Running Head: LITERATURE REVIEW-DOMAIN F 1

Literature Review for Domain F

Danielle May

TED 690 Capstone

June 14th, 2019

LITERATURE REVIEW-DOMAIN F 2

Abstract

In this paper, I summarize the research by Douglas Huffman, Kelli Thomas, and Frances

Lawrenz on the relationship between professional development and student achievement.

The five criteria for professional development are reviewed from 200 teacher participants

in a low-achieving academic society. Professional development is measured by teacher

surveys on the five criteria and students’ state test scores measure student achievement.
LITERATURE REVIEW-DOMAIN F 3

Article Summary

In the article “Relationship Between Professional Development, Teachers’

Instructional Practices, and the Achievement of Students in Science and Mathematics,”

the authors Douglas Huffman, Kelli Thomas, and Frances Lawrenz research the effects of

professional development has on student achievement in a low-achieving community.

Many math and science teachers in this community lack pedagogical and content

knowledge. Professional development is challenging to measure, however Huffman et al.

focus on five key areas of focus. The five areas of professional development are as

follows: immersion, curriculum implementation, curriculum development, examining

practice, and collaborative work.

Immersion is the teacher participants experience doing mathematics and science

in real life to gain valuable experience with the content. Curriculum implementation is

the teachers’ abilities to refine the use of instructional resources in the classroom and

curriculum development it their ability to create new instructional materials to meet their

students needs. Bothe curriculum implementation and development is strongly related to

the teacher participants’ use of the state standards for mathematics and science. The

participants’ examining practice is their use of discussion and evaluation of their

classroom scenarios and instruction. In professional development it is important to

continuously evaluate and assess one’s ability to create a positive learning environment

for the students in order to optimize their academic and personal success. The fifth

criterion for professional development is collaborative work, which includes peer

collaboration, mentoring opportunities, classroom observations, and professional

feedback. “Professional learning for teachers should emphasize long-term active

LITERATURE REVIEW-DOMAIN F 4

engagement, connections between teachers” (Huffman et al., 2003, pg. 379).

Opportunities to learn from other professionals can be a critical learning aspect for

developing teachers.

These five criteria are essential aspects of professional development and each

participant is offered numerous opportunities of each criterion for a variety of durations

of their choosing. Of the participants 94 are science teachers and 104 are mathematics

teachers each with the opportunity to learn any of the aspects of professional

development through workshops. The teachers were chosen from rural, suburban, and

urban districts in one of the highest areas of poverty rates and lowest student achievement

on state tests in science and mathematics. To measure the teacher participants’

professional development, each teacher completed a survey for each criterion on a 1-5

scale, including their knowledge of the academic state standards. The students’ academic

achievement was measured on their performance on the state tests, which is also the

condition of measurement for school performance.

After a year of professional development opportunities, the teacher participants

completed the surveys again with the criteria of focus and the duration evaluated. The

results showed no connection between the participants professional development and

students achievement. But, many teachers gained valuable knowledge on aspects of the

state standards to be implemented in their curriculum. Lack of connection between

professional development and student achievement can be strongly related to the fact that

professional development is a long-term accomplishment with the need for more

opportunities to learn different aspects of professional development. Additionally, the

research lacks knowledge of how the knowledge learned from the workshops was
LITERATURE REVIEW-DOMAIN F 5

implemented in the classroom. “Successful reform requires that the change be viewed by

the teachers as relevant to the needs of the school, that teachers be ready for change, and

that teachers have the necessary resources to support change” (Huffman et al., 2003, pg.

384). Thus, the school environment and personal ambition play a critical roll in the

success or failure of professional development. Overall, professional development is

difficult to measure, a yearlong condition does not show the long-term effects on student

achievement, and the school and personal need for professional development plays an

essential role.
LITERATURE REVIEW-DOMAIN F 6

References

Huffman, D., Thomas, K., & Lawrenz, F. (2003). Relationship Between Professional

Development, Teachers’ Instructional Practices, and the Achievement of Students

in Science and Mathematics. School Science and Mathematics. 103(8), 378-387.