Veteran teachers' experiences with peer assistance and review

Recently, there has been a growing interest in the importance of having effective teachers in every classroom. While decades of past research debated factors that affect student achievement, it is now generally common knowledge that teacher quality is the strongest predictor of student success. It would seem, therefore, that further investigations are needed to understand more about strategies to retrain, support, and improve the quality of ineffective teachers. This is especially important for veteran teachers who may have been teaching ineffectively for several years. This study examined how a Peer Assistance and Review (PAR) program in a large urban district provides the conditions for teacher growth and self-efficacy among veteran teachers who have received a below-standard performance evaluation. This qualitative research utilized case study methodology and a purposeful sample of five veteran Participating Teachers (PTs) from elementary and secondary schools, the two Consulting Teachers (CTs) who worked with the PTs in this study, two PAR administrators who oversee the organization of the program, and two members of the PAR panel, which oversees PAR policy and implementation. Data were obtained through in-depth interviews, a focus group, and a document review of the program's pamphlets, flyers and website. The conceptual framework for the study was Bandura's four components of self-efficacy: mastery experiences (performance accomplishments), vicarious experiences (observed experiences), social persuasion (performance feedback), and physiological factors (attitude and motivation). The main findings were that PTs' self-efficacy was influenced by the four sources of self-efficacy; however, some components were more prevalent and effective in increasing self-efficacy than others. Furthermore, there are constraints on opportunities for teacher self-efficacy that are built into the structure and operations of the PAR program, as well as district policy. For example, PAR's observation cycle, which involves frequent PT observations followed by extensive feedback, provides the opportunity for PTs to have multiple opportunities for verbal persuasion by a mentor that they trust and respect. Additionally, these observation cycles help PTs to build mastery by having multiple opportunities to practice implementation of new teaching strategies while being coached by their CT. On the other hand, the program does not allow PTs to observe model teaches so they are lacking the opportunity for vicarious experiences. Other findings revealed that the parallel processes of PAR and the district's teacher evaluation system may be counterproductive to growth in PT self-efficacy. Insights from this study could be helpful for other PAR programs with similar demographics, as well as educational leaders who are interested in improving veteran teacher self-efficacy and teacher quality. This study also sheds light on Bandura's framework as it shows how the sources of self-efficacy influenced veteran teachers with prior unsuccessful teaching evaluations. Recommendations for policy and practice include ensuring that PTs have opportunities to observe either demonstration lessons by their consulting teacher or other effective teachers on a regular basis increasing the length of time that a PAR PT works with their CT to at least two years; and suspending the official evaluation process for the PT during the time that the CT is working with their PT.