Education, Faculty of
Education, School of (Okanagan)
DSpace
UBCO
Hadden, Kyla Stacy
Master of Arts - MA
University of British Columbia
Research shows that collaborative professional development, when driven by teacher interest and needs, may be the key to quality professional learning. However, many professional development activities offer little connection to teachers’ individual contexts and fail to offer time for engaging with research and resources, or for collaboration and reflection. The single workshop model often consists of experts telling teachers what the current research says and how it should be implemented in the classroom. These forms of professional development follow a training model and do not encourage transformational learning that “increases our cognitive, affective, interpersonal capacities so we are better able to manage the complexities of leading, teaching, learning and living” (Drago-Severson & Blum-DeStefano, 2014, p. 120). This study explored how a small group of teachers learned in a resource rich, collaborative inquiry driven by their own needs and interests. In this study, eight teachers participated in yearlong collaborative inquiry centered on the renewed curriculum in British Columbia. Through their voices, this study sought to gain insight into how this group of teachers interacted with educational research and resources as part of their professional learning and how this learning impacted both teacher learning and classroom practice. With this new knowledge, this study contributes to teacher professional development literature related to transformative professional learning for teachers.
©Kyla Stacy Hadden, 2018 Learning Through Others: Connecting Research to Professional Learning by Kyla Stacy Hadden B.Ed., University of Victoria, 2001 A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in The College of Graduate Studies (Education) The University of British Columbia (Okanagan) December 2018 ii The following individuals certify that they have read, and recommend to the College of Graduate Studies for acceptance, a thesis/dissertation entitled: Learning Through Others: Connecting Research to Professional Learning submitted by Kyla Stacy Hadden in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Arts . Dr. Leyton Schnellert, Okanagan School of Education Supervisor Dr. Sabre Cherkowski, Okanagan School of Education Supervisory Committee Member Dr. Deborah L. Butler, Education and Counselling Psychology and Special Education Supervisory Committee Member Dr. Jon Corbett, Community, Culture and Global Studies University Examiner iii Abstract Research shows that collaborative professional development, when driven by teacher interest and needs, may be the key to quality professional learning. However, many professional development activities offer little connection to teachers’ individual contexts and fail to offer time for engaging with research and resources, or for collaboration and reflection. The single workshop model often consists of experts telling teachers what the current research says and how it should be implemented in the classroom. These forms of professional development follow a training model and do not encourage transformational learning that “increases our cognitive, affective, interpersonal capacities so we are better able to manage the complexities of leading, teaching, learning and living” (Drago-Severson & Blum-DeStefano, 2014, p. 120). This study explored how a small group of teachers learned in a resource rich, collaborative inquiry driven by their own needs and interests. In this study, eight teachers participated in yearlong collaborative inquiry centered on the renewed curriculum in British Columbia. Through their voices, this study sought to gain insight into how this group of teachers interacted with educational research and resources as part of their professional learning and how this learning impacted both teacher learning and classroom practice. With this new knowledge, this study contributes to teacher professional development literature related to transformative professional learning for teachers. iv Lay Summary This study explored how a small group of teachers learned in a resource rich, collaborative inquiry driven by their own needs and interests. In this study, eight teachers participated in yearlong collaborative inquiry centered on the renewed curriculum in British Columbia. Through their voices, this study sought to gain insight into how this group of teachers interacted with educational research and professional resources and materials as part of their professional learning and how this learning impacted both teacher learning and classroom practice. The participants identified types of professional learning activities and resources that they valued. This study also sought to explore some of the aspects of collaboration that leads to change of practice. v Preface This thesis is an original intellectual product of Kyla Hadden. The author was responsible for the study design, recruitment of participants, data collection and analysis, and manuscript write-up. No part of this thesis has been previously published. Ethics approval for this research was received from the University of British Columbia Okanagan Behavioural Research Ethics Board. The certificate number of the ethics certification obtained for this study was H15-01851. vi Table of Contents Abstract ………………………………………………………………………….…..……… iii Lay Summary ……………………………...………………………………………….…….. iv Preface ……………………………………………………………………………………….. v Table of Contents ………………………………………………………………...…....……. vi List of Tables ………………………………………………………..……………………… ix List of Figures ………………………………………………………………….……...……. x Acknowledgments ……………………………………………………………..…..…..…… xi Definition of Terms ………………………………………….……………………...…...… xii Chapter 1: Introduction ……………………………………….………………………………1 Chapter 2: Theoretical Framework ………………………………………………………….. 6 Teaching as a Profession …………………………………………………………….. 7 Adult Learning Theories ……………………………………………………..……… 8 Teachers’ Zone of Proximal Development …………………………………...……. 11 Collaboration and Professional Learning …………………………………...……… 13 Creating Time for Meaningful Learning …………………………………………… 15 Failure of The Historical Model of Professional Learning ………………………… 16 Developing Capacity as Teacher Researchers Through Practitioner Inquiry ...….… 18 Where to now ………………………………………………………………………. 19 Chapter 3: Methodology …………...………………………………………………………. 22 Study Context …..………………………………………………………………….. 23 Data Collection ………………………………………………..…………………… 30 Guide pre-interviews and post-interviews …………………………………. 32 vii Audio recordings ……………………...……………………………………. 33 Guided reflection journals ………………………………………………….. 34 Teacher artifacts ………………………...………………………………….. 35 Field notes ………………………………..………………………………… 36 Data Analysis ………………………………………………….…………………… 37 Chapter 4: Findings …………………………….…………………………………………... 39 Themes ……………………………………………………………………………... 39 Theme 1 – Structure of Professional Learning Activities ………..………… 40 Session organization and expectations ...…………………………… 40 Choice and ownership of learning …………………………………. 42 Group design ………………………………….……………………. 43 Inquiry as a professional learning process …………………………. 44 Theme 2 – Access to Research, Resources and Professional Learning Activities ………………………………………………………………….... 46 Access to professional learning opportunities and professional resources ………………………………………………………….... 46 On-line access …………………………………………………….... 48 Access to resources through colleagues …………………………… 49 Theme 3 – Types of Research and Resources Accessed …………………... 50 Academic research and practitioner materials ……………………... 51 People as resources ………………………………………………… 52 Theme 4 – The Role of Collaboration ……………………………………... 53 Sharing of ideas …………………………………………………….. 53 viii Excitement and encouragement ………………...………………….. 54 Impacts of conversation ………………………………...………….. 55 Theme 5 – Impacts of Professional Learning on Teachers and Students ..… 56 Impact of professional learning on teacher learning ……………….. 56 Impact of professional learning on teacher practice …………..…… 58 Impact of professional learning on students ……………………….. 60 Chapter 5: Discussion ……………………………………………………………………… 62 Using Research and Resources to Support Teacher Learning …………………….. 62 The Power of Teacher Choice and Connecting Learning and Practice ………...….. 66 The Importance of Sharing our Practice …………………………………………… 68 Positioning Teachers as Active Consumers and Creators of Research ……….…… 71 Designing Professional Learning Experiences …………………………………….. 72 Chapter 6: Conclusion ……………………………………………………………………… 76 Contributions ……………………………………………………………………….. 77 Limitations of This Study ……………..…………………………………………… 79 Suggestions for Future Research …………………………………………………... 80 Moving Forward …………...………………………………………………………. 82 References ………………………………………………………………………………….. 83 Appendices …………………………………………………...…………………………….. 91 Appendix A – Introductory Letter …………………………………………………. 91 Appendix B - Interview Questions ………………………………………...………. 92 Appendix C – Place-mat Activity ……………………………………………...…... 93 ix List of Tables Table 1. Inquiry project timeline …………………………………………………….…….. 26 Table 2. Inquiry groups and topics ………………………………………………………… 28 Table 3. Participants ……………………………………………………………………….. 31 x List of Figures Figure 1. Theoretical framework …......................................................................................... 6 Figure 2. Guided reflection journal ………………...…………………………...…………. 35 xi Acknowledgements First and foremost, I would like to thank my partner in crime for supporting me through this process. Finally, the piles of research and paperwork can disappear from our house! Working fulltime and completing a Master’s Degree does not leave a lot of time for family and friends. I am thankful for their patience and love over the past three years. Thank you for keeping me sane. I would also like to acknowledge the wonderful school district and local teachers’ association that I have the pleasure of working for. Your commitment to teacher professional learning inspires me and many of my colleagues to be life-long learners. Over the past fifteen years, I have had the privilege of working with a host of amazing educators. Jen, Wendy, and Carl, working with you on professional development initiatives has meant more to me than you will ever know. To the students that I have had the pleasure of working with over the past fifteen years, you inspire me to work harder every day. Finally, my heartfelt thanks goes out to my supervisor, Dr. Leyton Schnellert. You are inspiring to me as an educator but more importantly, as a person. Also, thank you to my committee members, Dr. Sabre Cherkowski and Dr. Deborah L. Butler. Sabre, my first graduate level course was with you and I was instantly hooked on the learning community that you helped foster. Your thought provoking comments and feedback helped me immensely on this journey. Deborah, thank you for taking a chance on a graduate student that you had not met. Your attention to detail is a gift. xii Definition of Terms Action Research – A formal process of research with a social justice root designed to produce change to remedy a problem or tension. (Hargreaves & Fullan, 2012). Collaborative Inquiry – A group of people working together in a purposeful way using an inquiry framework to deepen understanding about a common topic (Katz & Dack, 2013). Educational Research – A formal form of research primarily conducted by university researchers and published in academic journals Professional Learning Community (PLC) – A group of professional working together around joint goals and purposes (Cochran-Smith & Lytle, 2009). Practitioner (Teacher) Inquiry – A professional learning process in which a teacher works through the inquiry process to improve an aspect of their instruction. Teacher (Practitioner) Research – A less formal form of research designed to investigate a problem of practice that is situated within the specific context that is being studied. The Scholarship of Teaching – Often situated in higher education, this form of research typically involves teachers reflecting on and researching their own and their colleagues’ teaching practices with the intention of improving student learning (Booth & Woollacott, 2018). 1 Chapter 1 – Introduction Jean Ruddick (1991), from the University of Cambridge, writes that “education is among the last vocations where it is still legitimate to work by yourself in a space that is secure against invaders” (p. 31). This pervasive isolation applies not only to the act of teaching, but also to the act of teacher learning. I was curious about the path out of this isolation and where this path could lead us as educators and teacher learners. Collaborative professional learning is a potential solution to this isolation, but simply adding opportunities for collaboration does not guarantee learning or change in practice. Navigating the wide range of professional learning models and enacting an appropriate model for each professional learning situation has become an important discussion for both educational researchers and policy makers (Kennedy, 2005). In my role as Professional Development Chair for my local teachers’ association, I am keenly aware of issues surrounding teachers and their professional learning. Every two years, in conjunction with the school district, my union professional development committee conducts an email survey of the professional development needs and goals of teachers in the district. The results of this survey highlight the diverse needs and interests surrounding teachers’ professional learning. It is rare to find consensus amongst teachers about what they want or need related to their professional development. My school district and local teachers’ association spend countless hours trying to meet a variety of individual professional needs within the constraints of limited time and budgets. In order to improve teaching and learning, policy makers need to ensure that the professional learning initiatives that they organize and fund are effective in supporting teacher learning and ultimately, student learning in the classroom (Borko, 2004; Hargreaves and Fullan, 2012). 2 Teachers are often disengaged in transmission type, one-off workshops (Cranton & King, 2003; Wennergren, 2016). They take home a few relevant ideas to use in their classrooms, and rarely enact meaningful change in their practice. I can recall attending many workshops early on in my career that sparked my interest in a particular topic. However, that spark was quickly extinguished as I returned to the day-to-day activities of teaching. By the time I attended the next workshop, often months later, I had failed to move my practice forward in relation to the previous topic. District and school initiatives are often disconnected and fragmented in ways that do not provide teachers with opportunities for meaningful, deep learning (Lieberman & Mace, 2010). I hear from teachers that school districts often focus too much on educational trends to drive their professional development offerings rather than on the needs and interests of the teachers involved. This top down transmission approach to professional learning opportunities causes many teachers to remain passive consumers of professional development rather than active creators of their own learning (Kennedy, 2005; Wennergren, 2016). As an elementary trained educator who made the transition to teaching in a secondary school, isolation from colleagues appears to be more pervasive in secondary schools. One reason for this isolation in secondary schools is that teachers believe that those outside of their subject area of specialization have little to offer in terms of professional learning (Hargreaves & Macmillan, 1995). The subject division in secondary schools also isolates teachers in terms of their professional learning. It is hard to organize a workshop on a topic that is of interest to teachers of English, Physics and Woodworking. I have also noticed that my colleagues rarely interact directly with educational research. Commonly, beyond the workshops that they attend, the only materials that teachers access to support their professional learning comes in the form of practitioner resources or trade books, 3 which, while they do offer practical application ideas, focus on the author’s interpretation of research. Literature tells us that teachers often do not value educational research due to a perceived lack of relevance to their own practice (Miretzky, 2007; Rust, 2009; Samaras & Freese, 2009). In fact, most of the educational research that teachers engage with is presented to them during traditional professional development activities (Miretzky, 2007) where a presenter is transmitting knowledge. Teachers are presented the findings of theorists and researchers, but often have little interaction with the actual research itself and even less interaction with the research process. They are often not given time to reflect on what this new knowledge means for their practice. Professional development should be the place where theory and practice meet, but this idea is rarely realized (Rust, 2009). For example, my only direct interaction with research began when I started a Master of Arts program. Building from my own experience as a teacher and a professional development facilitator, within this research, I set out to explore the ways teachers look at research and to contribute to the conversation about how to shift teachers’ attitudes from this doesn’t apply to me to a more reflective stance where they ask what could this mean for me?”. Research on professional learning communities (PLCs) highlights the importance of teacher autonomy and collaboration. PLCs, where teachers work collaboratively around a common topic, can provide a space for teachers to inquire into their practice with colleagues. While some of these learning communities are teacher directed, some still involve a top down approach directing the topic of learning for teachers (Lieberman & Mace, 2010). Research indicates that collaborative inquiry, when driven by teachers, may be the key to professional learning (Dana & Yendol-Hoppey, 2008; Hargreaves & Fullan, 2012; Schnellert & Butler, 2014). Some of the most powerful learning that I have experienced as a teacher has developed 4 within collaborative inquiry groups with my colleagues from a variety of disciplinary areas and grade levels. British Columbia (BC) has embarked on a new curriculum model designed to “make it easier for teachers to use their professional knowledge and discretion to guide students toward the skills and knowledge that will help them thrive” (British Columbia Ministry of Education, 2013, p. 4). This new curriculum, with fewer learning outcomes and a focus on personalized learning, was piloted by teachers in the 2015-2016 school year. In response to this curricular change, all BC teachers, from novice to veteran, will need to adapt their teaching practices to better engage with and support this new curriculum. Such a curriculum change presents a unique opportunity to systematically study what happens when teachers participate in PLCs and engage in collaborative teacher inquiry using educational research and resources to support their learning. In the 2015-16 school year, I had the opportunity to facilitate a district wide collaborative inquiry initiative that focused on the renewed curriculum for approximately forty teachers. This inquiry is situated within this initiative and offered an opportunity to explore several research questions: What happens when teachers engage in collaborative inquiry drawing research and resources into their learning? What types of professional learning activities do teachers value? How does engaging with research and resources affect teacher learning? What is it about collaboration that leads to change of practice? In what ways can professional development help teachers to become both consumers and creators of research? In the next chapter, I will introduce the theoretical framework for my research and review the pertinent literature. In chapter 3, I outline the methodology used, provide some background on the study, and discuss data sources, data collection, and data analysis. Chapter 4 presents and elaborates on the findings from this study. In chapter 5, these findings are then discussed in 5 relation to my questions and the related literature. Finally, in chapter 6, I close with contributions, limitations and possible next steps related to this are of research. 6 Chapter Two - Theoretical Framework In reviewing the literature for the theoretical framework of this study, I begin by exploring the professional in professional learning. Then, I explore adult learning theories, focusing on Malcolm Knowles’ theory of Andragogy and Jack Mezirow’s Transformative Learning Theory. These adult learning theories are then connected to teachers’ professional learning through the lenses of Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development, collaboration, and creating time for learning (see Figure 1). Finally, I end with a discussion of the failure of the historical model of professional learning and the possibilities of developing teachers’ capacity as researchers through practitioner inquiry. Figure 1: Theoretical Framework. 7 Teaching as a Profession If one is going to look at teachers’ professional learning, one needs to first position teaching as a profession. In other professions such as law or medicine, workers typically enjoy high prestige and compensation, control over their work environments, and a high level of training based on specialized knowledge (Hargreaves, 2000; Ingersoll & Perda, 2008). A specific set of complex skills and knowledge that is difficult to acquire and not widely held is what distinguishes professionals from other workers (Hargreaves & Fullan, 2012; Ingersoll & Perda, 2008). In many countries around the world teachers are certified with an agreed upon level of knowledge and training (Ingersoll & Perda, 2008). The amount of education and training required for teachers varies depending on the country (Hargreaves & Fullan, 2012; Ingersoll & Perda, 2008; Sahlberg, 2015). The qualifications, training, and skills held by teachers are also sometimes referred to as human capital (Hargreaves & Fullan, 2012; Pil & Leana, 2009). Hargreaves and Fullan (2012) define human capital in teaching as “having and developing the requisite knowledge and skills” (p. 89). In addition, it is not enough for teachers to be knowledgeable in their subject area(s) alone; teachers must also be knowledgeable in pedagogy and learning theory (Hargreaves & Fullan, 2012). Teachers’ knowledge and skill cannot be learned though textbooks alone; but also are developed through practice and reflection on practice (Hargreaves & Fullan, 2012; Schon, 1989). It is not enough for teachers to simply receive information. Instead, to develop as professionals, teachers need to reflect on how educational research, resources and knowledge can impact their own practice. This professional learning, according to Ingersoll & Perda (2008) “is a prolonged and continuous process” (p. 111). Practitioner inquiry, also referred to as teacher research, “focuses on the concerns of teachers (not outside researchers) and engages teachers in the design, 8 data collection, and interpretation of data around a question” (Dana & Yendol-Hoppey, 2009, p. 4). Inquiry enables educators to acquire knowledge and skills, and integrate them into practice, which should be at the centre of teacher professional development. Professionals do not just absorb knowledge; they reflect and inquire into how this knowledge fits into their own practice (Cochran-Smith & Lytle, 2009; Hargreaves & Fullan, 2012; Pil & Leana, 2009). Despite the potential of inquiry to support teachers in developing their practice, most professional development still operates from a stance of knowledge dissemination and provides little opportunity for teachers to integrate knowledge and practice. Adult Learning Theories Over the past fifty years, a growing body of research has examined if and how the learning of adults differs from the learning of children. Andragogy and Transformative Learning Theory are two models developed to explain adult learning. Malcolm Knowles developed his theory of Andragogy in the late 1970s and is primarily credited for bringing the theory to North America and developing it into “the most persistent practice-based, instructional issue in adult education” (Rachal, 2002, p. 211). Andragogy is rooted in a number of assumptions about adults. The first is the idea of self-concept where “as a person grows and matures his self-concept moves from one of total dependency (as is the reality of the infant) to one of increasing self-directedness” (Knowles, 1973, p. 45). Knowles (1973) identifies this as a point of tension in many learning environments provided to adults. When adults are put in situations where their self-directedness is not honoured, their experiences are often “tainted with resentment and resistance” (Knowles, 1973, p. 45). This idea of self-concept suggests that adults need learning environments that allow them some control over their learning to better align new knowledge 9 with their existing self-concept. Teacher inquiry embraces the idea of teacher centered learning where teachers are posing problems that are meaningful to them (Cochran-Smith & Lytle, 2009). The second assumption that Andragogy makes about adults is the role that experience plays in the learning process because adults have a broad experience base that allows them to relate new learning to what they already know (Knowles, 1973). This has a number of implications for the adult learning environment. First, the variety of our experiences grows exponentially as one progresses through their life. Knowles (1973) asserts that “if individual differences are important in dealing with children, they are more important in dealing with adults, because they widen with experience” (p. 46). The older you are, the more experiences you have had and thus the more unique your learning becomes. Second, adult learners need time to reflect on how new learning fits into their past experience. Lecture or assigned reading will have little impact on an individual if they are not given time to fit new learning into their existing knowledge (Cranton & King, 2003). The third assumption of Andragogy is the importance of timing and the need to know something. Adults learn what they “need” to know based on the “developmental phases they are approaching in their roles as workers, spouses, parents, organizational members and leaders, leisure time users, and the like” (Knowles, 1973, p. 47). It is very hard to tell an autonomous adult what they “ought” to know without giving them a reason why they “need” to know it. While young children typically learn things that they will need to know in the future, adults tend to learn things that directly connect to their current situation. While most childhood learning is centered around subjects, learning for adults is centered around problems where the adult “comes into an educational activity largely because he is experiencing some inadequacy in coping with current life problems” (Knowles, 1973, p. 48). Adults engage in learning not because they think 10 it will help them years down the road, but because they have a problem that they would like to solve in the here and now. This implies that adults need some say in what they are learning and in the goals and outcomes of their learning. Jack Mezirow’s Transformative Learning Theory echoes many of the beliefs central to Andragogy. It is a constructivist theory, where “the way learners interpret and reinterpret their sense experience is central to making meaning and hence learning” (Mezirow, 1994, p. 222). For Mezirow, like Knowles, most adult learning happens when we encounter experiences that force us to reflect on our beliefs because our old beliefs “are not working well for us, or when old ways of thinking are no longer functional” (Mezirow, 1994, p. 223). That is, adults are forced to learn new things and consider new perspectives when they confront real life issues and problems that challenge they way they think about the world. Mezirow (1985) sees collaboration and discourse as central to adult learning theory. He refers to this dialog as discourse where “we search out those we believe to be most informed, objective and rational to seek out consensus in the form of the best collective judgment” (Mezirow, 1994, p. 225). Without discourse, one would have no opportunity to assess the validity of, not only the ideas presented by others, but also of our own beliefs. Adults do not have to rely solely on their own prior knowledge to reflect on the validity of new knowledge because they can converse with others to navigate this new knowledge. The final piece of Transformative Learning Theory is critical reflection. According to Kitchenham (2008) “critical reflection not only involves the nature and consequences of one’s actions but also includes the related circumstances of their origin” (p. 112). Taylor (2008) describes critical reflection as a “conscious and explicit reassessment of the consequences and origin of our meaning structures” (p. 6). One must not only reflect on the outcomes of one’s 11 actions, but must also reflect on the underlying beliefs dictating why a certain action was selected. Mezirow (1997) argues that the only way to transform our frames of reference is “through critical reflection on the assumptions upon which our interpretations, beliefs, and habits of mind or points of view are based” (p. 7). If one fails to critically reflect on the habits of mind behind one’s beliefs and actions, then only surface level instrumental learning will take place and one’s true habits of mind will fail to be transformed. From the perspective of this theory, well-designed professional learning opportunities should allow teachers time to reflect on how new knowledge fits into their context and their beliefs about education and learning. Teachers’ Zone of Proximal Development Another central idea to teacher professional learning is Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development. One’s zone of proximal development can be defined as “the distance between the actual developmental level as determined by independent problem solving and the level of potential development as determined through problem solving under adult guidance or in collaboration with more capable peers” (Vygotsky, 1978, p. 33). Vygotsky (1978) writes about the importance of matching learning to the learner’s development level. While Vygotsky applied this theory primarily to children, other research has extended this idea to adult learners. Both teaching and learning are social activities and require the addition of a more confident other (Rueda, 1998, p.3). Warford (2011) writes about the importance of designing learning experiences that “stay within the zone between a learner’s actual capacities and a proximal set of knowledge and skills that they can reach through expert-other mediation” (p. 253). This expert other could take the form of educational research, practitioner resources, and/or the addition of a more experienced colleague. Educational research and resources could “provoke thinking differently about educational problems” (Miretzky, 2007, p. 279). Colleagues, through 12 collaboration, could also help move teachers forward in their learning. Through this interaction with others and critical reflection on one’s own beliefs, learners are able to bridge the gap between the existing knowledge, new knowledge and their practice in the classroom. Through the addition of new knowledge, from either others with varying perspectives that can inform teaching and learning, or educational literature, the learner should be able to move beyond their existing state (Schnellert & Butler, 2014; Shagoury & Power, 2012). In professional development initiatives, there is also the danger of learning experiences that are designed by an outsider that may not be cognisant of the teacher’s current developmental level or interests (Fani & Ghaemi, 2011; Kuusisaari, 2014; Miretzky, 2007). When teachers are forced to choose from a list of predetermined workshops, they may not find a workshop that fits their learning needs or context. Learning experiences that are designed without considering teachers’ context and experience levels may be too far outside of the participants’ current reality to allow learning to take place (Drago-Severson & Brum-DeStefano, 2014). Warford (2011) argues that “teacher knowledge is inherently situated and mediated (not transmitted) within an emergent and dynamic interaction between a multiplicity of roles, goals and motive” (p. 257). Teachers need learning experiences that are designed with their current level of knowledge and context in mind in order to be successful. Drago-Severson and Brum-DeStefano (2014) refer to this as the holding environment. An effective holding environment “offers developmentally appropriate challenges that are aimed at helping a person to grow towards a new way of knowing over time” (Drago-Severson & Brum-DeStefano, 2014, p.120). These new ways of knowing should go beyond simply acquiring new knowledge and result in “a qualitative shift in how participants understand themselves and their world and the relationship between the two” (Helsing, Howell, Kegan & Lahey, 2008, p. 443). The addition of a more knowledgeable other, 13 either through collaboration or accessing research and resources, allows a teacher’s skill and knowledge to grow and allows them to develop beyond their current state. While there is a growing body of research on both teacher collaboration with colleagues (Butler &Schnellert, 2012; Liberman& Mace, 2010; Servage, 2008), and the impact of research and resources on practice (Rust, 2009; Schnellert & Butler, 2014; Shagoury & Power, 2012) I found few studies exploring the impact of research and resources on teachers’ potential development within a collaborative context. Collaboration and Professional Learning Collaborating to solve problems is a natural process that occurs in almost every aspect of human life (Wideman, 2011). When confronted with problems or questions, we often turn to others to help us develop solutions or understand new information. Mezirow (1997) defines discourse as “a dialogue devoted to assessing reasons presented in support of competing interpretations, by critically examining evidence, arguments, and alternative points of view” (p. 6) and sees this discourse, or conversation with others, as a key part of adult learning. Not only do conversations with others provide us with new ideas and information, discourse is “necessary to validate what and how one understands, or to arrive at a best judgement regarding a belief” (Mezirow, 1997, p. 10). When confronting issues in education, it is only natural that teachers would look to their colleagues as sources of information and as a way to negotiate where new knowledge fits within their beliefs and their practice. If collaboration is human nature, what is preventing teachers from seeking the knowledge of their colleagues? Ifanti and Fotopoulopou (2011) found that teachers ranked collaboration with colleagues as “one of the most important factors for the development of satisfaction feelings in their workplace” (p. 45) and yet, there is little time within the school day to engage in active collaboration. Professional development 14 opportunities that build in collaboration time create space for teachers to learn with their colleagues. Collaboration also provides a public audience for teacher researchers (Brown & Cherkowski, 2011). Rust (2009) argues that some academics question the validity of teacher research because it falls outside of the traditional norms for objectivity, rigor and reliability. Hiebert, Gallimore and Stigler (2002) argue that the act of sharing teacher research also acts as a peer review measure to help legitimize the research because it becomes “open for discussion, verification, and refutation or modification” (p. 7). In order to do this, teacher research should be made public and shared with a wider audience. The understandings and ideas developed from teacher professional learning can add to the greater body of knowledge of the profession if the learning is shared publically and discussed with others. Collaboration allows teachers an opportunity to discuss and share their research, and the research of others, with colleagues. Thus collaboration helps increases the professional capital of the teaching profession as a whole (Hargreaves & Fullan, 2012). Hargreaves and Fullan (2012) claim that “teachers who work in professional cultures of collaboration tend to perform better than teachers who work alone” (p. 112). Collaboration is better than isolation, but not all collaboration is equally effective. In a study of which types of collaboration lead to innovative ideas and change of practice, Kuusisaari (2014) found that collaboration is most successful when teachers are striving towards a shared goal (also see Butler & Schnellert, 2012; Schnellert & Butler, 2014). This can involve teachers taking autonomous paths towards a common goal, but it still means that teachers are working collaboratively on a shared outcome. 15 Beatty (2000) reported that in order for educational change to take place, educators must move themselves from the place of authority and knowledge to a place of learning. This movement from expert to learner can only take place if the teacher feels a level of trust and comfort in their own context (Wennergren, 2016). Teachers need to feel a sense of trust both towards their colleagues and towards the system that they work in (Hargreaves & Fullan, 2012) in order to have meaningful collaboration. This culture of trust must exist if teacher are to change “their view that teaching is a personal and private activity and adopt the more risky but rewarding view that teaching is a professional activity that can be continuously improved if it is made public and examined openly” (Hiebert, Gallimore & Stigler, 2002, p. 7). When teachers trust each other, they share more, challenge each other more openly, and are more supportive of each other (Mathews & Crow, 2010). There is a misconception that teacher research or inquiry is solely a private practice when in reality, it requires “collaboration and opening one’s practice to public critique (Samaras & Freese, p.5). Shagoury & Power (2012) discuss the importance of having an interested friend both to support you and to challenge you. Trusted colleagues can challenge us to articulate our understanding of new information and can also offer their own experiences to help us grow. Collaborative professional development offers a way for teachers to learn through and with others. Creating Time for Meaningful Learning Time and place can affect the success of professional development initiatives (Dana & Yendol-Hoppey, 2008). Because learning is a social process, teachers need blocks of time devoted to collaborative professional learning (Lieberman & Mace, 2008). Only with time for reflection will teachers be able to integrate new knowledge into their practice (Butler & Schnellert, 2008; Mezirow, 1985). In Finland, a country widely seen as an educational leader 16 around the world, teachers spend less time in the classroom than teachers anywhere in the world (Hargreaves & Fullan, 2012). A large portion of their time is spent working with colleagues to inquire into practice, pedagogy and curriculum. Typically, teachers in high performing countries are provided with more time to meet collaboratively with their colleagues than those in lower performing countries (Hargreaves & Fullan, 2012; Sahlberg, 2015). Rust (2009) argues that any successful professional development program “must be integrated into the school day and school year in ways that enable teachers to fully use the innovation” (p. 1887) and should be sustained over time. The power of inquiry and collaboration can be greatly diminished if teachers are not given the time to inquire into their own practice (Brown & Cherkowski, 2011; Butler & Schnellert, 2012; Hargreaves & Fullan, 2012). Kegan and Lahey (2009) argue that it takes six to nine months for adults to make changes in their way of knowing. According to the current contract between the British Columbia Teachers’ Federation and the British Columbia Public Schools Employers’ Association, teachers are entitled to five professional development days each school year (British Columbia Public School Employers’ Association, 2013). It makes sense to use the professional learning time that already exists for activities that are driven by teacher need and interest and are collaborative in nature. A teacher inquiry model encourages teachers to use what little time they have for professional learning to explore issues and problems that are directly related to their teaching and existing context over a sustained period of time. Failures of the Historical Model of Professional Learning Historically professional development initiatives do little to develop the professional capacity of teachers (Butler & Schnellert, 2008; Helsing, Howell, Kegan & Lahey, 2008). Teachers have reported that professional development activities are too short and too broad, and 17 leave them little time to digest what was presented or to transfer what was learned into their professional practice (Zambo & Isai, 2013). Participants in these workshops are unable to mobilize the knowledge to bring it to life in their practice. These initiatives are often decided on by district staff and sometimes have little connection to the needs of the individual teacher (Beatty, 2000), often ignoring the experience and problem-solving nature of adult learning theory as discussed by Knowles (1970) and Mezirow (1997). According to Lieberman (2009) most professional development, especially in the United States, has been packaged and given to teachers by administrators and district staff. Lieberman and Mace (2008) report that teachers perceive professional development as fragmented, disconnected and often irrelevant to their practice. As a result of the poor fit between teacher learning needs and the professional development activities offered, “research and practice remain disconnected” (Butler & Schnellert, 2008, p. 36). Kennedy (2005) sees this historical training model as passive, often delivered by an outside expert disconnected from the participants’ contexts, with little teacher choice or autonomy. Some researchers refer to this type of professional development as developing knowledge for practice (Cochran-Smith & Lytle, 2009; Dana & Yendol-Hoppey, 2008). While knowledge for practice does provide teachers with some new information, it is often generic and offers little opportunity for transfer into an individual teacher’s specific context and little support for such implementation (Dana & Yendol-Hoppey, 2008). Miretzky (2007) argues that the dissatisfaction with transmission type professional learning, that may or may not be based on credible research findings, can be extended to research for teachers “and the frustration and impatience aimed at professional developers winds up extending to research and researchers” (p. 274). One potential antidote to this issue is collaborative teacher inquiry because it provides 18 teachers with the time and support to discuss, reflect on and then implement new knowledge into their practice. Cochran-Smith & Lytle (1999a) refer to this as knowledge of practice where “teachers learn when they generate local knowledge of practice by working within the context of inquiry communities to theorize and construct their work and to connect it to larger social, cultural, and political issues” (p. 250). Developing Capacity as Teacher Researchers Through Practitioner Inquiry Developing teacher capacity as researchers could offer a way to integrate adult learning theories with models for professional development in teaching. The first step in developing teacher capacity is for teachers to see themselves as researchers. They need to believe that they can generate research that is worth sharing, both with their colleagues and with a wider educational audience (Rust, 2009). They also need to become familiar with the research process, perhaps through the use of practitioner inquiry. Many teachers are already engaged in a process of inquiry and informal research in their practice but do not realize it (Wideman, 2011). Dana & Yendol-Hoppey (2009) note that practitioner inquiry or research differs from the everyday reflection process because of its intentionality and its visibility. Practitioner inquiry involves the teacher developing a question that is situated in their practice, followed by the collection and analysis of data in order to improve practice (Cochran-Smith & Lytle, 2009; Hargreaves & Fullan, 2012; Samaras & Freese, 2009). Lieberman (2009) sees the inquiry process as one that moves from questioning, to research, to data collection and interpretation, followed by planning a course of action and reflecting on the implementation of that plan. By engaging in the inquiry process, perhaps with the help of a facilitator to guide them through the process in a supportive environment, teachers can begin to build their capacity as teacher researchers. 19 Miretzky (2007) argues that involving teachers in the research process “is likely to promote greater comfort with research in general, particularly if teachers are encouraged to explore their own interests” (279). By becoming researchers, teachers may develop a stronger relationship with educational research. Butler and Schnellert (2008) argue that “it is by inquiring into and reflecting on practice that teachers generate practice-based knowledge about teaching and learning” (p. 37). Involving teachers in a research process like practitioner inquiry helps develop a learning focused stance where teachers become both consumers and creators of research. The old paradigm pitted experiential knowledge against educational research. As teachers become both consumers and creators of research, the lines between the two types of knowledge can become blurred, with both being equally valued (Butler & Schnellert, 2008). Teacher research allows for a shift from knowledge dissemination to knowledge creation (Cochran-Smith & Lytle, 1999a; Wideman, 2011). Professional learning, through teacher inquiry, should focus on involving teachers in the research process. By developing teacher capacity as researchers, we recognize the importance of knowledge and practice in professional learning. Where to Now? Teachers need to see themselves as professionals who have the knowledge and ability to identify issues, create and enact solutions, and further adjust their practice as needed. Many teachers are already involved in inquiry, but they need to develop a deeper understanding of the inquiry process, build capacity, and harvest the power of their colleagues (Hargreaves & Fullan, 2012; Wideman, 2011). Knowles (1975) shares this sentiment because he believes that “most students have been so conditioned by their previous schooling to be dependent learners that they have not developed the attitudes and skills required to take responsibility for their own learning” 20 (p. 87). Professional development could be designed to be a place not only for teachers to develop new knowledge and skills in teaching, but also for them to develop new knowledge about themselves as learners and researchers. The goal of professional development, and in fact any adult learning, should be “to help the individual become a more autonomous thinker by learning to negotiate his or her own values, meanings, and purposes rather than to uncritically act on those of others” (Mezirow, 1997, p. 11). Adults do not necessarily need a presenter to provide them with new information; rather, they need a facilitator to “design learning experiences which will give students the skills of self-directed learning” (Knowles, 1975, p. 88). Adult learners need opportunities to engage with new knowledge that is connected to something they care about followed by time and learning processes designed to promote critical reflection. Professional learning could be structured to include “multiple opportunities for professional activities, engaging in reflective thought and action, and developing dispositions to reserve judgement and to remain open minded” (Harris, Lowery-Moore, & Farrow, 2008, p. 323). The learning should be inquiry based, where the questions and topics are posed by teachers themselves, and should include time for knowledge acquisition, practice, reflection, collaboration, and discourse. This review sought to explore teaching as a complex profession that requires on-going, quality professional learning. Adult learning theories and the concept of zones of proximal development were linked with teacher professional learning through teacher research and collaboration. These concepts also help to highlight some of the problems with a traditional workshop method to advancing teacher professional learning. Although research suggests what does not work well for teacher professional development (Hargreaves & Fullan, 2012; Kennedy, 2005), more research needs to be completed 21 on what happens when teachers participate in collaborative teacher inquiry (Schnellert, Butler & Higginson, 2008). This study explored both the process and the outcome of professional development that positioned teachers as “becoming researchers” and aimed to provide insight into how teachers access and produce research, integrate research into practice, and work within collaborative practitioner inquiry to transform their practice. This theoretical framework undergirds a study framed by the question: What happens when teachers engage in collaborative inquiry drawing research and resources into their learning? From this large overarching question, a number of smaller questions must also be explored: • What types of professional learning activities and resources do teachers value? • How does engaging with research and resources affect teacher learning? • What is it about collaboration that leads to change of practice? • In what ways can professional development help teachers to become active consumers and creators of research and resources? As the professional development chair for my local teachers’ association and as a professional development facilitator, these research questions, informed by this theoretical framework, offer an opportunity to understand problems of practice. This study creates a better understanding of the processes and outcomes of collaborative inquiry-­‐oriented professional development as experienced by a teacher who is responsible for organizing and facilitating professional development for my colleagues. 22 Chapter 3 – Methodology Practitioner inquiry, also referred to as teacher research (Cochran-Smith & Lytle, 2009), is the methodology taken up in this qualitative research study. This study is positioned within relational epistemology in that it is designed to respect the knowledge of the participants, provide collaborative learning experiences that are related to the participants’ experiences and focuses on meaning-making rather than knowledge accumulation (Papatheodouro & Moyles, 2009). I believe that practitioner inquiry was the best fit for this study because I wanted my research to embrace the rich practice of teacher-as-researcher, to recognize my own positionality as a teacher working with peers to organize and facilitate professional development, and to add to the growing body of research done by teachers, for teachers. Dana and Yendol-Hoppey (2008) define practitioner inquirers as researchers who “seek out change and reflect on their practice by posing questions or ‘wonderings,’ collecting data to gain insight into their wonderings, analyzing the data along with reading relevant literature, making changes in practice based on new understandings developed during the inquiry, and sharing findings with others” (p. 4). This study is strongly connected to my role as Professional Development Chair Person is my home school district as I seek to create opportunities for meaningful professional learning for my colleagues. In this study I engaged in practitioner inquiry, as described above, as I questioned how teachers mobilize knowledge to improve their practice, accessed literature to develop theoretical understandings, observed participants in a research and resource rich collaborative inquiry initiative, and sought to share these findings with others. Cochran-Smith and Lytle (2009) write that practitioner inquiry has the power to “alter the relationship of knowledge, practice, and power in universities and to rethink hierarchical connections between teaching and research” (p. 29). The goal of practitioner inquiry, or teacher 23 research, is to solve problems that are connected directly to the researchers’ context (Gay, Mills & Airasain, 2012). This study, and its connection to teacher learning, is directly connected to my context and passions. While I did access a wide range of research methodologies to frame my study, I believe that the practitioner inquiry methodology provides a unique insider view of professional learning (Gay, Mills & Airasain, 2012; Shagoury & Power, 2012). I was a teacher involved in facilitating the initiative and had connections to the context that surrounds the research. My role as the local teachers’ association professional development chairperson made this research important to me from a facilitator’s perspective, a planning/organization perspective, and an advocacy/policy perspective. As a methodology, practitioner inquiry invites teachers involved in the project to actively construct knowledge about their teaching while experiencing and engaging in the inquiry processes. Study Context This study was conducted in my home school district. The school district encompasses a large geographical area of 8,500 square kilometers and includes four secondary schools, three middle schools and sixteen elementary schools. In the 2015-2016 school year, my district hosted and provided release time for a year-long teacher inquiry initiative. This research examined this on-going initiative in the school district and looks at data collected throughout the 2015-2016 school year. In 2012, the British Columbia Ministry of Education began revising the provincial curriculum. The revised curriculum for each subject area includes big ideas that students are to understand, curricular competencies focusing on what students can do, as well as content that students are to know (British Columbia Ministry of Education, 2013). This curriculum also includes an overarching set of core competencies that include communication, critical and 24 creative thinking, and personal and social awareness and responsibility. Another pillar of the revised curriculum is a goal to infuse Aboriginal content and understandings across the curriculum. In order to help teachers better understand and implement this new curriculum the school district in this study began to create relevant learning opportunities for teachers. In September of 2015, all teachers in the school district were given the opportunity to participate in a non-instruction day focused on British Columbia’s new curriculum. During the first part of the day, teachers listened to three speakers who each took up a unique part of the renewed curriculum including inclusion, inquiry, and infusing Aboriginal content. A fourth speaker discussed teacher inquiry as a method of professional learning. In the afternoon, teachers were then invited to participate in an Edcamp that generated topics related to the new curriculum. The Edcamp model invites educators to self-organize according to interests and passions around a key topic and then encourages conversation and collaboration (Carpenter, 2016). Upon arrival in the afternoon, teachers were given a list of possible topics generated from the morning’s speakers and related to the renewed curriculum as a jumping off point. They were also encouraged to suggest new topics if they did not see their interests reflected in the list. Each topic was then assigned to a room in the building and teachers joined a room for an hour-long conversation around the selected topic. The conversation groups were fluid and teachers were able to move to a different room if a conversation was not meeting their needs. At the conclusion of the day, interested groups filled out an application to participate in an inquiry series called Just Add Inquiry, Collaboration, and Engagement (ICE). As part of the application, groups identified an area of interest and selected a colleague to act a facilitator during the ICE series. Later in September, the facilitator for each group attended a half-day session facilitated by myself and another colleague where they were provided with basic information on the inquiry 25 process and information about supporting their colleagues throughout the practitioner inquiry process. Approximately forty teachers from a wide variety of schools and grade levels participated in the ICE series. Due to funding constraints related to release costs, we could not accommodate all groups that applied to be in the initiative. There were thirteen groups that ranged in size from two to six educators including teachers, education assistants and administrators. Only four of the thirteen groups were comprised of teachers from middle and secondary schools. Because I wanted to focus on professional learning in middle and secondary schools, only these four groups were invited to participate in this study. Prior to the first session in October, members of these four groups were provided with a letter introducing the study (see appendix A) and the required consent form. Teachers were not required to participate in the study and could take part in the larger ICE series whether they took part in this study or not. One of the groups declined to participate in this study due to personal reasons but did continue on with the ICE series. Of the three groups that agreed to participate in this study, two groups were from a large secondary school and the third group was from a large middle school (see Table 3). The first secondary school group selected infusing aboriginal content and understandings into English and Social Studies as their focus. Lily described how she wanted to ensure that Aboriginal perspectives were infused into all aspects of her course as opposed to presenting separate units on Aboriginal peoples (pre-interview, p. 6). The second secondary group was interested in incorporating Aboriginal content in a meaningful way using quality resources (Taylor, pre-interview, p. 5). The middle school group decided to focus on questioning as a way to develop students’ critical thinking skills (Elizabeth, pre-interview, p. 4). There were no privileges related to participation in this study or ramifications if participants declined. After the initial Edcamp and the facilitator 26 training session in September, the inquiry groups met five times throughout the 2015-16 school year (see Table 1). Table 1: Inquiry project timeline. Month Topic(s) Time September Edcamp Facilitator training session 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. 1:00 – 5:00 p.m. October Creating group ground rules Inquiry process Refining learning focus Developing a learning plan 1:00 – 5:00 p.m. January Accessing research Report out on learning so far. 1:00 – 5:00 p.m. February Accessing research Report out on learning so far. 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. April Report out on learning Plan next steps and presentation of learning 1:00 – 5:00 p.m. May Celebration – share out with colleagues and guests 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. I worked with my supervisor to complete UBCO Ethics before beginning my research. Ethics approval was granted on October 8th, 2015. Pseudonyms were used to protect the identities of both the teachers and the schools involved. The participants were also given an opportunity to review interview transcripts as part of data collection and to respond to drafts of representations of the data. My role in the inquiry group was as a facilitator of the overall process. I worked to guide teachers through the inquiry process to help them build their capacity as teacher researchers. Our sessions followed the inquiry cycle described by Dana and Yendol-Hoppey (2009) in which participants begin by developing a question or wondering, then develop a research plan, analyze their data, and finally share their findings with a larger audience. It should also be noted that 27 each session included a short presentation. These presentations took the form of speakers who offered both research and pedagogical examples to support the general implementation of the new curriculum, videos to support teachers is personalizing learning for students, and members of the local community to support incorporating Aboriginal content. These presentations lasted anywhere from thirty minutes to one hour. Following the inquiry cycle described above, our first session focused on developing an understanding of the inquiry process, refining and developing each group’s learning focus for the project, and identifying research and resources to support learning. We worked to identify and learn about the different stages of the inquiry process (Dana & Yendol-Hoppey, 2009). Teams explored how to develop an inquiry question related to their topic of interest (see Table 2). To help them refine their inquiry question, groups participated in a protocol called “See-Think-Wonder” developed by Ritchhart, Church and Morrison (2011). As part of this protocol, each member engaged in a silent reflection where they identified what they saw or noticed in terms of their topic, what they thought about these observations, and what these observations made them wonder. Once the silent reflection was complete, group members then shared their thinking with their group members. This process helped groups move from a general topic towards a more specific inquiry question. We also looked at the various locations for accessing research and resources to inform teachers’ learning. In our district, we have access to EBSCO HOST both at school and at home. EBSCO HOST, combined with the wide variety of resources available on the Internet, through colleagues and in the School District’s resource center, provided teachers with many options for locating research and resources to support their inquiries. Participants also worked within their groups to identify sources of data that they could collect to inform their learning. This included observing students, analyzing student artifacts and conversations with 28 colleagues. By identifying multiple sources of data, participants were able to “get a more complete picture of the topic under study and to cross-check information” (Gay, Mills & Airasain, 2012, p. 427). The session ended with a whole group activity, where each of the inquiry groups shared out their inquiry question, identified their data sources, and described next steps. This whole group sharing activity allowed myself and the other facilitator to identify how to move the groups forward in our next session. Table 2: Inquiry groups and topics. Group Participants Topic Secondary #1 Lily *** this group had a second member who did not participate in this study What happens when an English teacher and a Social Studies teacher work together to incorporate Aboriginal content and understandings into our classrooms? Secondary #2 Taylor Olivia Michelle How do we incorporate Aboriginal content in an authentic way? Middle School Elizabeth Julie Kyle Sandy How does focusing on effective questioning improve students’ critical thinking competency? In the two-month space between the first and second sessions, participants were asked to locate a few sources of research related to their chosen topic and to conduct observational research in their classrooms. Some groups were able to access additional release time to meet as group during this time. At the beginning of the second session, groups participated in a protocol called “Green Light, Yellow Light, Red Light” designed to help them dig deeper into their inquiry question and identify areas of tension where further learning was needed. During this protocol, each group was asked to identify parts of their inquiry that were going well (green light), parts of their inquiry that were causing tension (yellow light), and parts of their inquiry that were at a standstill (red light). Each group wrote their green light, yellow light, and red light 29 thoughts on a large piece of chart paper. All members of the ICE series then rotated around the charts and were encouraged to add their ideas and thoughts to help each group move through yellow light or red light issues. This protocol also allowed myself and the other facilitator to identify groups that needed support with aspects of their inquiry. Next, teachers were given time to collaboratively examine their data and reflect on implications for their inquiry. The second session ended with teachers making a plan for moving forward in the inquiry process by continuing on with observation and data collection. To help them formulate a plan for next steps, they participated in a think-pair-share activity with a partner from another group. As part of the conversation, participants were asked to identify their inquiry question, explain what they thought their data was telling them, and describe their next steps. Before our third session, teachers were asked to reflect on the research that they had collected, as well as any observational data. At the third session, which was a half-day, teachers were asked to share out what they had learned about their topic and how they planned on implementing this knowledge into their practice. Teachers participated in a quiet reflection process where they were asked to reflect on the prompt the data makes me think ______ so now I will ______. After the quiet reflection, teachers then paired up with someone from another group and explained their thinking. This process provided an opportunity for collaboration as partners asked critical questions about each other’s learning. Inquiry groups were then given work time to formulate an action plan based on what they had learned thus far in the inquiry process. The session ended with each teacher giving an “elevator pitch” where they had one minute to explain the action that they were going to take. At our forth meeting, another half-day session, teachers were again asked to share out what they were noticing at this point in their inquiry projects. In pairs, teachers participated in a 30 protocol called “what makes you say that?” (Ritchhart, Church & Morrison, 2011). In this protocol, each partner was to summarize their learning so far in the inquiry process. The listening partner is only allowed to ask the question what makes you say that? This share out provided an opportunity for participants to focus on explaining the reasoning behind their thinking. Again, as with the previous sessions, groups were then given time to formulate a plan for where they would like to go next with their learning. Since this was our last working session, groups were also asked to ponder what their learning would look like in the following school year. At this time, teachers also began formulating a plan to share out their learning at our celebration of learning, which took place at our fifth session. During the group work time, myself and the other facilitator circulated amongst the groups. Our final session was a celebration of learning where participants shared their learning with a wider audience. This session was open to all teachers, administrators and district staff in the school district. We asked each group to prepare a ten-minute presentation about their journey through the inquiry process and any next steps that they had planned. Groups were able to select a presentation mode that worked best for their context. While some groups were initially nervous about presenting their learning in front of their colleagues, once the presentations began, all groups exceeded the ten-minute time frame, and our day was extended to accommodate all of the groups. Approximately eighty people attended the celebration. Feedback from the audience was very positive in regards to the teachers’ excitement and passion for their projects and the diversity of topics that were explored. Data Collection This research study used four key sources collected over the course of the inquiry. These data sources were: participant pre- and post-interviews, researcher field notes collected during 31 inquiry sessions, participant and researcher reflection journals, and participant artifacts (including the final presentation of learning). Table 3: Participants Group Participant* Gender Education Years of Experience Teaching Role at Time of Study Secondary #1 Lily F Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of Education (Secondary) 20 + French Immersion Social Studies / Librarian Secondary #2 Taylor F Bachelor of Education (Secondary) Masters of Education 15-20 English / Drama Secondary #2 Olivia F Bachelor of Education (Elementary) 20 + English Secondary #2 Michelle F Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of Education (Secondary) 15-20 English Middle School Sandy F Bachelor of Education (Secondary) Diploma (Special Education) 15-20 Grade 4 Middle School Elizabeth F Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of Education (Secondary) Masters of Arts (Education) 15-20 Humanities / Administrator Middle School Julie F Bachelor of Education (Elementary) 15-20 Humanities Middle School Kyle M Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of Education (K-12) 10-14 Math and Science *all participants are identified using pseudonyms Eight teachers from middle and secondary schools participated in the research study (see Table 3), although one of the teachers was unable to participate fully and only contributed data during the final presentation of learning. These teachers were a part of a larger professional learning initiative in our home school district. This initiative was a yearlong collaborative inquiry series that involved teachers, education assistants and administrators. They joined in with 32 approximately forty of their colleagues to conduct yearlong inquiries into a topic of the group’s choosing. Seven teachers in the study participated in face-to-face pre and post interviews. These interviews generated a significant amount of data and gave the participants a strong voice in the study. Seven teachers submitted some reflection journals as part of the study, although only one teacher submitted a reflection after each session. In my role as local professional development chairperson and facilitator of learning for this initiative, I was able to attend all of the inquiry sessions with the participants and was able to collect artifacts and record field notes as the groups worked on their inquiries. All of the teachers in this study participated in the final presentation of learning where they shared their learning with colleagues and district staff. Guided pre-interviews and post-interviews. Prior to beginning the project, I interviewed each participant to gather information about his or her teaching history and prior professional learning experiences. These interviews were semi-structured (see Appendix B) and included the following questions: • What is your teaching history? How long, what grades and or subject areas? Location? • Describe your past professional learning experiences. • Describe how professional learning has influenced your practice. • What resources do you access to inform your practice? • Describe your interactions with practitioner research, academic research and theoretical research. How have you used research to inform your practice? • What are your beliefs about your own professional learning? (Describe yourself as a learner and why you believe you learn this way?) • What are you hoping to explore and/or investigate? At the conclusion of the project, I again interviewed each of the participants. I used some of the same questions from the initial interview to see if and how the teachers’ responses changed. I also asked questions about the impact of this project on their own practice and the 33 learning of their students. At this point, I also asked follow-up questions to understand the reasons behind particular events (Gay, Mills & Airasain, 2012, p. 386) and explore any interesting experiences that emerged during the inquiry process. Question asked included: • Describe your experiences during this process / project. • Was this experience different and / or similar to other professional development experiences that you have had? How and why? • Describe your interactions with research during this process. • How easy was it to find research to inform your inquiry? • How did you find the collaboration aspect? What did you learn from others? • How has this experience impacted your practice? What did you learn about the topic that you explored? • How will this experience impact your future professional development? • Have your beliefs about your own professional learning changed over the last year? How? I kept the interview questions open, asking teachers to describe their experiences rather than asking quantitative questions such as “how often” or “how much”. I believe these open-ended questions allowed me to gain a better understanding of the participants’ experiences (Dana & Yendol-Hoppey, 2009; Gay, Mills & Airasain, 2012). Some probing questions were asked to gain insight and expand on participant responses. These interviews provided the bulk of the data for this study as they allowed me to gather data connected to my initial research questions. For example, through the interviews, I was able to address some specific questions such as which type of professional learning activities were valued by teachers. Audio recordings. All of the pre and post-interviews were recorded and then transcribed. I also recorded and transcribed the presentations of each group at the final celebration of learning. 34 Guided reflection journals. I asked each teacher to keep a guided reflection journal about his or her learning journey (see Figure 2). Each teacher was emailed a digital copy of the journal template as a suggested format, but they were free to select an alternate form of journaling depending on their preference as long as they attended to the questions outlined in the template. In these journals, teachers were encouraged to share “telling moments in [their] practice to understand what matters most to [them] and what meaning” these held (Schnellert, Richardson & Cherkowski, 2014, p. 237). These journals served as a place for teachers to critically reflect on their experiences as they navigated the inquiry process (Dana & Yendol-Hoppey, 2009; Shagoury & Power, 2012). Such critical reflection can encourage transformative learning as teachers critically reflect “on the assumptions upon which [their] interpretations, beliefs, and habits of mind or points of view are based” (Mezirow, 1997, p. 7). The journals were also structured to encourage teachers to experience a transformation of their frames of reference as opposed to simply small changes in practice. These journals helped me gather data about how teachers were engaging with research and resources as they moved through their inquiry and how these interactions were affecting their practice. My hope was that each teacher would write in his or her journal every two weeks, even if it was just a short entry. With their busy lives, this proved to be a daunting task for the participants. I quickly had to revise my expectations and instead, asked each teacher to complete a reflection journal prior to each group session. Even with email reminders in the weeks leading up to each session, I found it was difficult to get journal responses from every teacher at every session. I kept a reflection journal myself. In this journal, I recorded my own experiences after each of the group sessions and my thoughts and responses to the reflection journals that I received from the participants. I found that this journal was helpful in keeping me cognisant of 35 my own biases about professional development and also allowed me to record emerging thoughts as I went through the research process. Figure 2: Guided reflection journal Name: Date: Context: What did you learn? What did you try? Observation: What did you notice? How does this fit into your context? Reflect and Plan: What will you try next? What are your questions now? What research have you accessed? What are the implications for your learning? Teacher artifacts. At various times in the professional learning series, all teachers were asked to bring or create artifacts to demonstrate or support their learning. For example, during one of the sessions, teachers participated in a “place-mat” activity where they were asked to 36 work as a team to identify a highlight, insight, challenge and next step for their learning (see Appendix C). Each group then examined their place-mat for evidence of learning in the highlight and insight sections, and directions for future learning in the challenge and next step sections. While all participants in the series completed this activity, I only collected those belonging to the consenting research participants for this study. Teachers were also asked to create or bring an artefact to demonstrate their learning to their colleagues, which they shared at the celebration of learning on the final day of the inquiry series. During the celebration, teachers were asked to explain how their artefact demonstrated their learning. As part of this study, with participant permission, I collected these artifacts and examined them for indications of professional learning. While these artifacts did not provide a lot of data about the inquiry process, they did help me gather data about how research, resources and collaboration were affecting teacher learning and practice. Through these artifacts, I sought to gain insight into teachers’ learning and any potential change of practice based on the knowledge and skills that they developed. All artifacts were connected to teachers based only on their assigned pseudonym, and any identifying characteristics were removed to protect their identities. Field notes. During each meeting with teachers, I also kept field notes as a running record of what was said. These notes helped me to “translate the experience into larger meaning” (Shagoury & Power, 2012, p. 93). They also allowed me to look back on the inquiry process at a later date. These observations “then [became] the grist for the development of new conceptual frameworks and theories” (Cochran-Smith & Lytle, 2009, p. 95). Field notes were related to other data sources to analyze teachers’ professional learning and the impact of their use of research and resources on their teaching. 37 Data Analysis Once the post-initiative interviews were complete, I did an initial read through of the interview transcripts using a reflection journal where I noted any initial thoughts and musings. I began with the transcribed copies of the pre- and post-interviews from each participant, as these comprised the bulk of my data sources. Shagoury and Power (2012) refer to this as an inductive method of data analysis where the theories “are developed from the data rather than the other way around” (page 148). Although I had initial research questions that framed this study, I did not want to limit my findings to answers to those specific questions. An inductive method allowed me to move beyond any preconceived notions about what the data would reveal. During my next read through, I looked for and noted any reoccurring themes or concepts. I then compared these themes to the notes in my reflection journal noting any overlap or connection. On this second read through, I located seven broad themes including theoretical vs. practical resources, access, transformation, the structure of professional learning events, topic and choice, collaboration and learning styles. I then re-read the data from the interviews and coded it using keywords derived from these seven themes. Saldana (2009) refers to this as descriptive coding because the codes used “summarizes the primary topic of the excerpt” (p. 3). At this point, I examined my other sources of data searching for additional support for these seven themes. Next, I used Microsoft Excel to create a spreadsheet where I recorded supporting data under each theme. I used different colours for different data sources and this allowed me to have a holistic view of which data supported each theme. Using the information from this spreadsheet and consultation with my supervisor, I altered some of the categories and renamed others. For example, after re-reading the data, I realized that the transformation theme was really examining 38 how the learning in this series impacted teachers. I then was able to note that the data also described impact on students and on teachers’ view of themselves as learners. I was left with: (1) structures of professional learning, (2) access to research, resources and learning opportunities, (3) types of research and resources accessed, (4) the role of collaboration, and (5) the impact of professional learning on teachers and students. Finally, I re-read the data and began looking for subthemes under each of the five themes. These sub-themes allowed me to refine my findings and to look for any disconfirming evidence to test these themes. As a qualitative researcher, I started “with a large set of data representing many things and [sought] to narrow them progressively into small and important groups of key data” (Gay, Mills & Airasain, 2012, p. 466). In the next chapter, I expand on each of the identified themes. 39 Chapter 4: Findings This chapter discusses the research findings from a yearlong collaborative teacher inquiry initiative centred on British Columbia’s revised curriculum. As part of this initiative, participants worked through an inquiry process, accessing research and resources to support their learning. This study used data collected from eight teachers from middle and secondary schools who participated in the teacher inquiry initiative and sought to gain insight into the types of research and resources used, how this learning impacts teacher practice, and how structural elements can impact teacher learning. Themes As a reminder, the overarching research question of this study was: What happens when teachers engage in collaborative inquiry drawing research and resources into their learning? From this anchoring research question, this study also sought to explore the following sub-questions: • What types of professional learning activities and resources do teachers value? • How does actively engaging with research and resources affect teacher learning? • What is it about collaboration that leads to change of practice? • In what ways can professional development help teachers to become both consumers and creators of research and resources? In exploring these questions, the following five themes emerged from analysis of the data: 1) structure of professional learning activities, 2) access to research, resources and learning opportunities, 3) types of resources and research accessed, 4) the role of collaboration, and 5) impacts of professional learning on teachers and students. These themes will be discussed and connected to the above research questions in the following section. 40 Theme 1: Structure of professional learning activities. All eight of the participants made reference to the structure of professional learning activities over the course of this study. In describing the types of professional learning activities that they valued, participants identified structures that enhanced their learning. Through further analysis of teachers’ comments regarding the structure of the initiative’s professional development design, four key sub-themes emerged: (a) session organization and expectations, (b) choice and ownership of learning, (c) group design and (d) inquiry as a professional learning process. Session organization and expectations. This series consisted of five working sessions spread out over eight months. Three of the sessions were half days and two of the sessions were full day. Teachers reported that they enjoyed half-day sessions as opposed to full day sessions because it allowed them to be away from their school for a shorter period of time. Taylor reported that some full-day workshops were “overwhelming and you feel worn out” (post interview, p. 6). Six of the eight teachers in the study referred to the multi-session, yearlong structure of this series. Because teachers knew the dates and structure of all sessions at the beginning of the series, they could plan their learning according to the timing and focus of the sessions. One teacher spoke about how the clear organization of the yearlong series helped him stay on track because at each session he knew “this is what I am doing and when we meet again, this is where I need to be” (Kyle, post-interview, p. 1). He reported that the structured nature of the yearlong series provided a clear map for where he needed to be for each session. The sessions in this series were always structured following a standard outline although the presenter and activities varied. Taylor enjoyed that each session “[had] a clear structure and expectations” (post interview, p. 1). Each session began with some new learning in the form of a 41 presenter. In planning this series, we tried to match these presentations to the teacher inquiry topics. Following the short presentation, teachers participated in a short activity designed to activate their thinking around their inquiry. Sandy valued this portion of the sessions because “we had some really great conversations about the process and what we thought and what we experienced” (post interview, p. 3). Groups were then given time to work on their personal inquiries. Finally, each session ended with a check in activity where groups planned out a course of action for the time in between each session. Three teachers commented on how in the past, attending one-day workshops was a problem because there was never any time for implementation. In contrast, one teacher discussed how this series afforded him the time to make sure that he was thoughtfully implementing his learning: “the inquiry makes me focus on the building blocks of what [the students] were going to be doing” (Kyle, post-interview, p. 5). Likewise, another teacher spoke about having “gone to speakers, but not [having] anywhere to put it” (Olivia, post-interview, p. 1). The series was also organized with clear expectations for its participants. As part of this inquiry-oriented professional development series, groups were expected to present their learning at the final session. This final session was open to all teachers in the district and approximately eighty teachers and other district staff attended. I noted in my field notes (May, 2016) that there was a positive tone in the audience throughout the day. The participants also spoke positively about this sharing day: “There’s always things you take away from listening in on other groups,” (Lily, post-interview, p. 1). Three teachers spoke of how having a product at the end created both a sense of accountability and helped them notice all of the learning that they acquired. One participant spoke of how she “loves that we have to present at the end, even though I hate [presenting], because it’s the only thing that makes me gather my thoughts, put them into some 42 kind of cohesive package” (Taylor, post-interview, p. 1). As a result of the sharing session, teachers were able to take away ideas from listening to other groups. An interesting reflection was how the sharing day was not just for learning from each other but also for developing “a sense of the energy and vitality there is in the district … I was not expecting to be as excited about it as I was” (Lily, post-interview, p. 1). I also noted the energy and passion in the room during the group sessions (field notes, January 13; field notes, February 19). Choice and ownership of learning. All of the groups in the study self-selected an inquiry topic to focus on for the year-long series. As the inquiry progressed, most groups narrowed their focus or changed their focus somewhat. While all of the inquires focused on some aspect of British Columbia’s renewed curriculum, groups had choice in taking up specific aspects within or related to the curriculum (see Table 2 for a list of the inquiry questions). Six of the eight participants discussed the power of agency related to selecting the topic for their professional learning. Lily discussed how one of the best parts of the series was “being able to concentrate on something I really, really enjoy and I am really excited about” (post-interview, p. 2). Lily also commented that, “certainly the stuff that I pick for myself, I find has been really useful” (post-interview, p. 4). This is again echoed in the comment “what I’m interested in is what I seek” (Julie, post-interview, p. 6). Taylor explained how the collaborative inquiry process allowed her to focus on a part her practice that she has control over and this “sense of efficacy is such and important piece in teacher mental health” (post interview, p. 7). This idea of seeking out learning suggests that participants felt and developed agency through active learning as opposed to passively receiving information with the professional development initiative. The participants in this study were all actively constructing their learning as opposed to passively receiving information. Lily commented that “I may have had a sense beforehand that 43 pro-d was something that was imposed from the outside [and it was] something that I didn’t necessarily have to put a lot of effort into thinking about” (post-interview, p. 5). Another participant identified bad professional development as “me sitting in a session, being talked at about things that I know, already know, or things that just are not relevant” (Olivia, pre-interview, p. 4). Because the participants had control over their learning, they were able to control what they were learning about and how long they spent on each piece of learning. One teacher spoke about the power of “focusing on one small thing, not changing a whole bunch of things at one time” (Elizabeth, post-interview, p. 2). Because the group was not required to move on to a different topic before they were ready, she was able to spend “more time reflecting on how this has gone and what has actually caused it to go well” (post-interview, p. 6). Group design. All eight participants commented on how the structure of their inquiry group affected their learning (see Table 3 for a description of the group make-up). One group, which was composed of teachers from multiple disciplines in a single school, mentioned how working with people in the same school allowed them to “have quick conversations [about] how are things going” on a regular basis as part of their school day (Elizabeth, post-interview, p. 2). Another positive effect of having multiple teachers in one school working on an inquiry was that they were easily able to “get together on school based professional development days” (Elizabeth, post-interview, p. 2). Having multiple participants in one school also created a sense of excitement and interest amongst the other teachers in the school. This group was able to draw in another teacher “who didn’t even do the series with us, but he was on board and trying to learn with Science” (Julie, post-interview, p. 4). Regardless of the make-up of the group, the positive effects of having a group to collaborate with was also illustrated by the participants. Olivia talked about how powerful it was 44 to work with others towards a common goal: “that’s what I love, people doing the same thing you are doing, and together you are coming to that common place” (post-interview, p. 4). Another teacher commented on how the group, which was comprised of teachers from the same discipline, was able to divide up the work, with each person taking on a specific portion of the workload. This enabled them to cover a lot more ground than if they were working on their own: “we ended up with three or four times as much stuff as we would have if we were just doing it on our own” (Taylor, post-interview, p. 5). Although the groups were structured around a specific topic, each group member brought a unique lens to the topic. One teacher enjoyed being paired with a teacher from a different content area because each of them was able to contribute different strengths to the partnership: “the cross-curricular stuff I think was the advantage, or the good things that come out of cross-curricular collaboration for kids was probably the biggest thing that I found” (Lily, post-interview, p. 4). However, another teacher discussed how he found it difficult not having someone in his specialty area in the group and that next year, “it would be nice to work with another Math / Science teacher” (Kyle, post-interview, p. 5). Inquiry as a professional learning process. Six of the eight participants commented on the process of inquiry itself. Taylor described inquiry as “consistently a good slash messy process” (post-interview, p. 1). Both Taylor and Lily discussed how the process was uncomfortable in the beginning: “I would go to these sessions and it would seem like we would stare at one another across the table and wonder what it was that we were doing” (Lily, post-interview, p. 1). However, by the end of the series, she reflected that “even though the path wasn’t necessarily very clear to me at the beginning, I think one of the things that this whole process has taught me is that it doesn’t need to be clear and it doesn’t need to be well defined and 45 it doesn’t need to be all laid out before you get started” (Lily, post-interview, p. 1). Taylor realized that the process of inquiry “forced me to stop and gather [my thoughts] rather than motoring ahead” (Taylor, post-interview, p. 6). As part of the inquiry, four of the sessions began with a speaker to spark teachers’ learning. Most teachers spoke of how they enjoyed this part of the series. One teacher discussed how in her previous role, she was often tasked with being the one presenting for staff and as a result, she “wasn’t being fed at the same time and that’s difficult” (Olivia, post-interview, p. 1). Olivia also discussed how she needs “to hear other people processing” as part of her learning (post-interview, p. 3). Similarly, in a district wide pro-d survey, teachers responded that while they appreciated the in-district expertise of their colleagues, they also felt that not bringing in enough outside speakers sometimes resulted in a recycling of ideas with little new knowledge. While most of the comments around the speaker portion of the meetings were positive, one teacher did comment that although the speakers were interesting, “it had nothing to do with where we were going so it was almost as if we were waiting for her to be done so we could work on our question” (Taylor, post-interview, p. 2). To summarize, the structure of the professional development initiative and sessions supported teachers’ learning. Data collected suggests that structural elements of this series created a positive energy within and across participants. These structural elements included a multi-session approach where both session organization and expectations were clearly communicated to the participants. In addition, allowing participants to have ownership over both the topic and pace of their learning, helped to make the learning more meaningful. In terms of group structure, having a common group goal was most commonly referenced by participants. There were some logistical benefits to having group members at the same school but this was not 46 a necessary requirement and having a homogeneous group in terms of grade or subject area was important to one participant, but others celebrated the diversity of their group make-up. Navigating the inquiry process itself was a learning opportunity of participants. The teachers needed time and support to move through the process. Having presentations of new learning as part of each session helped move groups forward when the presentations were connected to the topics being studied. Theme 2: Access to research, resources and learning activities As with theme number one, this theme also contributes to the exploration of what types of professional learning activities and resources were valued by the participants. All of the teachers involved in the study made reference to how and when they accessed professional learning opportunities and resources to support their professional learning. Through analysis of the data, three sub-themes emerged: (a) access to learning opportunities and professional resources; (b) on-line access; and (c) access to resources through colleagues. Access to learning opportunities and professional resources. While this study focused on teacher learning as part of a collaborative inquiry initiative, issues around access to professional learning opportunities and materials in general emerged from the data. In British Columbia, by contract, teachers have five professional development days built into the school year. In addition to this, many school districts offer release time for teachers to participate in and attend a variety of professional learning activities. Two teachers discussed how difficult it was to access and make full use of professional learning opportunities offered on professional development days early on in their career. One teacher stated that she “felt frustrated because I didn’t know where to access [professional learning activities]” (Taylor, post-interview, p. 2). Another teacher talked about how as a Teacher Teaching on Call (TTOC) early in her career, “I 47 was just figuring everything out still and it was such a big district that it was hard as a TTOC to access [professional learning activities]” (Elizabeth, pre-interview, p. 2). In contrast to these statements, three of the teachers spoke positively about the variety and availability of professional learning activities in their school district. One participant commented how “there are so many things in this district, things to try” (Kyle, pre-interview, p. 2). Lily spoke about the improvement that she had seen over the past five years “in terms of the availability of [activities], and the understanding I think of the board office to make those accessible to us” (Lily, pre-interview, p. 3). This was exemplified in the school district’s on-line events page that teachers accessed using their school district email. This page contains information on all professional learning activities offered by the district and the teachers’ union and teachers can register for an event on the same page. These examples suggest that educators accessed and valued the wide variety of district professional learning opportunities. Four of the teachers in this study commented on how professional learning opportunities organized by the school district were a catalyst for further learning. Julie spoke of how attending workshops often led to her searching out the resources used as part of the learning: “most often, it’s coming from ones that I’ve actually attended and then picking up their books” (pre-interview, p. 4). She later went on to add that her learning “more than anything, it’s been through what I’ve experienced through a workshop that I’ve then gained access to the resources” (Julie, pre-interview, p. 4). Kyle discussed how he does not like purchasing professional learning books until he hears from someone else that the resources is valuable: “it’s usually word of mouth or colleagues and in this case with the series” (post-interview, p. 4). The school district often gives professional books to teachers who participate in a learning series. Sandy commented on how she would be given a book that didn’t necessarily match her current teaching context so she 48 “would just buy the second, like buy the older one or the younger one” (pre-interview, p. 3). Even when provided with a resource that did not quite fit her as a teacher, she would search out related resources that did fit her context. The learning opportunities offered by the district also assisted in “building that real sense and awareness that there’s a whole lot of resources that are available within our district” (Lily, post-interview, p. 3). On-line access. Six of eight participants cited the Internet as a key source for their professional learning. One teacher stated that “currently, [professional learning] is mostly on-line. Things that other people post and I think, ‘that looks interesting and I’ll read that article’” (Elizabeth, pre-interview, p. 3). Some of the teachers also subscribed to on-line services that send them links to relevant articles: “I get a middle web brief that gets emailed to me every day and sometimes I click on those articles” (Sandy, pre-interview, p. 4). Elizabeth also discussed how she uses the “similar article” function on Google “and then I get led into article after article” (pre-interview, p. 3). In addition, Elizabeth mentioned the on-line database Education Resources Information Centre (ERIC) as a great tool that she was introduced to while completing her Master of Arts degree (pre-interview, p. 3). It should be noted that all teachers in this school district have access to the ERIC database through a district-wide subscription to EBSCO host. As part of the series, I shared the EBSCO host resource with participants but, with the exception of Elizabeth, no teachers in the study indicated that they had accessed this tool. In Elizabeth’s group, the other members did not feel the need to search out their own resources because Elizabeth was doing the searching for them (Sandy, post interview, p. 2). Other groups used the Internet to access websites such as the Ministry of Education website that hosts the new curriculum and the website belonging to the First Nations Education Steering Committee (FNESC). Two of the groups that were focused on 49 incorporating Aboriginal content accessed the school district’s website where a support teacher had added resources and links specific to that topic: “The aboriginal website and the support worker as a resources person has just become a constant presence in my mind of what’s available to me” (Lily, post-interview, p. 3). The data suggests that teachers were using online resources to support both their general educational interests and their specific learning needs as part of this initiative. Access to resources through colleagues. Colleagues in the teaching profession emerged as a significant resource for participants’ professional learning. One participant commented on how the administration at her school “over the last number of years has been really good about feeding us information about what’s going on generally in education” (Lily, pre-interview, p. 5). Two participants also discussed how they felt compelled to read the information that was shared with them because it came from colleagues: “if it was worth someone’s time to send it to me, it’s worth my time to read it” (Sandy, pre-interview, p. 4). One of the participants also commented that he was reluctant to purchase books on-line without knowing how useful they would be. To counter this, he often tried “to ask different colleagues about things that have worked” (Kyle, post-interview, p. 4). Participants in this study routinely accessed resources through their colleagues as part of their professional learning. As part of this initiative, this trend of accessing resources through colleagues continued. Two participants spoke about how they had a colleague who was really great at finding and sharing research and resources related to professional learning as part of this series (Julie, post-interview p. 4; Sandy, post-interview, p. 2). One teacher spoke about how research and resources related to her inquiry were shared with her because people knew what she was learning about: “people knew I was working on it and it came my way. I really didn’t go looking for it” 50 (Elizabeth, post-interview, p. 4). All group sessions were designed with multiple opportunities for teachers to share their learning with both their immediate group and the larger group in order to gather input from a larger audience. For example, at one session each group was asked to write their question and their current thinking on large piece of poster paper, which was then hung on the wall of our large meeting space. Groups then rotated around the space and were asked to comment on each poster with further questions or suggestions for learning. When groups returned to their original poster, one group commented on the wealth of provocations and suggestions for further learning left on their poster by the other group (researcher field notes, January 13, 2016). Participants in this series accessed resources that were suggested to them or shared with them by colleagues. In summary, the participants in this study were generally content with the availability of professional learning opportunities in their current school district. These learning opportunities often served as a catalyst for further learning as teachers would seek out the research and resources encountered as part of the learning opportunity. The on-line world served as key source for professional learning materials for the participants. Colleagues also served as influential sources for professional learning materials. Many participants appreciated the materials that were suggested or provided by colleagues. Theme 3: Types of research and resources accessed This theme explores the idea of teachers as consumers of research and resources. Participants in this study drew from a wide variety of research and resources to support their learning. These resources included academic journals, professional books, on-line resources, government documents and people as resources. Through analysis of the data, two sub-themes emerged: (a) academic research and practitioner materials, and (b) people as resources. 51 Academic research and practitioner materials. Overwhelmingly, the teachers in this study preferred practitioner materials to articles published in academic journals. As one teacher said, “I seem to prefer things that talk about how to apply it in practice” (Elizabeth, pre-interview, p. 4). Referring to peer-reviewed research articles, Lily discussed how “I find that kind of stuff generally interesting, but I don’t necessarily find it really useful” (pre-interview, p. 6). When describing the types of research that he accesses, Kyle stated that he “would go heavy practical” (pre-interview, p. 5). Many of the resources mentioned by teachers were practitioner or trade materials. These resources included professional learning books, professional journals and curriculum materials produced by the Ministry of Education other education groups. Three teachers in the study identified that they enjoyed using the materials found in academic-focused sources to support their professional learning. Olivia explained that “I didn’t want to be trained; I knew I would figure out the practical side, and I wanted the why” (pre-interview, p. 5). Taylor discussed how she “wants to understand the theoretical. I always have” (pre-interview, p. 4). Elizabeth also discussed how she enjoys searching through academic journals and databases. One interesting benefit was that she would search out and read articles and then share these articles and their findings with the other teachers in her group: “I did a lot of professional reading and I shared what I read. Everybody read some articles [I shared]” (final presentation, p. 2). Interestingly, two of the teachers that were most interested in academic research were the only two teachers in the initiative with master’s degrees. Elizabeth describes how “when I was doing my master’s degree I accessed lots of stuff, of course, for projects and for papers and my thesis” (pre-interview, p. 2). Taylor felt that “I probably have more patience to wade my way through more thoroughly the theoretical now” (pre-interview, p. 4) after completing her master’s 52 degree. She also discussed how she has “so much more knowledge of who the big thinkers are in education” (Taylor, pre-interview, p. 4). Both of these teachers mentioned taking on a leadership role, both in their groups as part of this initiative, but also in their schools in general where they pass on interesting research and resources to their colleagues. People as resources. People as resources emerged as an significant theme. Many teachers talked about how they brought other people into their classrooms to support their own learning and their students’ learning, both as part of this initiative and in their general practice. These people were not just providing resources, although many of them did that, rather, they were the resources themselves. One teacher discussed how “a lot of the resources were very much using the expertise of other people” (Lily, post-interview, p. 2). Lily also shared how she realized that she was “not necessarily that well equipped to communicate [the residential school experience] to her students” (post-interview, p. 4) so she invited a co-worker into her classroom to share “how the residential school experience has affected her life” (Lily, final presentation, p. 2). While this teacher had the background knowledge and information about the topic, she knew that she had other people in her school who were better able to communicate that perspective to her students. Some of these people even became resources for students because they helped establish connections between students and others in the school (Lily, final presentation, p. 2). In another example, the inquiry group that was made of teachers from the same school was able to use the other teachers in the group as resources for both their own learning and their students’ learning: “I had kids go over and show [the other teacher] their projects and she had kids come over and show me their projects” (Elizabeth, post-interview, p. 4). Teachers in this study were able to use both their group members and other people as resources to inform their learning. 53 To summarize, the teachers in this study accessed a wide variety of materials to support their learning. Practitioner resources, such as professional learning books and professional journals were most prevalent. The two teachers with graduate degrees were more likely to access educational research published in academic journals. In addition to professional learning materials, teachers also relied on people as resources to support both their own learning and the learning of their students. Theme 4: The Role of Collaboration The role of collaboration was a key research question in this study and an important finding as it was built into the structure of the professional learning initiative. Teachers had to apply as part of a group to be a part of the series. Each group had an inquiry topic that all participants were learning about. Although there was always a portion of professional learning that was autonomous - as teachers applied their learning to their unique classroom settings - the design of this series required teachers to work collaboratively towards a common goal. Through analysis of the data, three key themes developed related to collaboration: (a) sharing of ideas; (b) excitement and encouragement; and (c) impacts of conversation. Sharing of ideas. All teachers participating in the research referred to looking to their colleagues for new ideas and strategies to use in their practice. As one teacher summed this up in her final presentation, “I will make mistakes because I can’t be the expert, [and] I need people to help me” (Michelle, final presentation, p. 3). Kyle discussed how, “it’s good to chat and listen to what other people have done and then take bits and pieces of things” (pre-interview, p. 6). Another teacher commented how “connecting with my colleagues and learning from their experiences and learning from their expertise … I find that has a significant impact on what I do in the classroom” (Lily, pre-interview, p. 2). The sharing of ideas went beyond their inquiry 54 groups. Each meeting included an activity where participants were required to describe their inquiry and where they were in their learning to members from other groups involved in the series. In addition, each group presented a summary of their learning at the conclusion of the series. As one teacher said, “we could see what other schools were doing and how successful it was” (Elizabeth, post-interview, p. 6). After viewing one of the presentations, one of the teams decided to use the problem based learning model that was described by another group in their presentation as a focus for the learning for the following school year: “we are almost scaffolding on what they were doing” (Elizabeth, post-interview, p. 6). One teacher stated that collaboration “is worth its weight in gold because you just get so much more out of it when you connect with others’ ideas and you share things” (Taylor, post-interview, p. 2). The data suggests that providing a structured forum for teachers to share their learning and ideas can act as a springboard for further learning. Excitement and encouragement. Two teachers talked about the excitement generated during the group sessions. Teachers were excited to be a part of this series: “People were excited. Like in the group, people were excited” (Elizabeth, post-interview, p. 1). Lily noted how she was excited to get “a sense of what kind of energy and vitality there is in the district” (post-interview, p. 1). This was also something that I noted in my field notes at each of our meetings. For example, at our second meeting, I commented on “the excitement on the teachers’ faces as [a resource teacher] unpacked a box full of resources to support the group’s inquiry” (researcher field notes, January 13, 2016). The school district in which this study took place had a solid history of providing teachers with opportunities to participate in collaborative inquiry. Possibly because of this history, there was generally a lot of buy in an excitement around participation in collaborative inquiry. 55 Teachers also noted how they found working with others encouraging. One teacher discussed how she was feeling insecure about what she had to contribute as someone new to the role of English teacher; however, she admitted that “it was kind of fun when they were feeling insecure about the Aboriginal content” (Olivia, post-interview, p. 3) because she had a wealth of knowledge to contribute on this front. Impacts of conversation. In addition to supporting the sharing of ideas, the conversations themselves emerged as a learning tool. There is a lot of power in “hearing other peoples’ opinions and discussing the pros and cons” (Sandy, pre-interview, p. 5). Julie used the other members of her group as a sounding board for her thinking because, “the feedback from each other was really good” (post-interview, p. 4). Both Olivia and Lily discussed how valuable the conversations were in terms of hearing how other people were processing their own learning: “listening to others and the processes they were moving through provided excellent material for reflection after the sessions and in turn, this has informed and facilitated my own progress” (Lily, reflection journal, Feb. 9, p. 1). Sandy discussed how “bouncing ideas off of each other, that part was awesome” (post-interview, p. 1). Taylor appreciated how the collaborative nature of the inquiry process forced her to organize her thoughts about her own learning as she moved through the process (post-interview, p. 6). The conversations that developed within educator’s inquiry teams served not just to develop or spark ideas, but were a method for participants to work through their own learning. In summary, collaboration emerged as a key part of professional learning in this study. Participants were able to gather new ideas by sharing ideas within their group and with other groups in the initiative. The collaborative nature of the initiative helped generate a feeling of excitement amongst the participants. The participants also benefited from hearing others’ work 56 throughout the learning process. Finally, when discussing their learning with colleagues, participants were able to clarify their own thinking around their topic. Theme 5: Impacts of Professional Learning on Teachers and Students One of the main research questions that this study sought to explore was the impact of actively engaging with research and resources as part of a collaborative inquiry. While the types of professional learning activities discussed by participants were varied, all eight teachers identified professional learning as having an impact on their career. One teacher noted “I definitely think I am a better teacher because of the professional development that I have been through” (Taylor, pre-interview, p. 3). From data analysis, impact of professional learning was an emergent theme with three key sub-themes: (a) impact of professional learning on teacher learning, (b) impact of professional learning on teacher practice and finally, (c) impact of professional learning on students. Impact of professional learning on teacher learning The theme of life long learning as professional development was heavily represented in the data. One teacher celebrated that she would not be “one of those filing cabinet teachers” who teaches the same lessons every year (Olivia, post-interview, p. 6). Many of the teachers discussed the idea of revisiting issues, concepts and topics multiple times over the course of their careers. This idea of recursive learning came up in reference to both resources and strategies. Sandy spoke about how she had read a book on inquiry a few years ago and felt really overwhelmed by it, “but looking back, when I re-read it this year, I was like oh, now I get it, now I can see how makes sense and what I can do or how I could use it” (post-interview, p. 5). Sandy also commented on how she revisits old resources: “I go back into my binders and flip through and I’m like, oh right, and then I try that” (pre-interview, p. 3). Olivia discussed how this initiative acted “not a shift, just a reminder” 57 in relation to her love of collaborative inquiry (post-interview, p. 5). While she had done some collaborative inquiry before, she reported feeling more confident after this series (Olivia, post-interview, p. 4). Sometimes professional learning does not result in new or transformative learning, but rather is restoratively returning a teacher to beliefs and practices that they had previously embodied. All participants reported feeling empowered as learners through their professional learning: “It gets me going; it just relights things and whether or not I take all of that back or it gets me going on something else, it doesn’t matter to me” (Olivia, pre-interview, p. 4). Another teacher talked about how professional learning initiatives like this one keep her “moving forward. I have my list of what’s next, what will I read next, and what will I look at next” (Sandy, post-interview, p. 2). The participants were all able to identify next steps for their professional learning. The series focused not only on what teachers learned during the series, but also on where they would go next with their learning. Another impact that was noted by participants was a change in self as learner. One teacher commented on how this initiative helped her realize that “there is a lot of value in collaboration and in sharing a project with someone else or a group of people” (Lily, post-interview, p. 6). Lily noted that not only did she learn a lot about her inquiry question from the partner that she worked with, but that the group work itself was a learning experience about how “to do the things you’re supposed to do in group work” (post-interview, p. 6). Collaboration had now become a regular part of her professional learning. This same teacher, who had previously referred to herself as a “lone wolf” when it came to her learning, stated that she now sees the value in collaboration and “that I am not as bad of a group worker as I thought I was” (post-interview, p. 6). Sandy noted that “I am less just wanting to do it by myself … I’m less just let 58 me do it in isolation” (post-interview, p. 5). In my research journal, I noted how uncomfortable I was with inquiry when I first began my graduate studies. As a learner in secondary school and even my undergraduate studies, I had never been asked what it was that I wanted to learn about. I was used to a more transmission type of learning where I had little control over what or how I was learning and often worked by myself. Similarly, a number of participants spoke about adjusting to learning through an inquiry model. Many of the teachers in this study needed time and support to adjust to an inquiry model of learning but were able to become more comfortable learning through inquiry as the series progressed. One teacher spoke about becoming more comfortable with lack of clarity as the inquiry took shape: “I think one of the things that this whole process has taught me is that it doesn’t need to be clear and it doesn’t need to be well defined and it doesn’t need to be all laid out before you get started” (Lily, post-interview, p. 1). Olivia discussed how she has been engaging in inquiry for a while but in this series “I definitely felt more confident” (post-interview, p. 4). Lily was encouraged by the quality of the presentations at the end of series: “I though there was a lot of product at the end” (post-interview, p. 5). The teachers in this initiative began to see themselves as teacher inquirers. Impact of professional learning on teaching practice. When asked how professional learning had impacted her practice, Sandy responded “it’s huge. Oh my goodness, it is huge” (Sandy, pre-interview, p. 3). The most senior teacher in the study commented on what she referred to as the “choreography” of content (Lily, pre-interview, p. 6). Even though she has been teaching for many years, and the content had not changed significantly, she described how she adapts her presentation of the content based on the students and on what is happening in the world at that time. She credits professional learning in general as “a huge part of spurring that 59 kind of changing things up in the classroom” (Lily, pre-interview, p. 4). This same teacher also felt that without professional learning opportunities as an outside push, the changes that she had made over the years would not have been easy to achieve (pre-interview, p. 4). Taylor discussed how “I definitely think I am a better teacher because of the pro-d that I’ve been to” (pre-interview, p. 3). Elizabeth stated that she “never taught the same course twice” (pre-interview, p. 3) because she was always adjusting her practice based on both her students’ needs and the professional development that she has participated in. In terms of this initiative, Sandy developed an understanding of how students develop their questioning skills as they progress through middle school. After initially questioning why her students were not getting to the standard that she thought they should, she gained a better view of the progression of student development by working with colleagues who taught older students (post-interview, p. 1). Lily discussed how the collaborative inquiry model allowed her to go deeper with her learning. She felt that she had a good intellectual understanding of the Truth and Reconciliation commission recommendations but this inquiry allowed her to “[take] it from and intellectual understanding to [take] it to an emotional understanding” (post-interview, p. 2). She also discussed how the more she reflected on her practice through collaborative inquiry, the more she thought about her role in the education system as a whole: “as I understand and know more and see more, I feel more responsibility overall for the system” (Taylor, post-interview, p. 6). In this study, some teachers identified inquiry-oriented professional learning as a gateway to new ways of teaching, not only for their own practice, but also for the direction of the whole education system. Teachers’ responses also suggest that opportunities like this inquiry series helped them to incorporate new knowledge and approaches into their own practice. One teacher discussed how 60 as a teacher, if you try something and it does not work, you should not just abandon the idea, rather “you try it and you have to keep on trying it when you encounter failure and you have to keep on, and keep on, and keep on, and actually reflect” (Elizabeth, post-interview, p. 6). Elizabeth also commented that even when something was successful, she needed to “spend more time reflecting on how this has done and what has actually caused it to go well” (post-interview, p. 6). In their final presentation, one of the participants stated “I’m still inquiring and still learning but what I know for sure is that I will be a better teacher through incorporating aboriginal content and it will be a richer more inclusive class was a result” (Michelle, final presentation, p. 3). For Michelle, whose group focused on authentically incorporating Aboriginal content, her learning in this initiative affected not only her teaching practice, but also caused her to “reflect and examine [her] own beliefs and stereotypes of Aboriginal peoples” (final presentation, p. 3). The inquiry cycle, with its focus on reflection, allowed participating teachers to focus on how their learning was affecting their practice. Impact of professional learning on students. Participants in this study also noted how their learning through this inquiry initiative had impacted their students. One teacher commented that she had never participated in a professional learning activity that “was so focused on creating student change” (Elizabeth, post-interview, p. 2). Lily noted how bringing people into her classroom allowed her students “to gain an understanding of what it meant emotionally to have lived through this residential school experience” (post interview, p. 2). Because she was learning along side her students as part of this inquiry, she was able to use the connections that she made through her learning to enhance the learning experience for her students. Elizabeth’s group had centred their learning as part of this initiative on how to effectively use the questioning portion of inquiry in their classrooms. When she and another teacher spoke 61 with their students at the end of the project, the students felt that they had improved at asking questions and researching (post-interview, p. 2). This group also noted how because they were involved in an inquiry around their learning, they were able to recognize similar experiences with their students. One teacher commented on how when her students were struggling, she was able to guide them through the process “because that same experience happened to us, I was like oh yeah, that’s part of it” (Julie, post-interview, p. 1). Julie also noted that this experience has encouraged her “to continue to allow the kids the space to do this kind of learning” (post-interview, p. 5). Yet Sandy noted that while “I don’t necessarily love the chaos [of inquiry], I just learned to deal with it and the kids did a phenomenal job” (post-interview, p. 4). These participants witnessed the positive impact of inquiry learning on their students’ learning. In summary, engaging in professional learning affected both teacher learning and student learning. The teachers in this study needed time to adjust to learning through inquiry. Some needed help shifting from a more transmission form of learning to an active form of learning as is required in practitioner inquiry. The collaborative nature of this series also helped increase some teacher’s comfort level with group learning. All teachers in the study cited professional learning as a huge catalyst for professional growth. Finally, as participants moved through the inquiry process, some teachers described gaining a better understanding of what their students were experiencing when they were using inquiry in the classroom. 62 Chapter 5: Discussion In this chapter, I discuss how this study’s findings relate to professional learning in relation to the research literature and the research questions outlined in the theoretical framework. As a reminder, this study’s initial research question was: What happens when teachers engage in collaborative inquiry drawing research and resources into their learning? In the findings section, I sought to address the following sub-questions: • What types of professional learning activities and resources do teachers value? • How does engaging with research and resources affect teacher learning? • What is it about collaboration that leads to change of practice? • In what ways can professional development help teachers to become active consumers and creators of research? Topics discussed in this chapter include using research and resources to support teacher learning, the power of teacher choice and connecting research to practice, the importance of sharing our practice, and positioning teachers as active consumers and creators of research and resources. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the design of professional learning including structures and processes for learning. Using Research and Resources to Support Teacher Learning In exploring which types of resources were valued by participants, I had to recognize my own biases regarding traditional forms of educational research and professional learning resources. Initially, I had envisioned encouraging teachers to access educational research that was academic and peer reviewed to inform their learning. My hope was that teachers would prefer and value this type of educational research over the professional resources that they had historically used. Even as I initially analyzed the data, I fell into a trap seeing a hierarchical 63 relationship, rather than a potential partnership, between educational research and professional learning materials or practitioner resources (Miretzky, 2007). As the study progressed, I had to recognize the potential value of all types of research and resources, including professional resources that were most commonly used by participants to support their teacher inquiries. Although no one in this study said that they disliked traditional forms of educational research when describing the types of research and resources that they accessed within the initiative and in their professional learning in general, most of the teachers identified practitioner research and professional resources as their main sources of new knowledge. When asked about more traditional forms of educational research Lily stated, “I find that kind of stuff generally interesting, I don’t necessarily find it really useful” (pre-interview, p. 6). Lily did not often see a connection between the research and her practice. Perhaps an inquiry based model, like the one used in this study, could help teachers bridge the gap from interesting to useful. Butler and Schnellert (2010) suggest that “if research is going to make a difference, research findings must inform teachers’ decision making” (p. 38). McIntyre (2005) discusses how teachers do not engage with traditional forms of educational research “because the kind of knowledge that research can offer is of a very different kind from the knowledge that classroom teachers need to use” (p. 359). Typically, educational research as presented in academic journals is not written for classroom teachers. Perhaps, practitioner research and resources, grounded in education research, can serve as the medium to connect research to classroom practice. Teachers, like Lily, are not opposed to traditional forms of educational research reports and may choose to interact with those reports more when it can help them answer a question about their practice. The teachers in this study valued practitioner research and resources over traditional forms of educational 64 research, not because one was seen as better or more interesting, but rather because one had a greater connection to their teaching context. Over the last twenty years there has been an increased interest amongst researchers to situate their research in schools, working as partners with teachers and other educational professionals (McIntyre, 2005; McLaughlin & Black-Hawkins, 2007). These partnerships may help create better connections between educational research and teachers. Regardless of the type of research or resources, teachers in this study were appreciative and ready to engage with research and resources that came their way as long as they were relevant to their inquiry and/or their practice as a whole. The two participants who had completed graduate degrees engaged the most with educational research reports, as written for academia journals, as part of this series. Miretzky (2007) argues that teachers often exit teacher education programs with little exposure to research and that “their undergraduate work provided little helpful exposure to research” (p 276). As all teachers in this study had more than ten years of teaching experience, they would have completed their undergraduate degrees in the era that Miretzky was referring to. However, Taylor felt that her graduate work had helped her “have more patience to wade my way through the theoretical” (pre-interview, p. 4). She also credited her graduate work with giving her a better understanding of the big thinkers in education (pre-interview, p. 4). Elizabeth, the only other teacher with a graduate degree, took on the role of finding research and resources to share with her group. This study suggests that the teachers who were most comfortable with educational research reports typically presented in academic journals, were those who had interacted with such research as part of their post-graduate education. 65 While all teachers in this study accessed some form of research and resources to inform their practice, the types of materials used were as varied as the teachers themselves. Teachers in this study discussed using a wide variety of learning materials including books, journal articles, on-line materials and colleagues to support both their inquiries and their professional learning as a whole. The one common thread amongst the types of materials used was that all of the materials connected directly to the individual teacher’s context: “The ones that I actually pick up and look at or specifically seek out are related to my classroom” (Julie, pre-interview, p. 5). As Warford (2010) explains, “it is pointless to separate theory (scientific concepts) from practice (experiential concepts)” (p. 257). In their keynote presentation at the Learning Forward Conference in Vancouver, BC, Hargreaves and Fullan echoed this sentiment when they discussed the importance of both professional learning and professional development (Hargreaves & Fullan, 2016). Professional learning involves understanding the act of teaching, where as professional development involves changing the act of teaching. If teachers are only involved in professional learning, focused too heavily on the knowledge of teaching with little focus on applying that knowledge, we don’t necessarily see an application of the learning or a change in practice. If teachers engage in professional development without professional learning, they rely only on “experience and intuition” (Fullan & Hargreaves, 2016, p. 5), which may stifle their growth. Change in practice happens when teachers engage in professional learning, through research and resources, along with professional development processes where they apply what they are learning to their practice. The collaborative inquiry structure of this initiative provided the participants an opportunity for professional learning as they interacted with a wide variety of professional learning materials and speakers, and also provided an opportunity for professional development as they engaged in reflection about how this knowledge applied to their practice. 66 As the teachers in this study progressed through their inquiries, they were given the opportunity to actively apply what they were learning to their practice. The teacher inquiry framework provided teachers with a balance between knowledge acquisition and development of practice. Drago-Severson and Blum-DeStefano (2014) highlight the importance of pairing the acquisition of knowledge with experience and application of that knowledge. As teachers moved through the inquiry process, they identified courses of action based on observations, feedback from their colleagues, and on the research and resources that they engaged with. As Olivia discussed “I liked where we learned about something and then we processed it together in collaboration and then we were building something with it” (post-interview, p. 1). This idea connects with Mezirow’s (2000) argument that learning occurs when one takes new knowledge and uses that knowledge “to construe a new or revised interpretation of the meaning of one’s experiences as a guide to future action” (p. 5). The teachers in this study were actively involved in both the acquisition of knowledge and the application of this knowledge to their practice, in fact, they more deeply embodied this knowledge through cycles of planning, enacting and reflecting and adapting their teaching with their goals in mind (Butler & Schnellert, 2012; Schnellert, Butler & Higginson, 2008). They did access research within these cycles – with some teachers actively searching out resources and research for their groups, and all groups drew from professional resources informed by research and from the speakers who shared research finding and theory-based practices at the beginning of each session. Later in this chapter I discuss how the structure of professional learning can provide teachers with opportunities to integrate new knowledge into their practice. The Power of Teacher Choice and Connecting Learning and Practice This study sought to explore which types of professional learning activities were most 67 valued by teachers. The teachers in this study had the freedom to select inquiry topics that were directly connected to both their teaching contexts and the current educational change that is happening in British Columbia. This differs from the transmission approach to professional learning that Kennedy (2005) discussed which positions teachers as passive receivers of knowledge. As Lily discussed, “Could I say that all pro-d that I have attended has been that useful, not necessarily, but certainly the stuff that I pick for myself, I find has been really useful” (pre-interview, p. 4). In my role as professional development chairperson, I have witnessed the excitement and engagement that happens when teachers attend a professional learning activity and are able to build connections between the learning and their teaching context. I have also witnessed the opposite, when teachers are involved in a learning activity that is not closely related to their context. Miretzky (2007) suggests the misalignment between teacher context and professional development may be one of the reasons that teachers do not see the value in educational research. When teachers are required to attend workshops that have little connection to their context “such presentations may or may not be based on credible research findings, but for many teachers the two become merged, and the frustration and impatience aimed at professional developers winds up extending to research and researchers as well” (Miretzky, 2007, p. 274). If teachers are disengaged from the professional learning session that they are attending, they can also become disengaged from any research presented as part of that learning activity. Teacher choice in professional learning not only leads to increased engagement in learning, but may also lead to an increased interest in educational research and resources as teachers search for knowledge to support their development. Because of the ever-changing nature of the act of teaching, teacher learning needs to be 68 directly connected to their current challenges in their teaching contexts (Kuusisaari, 2014; Muijs et al., 2014; Rust, 2009). This is supported by Warford (2011) who discusses how “teacher knowledge is continually re-shaped to accommodate the dynamic nature of schools and classrooms” (p. 252). Elizabeth mentioned that the types of professional learning activities that she did in her previous school district were different from the activities that she chooses now because the teaching context in that district was different: “most of the pro-d I did at that point was in aboriginal education because that was our population” (pre-interview, p. 3). Elizabeth’s professional learning was matched to her teaching context. The educational climate in British Columbia is one that allows for some teacher autonomy when it comes to professional development. Certainly there is still some central control over the types of professional development offered, as districts often make the final decisions about which speakers and initiatives to provide funding for, but teachers have choice in how they spend their professional learning time. As British Columbia continues to implement a revised curriculum, designed to offer greater personalization of learning for students (British Columbia Ministry of Education, 2014), teachers will be afforded greater autonomy in the content that they teach. With greater autonomy comes a greater diversity of professional learning needs for British Columbian teachers. Perhaps collaborative teacher inquiry could provide a structure to support teacher choice in professional learning as they locate problems of practice. The Importance of Sharing Our Practice This study served to reinforce the benefits of teachers making their teaching practice and their inquiries public and sharing our learning with others. That is, in collaborating with others and sharing their practice, teachers became creators of research and resources. As outlined in the 69 previous chapter, these benefits were realized during the collaborative learning process, and were most visible during the sharing celebration at the end of the initiative. All of the participants in this study commented on how much they learned from their colleagues during the inquiry process. For example, Elizabeth described how much she enjoyed “the inquiry projects that we’ve doing with the district because it’s that deep learning and we keep coming back to the same ideas and exploring it more and having these professional conversations that are informed by reading and practice” (pre-interview, p. 2). In terms of this initiative, she noted how “we just kept talking about how we were doing and what was working” (post-interview, p. 4). In addition, when other educators in the school district were made aware of the topics that the participants were inquiring into, both teachers and administrators often made an effort to share any connected research or resources that they encountered. Miretzky (2007) discusses how teachers often feel frustrated with “administrators’ lack of interest in their work and in the insights they could offer about programs and practices” (p. 278). Also, by sharing their research to a wider audience that included district staff and school administrators, these teachers could “help to clarify the impact of policy as it enters the school and the classroom” (Rust, 2009, p. 1886). As I discussed in the previous chapter, the teachers in this study felt excited about what they were doing and about the opportunity to share their learning with others. This sharing not only served to inform others, but also celebrated the knowledge and value of teachers as practitioner researchers with their colleagues, administrators and district staff. The sharing of both resources and research was common in this study. Some participants in this study enjoyed searching out and sharing the research and resources that they found. Others were more content to access the research and resources that were passed on to them by 70 their colleagues. Taylor commented that working with others was a catalyst for her to do more research when collaborating with others: “I do more theoretical research and more digging because it works for me in that process. If I’m on my own, I don’t do as much” (pre interview, p. 4). The fact that the teachers in this study felt that some of their success came from the efforts of members of their inquiry group moving towards common goals is supported by the work of Butler and Schnellert (2012; 2014) and Kuusisaari (2014) who discuss shared goals as one of the factors that support successful collaboration. One common goal for all educators in the initiative was the implementation of British Columbia’s redesigned curriculum, but teachers were also able to identify tensions more specific to their context and practice. This study identifies the potential importance of teachers working collaboratively towards a shared goal as a means to encourage the sharing of research, resources and learning. In sharing their practice and learning with others, teachers in this study reflected on both their teaching and their learning. As Taylor described, “I like being involved in the structured inquiry project because then I have to stop and gather that [information] rather than motoring ahead and doing stuff” (post-interview, p. 6). Having the expectation of a presentation at the end of the initiative required that teachers took stock of their learning as they were asked to articulate their learning journey. Mezirow’s (1997) suggested that teacher learning occurs when educators engage in discourse as “a dialogue devoted to assessing reasons presented in support of competing interpretations, by critically examining evidence, arguments, and alternative points of view” (p. 6). Teachers in this study constantly had to reflect on their learning, examine the evidence to support their thinking as part of their informal discussions with their groups, seek out new resources and perspectives to help them move forward, and present their learning to a wider audience. 71 Positioning Teachers as Active Consumers and Creators of Research and Resources The learning of the participants in this study was enhanced because they were encountering new knowledge through presenters, resources and research, not at passive recipients, but rather as part of an active learning process of collaborative inquiry. As part of this professional learning initiative offered by their school district, the participants in this study explored new information as presented in research and resources as they worked through problems and questions related to their practice. Rust (2009) discusses the importance of presenting new learning in a manner that allows teachers an opportunity to actively incorporate the new learning into their practice. This experience was different from some historical forms of professional learning, such as those identified by Kennedy (2005), where teachers are positioned as passive learners because this learning initiative was designed and structured to encourage active participation in the learning. Not only were the participants actively learning during the inquiry series; all of the teachers in this study mentioned how engaging in the collaborative inquiry initiative acted as a catalyst for further learning. Lily spoke about continually “putting stuff under my nose [and] just building that real sense and awareness that there’s a whole lot of resources that are available” (post-interview, p. 3). Kyle (post interview, p. 4) discussed how previous professional learning activities have led him to many additional learning opportunities and to many of the professional learning resources that he now uses. These teachers did not passively wait for a professional learning opportunity to come their way; they actively sought out additional learning resources and activities. This continual cycle of learning is reinforced by the work of Halbert and Kaser (2013) who “conceptualize the inquiry cycle as a spiral because we know that one questions leads to another” (p. 58). 72 The participants in this study were not only actively consuming research and resources, they were also involved in a form of research as practitioner inquirers and were acting as resources when they shared their learning with their colleagues. Taylor valued teacher inquiry because of “the process of having to compile the information, and stopping to think about what you’ve learned and how that all fits together” (post-interview, p. 6). While the teachers didn’t explicitly refer to themselves as researchers, they were actively involved in a research process through collaborative practitioner inquiry, which included the “definition of a problem, formulation of a hypothesis, collection of data, and statement of conclusions” (Gay, Mills & Airasain, 2012, p. 631). Lily discussed the value of sharing her practice with others: “not just the value of the projects themselves but the value of all of us doing these projects and being able to share them” (post-interview, p. 1). She also described how “she really appreciated the time to be able to learn stuff and then to mould it into something that was worthwhile to share” (post-interview, p. 7). As Rust (2009) discussed, getting teachers to see that they have something of value to share with their colleagues is the first step in developing teachers as researchers. Involving teachers in the inquiry process, as creators of their own research, may help teachers become more familiar and more comfortable with research itself (Miretzky, 2007). The teachers in this study were positioned as both active consumers and creators of research and resources through practitioner inquiry. Designing Professional Learning Experiences In describing the types of professional learning activities that they valued, the teachers in this study identified key structures that enhanced their learning as part of this initiative. These structures included the multi-session professional learning model that is sustained over a school year, and building in both learning and processing time in each session. 73 Teachers in this study were afforded a significant amount of release time for their inquiries in order to sustain the learning across the school year. This school district has a history of providing release time to support multi-session learning opportunities for teachers. This history, coupled with a significant curricular change in British Columbia, led the district to divert some professional development money and some surplus money to this initiative. This initiative used presenters as a way of initiating further learning as the participants in this initiative inquired into their topic of study over three half-day and one full-day structured sessions from October to May. Kyle discussed his frustration at attending workshops where “it kind of feels like at the time of it, it’s great, but then the implementation isn’t great because and then it’s hard to get back to it” (post-interview, p. 1). Lily spoke about how she “really appreciated the time to be able to learn stuff and then to be able to manipulate it and mould it into something what was worthwhile” (post-interview, p. 7). These findings reflect the work of Butler and Schnellert (2012) who discuss how “single workshops and transmission approaches to professional development are ineffective” (p. 38). Yoon, Duncan, Lee, Scarloss and Shapley (2007) also discuss how “if a teacher fails to apply new ideas from professional development to classroom instruction … students will not benefit from the teacher’s professional development” (p. 5). Professional learning models that encourage and support educators’ cycles of inquiry, sustained over a period of time, allow for meaningful change “when teachers integrate new ideas or approaches into practice and then reflect on their own experiences to abstract and construct new understandings about teaching and learning” (Butler & Schnellert, 2012, p. 38). This collaborative inquiry, when supported with research either from speakers or print materials, allowed teachers to integrate new knowledge into their practice. 74 The teachers in this study needed support, not only with the topic of their inquiry, but rather with the inquiry process itself. Taylor discussed how “I’m always left with a sense of ‘what could I have done more or I should have done more some how’” (post-interview, p. 1). Lily echoed this sentiment from the finding chapter describing how “I would go to those sessions and it would seem like we would stare at one another across the table and wonder what it was we were doing” (post-interview, p. 1). Wideman (2011) discussed the need to support teachers through the research process. This does not mean simply providing teachers with resources connected to the topic that they are learning about. Rather, this means supporting teachers in the process of research. He identified the importance of modelling, coaching and access to resources to support teachers as they move through the inquiry process: “teachers need to see action research conducted by their colleagues, partner with colleagues to undertake a study of their own, and have coaching and resources readily available as they conduct that study” (p. 56). Knowles (1975) also discussed the need to support adult learners to become self-directed learners because “most students have been so conditioned by their previous schooling to be dependent learners that they have not developed the attitudes and skills required to take responsibility for their own learning” (p. 87). During our first session, teachers were given some background information on the inquiry process and were offered some related resources that they could access for more information. As part of this initiative, each session began with an activating activity during which teachers had to communicate where they were in the inquiry process and what they felt that they had learned at this point. Each session ended with a summarizing activity where teachers had to communicate their next step. For example, a number of activities from Making Thinking Visible by Ritchhart, Church and Morrison (2011) were used to help participants synthesise their thinking. These activities kept the inquiry process at the 75 centre of the sessions, supporting, but also requiring teachers to synthesize, articulate, and make public their inquiry activities and next steps. In retrospect, the sessions were designed in a way that kept the participants moving forward in their learning, building their capacity as teacher researchers through open-ended tasks the allowed them to share and shape their learning.. 76 Chapter 6: Conclusion Professional development continues to be a relevant and ubiquitous topic in the education community, both at the university/research level and at the school/practice level. When we work in a system whose ultimate goal is to improve the learning outcomes for students, we must also consider the learning of the educators tasked with working with students. The purpose of this study was to explore what happens when teachers participate in PLCs while engaging in collaborative teacher inquiry using educational research and related resources to support their learning. The study was grounded in the question: What happens when teachers engage in collaborative inquiry drawing research and resources into their learning? In exploring this question, the findings and discussion chapters focused on the following sub-questions: • What types of professional learning activities and resources do teachers value? • How does actively engaging with research and resources affect teacher learning? • What is it about collaboration that leads to change of practice? • In what ways can professional development help teachers to become both consumers and creators of research and resources? The research was conducted as part of a yearlong collaborative inquiry initiative in the 2015-2016 school year in a school district in the interior of British Columbia. Approximately forty teachers participated in the larger initiative but this study focused on three inquiry groups; two of which were from a large secondary and the third group was from a large middle school. A total of eight teachers participated in the study. The collaborative inquiry groups met formally four times from October to April in a facilitated meeting structure and a fifth time when the initiative concluded with a celebration of learning in May. At this cumulating event, groups 77 shared their learning with the other inquiry groups and an audience comprised of educators from across the school district. This qualitative research study used practitioner inquiry as its methodology. This methodology was chosen to highlight the rich practice of teacher-as-researcher and to add to the growing body of research done by teachers, for teachers. As a practitioner inquirer, I wanted to provide an insider view of teachers as learners as the participated in a collaborative inquiry series. In my role a professional development chairperson for the local teachers’ association, I am routinely involved I discussions about the best use for limited professional learning time and budgets. This study was situated in my desire to learn more about how teachers learn when participating in collaborative inquiry groups. Data sources included guided pre-interviews and post-interviews, guided reflection journals completed by participants and researcher, teacher artifacts and researcher field notes. Contributions In this study, I set out to explore what happens when teachers access research and resources as part of a collaborative inquiry. This thesis adds to the growing body of research on teachers as learners and practitioner inquirers and serves to illustrate their experiences. Teacher research as defined by Shagoury and Power (2012) is research “initiated and carried out by teachers in their classrooms and schools” (p. 2). The participants in this study carried out a form of research, through practitioner inquiry, as they problematized a part of their practice, gathered and analysed data to inform their learning, and shared their findings with a wider audience. All of the participants in this study felt that their experience in this collaborative inquiry series was a positive experience that impacted their classrooms, schools and teaching practice. 78 This study explored some of the reasons that teachers do not routinely access educational research. Practitioner resources were the resource material of choice used by most teachers in this study, not because they saw these resources as better than educational research reports, but rather because these resources better fit their needs. In addition, teachers in this study were not as comfortable with educational research as published in academic journals as they were with practitioner resource materials. The two teachers that indicated an interest in traditional forms of educational research were teachers who had experience with educational research as part of their graduate work. While the teachers in this study accessed a wide variety of resources, the one trait shared by all of the resources was that they were directly related to the specific learning focus of each teacher and group. The structure of the professional learning initiative in this study indicated some structures and procedures that supported teachers in integrating research and resources into their professional learning. Having a yearlong multi-session approach allowed teachers time to engage with their learning. This structure required a significant amount of funding in order to provide release time for teachers to meet. In British Columbia, five professional development days are guaranteed to teachers as part of their contract and perhaps making better use of these five days could provide a more cost effective means of creating a multi-session approach to learning. The series was also structured in a way to allow teachers time to integrate new knowledge into their practice as part of every session. Each session was structured to help teachers reflect on their current inquiry activities, offered time for new learning through presenters, research or resources materials, and ended with an opportunity to merge this new learning into their current context. The collaborative nature of the series allowed teacher, not only an opportunity to learn from their 79 colleagues, but the deep conversations that they had with their colleagues helped them to clarify their own thinking about their learning. This study also highlighted the need to support teachers through the process of making changes to their practice. The participants in this study needed support, not just with the topic they were learning about, but also with the process of collaborative practitioner inquiry. Many of the participants completed their formal education more than ten years ago, in an education system with little focus on individual needs, and had varying degrees of experience with inquiry based learning. I experienced this as I completed my graduate work where I struggled to become a reflective learner capable of locating areas of tension in my own practice. Because this initiative was structured as a guided inquiry, myself and the other facilitator selected activities designed to move teachers through the inquiry process. Through these structures, the participants practiced problematizing their practice through a collaborative practitioner inquiry lens. Simply providing teachers time to learn collaboratively, with out structures to help them develop a stance of inquiry as described by Cochran-Smith and Lytle (2009), may not equate to quality professional learning. Limitations of this Study One limitation of this study was the small sample size. Initially, I had hoped to have between ten and fifteen participants. However, only a small number of middle and secondary teachers signed up for the inquiry series offered by the district. Of the middle and secondary teachers that were a part of the inquiry series, a few were not interested in participating in the study due to a variety of reasons including time commitments, and being unsure about the inquiry process. While this study cannot claim generalizability to the larger educational world, it does serve to give voice to a small group of teachers in regards to their professional learning. The 80 data also supports much of the academic research published recently on teacher professional learning and offers an illustrative example. Another limitation of this study is the cohort of participants. While the inquiry series studied was an ongoing existing professional development opportunity in the school district, the teachers who applied to participate in the series were already interested in inquiry as a means of professional learning. They were also volunteering for additional professional development beyond the five days that they are required to complete by their contract. The participants all offered mostly positive reports of their learning and experience. The group certainly cannot be viewed as a random sample of teachers but does give voice to a group of educators who benefitted from and learned to value collaborative inquiry as a means of personalized, meaningful and contextual professional learning. A final limitation of the study was the lack of participant commitment to the guided reflection journals. This source of data could have provided a richer account of teachers’ learning. While all participants except for one submitted some journals, only one participant completed a journal for each of our learning sessions. The pre- and post-interviews comprised the bulk of the data collected for this study and were a rich source for capturing teachers’ perspectives and insights about professional learning and their experiences in the inquiry series. Suggestions for Future Research As is often the case in inquiry learning, this study led me to a number of new questions for further research. What is the tipping point between professional autonomy and the structure of professional learning initiatives? While the teachers in this study felt that the structure helped keep them focused and moved them forward in their learning, it would be valuable for similar 81 studies to take up more or less structure within their designs to explore how different amounts of structure would contribute to or interfere with teachers’ learning process. What is the impact of teachers accessing academic reports of educational research as opposed to practitioner research and professional resources that translate research? This study served to highlight some of the reasons why teachers do not access educational research reports, but could only delve into what happens when a few key teachers do interact with such research on behalf of their teams. What if there was more scaffolding within the series specifically related to accessing and using educational research? I wonder if all teachers need to have a deep understanding of the theory behind their pedagogical choices, or can one rely on classroom evidence to justify what works for each context. If professional resources bridge the gap between the “why” and the “how” is that enough? In addition to accessing academic reports of educational research, how would accessing other teachers’ past research impact teacher learning? I am also interested in researching the long-term impact of collaborative practitioner inquiry on teacher professional learning. While many of these teachers had participated in previous inquiry projects in their school district and indicated that they would participate in further inquiry projects, following the learning of these teachers over time could provide valuable information in regards to their development as teacher researchers. For example, did these teachers continue to engage in collaborative teacher inquiry as part of their professional learning? Did they continue to inquire into the topics that they researched as part of this inquiry? Will their interest in their own learning continue as their careers progress? Although the teachers in this study did not refer to themselves as teacher researchers, I wonder how making a more explicit connection between practitioner inquiry and teachers as researcher would change the 82 teachers’ perceptions of both themselves as researchers and their interactions with academic research. Moving Forward As British Columbia navigates the complicated process of a significant curriculum renewal, teacher learning will remain an important piece of the educational conversation. This study, and the related literature, highlights the importance of supporting teachers as they make changes to their practice. While the historical model of transmission-type professional development does help disseminate knowledge, teachers need time to inquire and collaborate with their colleagues in order to successfully integrate that knowledge into their practice. In my capacity as professional development chairperson for my local teachers’ association, and as a facilitator of professional learning, I will continue to advocate for teacher voice in professional learning and for structures, like collaborative teacher inquiry, to create more meaningful learning for teachers. This advocacy will take the form of continuing to refine structures at the school district level to provide more opportunities for facilitated collaborative inquiry. One of these structures needs to include supporting teachers in locating and using all types of research and resource to support their learning. 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Journal of Research on Leadership Education, 8(1), 97-112. 91 Appendices Appendix A – Introductory Letter Faculty of Education, Okanagan Campus 3333 University Way Kelowna BC Canada V1V 1V7 Tel: 250.807.9176 Fax: 250.807.8084 www.ubc.ca/okanagan/education August 15, 2015 Dear Colleagues, This is an invitation to participate in a research study exploring how teachers access research as part of their professional learning. The research study is entitled “Learning Through Others: Connecting Research to Professional Learning” and is part of my Master’s Thesis research at UBC Okanagan. Dr. Leyton Schnellert from UBC Okanagan is the research supervisor. This research will examine the following questions: • What happens when teachers engage in collaborative inquiry drawing research into their learning? • What types of professional learning activities do teachers value? • How will engaging with research affect teacher learning? • What is it about the collaboration process that leads to change of practice? • In what ways can transformative professional development help teachers to become both consumers and creators of research Participation in this study will include: • Two 30 minute interviews at the beginning and conclusion of the study • Attendance at the scheduled meeting dates as part of the “Just Add Ice” Inquiry series – three half day sessions and two full day sessions • Semi-­‐monthly guided journals as part of the learning process Additional data collection by the research will also include: • Field notes from scheduled meetings • Artifacts produced by you as part of the celebration of learning • Research reflection journal See the attached consent form for more detailed information. If you are interested in participating in this study, please contact Kyla Hadden at khadden@sd83.bc.ca. Thank you for considering this invitation. Kyla Hadden Co-­‐Researcher, UBC Okanagan 92 Appendix B – Interview Questions Pre interview questions. 1. What is your teaching history? How long have you taught, what grades and/or subject areas? Location(s)? 2. Describe your past professional learning experiences. 3. Describe how professional learning has influenced your practice. 4. What resources do you access to inform your practice? 5. Describe your experience with practitioner research, academic research and/or theoretical research. How have you used research to inform your practice in the past? 6. What are your beliefs about your own professional learning? (Describe yourself as a learner and why you believe you learn that way?) 7. What are you hoping to explore and/or investigate as part of this project? Post interview questions. 1. Describe your experiences during this process/project. 2. Was this experience different and/or similar to other professional development experiences that you have had? How and why? 3. Describe your interactions with research during this process. 4. How easy was it to find research to inform your inquiry? 5. How did you find the collaboration aspect of this project? What did you learn from others? 6. How has this experience impacted your practice? What did you learn about the topic that you explored? 7. How will this experience impact your future professional development? 8. Have your beliefs about your own professional learning changed over the last year? How? 93 Appendix C – Place-mat Activity Topic / Question Highlights Insights Challenges Next Steps Commonalities
Thesis/Dissertation
eng
Education
Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
Graduate
Learning through others : connecting research to professional learning
Text