Engaging teachers to elicit meaningful growth: a qualitative analysis of the Delaware Teachers Institute Fellow experience

Abstract

Delaware Teachers Institute was founded in 2010 and has since utilized a unique approach to teacher professional learning. The Teachers Institute model, designed by the Yale National Initiative® partners public school districts with universities to offer content focused seminars on topics selected by the prospective participants. This model has been the subject of several prior studies and has consistently utilized an annual Fellow questionnaire to gauge its impact on teachers in the national program, the Yale National Initiative® Intensive session, on local participants in Delaware, Philadelphia, PA, New Haven, CT and other participants in cities that have previously operated local Teachers Institutes. ☐ While the results of prior Teachers Institute studies have demonstrated consistent positive outcomes for teachers, participating faculty and students, Delaware Fellows were not often informants in those studies. This ELP project was designed to collect and analyze data from Delaware Fellows and DTI records to assess the extent to which DTI Fellows are or are not experiencing the intermediate outcomes identified in the Teachers Institute Theory of Change (Figure 1; Kisker, 2011; 2018). In addition, the project resulted in several unique findings about Delaware Fellow experiences and insights into operational decisions that may benefit DTI’s leadership as they look to the future. ☐ The results of several qualitative inquiries (interviews, focus groups, case studies and a survey), demonstrate alignment between DTI and teacher needs and more effectively communicate the value of participation to aid in program recruitment and sustainability. More broadly, DTI’s leadership may utilize the data from this project to position the Institute as part of the solution to several systemic challenges in the education sector, namely, historic and ongoing deprofessionalization of teachers, a lack of teacher leadership opportunities for those not seeking administrative roles and barriers to accessing broad professional networks. As discussed in the literature review, addressing these challenges has the potential to positively influence the conditions necessary for improved teacher retention. ☐ Participants in this study consistently reported alignment between their experiences and the intermediate outcomes identified in the Teachers Institute Theory of Change (Kisker, 2011; 2018). In addition, data collected from Fellows who had participated three or more years suggest that DTI participation often leads to a cycle of increased engagement and enthusiasm in the learning process for Fellows and their students (Figure 8, p. 68). This cycle appears to begin with the teacher’s engagement in the selection of their professional learning opportunity and is supported by the engagement and enthusiasm of the university faculty seminar leaders. Further study of seminar leader experiences is recommended as DTI seeks to sustain its partnerships. ☐ Not all Fellows experience the outcomes to the same extent, however. This project includes several reports and tools for DTI’s leadership to utilize as they work to ensure consistent seminar quality and year-round engagement with participants to potentiate the benefits for all. This is a professional learning model that requires a large time commitment and financial contributions from both the district and university partners. If DTI wishes to avoid the fate of several other local Teachers Institutes who have ceased operation due to budgetary or leadership challenges, they will proactively seek ways to utilize their improved understanding of the Delaware Fellow experience to build upon prior success, further strengthen the outcomes and attract new participants.