This study means to research the importance and significance of the social and informal learning opportunities offered at a workplace. With Wenger’s theory about social learning and communities of practice as a starting point, this study will create understanding about how teachers at a school comprehend their opportunities for learning within the teacher community. The study is conducted at an independent school in Sweden, and is based on interviews with eight of the teachers employed at the school. The purpose of the study was to research how employees perceive how their social interactions with their colleagues can create learning, and what obstacles they might face along the way. Our results showed that the teachers at this workplace found that most of the learning that took place in their everyday worklife was performed in an informal and social way with lots of helping each other out and social interactions between the colleagues.

French Immersion teachers are constantly frustrated by both the amount of and skill level of their students when using French in informal situations. My research attempts to answer: How can informal language be taught in the French Immersion context? Will teaching informal language in a systematic way in a Classroom Community of Practice improve the frequency of second language (L2) use by FI students in peer-to-peer interactions? Can we teach students to actually speak French – to spontaneously communicate in informal situations? Informal language is the language used in conversations and interactions beyond academic topics or class time such as conversations between students during group work, on field trips and during games and play time. Is it through pedagogical approaches or by developing a clearer understanding of the community of practice necessary for a successful language classroom? This study is an action research study conducted in Victoria, British Columbia with a team of 5 teachers, including the researcher as co-participant. Grounded theory was used to analyze the findings and the themes of ‘spaces’ are presented using creative nonfiction to recount the participants’ stories. The study concludes that it is the importance of the teacher as member of both the classroom community and as member of a community of educators that is critical to success. / Graduate

Die zunehmende Digitalisierung der akademischen Bildungslandschaft findet auch in der Musikerziehung ihre Anwendungen. Musiziert wird traditionell in Wissensgemeinschaften (communities of practice, CoPs), wo das Zusammenspiel von Reifizierung des Wissens und Nutzung der so entstehenden kulturellen Artefakte die Hauptaspekte des Lernens darstellen (Wenger, 1999). Vor diesem Hintergrund wird angenommen, dass kulturelle Artefakte im Mittelpunkt der Praxis einer virtuellen Musikschule stehen. Allerdings liegen in der Forschungsliteratur noch zu wenig Erkenntnisse über den Umgang mit Artefakten und den darauf bezogenen Medieneinfluss vor, deshalb behandelt die vorliegende Studie folgende Fragestellungen: (1) Wie gehen Musiker mit kulturellen Artefakten (hier: gedrucktes Notenmaterial) in der sozialen Praxis der Wissensgemeinschaft um? (2) Welchen Einfluss hat die mediierende Kommunikationstechnologie darauf? Eine empirische, qualitative Untersuchung umfasst mehrere Fallstudien, in denen Musiker die Interpretation eines gregorianischen Chorals untereinander abstimmen. Dabei werden die Expertise und der Bekanntschaftsgrad der Beteiligten sowie das Kommunikationsmedium variiert. Die Ergebnisse weisen auf einen erhöhten Aufwand hin, der für die Aushandlung des gemeinsamen Wissenshintergrunds im Umgang mit dem kulturellen Artefakt notwendig ist. Dieser kann allerdings von der Expertise und Medienkompetenz der Beteiligten kompensiert werden. Dies deutet auf die Machbarkeit einer virtuellen Musikschule hin, in der das Lernen durch gemeinsame Praxis in Wissensgemeinschaften stattfindet.

Abstract Increasing global interest in coaching science research has resulted in a greater recognition of the complexities and dynamics existing in the coaching process (Cushion, Armour, & Jones, 2003). Associated with the dynamic and complex nature of the coaching process are the many social relationships that operate within this process. A high performance coach’s network is often associated with athletes, officials, support staff and administrators. In essence, coaches form dynamic social networks (DSN; (Mallett, Rossi, & Tinning, 2007) that are paramount to developing their coaching practice, and therefore their coaching knowledge. The aim of this project was to understand how high performance football coaches (HPFC) learn. The research questions were as follows: • What are the major sources of information for HPFC? • What sources of information are most valuable to the HPFC? • What role does the interaction with other coaches’ play in developing knowledge? In order to better understand the nature of coach interactions in developing knowledge it is useful to consider the notions of communities of practice (CoP) (Wenger, 1998), networks of practice (NoP) (Nichani & Hung, 2002), informal knowledge networks (IKN) (Allee, 2000) and dynamic social networks (DSN) (Mallett, et al., 2007). This qualitative research was conducted with six high performance football coaches (HPFC) in Australia using semi-structured interviews. Each interview was transcribed and analysed into meaning units through the process of triangular consensus. The coaches in this sample did not display a fully functioning CoP, IKN, or NoP. The HPFCs failed to display the critical element of a joint enterprise. Mutual engagement was partially reported between coaches of the same team but was not reported between opposition coaches. The coaches reported the final element of a shared repertoire. Nichani & Hung’s (2002) notion of a NoP and Allee’s (2000) research on IKN were considered as possible social networks to describe the coaching context. These coaches did not develop relationships that could be characterised as a NoP. The data suggests that the development of knowledge through face-to-face interactions with other people was valued over use of Internet exchanges and chat rooms. There was evidence to suggest the formation of a coaches’ IKN, however it is proposed that this was not the major source for these coaches in developing knowledge. Most importantly it was found that HPFC in the Australian context are engaged in a DSN. It was reported by the coaches in this study that their interactions are dynamic, in that they change throughout their careers to the extent that their people of influence can be numerous; this is due to two key findings. The nature of the work of HPFC is highly contested and thus the information and knowledge is sacred. This is a barrier for information and knowledge transfer and can inhibit learning. In addition finding a person of influence is a lengthy process as it can take years to build mutual trust and respect. By understanding how coaches learn their craft through their interactions with others, coach development could potentially assist coaches through the learning process.

The aims of this study were to investigate tertiary English language teachers’ needs, experiences, and expectations for PD in oral English discussion strategies, to develop a transformative model of professional development using a CoP framework, and to consider how teachers transformed their learning through completing this PD program. To achieve these aims, a case study was designed that used both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods to collect data from multiple sources. Data were collected from: (1) a questionnaire of 30 EFL teachers in the English department of a Chinese university; and (2) interviews with four teachers who volunteered to participate in the CoP; and (3) audio transcriptions of ten professional development meetings, blogs and follow-up electronic interviews six months later. These data were analysed using quantitative and qualitative techniques. The key findings from the analysis of the teacher PD questionnaires and preliminary interview responses showed that although the English teachers in the research site lacked PD experience, they had positive perceptions and expectations for PD activities. However, it was found that PD activities that the respondents had previous attended had been mainly trainer-centred and not relevant to their actual classroom teaching. The teachers reported a need for more opportunities to work with their peers in groups, and for professional development more closely aligned with their needs that considered their other professional commitments and workloads. Based on these findings, a PD program using a Communities of Practice framework was designed to assist teachers to develop new strategies for teaching English oral language skills. Analysis of the transcripts from the PD meetings, post-PD interviews, and electronic interviews revealed that the process of PD implementation was more complex than the initial framework had suggested. First, the outcomes after the implementation of the model varied more than anticipated. The teachers negotiated meanings to enable them to introduce new practices, persisted with their old practice, and adapted, rather than directly adopting, activities. Second, the teachers’ change in practice was smaller than anticipated. Third, the teacher change related to thinking as well as practice. The PD model using a CoP framework was then refined and extended based on these findings. The study also reported an individual case study of one participant’s (Yang’s) learning in the PD program. It was found that Yang went through a significant evolution in her learning. She came to the program as an “outsider” and a listener who was willing to learn new practice from the other teachers. She experienced various cycles during which she implemented what she learned in the meetings and achieved transformation, which included both adaptation and adoption of new strategies in her teaching. The findings revealed that the process of teacher transformative learning in a CoP was complex, cyclical and requires further facilitation and extended participation in face-to-face group activities. Implications were drawn from these findings about directions for future research including: further research in the Chinese context for deeper understanding of teacher transformative learning in PD, and further research on implementing the model in other contexts to explore teachers transformative PD and to investigate the possibility of extending this model to a larger context. This study is an example of how a professional development model using a Community of Practice framework could be implemented for EFL teacher transformative learning in one Chinese university. The study proposed a model, then refined and extended this model which might be applied to other research contexts.

The aims of this study were to investigate tertiary English language teachers’ needs, experiences, and expectations for PD in oral English discussion strategies, to develop a transformative model of professional development using a CoP framework, and to consider how teachers transformed their learning through completing this PD program. To achieve these aims, a case study was designed that used both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods to collect data from multiple sources. Data were collected from: (1) a questionnaire of 30 EFL teachers in the English department of a Chinese university; and (2) interviews with four teachers who volunteered to participate in the CoP; and (3) audio transcriptions of ten professional development meetings, blogs and follow-up electronic interviews six months later. These data were analysed using quantitative and qualitative techniques. The key findings from the analysis of the teacher PD questionnaires and preliminary interview responses showed that although the English teachers in the research site lacked PD experience, they had positive perceptions and expectations for PD activities. However, it was found that PD activities that the respondents had previous attended had been mainly trainer-centred and not relevant to their actual classroom teaching. The teachers reported a need for more opportunities to work with their peers in groups, and for professional development more closely aligned with their needs that considered their other professional commitments and workloads. Based on these findings, a PD program using a Communities of Practice framework was designed to assist teachers to develop new strategies for teaching English oral language skills. Analysis of the transcripts from the PD meetings, post-PD interviews, and electronic interviews revealed that the process of PD implementation was more complex than the initial framework had suggested. First, the outcomes after the implementation of the model varied more than anticipated. The teachers negotiated meanings to enable them to introduce new practices, persisted with their old practice, and adapted, rather than directly adopting, activities. Second, the teachers’ change in practice was smaller than anticipated. Third, the teacher change related to thinking as well as practice. The PD model using a CoP framework was then refined and extended based on these findings. The study also reported an individual case study of one participant’s (Yang’s) learning in the PD program. It was found that Yang went through a significant evolution in her learning. She came to the program as an “outsider” and a listener who was willing to learn new practice from the other teachers. She experienced various cycles during which she implemented what she learned in the meetings and achieved transformation, which included both adaptation and adoption of new strategies in her teaching. The findings revealed that the process of teacher transformative learning in a CoP was complex, cyclical and requires further facilitation and extended participation in face-to-face group activities. Implications were drawn from these findings about directions for future research including: further research in the Chinese context for deeper understanding of teacher transformative learning in PD, and further research on implementing the model in other contexts to explore teachers transformative PD and to investigate the possibility of extending this model to a larger context. This study is an example of how a professional development model using a Community of Practice framework could be implemented for EFL teacher transformative learning in one Chinese university. The study proposed a model, then refined and extended this model which might be applied to other research contexts.

The aims of this study were to investigate tertiary English language teachers’ needs, experiences, and expectations for PD in oral English discussion strategies, to develop a transformative model of professional development using a CoP framework, and to consider how teachers transformed their learning through completing this PD program. To achieve these aims, a case study was designed that used both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods to collect data from multiple sources. Data were collected from: (1) a questionnaire of 30 EFL teachers in the English department of a Chinese university; and (2) interviews with four teachers who volunteered to participate in the CoP; and (3) audio transcriptions of ten professional development meetings, blogs and follow-up electronic interviews six months later. These data were analysed using quantitative and qualitative techniques. The key findings from the analysis of the teacher PD questionnaires and preliminary interview responses showed that although the English teachers in the research site lacked PD experience, they had positive perceptions and expectations for PD activities. However, it was found that PD activities that the respondents had previous attended had been mainly trainer-centred and not relevant to their actual classroom teaching. The teachers reported a need for more opportunities to work with their peers in groups, and for professional development more closely aligned with their needs that considered their other professional commitments and workloads. Based on these findings, a PD program using a Communities of Practice framework was designed to assist teachers to develop new strategies for teaching English oral language skills. Analysis of the transcripts from the PD meetings, post-PD interviews, and electronic interviews revealed that the process of PD implementation was more complex than the initial framework had suggested. First, the outcomes after the implementation of the model varied more than anticipated. The teachers negotiated meanings to enable them to introduce new practices, persisted with their old practice, and adapted, rather than directly adopting, activities. Second, the teachers’ change in practice was smaller than anticipated. Third, the teacher change related to thinking as well as practice. The PD model using a CoP framework was then refined and extended based on these findings. The study also reported an individual case study of one participant’s (Yang’s) learning in the PD program. It was found that Yang went through a significant evolution in her learning. She came to the program as an “outsider” and a listener who was willing to learn new practice from the other teachers. She experienced various cycles during which she implemented what she learned in the meetings and achieved transformation, which included both adaptation and adoption of new strategies in her teaching. The findings revealed that the process of teacher transformative learning in a CoP was complex, cyclical and requires further facilitation and extended participation in face-to-face group activities. Implications were drawn from these findings about directions for future research including: further research in the Chinese context for deeper understanding of teacher transformative learning in PD, and further research on implementing the model in other contexts to explore teachers transformative PD and to investigate the possibility of extending this model to a larger context. This study is an example of how a professional development model using a Community of Practice framework could be implemented for EFL teacher transformative learning in one Chinese university. The study proposed a model, then refined and extended this model which might be applied to other research contexts.

Abstract Increasing global interest in coaching science research has resulted in a greater recognition of the complexities and dynamics existing in the coaching process (Cushion, Armour, & Jones, 2003). Associated with the dynamic and complex nature of the coaching process are the many social relationships that operate within this process. A high performance coach’s network is often associated with athletes, officials, support staff and administrators. In essence, coaches form dynamic social networks (DSN; (Mallett, Rossi, & Tinning, 2007) that are paramount to developing their coaching practice, and therefore their coaching knowledge. The aim of this project was to understand how high performance football coaches (HPFC) learn. The research questions were as follows: • What are the major sources of information for HPFC? • What sources of information are most valuable to the HPFC? • What role does the interaction with other coaches’ play in developing knowledge? In order to better understand the nature of coach interactions in developing knowledge it is useful to consider the notions of communities of practice (CoP) (Wenger, 1998), networks of practice (NoP) (Nichani & Hung, 2002), informal knowledge networks (IKN) (Allee, 2000) and dynamic social networks (DSN) (Mallett, et al., 2007). This qualitative research was conducted with six high performance football coaches (HPFC) in Australia using semi-structured interviews. Each interview was transcribed and analysed into meaning units through the process of triangular consensus. The coaches in this sample did not display a fully functioning CoP, IKN, or NoP. The HPFCs failed to display the critical element of a joint enterprise. Mutual engagement was partially reported between coaches of the same team but was not reported between opposition coaches. The coaches reported the final element of a shared repertoire. Nichani & Hung’s (2002) notion of a NoP and Allee’s (2000) research on IKN were considered as possible social networks to describe the coaching context. These coaches did not develop relationships that could be characterised as a NoP. The data suggests that the development of knowledge through face-to-face interactions with other people was valued over use of Internet exchanges and chat rooms. There was evidence to suggest the formation of a coaches’ IKN, however it is proposed that this was not the major source for these coaches in developing knowledge. Most importantly it was found that HPFC in the Australian context are engaged in a DSN. It was reported by the coaches in this study that their interactions are dynamic, in that they change throughout their careers to the extent that their people of influence can be numerous; this is due to two key findings. The nature of the work of HPFC is highly contested and thus the information and knowledge is sacred. This is a barrier for information and knowledge transfer and can inhibit learning. In addition finding a person of influence is a lengthy process as it can take years to build mutual trust and respect. By understanding how coaches learn their craft through their interactions with others, coach development could potentially assist coaches through the learning process.

This study was undertaken in conjunction with the Successful Integration of Learning Technologies (SILT) Project in Victorian state schools, and its purpose was to identify the forms of teachers’ professional practice that enhance knowledge building, in order to inform teacher development policy and pre-service education. Knowledge building is based on a constructivist approach to learning and teaching, and this, in conjunction with the spread of learning technologies, is said to have greatly changed the role of the teacher in the classroom: from the expert dispensing knowledge to the facilitator of student learning. (For complete abstract open document)

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of North Texas, Aug., 2007. / Title from title page display. Includes bibliographical references.