Date of Award

Spring 2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Committee Chair

Jessica Van Cleave

Abstract

This dissertation examined the factors contributing to teacher engagement in professional development (PD) programs, focusing on how those teachers perceived their PD needs. The study concentrated on understanding teachers’ thoughts and concerns regarding various types of PD, including large, small, and online programs. Small group PD was also referred to as job-embedded PD (JEPD) for this study. The four specific methods of JEPD included professional learning communities (PLCs), data teams, feedback, and coaching. The research highlighted JEPD, emphasizing the importance of this type of PD in engaging teachers. The methodology employed was a sequential explanatory mixed methods study that included survey and interview tools used with teachers in a small district in North Carolina. The study identified key themes for effective PD. The findings indicated that engaging PD programs utilize the four main pillars of adult learning theory: the need to know, readiness to learn, self-concept, and learning experience. Overall, this study's findings aligned with those of previous researchers: Adult learning theory is a robust foundation for developing and maintaining a successful program that includes all forms of PD. The findings also showed the importance of teachers having voice and choice in relation to their learning opportunities, which contribute to their overall satisfaction and engagement in PD programs. By understanding what creates engagement from teachers themselves, this dissertation contributes valuable knowledge toward a system that can help create a more robust process that includes teachers’ voices when designing PD.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License

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