Acknowledging teachers’ individual starting conditions and zones of development in the course of professional development

Abstract This study investigated starting conditions and individual changes among 19 teachers who participated in teacher professional development programs on classroom discourse. Based on the interconnected model of teacher change (Clarke & Hollingsworth, 2002), triangulated pre-test data depicted mostly positive teacher attitudes and student learning, which were accompanied by diverse initial dialogic teaching practices. Based on pre-test data analysis, teachers’ individual zones of development were identified. The most observed changes throughout the program occurred within the initially identified developmental zones. Teachers’ finishing conditions demonstrated the leverage of the programs in improving dialogic discourse, particularly when taking into account initial starting conditions.