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

APPENDIX 5
EXAMPLE OF INDEPENDENT OBSERVER'S REPORT
Notes on the EMS Teacher Workshop, 15 October 2003
My strong impression was of a programme that is working very well at both the level
ofits instrumental aim and as a community ofpractice.
(a) In terms ofthe instrumental aim ofequipping teachers to manage their
responsibilities in the teaching ofEMS, it was clear that participants were acquiring
both subject lmowledge and pedagogic content lmowledge. With regard to the
former, participant activity and response showed that they had become familiar with
concepts such as 'budgeting'. As a first-time observer, I had the impression ofsubject
knowledge being unfolded in a logical and ordered sequence.
With regard to pedagogic content knowledge, subject lmowledge and ways of
teaching it were integrated as participants were learning the concepts in the same way
that their students would learn them. Apart from the benefit brought about by the
'modelling', their teaching will surely benefit from their having personally
experienced as learners what they would be teaching.
(b) The community ofpractice appeared to be functioning well - indicators were
punctuality, collegiality and robust participation. The fact that members themselves
were presenting the lessons contributed to the impression ofa single community
rather than a community being led by the outside facilitator. Despite some lighthearted
early disclaimers about not being qualified in EMS, the members who led
sessions did so with confidence and enjoyment. Report backs were confident and well
informed. My overriding impression was ofteachers who felt they were benefiting
from the activities, who were comfortable to play their roles as learners, and who
were comfortable with each other.
Additional points: I was struck by the way the mode ofpresentation modelled good
Curriculum 2005 practice: there was an integration ofsubject and every day
knowledge, and activity-based learning. This is clearly a spin-offbenefit for at least
some teachers, one ofwhom told me that she was not teaching EMS, and so did not
need the subject lmowledge, but was in the programme because she was learning a lot
about teaching within the new curriculum framework - an interesting unintended
consequence! As one might expect, some ofthe significant insights emerged during
the course oftea-time discussion. One teacher spoke about the excitement ofbeing
involved in "something new", and had found it a reliefto engage educational issues in
a different setting. Behind this was a strong indication ofthe wish to escape the
drudgery and familiarity ofthe rituals ofschool life. Again, this seemed to be an
interesting unintended consequence ofthe programme - it got teachers out oftheir
schools! The advantages ofschool-based curriculum and teacher development are
well known. Perhaps there are also some advantages in non-school based activity (see
also the Jessop study in which rural teachers preferred INSET courses in town,
because they wanted to go to town occasionally).
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