Professional Development and Rural Science Teachers' Expanding Social Networks: A Longitudinal Analysis
Rural science teachers, often grappling with extreme professional isolation due to significant geographic separation and a lack of same-subject teaching colleagues nearby, face unique challenges. This longitudinal study, conducted in a Western US state, delves into the impact of technology-mediated lesson study (TMLS) professional development on rural chemistry and biology teachers' collaboration, advice-seeking, and friendship networks. Using a stepwise approach to specify stochastic actor-oriented models (SAOMs) in RSiena, we analyzed changes in the three networks over three years. The survey respondents included teachers who participated in TMLS across two cohorts (N=13) and those who did not (N=67). Our findings reveal that, while overall collaboration networks expanded initially and then stabilized, the advice-seeking and friendship networks exhibited continuous growth, indicating the positive impact of TMLS. Outdegree (density), reciprocity, and triadic closure were significant in all three networks, indicating the cohesive formation of subgroups. Despite minimal homophily effects, geographic separation emerged as a significant barrier to tie formation. However, TMLS program participation significantly increased tie formation in all three networks, even across long distances, effectively overcoming geographic barriers to professional connection. These findings underscore the value of sustained technology-enhanced professional development models that foster long-term collaboration, trust, and knowledge exchange among rural teachers.