Well Rounded Teachers: The Efficacy of Rounds in Teacher Education

1. Well Rounded Teachers: The Efficacy of Rounds in Teacher Education Jane Zenger, Ph.D. Joanna Gilmore, M.Ed. John Payne, M.A.T.

2. Introduction • NCLB call for “highly qualified teachers” • Research indicates that teachers learn best by doing (Darling-Hammond, 2007) • Impetus for pre-service field experiences and internships

3. Teacher Education Needs at USC NEED FOR MORE… • classroom observations during different phases of the teacher education program • exposure to a variety of classrooms and pedagogical practices • in-depth reflection with Master teachers

4. Literature Review • Rounds Defined • Supervised classroom observation followed by open discussion • Based on medical model • Limited information available about effectiveness in teacher education • Available information: • Useful in demonstrating specific teaching practices, curriculum, or teaching in specific contexts (Del Prete, 1997) • Useful for discussing exploring the impact of classroom/school culture (Virtue, 2006-2007) • Can evoke rich reflection as individuals from different backgrounds and perspectives converse (Del Prete, 1997) • Can help teachers connect theory with practice (Thompson and Cooner, 2001) • Opportunity to observe children in special needs and related arts classes (Crews & Zenger, 2006)

5. Project Background • USC project to improve clinical experiences for pre-service teachers and to provide support for induction-year teachers • Conducted in 7 Professional Development Schools • Identification of • master teachers renowned for pedagogical practices • university faculty and teacher educators to facilitate discussion Master Teacher USC Faculty

6. The Rounds Experience • 30-60 minute observation • Elementary, Middle, and High schools • Content area classes, ESOL classes, special education classes • 30 minute debriefing session • Follow-up questionnaire Observation Debriefing

7. Secondary Content Classes MAT (Cross Disciplinary with Arts & Science Faculty) Middle School MAT and Undergrads ( AAP, Resource, ESL) Elementary MAT and Undergrads (Master/NBC Resource and Multi-age Teachers) 2002-2005 Undergrads in course examining learning environments Comparing culture of two elementary classrooms MAT Business Education Students (Resource & Special Ed. Teachers) Tech. College Students (Induction Year & Science Lab Teachers) 2005-2009 Undergrads in course examining learning environments Comparing two diverse elementary classrooms 2009-2010 The Evolution of Rounds:Who and Where • 141 participants across eight years • Undergraduates and master’s students

8. The Rounds Questionnaire • What do you notice about classroom management and the structure of the lesson that might facilitate instruction? • What comments and/ or concerns do you have for the teacher regarding the lesson, classroom management, and/ or teaching strategy that you observed? • What impressed you most during this session? • Do you think the idea of rounds is a good idea in the internship? • Please give your feedback to help us refine the use of rounds for future internships.

9. Method • Thematic analysis (Aronson, 1994; Boyzatis, 1998) • Quantification of qualitative data (Teddlie & Tashakkori, 2009)

10. Perceived Usefulness of Rounds “Yes! I love rounds because I get to see so many different teachers and I learn SO MUCH within the 30 min time frame. I can see the way teachers use different assessment methods, different methods for getting students back on task, different teaching styles, and different teaching philosophies. Rounds is a wonderful idea!”

11. Beneficial Components of Rounds “I love rounds because I get to see so many different teachers and I learn SO MUCH within the 30 minute time frame. I can see the way teachers use different assessment methods, different methods for getting students back on task, different teaching styles, and different teaching.”

12. Classroom Management “[The teacher I observed] said the class creates the classroom together. She barely buys store bought things; it is mostly kid’s work and their ideas.” Note. The total number of themes identified exceeds the number of participants because participants often cited multiple themes.

13. Impressive Elements of Teaching “There were some children that could write really well, while others had trouble spelling some of the basic words. The children are placed in groups based on there [sic] ability level, so no one feels dumb compared to everyone else in the group, which is so important for a child’s self-esteem.” Note. The total number of themes identified exceeds the number of participants because participants often cited multiple themes.

14. Comments and Concerns “I was most interested to ask…how she deals with so much diversity in her classroom. I was not aware when we were observing that there were seven students missing that didn’t speak English.” Note. The total number of themes identified exceeds the number of participants because participants often cited multiple themes.

15. Conclusion • Focus on classroom management similar to previous research on beginning teachers (Fuller & Bown, 1975; Kagan, 1992) • Pre-service teacher reported that rounds were beneficial in • Observing a diversity of teaching methods • Learning about students from different backgrounds • Demonstrating course concepts • Comparing learning environments • Promoting collaboration Small Group Instruction Integrating Course Concepts

16. Conclusion (Cont.) • Inexpensive professional development • Can be used with a variety of groups • Pre-service teachers • Induction year teachers/ Alternative certification • Master teachers • Administrators Small Group Instruction Integrating Course Concepts

17. References • Aronson, J. A (1994). Pragmatic view of thematic analysis. The Qualitative Report, 2 (1). • Boyatzis, R.E. (1998). Transforming qualitative information: thematic analysis and code development. New York: Sage Publications. • Crews, T.B. & Zenger, J.F. A well “rounded” internships. Business Education Digest. IX, May 2006. • Darling-Hammond, L. (2007). Teacher learning that supports student learning.In B.Z. Pressesisen, Teaching for Intelligence (2nd ed.) (pp. 91-100). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. • Del Prete, T. (1997). The “rounds” model of professional development. From the Inside1997, 1, 12-13. • Fuller, F.F. & Bown, O.H. (1975). Becoming a teacher. In K. Ryan (Ed.), Teacher education 74th yearbook of the National Society for the Study of Education, part II (pp. 25-52). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. • Kagan, D. M. (1992). Professional growth among pre-service and beginning teachers. Review of Educational Research, 62, 129-169. • Teddlie, C. and Tashakkori, A. (2009). Foundations of Mixed Methods Research: Integrating Qualitative • Approaches in the Social and Behavioral Sciences. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. • Thompson, S. & Conner, D.D. (2001). Grand Rounds: Not Just for Doctors. Action in Teacher Education, 23(3), 84-88. • Virtue, D. (2006-2007). ESOL rounds: An inquiry approach to preparing qualified and culturally competent teachers for South Carolina classrooms. Teacher Education Journal of South Carolina, 2006-2007 edition, 1-6.

18. Thank you for your interest! Questions or Comments? Please feel free to contact Dr. Jane Zenger at ZengerJ@mailbox.sc.edu