Teachers' Experiences with Web-Based Professional Development for Diffusing State Standards

Teachers’ Experiences with Web-Based Professional Development for Diffusing State Standards by Nadine Petrie-Waymyers MA, University of Phoenix 2006 BS, American Intercontinental University, 2003 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Educational Technology Walden University August 2018 Abstract School reform efforts ultimately affect the students, but what is seldom looked at is how they affect teachers. This phenomenological study examined the experiences of teachers with regards to web-based professional development during a systemic change. The purpose of this qualitative study was to generate an in-depth understanding of the lived experiences of 6 teachers in a Southeastern state who had participated in the initial process of implementing organizational changes and the diffusion of the new state educational standards. Rogers’s diffusion of innovation theory served as the study’s conceptual framework. Research questions focused on the perspectives of teachers regarding the impact of web-based professional development on implementing the new state standards, and the perceived barriers and challenges faced in their attempts to make the implementation of the new state standards successful. Interview data were analyzed using firstand second-level coding to identify external and internal factors related to the research questions and themes that emerged across all interview transcripts. Key findings indicted that teachers perceived that they did not receive adequate professional development or planning time to implement the new standards. This study has implications for social change on an organizational and individual level. On an organizational level, districts can provide K-12 teachers with an implementation processSchool reform efforts ultimately affect the students, but what is seldom looked at is how they affect teachers. This phenomenological study examined the experiences of teachers with regards to web-based professional development during a systemic change. The purpose of this qualitative study was to generate an in-depth understanding of the lived experiences of 6 teachers in a Southeastern state who had participated in the initial process of implementing organizational changes and the diffusion of the new state educational standards. Rogers’s diffusion of innovation theory served as the study’s conceptual framework. Research questions focused on the perspectives of teachers regarding the impact of web-based professional development on implementing the new state standards, and the perceived barriers and challenges faced in their attempts to make the implementation of the new state standards successful. Interview data were analyzed using firstand second-level coding to identify external and internal factors related to the research questions and themes that emerged across all interview transcripts. Key findings indicted that teachers perceived that they did not receive adequate professional development or planning time to implement the new standards. This study has implications for social change on an organizational and individual level. On an organizational level, districts can provide K-12 teachers with an implementation process that allows adequate planning time and proper professional development that enhances their pedagogical needs by using a framework more aligned to the diffusion innovation theory. Teachers can then better plan instruction with ample time to acquire, process, and implement new knowledge, allowing them to improve their pedagogical practice. Teachers’ Experiences with Web-Based Professional Development for Diffusing State Standards by Nadine Petrie-Waymyers MA, University of Phoenix, 2006 BS, American Intercontinental University, 2003 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Educational Technology Walden University August 2018 Dedication This study is dedicated to my family, my husband and children who have supported me throughout my journey of attaining this doctoral degree. I would like to acknowledge my grandmother, who is home with her heavenly Father now, but who has encouraged and prayed me through this endeavor. I want to especially thank Lisa and Sophia who have read and reread and questioned my many drafts along the way. Acknowledgments I would like to personally thank my committee members, Dr. Deborah Bauder, Dr. Asoka Jayasena, and Dr. Shereeza Mohammed for your dedication of time and expertise. I would like to especially thank Dr. Bauder for opening my eyes and mind to what it truly means to be a researcher and a scholar.