Research Ideas

Alot of my interest for this thesis is based on experiences during student teaching. One of the things that particularly struck me was the difficulty the district has with choosing and implementing new curriculum. It seems that teachers get inundated with new theories and approaches until they finally stop paying attention. Seeing the jaded view many teachers at my school had toward new district policies and curriculum approaches made me interested in professional development and motivation. I want to know what strategies are the best way to reach students and how to integrate these research and theories in a way that is useful and accessible to teachers. So far my reading is based on what I have already done. I am using my literature review from my last semester in the Duffy program. I read alot of studies on reasons why teachers choose to leave the teaching profession and why they stay when they shouldn't. Recently, the most interesting thing I have read is Jonothan Kozol's "Shame of the Nation" (I can't find the underling tool so I am using quotes instead). One chapter focused on the Success for All Model that has been adopted in some failing schools in low-income areas. I really disliked the approach because, according to Kozol's description, it takes away a teachers ability to make decisions on how any aspect of their class is run. I feel this approach to improving education deprives teachers of any sense that the district believes they are at all competent, and drives away the most motivated and talented teachers. I think alot of teacher motivation is based on their belief that they are given the time and tools they need to reach their students, but in a way that does not degrade their sense of pride as an educated professional.
I want to find more research on strategies for encouraging teacher development. Both what curriculum and strategies should be available for teachers and how it can be presented in a way that is usable. I am particularly interested in teaching strategies in low-income communities since I think this is where teacher retention and motivation is currently suffering the most.