Communities of practice and PISA for Schools: Comparative learning or a mode of educational governance?

Abstract

This paper examines the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's (OECD) PISA for Schools, a new variant of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) that compares school-level performance on reading, math and science with international schooling systems (e.g., Shanghai-China, Finland). Specifically, I focus here on a professional learning community -the Global Learning Network (GLN) -of U.S. schools and districts that have voluntarily participated in PISA for Schools, and how this, arguably, helps to normatively determine 'what works' in education. Drawing suggestively across diverse thinking around contemporary modes of governance, and emerging topological spaces and relations associated with globalization, and informed by interviews with 33 policy actors across the PISA for Schools policy cycle, my analyses suggest that GLN allows the OECD to discursively and normatively constrain how 'world-class' schools and systems, and their policies and practices, are defined. However, and in light of the productive capacities of power relations, I also argue that GLN provides opportunities for local educators and leaders to undertake meaningful collaboration and sharing, and to find policy spaces outside of those defined by more performative discursive framings of school accountability. To this end, I explore how GLN may help to foster alternative policy spaces from which educators can 'talk back' to national and state authorities, and potentially promote more 'authentic' understandings of, and possibilities for, schooling accountability. Keywords: PISA for Schools; OECD; Global Learning Network; best practice; professional learning communities; topologyComunidades de práctica y PISA para escuelas: Aprendizaje comparativo o un modo de gobernanza educativa? Resumen: Este artículo examina la Organización para la Cooperación Económica y el Desarrollo (OCDE) PISA para escuelas, una nueva variante del Programa Internacional de Evaluación de Alumnos (PISA) que compara el desempeño a nivel de la escuela en lectura, matemáticas y ciencias con sistemas Internacionales (por ejemplo, Shanghai-China, Finlandia). Específicamente, centrarse aquí en una comunidad de aprendizaje profesional -la Red Global de Aprendizaje (GLN) -de los Estados Unidos Que las escuelas y distritos participaron en el PISA voluntariamente para escuelas, y como Esto, sin duda, normativamente ayuda a determinar 'lo que funciona' En la educación. Dibujo sugestivamente a través de un pensamiento diversificado en torno a modos contemporáneos de gobernanza, y espacios topológicos y relaciones asociadas a la globalización emergente, e informó por medio de entrevistas con 33 actores políticos en todo el PISA para ciclo político Escuelas, mis análisis sugieren que GLN Permite la OCDE a la OCDE Discursivamente y normativamente Restringir Cómo se definen las escuelas y los sistemas de "clase mundial" y sus políticas y prácticas. escolaridade prestação de contas Sin embargo, y teniendo en cuenta las capacidades productivas de las ...

Teacher perspectives of online continuing professional development in physical education

“…Healy et al (2020) also found that lack of interaction with a facilitator was a major disadvantage for teachers enrolled in an online CPD programme for PE. There is considerable research to suggest the value of learning from and with other teachers is well established (see Lewis, 2017a;Ward & van der Mars, 2020), and teachers often value CPD that offers opportunities to share ideas. Indeed, collaboration is seen as an important component in PE teacher development, as PE teachers learn best if and when they can collaborate with colleagues (Ward & van der Mars, 2020).…”

“…There are admittedly considerable differences between how online and in-person communities are formed and sustained (Lantz-Andersson et al, 2018;Macià & García, 2016). However, there is some evidence to suggest that online CPD has the potential to include communities of practice, meaningful and sustained collaborative opportunities and ready access to experts (Lewis, 2017a(Lewis, , 2020Rensfeldt et al, 2018).…”

“…At the same time, this desire for solutionsthat is, to identify and share 'what works' (Auld & Morris, 2016;Lewis, 2017b)has itself produced new markets in teacher training, credentialing and continuing professional development (CPD) (Verger et al, 2019). While debates around CPD are a perennial feature of academic, policy and public discussion (see, for instance, Hardy, 2012Hardy, , 2019Lewis, 2017a), our interest here is how CPD has more recently started shifting to online spaces (Lantz-Andersson et al, 2018;Mehta & Peterson, 2019;Rensfeldt et al, 2018), and particularly online professional development for Australian primary (elementary) school physical education teachers.…”

Transformações conceituais de comunidades de prática: Da aprendizagem situada à gestão organizacional

“…Aquele que não se insere na comunidade acaba por ficar à margem do projeto ou do curso (GONZÁLEZ-HOWARD; MCNEILL, 2016); c) gênese direcionada e adesão voluntária: essa configuração foi observada em 26,5% dos estudos selecionados. Tratam-se de organizações que criam CoPs, e disponibilizam infraestrutura (virtual ou não) para compartilhamento de conhecimentos e experiências (SALES; DORNELAS, 2014;HERRERO, 2016;LEWIS, 2017) com a presença de gestão da comunidade pela organização, com vistas a melhorias de desempenho (PATTINSON; PREECE, 2014;LEE et al, 2015;KEITH, SMITH;TAYLOR, 2017).…”

“…Ainda, os resultados indicam que o mosaico de variações em torno do conceito de CoP nos estudos selecionados distancia-se de uma convergência: 6% não explicitam definição de CoP, ainda que o construto seja parte dos estudos (LEWIS, 2017;OMIDVAR;KISLOV, 2014).…”