Abstract

In this work, I study the effectiveness of Professional development for Emerging Education Researchers (PEER) using a framework adapted from one that evaluates professional development for teachers. Professional Development (PD) is the process of learning information after one’s main school for job settings. These cover job/career specific skills that are not taught during schooling, since they are normally more specific. While a Ph.D. does set up a lot of specific skills, due to a changing research climate based on discoveries and organizational standards, there are always more skills to learn for a researcher. Therefore, there are professional development for researchers that act as a way to continue their education. PEER is designed to teach those entering into education research from normally a STEM research background. Through the usage of participant focused lessons and activities, PEER is designed to teach newcomers to discipline based education research (DBER) theories, methods, data analysis, among other common skills specific to this style of research. Our base framework for evaluation has been adapted to adjust for researchers of all types. Thirteen past participants were interviewed at least a year out about the skills they learned throughout PEER, along with how they use them now. We find that PEER hits all criteria of an effective PD and is thus promising for resulting in professional learning (PL). Professional learning is an approach that designers of a workshop experience can take that broadens out the idea of PD to include more aspects of one’s current profession and knowledge. PL factors in more of the community-based elements, prior experience, and emphasizes the idea of continuing to learn through returning to more workshops. It is theorized that a well-designed PD will lead to a professional learning setting, which was then investigated. Participants noted these professional learning aspects throughout their PEER experience. These aspects were noted as the main reasons repeated their journey through PEER.

Publication Date

7-2024

Document Type

Thesis

Student Type

Graduate

Degree Name

Physics (MS)

Department, Program, or Center

Physics and Astronomy, School of

College

College of Science

Advisor

Eleanor Sayre

Advisor/Committee Member

Ben Zwickl

Advisor/Committee Member

Tony Wong

Campus

RIT – Main Campus

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