Government Initiatives and Teacher-Led Practices: Developing Collaborative Professional Learning in Ontario

• In Event: Teacher Professional Collaboration and Learning: Lessons From an International Teacher Policy Study

Abstract

Consistent with Canada’s overall performance in international assessments, Ontario is recognized as a province that has high levels of both academic achievement and equity, with a lower than average impact of socio-economic status on educational outcomes (OECD, 2010). A key element of the Ontario strategy is the development of educators’ knowledge, skills and practices with a particular emphasis on professional collaboration throughout the system. Rather than professional learning being government-driven only or based on individual teachers working independently, Ontario is striving to provide a range of professional learning activities and opportunities including government professional learning initiatives and resources, professional learning led by teacher unions, school board and school level professional learning, and individual opportunities for teachers to advance their knowledge skills and practices. Participation in professional development is very high, with a recent study indicating that 90% of respondents reported participating in professional learning activities during the school day (Directions Evidence and Policy Research Group, 2014).

Drawing on existing survey data and documents, as well as qualitative interviews with teachers, school administrators, teacher unions, provincial organizations, and government officials, this paper discusses the development of teacher’s social and decisional capital (Hargreaves & Fullan, 2012) in Ontario through a variety of collaborative learning opportunities that support the development of teachers and teaching quality. In particular the paper comments on the wide range of both government and teacher led initiatives for collaborative professional learning and discusses the sustainability of such initiatives within the ebb and flow of a policy context characterized by a long period of mutual trust that has recently been interrupted by a political struggle between government and teachers’ unions in the province.

Findings indicate that the teachers’ federations play a particularly significant role in the provision of professional learning in Ontario, with thousands of teachers participating annually in activities, developed “by teachers, for teachers”. The teachers’ federations have also partnered with the government to develop the Teacher Learning and Leadership Program (TLLP) to support experienced teachers in undertaking self-directed advanced professional development. The study also found teacher learning to be highly supported through government initiatives including a variety of collaborative inquiry projects that build pedagogical content knowledge and engage teachers in professional discourse to learn, reflect on and improve practices (LNS, 2010). In addition to these opportunities, the Ontario school calendar includes six Professional Activity (PA) days for schools. Some participants, however, expressed concern about the directed or “top-down” nature of government and board initiatives, which was contrasted with the self-directed learning of teacher-led opportunities.

The Ontario case is significant in that it suggests that system-wide, targeted, differentiated and teacher-led collaborative professional learning opportunities are all important, particularly in combination at provincial and local levels, rather than one model of professional development. Moreover, while Ontario has undertaken a comprehensive system-wide approach to professional development for teachers and administrators for over a decade, partnership development and capacity building require constant attention and continues to adapt, evolve and innovation in pursuit of continuous improvement in professional practices and educational outcomes.

Authors

• Carol Campbell, University of Toronto - OISE

• Pamela Janie Osmond-Johnson, University of Regina