Understanding Teachers' Perceptions of Risk in Professional Learning for Improvement

• In Event: International Perspectives on Capacity for Change

Abstract

Resistance to change is a concept commonly used to frame teachers’ responses to professional learning. This research challenges the concept of teacher resistance and instead considers the role of teacher perceptions of risk. Teachers’ experiences during the early stages of a professional learning initiative were explored through a risk perception frame that encapsulates perceived uncertainty and its consequences. A three-school case study approach, primarily utilising qualitative interviews, was used to capture the ongoing experiences of teachers as they participated in professional learning. High perceptions of risk impacted negatively on teacher learning. A risk process model developed from our data links an individual’s perceptions of risk in learning new knowledge and practices to their actions.

Authors

• Kaye Twyford, The University of Auckland

• Deidre Le Fevre, University of Auckland

• Helen S. Timperley, University of Auckland