Teachers leading their own professional growth: self-directed reflection and collaboration and changes in perception of self and work in secondary school teachers

Abstract

Addressing the themes of transformation and professional growth as self-directed phenomena, and supported by a multi-disciplinary collaboration of secondary school teachers, this study was designed to investigate professional growth as an individually reflective and authentically collaborative phenomenon. Of interest to this researcher was some of the ways in which self-directed professional learning, personal and shared reflection, and authentic collaboration -in a supportive study group environment -could create changes in teachers' perceptions of themselves and their work, and catalyse professional growth. It was of interest whether these changes would be reflected in a cluster of effects on perception associated with the focus group intervention.

Coexisting Needs: Paradoxes in Collegial Reflection—The Development of a Pragmatic Method for Reflection

“…Collegial reflection would thereby be a resource for the teachers' professional learning and development. It is generally assumed that teachers' professional development improves classroom performance [68] and pupils' achievement [69,70], making the collegial reflection of relevance not only for the teachers themselves, but also for their pupils. As the teachers' professional development is related to their teaching practice, it would also be of relevance for the quality of education.…”

From crayons to perfume: Getting beyond contrived collegiality

“…This also suggests the regenerative power experienced by leaders when there is confluence among personal needs, professional interests, and organizational goals (Beatty 2000b).…”

“…From intensive 3-day introductory sessions and with the adherence to a cohort-based, carefully sequenced set of adult development and learning opportunities, leaders learn how to move well beyond contrived collegiality. Over 2 years, students post online reflections written in a narrative form that explicitly integrate the personal, professional, organizational, and scholarly dimensions-a restorative and transformational process I had discovered in earlier research (Beatty 2000b). The provision of feedback to peers on their posted reflections and an ongoing online conversation supported by a virtual classroom forum helps connect them in their learning together and catalyzes a number of shifts congruent with Hargreaves' foundational advocacy for genuine collaboration in which they ''develop their own purposes as a community'' (Hargreaves and Dawe 1990, p. 227) rather than merely figuring out how to implement initiatives designed by others.…”

Another Tool in the Belt: Self-Directed Professional Learning for Teachers of Students with Moderate and Severe Disabilities

“…For the individual teacher, SDPL has been found to sustain and enhance learning acquired from typical professional development activities (Mushayikwa & Lubben, 2009). SDPL has also been reported to increase motivation, job satisfaction, and perceived control and confidence of teachers in their professional learning (Beatty, 2000;Slavit & McDuffie, 2013). Additional benefits of SDPL include the potential creation of a collaborative professional learning environment within the school (Coggshall et al, 2012;Zeichner, 2003;Nir & Bogler, 2008).…”