Principals' Perceptions on Their Experience of the Framework for Teaching Professional Development

Abstract

The research question explored in this study was: What is the impact of the Framework for Teaching (FfT) (2013) professional development on high school principals? The primary purpose of this qualitative study was to examine principals’ perceptions on their professional development (PD) related to the FfT using Guskey’s (2000) theoretical model for evaluating PD. A secondary purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of high school principals regarding the usefulness and applicability of what they learned in their PD. Ten principals completed an organizational support survey, provided demographic data, and engaged in in- depth semi-structured interviews, a self-anchoring scale activity, and a ranking activity on the FfT PD experience. The findings of this study contribute to the field of research through supporting the paradigm shift occurring within school administration. The study supported being an instructional leader first, then being the manager of a building to increase students’ achievement. Finally, the results informed the district studied of the principals’ current perceptions regarding the use of the FfT. The District can use the principals’ perceptions of the PD to develop a foundation for a conceptual framework centered around PD and possible modifications and considerations if the FfT PD were done again. Two key suggestions are to use time more effectively for school-based administrative teams to collaborate and to provide more common planning time for high school teachers. The literature included elements of effective PD, using the FfT to develop a common language, and adult learning theory.