Learning to Use Teaching for Personal and Social Responsibility Through Action Research

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose this investigation was to explore the learning experiences of two teachers from different secondary schools in Scotland as they engaged in their respective action research projects to learn to apply teaching personal and social responsibility in physical education.Method: Both teachers worked within a small community of practice and used qualitative methods to gather data to inform their inquiry. The teachers shared their findings with their coauthors and engaged in further, more focused analyses to explore and understand their learning experiences and the learning experiences of their pupils.Results: Both teachers found that their learning in context was much slower and more challenging than first expected. Over time, both teachers learned to set “new” learning objectives, applied “new” teaching strategies, talked more to their pupils, and reflected with others to evaluate their learning.Discussion/Conclusion: When teachers are committed to their own learning and when the subject of their learning aligns with their core values, professional needs, and the needs of their pupils, then pedagogical change is possible.