The dissertation paper under analysis is called “Teacher Collaboration in Context: Professional Learning Communities in an Era of Standardization and Accountability” written by Karen Benson and approved in June 2011. The work explores the outcomes of the recently implemented education reform. Benson’s dissertations focus on such aspects as strict accountability, the emphasis of standardization of curriculum components and materials, pedagogy approaches and the use of standardized tests to evaluate learning and measure teacher, administrator and school performance (2011). The author admits that the result of the standardization and closer attention towards the performance of educators was the appearance of collaborative unions of the teachers created with the purpose of the exchange of knowledge and information to improve teaching techniques and strategies. In the paper, Benson (2011) conducts an investigation of the teachers’ cooperation within the collaborative groups that practice regular comparison of performances and the learners’ results.
Objectives and Research Problems
The dissertation has two main objectives. The first purpose of Benson’s research was to examine how teachers react to the participation in the collaborative professional learning communities where the practice of comparison of the academic performance and results of the learners is held often. The second objective of the inquiry was to discuss questions about the impact of standardization of pedagogy, curriculum and assessment practices produced on the educators. The teachers’ reactions to higher levels of accountability and transparency, their interpersonal relations and interactions were studied. The questions raised by the author are very timely since the reforms of the American system of education forced many teachers to change their habitual approaches to work and get out of their comfort zone. In other words, such practice as professional collaboration is not very common among educators who are used to working alone. Evidence-based comparison and analysis of the educators’ results held in collaborative groups are likely to create tension and alienate some of the participants.
Study Type
Benson’s study is focused on the exploration of the teachers’ reactions towards the newly introduced practices of collaboration. The author mentions that higher accountability and transparency may have two different sides and produce opposite effects on the participating educators. For instance, some of the teachers might benefit from collaboration and obtain new knowledge in their career field, some might help others improve and acquire a new perspective on their work, but many may feel extreme pressure and discomfort related to the public exposure of their students’ results followed by discussions and evaluations.
Since Benson’s work is focused on the investigation of the teachers’ reactions to particular situations and circumstances, it is possible to state that the paradigm of her research is based on positivist philosophy focused on the interdependency of people and the world around. As to the methodology of the study, Benson (2011) emphasizes that selecting one appropriate method is not enough to build a successful inquiry. The key to a good dissertation is the accurate selection of the scholarly approach to the researched issue which will affect the way an author interprets their findings, the use of literature and methods. Benson’s work is ethnographic qualitative or interpretative research using interviews for the participants as a source of data.
Data Collection Procedures
The dissertation under analysis is an ethnographic study, which means that the author was focused on the collection of information from the participants and evaluating it taking into consideration their values, responses to the situations, personal experiences, and behaviors. The method of the collection of qualitative data chosen by the author is the interview. All of the participants of the study were one by one inquired about their perceptions and reactions to the collaborative practices including the public exposure of the results of their work (Benson, 2011). The purpose of interviewing was to understand the meaning the teachers construct their work and experiences. The interviews contain information about the educators’ personal experiences concerning collaboration with their peers. It is emphasized that the participants’ subjective ideas and points of view were researched.
Results and Analysis
To ensure the variety and validity of the results, the author interviewed diverse participants (teachers of high, middle and elementary schools with different economic conditions from across a whole district). All of the participants were highly experienced (more than 15 years of practice in public schools). The interviewer employed typical and specific grand-tour questions and examples or experience and mini-tour questions (Benson, 2011). The teachers were to look through the hard copies of their interviews and add remarks if needed. This was an ethically appropriate measure so that the participants knew their experiences and answers were not misinterpreted or distorted.
Since Benson’s study is ethnographic, there was a need to group and code the collected data. For this, the author chose Barone’s typology which included such categories for the participants’ responses as complying, embracing, coping, subverting, negotiating, collective resistance, and escaping (Benson, 2011). The author specifically focused on the signs of cooperative and competitive school cultures in the responses of the teachers. Benson’s task was to process the received information and then work out a cultural interpretation of the meaning the interviewees assign to situations and behaviors. Describing and analyzing the data Benson intended to stimulate further discussion of the challenges in modern education. The author practiced the “self-conscious method” critically evaluating the responses she decided to use in her study to ensure better objectivity (Benson, 2011).
The cohesion of the Study
The study is very focused on the subject and reflects on all of its aspects. The author discusses the causes of the problem she researches, and then she provides a literature review, shares her own impressions and concerns, preparation for the research, data collection, and analysis of the results. The dissertation is very cohesive; all of the chapters concentrate only on the research problems. All of its sections and subsections are interconnected and have one common subject.
Author’s Approach and Logic
The author discusses her evaluation and lengthy recalibration of the paper in order to achieve better objectivity, to present bias-free data. This was done with the purpose to stimulate the future discussions of the most vital problems in the field of education, the newest changes and how they change the professional environments for the teachers. As the author of ethnographic qualitative research, Benson kept her main focus on the scientific interpretation and categorization of the responses she collected during the interviews with the participants.
Besides, the author remembered about the ethical standards and requirements. Benson thought through the ways of preserving the anonymity of the participants of her study so that their responses could not affect their careers and positions in any way. The author included both positive and negative responses of the participants to demonstrate the multiple effects of standardized learning and assessment produce on the teachers. Benson showed that many educators had mixed feelings about this policy and it was perceived as equalizing and generalizing, erasing the students’ and teacher’s uniqueness, limiting and often frustrating practice.
Need for Further Investigation
The need for the preservation of the teacher’s uniqueness and identity is one of the problems that still remain unattended. Benson often remarks that teachers may be reluctant about sharing their personally developed lessons, techniques and materials with their groups because such altruism would erase their individual approaches. The adoption of national and common core standards is another aspect Benson views as a potential field for further research. There is on the opinion that standardization of the modern education is designed to improve the performance of the students with the worst results, yet the high performers are often left unmonitored which leads to the reduction of the numbers of excellent learners and promoting average results (Dahlin, Xiang, Durant & Cronin, 2010).
Conclusion
The dissertation by Benson is focused on the exploration of the teachers’ responses to the higher accountability and transparency in contemporary education forcing them to collaborate with the peers and have their results exposed to the public. The study is cohesive and provides bias-free information and valid data from diverse participants. The study contains detailed descriptions of every stage of the research and contains valuable recommendations for further research.
Reference List
Benson, K. (2011). Teacher Collaboration in Context: Professional Learning Communities in an Era of Standardization and Accountability. (Doctoral dissertation). Web.
Dahlin, M., Xiang, Y., Durant, S., & Cronin, J. (2010). State standards and student growth: Why state standards don’t matter as much as we thought. Web.