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 ...
collaborate in an activity, each can assist the others and each can learn from the contribution ofothers" (Wells 1999:333). Long (2004) identifies three barriers to teacher learning as teachers strive to grow professionally. She cites the lack ofconsistent high-quality support for new teachers, limited long-term, research-based professional development for experienced teachers, and the"... 'testing frenzy' that too often pushes teachers to abandon beliefs in the drive to teach for test success" as significant barriers to teacher learning (ibid.: 145). "From the teacher's perspective, one ofthe peculiarities ofthe workplace is that learning aimed at deepening knowledge ofthe subject matters ofinstruction must be done outside ofthe school, during so-called free time..." (Grossman, Wineburg and Woolworth 2001:947). In South Africa, a similar phenomenon occurs where principals are content to allow teachers to attend workshops 'after school hours'. This has given rise to a situation where communities for teacher learning are formed 'outside' ofthe school. Lortie (1975) maintains that collaborative work among teachers is hindered by the job related norms of teacher privacy that are maintained to a large extent by the organisation ofthe school day. Darling-Hammond and McLaughlin (1995) however, note, that a powerful form of teacher learning comes from membership ofprofessional communities that extend beyond the classrooms and school campuses. Engaging an analytical approach for situating teachers' practices within schools and districts by working with a group ofteachers in an urban school district, Cobb, McClain, de Silva Lamberg and Dean (2003) assert that such an approach is useful in that it allows for valuable feedback that could guide and inform ongoing collaborations with teachers and administrators. Their approach focuses on the functions ofteaching and delineates the communities ofpractice whose members contribute to the accomplishment ofthese functions. They argue that teaching is an activity that is distributed across a configuration of communities ofpractice within a school or district. 35
Learning is social in nature (Putman and Borko 2000:5). Educators and psychologists are recognising that the role of 'others' in the learning process goes beyond providing stimulation and encouragement for individual construction ofknowledge. Interaction with fellow participants in the learning environment has a major influence on what is learned and how learning takes place. What participants consider 'knowledge' and how they think and express ideas are outcomes ofinteractions ofgroups ofpeople over time (Resnick 1991). Individuals participate in 'discourse communities' that provide the cognitive tools (theories, ideas and concepts) that individuals share and use as their own in their efforts to make sense ofexperiences. Research on teacher learning reveals a strong motivation to situate teachers' learning within teachers' classrooms and within school sites, through classroom observations and staff development workshops. This approach has merit in that teachers' learning is intertwined with their ongoing practice. However, the nature and scope ofthis approach to teacher learning is constrained by time, human and economic resources, and is often not practical (Putman and Borko 2000). While the classroom may be a powerful environment for shaping how teachers learn, it can also place constraints on how teachers think and act, making them resistant to reflection or change. "Engaging in learning experiences away from this setting may be necessary to help teachers 'break set'- to experience things in new ways" (ibid.:?). Learning communities have the ability to transcend organisational and geographic boundaries. Members may represent different backgrounds and organisations but will have a common set ofcore issues that bind the members together in a single community (Wesley and Buysse 2001). Ofparticular significance to this study is the work ofEtienne Wenger (1998). At this point it is appropriate to briefly review Wenger's conception oflearning. In Chapter Four however, a comprehensive discussion ofWenger's work based on his book Communities ofPractice: Learning, Meaning and Identity is provided. 36
- Page 1 and 2: Teacher Learning in a Community of
- Page 3 and 4: ABSTRACT Conceptualising teacher le
- Page 5 and 6: DEDICATION This thesis is dedicated
- Page 7 and 8: DECLARATION I, Suriamurthee Moonsam
- Page 9 and 10: ASSOCIATED CONCEPTS UNDER STUDY WIT
- Page 11 and 12: Observation ofJohn's teaching after
- Page 13 and 14: A SYNTHESIS OF THE STUDy...........
- Page 15 and 16: TEMS RNCS EMS GET DoE INSET ELRC SA
- Page 17 and 18: In describing the subject-pedagogy
- Page 19 and 20: teachers lacked content knowledge r
- Page 21 and 22: acknowledges the importance and pec
- Page 23 and 24: some formal Mathematics teacher edu
- Page 25 and 26: study, the coordination functions w
- Page 27 and 28: It foregrounds the fact that the co
- Page 29 and 30: school. Higher education opportunit
- Page 31 and 32: frame models for projecting future
- Page 33 and 34: teacher education by the state, (as
- Page 35 and 36: schools, classrooms, management and
- Page 37 and 38: Although the Teacher Audit indicate
- Page 39 and 40: One ofthe first curriculum reform i
- Page 41 and 42: entrenched design feature of C2005,
- Page 43 and 44: In Chapter Five, I set up a narrati
- Page 45 and 46: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 INTRODUCTION
- Page 47 and 48: As indicated in the previous chapte
- Page 49: This view is supported by Putman an
- Page 53 and 54: Constant reflection on and understa
- Page 55 and 56: Teachers drew on their membership i
- Page 57 and 58: The above arguments about the lack
- Page 59 and 60: change. She highlights the importan
- Page 61 and 62: Differences in the cultures oflearn
- Page 63 and 64: persons and is not considered solel
- Page 65 and 66: and offers insights into how learni
- Page 67 and 68: America. Goodson (1992) and Calderh
- Page 69 and 70: learned meaning and value for them
- Page 71 and 72: 'accommodation' and intimates that
- Page 73 and 74: staffroom and a 'pragmatic' teacher
- Page 75 and 76: Davisson (1984), Lumsden and Scott
- Page 77 and 78: directive in that it guides choices
- Page 79 and 80: economic discourse, the economics p
- Page 81 and 82: • Understand and promote the impo
- Page 83 and 84: 2.7 CONCLUSION This chapter began b
- Page 85 and 86: (Walford 2001; Anderson 1999). With
- Page 87 and 88: • It places value on the research
- Page 89 and 90: The main research question in this
- Page 91 and 92: Lave and Wenger emphasise the centr
- Page 93 and 94: 3.3.2 The Work ofWenger (1998): Com
- Page 95 and 96: agree with the way it takes place o
- Page 97 and 98: Figure 3.3: Refined intersection of
- Page 99 and 100: eflecting. The ability of a communi
<strong>Learn<strong>in</strong>g</strong> is social <strong>in</strong> nature (Putman and Borko 2000:5). Educators and psychologists are<br />
recognis<strong>in</strong>g that the role <strong>of</strong> 'others' <strong>in</strong> the learn<strong>in</strong>g process goes beyond provid<strong>in</strong>g<br />
stimulation and encouragement for <strong>in</strong>dividual construction <strong>of</strong>knowledge. Interaction<br />
with fellow participants <strong>in</strong> the learn<strong>in</strong>g environment has a major <strong>in</strong>fluence on what is<br />
learned and how learn<strong>in</strong>g takes place. What participants consider 'knowledge' and how<br />
they th<strong>in</strong>k and express ideas are outcomes <strong>of</strong><strong>in</strong>teractions <strong>of</strong>groups <strong>of</strong>people over time<br />
(Resnick 1991). Individuals participate <strong>in</strong> 'discourse communities' that provide the<br />
cognitive tools (theories, ideas and concepts) that <strong>in</strong>dividuals share and use as their own<br />
<strong>in</strong> their efforts to make sense <strong>of</strong>experiences.<br />
Research on teacher learn<strong>in</strong>g reveals a strong motivation to situate teachers' learn<strong>in</strong>g<br />
with<strong>in</strong> teachers' classrooms and with<strong>in</strong> school sites, through classroom observations and<br />
staff development workshops. This approach has merit <strong>in</strong> that teachers' learn<strong>in</strong>g is<br />
<strong>in</strong>tertw<strong>in</strong>ed with their ongo<strong>in</strong>g practice. However, the nature and scope <strong>of</strong>this approach<br />
to teacher learn<strong>in</strong>g is constra<strong>in</strong>ed by time, human and economic resources, and is <strong>of</strong>ten<br />
not practical (Putman and Borko 2000). While the classroom may be a powerful<br />
environment for shap<strong>in</strong>g how teachers learn, it can also place constra<strong>in</strong>ts on how teachers<br />
th<strong>in</strong>k and act, mak<strong>in</strong>g them resistant to reflection or change. "Engag<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> learn<strong>in</strong>g<br />
experiences away from this sett<strong>in</strong>g may be necessary to help teachers 'break set'- to<br />
experience th<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>in</strong> new ways" (ibid.:?). <strong>Learn<strong>in</strong>g</strong> communities have the ability to<br />
transcend organisational and geographic boundaries. Members may represent different<br />
backgrounds and organisations but will have a common set <strong>of</strong>core issues that b<strong>in</strong>d the<br />
members together <strong>in</strong> a s<strong>in</strong>gle community (Wesley and Buysse 2001).<br />
Ofparticular significance to this study is the work <strong>of</strong>Etienne Wenger (1998). At this<br />
po<strong>in</strong>t it is appropriate to briefly review Wenger's conception <strong>of</strong>learn<strong>in</strong>g. In Chapter Four<br />
however, a comprehensive discussion <strong>of</strong>Wenger's work based on his book Communities<br />
<strong>of</strong><strong>Practice</strong>: <strong>Learn<strong>in</strong>g</strong>, Mean<strong>in</strong>g and Identity is provided.<br />
36
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