Abstract
Leadership has long been recognized for having a significant impact on teacher learning. While research on development programs for mathematics teachers has suggested a change in focus from teachers being passive participants to becoming active learners in practice-based development programs, little is said about how this change in focus affects the principals’ role as leaders of teachers’ professional development (PD). In response to this, the presented study investigates how a Norwegian school management team facilitates and supports its mathematics teacher’s PD in their first year of participation in a particular practice-based development program. Findings from the study show that supporting teachers’ PD is easier said than done. The study highlights the importance of building teachers’ sense of ownership and having a shared overarching goal for participating in a practice-based development program. Moreover, there must be a structure and a practice for development work at school if a plan for development in practice is to be successfully implemented and fulfill teachers’ need for continuous development support. Based on the findings from this study and the use of cultural historical activity theory (CHAT) and the activity system, the article suggests that at least two prerequisites must be present for practice-based development programs to serve as mediating artifacts for teachers’ PD. First, the roles involved in the development work must be defined so that the work or goal-directed actions divided between the people in the shared community act towards the same object. Second, the school leader needs support in his work as a leader of teachers’ PD.
Highlights
In a two-year-long practice-based development program in mathematics, teacher educators and a group of teachers from a number of schools come together five times a year for a daylong, jobembedded professional learning event, driven by teacher educators
The teachers are divided into arranged groups where they plan to carry out an instructional activity together with their supervisor, focusing on how to enact particular practices for ambitious mathematics teaching
The principal stated: When we agreed to join the MAM program, one of the prerequisites was that we should be able to continue our work developing a more inquiry-based mathematics teaching. [. . .] on those grounds, a decision was made over our heads to create collective teacher development work in mathematics for several schools in the district, which was reached together between our leader and the Norwegian Centre for Mathematics Education
Summary
In a two-year-long practice-based development program in mathematics, teacher educators and a group of teachers from a number of schools come together five times a year for a daylong, jobembedded professional learning event, driven by teacher educators. The teachers are divided into arranged groups where they plan to carry out an instructional activity together with their supervisor, focusing on how to enact particular practices for ambitious mathematics teaching. One or two of the teachers are responsible for carrying out the instructional activity with a group of real students in an actual classroom context. During the rehearsal and the conduction of the instructional activity, the teachers, as well as the supervisor, can pause the instruction by initiating a teacher time-out that instantly freezes the situation and enables the group to think out loud together in the moment and determine the direction of the further instruction. The cycle ends with a group discussion where the teachers reflect on the conducted instructional activity and the planning process together with the supervisor before briefly preparing for the upcoming event
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.