Job-Embedded Teachers' Perspectives on Professional Learning: A Case Study of Job-Embedded Secondary Teachers and Their Education Leaders in a Local Tennessee School District

This exploratory case study of six secondary schools in a southeastern United States’ school district examined the perspectives of job-embedded teachers and their education leaders on professional learning for implementing instructional practices. Job-embedded teachers, who start as teachers-of-record while pursuing an educator preparation program, face challenges due to a lack of instructional knowledge despite immediate classroom responsibilities. Effective professional learning should be continuous, collaborative, and supported by leadership, and may be integrated into mentoring or induction programs (Darling-Hammond et al., 2017; Garet et al., 2001). This study investigated how job-embedded teachers in their first three years of teaching and their education leaders, including district leaders and principals, viewed professional learning to implement instructional practices. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 12 participants and the analysis of seven documents. Findings indicated that while both groups desired more professional learning, they had differing views on its sources, and education leaders sought increased knowledge of and communication about job-embedded educator preparation programs based within the local institute of higher education. These results inform recommendations that address district-wide structures such as instructional coaching and formalized systems such as a district leader liaison.