Constructing a learning partnership in transformative teacher development

Abstract

The learning partnership model was dynamic in the design of a master's degree program for practising k-12 teachers. The process of designing experiences that explicitly support teachers to reflect on their assumptions, consider alternative perspectives, develop a language and make explicit connections between theory and practice will be discussed. A variety of reflective tools encourage a movement in teacher's development toward becoming self-authoring; these tools are essential to sustaining continuous improvement. Over time, teachers demonstrated ownership of pedagogical understandings and the transfer of knowledge into practice. The impact of modeling the reflective feedback cycle by university faculty enhances the learning process toward transformative teacher development. IntroductionLearning Partnerships are complex course designs which are inclusive of the student/ faculty interaction. Baxter Magolda (2004) identifies three aspects necessary in a creating a learning partnership: 'help learners meet the challenge by validating their ability to learn, situating learning in the learners' experience and defining learning as a collaborative exchange of perspectives' (p. xviii). The purpose is to promote independence for learning and at the same time shape student assumptions. One key element in examining and shaping one's own assumptions in new and creative ways is the use of reflection.Reflection has quickly become the latest buzz word in the educational repertoire. However, reflection as a recap of events does not influence individual perspectives. Productive reflection requires individuals to consider alternative perspectives, the onus of responsibility and the roles of power to name just a few. Brookfield (2000) states that without the further examination of hegemonic implications of teacher practice, reflection loses the intended transformational purpose. The intention of this paper is to weave together the theories of critical reflection (Bolton, 2005) and a feedback cycle based on Brookfield's (1995) critical incident model through a learning partnership (Baxter Magolda, 2004) to better impact teacher development. These three theories intertwined, model and value reflective practice in the university teaching and learning process.

The Review of Fundamental Framework for Reflective Thinking and Practice in Science Education: Implications for Transformative Science Learning

“…The acquisition of reflective thinking skills is an essential requirement for students to develop their intellectual capabilities (Ahmed & Schwind, 2018;Chen, 2020;Orcid et al, 2023). Reflective thinking empowers students to achieve better academic performance by comprehensively understanding, organizing, transferring, and evaluating knowledge in problem-solving scenarios, as opposed to solely relying on rote memorization ( Swanson, 2010;Draissi et al, 2021;Orcid et al, 2023). Additionally, reflective thinking enables individuals to identify their personal strengths and weaknesses and to develop effective solutions to problems encountered ( Mamlok-Naaman & Eilks, 2012;Ho & Smith, 2021;Alt et al, 2022).…”

“…According to Mezirow (1987), transformative learning is characterized by a fundamental transformation in an individual's viewpoint, resulting in a substantial alteration in how they perceive themselves, others, and the world around them. This transformation is triggered when an individual encounters a new perspective or experiences that challenge their current beliefs, assumptions, and values (Kitchenham, 2008;Swanson, 2010;Fleming, 2018). Transformative Learning focuses on facilitating critical reflection to transform students' understanding of themselves, their life experiences, and the world around them (Van Velzen, 2015;Hoggan & Kloubert, 2020).…”

Engaging students in a community of learning: Renegotiating the learning environment

“…It is this approach that provides the impetus for transformative teaching and learning practices. Transformative teaching involves relinquishing control over knowledge acquisition by the dominant group (Swanson, 2010) and in this case, by university tutors to undergraduate nursing students.…”

Cooperating Teachers’ Role in Preparing Preservice Special Education Teachers

“…This focused discourse about practice will inadvertently provide the preservice teacher access to the common technical vocabulary in teaching (Grossman & McDonald, 2008). Swanson (2010) cautioned that beginning teachers may not value this transparency; novice teachers often just want to be instructed what to do. However, as preservice teachers develop confidence and their instructional repertoire becomes more sophisticated, they will feel less overwhelmed by the thought processes of the CT and begin to engage more critically both in thought and in discourse.…”

“…However, CTs who are not provided a guide should explicitly look for evidence of the following while observing the preservice teacher: (a) implementation of high-leverage strategies (e.g., stating the lesson's objective, modeling during direct instruction, providing wait time after asking a question), (b) implementation of evidence-based practices specific to a content area (e.g., providing encoding instruction using plastic letter tiles to promote decoding and spelling skills; Weiser & Mathes, 2011), (c) positive teacher-student rapport (e.g., during the lesson the preservice teacher interacts with the students in a caring and respectful manner), and (d) evidence that the lesson is tailored to the students' individualized needs, is aligned to students' IEP goals, and integrates the appropriate accommodations and assistive technology. After the observation, CTs should choose the most critical elements from each observation area to discuss with the preservice teacher as well as provide focused feedback so preservice SETs are not overwhelmed (Swanson, 2010). Feedback should be balanced and showcase the preservice teacher's strengths as well as target areas for improvement (Killian & Wilkins, 2009).…”