Teacher Research as a Robust and Reflective Path to Professional Development

Source: Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education, Volume 31, Issue 3, 2010, P. 258 – 275.

Teacher research offers teachers at every stage of development a recursive and reflective means of bridging the gap between current practice and potential professional growth.

The goal of this dual level inquiry was to examine the concept of teacher research as a path to professional development.
Hence, the authors probe a 3-year professional development initiative known as the Master Teacher Program (MTP).

This study provides a rationale and context for utilizing teacher research as a form of professional development.
The study also analyzes the teacher research projects in each of two cohorts involved in the MTP initiative.
Finally, the article discusses of outcomes and themes, such as increased confidence and professionalism, that emerged from this research.