Principals’ Perspectives: Professional Learning and Marginal Teachers on Formal Plans of Improvement

Abstract

This qualitative study examined the perspectives of principals related to professional development for teachers on formal plans of remediation for underperformance in the classroom.  The principles associated with job-embedded professional development as well as cognitive dissonance provided a basis for analyzing data collected throughout the interviews and analysis.  The population included 12 elementary, middle, and high school principals from 2school systems in the United States.  Data analysis from the interviews yielded three major findings clustered as themes related to:  1) Cognitive dissonance, professional development, and marginal teachers 2) Confidentiality trumps collaboration, and 3) Professional development by the numbers.  By examining professional development practices for underperforming teachers, the findings contribute to our understanding about some perspectives that school principals hold about a population of teachers at-risk.  Implications are offered. 

Keywords

• Marginal teachers, Principal leadership, Professional development, Job-embedded learning

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