Preschool Teachers' Professional Development Through Collaborative Action Research

• In Event: Action Research Inquiry for Teachers and Educational Leaders

Abstract

The study was collaborative action research (CAR), where seven preschool teachers focused on their professional development in relation to values education. The research question that guided the study was: How can collaborative action research support preschool teachers’ professional development in relation to values education?
The methodology of CAR has proven to be beneficial to reach teachers in the field, to create new knowledge and to make changes in practice (Bruce, Flynn & Stagg-Peterson, 2011; Kemmis, McTaggart & Nixon, 2014; Koshy, 2010).
Three themes represent the findings; values education: moving from implicit to explicit practice, professional development: empowerment through the learning process and, collaboration with the researcher: two forms of expertise meet in the third space.

Author

• Ingibjorg Sigurdardottir, University of Iceland