Co-Constructed Knowledge for Collective Teacher Action

• In Event: 54.050 - Working Toward Teacher Ownership and Meaningful School Improvement

Abstract

Whereas, teacher knowledge was once defined narrowly as expertise in classroom content, pedagogy and skills, this paper discusses the value of expanding it to include an understanding of how students learn, and the context in which students and teachers learn. We further explore how co-constructed knowledge—knowledge that is comprehensive and collaborative—is a significant contributor to the development of teacher ownership.

The research on ownership identifies that it is a construct that must be examined systemically across a school and individually by teachers. Blonder et al. (2008) found that ownership occurs, at a system-level, when teachers want to make a change from existing efforts and when teachers value the philosophy and learning goals of the new curriculum (p. 297). Fullan (2001) makes clear that true understanding (knowledge) is a prerequisite to ownership: “…when people are apparently in favor of a particular change, they may not ‘own it’ in the sense of understanding it and being skilled at it; that is, they may not know what they are doing. Ownership in the sense of clarity, skill, and commitment is a progressive process.” (p. 92) Similarly, Coburn (2003) mentions the construct of teacher knowledge with respect to ownership. Efforts to go to scale hinged on developing a cadre of knowledgeable teacher leaders who, over time assume responsibility for providing ongoing professional development to teachers new to the reform. Building on the research on ownership and the construct of teacher knowledge we examine teacher co-constructed knowledge and its implication for developing ownership.

This paper uses survey and case study data to highlight the existence of co-constructed knowledge and its relationship to ownership. Surveyed teachers described the knowledge they were able to develop alongside other teachers through collaboration and networks of support. When teachers were asked a series of questions regarding their opportunities to gain knowledge, teachers indicated that they felt they had opportunities to learn from teachers both within and outside of the school setting.

Teachers regularly sought out assistance from their peers—in particular, same subject and same grade level teachers. When teachers were asked why they went to particular individuals for advice, teachers overwhelmingly indicated that knowledge and/or expertise, trust, and personal relationships were the most important reasons they reached out. Fifty-nine percent of all teachers reported seeking out the advice of the same-subject teachers due to their knowledge and/or expertise. With regard to levels of influence, approximately three-fourths of teachers indicated that fellow subject teachers were “influential” or “extremely influential” and two-thirds of teachers indicated that same grade level teachers were “influential or “extremely influential” in changing or improving their teaching practices.

Teachers across case study sites demonstrated a need to go beyond traditional models of knowledge to fulfill the school's’ goals and purpose. This practice-oriented view underscores what is learned through the practice of teaching, the practice of developing relationships with a range of stakeholders within the school setting, and the practice of learning from individuals who are provided the responsibility of sharing knowledge.

Authors

• Michelle Renée Valladares, University of Colorado Boulder

• Wendy Y. Perez, Annenberg Institute for School Reform