Collaborative Inquiry: Teacher Professional Development as Situated, Responsive Coconstruction of Practice and Learning

• In Event: Researching Self- and Coregulated Learning as Situated in Contexts: Implications for Theory, Research, and Practice

Abstract

The research reported in this poster grappled with the challenge of designing and facilitating teacher professional development that bridges theory and practice so as to enhance teacher practice and learning and student learning outcomes. An overarching problem is that professional development opportunities are rarely set up in ways to help teachers develop, explore and integrate situated understandings and practices.

Studies that feature collaborative inquiry approaches show great potential to support teachers in developing new understandings and practices (Borko, 2004; Butler & Schnellert, 2008; Cochran-Smith & Lytle, 1999; Little 2003). In particular, this study combined two approaches - community-of-inquiry and collaborative teaching – in ways that extend what is known at a theoretical level (socio-constructivist understandings of professional development) and a practical level (examples and applications of approaches). Teachers’ situated collaborative activities can be conceptualized as iterative cycles of inquiry involve self- and co-regulation of practice and learning (Butler & Schnellert, 2008). Self- and co-regulation entails teachers determining and developing learning opportunities and activities, constructing inquiries and action plans, enacting these plans, and monitoring their decisions and actions based on contextual information.

A case study design was employed to study a community of inquiry (CoI) located within a Southern Arctic school district within which classroom teachers and special educator teachers worked as partners to improve their writing instruction and increase access to learning and outcomes for students in inclusive classrooms. This research addressed three questions: (1) what practices did educators engage in as co-teachers within a CoI to consider, explore, and construct more inclusive writing instruction?; (2) how and why did collaborative, action-oriented inquiry cycles help teachers to develop understandings and practices that addressed, nurtured and supported diverse students’ literacy learning?; and (3) what conditions and qualities within professional development activities supported teacher learning and development of practice?

Teachers from five schools participated as classroom and special education partners. Data was collected through pre-and post-interviews, field notes and artifact collection including teachers’ written reflections and plans. Data were analyzed using inductive and deductive coding to uncover both unique and converging trends. Cross-case analysis occurred at the dyad and individual teacher level. Systematic interpretive strategies were employed to warrant conclusions.

Findings suggest that teachers can make situated changes to practice that increase diverse students’ access to curriculum and learning when they: (1) set, enact, monitor and adapt context-specific goals for both students and themselves; (2) work collaboratively and problem-solve with others while trying to make shifts in practice; and (3) draw in resources as supports that can be adapted within their inquiries. In addition, co-teaching was found to be an approach that not only increased student access to curriculum and learning but had significant potential to support teacher learning and sustained shifts in practice. Implications for teachers’ learning, changes to practice, collaboration and professional development will be discussed.

Author

• Leyton Schnellert, The University of British Columbia - Okanagan Campus