Reinventing Master's Degree Study for Experienced Teachers

Most teachers and some teacher educators have lost confidence in master's degree study for experienced teachers. After exploring the reasons for this state of affairs, I discuss my attempts to rethink this degree, particularly three markers (or indicators) that may characterize high-quality programming. I also examine several structural barriers that inhibit the rethinking of master's degree programming for experienced teachers. Moribund State of Master's Programming Each year thousands of experienced K-12 teachers study in schools, colleges, and departments of education to obtain master's degrees. Teachers dislike these programs, often intensely. They view them as detached from the daily practice of schooling, presented as if teacher participants know nothing, and taught by professors of education fascinated by esoteric knowledge. A huge practical and intellectual gap often exists between these university instructors and the elementary and secondary teachers who are the students. Master's programming routinely has organizational flaws. Coursework occurs in the late afternoon or evening after a full day of teaching. Teachers usually are admitted as individuals, not in school-based groups, thereby complicating their attempts to apply program ideas to job situations (Bradley, 1996a). This individualistic approach ignores what is known about the power of peer coaching and teacher study groups (Hord & Boyd, 1995; Joyce & Showers, 1995; Krovetz & Cohick, 1993; Meyer et al., 1998). Moreover, in the absence of cohort grouping, teacher participants rarely develop a sense of group cohesion and mutual support. It is not surprising that teachers find these programs unattractive and unhelpful. The impact of master's programs on experienced teachers seems minimal. Even when based on pertinent content--professional or subject matter--these programs typically rely on didactic instruction that does not invite teachers to be active learners. Pedantic university instruction discourages K-12 teachers from employing the very kind of learner-centered instruction vital to the improvement of public education (Darling-Hammond, 1997). Nothing is more important to the nation's social order than engaging public school students in actively and critically thinking about our history and values, our social system, our environment, our world. This approach to teaching is important not only for educating citizens for democratic living but also for preparing workers for a labor market with complex and fast-changing jobs. Master's programming for teachers fails to model these democratic and inquiry perspectives. Too Extreme a Critique? These ideas were central to a position paper/grant proposal that I circulated to a number of teacher educator acquaintances around the country, as well as to public school teachers and representatives of professional groups and state departments of education. The K-12 teachers and officials from state departments and professional associations did not see my claims about the moribund nature of master's programming as extreme. Their reactions centered on encouraging me to propose radical changes in graduate study for experienced teachers. After lamenting the current condition of master's study, one state department official said she would love to have a alternative program available in our state. Although I found supportive reactions from those outside the teacher education establishment understandable, I was surprised when many university-based teacher educators concurred with my sharp critique. Sample comments include I am quite intrigued with your proposal, particularly because you have hit the core dissatisfaction of our experienced master's students toward our programs here and, more dramatically, I have given up on our institution's ability to connect master's level study with what practicing teachers need and want. Another observed, You are so right that teachers hate existing programs; I have had many students who had completed all but the thesis in another program be so disgusted with it that they decided to start from scratch. …