The purpose of this study is to examine the coaching interactions of two literacy coaches and four classroom teachers in order to explore how these interactions serve to support teacher learning. The analysis of the study describes how the coaches support teacher reflection and teaching for processing strategies during guided reading lessons. The literature review suggests that reflective practice (Schön, 1996) involves thoughtfully considering one’s own experiences while being coached by a professional in the discipline. I conducted observations and interviews for two cycles of teaching and coaching sessions per teacher coach dyad, for a total of eight guided reading lessons, 16 pre/post conferences, and conducted interviews with each teacher and literacy coach. The research questions for this study are: 1. How does the discourse found within the coaching interactions support teachers in their learning as described by the coaches? 2. How does the discourse found within the coaching interactions support teachers in their learning as described by the teachers? 3. What patterns of discourse are seen within coaching interactions? a. How do the interactions support teacher reflection during the dialog? b. How do the interactions support the teachers’ understanding of teaching for processing strategies within small group reading instruction? 4. What if any are the differences related to training and knowledge of the coaches? The findings of this study are presented through: (a) case studies; (b) the participants’ descriptions of coaches supporting student and teacher learning; and (c) a description of the characteristics and interaction patterns within pre-and post-conferences. My analysis showed that these coaches support reflection-on-action through their post- conferences with teachers and that the support varies with the expertise of the literacy coach. Analysis of the data revealed that these teachers believe that literacy coaches support them in the following ways: (a) by giving them feedback; (b) giving them confidence; (c) making connections to learning theory; (d) praising their teaching; (e) helping foster teacher reflection; (f) identifying professional texts; (g) providing language to use while teaching reading and writing; and (h) identifying observable evidence of how the teachers’ supported student learning.

Following the entry of Cyprus into the European Union in 2004 and based on the philosophy which underpins the language policy in Europe, the island has been investing heavily in early foreign language learning. However, despite improvements in English language learning in primary state schools, no significant changes have been evident as regards the preparation of English teachers at this level. In conducting this research, my primary intention was to offer prospective and practising primary teachers a “voice” to express their own views regarding the content and teaching approach of a potential ELT module within teacher education curricula. The research adopted a mixed-method sequential approach carried out in two phases between March and July 2010. Data were initially obtained from 296 in-service primary teachers and 124 student teachers through a questionnaire-based survey. Data obtained in the second phase through individual and focus group interviews with 9 in-service-teachers and 11 student teachers respectively were used to explain, interpret and further examine the findings of the survey. The findings have highlighted the importance of theory and practice, showing evidence that both are necessary in order to avoid fragmented language teaching. The study suggests, therefore, that providing student teachers with meaningful opportunities to form links between the taught theory and its practical application is a fundamental basis for a more holistic teacher approach to teacher education. This study has also provided evidence that participants view learning as a process embedded in a social context, within which knowledge is constructed through collaborative, awareness-raising tasks set by mentors whose mediating roles in the creation of desirable learning contexts is perceived to be crucial. Although the findings of this research directly concern the Cypriot situation, they are likely to have broader applicability beyond Cyprus, especially in countries where early foreign language learning forms part of their educational agenda. Developing primary teachers’ language teaching knowledge and skills while considering the various types of support they receive during their pre-service education form part of a wider endeavour to ensure quality in early foreign language learning, an objective set by the European Union.

Today's teachers work in exhausting times. Curriculum and assessment change has been unrelenting and even the most conscientious teachers often feel overwhelmed. At national and local levels, professional development programmes have assisted teachers to address these changes and a number of approaches have been adopted. However, while teachers have engaged in professional development programmes, the actual benefits to classroom teaching and learning have been less certain. The quantity and frantic pace of these changes have worked against the achievement of quality outcomes. This thesis makes an important contribution to existing knowledge about professional development practice because it investigates teachers' experiences of educational change and school improvement processes to show what is both helping and hindering teachers as learners. The findings suggest that currently many schools are not effective learning organisations. This research uses the example of the National Education Monitoring Project (NEMP) reports to explore teacher learning processes in action. It is argued that the impact of the NEMP reports and their assessment information is being compromised because classroom teachers are already fully committed to curriculum document developments mandated by the Ministry of Education. In fact all professional development projects are faced with the same dilemma that schools are working with multiple projects at the same time. While this continues to happen the potential benefits of the NEMP reports as assessment exemplars for effective assessment practice remain unrealised because teachers' time is drawn to so many other competing priorities. It is this reality which now makes answers to key questions about teacher learning especially important. These questions concern who makes the decisions about what it is that teachers should be learning and how this learning might be presented to them. It is a matter of concern that teachers are cast as 'victims of change' and decisions about their learning largely determined by others. Rather than helping schools to help themselves and become 'agents' of change, this practice increases teachers' dependence on others for learning. A three stage approach to data collection is used in order to suggest improvements to current practice in professional development for teachers. This begins with questionnaire surveys to establish baseline data on the impact of the NEMP reports on classroom teachers in the Canterbury region. From this information an intervention is introduced to eight teachers who share a quality learning circle experience in order to learn more about the NEMP reports. Then observations and interviews of teachers in case study schools show teacher learning in action and reveal the strengths and weaknesses of current professional development experiences within schools. It is argued that the future effectiveness of schools will depend upon their capacity to determine their own learning needs and then find ways of addressing them. Schools will therefore need to acquire a more extensive repertoire of data gathering and analysis skills if they are to know how they can make significant improvements and not just duplicate what others find suitable for other settings. It is argued that improvements to teacher learning and development must address the focus of how teachers learn and will require a major review of how schools are structured and organised for teacher learning. Different arrangements will be required to allow 'learner centred' practice and the emergence of teacher learning communities from within schools. Schools will stand a better chance of being learning organisations when steps are taken to remedy the current structural arrangements which at the moment work against quality learning for teachers.

This thesis explores the notion of teachers as adult learners, the professional development and professional learning available to them, and a space where these ideas can come together. Research participants offer insight into how they currently learn and use many sources of learning to create better learning opportunities for their students. Building on ideas from Lawler (2003) and Kennedy (2005) and using narrative methodology, particularly poetics and collage as a means of capturing participants’ thinking, my findings support the idea that teachers need a transformative professional development model that acknowledges them as adult learners. No single participant spoke of all of the adult learning or teacher learning principles within a single professional development experience, yet each spoke of times when one or more of those keys to their learning was present throughout their transformative experience. Simply put, teachers use many sources of learning to bring about changes to their teaching practice. All of these work together to bring about the transformation they spoke of in their stories of learning. / Graduate / 0530

The primary purpose of this study was to explore the impact of various forms of pressure and support experienced by teachers in an intentionally designed learning community on teacher learning and teacher sense of efficacy. Eleven Grade 6 teachers in a middle school in Southern Ontario were interviewed and a complex systems approach was adopted to analyze their experiences. The results suggested three key implications: (1) teachers’ experiences of pressures and supports are variable and influenced by teacher sense of efficacy and administrative decisions about the implementation of those pressure and support mechanisms; (2) a coherent, cohesive and balanced system of formal and informal structures of pressure and support is important to support teacher learning; and (3) structures, mechanisms and culture must facilitate transfer of learning in meaningful ways between the subsystems operating in a school in order to support teacher learning and teacher sense of efficacy.

The primary purpose of this study was to explore the impact of various forms of pressure and support experienced by teachers in an intentionally designed learning community on teacher learning and teacher sense of efficacy. Eleven Grade 6 teachers in a middle school in Southern Ontario were interviewed and a complex systems approach was adopted to analyze their experiences. The results suggested three key implications: (1) teachers’ experiences of pressures and supports are variable and influenced by teacher sense of efficacy and administrative decisions about the implementation of those pressure and support mechanisms; (2) a coherent, cohesive and balanced system of formal and informal structures of pressure and support is important to support teacher learning; and (3) structures, mechanisms and culture must facilitate transfer of learning in meaningful ways between the subsystems operating in a school in order to support teacher learning and teacher sense of efficacy.

No description available.

The purpose of the study was to discover how teachers learn to teach. This was done through the process of answering the question "How does a teacher acting as a co-researcher come to understand the learner-centered integrated literacy approaches in an English classroom in Malawi?" The learner-centered integrated literacy approaches is a concept derived from a constructivist philosophy of teaching. English is an important language in Malawi because it is the official language (Kayambazinthu, 1998). For that reason children are motivated to learn it as a second language. However, their achievement in English is critically low (Banda, Mchikoma, Chimombo, & Milner, 2001;Kishindo, Susuwere, Ndalama & Mwale, 2005; Williams, 1993). According to Ministry of Education and UNICEF (1998) and Williams (1993) teachers' complete reliance on traditional teacher-centered approaches was believed to be one of the major causes of school children's failure to acquire English as a second language for their literacy development in Malawi. The assumption was that improving teacher practice by introducing constructivists-based, learner-centered, integrated literacy approaches, which are believed to be more effective for second language learning, than the former, would illuminate how teachers learn and ultimately improve teacher education practices and consequently teacher English teaching in the classroom. Data were collected from pre- and post-study interviews, a series of audio taped lesson planning and lesson reflections, lesson observation summaries, and a researcher's journal. Data analysis and interpretation suggested that teacher learning is a gradual developmental process that depended very much on other interlaced processes of collaboration, inquiry, and reflective practice. It also demonstrated that the learner-centered integrated literacy approaches of the constructivism-based philosophy, which are also included in the Malawi curriculum but implementation is still a challenge in the primary classes, are possible. The results and process of the study could be used to improve teacher learning in Malawi. Finally, the study experience has illuminated the need for more exploration in the new areas of growth in English literacy. / Ph. D.

Pedagogical documentation inspired by the early childhood schools of Reggio Emilia, Italy is a tool for teacher inquiry, learning, and development. Teachers systematically reflect upon artifacts that make visible children’s thinking, using for instance, digital photographs, quotations of children’s verbal thoughts, and teachers’ field notes. In two Reggio-inspired childcare centres in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, early childhood educators formed two teacher learning groups to study pedagogical documentation. As participants studied these artifacts (i.e. documentation), an underlying question emerges: What happens to teacher learning when early childhood educators form teacher learning groups to study pedagogical documentation in childcare centres? From this question, participants collaborated throughout six to seven research meetings to discuss and reflect upon documentation that they created. Portraiture research as a method of qualitative inquiry (Lawrence-Lightfoot, 1983; Lawrence-Lightfoot & Davis, 1997) offered a range of data collection methods used in this study, including videotaped research meetings, participants’ documentation work, open-ended group interview, and researcher’s field notes. These methods informed the portraiture research and constructed a vivid, in-depth look at participants’ experiences in studying pedagogical documentation in teacher learning groups. The results of this study are retold through two portraits focusing on the co-construction of teacher knowledge in teacher learning groups. Participants’ experiences such as deconstructing barriers to documentation practice, developing new documentation skills, critical self-reflection upon teacher practice, and emergent curriculum planning generated two rich portraits of teacher learning and development. Essential themes, conclusions, and implications appear in the examination of the two portraits and are explored in the final chapter. The themes included: (1) Skills of documentation, (2) Teacher learning and, (3) Teacher collaboration. Overall, this research study exposed the questions and assumptions, process of inquires, and new teacher knowledges and practices developed by two groups of early childhood educators in this study.

Pedagogical documentation inspired by the early childhood schools of Reggio Emilia, Italy is a tool for teacher inquiry, learning, and development. Teachers systematically reflect upon artifacts that make visible children’s thinking, using for instance, digital photographs, quotations of children’s verbal thoughts, and teachers’ field notes. In two Reggio-inspired childcare centres in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, early childhood educators formed two teacher learning groups to study pedagogical documentation. As participants studied these artifacts (i.e. documentation), an underlying question emerges: What happens to teacher learning when early childhood educators form teacher learning groups to study pedagogical documentation in childcare centres? From this question, participants collaborated throughout six to seven research meetings to discuss and reflect upon documentation that they created. Portraiture research as a method of qualitative inquiry (Lawrence-Lightfoot, 1983; Lawrence-Lightfoot & Davis, 1997) offered a range of data collection methods used in this study, including videotaped research meetings, participants’ documentation work, open-ended group interview, and researcher’s field notes. These methods informed the portraiture research and constructed a vivid, in-depth look at participants’ experiences in studying pedagogical documentation in teacher learning groups. The results of this study are retold through two portraits focusing on the co-construction of teacher knowledge in teacher learning groups. Participants’ experiences such as deconstructing barriers to documentation practice, developing new documentation skills, critical self-reflection upon teacher practice, and emergent curriculum planning generated two rich portraits of teacher learning and development. Essential themes, conclusions, and implications appear in the examination of the two portraits and are explored in the final chapter. The themes included: (1) Skills of documentation, (2) Teacher learning and, (3) Teacher collaboration. Overall, this research study exposed the questions and assumptions, process of inquires, and new teacher knowledges and practices developed by two groups of early childhood educators in this study.