This study examined how a 10-week professional development program on interactive whiteboard (IWB) instruction influenced three third-grade math teachers' pedagogy and perceptions. Data collected through observations, interviews, and artifacts before, during, and after the program suggested that it led teachers to design more scaffolded and interactive lessons that integrated other subjects. Teachers also changed how they used the IWB and believed it positively impacted student learning by increasing engagement and motivation.

1. A Case Study of Interactive Whiteboard Professional Development for Elementary Mathematics Teachers Dawn Essig, Ed.D. ABSTRACT State mathematical achievement data revealed the higher the grade level the greater the number of students who do not meet the standards. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand how classroom practices and perceptions changed for teachers when they participated in a professional development program aimed at interactive whiteboard (IWB) instruction. Findings suggested that IWB professional development can lead to lessons that are highly scaffolded, interactive, and interdisciplinary. Additionally, there were changes in IWB usage and purpose, and teachers perceptions related to students’ learning. DATA COLLECTION PROCEDURES Purposeful sample of 3 third grade math teachers. Professional Development Program: 10-weeks 1-full day professional development session Weekly professional learning communities Weekly individual mentoring sessions Data collected during 3 phases: prior to professional development, during the middle of the program, and after program was completed. Observations: 9 total, 35-40 minutes, digitally recorded, used protocols. Interviews: 9 total, semi-structured, 3 different protocols. Artifacts: 9 total, copy of IWB lesson which included teacher and student interactions. Field notes DATA ANALYSIS Reliability and Validity: Member-checking of transcripts and identification of NETS Multiple sources of evidence Triangulation Rich, thick descriptions Transferability Transcription and coding: Observations and interviews Color coding HyperResearch Memos created from impressions Data sorted RESEARCH QUESTIONS The following research questions guided this study. RQ1 : How does this professional development program influence change in teacher pedagogy in math instruction? RQ2: How does this professional development program influence change in the integration of the IWB into math instruction? RQ3: How does this professional development program influence teachers’ perceptions of student learning with an IWB? PURPOSE The purpose of this qualitative case study design was to investigate a professional development model and understand how it influenced change in the development of constructivist teaching principles. This study contributed to the limited body of research about how teachers change when they participate in IWB professional development over a duration of time. PROBLEM The number of students achieving at or above grade level on math assessments significantly declines as grade levels increase. Therefore, IWB were implemented to enhance classroom instruction and increase student performance. Even with support such as professional development on best practice and increased classroom technology, too many students continue to fail to meet state math standards and district goals. RELEVANT LITERATURE Two instructional learning theories guided this research: multimedia learning theory, learning from pictures combined with text is more beneficial for students (Mayer, 2001). constructivist learning theory, individuals construct their own meaning and understanding based on their interactions with what they already know and what they gain through experience (Richardson, 2003). Additional relevant literature included: Scaffolding IWB technology Professional development SOCIAL CHANGE IMPLICATIONS Professional development can bring about change in pedagogy and technology integration within classrooms. The creation of change agents within in school districts. Allowing teachers to collaborate, share, and support each other can foster social change within schools. The collaborative process can potentially transform pedagogy and technology integration. Federal laws are requiring districts to provide the least restrictive environment for students. Implementing the IWB has the potential to alter instruction and provide the opportunity for teachers to differentiate and design lessons that are highly supportive for the learning disabled students. Resources can be limited and take teachers time to develop. Implementing the IWB alleviates many of these difficulties and provides the teacher with a multitude of multimedia content that can be immediately accessed. In addition, the IWB ultimately save teachers time and allows them to spend more time with students. Building IWB based lessons initially takes time, but teachers are able to reuse and modify existing lessons resulting in saving time later on. LIMITATIONS Small sample size. I work at the same school as the participants and it is possible that I have experiences and values regarding technology that are different from that of the participants. I designed and implemented the professional development program. This could have resulted in participants not being truthful or not feeling comfortable with expressing their own beliefs. Therefore, safe guards were implemented to ensure reliability and validity. Participants were asked their opinions and reflections regarding the professional development program throughout the study. CONCLUSIONS Integrating the IWB into classroom instruction can lead to highly scaffolded lessons that combine both technology and content skills. When teachers take the time to develop lessons that meet the needs of the learners in their classrooms, they are more able to differentiate and engage students in the learning process. Finally, for change to occur in classrooms teachers need supportive professional development that is ongoing and reflective of their specific learning needs. FINDINGS 1. Increased Scaffolding of Lesson Design. Each teacher was slightly different in their lesson design and delivery, but they all began to use scaffolding techniques. Lessons included: connections to prior knowledge gradually increased in complexity and more organized guided and independent practice visual supports to cue learners assessment in order to determine follow-up lessons pace based on student needs 2. Student-Centered. Lessons changed from content-centered to more student-centered. Teachers demonstrated decreased teacher talk time, student engagement occurred earlier in lessons, increased activity and variety in lessons, and embedded student assessment. 3. Interdisciplinary Lessons. Teachers began to embed more of the NETS –T in to lessons 4. Purpose of the IWB. Teachers changed from using the IWB as a traditional board to more of an interactive tool for student engagement. 5. Usage of IWB. Teachers increased IWB from once a week to daily and in multiple classes or subject areas. IWB were moved to the front of the room. 6. Increased Student Learning. Initially, teachers believed the IWB was motivating and engaging, but were not sure of how it impacted learning. At the conclusion, teachers perceived the IWB to be highly engaging and contributed to students learning more: “ It’s improved my students’ learning and experiences in my classroom.” “ They will take more risks; they want to pop that balloon even if they don’t know if they have the right answers. They are willing to take that risk for the balloon. They have accountability because they have to take risks and try.”