Thesis (Ph.D., Curriculum & Instruction)--University of Idaho, June 2015 | Teachers selected to create curriculum should receive specialized professional development. Research identified that teachers were not always academically prepared for the scope of this work, but a gap in research existed in identifying a connection between professional development and curriculum creation. With policy makers, school and district leaders, and researchers scrutinizing the work in classrooms for evidence about the effectiveness of teachers, especially in terms of their impact, determining the connections between curriculum creation and professional development was essential. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study was to identify perceived relationships between programs of professional development and curriculum creation within the “Garnet School District” in Idaho. Interviews with teachers selected to write curricula utilized open-ended questions allowing participants to describe what was meaningful or important. These interviews, supported by documentation and archival records generated from meetings, and observations of teachers involved in the processes provided thick description of these connections. Results indicated that collaboration, time, and empowerment were important connections that should be taken into consideration when providing professional development for curriculum creators. For school and district leaders, these findings serve as a reminder of the personal nature of education, in contrast to the automated systems inherent in today’s focus on consistency and accountability.
