An activity theory approach toward teacher professional development at scale (TPD@Scale): A case study of a teacher learning center in Indonesia

Cher Ping Lim,Juliana Juliana,Min Liang

doi:10.1007/s12564-020-09654-w

Cher Ping Lim, Juliana Juliana + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s12564-020-09654-w

Copy DOI

Abstract

Continuous teacher professional development (TPD) ensures that teachers have the capacity to continually plan and implement quality teaching and learning that supports students in achieving their expected program/course learning outcomes. However, teachers’ access to quality TPD is a challenge due to geographical limitations, gender, special needs, marginalized communities, and the government’s policies, or lack of policies, regarding teachers. There are tensions between quality and equity, and cost implications that may hinder the scaling up of quality TPD programs. This paper adopts an activity theory approach to examine how a teacher learning center (TLC) in a regency of Indonesia enhances teachers’ access to quality TPD. The findings reveal that teachers learn in the TLC through different TPD activities. Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) are found to mediate the professional learning activities, learning resources, learning support, and assessments in the TLC. Furthermore, three key stakeholders—the local government, teacher working groups, and school principals—play significant roles in supporting teachers’ professional learning in the TLC.

Highlights

Education in developing countries faces significant challenges in achieving the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal 4 of ensuring access to quality education and lifelong learning for all (Ra et al 2016)
Adopting an activity theory approach, this paper examines how a teacher learning center (TLC) can enhance teachers’ access to quality professional development in an Indonesian regency
The three levels of activity systems work toward the same outcomes, that is, to enhance teachers’ professional competencies that will benefit the subjects and communities at all three levels. This approach could help researchers to analyze the teacher professional development (TPD)@Scale activities and the interplay of activities mediated by Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) or non-ICT tools, but could help to identify the facilitating factors and contradictions in different contexts that could potentially impact on the quality, equity, and efficiency of the TPD@Scale program

Summary

Introduction

Education in developing countries faces significant challenges in achieving the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal 4 of ensuring access to quality education and lifelong learning for all (Ra et al 2016). The three levels of activity systems work toward the same outcomes, that is, to enhance teachers’ professional competencies that will benefit the subjects and communities at all three levels This approach could help researchers to analyze the TPD@Scale activities and the interplay of activities mediated by ICT or non-ICT tools, but could help to identify the facilitating factors and contradictions in different contexts that could potentially impact on the quality, equity, and efficiency of the TPD@Scale program. The interview questions were constructed based on the activity systems at the TLC, school, and local education system level, and included participants’ background information, the role of ICT in the TPD program, the support and roles of teachers, MTs, TLC coordinators, principals, and local government representatives, the rules, the community, and the object and outcomes of the TPD program. The quantitative findings were descriptive in nature and focused on the teachers’ responses to technology usage in training and the role of the key stakeholders (TLC, teacher participants, principals, and local government) in supporting TPD

Key findings

Findings

Discussions and conclusion