Running Head: 21ST CENTURY SKILLS IN CLASSROOM 1

21st Century Skill Building in the Classroom: Understanding the Teacher Experience
Meredith Mitchell
George Mason University
EDLE 812, Fall 2014
Dr. Supriya Baily
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21st Century Skill Building in the Classroom: Understanding the Teacher Experience
In the past several decades, public education in America has been increasingly driven

by testing and accountability measures which impact the daily lives of schools, teachers, and

most importantly, students (Au, 2007; Hursh, 2007). While testing and accountability

measures aim to quantify student learning in an effort to enhance the educational experience of

our nations young people, many people have felt the effects and consequences of a test driven

culture and these consequences do not always directly relate to outcomes that are beneficial for

children and their futures (Au, 2007). In recent years, educational experts have rallied support

and conducted research to investigate what skills are truly necessary and relevant for students.

Organizations such as the Partnership for 21st Century Learning, and many other research

based organizations, have begun to highlight the necessity of refocusing our educational

system on the significant issue of equipping students with the skillsets they need to be

productive in todays global economy (Kay & Greenhill, 2011; Voogt & Roblin, 2012). Their

research suggests that it is not rote memorization of facts and content knowledge, which is

what the majority of mandated national and state standardized assessments currently measure,

that matters; it is the ability to create, collaborate, communicate and think critically that will

allow young scholars to be equipped with what they need in todays job market (Supovitz,

2009; Kay & Greenhill, 2011; Voogt & Roblin, 2012).

As the body of research on 21st century teaching and learning gains momentum, many

school districts have adopted measures and practices to commit to teaching these educational

ideals, which is an important first step in reforming education (Gunn & Hollingsworth, 2013).

While the explicit adoption of a shared vision of 21st century learning is important, merely

stating our intention of better equipping students for the future cannot and will not suffice.

School districts that have adopted the vision will need to have clear and strategic plans in place
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detailing how to integrate these skillsets with current curricular programs and how to interact

with school based administrators and other instructional leaders in order to ensure the actual

work of this vision is carried out (Gunn & Hollingsworth, 2013). It will be important to

understand the roles and work of multiple levels of educational leaders to successfully

implement this vision of promoting 21st century teaching and learning in the classroom

(Neumerski, 2012).

Bolman and Deal assert that effective educational leadership first must establish and

gain support for a clear and concise vision (2008), but the implementation of this vision will be

critical in understanding how this ideal might fully integrate into the work of teachers.

Teachers are the gatekeepers between this vision and students themselves, but there are

multiple important players in between (Neumerski, 2012). Neumerski explains that extensive

research in the field of education leadership has described the role and effective practices of

various levels of instructional leaders, namely district central office administrators, principals,

instructional coaches and teacher leaders, but it is critical to understand the ways in which

these leaders can interact and integrate their roles that will yield important findings and

implications for the field (2013). Principals, administrators, and other instructional leaders

have the ability to serve as instructional leaders to teachers and will therefore serve a crucial

role for both disseminating the intent of school districts and communicating teacher feedback

back to those in the central offices who are making the decisions (May & Supovitz, 2009;

Neumerski, 2013). It will be imperative to understand the work and needs of teachers

themselves, because as the actual implementers of curricular change, their understanding of

and access to resources for implementing 21st century teaching practices will be paramount.

Through my research, I hope to understand the experiences of teachers, particularly

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regarding to their interactions with multiple levels of educational players in order to better

discern what tools, strategies, and interactions translate into real changes in classroom

activities. By tapping into the opinions and experiences of teachers, it would be possible to

develop an understanding of what direction educational leaders might take in order to induce

change and it will also help researchers understand what types of communication and

collaboration contribute to positive outcomes for students, teachers, and the district as a whole.

This research will be significant in that it aims to not only explore a particular

phenomenon within education today, the inclusion of 21st century learning skills in the

classroom, but will also more broadly help researchers understand how players within a district

can work together efficiently for the benefit of students. Currently, significant research would

suggest creativity, communication, critical thinking, and collaboration are skillsets that are

important for our students (Kay & Greenhill, 2011; Jacobsen-Lundeberg, 2013), but it would

be shortsighted and nave to say that such skills will always be an educational focus. If we can

understand the perceived needs of teachers in implementing a reform, we can understand how

to develop organizations for support of this particular reform, and whichever other reform

initiatives are to come in the future. Educational researchers will continue to strive to discover

what is best for students in the classroom and it will be important to see how current reform

efforts unfold within an organization. Practically speaking, it is both timely and essential to

understand what teachers need in order to promote the current initiative of 21st century skill

building and to ensure that these goals are actually put into practice.

Methods

My experiences teaching in the classroom have afforded me a firsthand look at the

difficulties teachers sometimes face in consistently providing students with learning

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opportunities rich with creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, and communication. I, too,

currently operate in a school system that values, and is often driven by, quantitatively collected

student data derived from standardized assessments. While data may often prove an effective

means by which to drive instruction (Bolman & Deal, 2008), many educators are beginning to

value those abilities that are not easily measured; the 21st century skills that we realize students

will utilize in their future careers. My own personal plight in striving to provide my students

with opportunities to build skillsets they will use in their lives is what drives this research

study and what has led me to pursue information and findings for the following research

question: What do teachers feel would support their implementation of 21st century skills in

the classroom?

Research Design

I approached this study from an interpretivist paradigm, which Glesne describes as an

ontological belief that portrays the world in a way in which reality is socially constructed,

complex, and ever changing. (2011, p.8) My constructivist perspective defines my approach

to research in that I will strive to collect rich information directly from teachers for the

purposes of building understanding about their experiences. The design of this study is best

characterized as a basic qualitative study (Merriam, 2009). Merriam explains that [in basic

qualitative research], the researcher is interested in understanding the meaning of the

phenomenon has for those involved (2009, p.22). My purpose is to gain insight by exploring

myriad teaching perspectives in relation to 21st century skill building and the types of support

teachers receive and feel they need.

Sample Selection

Site Selection. The study was conducted within a middle school in a school district
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that will be referred to as Large Mid-Atlantic County for the purposes of this study. Large

Mid-Atlantic County is named for its actual geographic location and demographics, and was

selected not only for convenience purposes, but also because it has recently adopted a vision

and mission at the district level to provide students with more frequent and authentic 21st

century learning experiences. The particular school in which the study takes place was a

purposeful selection because members of the administration of the school have served on a

committee to help develop the district initiative for 21st century learning. This is noteworthy

because it signifies that both the district and school leadership have expressed their vision and

intention for 21st century learning in the classroom, meaning teachers under such leadership

are more likely to understand the importance of and be introduced to concepts related to 21st

century teaching and learning. The school itself is somewhat atypical given the average

demographics of Large MidiAtlantic County: this sixth through eighth grade middle school has

one of the largest populations of limited English proficiency students in the county with over

one quarter of students receiving English language services, has a greater number of students

that experience poverty indicated by 58% of students qualifying to receive free or reduced

lunch, and consistently experiences higher rates of student mobility than other schools within

the district. The schools population is also ethnically diverse: 21% of students identify as

Asian, 20% of students identify as Black, 34% of students identify as Hispanic, 21% of

students identify as White, and 3% identify as Other. These factors are not only highly

atypical compared to the district as a whole, but also have important implications for the

teaching experiences of the educators who teach here and who are the subjects of study. It

should also be noted that this site, while purposeful, was also convenient given that I, the

researcher, am a teacher at this school. While Glesne warns that backyard research should
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be handled delicately and with great consideration given the implications of studying personal

friends or professional colleagues, the espoused advantages, including relatively easy access;

the groundwork for rapport is already established; the research would be useful for their

professional and personal life; and the amount of time and money needed for various research

steps would be reduced have far outweighed any negative consequences that have and might

result from conducting this study (2011, p.8).

Participants. Given that this study aims to deeply understand the experience of a

particular group, I chose my participants for this study purposefully (Glesne, 2011). I believed

it to be very important to select teachers with whom I have an established, trusting

relationship. The nature of my research interests might have made colleagues whom I do not

know well seem wary of my intentions or more apt to deliver a response which they thought I

might want to hear, given that it requires them to be somewhat evaluative of their teaching

practice and express opinions about their beliefs concerning school leadership and vision.

Glesne describes that the more one deems a person trustworthy, the more he or she will speak

fully and frankly to that person (2011, p.130). For this reason, I selected 13 teachers to

contact directly via email in order to gauge their interest in participating in the study. While

this process certainly proved to be convenient, I believe the strategy was much more credible

than pure convenience sampling given the other factors that went into consideration (Glesne,

2011). Additionally, there was some element of maximum variation sampling because

multiple types of teachers where selected within the site to help understand the perspectives of

varying subject areas (Merriam, 2009, p. 79). I understood that selecting teachers within one

particular content area, that may or may not more readily lend itself to integrating 21st century

skill building, might limit my findings and transferability (Merriam, 2009).

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After potential participants were initially contacted via email, I set up an interview

appointment for each of the first six people who responded back affirmatively. I indicated to

these participants that I anticipated our discussions would last about thirty minutes each, which

I supposed would give me enough data from which to make connections and draw

conclusions. Two additional respondents contacted me in the following days and I set up

tentative interviews dates and times in the event that some of my previous respondents were

unable to follow through or did not consent to participation upon understanding further details

about the study. Although all six participants fully participated, I ended up including the

additional two participants since some of my initial interviews were more brief than

anticipated. This resulted in a total of eight participants within the study. Five female and

three male teachers from the school site consented and participated in individual interviews.

As aforementioned, while these participants all teach at the same school site within Large Mid-

Atlantic County, they teach very disparate curriculums including Math, Language Arts, Social

Studies, Science, Chorus, Theater Arts, English as a Second Language (ESOL), and Special

Education content courses. Further detailed demographic and professional information about

each participant is summarized in Appendix A.

Data Collection

I followed the timetable in Appendix B in order to collect data and complete my

research study. Prior to conducting all eight interviews, each participant was emailed a copy

of the informed consent letter included in Appendix C. Informed consent serves to protect the

privacy of informants and explain the intents and purposes of the study (Glesne, 2011).

These letters were sent out several days to a few weeks prior to the tentative interview dates

and all participants electronically consented to the terms outlined in the letter within a few
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days of receiving their letter.

Each participant was also given a copy of the interview protocol with the informed

consent letter. This interview protocol, including subsequent revisions, can be reviewed in

Appendix D. The interview protocol was devised to elicit information about the experiences,

opinions, feelings and backgrounds of each participant as they relate to my study (Merriam,

2009). Specifically, the protocol used questioning techniques that required participants to

respond to hypothetical, ideal and interpretive questions in order to provoke information rich

responses (Merriam, 2009). A colleague within my doctoral program served as a useful and

effective pilot respondent to my interview protocol. I heeded Glesnes recommendation to

utilize a pilot respondent who is drawn from the actual group that you mean to study as my

colleague has also served as a public school teacher (2011, p. 110). Additionally, my

colleague effectively maintained a critical frame of mind so that they do not just answer

your questions, but more important, that they reflect critically on the usability of your

questions (Glesne, 2011, p. 110). This protocol was used in a semi-structured manner, so that

I as the researcher could respond openly to the information of my respondents and also have a

framework that might guide the discussion (Merriam, 2009).

I conducted each interview within the participants respective classrooms or at their

home, based on their personal preference. Each participant was offered a Starbucks coffee as a

thank you for their time and assistance. All interviews were recorded digitally on the iPhone

Voice Recorder app, at my request and after each participant granted permission for recording.

I had provided a copy of the interview protocol ahead of time so that participants had time to

think deeply about their experiences and I also provided a printed copy of interview questions

for their review at the interview session. My initial two interviews lasted just over 15 minutes
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in duration, which prompted me review my protocol and reflect on my interviewing

techniques. I used Merriams strategy of analyzing my transcripts from these interviews to

discover where I might have probed for more information (2009). This technique, along with

deciding to reword two questions that may have previously led participants to believe they

must evaluate or pass judgment on school or district administrators, resulted in more lengthy

subsequent interviews, each lasting 25 35 minutes. Additionally, as I began to engage more

deeply with relevant literature throughout the data collection process and started trying out

themes on later participants that may also have prompted more lengthy descriptions (Merriam,

2009).

Data Analysis

I began data analysis concurrently with data collection. The use of memoing prior,

during, and after interviews allowed me to connect to and reflect on the information being

shared from and between my participants (Maxwell, 2013). After the first two interviews I

began searching through the data for themes and patterns (Glesne, 2011, p.187). After

personally transcribing interviews as quickly as possible following each interview, and then

reading and rereading these transcriptions, I began the process of open coding to sort data and

information into categories (Merriam, 2009). I inductively derived about five different themes

after just three interviews and color coded quotes from each of my transcriptions in relation to

each theme. After checking to ensure the themes were responsive, mutually exclusive,

exhaustive, sensitizing and conceptually congruent (Merriam, 2009, p. 185-186), I decided

that two themes might easily collapse into each of the other themes to reduce redundancy.

Merriam may suggest five to six categories of themes, but given that my initial five were not

discrete, my data seemed better suited for three (2009). After color coding into these three
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categories, I reorganized this information into an additional analytic file (Glesne, 2011), and

laid it out within a data analysis matrix adapted from Maxwell as shown in Appendix E

(2013). Each quote that was categorized within a theme was member checked with the

respective participant to ensure that their quotation and the associated theme was relevant and

appropriately contextualized (Maxwell, 2013).

Validity and Reliability

While qualitative research is not intended for generalization, it is important to ensure

that my study was carried out in such a way to maximize its validity and reliability (Glesne,

2011). While results in qualitative research are not easily generalized, thorough methodology

can result in themes and findings that might be transferable (Merriam, 2009). Appendix F

addresses threats to internal validity within this study (Maxwell, 2013). Of the eight proposed

strategies for promoting validity and reliability, this research study used seven strategies, at

least to some extent, including member checks, extensive engagement with data, reflexivity,

peer review, audit trail, rich/thick descriptions, and maximum variation (Merriam, 2009,

p.229). While these techniques cannot eliminate sources of bias or ensure absolute truth, I

endeavored with due diligence to produce a study that reflects the beliefs and experiences of

the participants. In addition, after open coding and determining themes, I read through

transcriptions multiple times in search of discrepant cases, in an effort to purposefully seek

information that might disconfirm or challenge [my] expectations or emerging findings

(Merriam, 2009, p. 219).

Throughout the entire research process, the practice of reflexivity remained in the

forefront of my intentions. Glesne writes that researchers tend to discuss reflexivity by

inquiring into their own biases, subjectivity, and value-laden perspectives or into the
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appropriateness of their research methodology and methods, including concerns regarding data

collected, interpretations made, and representations produced (2011, p. 151).

Researcher Biases

It is impossible to approach a study without bringing research biases to the table;

however, it is critical to explore and explain these biases and describe how these notions might

color specific interpretations of and approaches to research (Maxwell, 2013). For the purposes

of this study, it is important to clarify that I have approached this research with a firm belief in

the need for reform within our educational system by emphasizing the skillsets required for

students to achieve in the 21st century and deemphasizing the value placed in standardized

assessments based in rote memorization of content knowledge. Furthermore, I come from the

viewpoint that educational leaders can serve as transformative instructional leaders and

facilitate this process of educational reform. Lastly, it is worth noting that the participants in

this study are professional colleagues of mine whose interview responses may or may not have

been influenced by our preexisting professional relationships. As noted previously, these

biases were carefully considered throughout the research process.

Discussion of Findings

The purpose of this study was to explore what teachers felt they needed in order to

support their implementation of 21st century skill building in the classroom. Three major

themes emerged from the participants responses and the following discussion explores these

themes and the supporting evidence. The first theme is that teachers look to both formal and

informal mentors, namely administrators or teacher leaders, for guiding their instructional

practice. Individual feedback and personal, relevant conversations with these mentors most

greatly impact the way teachers teach. The second theme explores how obstacles such as rigid
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curriculums and standardized testing complicate teachers ability to incorporate 21st century

skills into the classroom. By removing these perceived roadblocks, it might allow for teachers

to better focus on implementing 21st century skill building. Finally, the third theme describes

how a shared vision between the district, school, and teachers needs to be established,

communicated and carried out through these multiple levels of leadership.

Formal and Informal Mentors. While designated educational leaders were

referenced as influential players in helping teachers develop or change, many participants cited

influential experiences with their peers. Brad simply stated that, People in my role have more

of an impact on how I teach. Linda further espoused that:

My team is amazing! We work together in collaborative meetings multiple times a week

and learn so much from each other. [My teammate] could literally walk into my

classroom and finish my sentence because we spend so much time talking about our

teaching. I steal ideas from [my team mate] almost every week.

Peter also described how collegial relationships impact the scope of his teaching:

I am really close with someone I consider to be a master teacher and she has regularly

served as a mentor and a sounding board and she is not afraid to tell me when I have a

dumb idea. My first year teaching I worked with a veteran as the lead teacher and that

helped me to see what my program could be.

While these types of informal mentorship experiences were cited by nearly all of the participants,

the role of administrators and instructional coaches were not undermined. Alice describes such

influences as follows:

My first principal really changed the way I teach well teaching in an elementary school

and being a new, young teacher was part of it, too but that principals oversight and
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involvement in my teaching really shaped who I have become. It wasnt always healthy

for me; [laughs] she was really intimidating. But looking back, I am much better at my

job for having known her.

Angela also recounts how formalized instructional support developed her into the teacher she is

today:

My instructional coach my first year was really good about coming in once a month,

standing in the back of the room, taking notes, and putting the notes in my [mail]box.

She used the cookie method: something good, something bad, something good. And it

was great because you didnt feel like she was critiquing you; she was wording it like she

was trying to help you. And it did help.

While the sources of the informants important mentorship experiences varied between informal

and formal relationships, participants cited how personalized critique and support played an

important part in shaping their practice.

Reducing Obstacles in Rigid Curriculums and Standardized Assessment. Each

participant was eager to discuss the ways in which they would hypothetically restructure or

change in their ideal classroom. Impassioned descriptions of increasing flexibility in their

teaching and operating in a school devoid of the pressures induced by standardized assessment

highlight the theme that while teachers value the guidance standards and assessment provide,

they also perceive that the focus and overemphasis on these things can impede their ability to

provide quality instruction and learning experiences to their students. Brad explains:

Our curriculum is something new every day, and a lot of these kids dont have the math

skills to keep up. There are holes in the foundation there, so we are really trying to teach

two or three times as much in one lesson. It can be frustrating, not just for me but
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especially for them. If I didnt have to make sure theyd pass the [state standardized test]

we could really do more projects things that take time and create deep understandings

but dont require them to know test taking strategies and test specific vocabulary.

Language and word problems are a huge barrier for my students to really show what they

can do.

Parker also describes how rigidity can prevent students from accessing what they need in his

classroom:

Ideal classroom? Well for my kids, I would teach them at the level they were actually at.

It is ridiculous that these kids have IEPs that state they are at a cognitive or intellectual

disadvantage and they still have to learn the same stuff and take the same tests. I just

want them to leave my class and be able to function...and handle a job. Even if they are

not college material, I hope they can make correct change and, ya know, handle their

finances...

Alices social studies course, up until recently, had to participate in state mandated tests at the

end of the year. Even now that the test has been removed, she recounts how things are slow to

evolve given the nature of how the district dictates the pacing and framework for the curriculum

standards:

I am all about the standards and having an idea about what a 6th grade student needs to

know about US history, but at the same time I wish I had the flexibility of what to do.

There are eight units and I would consolidate them all within two general units of The

Revolutionary War and The Civil War instead of chunking it the way we do. If we did

that, we could do more and have more time to be flexible to do the things I want to do. It

is our first year without the [state mandated test] so I am already feeling a little more
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flexibility, but at the same time everyone is still stuck in that mindset.

More surprisingly, participants who do not teach core subject areas and who tend to experience

more autonomy in their curriculum and assessment practices have felt the effects of testing not

just on their school culture, but within their classrooms. Kaitlyn explains:

If you sit in staff meetings, all the data comes from [the state standardized tests] so that

says, If you teach a [state standardized test], you are the important teacher in the room

and again, thats not coming from the building, its from higher up, so in an ideal world,

those tests would matter a whole lot less There are certain times when I am like, Why

are you pulling kids from my class to finish up their [district mandated] reading test?

But I also understand their pressures The important skills are the things that are not

measured on a test. All subjects can contribute to creating the student we hope that person

to become.

The experiences shared from these participants illustrate that it is not just the teachers who

participate in state mandated testing who experience a lack of autonomy and frustration.

Rigidity in curriculum and the pressures of accountability affect an entire school and impact

students in what skills they access and utilize in the classroom.

Shared Vision. The participants also described their powerlessness in affecting

change without the support of leadership on multiple levels. By creating a shared vision

between the district, the school, and teachers, it will refocus all stakeholders on providing for

the authentic needs of students. Angela describes how this process is hierarchical:

Its a matter of a viewpoint on the purpose of education, which is incredibly difficult

to change it would be the people that make the laws, that pass the laws they dont

know what a student needs.

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Peter explains that the effects of reform have been shared from the district level and have

begun to be focused on at the classroom level:

The [21st Century Learning Program] rolled out by [Large Mid-Atlantic County] has

creativity and resilience as two of its focuses, and I feel like my class encourages that. It

really sounds like [new district superintendent] has a plan for fixing things.

Talia explains how this sentiment can be expressed through the leadership, but it wont

necessarily change classroom experience on its own:

I think sometimes your school can give you permission to focus on certain things and

kind of forget about the test. But then again, nobody wants their school to fall into

sanctions and since weve been there several years ago, it is not a place anyone wants to

go back to. People were being observed and there was so much paperwork and we spent

all our planning watching and evaluating how each of our teachers taught. No one wants

to have to do that so I guess the leadership cant always do much unless everything

changes.

The participants attitude about a shared leadership vision for 21st century learning could be

described as hopeful, at best, and yet overwhelmingly, teachers seem somewhat doubtful or

helpless that it may generate real changes within school cultures and classrooms. However,

participants did describe how the power truly lies within the upper levels of leadership and

should instructional leaders choose to take steps to support teachers and respond reflexively to

their needs, it would seem that reform may occur. Currently, the state of shared vision among

the leadership may be a lot of smoke and mirrors or illustrate something that merely looks

good on paper; the leaderships next steps to collaborate and communicate about teaching,

learning, and assessment will dictate whether students experience in school changes.
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Overwhelmingly, the participants described the need for mentorship, systemic structural

change, and vision from the leadership in order for 21st century skills to be more readily

incorporated into their daily teaching practice. These three themes hold tremendous implications

for how the school and district might proceed in an effort to prepare students for the future.

Conclusion

As educational research continues to help point to ways that educators can improve

the experience of students in the classroom, it will be valuable to understand what teachers

need in order to fully implement best practices in teaching, learning, and assessment. Many

educators are currently frustrated with the current state of education and its test-driven nature,

and are looking at 21st century teaching practices as a framework for realigning teaching

practices to meet students real life needs. By continuing to develop the body of research about

promoting 21st century learning skills, educators might learn how to best adapt to changing

educational times. While my personal research makes the case for providing both formal and

informal educational mentors, removing curricular and testing mandates that are perceived as

obstacles, and developing a dialogue and interaction surrounding the vision between multiple

levels of leadership, my research also generates myriad implications and questions for future

research:

1. How do school districts establish and share a vision of 21st century learning with a

school system? How is this vision communicated, what related resources should the

district provide, and how do they ensure the intentions of this vision are carried out?

2. How do school based administrators translate the vision of 21st century learning in a

school district into actual teaching practices within their school? How do principals

reflexively communicate between the central office and teachers themselves?

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3. How will teachers, schools, and the district account for the extent to which

implementation of 21st century teaching and learning actually takes place?

It is my hope that educational researchers continue to contribute to the dialogue on

21st century skill building and that the reform movement leads school districts, schools, and

teachers to finding a way to liberate themselves from the rigidity and constraints that

standardized testing in its current form often imposes. It is my belief that the body of research

related to 21st century skills could prove to be truly transformational in the educational

experience of todays students. While teachers will always be of paramount importance for

change to actually occur, future research studies should look to all levels of todays

educational leaders as multiple stakeholders who must necessarily work together to positively

influence and support teachers in the implementation of 21st century learning in the classroom.
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Neumerski, C. (2012). Rethinking instructional leadership, a review: What do we know about

principal, teacher, and coach instructional leadership, and where should we go from here?

Educational Administration Quarterly, 49(2), 310-347. doi: 10.1177/0013161X12456700

Supovitz, J. (2009). Can high stakes testing leverage educational improvement? Prospects from

the last decade of testing and accountability reform. Journal of Educational Change, 10,

211-227.

Voogt, J. & Roblin, N. (2012). A comparative analysis of international frameworks for 21st

century competences: Implications for national curriculum policies. Journal of

Curriculum Studies, 44(3), 299-321. doi:10.1080/00220272.2012.668938

21ST CENTURY SKILLS IN CLASSROOM 22

Appendix A

Participant Description and Interview Schedule

Participant Pseudonym Demographics Interview Schedule

Angela - Female Wednesday, October 29th at

-7th year teaching 10:00am

- Taught in Arizona, DC and

Large Mid-Atlantic County

-Taught English, Creative

Writing, Social Studies

-Currently in MT program

-Always taught in high

schools/middle schools with

Title 1/ low SES

Linda - Female Tuesday, November 4th at

-8th year teaching 11:30am

- Taught in Raleigh, NC and

Large Mid-Atlantic County

-Taught Social Studies,

Science, Math, Remedial

Math

-Completed MT program

-Always elementary/ middle

schools in Title 1/ low SES

21ST CENTURY SKILLS IN CLASSROOM 23

schools

Alice - Female Tuesday, November 4th at

-6th year teaching (took two 9:00am

years off to pursue alternate

career and Masters degree)

- Taught in one elementary

and one middle school in

Large Mid-Atlantic County

-Teaches Social Studies and

Science

Kaitlyn - Female Friday, October 31st at 9:30am

-10th year teaching

- Taught in one middle school

in Large Mid-Atlantic County

-Teaches Chorus

Peter - Male Tuesday, November 4th at

-5th year teaching 8:00pm

- Taught in one middle and

one high school in

neighboring school district/

one middle school in Large

Mid-Atlantic County

-Teaches Theater Arts

21ST CENTURY SKILLS IN CLASSROOM 24

-Completed MT program

Brad - Male Tuesday, November 4th at

-5th year teaching 9:30am

- Taught in one elementary

and one middle school in

Large Mid-Atlantic County

-Teaches Math

Parker - Male Friday, November 6th at

-5th year teaching 9:30am

- Taught middle school in

Large Mid-Atlantic County

-Teaches Special Education

Math and Science

Talia - Female Friday, November 6th at

-11th year teaching 4:00pm

- Taught in elementary and

middle school in Large Mid-

Atlantic County

-Teaches English as a Second

Language (multiple subject

areas)
21ST CENTURY SKILLS IN CLASSROOM 25

Appendix B

Timetable for Research Study

September- October 2014 Collect and review literature related to:

- Testing and Accountability

- 21st Century Skills

- Instructional Leadership

- Developing Teaching Practices

By October 6, 2014 -Purposefully select site

-Email potential participants

By October 20, 2014 -Write literature review and problem

- Finalize research questions

- Schedule 6 interviews

- Develop interview protocol

By November 3, 2014 -Conduct 8 interviews (2 more than

(Actual: November 7, 2014) anticipated due to high level of teacher

interest in participation and brevity of

initial interviews)

-Memo and begin preliminary data analysis

By November 17, 2014 -Complete interview transcriptions

(Actual: November 29, 2014) -Begin member checks

-Continue data analysis

-Share initial findings with critical

colleagues
21ST CENTURY SKILLS IN CLASSROOM 26

By December 6, 2014 -Complete member checks

-Complete data analysis

-Complete final study write up

21ST CENTURY SKILLS IN CLASSROOM 27

Appendix C

Informed Consent Letter

The following letter was sent electronically to all participants several days or weeks prior

to their scheduled interview time. Participants were asked to review the information and

respond electronically if they agreed to the terms and conditions. All participants responded and

agreed to the terms below.

Dear ________________,

I am sending you this letter to inform you about the nature of my research study and for

the purpose of requesting your permission to participate. This study is being conducted in order

to fulfill an assignment requirement in a research methods course in my doctoral program at

George Mason University. I will be focusing on the ways in which teachers experience support

for implementing 21st century learning skills in the classroom. It is my hope to understand what

resources or support teachers feel they need to make their classroom learning environments

geared towards preparing their students with the knowledge and skills they need to be successful

in todays competitive, global economy.

For this project, I am requesting to interview you and several of your colleagues about

your perceptions about and utilization of 21st century learning skills and also your experiences

with developing your teaching practice. Please see the attached document with the specific

questions we will discuss during the interview. You may review the questions ahead of time and

are encouraged to think about examples or experiences that illustrate your responses and

opinions related to these questions. Please note that your participation should only require about

30 minutes of your time, it is completely voluntary, and your responses are confidential. You
21ST CENTURY SKILLS IN CLASSROOM 28

may withdraw from the study at any time and for any reason without penalty. I can assure you

that only I will be aware of your identity and all of your responses will be recorded and reported

under a pseudonym. Additionally, your anonymous responses will only be shared within the

context of classroom discussions and within a final paper.

Thank you in advance for your time and please respond to this email as to whether you

consent to participation under these terms.

Sincerely,

Meredith Mitchell
21ST CENTURY SKILLS IN CLASSROOM 29

Appendix D

Interview Protocol

The following interview protocol reflects the initial questions asked of interviewees at the

beginning of the study. Interviews were semi-structured and thus varied considerably between

participants.

1. Demographics: name, teaching experience (number of years and number of schools),

subject area, academic or professional experience prior to teaching, gender

2. What knowledge and skills do you perceive students need to be successful in the 21st

century? What is it about this particular knowledge or skills that you think will prepare

students for their futures?

3. Thinking about these knowledge and skills, what do you feel like you are doing in your

classroom currently to support these educational goals?

4. Imagine a classroom where you were in complete control of the instruction and

curriculum. In this dream world, what would be different about the way you approach

your teaching? What would be the same?

5. In thinking about the things that you would change, can you think of any forms of

instructional or curricular support and/or resources that could help you towards your ideal

classroom?

6. Have you experienced obstacles in your teaching that you believe negatively impacted

your student learning goals?

7. How do you feel your teaching aligns with the vision and goals of the school district?

8. How do you feel your teaching aligns with the vision and goals of your school

leadership?
21ST CENTURY SKILLS IN CLASSROOM 30

9. When you reflect on your teaching practice in your entire career, what factors and

influences have most greatly impacted the way that you teach?

10. Describe a time when an administrator, instructional coach, or teacher leader caused you

to reflect or change your practice.

NOTE: After the first two interviews, questions #7 and #8 were changed to:

7. How would you describe the vision and goals of the school district?

8. How would you describe the vision and goals of school and teacher leaders with whom

you have worked?

21ST CENTURY SKILLS IN CLASSROOM
Open Code 1:
Formal and Informal Mentors
Theme 1:
Teachers look to both formal
and informal mentors to guide
their instructional practice.
Individual feedback and
personal, relevant
conversation most greatly
impact the way teachers teach.
Angela: My instructional
coach my first year was really
good about coming in once a
month, standing in back of the
room, taking notes, and
putting the notes in my
[mail]box. She used the
cookie method: something
good, something bad,
something good. And it was
great because you didnt feel
like she was critiquing you;
she was wording it like she
was trying to help you. And it
did help.
Brad: People in my role
have more of an impact on
how I teach.
Linda: My team is amazing!
We work together in
collaborative meetings
multiple times a week and
learn so much from each
other. [My teammate] could
literally walk into my
classroom and finish my
Appendix E
Data Analysis Matrix
Open Code 2:
Testing and Curriculum
Theme 2:
Obstacles such as rigid
curriculums and standardized
testing complicate teachers
ability to incorporate 21st
century skills into the
classroom. Removing these
perceived roadblocks would
allow for teachers to focus on
21st century skill building.
Kaitlyn: If you sit in staff
meetings, all the data comes
from [the state standardized
tests] so that says, If you
teach a [state standardized
test], you are the important
teacher in the room and
again, thats not coming from
the building its from higher up
so in an ideal world, those
tests would matter a whole lot
less There are certain times
when I am like, Why are you
pulling kids from my class to
finish up their [district
mandated] reading test? But
I also understand their
pressures The important
skills are the things that are
not measured on a test. All
subjects can contribute to
creating the student we hope
that person to become.
Brad: Our curriculum is
something new every day, and
a lot of these kids dont have
the math skills to keep up.
31
Open Code 3:
Vision
Theme 3:
A shared vision between the
district, school, and teacher
need to be established,
communicated, and carried
out through multiple levels of
leadership.
Angela: I dont think its just
a matter of support its a
matter of a viewpoint on the
purpose of education, which is
incredibly difficult to
change it would be the
people that make the laws, that
pass the laws they dont
know what a student needs.
Peter: The vision of
administration is to have kids
ready for high school and I do
feel my class offers an
opportunity to get ready
because it requires them to be
self-reliant.
The [21st Century Learning
Program] rolled out by [Large
Mid-Atlantic County] has
creativity and resilience as two
of its focuses, and I feel like
my class encourages that. It
really sounds like [new district
superintendent] has a plan for
fixing things.
21ST CENTURY SKILLS IN CLASSROOM 32

sentence because we spend so There are holes in the Linda: Some admin really
much time talking about our foundation there, so we are understand and they are on
teaching. I steal ideas from really trying to teach two or point about This is not the
[team mate] almost every three times as much in one way schools should be. We
week. lesson. It can be frustrating, are all operating under the
not just for me but especially idea of this isnt right, but
Alice: My first principal for them. If I didnt have to there is nothing we can do
really changed the way I make sure theyd pass the about it. We dont set the
teach well teaching in an [state standardized test] we tone.
elementary school and being a could really do more
new, young teacher was part projects things that take Talia: I think sometimes
of it, too but that principals time and create deep your school can give you
oversight and involvement in understandings but dont permission to focus on certain
my teaching really shaped require them to know test things and kind of forget about
who I have become. It wasnt taking strategies and test the test. But then again,
always healthy for me [laughs] specific vocabulary. nobody wants their school to
she was really intimidating. Language and word problems fall into sanctions and since
But looking back, I am much are a huge barrier for my weve been there several years
better at my job for having students to really show what ago, it is not a place anyone
known her. they can do. wants to go back to. People
were being observed and there
Peter: I am really close with Parker: Ideal classroom? was so much paperwork and
someone I consider to be a Well for my kids, I would we spent all our planning
master teacher and she has teach them at the level they watching and evaluating how
regularly served as a mentor were actually at. It is each of our teachers taught.
and a sounding board and she ridiculous that these kids have No one wants to have to do
is not afraid to tell me when I IEPs that state they are at a that so I guess the leadership
have a dumb idea. My first cognitive or intellectual cant always do much unless
year teaching I worked with a disadvantage and they still everything changes.
veteran as the lead teacher and have to learn the same stuff
that helped me to see what my and take the same tests. I just
program could be. want them to leave my class
and be able to function in
Talia: My role can literally society. Even if they are not
be an island. In the college material, I hope they
elementary school, I worked can make correct change and,
within classrooms so I got to ya know, handle their
see Oooh, thats something I finances...
want to do! or Oh gosh, I
hope I never become that!. Alice: I am all about the
Here [in middle school], I standards and having an idea
have had some team teaching about what a 6th grade student
experiences but for the most needs to know about US
part I am on my own within history, but at the same time I
the building, especially this wish I had the flexibility of
year when my schedule what to do. There are eight
21ST CENTURY SKILLS IN CLASSROOM 33

doesnt allow for collaborationunits and would consolidate

with other ESOL or team them all within two general
teachers. Its okay though units of The Revolutionary
County meetings can be good War and The Civil War.
to connect with people. The Instead of chunking it the way
[professional development] we do. If we did that, we
isnt what I go for, its to hear
could do more and have more
what the other teachers are time to be flexible to do the
doing. things I want to do. It is our
first year without the [state
Kaitlyn: Our inservices are mandated test] so I am already
great and we bounce ideas off feeling a little more flexibility,
each other. Also, the pyramid but at the same time everyone
meets three times a year which is still stuck in that mindset.
is always cool to see what
experience the kids are
coming from and what they
are headed to.

Often leadership cant give

real input, I have had the head
of music come and work with
my kids and having someone
else on the podium is helpful.
When it comes to
administrators and
instructional coaches- not
really. People in my role have
much more of an impact and
sometimes we will even
switch schools for a day. It
keeps it fresh for us and the
kids love it.

Adapted from (Maxwell, 2013)

21ST CENTURY SKILLS IN CLASSROOM 34

Appendix F

Validity Threats Analysis Matrix

Validity Threats and

Why do I need to know this? Possible Strategies for
What do I need to know?
Dealing with Validity
Threats
1. Questions 2-5 in These questions will be answered It might be difficult to
Protocol: What skills do through interview data. This gather comprehensive data
teachers value and how information will help me determine about all that teachers want
are these skills whether or not 21st century learning is for their students in a short
implemented (or hope to a priority to the teacher. If the teacher amount of time. Perhaps
be implemented) in the mentions the 4 Cs or other skills that providing protocol
classroom? What would lie outside of the spoken curriculum, questions ahead of time
teachers need to help this teacher will demonstrate the will contribute to richness.
them promote such conclusion that students do need I will member check the
skills within their knowledge and skills that are often data and also search for
curriculum? neglected from standards. discrepant information, as I
have my own biases about
what else should be taught
and emphasized in schools.
2. Questions 6- 8 in If there is a discrepancy between the Self-report bias may
Protocol: How does the vision of school leaders vs. the vision influence teachers
teachers vision align of teachers, this could potentially identifying whether or not
with the school system/ impact teachers ability to focus on the their vision differs that of
educational leadership? 21st century skills and knowledge that the school system or
Does this alignment are outside of their given curriculum. administration. My
(orlack thereof) impact reactivity may influence or
teachers ability to serve encourage responses, as I
students holistically? empathize with the
struggle of teachers to do
what they think is right vs.
what a school or school
system might emphasize. I
will have to be conscious
of my reactions and
conduct a member check
after my interpretation of
their interview.
21ST CENTURY SKILLS IN CLASSROOM
3. Questions 9 & 10 Do By understanding the perceived
administrators have the influence of educational leaders on
ability to influence teachers, I can further determine
teacher instruction? Are whether or not ed leaders can be
there other factors that agents of change for enhancing the
impact greater change in role of 21st century learning in the
teaching? classroom. If ed leaders are not the
drivers of change to teacher
instruction, by understanding the other
factors that teachers attribute to their
development in practice, I can draw
conclusions about what might be a
more crucial factor to consider for
promoting 21st century learning.
Adapted from (Maxwell, 2013)
35
I come from the biased
perspective, based on
experience and literature,
that educational leaders
can effectively serve as
instructional leaders. It
will be important for me to
listen to discrepant
information, so that I may
be open to the factors of
change that my informants
uncover.