Seann M. Dikkers 
(The Gladys W. and David H. Patton College of Education, Ohio University, USA)

 

Abstract: Professional development for teachers remains a central question and pivot point for reform in education; especially in leveraging available technology for learning. Study of exemplary teachers can provide insights into expert practices that inform generalizable professional development design. This study is an exploratory investigation of exemplary teacher narratives describing their professional growth and relevant development resources. Using narrative analysis (McAdams, 2011) of interview data, exemplary teachers (n = 32) describe the perceived relevance 18 developmental resources. Analysis of the narrative units provide context for relevant, conditionally relevant, or irrelevant perceptions of these professional development resources and a composite description of how they are perceived by teachers. Exemplary teachers perceive significantly more value in informal and digitally mediated resources than in formal offerings. Specifically, findings suggest that exemplary teacher professional development prioritizes self-driven just-in-time learning, informal community, online experiences, and hobby-based activity as having strong potential for future professional development planning.

 

 

Key words: professional development, informal learning, technology, adult learning