ERIC Number: EJ1230261
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2018
Pages: 4
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-
EISSN: N/A
Peer Support: A Collaborative Approach to Teacher Improvement
White, Lynn
BU Journal of Graduate Studies in Education, v1o n1 p8-11 2018
Many teachers today struggle to meet the differentiated needs in their classrooms. Mentorship programs are often available to teachers in the first five years of teaching, but after the initial induction process there is little support for teachers. In the past, when teachers were identified as struggling in the classroom, they were evaluated through the supervisory process by their administrators. With a collaborative mentor to guide and support them, would teachers have the ability to improve and sustain that growth? This study of the Peer Support Program in elementary and high schools in Surrey, British Columbia, had 31 participants: 19 female and 12 male teachers between the ages of 26 and 50, with 1-25 years of teaching experience. This mixed methods research incorporated an online survey with all participants and five one-on-one interviews to answer the following research question: "In what ways do teachers, identified as struggling, experience professional growth as a result of participating in a Peer Support Program?" Of the teachers who participated in the study, 85% rated the Peer Support Program as above average for effectiveness, and would recommend the program to colleagues. Teachers reported sustainable improvement to their teaching practice after participating in the Peer Support Program. Providing a collaborative program such as the Peer Support Program is one viable option to support teachers in improving their teaching practice and reducing teacher stress and burnout.
Descriptors: Teacher Collaboration, Peer Relationship, Mentors, Elementary School Teachers, High School Teachers, Teaching Methods, Teacher Burnout, Stress Variables, Foreign Countries, Teacher Improvement, Teaching Experience, Program Descriptions, Program Effectiveness, Attitude Change, Time Management, Teacher Attitudes, Reflection, Sustainability
Brandon University. 270 18th Street, Brandon, Manitoba R7A6A9. Tel: 204-727-9616; e-mail: facultyed@brandonu.ca; Web site: https://www.brandonu.ca/master-education/journal/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education; High Schools; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Canada
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A