Paper prepared for the ICSEI conference in Malm ö, January 2012 WIM VAN DE GRIFT MICHELLE HELMS-LORENZ University of Groningen The Netherlands CLASSROOM PRACTICE IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS

1.Theory and prior empirical research 2.Research questions 3.Sample 4.Method 5.Psychometric quality 6.Results 7.Conclusions AGENDA

Linear models: Fuller (1969,1970); Dreyfus & Dreyfus (1986); Berliner (1994, 2001); Steffy & Wolfe (2001) THEORIES OF PROFESSIONEL DEVELOPMENT (1)

LINEAIR GROWTH OF BOYS AND GIRLS

Parabolic models: Burke, Christensen, Fessler & Price (1987); Lynn (2002); Day (2008); Gonçalves (2009); Van de Grift, Van der Wal & Torenbeek (2011) THEORIES OF PROFESSIONEL DEVELOPMENT (2)

PARABOLIC DEVELOPMENT OF GERMAN TEACHERS IN PRIMARY EDUCATION

PRIOR EMPIRICAL STUDIES Hargreaves (2005); Holloway (2003); Huberman (1989); Rosenholtz & Simpson (1990); Van de Grift, Van der Wal & Torenbeek (2011) found indications that teachers in the middle of their career experience serious problems

Lineair or parabolic development? Do teachers have higher teaching qualities the more years of experience they have? or, Do teachers show a dip in teaching abilities around the middle of their career? RESEARCH QUESTIONS

Cross sectional research on 1604 teachers in 138 secondary schools 950 teachers licenced for lower secondary education 169 teachers licenced for upper secondary education SAMPLE

Independent classroom observations done by specially trained teachers using the ICALT observation instrument Scheffé test on 8 groups of teacher with different job experience METHOD

RELIABILITY Creating a safe and stimulating learning climate ** Efficient lesorganization ** Clear and structured instruction ** Activating lessons ** Teaching learning strategies ** Taking individual needs into account in instructions ** Student involvement # items Msd Cron- bach’ alpha R with student involve ment PSYCHOMETRIC QUALITY

MEAN SCORES insufficient sufficient good

GENDER good sufficient insufficient

LICENCED FOR LOWER OR UPPER SECOND. EDUCATION good sufficient insufficient.25.22

TEACHING SUBJECT good sufficient insufficient

SECONDARY SCHOOL LEVEL good sufficient insufficient

YEAR (STUDENT AGE) good suffcient insufficient

CLASSROOM SIZE good sufficient insufficient

TEACHING EXPERIENCE sufficient insufficient good

TEACHING EXP. WITH CORR. sufficient insufficient good

RELIABILITY Creating a safe and stimul. learn. climate22.0 Efficient lesorganization14.3 Clear and structured instruction12.6 Activating lessons13.2 Teaching learning strategies21.2 Taking individual needs into account15.8 Average16.5 % TEACHERS WITH YEARS OF EXPERIENCE STILL SCORING ON THE HIGH SIDE

Bèta covariates w. experience climorginsactstraactbet Gender.09*.13*.08.14*.10* Licence.15*.09.15* Subject Year School level Class size

EXPERIENCED vs NOVICE TEACHERS insufficient sufficient good

EXPERIENCED AND NOVICE TEACHERS SCORING INSUFFIC.

80-85% of the teachers with years of experience seem to have a serious dip in their teaching abilities Part of the explanation is the relatively large group of male teachers with a licence for lower secondary education only MAIN CONCLUSIONS (1)

Before we might hint to longitudinal explanations (mid life crisis) we should explore: * Mobility to other positions like school management, inspector, teacher trainer * Quality of teacher training institutes about 25 years ago (NLO started between ) * Dramatic changes in teacher salaries in 1985 (HOS) MAIN CONCLUSIONS (2)