Study Groups as a Form of Professional Development for Secondary Mathematics Teachers

In this paper I examine the value(s) that sevensecondary geometry teachers placed on theirparticipation in a school-based study group. Ialso examine the organizational structure ofthe study group, and the impact of thatstructure on teachers' continued participationin the study group. This study draws upon bothwritten and oral interview data as well astranscripts of study group meetings. Results ofanalysis show that the teachers were supportedin four areas: building community andrelationships, making connections across theoryand practice, curriculum reform, and developinga sense of professionalism. Further, analysisalso indicated that participation in the studygroup had an impact on teachers' self-efficacy.Building on the study group literature(containing predominately non-mathematicseducation research), this study hasimplications for secondary teachers'professional development, particularly thosetypes of professional development experiencesthat seek to be ongoing, school-based, andteacher-centered.