PEER SUPPORT: A

COLLABORATIVE
APPROACH TO
TEACHER
IMPROVEMENT
Thesis Proposal Presentation
Lynn White
January 30, 2014

INTRODUCTION OVERVIEW

What is a Struggling Teacher?

Struggles

to meet the differentiated needs in the

classroom
Struggles to meet curricular outcomes
Struggles to provide structures & routines
Struggles with classroom organization
Struggles with classroom management
Struggles to work collaboratively with colleagues
Struggles with consistent attendance

TRADITIONAL METHODS

Intensive Supervision

Costly,

Labour intensive and has not been effective in

improving teaching practice

Evaluative, top down

Creates discord between colleagues

Not collaborative in nature

Stressful

Can create discord among staff members

ALTERNATIVE METHOD

Peer Support
has

been used effectively in many U.S. schools

districts over the past 30 years
Collaborative
Supportive
Specific to the needs of the teacher
Builds relationships
Maintains teachers dignity

SURREY SCHOOL DISTRICT

6500 teachers
Implemented a peer support program 3
years ago
Consists of 2 FTE Peer Support Teachers and
2-3 part time peer support teachers
50 teachers have participated
1-4 months
Evaluations done by Human Resources at
completion of peer support
3 teachers terminated in last 3 years

METHODOLOGY

Mixed Method Research

Explanatory

: Survey / Interview

In what ways do teachers, identified as struggling,

experience professional growth as a result of participating
in a Peer Support Program? The sub-questions are as
follows:
How

do the participants of the Peer Support Program feel that

their teaching practice improved as a result of receiving peer
support?
What aspects of the peer support program did participants feel
were the most helpful in the improvement of their teaching
practice?
What aspects of the peer support program did participants feel
were the least helpful in the improvement of their teaching
practice?
Do the participants of the peer support program feel that the
improvement in their teaching practice will be sustainable in
the long term?

THE SURVEY

Accessed on-line Survey Monkey

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BJ7WWVP

January 31 February 28, 2014

Survey

data collated
numerical responses collected from the Likert Scale
sorted into categories based on gender and subcategories based on years of service in the following
increments of teaching experience; 0-5 years, 6-10
years, 11-15 years, 16-20 years, and 20+ years
questions organized into categories
The mode for the Likert Scale responses tabulated and
categorized based on gender and years of teaching
experience in order to identify themes in responses.

INTERVIEWS
Conducted March 31- April 4
Monday March 31 9:00am: meet with
Program Administrators, STA Professional
Issues Officer, Peer Support Teachers
Interviews with peer support participants will be
conducted at the teachers schools 1:1
Interviews will be recorded for transcription
Participants will be provided with the transcripts
of their interviews for review prior to
collation of data
Open and Axial coding will be used to analyze
the interview transcripts

VALIDITY, TRUSTWORTHINESS &

TRIANGULATION

Anonymous Surveys with questions that

directly attend to the research problem
1:1 Interviews to expand on survey responses
Interviews with Administrators, Peer Support
Teachers, STA Professional Issues Officer
Exploring multiple perspectives will provide
triangulation of data

LIMITATIONS

Small sample size

Only

50 participants have taken part in the peer

support program
It can be assumed that not all 50 people will
participate in the survey
Interviews: goal is to interview a minimum of 5
people from each year that the peer support
program has been in operation
Respondents may be reluctant to share honest
responses based Human Resources/ STA
involvement in the process despite anonymity
due to small number of participants

QUESTIONS?