Alyson Adams

Learning from Collaboration: The Role of Teacher Qualities

In special education, professional collaboration is viewed as a powerful tool for helping teachers serve students with disabilities. An underlying assumption is that general educators will improve practice if they have opportunities to participate in collaborative professional development aimed at improving instruction for students with disabilities. Although sustainability studies suggest that teachers benefit from such collaboration, evidence also demonstrates that they profit differently. This study examined how teachers who readily adapt and adopt strategies acquired in collaboration differed from those who do not. Findings revealed differences in knowledge of curriculum, pedagogy, student management, and student-centered instruction, as well as differences in ability to reflect on and adapt instruction. Implications for improving professional collaboration in schools are provided.

Effect of professional learning communities on teachers and students: reporting updated results and raising questions about research design

ABSTRACT This manuscript is a review and critical analysis of professional learning communities (PLCs) research using 13 empirical international studies. Our findings confirm what previous reviews have found: participation in PLCs resulted in improved teacher practice and increased student achievement. In this review, we provide detailed and specific examples of what has improved in teacher practice, and how impact on students has been documented. However, we raise concerns about the design of current PLC studies as there were methodological issues that limited the ability to interpret results. Despite promising evidence about the effects of PLCs on teachers and students, we articulate specific directions for future research designs that will improve the quality of PLC studies.

Clinical Partnership at a Distance: A Design That Transforms Teaching and Leadership.

In this article we describe a graduate program for practicing teachers at the University of Florida. Offered in a blended format (mostly online but supported by a local faculty member), the program embeds graduate work within school reform efforts in hard to staff schools in partner school districts up to 350 miles away from campus in order to directly address the needs of practicing teachers in their own contexts. The article describes the program, critical design considerations for clinical partnerships at a distance, and presents the results of three completed studies and a description of one ongoing study of program impact.