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Abstract
This qualitative dissertation was a collective case study of nine high school technologyeducation teachers that examined their meaning-making of professional development andsubsequent application in their teaching practice. Using intensity sampling, the inquiry includednine interviews, a one-hour workshop observation, and an observation of a one-hour breakoutsession presentation at an international technology education teacher conference. The researcherfollowed a semi-structured interview guide for each of the one-hour interviews. The data in thenine cases were first individually analyzed, and then compared through a cross-case analysis, tolook for commonalities and emerging themes. Further, analysis was considered in light of theresearch questions.The findings were first categorized individually, and then by cross-case comparison. Thenine interviews and two observations produced results from which participant data werecategorized according to the following commonalities and themes: (a) administrative support, (b)teaching environment, (c) becoming a technology education teacher, (d) professionaldevelopment [PD], (e) meaningful PD experiences, (f) why PD is meaningful, (g) choosing PDsessions, (h) classroom application of PD, (i) endogenous constructivism, (j) contextual teachingand learning, (k) expertise and teaching experience, (l) communities of practice, and (m) studentfeedback.