What and How Do Teachers Learn in the School-University Partnership? Exploring the Roles of External Experts and Teacher Communities

• In Event: Roundtable Session 16
  In Roundtable Session: Nurturing Professional Development in New Environments

Abstract

Based on a school-university partnership project in China, this research examined the roles of external experts and teacher communities in promoting teachers' learning. External experts introduced new insights and knowledge to change teachers' ways of thinking and practice. Teachers' capacity to theorize experience was enhanced. External experts' presence was beneficial to teachers' collective learning. Teachers in communities were encouraged and supported to experiment with new knowledge in their class so that they could internalize and contextualize external knowledge into teaching practice. Findings suggest that teacher learning in the partnership is a result of interaction between multiple forms of knowledge. Experts’ facilitation and school-based learning activities organized in communities are complementary in the context of school-university partnership for promoting teachers' learning.

Authors

• Xiaofang Wang, The Chinese University of Hong Kong

• Lai-Ngok Wong, The Chinese University of Hong Kong

• Yuan Liu, The Chinese University of Hong Kong