Despite high staff turnover and a predominance of part-time positions in the field of adult education some adult education teachers create careers for themselves that span many years--even decades. According to the U.S. Department of Education (2007), teachers are the most important factor in improving student achievement. Knapp (2003) points out…

Inquiry-based staff development alters the way participants conceive of their roles as teachers and colleagues. Collegial communities can sustain significant changes in issues participants identify as important and support leadership efforts beyond the local context. (SK)

Describes the action research model used by the Pennsylvania Action Research Network, summarizes impact evaluation results since 1995, and concludes that the network has had a major impact on the professional development of adult educators in the state. (SK)

Practitioner inquiry groups formed by Pennsylvania adult literacy practitioners provide an alternative to traditional professional development. The network provides opportunities for sharing contextualized knowledge and acquiring new ways of practice. (SK)