Schools of the Future in Schools of the Future in Hawaii: Networked Hawaii: Networked

Learning Communities and Learning Communities and

Teaching InnovationTeaching Innovation

A Dissertation Proposal Lisa V. Mireles

September 2010

THE PROBLEMTHE PROBLEM

Students are not prepared for success in the rapidly changing, global landscape and need more innovative, student-centered teaching integrating 21st century skills & literacies

Effective professional development such as Professional Learning Communities (PLC’s) can help teachers shift thinking and practice

Networked Learning Communities (NLC’s) amplify the potential of PLC’s by providing new mechanisms for sharing and strengthening knowledge & practice across schools.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDYPURPOSE OF THE STUDY

The intent of this descriptive, quantitative study is to test the relationship between

teacher participation in a networked learning community as it relates to levels of sharing as it relates to the development

of teaching innovation.

CONTEXT FOR THE STUDYCONTEXT FOR THE STUDY

Schools Of The Future NLC◦Five year project (2009-2014)◦Hawai’i Community Foundation & Hawai’i

Association of Independent Schools◦Twenty independent schools, 600 teachers, 3-5

key leaders at each school◦Focused on 21st century, innovative practice◦Face to Face quarterly meetings, formal online

community of learner discussions, annual study tours, and an online collaboration space

SCHOOL OF THE FUTURE NINGSCHOOL OF THE FUTURE NING

INNOVATIVE 21INNOVATIVE 21STST CENTURY CENTURY TEACHING & LEARNINGTEACHING & LEARNING

Student-centered, integrating what has become known as 21st Century Learning:

Creativity & InnovationCommunication & CollaborationResearch & Information Fluency

Critical Thinking & Problem SolvingDigital Citizenship

Effective Use of Technology

Reform efforts should focus on strengthening TEACHER PRACTICE

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENTPROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

TRADITIONAL PD 21ST CENTURY PD

Workshop modelNot contextualFragmentedNo follow-upPromotes isolationIs not sustained over

time

Deepens teacher knowledge

Allows for application and reflection with colleagues

Active, hands-onCollaborative/CollegialIntensive/Sustained

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIESCOMMUNITIES

21st Century model for professional development aligned with how teachers learn best

Recommended by The Partnership for 21st Century Skills

Take advantage of teacher expertise & experience

Reflective, professional inquiryCan positively impact practice & achievement

NETWORKED LEARNING NETWORKED LEARNING COMMUNITIESCOMMUNITIES

Strengthen PLC’s via upload/downloadKnowledge TransferThreads + Knots = NetsReciprocal, Reflexive and SynergisticWhat is Known + What we Know = What we

Create Together ICT amplifies potentialModel tenets of 21st century teaching and

learningCan positively impact practice & achievement

RESEARCH NEEDS/GAPSRESEARCH NEEDS/GAPS

Research base fragmented, sparse and contradictory

Most studies conducted in other countries or with initiatives that no longer exist

Little exploration of the role digital tools play in networks

Relies on perspective of network coordinatorsSurprisingly little research on the processes and

outcomes of networking in educationNeed more research on participant

characteristicsNecessary to research the space between the

network and the school

SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEWSUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW

The literature suggests that the real power of the network rests primarily in the “collaborative inquiry that challenges thinking and practice”.

The nature of network participation and the informal quality of the professional relationships between network participants is worthy of examination.

Dynamic of the NetworkDynamic of the Network

RESEARCH APPROACH AND RESEARCH APPROACH AND DESIGNDESIGN

Quantitative, DescriptiveCross-Sectional, Non-ExperimentalSurvey DesignIndependent Variables

◦Teacher participation in the network ◦Professional relationships◦Professional learning opportunities ◦Benefits

Dependent Variable◦Levels of Teaching Innovation

RESEARCH QUESTIONSRESEARCH QUESTIONS

Do teachers who participate more frequently in networked learning community activities utilize more innovative teaching strategies as measured by the LoTi Digital Age Survey?

Do teachers who develop new professional relationships in networked learning communities utilize more innovative teaching strategies as measured by the LoTi Digital Age Survey?

Does the type of professional learning community in the school bear a relationship to levels of teaching innovation as measured by the LoTi Digital Age Survey?

Does the intensity of professional development in a school bear a relationship to levels of teaching innovation as measured by the LoTi Digital Age Survey?                                                                         

What factors do the teachers with higher levels of teaching innovation as measured by the LoTi Digital Age Survey report as being significant in influencing changes in their practice?

SUBJECTSSUBJECTS

Convenience Sample (potentially 650 teachers across 20 project schools)

All subjects will be teachers and/or project leaders in School of the Future project schools

Schools reflect a diverse, cross section of independent schools in Hawaii, representing different school sizes, different school philosophies and affiliations, and different islands

CONSENT PROCEDURESCONSENT PROCEDURES

Support sought from HAIS to conduct studyIRB exempt application & waiver of

documentation of informed consent application completed

E-mail to be sent to all school-level project coordinators two weeks prior to survey launch

E-mail to be sent to all subjects at onset of study detailing the voluntary nature of the study, purpose, risks, and benefits. Clicking on the survey link will indicate consent.

VALIDITY AND RELIABILITYVALIDITY AND RELIABILITY

Validity◦Loti demonstrates content, construct and

criterion validity◦10 custom questions will be content validated

Reliability ◦Stability and consistency of test measurement◦LoTi demonstrates internal consistency◦Cronbach’s Alpha to check for internal

consistency of custom questionsLoTi accurately captures teaching innovation

INSTRUMENTATIONINSTRUMENTATION

Levels of Teaching Innovation Digital Age Survey for Dependent Variable

Ten Custom Questions Designed by Researcher for Independent Variables (Participation, Relationships and Network Benefits)

Schools of the Future Profiles for Independent Variables (Intensity of Professional Development, Type of Learning Community)

DATA COLLECTION & RECORDINGDATA COLLECTION & RECORDING

Survey will run for one month

Weekly reminders and one final during the last week with a few days to go

LoTi will provide the researcher a summary and the raw data

Data will be coded to remove identifying factor (e-mail address)

DATA ANALYSISDATA ANALYSIS

Descriptive◦Clean data, Coding, Recoding◦Means & frequencies for all variables ◦Cronbach’s Alpha for reliability on custom

questions

Inferential◦T-Test for Custom Question #1 ◦Pearson’s R for Custom Questions #2-9◦Chi Square for Custom Question #10

VARIABLE/ANALYSIS MATRIX VARIABLE/ANALYSIS MATRIX

LIMITATIONSLIMITATIONS

Bias in self-report format of survey research

Representativeness of teachers who complete the survey

Correlational research only identifies associations rather than cause and effect

QUESTIONS & ANSWERSQUESTIONS & ANSWERS

MAHALOMAHALO