Understanding the Dynamics of a Professional Development School Bounded by a School Complex in Hawaiʻi

Abstract

Professional Development Schools promote connections between schools and teacher education programs. These partnerships are thought to benefit teacher candidates, teachers, and teacher educators through promoting positive and collaborative relationships and bridging the efforts of schools and universities. In the school year 2016-2017, seven public schools and a university teacher education institute started the first complex-wide Professional Development School in Hawaiʻi. I explored the development of this partnership though interviews with three groups of stakeholders, observations of meetings and events, and analysis of program documents such as meeting minutes. I used the theoretical framework of Cultural-Historical-Activity-Theory and activity systems analysis to investigate these data and identify expectations, challenges, and successes of the complex-wide Professional Development School. This qualitative single-case study examined how participants interpreted and made meaning of their experiences in this partnership among the teacher education programs and the schools. Findings illuminated necessary procedures as well as supporting organizational structures in the development of the partnership such as building a professional community, creating a learning culture, and forming collaborative leadership structures. This research adds to the literature addressing school improvement and student learning in Hawaiʻi.