that is grounded in the context of the school day. You are being asked to participate in this study because you are a middle school teacher who engages in job-embedded learning experiences. Study Procedures: If you agree to participate, you will • Allow the researcher to shadow you for one school day or the equivalent of eight hours. • Engage in an initial one-hour interview focused on your educational background,
teaching/learning experiences and approaches, and prior professional learning experiences. The interview will be recorded using an audio digital recorder.
• Record your job-embedded learning experiences in a teacher-learning log for one nine-week period. The amount of time you dedicate to writing in your learning log may vary from one participant to another, but the researcher anticipates you will need approximately 30 minutes to one hour weekly to write about your job-embedded learning experiences.
• Dedicate approximately 15-30 minutes per week during the same nine-week period responding to the researcher’s follow-up emails or informal phone interviews regarding what you wrote about in your teacher-learning log.
Given the study design, the researcher anticipates you will spend approximately 23 hours engaged in the research project.
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Risks and discomforts: There are no associated risks with this research project as teachers are engaged in activities that represent a normal part of their school day. To minimize psychological and social discomfort, participants will be given pseudonyms and any identifying school information removed. Benefits: There are no direct benefits to the participant if he/she chooses to participate in the study. However, the participant may gain more awareness of how he/she learns on the job. This study will entail benefits to society and humankind including, for example, (1) understanding teachers’ sensemaking processes may help policymakers and administrators overcome challenges related to teacher learning during the school day and (2) understanding how teachers construct knowledge will extend the current literature in the field as scholars need to know more about how alternative, job-embedded forms of professional learning influence teachers and students. Incentives for participation: Participants will be compensated for their participation in the research study. Participants can earn up to $65. If a participant withdraws from the study early, he/she will receive prorated compensation; specifically: • $10 after allowing the researcher to shadow them for one school day or the equivalent of
eight hours, • $10 after completing the initial one-hour interview, and • $5 for each week the participant submits a teacher-learning log and follows up with the
researcher via phone or email. Audio/Video Recording: Interviews will be digitally audio recorded. Only the researcher will have access to identifying information and all digitally recorded interviews will be erased at the conclusion of the research. Transcriptions of interviews will be archived for future reference, but will contain no identifying information. Privacy/Confidentiality: No individually identifiable information about you, or provided by you during the research, will be shared with others without your permission. In fact, all identifiers will be converted to pseudonyms to protect confidentially and for use in future publications. To further protect your privacy, the researcher will not release identifiable results of the study to anyone other than individuals working on the project without your written consent unless required by law. Taking part is voluntary: Your involvement in the study is voluntary, and you may choose not to participate or to stop at any time without penalty or loss of benefits to which you are otherwise entitled. If you decide to withdraw from the study, the information that can be identified as yours will be kept as part of the study and may continue to be analyzed unless you make a written request to remove, return, or destroy the information. If you have questions, the main researcher conducting this study is Brandi Worsham, a graduate student at the University of Georgia. Please ask any questions you have now. If you have
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questions later, you may contact Brandi Worsham at XXX-XXX-XXXX You may also contact Dr. Gayle Andrews, principal investigator, at XXX-XXX-XXXX. If you have any questions or concerns regarding your rights as a research participant in this study, you may contact the Institutional Review Board (IRB) Chairperson at XXX-XXX-XXXX. Research Subject’s Consent to Participate in Research: To voluntarily agree to take part in this study, you must sign on the line below. Your signature below indicates that you have read or had read to you this entire consent form, and have had all of your questions answered. _________________________ _______________________ _________ Name of Researcher Signature Date _________________________ _______________________ __________ Name of Participant Signature Date
Please sign both copies, keep one and return one to the researcher.
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APPENDIX C
JOB-EMBEDDED LEARNING INITIAL INTERVIEW GUIDE
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Job-Embedded Learning Initial Interview Guide
Background Questions
1. Tell me about your educational background.
2. Tell me about your professional background.
3. Tell me about your school.
4. Tell me about your personal learning style and preferences.
5. Describe your teaching philosophy.
Research Questions
1. How do you define job-embedded learning?
2. Tell me what job-embedded learning looks like at your school.
2a. In which of these experiences do you participate? How often? Why?
3. Tell me about your best job-embedded learning experience.
3a. Why was this experience the best?
3b. Would you change anything about this experience?
4. Tell me what an ideal job-embedded learning experience looks like.
5. Tell me about your worst job-embedded learning experience.
5a. Why was this experience the worst?
5b. What would you change about this experience?
6. Tell me what a worse case scenario job-embedded learning experience looks like.
7. Is there anything else you want to share about how you learn during the school day?
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APPENDIX D
TEACHER LEARNING LOG
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Teacher Learning Log
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APPENDIX E
SAMPLE FOLLOW-UP INTERVIEW GUIDE / EMAIL EXCHANGE
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Sample Follow-up Interview Guide / Email Exchange
1. You mentioned _________ in your teacher job-embedded learning log. Tell me more
about __________.
2. While observing you in ______________, I noticed ___________. Tell me more about