Assessing the impact of an innovative community of practice on teacher efficacy, leadership and practice

The purpose of this study was to assess the nature of participation in a hybrid Community of Practice; exploring how teacher efficacy influenced participation; and how participation impacted both technology teacher leadership and technology integration practice. The researcher addressed the following research questions: What is the nature and frequency of the activities and interactions evidenced by participation in a hybrid CoP? What types of knowledge capital were found in a hybrid CoP? Does teacher efficacy influence participation in the online component of a hybrid CoP? How does participation in a hybrid CoP impact teachers’ technology integration and the development of their technology leadership ability? Participants included 31 teachers enrolled in an Innovative Teacher Leaders (ITL) program. The researcher implemented a mixed methods comparative case study, collecting data via participant observations, monthly self-reports, and semi-structured interviews. A survey instrument was administered to collect data on Teacher Efficacy and Teacher Leadership. Frequency data were collected based on interaction logs and face-to-face training observations of the CoP. Findings of this study pointed to the need for time to practice, implementation support, and peer coaching/discourse as necessary factors for successful professional development. Participation in this hybrid CoP was found to have a positive impact on teacher technology integration and technology leadership ability. 1 Chapter One Introduction Overview This chapter describes the purpose of this dissertation study. It provides a background and justification for the research. It introduces the literature relevant to teacher professional development, communities of practice, teacher beliefs and teacher leadership. It delineates the plan for collecting data, introduces the instruments to be used in this process, and explains how the data will be analyzed upon collection. During the 2014-2015 Academic Year (AY), the researcher worked as an agent of eMINTS National Center studying and assessing participation in an Innovative Teacher Leaders (ITL) program in a medium-sized school district in the southern United States. This study provided a formative assessment of a small part of a government-funded grant designed to spur innovation and reform in state and local district K-12 education. Specifically, the researcher explored the nature of participation in a hybrid community of practice (CoP) to include a private online Google+ community designed for use by the ITLs to support their development as teacher leaders in technology integration across their campuses. The researcher employed a mixed methods comparative case study, collecting data via observation, survey data, participant monthly self-reports, and interviews. Background The 21 century has seen the “flattening” of the global economy (Friedman, 2005). As a result, educators today are being tasked with both preparing learners for jobs that do