Creating Hybrid Learning Spaces. Collaborative Teacher Research in Communities of Experienced Teachers, Pre-service Teachers and Teacher Educators

• In Event: 31.022 - Teacher Educators' Professional Development: Paradigms and Approaches

Abstract

There is a growing consensus that pre-service teachers (PT) should be involved in collaborative teacher inquiry (e.g. Rock & Levin, 2002; Sim, 2010). Several researchers recommend to arrange internships in such a way that PT can collaborate with experienced teachers (ET), working together to improve their understanding of practice and to improve student outcomes (Cochran-Smith, 1991; Balach, 2003). One step further is to create spaces for collaborative inquiry where ‘academic and practitioner knowledge and knowledge that exists in communities are brought together in new less hierarchical ways’ (Zeichner, 2010). We developed and tried out a model for collaborative teacher research in communities of PT, ET and teacher educators (TE), assuming that such partnerships would not only improve the quality of PT’s preparation for the teaching profession but also create opportunities for ET to learn as researchers and designers of their own practice and for TE to deepen their understanding of (pre-service) teacher learning. The objective in this study is to explore what and how PT and TE learn from this experience and whether and how it affected their inquisitive, critical, evidence-based reflective approach to teaching.
Qualitative data were collected in 5 teacher research communities in secondary education, each consisting of 5 to 8 ET, 1 or 2 PT (Ntotal=8) and 1 TE. Research questions in each team were based on the needs of the schools and the team members. Two ET in each team were trained as coach. The TE acted as mediator between school and teacher education and – on demand – suggested literature to consult or experts to call in. The research communities had 5 formal meetings during the school year.
PT’s and TE’s perceptions and reflections were recorded with (video) diaries. Before the start they described their expectations and after each meeting they reflected on their experience and their own role (short term processes). After one year they looked back on the whole process (long term processes). A transcription was made of the video diaries and systematic coding was applied to identify themes and meaningful quotations.
Key findings include: PT’s increased focus on student learning, deeper reflection especially on teachers’ professional identity and student learning, better navigation of the complexity of theory and practice, adoption of evidence-based work as part of the job but at the same a realistic image of experienced teachers’ attitudes to professional development and innovation, improved understanding of self, roles and responsibilities as teachers; TE’s improved understanding of the complex process of knowledge transformation from theory to teaching practice.

Authors

• Vicky Willegems, Vrije Universiteit Brussel

• Nadine S.L. Engels, Vrije Universiteit Brussel