Professional Development Needs Assessment Executive Summary

Goals

In 1997 and 1998, PCEE conducted a statewide professional development needs assessment for environmental education. The two goals of the survey were: to collect opinions about perceived needs from current and potential environmental educators and others who may engage in environmental education teaching activities; and to augment information from the original statewide environmental education needs assessment which served as the basis for setting PCEE’s priorities.

Methods

Three methods were used to gather information. Informal telephone interviews were conducted with members of the PCEE executive committee, to gather their opinions on the professional development needs of members of their respective agencies and organizations. Surveys were mailed to formal educators throughout the state, some of whom were EE practitioners as identified by the Pa. Department of Education, and some of whom were chosen at random. A survey of nonformal educators was mailed to a sample of organizations listed in the 1996 Conservation Directory sponsored by the Pa. Department of Environmental Protection. Of the 1415 survey instruments sent out, their were 245 responses for an overall combined response rate of 17%. All of the surveys except the formal EE practitioners had much higher individual response rates. (See complete report for details.)

Professional Development Delivery Preferences

The report indicated a high degree of interest for professional development. Eighty-eight percent of the respondents chose it as a priority.

Seventy-four percent of formal educators selected workshops as their preferred professional development delivery format. Thirty percent of nonformal educators indicated interest in workshops for credit. Among those interested in for-credit workshops, graduate credit was favored over IU credit, (54% of those respondents chose graduate credit, 31% chose IU credit).

The top ranked factors considered important when deciding whether to attend a workshop included time of year, location and content. Weekday workshops held in winter or summer were favored. Respondents indicated that they would be most interested in one-day workshops, although those designating interest in workshops for college credit indicated they would likely devote two days. Fifty to one hundred miles was the highest ranking acceptable travel distance. Cost was mentioned as a deciding factor in one of the open-ended comments.

Out of those respondents who indicated a preference for professional delivery formats, middle and high school teachers' clearly ranked courses as their second choice after workshops, (23% of middle school teachers and 32% of high school teachers selected this as their preferred option). Of those elementary teachers indicating a preference, conferences and courses ranked about even as their second choice, (both received 25% of the elementary teacher responses).

Content

The data suggested there is interest in a wide variety of content areas. Formal sector respondents indicated the highest level of interest in instructional methodologies, environmental issues, and program models. Other specific priorities for formal educators, in order of preference were: ecology, learning technology, natural history, facility development and critical thinking.

There were some minor differences among formal educators of different grade levels. One of the most noticeable trends was the increase in the importance placed on environmental issues as a topic for professional development workshops. Interest in this topic was highest among high school teachers and lowest among elementary teachers.

Elementary teachers had a higher ranking of the importance of ecology concepts and facility development, whereas middle school and high school teachers favored program models and critical thinking to a slightly higher degree.

Nonformal educator respondents were most interested in the following topics, listed in rank order: existing environmental education resources, current EE status and developments in Pennsylvania, how to develop and present programs to nonformal audiences, and learning technologies.