1. Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine in depth what beginning teachers experience in post-lesson group discussion as a form of teachers’ learning community. In order to achieve this aim, the study focuses on the following research questions: (1) what post-lesson group discussion means to beginning teachers, (2) what they learn in post-lesson group discussion, and (3) what they think that are the conditions to maintain post-lesson group discussion as a learning place.

2. Theoretical Framework

Rapid social change has required teachers to learn continuously throughout their careers. Current teachers are asked to be people who learn as well as teach to actively cope with a changing society. This implies that it is necessary to pay attention to teachers learning. Traditionally, teaching has been recognized that teachers put what they learned through pre-service or teachers training programs into practice. According to Schön (1983), however, this traditional perspective represents a technical rationality that has been criticized for creating discord with teachers’ teaching in practice (Putnam & Borko, 2000).

In recent years, a growing literature has emerged indicating that teacher learning can be promoted through learning communities made possible by teachers’ collaborative relationships (Cochran-Smith & Lytle, 1999, 2009; Erickson et al., 2005). According to these studies, beginning teachers can learn more through interaction with experienced teachers and colleagues in learning communities. This is consistent with ‘situative perspective’, which Borko (2004) has drawn on by proposing that learning is improved when teachers discuss and solve problems arising from practice with other teachers and teacher educators. Vygotsky (1978) has also found that learners can learn much more than may be anticipated if they are given the appropriate scaffolding. Thus he emphasized learning with others. In this regard, teachers’ learning communities have a very significant implication in terms of professional development.

Post-lesson group discussion, as a kind of teachers’ community of inquiry toward lessons, refers to discussion among peer teachers after participating in and observing actual lessons. If post-lesson group discussion is conducted effectively, it can be an opportunity not only to learn teaching practice and knowledge from colleagues, but also to be evaluated and reflect on their own lessons, particularly for beginning teachers.

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