One Approach for Designing Differentiated Professional Development

Abstract This design-based research study describes the instructional design process, benefits, and lessons learned in providing District Science Coordinators (DSCs) with differentiated professional development. Two cohorts of DSCs participated in a two-year professional development (PD) program (12 in Cohort 1 and 11 in Cohort 2) that met synchronously once per month and assigned asynchronous modules to DSCs based on a pre-assessment performance. DSCs provided feedback for each module and the entire program through surveys and interviews. DSCs’ engagement in the program was also tracked through the differentiated modules. DSCs’ responses indicated that the PD program provided them with a community of practice and the knowledge, skills, and confidence to advocate for science education. Lessons learned throughout the process included that DSCs needed intermediate deadlines, modules needed to be divided into smaller topics, and more consistent feedback should be provided throughout the implementation. This study provides practical suggestions for designing differentiated PD programs for educators and offers a possible format to help create communities of practice for educators. Authors: Brooke A. Whitworth Clemson University Hatice Ozen-Tasdemir University of Georgia Joseph DeLuca University of Georgia Harleen Singh Stanislaus State Jennifer M. Bateman Clemson University Julie A. Luft University of Georgia