Teaching for the Future: A Case Study of How Teachers Learn to Face the Challenges of Advanced Placement Programs.

This qualitative study was designed to explore how a group of Advanced Placement (AP) program teachers learn to do what they perceive is needed to achieve improvements in student performance, while meeting the rigorous demands of AP standards. Research participants were Advanced Placement teachers from a variety of settings who were selected via purposeful sampling. The researcher collected demographic, contextual, and perceptual information to address the following research questions: (a) How do teachers select students for AP classes, and how do their selection criteria affect the quality of the students in these programs? (b) What do these teachers perceive they need to know and be able to do to raise student performance to desired levels? (c) How do they learn what they perceive they need? (d) What factors do they believe support or hinder their learning? The primary method of data collection was individual, in-depth interviews. Twenty such interviews were conducted. In addition, anecdotal reports and document analysis were used to triangulate the data. Four key findings emerged from the study. (1) A majority of the participants indicated the importance of ensuring that students selected for AP classes had the requisite knowledge and skills to be successful. (2) Most participants expressed the need for AP teachers to develop an in-depth understanding of their content area because of the higher order thinking skills expected of students in AP classes. (3) All participants indicated they developed enhanced subject matter and teaching expertise through informal means. (4) A majority of participants described their own motivation to learn and relationships with colleagues as supporting factors in their learning. A majority of participants cited lack of time as a primary hindrance. Four conclusions were drawn: (a) One cannot assume that any single measure of student knowledge and/or skill level is indicative of ability to succeed in a rigorous AP class. (b) A high level of subject matter expertise combined with a passion for one's discipline and a strong sense of self-efficacy are essential for effective teaching of AP classes. (c) A rigorous high school curriculum challenges both teachers and students to learn and grow. (d) A strong school culture of success, achievement, and collaboration supports the learning of teachers and their students. The principal recommendation for the study's participants was that they should seek opportunities to meet with colleagues and discuss the curriculum in their subject area across grade levels. Administrators, in turn, should establish clear policies regarding participation in AP classes. Recommendations for future research were also suggested.