Research on Teacher Learning Communities: Implications for Professional Development for Mathematics Teachers in Rural Schools. Working Paper No. 25

Professional development for teachers of mathematics is changing dramatically. It is changing, in terms of content and pedagogy--because of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics standards, which imply a more collaborative, constructive, and student-centered approach to instruction--and in terms of format--because of research on the importance of situated learning for changing teachers' practice in the classroom. Workshops and university courses are being replaced by on-site, field-based training, either in person or through distance learning technology, and by teacher learning communities. This paper discusses why these changes are particularly important for rural schools--due to the difficulty they have in recruiting and retaining qualified teachers due to low salaries. geographic isolation, and lack of access to amenities such as clubs, theaters, shops, sports facilities, and even, in some cases, medical care and hospitals. New situated-learning, professional preparation and development communities hope to address two timely issues: the immediate concerns related to personnel qualification requirements of the No Child Left Behind legislation, and also to long-standing problems of recruitment and retention.