Date of Award

8-1-2004

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Educational Leadership

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the degree of involvement of K-12 educators in a Minnesota district in research-supported professional development (RSPD), to determine the perceived needs for future professional development of the same K-12 educators, and to determine whether recent participation in RSPD activities, areas, and approaches impacted the K-12 educators perceived professional development needs and/or wants.

Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) was conducted to determine what differences existed in the recent involvement in RSPD activities, areas, and approaches compared by the variables; gender, years of experience as a classroom teacher, current teaching level, and current education level and what differences existed in the desired involvement in RSPD activities, areas, and approaches compared by the same variables. The Pearson Correlation was used to determine the strength and direction of the relationship between involvement in current RSPD activities and the desire to be involved in other RSPD activities, between involvement in current RSPD areas and the desire to be involved in other RSPD areas, and between involvement in current RSPD approaches and the desire to be involved in other RSPD approaches.

The results suggested that for the K - 12 educators in the study gender influences current level and desired level of involvement in RSPD approaches; years of classroom experience influences involvement in current RSPD activities and approaches and the desired involvement in RSPD activities, areas, and approaches; current teaching level influences involvement in current RSPD approaches and the desired involvement in RSPD activities, areas, and approaches; and current educational level does not influence the choice of or desired involvement in RSPD activities, areas, or approaches.

The results further suggested that for the K - 12 educators in the study, there is a negative correlation between current involvement in professional development activities and the desire to be involved in additional professional development activities. In addition the results suggested there is a positive correlation between involvement in RSPD areas and the desire to be involved in additional RSPD areas. Finally, the results suggested a positive correlation between involvement in professional development approaches and the desire to be involved in additional professional development approaches.

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