Section archive - Professional Development

Teacher collaboration is regarded as an excellent method of giving teachers an opportunity to work and learn together. The article describes a study into the relationship between teachers' conversation and collaboration outside the classroom and their actual teaching. The study involves three teachers, and case studies of each teacher described observations, and interviews describing their participation in the after-school meetings. Findings show that although each teacher brought teaching successes and challenges to the group, the teachers with the most advanced teaching of literacy practices did not bring that expertise into the teacher group as fully as they might have.

The article describes a learning process implementing a digital forum focusing on personal cases from student teachers' experiences. The aim of the study was to explore what the students learn through classroom experience. The study included a content analysis of the learning process and revealed an initial lack of reference to theory, and an investment in personal relationships. The second analysis highlighted the difference between the two collectives of student teachers: the experienced and the inexperienced.

The study examined collaborative learning activities which are presumed to be powerful learning tools for preservice teachers. Learning activities were examined in relation to changes in cognition and/or behavior of six teachers and consisted of interviews and reports. Qualitative analyses of the data showed that the collaborative learning activities resulted mostly in changes in cognition that mat be due to a high number of confirmations of own ideas or teaching methods.

“How are science teachers implementing standards-based instruction while participating in effective professional development experiences?” Findings indicate that even with effective professional development, teachers implement standards-based instructional practices at varying levels, due to teacher beliefs, impact of beliefs and support from administrators on professional development.