A QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF THE EFFECT OF MATHEMATICS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT

[摘要] Over the past couple of decades, teacher effectiveness has become a major focus to improve students’ mathematics learning. Teacher professional development (PD), in particular, has been at the center of efforts aimed at improving teaching practice and the mathematics learning of students. However, empirical evidence for the effectiveness of PD for improving student achievement is mixed and there is limited research-based knowledge about the features of effective PD not only in mathematics but also in other subject areas. In this quasi-experimental study, I examined the effect of a Math and Science Partnership (MSP) PD on student achievement trajectories. Results of hierarchical growth models for this study revealed that content-focused (Algebra1 and Geometry), ongoing PD was effective for improving student achievement (relative to a matched comparison group) in Algebra1 (both for high and low performing students) and in Geometry (for low performing students only). There was no effect of PD on students’ achievement in Algebra2, which was not the focus of the MSP-PD. By demonstrating an effect of PD on student achievement, this study contributes to our growing knowledge base about features of PD programs that appear to contribute to their effectiveness. Moreover, it provides a case study showing how the research design might contribute in important ways to the ability to detect an effect of PD -if one exists- on student achievement. For example, given the data I had from the district, I was able to examine student growth within all Algebra 1, Geometry and Algebra 2 courses, while matching classrooms on aggregate student characteristics and school contexts. This allowed me to eliminate the potential confound of curriculum and to utilize longitudinal models to examine PD effects on students’ growth (relative to a comparison sample) for matched classrooms. Findings of this study have implications for educational practitioners and policymakers in their efforts to design and support effective PD programs in mathematics, and these features likely transfer to the design of PD in all subject areas. Moreover, for educational researchers this study suggests potential strategies for demonstrating robust research-based evidence for the effectiveness of PD on student learning.

[发布机构] the University of Pittsburgh