Teachers and students together in a professional learning community

Students represent the majority of the people in a school organisation, but are rarely considered as participants in literature on professional learning communities (PLC). This article explored a PLC with the legitimate participation of students in the classroom. Data was based on interviews with 11 teachers. Community of practice theory provides 3 dimensions that were used as analytical tools: shared repertoire, mutual engagement, and joint enterprise. Shared repertoire refers to how teachers introduce and develop tools for learning; mutual engagement to how to establish relationships and atmosphere with a respect for learning; and joint enterprise to how students’ associations and experiences are used to shape content knowledge in planning for learning. We conclude that the theory of community of practice is useful to describe and understand the formation of a PLC.     

Effects of teacher professional learning activities on student achievement growth

The authors examined the effects of six types of teacher professional learning activities on student achievement growth over 4 years using statewide longitudinal survey data collected from 467 middle school mathematics teachers in 91 schools merged with 11,192 middle school students' mathematics scores in a standardized assessment in Missouri. The data showed that teacher-centered collaborative activities to learn about mathematics teaching and learning (teacher collaboration and informal communication) seem to be more effective in improving student mathematics achievement than learning activities that do not necessarily involve such teacher-centered collaborative opportunities (professional development programs, university courses, individual learning activities). Teacher-driven research activities through professional conference presentation and participation were also found to be associated with student achievement growth in mathematics. The districts and schools may benefit from investing their professional development funds and resources in facilitating teacher-centered collaborative and research-based learning activities in order to improve student learning.     

ICT professional development for teachers in online forums: Analysing the role of discussion

This paper explores the role of engaging teachers in constructive dialogue within ICT professional development activity. As part of an ICT professional development program, sixteen teachers across eight geographically removed schools participated in an online threaded discussion forum for a school year. Data reported in this paper are generated from the archived posts to a threaded discussion forum and are analysed qualitatively for evidence of community and quantitatively for different forums of feedback (Mäkitalo, Häkkinen, Leinonen, & Järvelä, 2002) and levels of discussion (Jarvela & Hakkinen, 2002). The findings suggest evidence of both collegial and critical forms of discussion. Collegial discussion was found to be important in developing and maintaining community while critical discussion was vital for its role in transforming teachers' beliefs. The data also revealed a number of practical aspects of online environments that inhibit what is termed in this paper as constructive discussion.     

Discourse communities: A framework from which to consider professional development for rural teachers of science and mathematics

This paper explores aspects of professional development for teachers of science and mathematics in schools in rural Australia. The study identified a range of issues including tensions between government, school and individual professional learning priorities and their respective responsibilities; the shaping of professional development by rurality; and issues of generic versus subject-specific professional learning. The paper will focus on the needs of teachers, particularly secondary teachers, for subject-specific professional development and the capacity of different professional development approaches for satisfying these needs. The notion of discourse communities is proposed as a framework for considering this issue.     

Talk about student learning: Promoting professional growth among teacher educators

Talk about student learning (TASL) in the professional development of teacher educators shifts the focus from teaching to a more productive emphasis on learning. This study examines characteristics of TASL among teacher educators in community and its functions for their learning. The research was based on professional learning communities in which discourse was analyzed. Three genres were found: managing understanding, advisory talk and meta-analytic talk. The functions of TASL included an inquiry and research orientation, awareness of the connection between teaching and learning, and awareness of their own learning process. TASL was found to improve teaching through these functions.     

Building an online community to support the professional development of casual teachers

Abstract

With the burgeoning casualisation of the higher education workforce, the precarious nature of casual teaching has become increasingly well documented. Universities are recognising that enhancing quality learning and teaching must include attention to the provision of services, support, and professional development for teachers employed on a sessional or casual basis. This paper presents a study investigating an online course for supporting and connecting dispersed and diverse casual teachers at an Australian university. The study explores the role of community and the impact of professional development for casual teachers across discipline boundaries in an institution-wide online course.     

我国物理教师专业发展研究述评

物理教师专业发展是目前我国物理教育理论界关注的热点。诸多学者对物理教师专业发展进行了深入的理论研究,并取得了一定成绩。物理教师专业发展研究的不足之处在于：理论研究水平有待提高;实践研究急需加强;忽视了物理教师的主体地位;物理教师教育与基础教育课程改革脱节。     

Public reflection within learning communities: an incessant type of professional development

This article is based on a study focusing on how structured learning communities can promote reflective awareness and professional development, through collaborative analysis of professional experience. As participant–observer, the researcher used recorded observations as well as individual participants’ reflective writing as data. Of importance is the fact that all seven participants argued that they developed professionally and started to dig deeper into their experiences as the five-month study progressed. They also pointed out that this type of professional development was immediately relevant to their present needs, and this was what motivated them to further engage in reflection as a tool for professional development. Aspects such as conflict and uncertainty in teacher learning, and how collaboration promotes further reflection will also be discussed.     

Colleagues’ roles in the professional development of teachers: Results from a research study of National Board certification

This study investigated the nature of interaction among teachers that occurred around the National Board certification (NBC) process and how that collegial interaction influenced teachers’ professional development. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 14 teachers who were either considering NBC, in the process, or had been awarded NBC. Interview data were analyzed using the constant comparative method. Results indicated that teacher interactions triggered by NBC helped one another's professional development in several ways: (a) enhancing reflection on teaching practice, (b) establishing a professional discourse community, (c) raising the standards for teaching performances, and (d) facilitating collaboration. Implications for teacher professional development were discussed.     

The professional learning of refugee volunteer teachers in Indonesian refugee learning centres

This article investigates professional learning opportunities in a community of Hazara refugee volunteer teachers. These teachers have no formal teacher training or qualifications and work in Indonesian learning centres. The study investigates the benefits and challenges of mentoring, outside support, and trust using a community of practice framework and qualitative methodology.     

The characteristics and perceptions of teachers engaged in leading professional communities

Following educational reform in Israel, teacher-leaders create and lead professional development communities (PDCs), which are professional learning communities with a focus on in-service professional development and/or improving pedagogical effectiveness. Interviews with 30 teacher-leaders and all four district-level program coordinators revealed that, prior to assuming the role, teacher-leaders developed their professional and leadership skills largely in a self-directed manner. They described their PDCs as cohesive and dedicated, cooperative, involving peer-learning, and as creating a knowledge bank of teaching methods and tools. PDCs enable teachers to advance projects within the school and affect school culture. Principals’ involvement with PDCs varied, with their usually considerable involvement very favorably regarded. This article describes these findings and discusses their implications for the professional development of teachers in the international context.     

Understanding professional learning for Computing teachers from the perspective of situated learning

ABSTRACT

Situated learning theory maintains that there is a relationship between learning and the social situation in which it occurs; learning is embedded in activity, context and culture. In terms of professional learning for teachers, this implies that effective learning takes place within a community where experts and novices meet and where practice is modelled; such a community needs to be deeply relevant to everyday practice in the classroom. In this paper, we discuss Computing At School, a grass-roots organisation that has grown up over the last 10 years through teacher communities, and also with broad support of academia and industry. In a time of increased interest in the inclusion of computer science in school curricular, Computing At School is a community of practice of all teachers affected by curriculum change in Computing and models an innovative approach to professional learning that is based on community and support. We describe here how Computing At School draws on situated learning theory to contribute to the development of Computing in the curriculum, evidencing both the journey and lessons learned.     

Examining professional learning and the preparation of professionally competent teachers in initial teacher education

The relative contributions of higher education and schools, and hence the conceptual and practical aspects of ITE, to student teachers’ professional learning have been an issue of concern in teacher education. This article reports a mixed-methods study showing the relationship between student teachers’ engagement with the practical and conceptual aspects of a Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) Programme in Hong Kong and different facets of their perceived professional competence. One hundred and thirty-two student teachers participated in the quantitative survey of whom seven were interviewed. The findings reveal that experiences associated with learning the pragmatic facets of professional practice were more valued by student teachers compared to learning the conceptual aspects of ITE. Yet, in terms of relationship with professional competence, student teachers’ engagement with the practical aspects of ITE was related to competence in classroom teaching, whereas their engagement with the conceptual aspects contributed to their mastery of professional knowledge, competence in classroom teaching and competence in interacting with stakeholders. The study illuminates the distinctive contributions of schools and higher education in ITE. While acknowledging the important role of schools in providing a setting for practical work, this study affirms the distinctive contribution of higher education in equipping student teachers with practical and conceptual tools in the preparation of professionally competent teachers.     

影响高职院校工科类大学生学习高等数学的心理因素及其对策

当前，高职院校工科类大学生不同程度地存在数学学习焦虑现象。产生这一现象的心理因素主要有：学生学习兴趣、态度与主动性，思维定势与认知迁移，学习意志与习惯及学生的数学基础和教师的品质特性。教学中，消除学生的学习焦虑，首先要激发学生的学习兴趣，增强学生的信心，帮助学生正确认识思维定势，形成良好的学习品质。     

Leadership for professional development and learning: enhancing our understanding of how teachers develop

The educational research community has made great strides in clarifying and enhancing our understanding of professional development and how it occurs. Yet in relation to one question – How do people develop professionally? – this knowledge base falls short, for while much research has been directed at addressing the question, findings have tended to lack the specificity that offers the kind of elucidation that may usefully inform professional development-focused leadership policy and practice. In particular, the micro-level cognitive process of professional development – what occurs inside an individual’s head in order for her/him to experience a professional development ‘episode’ – remains under-examined in educational research. This article makes a contribution towards addressing this short-fall. It presents the author’s conceptual analyses of professionalism and professional development – revealing the multidimensional componential structure of each – and examines how understanding of this multidimensionality may help school leaders promote and facilitate professional development.     

反思性教学:外语教师专业发展的必由之路

反思性教学是近年来在教学实践领域兴起的一种教学思潮。因其具有将“学会教学”与“学会学习”结合起来的实践合理性而受到教育界的广泛关注。本文阐述了反思性教学的内涵以及反思性教学对教师专业发展的意义与作用,分析了在外语教学中运用反思性教学,将有利于促进外语教师的专业发展。最后,介绍了在外语教学中开展反思性教学的几种途径和方法以及外语反思性教学实践的基本环节。     

乡村振兴视野下乡村教师专业发展的困境与突围

提高乡村教师的数字化教学素养是数字化时代乡村教育振兴的关键路径,是缩小城乡教育差距的时代机遇。通过建构结构方程模型,探讨教育数字化转型背景下乡村教师的组织支持感与数字化教学自我效能感在数字化持续专业发展与数字化教学素养关系中的作用。在中国19个省85个市收集12 488名中小学教师的数据,分析发现：其一,乡村教师数字化持续专业发展积极显著影响数字化教学素养;其二,组织支持感在数字化持续专业发展与数字化教学素养关系中的中介效应显著;其三,数字化教学自我效能感在数字化持续专业发展与数字化教学素养中的中介效应显著;其四,乡村教师数字化持续专业发展通过组织支持感—数字化教学自我效能感这一中介链对数字化教学素养产生间接效应。