Issues And Trends Concerning Electronic Networking Technologies For Teacher Professional Development: A Critical Review Of The Literature

Abstract

Recent educational reforms and research on teacher professional development (TPD) recognizes that if teachers are going to improve their practice, they need to have access to on-going, quality professional development that is situated in their everyday instructional environment that provides opportunities to communicate, collaborate, and reflect on their teaching. Within the last several years, network-based communications have recently begun to be touted as tools that can fundamentally reshape TPD. This manuscript examines recent research concerning how these new technological tools have been used to support both pre-service and in-service TPD. To this end, studies on network-supported TPD in peer-reviewed research journals concerning teacher education, science education, and educational technology as well as books, book chapters, and conference proceedings in the learning sciences are examined and critiqued. Through this critique of the research base, four major thematic issues emerge concerning how network based communications has influenced teacher professional development: 1) Networking technologies can reduce teacher isolation and support sharing. 2) Networking technologies can foster reflection on practice 3) Networking technologies influence teaching practice 4) Networking technologies support the formation of communities of practice. Each of these themes is critically examined along with the research base from which the particular theme emerged. Suggestions for future research are also presented concerning each theme. Electronic Networking Technologies for TPD