Teachers'professional development and its effect on their students' academic level

Howley and Howley (2005) point out that it is commonly thought by those who decide on new policies that professional development involves improvement in the quality of teaching in the classrooms which consequently would end in students’ higher academic results. Unfortunately, these linkages have proved to be rarely true by “very limited empirical evidence” (Howley & Howley, 2005, p. 1). The authors describe different cases where teachers show their concern to better their work. They expose several examples or alternatives for professional developments carried out by teachers from different schools.

Howley and Howley (2005), support their ideas with clear examples of approaches used to set standards and assess teachers' performance,

Grounded in management approaches such as Total Quality Management, some improvement strategies involve educators in the establishement of standards and benchmarks followed by an ongoing process of assessment and clasrroom-level reform. The Malcolm Baldrige program is perhaps the best-known approach of this type...(Howley & Howley, 2005, para. 8)

In the paragraph quoted above the reader can see that there are some theories that back up teachers’ practices for professional development.

Throughout the whole article the authors develop the topic extensively, making good use of writing strategies to help the readers understand the content. The use of linking words or cohesive markers are one example. When referring to the studies done to know teachers’ performance after having participated in professional development, connectors such as: in addition or furthermore are used to add information. The linking word: however is used in the following paragraph to show the opposite view of what they have mentioned previously. To show opposition in another paragraph, they use phrases such as: even though, though, despite.

Linking words like: first, second are used to show not a chronology of events but the order of explanations for two organizational dynamics existing in rural places, “professional isolation and culturally instilled reluctance to criticize professional behaviors” (Howley, A. and Howley, C. B., 2005, p. 4). To explain causes and consequences in their arguments, the authors make use of cohesive markers such as: because, because of, as a result.

Howley and Howley, (2005) comment not only on the presuppositions and real evidences existing about the relation and connection between teachers’ professional development and students’ achievement in the urban schools. But also they notice the difficulties teachers in rural areas find to enrich their jobs. They account for some basis rural teachers encounter in their attempts to improve the level of their students’ academic results.

In conclusion, the idea sustained by policymakers concerning better professional development that results in higher students' academic level has been proved not to be so by evidences gathered by Howley and Howley (2005). Their writing strategies used to develop the topic are varied and appropriate for the audience they address. This work not only deals with an interesting issue of the teaching profession but also serves as an excellent reading resource to improve academic writing.
















Reference
Howley, A., & Howley, C. B. (2005). High-quality teaching: Providing for
rural teachers' professional development. The Rural Educator. Retrieved
October 2007, from
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa4126/is_200501/ai_n13591361
Pintos, V. (2008). Unit 1: Building up a community of teachers and prospective researchers. Buenos Aires: Universidad CAECE. Retrieved August 2009 from, http://caece.campusuniversidad.com.ar/mod/resource/view.php?id=2730