Hidden dimensions in the professional development of mathematics teachers [Elektronische Ressource] : in-service education for and with teachers / von Bettina Rösken

Bettina Rösken

Sujets

• Mathematics

Informations

• Publié par: universitat_duisburg-essen
• Publié le: 01 janvier 2009
• Nombre de lectures: 14
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 8 Mo

Extrait

Hidden Dimensions in the Professional Development of Mathematics Teachers -
In-Service Education for and with Teachers

Vom Fachbereich Mathematik der
Universität Duisburg-Essen
zur Erlangung des akademischen Grades eines
Dr. rer. nat.

genehmigte Dissertation



von
Bettina Rösken
aus
Moers





Referent: Prof. Dr. Günter Törner
Korreferent: Prof. Dr. Bharath Sriraman
Tag der mündlichen Prüfung: 23.03.2009Acknowledgment
This work would not have been possible without the extraordinary support by many
persons. First, I wish to express my gratitude to my long-time teacher and supervisor
Prof. Dr. Günter Törner, who has accompanied my work as a researcher and as a friend.
He has offered exceptional opportunities to meet and work with experts from all over
the world. Second, my most profound thanks address Prof. Dr. Bharath Sriraman for the
helpful and encouraging comments on this work, and the support he has always
supplied.
I like to thank my dear colleague Prof. Dr. Katrin Rolka for the many discussions we
had ahead of this work, the many experiences we have shared, and the inspiring
commentaries she has always provided.
Also, I like to thank my colleagues at the mathematics department of the University of
Duisburg-Essen. For their fellowship, I wish to thank Verena Gondek, Miriam Dieter
and my students Britta Berndsten, and Daniel de Byl.
For funding, I am grateful for the engagement of Deutsche Telekom Stiftung, which
enabled me to work in the challenging project “Mathematics Done Differently”. In
particular, I want to thank Dietmar Schnelle, Andrea Servaty, and finally Dr. Ekkehard
Winter, with whom I shared a little mathematical niche concerned with mathematics
and its cultural value.
This research would not have been possible without the most important persons whom
this thesis is dedicated to, namely the teachers who participated in the interviews and
filled in the questionnaire.
I am indebted to my parents who extraordinarily supported me during this exceptional
journey in my life. My thanks also address my children Tim and Nina, who were very
patient with me the many times I disappeared into the world of mathematics education. 1 INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................................................6
2 MATHEMATICS TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT – AN INTERNATIONAL
APPROACH .............................................................................................................................................12
2.1 THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES - IDENTIFYING THE RELEVANT VARIABLES.....14
2.1.1 Professional Development and Growth....................................................................................16
2.1.2 Philosophies of Professional Development..............24
2.1.3 Teacher ‘Change’ Versus Teacher Growth..............29
2.1.3.1 Professional Teacher Knowledge, Competencies and Actions ....................................................... 34
2.1.3.2 Teacher Beliefs and Epistemological Views .................................................... 43
2.1.4 Teacher Identity .........................................................................................................................47
2.2 THEORETICAL MODELS - IDENTIFYING THE RELEVANT PROCESSES...............50
2.2.1 Modeling Teacher Learning and Professional Development .................................................51
2.2.2 Major Practical Models of Professional Development...........................61
2.2.3 In-Service Education and Training................................................................62
2.2.4 Effects of In-Service Education and Training ..........................................................................65
2.2.4.1 Identifying Effects on Different Levels............................ 65
2.2.4.2 Identifying Promoting Factors........................................... 71
2.2.4.3 Identifying Hindering Factors............................................................................ 79
2.2.5 Teachers’ Needs and Expectations...........................84
2.3 SUMMARY AND IMPLICATIONS...........................................................................................................89
3 MATHEMATICS TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT – A GERMAN
PERSPECTIVE........................................................................................................................................91
3.1 EDUCATIONAL DEBATE......................................................................................................................91
3.2 IN-SERVICE EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN GERMANY.....................................................................94
3.3 TWO SPECIFIC PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS..............................99
3.3.1 Sinus – a German Intervention .................................99
3.3.2 IMST – an Austrian Intervention............................................................102
3.3.3 Significance of the Interventions for the Professional Development Discussion ................103
3.4 SUMMARY AND IMPLICATIONS.........................................................................................................106
4 MATHEMATICS DONE DIFFERENTLY – A PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
INITIATIVE ...........................................................................................................................................108
4.1 AIMS AND SCOPE ..............................................................................................................................109
4.2 PHILOSOPHY AND DESIGN OF THE PROJECT....................111
4.2.1 Marketization...........................113
4.2.1.1 Exploring the Market: Quantitative Data........................................................................................ 115
4.2.1.2 Exploring the Market: Qualitative Data.......................... 116
4.2.2 Course System: Courses à la Carte and Courses on Demand..............1174.2.3 Tandem Approach ....................................................................................................................123
4.2.4 Collaborative Work..................124
4.2.5 Evaluation.................................................................................................................................125
4.2.6 Cooperation with Administration............................128
4.2.7 Flexibility of the Project ..........................................................................................................129
4.3 OVERVIEW ON THE COURSE SITUATION ..........................................................................................130
4.4 SUMMARY AND IMPLICATIONS.........132
5 SYNTHESIS AND RESEARCH QUESTIONS ................................................................................133
6 EMPIRICAL APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY.....................................................................136
6.1 BASIC PRINCIPLES AND METHODOLOGICAL JUSTIFICATION..........................136
6.1.1 Quantitative Approach.............................................................................................................137
6.1.2 Qualitative Data.......................138
6.2 DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RESEARCH DESIGN..............139
6.2.1 Development and Implementation of the Questionnaire .......................................................140
6.2.2 Methodological Aspects of the Interviews..............................................141
6.3 COLLECTION OF DATA......................................................144
6.3.1 Questionnaire...........................................................................................144
6.3.2 Interviews .................................................................145
7 DATA ANALYSIS AND RESULTS OF THE EMPIRICAL STUDY..........147
7.1 QUANTITATIVE DATA ANALYSIS AND RESULTS .............................................................................147
7.1.1 Determining the Number of Factors.......................148
7.1.2 Empirical Dimensions of Teachers’ Needs............150
7.1.3 Internal Consistency of the Dimensions .................................................................................156
7.1.4 Frequencies within the Dimensions........................157
7.1.4.1 Importance of the Subject Department............................ 158
7.1.4.2 Support by School Policy................................................................................................................. 159
7.1.4.3 Necessity of Professional Development.......................... 161
7.1.4.4 Implementation and Practicability................................................................................................... 162
7.1.4.5 Sustained Collaboration ................................................................................................................... 164
7.1.5 Correlations among the dimensions.......................165
7.1.6 Concluding Remarks................................................................................167
7.2 QUALITATIVE DATA ANALYSIS AND RESULTS...............................................167
7.2.1 The Process of Content Analysis.............................................................168
7.2.2 D