Theory of Planned Development#
I am investigating the theory of planned behavior. I was drawn to this because it has such a broad spectrum of uses since it investigates potential human behavior, not just human interactions with technology. I have been on the ed tech team for 8 years at my job, which includes coaching teachers around incorporating technology into their teaching and student learning. This responsibility includes providing professional development. And what is professional development but a way to try to change a teacher’s planned behavior?
Professional Development#
My friend and classmate Julie Cummings invited me to her district for some professional development around using AI tools with students in the classroom. It was a wonderful experience overall, and I walked away with one particularly strong piece of the puzzle. We did a lot “use this tool to do (something)” style activities, and she walked us through the experience in general. Instead of a sit-and-get style PD, which we know is common but not necessarily effective, we were guided to use the 3 big AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini) to learn about generative AI as well as provide a comparison and held conversations around which we preferred for different tasks.
The key moment for me was most of the way through the second day. We were using yet another tool. Instead of going over the benefits and such, she referenced the items principals expect to see when they observe a lesson: critical thinking, creativity, communication & collaboration. Then she had the learners share if they thought a particular tool/activity connected to each expectation. She also added that these weren’t practices you needed to do all of - pick one and focus on incorporating one tool or lesson per semester. It’s not all the time, it’s sometimes, and it enhances our practice.
The Connection#
Now to bring this back to the theory of planned behavior.
I really appreciate the fact this theory, while rooted in decades of research, is still relevant enough that the creator has an interactive version on his website.
The professional development discussed above deftly worked to improve behavioral beliefs by giving educators first-hand experience with the tools as well as the presenter giving examples of using the tools with K-12 students in active learning situations. She attempted to adjust the group’s normative beliefs by:
- Showing that other teachers were already doing this
- Encouraging them by reminding them they are leaders in this practice
- Creating a community of exploration during the event through group activities and collaborative note-taking
- Referencing the excitement of their principals who took the training earlier
Finally, giving the teachers hands-on experience, and modeling how to handle misbehaving technology, provided opportunities for the participants to feel more in control of the use of AI. AI was not a big, scary, nebulous thing to be worried about or overwhelmed by. It was shown to be practical, useful, but also limited, tools that can enhance both planning, preparation, and the act of teaching.
This was a great session to participate in as a practitioner. It was an amazing opportunity as a budding researcher connecting research and practice. I have been planning out the next round of professional development for the teachers at my school. We have identified a set of tools that we subscribe to that are currently under-utilized. Instead of a tool-focused training session, I think the key is to create a session that touches on a need (possibly themed on different offerings various tools have in common) and work from there. Last year I lead 2 professional development sessions that were highly-attended: prompt engineering (which was turned into Magic School AI exploration at the last minute) and Canva for Education, which were both interactive, collaborative, and designed to harness playful learning in adults. The goals were to positively enhance the participants’ attitudes towards tools (increasing excitement, decreasing trepidation), and increase the idea that technology is a meaningful part of our teaching practice. My goal this summer is to use this theory to develop meaningful PD for the educators at my school.