What Do Teachers Do When They Say They Are Doing Learning Rounds? Scotland’s Experience of Instructional Rounds

Carey Philpott,Catriona Oates

doi:10.12973/eu-jer.4.1.22

Abstract

<p style="text-align:justify">This paper reports on research into the practice of learning rounds in Scotland. Learning rounds are a form of collaborative professional development for teachers based on the instructional rounds practice developed in the USA. In recent years learning rounds have gained high profile official support within education in Scotland. The research finds that what teachers in Scotland do when they say they are do-ing learning rounds varies widely from school to school and deviates significantly from the practice of instructional rounds. The implications of this for who is learning what in the practice of learning rounds is considered. The wider implications of the Scottish experience for the development of in-structional rounds practice in other countries is also considered as are the implications for promoting collaborative professional development practice more generally.</p>

Highlights

Learning Rounds is a collaborative professional development practice used by teachers in Scotland
A National CPD Team and Education Scotland overview report (Education Scotland, 2011) estimated that 24 local authorities had engaged in learning rounds
This paper presents extracts from transcript data of teachers in Scotland engaged in learning rounds

Summary

Introduction

Learning Rounds is a collaborative professional development practice used by teachers in Scotland. Example that I saw where that was shared and the bigger picture was shared about the transferable learning emm and in terms of acknowledging the children’s bigger questions because it was through their thinking that that came out These discussions that focus on the instructional core begin to show the potential to inform a refined or developed theory of what is effective in classrooms in this school (a theory of action). Saying we’re having this discussion saying, you know you would need to almost mentally set them in your head and make sure that each group had one from or whatever to make that work in a mixed ability class This extract does focus on the instructional core, what begins to become apparent is that the participants in school C are focusing on the perceived value of particular classroom techniques in isolation rather than linking this to a broader theory of action as participants in school A were beginning to. This hints at the ways in which the discussion in school A might develop the understanding and practice of specific teachers participate but is not being articulated at this stage in a way that is likely to inform the understanding and practice of the wider community

Discussion

Conclusion and Implications