Teacher Educators Develop a Discourse About Self-Study of Practice

• In Event: 65.070 - Translating and Transforming Self-Study Into Languages Other Than English

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to examine how the discourse of self-study of teacher education practices developed in country 1, and consolidate our professional foundation. Our goal was to explore the process of applying self-study, the interpretation of self-study research, and the challenges posed by the language.
S-Step developed in an English speaking country, and most presentations of self-study, oral and written are in English. Self-study as research methodology is a way for practitioners to critically reflect on their practice, to understand what they do, how and why they do it, how to improve, and find a way to make the study public (Samaras, Guðjónsdóttir, McMurrer & Dalmau, 2012). To understand deeply and present our study it is critical to do it in our native language. It is challenging to explain our knowledge generation when there is no discourse of self-study in our main language. To create an understanding of the methodology and to underpin our foundation it is important to create a discourse that we can use.
This is a self-study of teacher educators exploring the interpretation of self-study research in their professional community, and the development of the discourse. It is a critical collaborative inquiry with a focus on a transparent and systematic process.
Data sources came from a group of self-study scholars. Five teacher educators with varied experience participated in the study collecting data through narratives from each participant and focus groups meetings.
The first hurdle we had to cope with as we began to develop the S-Step community was the language. There is a strong demand to use our native language and to create vocabulary for new professional concepts. The word self does not translate well and creates many questions and demands for further explanation.
Some of us came from the action research methodology and self-study of teacher education practices therefore made a great sense.
When I focused on listening to the children, noticing the communication in the classroom, I realized that it impacted my teaching at both levels. This was the spur of my self-study and has become a part of my identity as a teacher educator.
As we strive to create our professional substance through self-study methodology we are challenged by our colleagues, who question the activity of researching your own practice.
I saw self-study as a rational way to research our practice and our role in implementing the innovative elements we were trying out. However as I started to mention this method to some colleagues they frowned upon it and made some demeaning remarks.
Collaborative self-study of shared teaching and learning experiences can help draw out the complex thinking, decision making, and pedagogical rational that supports the professional work of teacher educators. Analyzing our vision, values and beliefs can help us gain an understanding of our professional identity and become active change agents (Dalmau & Guðjónsdóttir, 2002; Loughran, 2014). This study sheds a light on how scholars in our country created and developed a self-study discourse in their professional community.

Authors

• Hafdis Gudjonsdottir, University of Iceland

• Jonina Vala Kristinsdottir, University of Iceland

• Svanborg Rannveig Jónsdóttir, University of Iceland

• Edda Óskarsdóttir, University of Iceland

• Karen Rut Gisladóttir, University of Iceland