Poster #13 - Exploring the Task-Relational Interplay Within a Network of Teachers

• In Event: 28.093 - MTCC Poster Session Five
  In Poster Session: 28.093-1 - Section 8 Poster Session 1

Abstract

In decentralized education systems, lateral relationships among teachers facilitate their learning. However, one may wonder whether such relationships also matter in centralized systems where hierarchical structures are established to facilitate teacher learning. This paper illuminates how lateral relations grow and facilitate teacher learning in the Singapore context. We explore task-relational interplay to understand the interactions between the design of collaborative tasks and the emergence of social relations among teachers. We first reveal that lateral relationships among teachers develop and complement hierarchical structures to support teacher learning. We then illustrate how the design of a collaborative task influences the emergence of such lateral relationships. We further underscore the role of task design in facilitating the expansion of relationships from hierarchical to lateral.

Authors

• Junsong Huang, National Institute of Education - Nanyang Technological University

• Imran Shaari