Professional Development Schools: Researching Lessons from the Field

Professional Development Schools: Researching Lessons from the Field provides a comprehensive analysis of PDS research that can aid PDS stakeholders in designing and sustaining meaningful research in their partnerships. Breault and Breault used an extensive qualitative meta-synthesis to examine the research over the past 20 years. Their comprehensive review of 300 studies provides a.deep understanding of the challenges and potential within PDSs. The authors offer analysis regarding key elements of PDSs and highlight strong studies including a large-scale, multi-site study and studies using mixed methods and action research effectively. They also highlight exemplary studies showing how pilot studies are effective ways to research new partnerships, how theory can lead to greater abstraction, and how metaphor can clarify complex relationships. This book is an essential resource for all stakeholders involved in professional development schools.

Table of Contents:
Introduction Chapter 1: A PDS by Any Other Name Chapter 2: Problems and Potential in PDS Research Chapter 3: Is It Research or Not? Chapter 4: Research That is Good for Something: Warrantability and Added Value Chapter Five: The Nature and Use of Qualitative Data in PDS Research Chapter 6: Representation in PDS Literature Chapter 7: Organizational Implications for PDS Research Chapter 8: Doing Meaningful Research in a PDS Setting

About the Author :
Rick Breault is currently a visiting professor in the Department of Curriculum & Instruction/Literacy at West Virginia University. He received his EdD in curriculum and instruction with an emphasis in social foundations of education from Northern Illinois University. Rick was an elementary and middle school teacher before entering higher education and, since then, has worked primarily in teacher education. His research interests include the nature of professional development school writing, aesthetic inquiry into teaching practices, and the sense of place in educational research. Among his recent publications are articles in Curriculum & Teaching Dialogue, Teaching and Teacher Education, Teacher Education Quarterly, and Equity and Excellence in Education. Rick was also a Fulbright Scholar in Hungary and was recently recognized for imaginative teaching practice by the Lincoln Center Institute. Donna Breault is an associate professor of curriculum studies at West Virginia University. She received her Ph.D. in curriculum and supervision from Georgia State University. Prior to entering higher education, Donna was an elementary and middle school teacher and administrator. Since entering higher education, she has taught courses in curriculum, foundations, research, and leadership, and she has coordinated programs in educational leadership. Donna’s research includes applications of Dewey’s theory of inquiry in curriculum, research, and organizational systems. Her publications include Urban Education: A Handbook for Parents and Educators (co-author, Louise Allen) and articles in Educational Theory, Educational Studies, The International Journal of Leadership in Education, Journal of Thought, Planning and Change, and Scholar-Practitioner Quarterly.

Review :
The authors provide researchers in the PDS field a sobering look at what was, is, and can be in the PDS research. The challenges for PDS researchers is to consider their critical perspective as an opportunity to strengthen the PDS field by applying research methodology. After following the work of these authors for years, I am quite pleased it is now published as this book. I applaud their cautious optimism and healthy critique of the rigor in PDS research. Certainly, it has informed my own scholarly efforts in the realm of school-university partnerships. I find this book compelling, honest, and purposeful in its innovative, qualitative approach of a meta-analysis of PDS literature. I hope all readers and critics note the important messages with/in this text in order to provide meaningful opportunities for the clinical preparation of educators across their professional life spans as well as a need for evidence to support the influence of such partnerships in teacher and student development.