School Administrators’ Perceptions of Secondary CTE Teachers’ Teaching and Learning Professional

Development Needs

School Administrators’ Perceptions of Secondary CTE Teachers’ Teaching and Learning Professional Development

Needs

John Cannon, Ph.D.Assistant Professor

CTE: Occupational Education

College of Education

University of Idahojohnc@uidaho.edu

Penny Tenuto, Ph.D.Assistant Professor

Leadership & Counseling

College of EducationUniversity of Idaho

ptenuto@uidaho.edu

Allen Kitchel, Ph.D.Associate Professor

CTE: Business & Marketing EducationCollege of Education

University of Idahoakitchel@uidaho.edu

Russ Joki, Ed.D.Professor

Leadership & Counseling

College of EducationUniversity of Idahorjoki@uidaho.edu

Introduction

• Higher expectation of student achievement

• No immunity for CTE teachers from pressure (Horne, 2010)

• Positive relationship between student achievement & teacher

quality (Segiovanni, 2009)

• Identifying professional development needs is part of national CTE

research agenda (Lambeth, Elliot, & Joerger, 2008)

• Responsibility for Educational leaders to facilitate professional

development opportunities for teachers

• Identification of teachers’ (including CTE) educational needs is a

segment of the leader’s responsibility

Conceptual Framework

Danielson’s (1996 & 2008) Framework for Enhancing Professional Practice:1. Planning and Preparation2. The classroom environment3. Instruction4. Professional Responsibilities (foundational piece for this study)“Continuing development is the mark of a true professional, an ongoing effort that is never complete” (Danielson, p. 115, 1996).

• School leaders provide teachers with learning opportunities necessary to enhance professional practice (Marzano, Waters, & McNulty, 2005).

“Administrators bear a certain responsibility for establishing and maintaining a culture of professional inquiry within a school” (Danielson, p. 17, 2008).

Conceptual Framework: Instrumentation

• Borich Needs Assessment Model• Effective tool for identifying needs of CTE teachers• Collects ‘perceived level of importance’ and

‘perceived level of competence’ teacher competence• Allows data to be weighted and ranked in order of

priority• Used in other needs assessment studies: Kitchel,

Cannon, & Duncan, 2009; Duncan, Ricketts, Peake,, & Uesseler, 2006; Garton & Chung, 1997; Joerger, 2002

Previous ResearchCTE Teachers’ Professional Development Perceptions (Using Borich Model):

• Teaching students to think critically and creatively

• Motivating students to learn

• Integrating science standards into the CTE curriculum

• Teaching problem-solving and decision-making skills

• Designing and developing digital age learning assessment (Cannon, Kitchel, Duncan, & Arnett, 2011; Kitchel, Cannon, & Duncan, 2010)

Other Research (Crews & Bodenhamer, 2009; Wichowski & Heberley, 2004; Ruhland & Bremer, 2002; Heath-

Camp & Camp, 1990) :• Classroom management• Curriculum development• Student motivation• Integration of academics• Reading programs• Working with special populations• Student motivation• Time management

Research Objectives

1. Determine the characteristics and educational background of Idaho public school administrators;

2. Describe Idaho public school administrators perception of the importance of specific areas of teaching and learning and their perceptions of CTE teachers’ competence in these areas; and

3. Determine public school administrators’ perceptions of professional development needs for Idaho CTE teachers in the specific area of teaching and learning.

Methodology

• Descriptive survey research – web based survey• Population: Idaho Secondary School Leadership (N = 457)• Data Collection: Spring 2011 – Census

– Response/Participation Rate: ~48% (n=219)• Survey Instrument: Background Characteristics & CTE Items

– 32 Teaching & Learning items rated on two distinct Likert type scales

Importance Scale: 1=Not Important; 2=Little Importance; 3=Somewhat Important; 4=Important; 5=Very Important

Competence Scale: 1=Not Competent; 2=Little Competence; 3=Somewhat Competent; 4=Competent; 5=Very Competent

• Survey Instrument: Content Validity – Pilot Tested – Usability & Clarity

• Analyzed: SPSS/Excel (descriptives, MWDS)

Methodology

32 T&L Items

IMP COMP

MWDS

Ed Leader’s Perceptions of CTE In-Service Needs

Obj. 1: Determine the characteristics and educational background of Idaho public school administrators

• Gender– Female = ~24% (n=54); Male = ~74% (n=165)

• Age (~98% 35 yrs or older)– <=35 = 4.0%; 35-44 = 25.8%; 45-54 = 44.7%;

55-64 = 22.9%; >=65 = 5.1%

• ~96% had been a teacher from a variety of content areas– ~10% were previously CTE teachers

• Years of Administration Experience - yrs (~79% > 5 yrs, ~52% > 10 yrs)– 1st yr. = 2.3%; 1-2 = 2.7%; 3-5 = 15.8%; 6-10 = 27.5%;

11-20 = 37.8%; >=20 = 12.6%

Obj. 2: Describe Idaho public school administrators’ perceptions of the importance of specific areas of teaching and learning and their perceptions of CTE teachers’ competence in these areas

Highest Rated Teaching & Learning Item by Importance IMP M IMP SDTeaching students to think critically and creatively 4.77 0.49

Motivating students to learn 4.77 0.46

Teaching proper safety practices in the lab  4.72 0.61

Teaching proper safety attitudes in the classroom  4.70 0.59

Teaching problem-solving & decision making skills 4.62 0.64

Classroom management 4.62 0.63

Obj. 2: Describe Idaho public school administrators’ perceptions of the importance of specific areas of teaching and learning and their perceptions of CTE teachers’ competence in these areas

Lowest Rated Teaching & Learning Item by Importance IMP M IMP SDUtilize database software (e.g., MS Access) 3.78 0.93

Utilize graphic design & publishing software 3.81 0.85

Utilize website development software   3.82 0.99

Use digital tools for on-line instruction 3.88 0.89

Use digital tools for face-to-face instruction 4.04 0.87

Obj. 2: Describe Idaho public school administrators’ perceptions of the importance of specific areas of teaching and learning and their perceptions of CTE teachers’ competence in these areas

Highest Rated Teaching & Learning Item by Competence IMP M IMP SDTeach proper safety practices in the lab 4.24 0.81

Teach proper safety attitudes in the classroom 4.22 0.81

Classroom management 4.12 0.87

Utilize productivity software (word processing, spreadsheets, presentation software)

3.88 0.84

Teaching students to think critically and creatively 3.82 0.87

Teach problem-solving & decision making skills 3.82 0.88

Obj. 2: Describe Idaho public school administrators’ perceptions of the importance of specific areas of teaching and learning and their perceptions of CTE teachers’ competence in these areas

Lowest Rated Teaching & Learning Item by Competence IMP M IMP SDUtilize website development software 3.08 0.87

Use digital tools for on-line instruction 3.15 1.03

Utilize database software (e.g., MS Access) 3.29 0.99

Utilize graphic design & publishing software 3.29 1.02

Design & develop digital-age learning assessments 3.30 0.96

Obj. 2: Determine public school administrators’ perceptions of professional development needs for Idaho CTE teachers in the specific area of teaching and learning.

Teaching & Learning ItemMWDS RANK

ADMINMWDS ADMIN

Motivate students to learn 1 4.68

Teach students to think critically and creatively 2 4.57

Integrate reading standards into the PTE curriculum 3 4.44

Integrate writing standards into the PTE curriculum 3 4.44

Design & develop digital-age learning assessments 5 4.15

Conclusions & Implications

• The findings will be used to inform professional development planning for Idaho CTE teachers, curriculum decisions for CTE teacher preparation programs, and future in-service needs assessment surveys.

• Determining professional development need of CTE teachers is part of the national research agenda for the profession (Lambeth et al.,

2008).

Conclusions & Implications

• Idaho CTE teachers have also identified “Teaching students to think critically and creatively” & “Motivating students to learn” as the most important competencies (Cannon, et

al., 2012).

• Idaho CTE teachers held perceptions that they were most competent in teaching safety and classroom management, similar to findings of this study (Cannon, et al., 2012).

Conclusions & Implications

• Top ranked perceived professional development needs:

• Motivating students to learn• Teaching student to think critically and creatively

• Similar to findings of CTE teacher perceptions (Cannon, et al., 2012,; Kitchel, et al., 2010)

• School leaders value CTE curricula as an effective delivery system to reinforce academic skills in reading, writing, math, and science.

Recommendations

• Idaho CTE program managers and teacher educators should use the findings to develop meaningful and engaging professional development activities for CTE teachers;

• Researchers in other states should replicate this study, further revising and refining the instrument; and

• The instrument should be given to state CTE program managers, thus adding another dimension to determine accurate professional development needs.

Thank You!Go Vandals!