Teacher Learning in a Community of Practice: A Case Study of ...
Teacher Learning in a Community of Practice: A Case Study of ... Teacher Learning in a Community of Practice: A Case Study of ...
APPENDIX 3 EXAMPLE OF JOURNAL ENTRIES 02/02/2003 Phoned two teachers who had previously indicated their willingness to take part in the project. One was unable to commit because she was moving house in a few months and did not feel that she could meet the requirements ofthe project. She did refer me to another teacher on her staff. He also could not commit to the project because ofsports commitments after school and on weekends, citing the fact that he was the only male teacher on the staff and was fully occupied. The second teacher did not want to be part of the project. I felt somewhat dejected as the sample size was slowly diminishing. I conducted my first interview with Mary today. Mary- a polite, keen and eager person. I expressed my appreciation for her commitment to the project. She expressed anxiety about being observed in her classroom. I tried to reassure that it would not be an evaluation - that I was not there to pass judgment on her teaching ability, but to simply observe and understand how she approached the teaching ofEMS. I was glad to get the first interview under my belt. Will transcribe this myself! 3/03/2003 Interviewed Ben today. Before the interview he informed me ofthe sudden death ofone ofthe teachers. All schoolwork had stopped, as teachers were busy preparing the choir to sing at the funeral. Ben agreed to continue with the interview as planned. I learnt that Ben was in charge ofsetting up the school library. The school had been in existence for more than ten years and did not have a library to date. Ben requested assistance in the form of books and shelving. Ben was a temporary teacher at Pecan primary. He had taught previously, had left the profession for a while and had recently returned and was trying to secure a permanent position at the school. 5/03/2003 I set up a meeting with Debbie and Kim for today. Debbie mentioned that she could not spend too much time with me, as she had to go home to prepare for her daughter's birthday. I promised not to be long and mentioned that it was only an information session. Both teachers wanted more details about the project and the roles that they were expected to play. I explained their involvement but got the distinct impression that the teachers were still uneasy about the arrangement. I tried to reassure them that there was much that they could benefit from working closely with me in developing a curriculum for EMS. Both teachers expressed their anxiety and dissatisfaction with the way in which they had been 'dumped in the deep-end' and expected to find their own way in EMS. Both teachers had started teaching 'needs and wants' but were not sure whether they were overlapping or pitching at the right level. 345
APPENDIX 4 Guidelines for Classroom Observations a) Classroom resource profile (seating, desks, chairs, table for teacher, adequate lighting, adequate for movement between desks, charts displayed on walls, painted, ventilation, chalkboard/ohp etc.) b) Teaching and learning • Teacher content knowledge -preparedness • Pedagogic content knowledge • Pedagogic skill/teaching strategies used • Ability to clear up misconceptions/ambiguities • Goal directed- outcomes (EMS) clear • Relevance oftopic to pupils/school/community • Pacing - rate at which knowledge is introduced • Teaches concepts in context/abstract • Logically connected concepts, techniques and arguments - developed systematically - can apply new concepts to other contexts • Draws on community/pupils' experiences/ culture • Integration with the other learning areas c) Intellectual quality • • • • • • d) Resources • • • Higher order thinking Depth ofknowledge and understanding Substantive conversations and discussions Knowledge as problematic Frequency of feedback - constructive? New concepts/building on concepts Charts, worksheets - designs original worksheets, charts Appropriate to the age, language, competence, gender and culture of the learners. Other teaching and learning resources e) Classroom Environment • • • • Class cohesion! friction Engagement! rapport Classroom management and control Values pupils' experiences 346
- Page 309 and 310: Table 7.2: Criteria for the emergen
- Page 311: Soudien, a leading South African ac
- Page 314 and 315: hand, adopts a 'narrow' perspective
- Page 316 and 317: As mentioned earlier, Wenger's work
- Page 318 and 319: literature review revealed that the
- Page 320 and 321: Another important feature ofWenger'
- Page 322 and 323: 'Identity' namely, 'learning as bec
- Page 324 and 325: (Hargreaves 1995). Teacher professi
- Page 326 and 327: for the purposes ofprofessional dev
- Page 328 and 329: teacher growth. CPD in Africa subsc
- Page 330 and 331: knowledge of subject content is ser
- Page 332 and 333: South Africa, due cognisance must b
- Page 334 and 335: 8.3.7 An arena for engaging and con
- Page 336 and 337: the provision of appropriate profes
- Page 338 and 339: level conceptual thinking". They wa
- Page 340 and 341: Collaboration within teacher learni
- Page 342 and 343: has for teacher learning in a South
- Page 344 and 345: Bourdieu, P. (1986) The Forms ofCap
- Page 346 and 347: Department ofEducation (2002) Revis
- Page 348 and 349: Homan, R. (2002) The principle of i
- Page 350 and 351: Mattson, L. (2000) Teacher identiti
- Page 352 and 353: Smylie, M.A., Bay, M. & Tozer, S.E.
- Page 354 and 355: Westheimer,1. (1998) Among schoolte
- Page 356 and 357: APPENDIX 2 INTERVIEW SCHEDULES (INI
- Page 358 and 359: 2. What information have you been g
- Page 362: APPENDIX 5 EXAMPLE OF INDEPENDENT O
APPENDIX 4<br />
Guidel<strong>in</strong>es for Classroom Observations<br />
a) Classroom resource pr<strong>of</strong>ile (seat<strong>in</strong>g, desks, chairs, table for teacher, adequate<br />
light<strong>in</strong>g, adequate for movement between desks, charts displayed on walls,<br />
pa<strong>in</strong>ted, ventilation, chalkboard/ohp etc.)<br />
b) Teach<strong>in</strong>g and learn<strong>in</strong>g<br />
• <strong>Teacher</strong> content knowledge -preparedness<br />
• Pedagogic content knowledge<br />
• Pedagogic skill/teach<strong>in</strong>g strategies used<br />
• Ability to clear up misconceptions/ambiguities<br />
• Goal directed- outcomes (EMS) clear<br />
• Relevance <strong>of</strong>topic to pupils/school/community<br />
• Pac<strong>in</strong>g - rate at which knowledge is <strong>in</strong>troduced<br />
• Teaches concepts <strong>in</strong> context/abstract<br />
• Logically connected concepts, techniques and arguments - developed<br />
systematically - can apply new concepts to other contexts<br />
• Draws on community/pupils' experiences/ culture<br />
• Integration with the other learn<strong>in</strong>g areas<br />
c) Intellectual quality<br />
•<br />
•<br />
•<br />
• •<br />
•<br />
d) Resources<br />
•<br />
•<br />
•<br />
Higher order th<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Depth <strong>of</strong>knowledge and understand<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Substantive conversations and discussions<br />
Knowledge as problematic<br />
Frequency <strong>of</strong> feedback - constructive?<br />
New concepts/build<strong>in</strong>g on concepts<br />
Charts, worksheets - designs orig<strong>in</strong>al worksheets, charts<br />
Appropriate to the age, language, competence, gender and culture <strong>of</strong><br />
the learners.<br />
Other teach<strong>in</strong>g and learn<strong>in</strong>g resources<br />
e) Classroom Environment<br />
•<br />
• •<br />
•<br />
Class cohesion! friction<br />
Engagement! rapport<br />
Classroom management and control<br />
Values pupils' experiences<br />
346
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