Staff renewal/curriculum improvement : a synergetic relationship

This study was designed to analyze the perceptions of teachers and administrators in the province of Nova Scotia regarding current conditions of professional growth and renewal and the effect of current curriculum improvement activities as experienced through inservice in achieving staff renewal. The study also sought to determine guidelines for future inservice activities so that staff renewal would be an intrinsic component of curriculum improvement activities.

The sample population for the study consisted of 333 administrators and 607 teachers in the province of Nova Scotia. A questionnaire containing six sections was designed and field tested with a pilot group and sent to all 940 members of the population.

Respondents were asked to provide responses to compare current practice with perceived importance of various features of staff development. Respondents were also asked to identify those features of staff development which they felt were most important for their personal professional development.

The survey results were analyzed to provide frequencies, percentages and rank ordering for all group data. This information was further utilized along with chi square analysis to compare teacher and administrator perceptions. In addition, variables of grade level, sex, license and experience were examined to determine their relatedness to processes of staff development.

The findings related to the research questions are as follows:

1 . Teacher responses clearly indicate that for inservice to be successful, actual changes in the classroom must result. Teachers in the province seldom evidence actual change resulting from curriculum improvement activities.

2. Inservice is not presently viewed as being an ongoing process involving evaluation or follow-up.

3. Teachers are either very reluctant to become involved in their own professional renewal or opportunities for their participation have not been provided.

4. Teachers do not perceive their immediate supervisor's behavior or leadership as being important for their professional development.

5. Elementary teachers are much more satisfied with their professional development than other grade level teachers.

6. Teachers place a very high degree of importance on their professional development and those features conducive to renewal.

7. Teachers and administrators show considerable divergence of opinion regarding current processes of curriculum development as well as renewal opportunities.

While the survey was descriptive in nature, a number of guidelines were developed to provide direction for future inservice. Examples of these guidelines include an increased emphasis on the change process and the inclusion of renewal opportunities as an integral part of inservice activities.