Dissertation
Speaking life: a phenomenological study of teacher expectations and beliefs about students as revealed through teacher talk during PLC meetings
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), Drexel University
Mar 2023
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/00001610
Abstract
Existing research has shown that teacher beliefs, behaviors, and biases affect student outcomes and that negative, or deficit, beliefs perpetuate disparate educational outcomes. The talk teachers engage in about student abilities are influenced by teacher beliefs about those students. Teacher talk about students and the teaching practice holds within it the opportunity for teachers to have a positive or negative impact on student outcomes. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore how a team of middle school teachers in a small urban public school express their expectations and beliefs about students and the teaching practice through the way they talk about both in their professional learning community. The research questions that guided this study are: (a) In what ways do middle school teachers talk about students during team meetings? (b) In what ways do middle school teachers talk about their professional practice during team meetings? and (c) What does teacher talk in the PLC reveal about teacher beliefs and expectations about students and teachers' professional practice? Data collected from semi-structured interviews yielded six overarching themes: Teacher Beliefs, Sense of Responsibility, Teacher Talk, Teacher Support, Teacher Autonomy, and Frustration with the Profession. The study's findings supported three main results: Students are not at the center of teacher conversation in professional learning communities, Black teachers are intentional about why they choose to work with Black students, and Teachers have positive opinions of both students and the profession and hold themselves to a high standard, but do not feel supported nor trusted by administration to operate in the best interest of their students given current job expectations. The findings of this study revealed relevant professional concerns impacting teachers' abilities to engineer positive student outcomes. Closer examination and improvement of professional learning communities and education policies would provide teachers the support and protection necessary to better service all students.
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Details
- Title
- Speaking life
- Creators
- Mallory Arnell Morris
- Contributors
- Valerie Klein (Advisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Drexel University
- Degree Awarded
- Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)
- Publisher
- Drexel University; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Number of pages
- x, 137 pages
- Resource Type
- Dissertation
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- School of Education (1997-2026); Drexel University
- Other Identifier
- 991020340815604721