Building teacher teams : a model for total quality management

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Date
1997
Authors
Kilcommons, Michael Daryl
University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Education
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Faculty of Education, 1997
Abstract
This paper is the culmination of a three year sojourn back into the world of academic rigor. It is a reflection, from an historical perspective, on changes in the educational processes that have been personally experienced as a result of the implementation of The Team Initiative, whereby grade level teachers plan together to promote student learning. After putting the initiative into context as one manifestation of the Total Quality Management movement, I catalogued the events that transpired in 1996-97 which helped develop the team concept in Holy Trinity Academy in Okotoks, Alberta. The case study of events attempts to answer the question: How can teacher teams be formed and maintained in a school setting? Specifically, I wanted to find out, what processes help build teacher teams that are successful? The second half of the problem challenges: What are the measures by which success of teacher teams can be evaluated? This project derived its original impetus from an initiative directed by the Superintendent and the school board of the Christ the Redeemer School Division to build teacher teams. Fashioned after the principles of the strategic planning process called Total Quality Management, the Team Initiative offers a specific plan for teachers to improve student learning. Data was formally collected throughout the year by means of three staff questionnaires, team meeting minutes, and two professional development days which focused on team building. Informally, data was collected on a continuous basis through meetings and discussions with staff members, and my own anecdotal records. Very generally stated, the research questions ask: What works or does not work when building teacher teams? and, How successful are the teacher teams studied at Holy Trinity Academy? Very generally answered, the responses to the study indicate that we can determine processes that seem to be effective, just as we can determine processes that are not effective. Furthermore, by many standards the findings suggest that the teams studied do enjoy a significant degree of success.
Description
81 leaves ; 28 cm. --
Keywords
Teaching teams -- Alberta -- Okotoks
Citation