Faculty Publications

Teacher Leaders as Active Agents in Online Professional Development: The Learning Cluster Method

Document Type

Article

Keywords

geography education research; online, face-to-face, and hybrid teacher professional development; teacher leadership

Journal/Book/Conference Title

Research in Geographic Education

Volume

15

Issue

2

First Page

59

Last Page

70

Abstract

The authors offer this article as a means of applying various recommendations of the Road Map’s Research Committee report. It provides one example of an ongoing research effort in geography education related to teacher professional development, the acceptance of alternative professional development delivery methods, and the development and enhancement of teacher leadership skills. Ongoing since 2010, research activities related to the Gilbert M. Grosvenor Center for Geographic Education’s online professional development series, Geography: Teaching with the Stars, have progressed from comparative studies that measure teacher acceptance of online versus face-to-face methods to studies that aim to identify the use of online professional development and the enhancement of teacher leadership skills through the use of the Learning Cluster Method, while also providing widespread dissemination and cohorts of teacher leaders who are able to train additional teachers. Throughout this article, past and present research activities related to Geography: Teaching with the Stars and the Learning Cluster Method are explained. Guided by the recommendations from the Road Map’s Research Committee’s report, further recommendations for extending this investigation are given.

Department

Department of Geography

Original Publication Date

1-1-2013

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