Teacher Learning in a Community of Practice: A Case Study of ...

Here Beth explained the difficult circumstances under which she had to teach, citing the
lack of support from teachers within her school for the new curriculum. She described
teachers' resistance to the new curriculum and negative perceptions thereof. Harley and
Wedekind (2004) posit that teacher support for C200S is uneven and stems from support
for C200S as a 'political project', that is, its ability to deliver equity and redress. They
refer to the anomalous situation in which teachers indicate support for C200S, yet do not
have a good understanding ofit.
It was interesting to note that Beth could identify with, and support, the intentions of
C200S, that is the need to develop 'active' learners. She contrasted this with her own
school experience in which she was a 'passive' learner. She could articulate the process
that could unfold for group work but as will be discussed later, her subject matter
knowledge ofEMS stifled her ability to teach EMS in the way she wanted. However,
Beth remained guardedly positive about the new curriculum.
Teachers' understandings and meanings are closely linked to their thinking, attitudes and
perceptions. In terms ofteachers' thinking, attitudes and perceptions regarding the new
curriculum, the vignettes indicate that there was a distinct sense amongst teachers, that
the new curriculum was not working in their classrooms and that there were several flaws
that they had identified, such as the overemphasis on practical work at the expense of
learning reading and writing skills. Beth in particular was able to embrace one ofthe
design principles ofthe new curriculum, namely, that oflearner centeredness. While she
could manipulate her teaching to embrace the form (of learner centredness), she was
unable to come to terms with the substance ofthis design principle. 2 With the exception
ofJohn and Beth, it was clear that teachers had developed negative perceptions of the
new curriculum. The discussion that follows reveals how teachers had shifted in terms of
their thinking, attitudes and perceptions ofthe new curriculum after their involvement in
theTEMS.
2 Brodie, Lelliot and Davis (2002) refer to this as the tension between form and substance in learner centred
practice.
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