Glossary
Chapter 7 Putting Things in Perspective: Towards a Theory for Teacher Learning
7.3 Towards a theory of teacher learning: The agility of learning
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predispostions and backgrounds, their relections on experience, and tried and tested ways of assessing their learners in the classroom. This is in congruence with the sentiment that learning not only occurs through content exposure but also through interaction, reflection and cognition (Siemens, 2005).
In addition, since practical knowledge for teachers refers to all informative and influential cognitions about various educational elements that teachers see as „good‟ as well as having the capability of being done in such way that „guides‟ teachers to conduct the job of
teaching, then such knowledge need not necessarily be acquired through experience alone (Zanting, 2001). Sources of practical knowledge may also be constituted by reflection, self- study, training and interaction with others in the school community and other social and academic contexts relevant to teaching (Fenstermacher, 1994).To this end, the findings of this study suggest that learning emanates from various sources and presents itself in numerous forms.
The findings of the study allude to the notion that teacher learning is at the mercy of a vast kaleidoscope of forces or influences pulling and propelling its aims, objectives and resultant outcomes in several different directions. This view gives rise to a theory of teacher learning that will be detailed next.
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Figure 2- The Amoeba Representation of the Agility of Learning (Image taken from photobucket.com/images/amoeba)
The amoeba is a very important life form as it is the basis of other living forms, such as tissues and organs (Solomon et al., 2004). Without the amoeba, evolution of other organisms would not be possible (McGrath and Blachford, 2001)). Similarly, learning is something that is fundamental to developing teachers professionally. Without teachers embarking on a continuous journey of learning, the advancement of self-knowledge as well as knowledge of their learners and ultimately society at large would be severely hampered. This suggests a parallel between the significance of the amoeba for other life forms and the relationship between teacher learning and the advancement of teacher knowledge and its contribution to society.
Furthermore, teacher learning is a complex and multifaceted area, which is propelled and influenced by a number of factors. These include succumbing to those in a position of
authority in the sense of blind compliance, or in other cases total resistance against new ways of assessment. Both instances served as a stimulus for learning. In this sense, the irregular shape of the amoeba provides a useful way of viewing teacher learning. Learning is not a simple process, and nor is it fixed.
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Rather, learning is influenced by a range of factors, suggesting the agility of the learning process. The agility of the amoeba allows for consideration of the fact that the learning process is tentative and could change and move in different directions, but which ultimately moves towards a learning trajectory. Teacher learning is multi-dimensional in content and knowledge, and is therefore pushed in different directions and ways. There is no set pattern or definitive structure in the way teachers learn. As such learning is shaped by a multitude of factors, such as experience and reflections on experience, the ability to process new
information in light of existing knowledge structures, and skilful ability to apply learning to classroom praxis. In addition, the process of how teachers learn constitutes a multitude of activities leading to and emanating from a core, central learning attitude of the individual teacher, which is influenced by a multitude of forces and sub-forces from all directions (top- down, lateral and bottom-up). These factors include external motivators of learning.
Moreover, teacher learning is a product of a number of interacting factors. This begins with what teachers know, which is the result of prior knowledge, experience and background, teacher identity, teacher conceptions of teacher learning, and attitudes of teachers towards change, just to mention those that prominently featured in the course of this study. Therefore, attention to and reflection on teaching practice is an impetus for new knowledge to develop over time. This suggests that there are various forces, both external and internal, that
influence how teachers learn. With regard to the internal forces, the study also alluded to the notion that who a person is influences how they make sense and create meaning of their learning. Since the notion of identity pertains to being and becoming, it would follow that issues relating to teacher identity are inextricably linked to the process of teacher learning (Clarke, 2008). In addition, the identities of teachers are based on knowledge and skills and influenced by their engagement in the experience of teaching and interaction with their students and peers. Furthermore, if we accept Kotze‟s (2002) assertion that learning is a personal interpretation of knowledge, than it becomes of paramount significance that the concept of teacher identity should be explored in relation to teacher learning.
The nucleus of the amoeba, which represents the centre of activity in the cell from a biological stance, (McGrath and Blachford, 2001) could be viewed as the person. The membranes and boundaries represent the points of learning for the individual teacher. This approach to viewing teacher learning can be explained by the fact that the various factors influencing teacher learning are analogous to the fluid-filled membrane that constitutes the amoeba, signifying that it is far from the centre and is therefore not static but rather
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constantly evolving and redefining itself. Due to the various forces propelling it in different directions and ways, teacher learning could indeed be viewed as a dynamic, complex, broad- based scholarship that is influenced by a multitude of factors. Furthermore, an interesting characteristic of the amoeba is that complete isolation of the amoeba is difficult as there is no single medium for it; the medium changes with the species since each species preys on different organisms, so the medium must be able to support both the amoeba and its prey (Solomon et al., 2004). Similarly, teacher learning cannot be viewed in isolation. In light of the fact that learning is influenced by a range of factors, the agility of the learning process can be likened to the agility of the amoeba.
Consequently, it would appear that no single learning theory can attend to the entire subject of teacher learning. The findings of this study support this view and point to adopting a multi- channel approach to teacher learning. The discussion below is based on Malderez and
Weddell's (2007) notions of the theories informing teacher learning. The socio-cultural perspective of teacher learning, which propagates the belief that learning occurs through increasing the degrees of participation in and membership of a culture of teachers in a given context, came across clearly through the participants networking with their colleagues. In addition, the importance of engaging the learner in personal meaning-making also came through in instances where educators needed to attach personal meaning to the learning process. This also emerged through individual self-reflection, signalling a cognitive stance to teacher learning.
Social constructivism, which emphasises the important role of interaction with others in the process of learning, was also evident in the learning conversations that participants engaged in. Through deep reflections, the constructivist view emphasises that the goal of the reflective practitioner should be on focusing on the thinking and concepts that lie behind the action.
This view presented itself as participants reflected on their experiences.
The skill theory, which advocates intelligent action as being developed through cyclical processes of supported trial and error, exuded itself as the participants attempted to include the new forms of assessment in their teaching through modifying and adapting these to suit their contextual realities. Based on these findings, the advocacy of a multi-channel approach that entails a fusion of theories surrounding the scholarship of teacher learning would seem most apt.
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Since a prominent theme that emerged during the course of the study was that of the notion of the expert versus the novice, exploring the territory of what an expert is was undertaken at length in the analysis chapter. Suffice to say that the recent interpretation of the term is one that challenges the traditional use of the term expert. To this end, Darling-Hammond and Bransford (2005) advocate the use of the term “adaptive experts” to refer to the teacher's ability to learn from other teachers through the sharing of experiences. Furthermore, adaptive expertise involves viewing learning as a continuous aspect of teaching and through
recognising the need to change by letting go of previously learned ideas or incorporating new information into their practice and choosing what to abandon and what to keep or modify (Darling-Hammond & Bransford, 2005). In this respect, Schudel et al. (2008) highlight the significance of integrating contextual, substantive and personal knowledge into the focus of teacher learning and curriculum implementation.
The following sentiment reflects the change in the role of teachers, from being providers of knowledge to becoming experts on learning.
“Being able to do something and knowing how to do it are two different aspects of being a professional ...Understanding what it is one does and how one does it, involves a different aspect of professionalism: it is a matter of being intellectually expert about expert practice.” (Tripp, 1993)
Furthermore, since, teacher learning is both a personal and a social endeavour, learning and evolving in teaching necessitates the reconstruction of practical theories and personal practical knowledge (Clandinin, 1986; Sanders & McCutcheon, 1986). If we consider the assertion that an essential goal of teacher learning is to promote the favourable transformation from intuitive to formal ways of knowing, and that such a transformation includes both behavioural (practical) changes as well as a paradigm shift in how teachers think about knowing and coming to know (Simon, 2006), then it becomes imperative that we explore epistemological implications of the findings of this study.
While issues relating to practicability and practical knowledge are central to facilitating learning among teachers, one needs to exercise caution when applying practical knowledge in educational research. This is due to the fact that critical questions pertaining to epistemology arise and consequently need, to be addressed (Gholami, 2007). Such questions include:
How teachers know to know?;
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What evidence and proof do they suggest for justifying their so-called practical knowledge?;
What basis do teachers have for knowing what is appropriate and true in matters they face in their work? (Tirr et al., 1999); and
What is the nature of this evidence and these justifications? (Gholami, 2007).
Kansanen et al. (2000) assert that these questions present numerous perspectives on
epistemology in such a manner as to explore teacher's knowledge claims in relation to what they perceive to be „true‟. Such an approach involves progressing from a perception- to a conception-based perspective (Simon et al., 2000). Reformed practices can become the
„material‟ for teacher epistemological-oriented reflection, as it can cause teachers to question and reflect on their hidden epistemological assumptions (Simon et al., 2000).
Whilst the discussion above advocates the amoeba framework of teacher learning as a plausible way of viewing teacher learning, the one draw-back of using the analogy of the amoeba to explore teacher learning, could be the fact that the framework does not allow for exploring the extent to which the various factors that influence teacher learning, relate to one another, if they do at all, bear relation to one another. However, exploring such interrelations was not within the scope of this study. Nonetheless, the amoeba framework of teacher learning makes a case for the agility of the learning process. Learning is not fixed but is influenced by a range of factors, as the discussion above has alluded to. Hence teacher learning, like the amoeba, is propelled by a kaleidoscope of factors. These factors result in the process of learning constantly evolving as the journey of learning forges ahead, making the analogy between the amoeba and teacher learning an apt one. Moreover, the conception of the process of learning as being agile suggests that teacher learning is complex and multi-faceted, necessitating the adoption of a multi-modal approach to teacher learning.