Learning, leadership, and agency: A case study of teacher-initiated professional development

Abstract

ABSTRACT This case study qualitatively examines the process and outcomes of teacher-initiated professional development through the experiences of an action research collective. Following the group over the course of two years, findings detail how a voluntary group of colleagues organised and experienced leading their own professional development. Through exploration of how a novice teacher developed in her leadership for learning and shifted in her teacher identity, the findings also highlight the powerful role of teacher professional motivation to learn, particularly with colleagues seen as student-first. The study also notes the supports necessary for the collective’s progress. As school and district-level systems move to more greatly recognise teachers as central to capacity-building efforts, this study contributes to our understanding of teacher leadership for learning and suggests that the dynamic nature of teacher leadership and teacher learning is a powerful intersection for transforming teacher identity and practices.