Looking for the processes of Professional Development in a Work-related Teacher Education Context

Author(s):

Leena Aarto-Pesonen(presenting / submitting)

Conference:

ECER 2015

Network:

10. Teacher Education Research

Format:

Paper

Session Information

10 SES 08 B,

Paper Session

Time:

2015-09-10

09:00-10:30

Room:

208.Oktatóterem [C]

Chair:

ML White

Contribution

There is a lot of research work that has aimed to clarify and conceptualize the multiform process of teachers’ professional development. Often these studies have suggested that the development takes place in a stepwise model (e.g. Fuller, 1969; Fuller & Brown, 1975; Huberman, 1993; Katz 1995; Meijer, Korthagen, & Vasalos, 2009). The above-mentioned stage models of professional development have been challenged by models, which consider more teachers’ contextual, professional, and personal factors (e.g. Fessler & Christensen, 1992; Dall’Alba & Sandberg, 2006). These models also underline the nature of nonlinear and individual development cycles. Though, as general models they focus on professional skill development and leave out the conceptualization of different processes that professionals, or in this case, student teachers, may experience during learning and professional development in a work-related teacher education.

Previous studies have suggested that a combination of redesigned higher education courses, which integrate work-based or work-related learning with the best features of face-to-face instruction and online learning, stimulate students’ comprehensive learning and diversified professional development (e.g., Arnold, 2008; Avalos, 2011; Levy, Dickerson, & Teague, 2011; Tynjälä, 2013). However, due to varied educational systems and a lack of viable data, it is still difficult to delineate the overall process and landscape of student teachers’ development. So far, the theoretical knowledge base of the qualification process of student teachers in general, and experienced adult students in particular, is vague. However, this knowledge is essential for development of teacher education.

The present study was one attempt to conceptualize student teacher’s professional development processes in a context of work-related physical education (PE) teacher education in higher education. The aim was to clarify particularly professional development processes and temporal changes in the professional development processes of PE student teachers.

Method

The context of this research was a two-year long alternative PE teacher qualification program of the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences at the University of Jyvaskyla in Finland. This program organized on the basis of a blended course design combining face-to-face instruction with distance learning, e-learning and workplace learning. After completing the program, the student teachers graduated as qualified PE teachers for primary school (grades 1–6) and secondary school (grades 7–9). The student teachers’ learning and development processes were supported by educational solutions and the theoretical backround of the program rested on andragogy and integrative pedagogy (Tynjälä, 2008; Tynjälä & Gijbels, 2012). The group of participants consisted of twenty 27–48 years old women (9) and men (11) who had previously achieved a Master’s degree in any field and worked as PE teachers without formal PE teaching qualification. At the beginning of the program, the student teachers had an average of seven years of work experience as unqualified PE teachers. The research data consisted of student teachers’ reflective learning weblogs, kept throughout the course. The 20 weblogs (comprising approximately 400 pages in total) revealed longitudinal changes and different phases that altered the student teachers' ways of thinking and reflection during their studies. The findings of the present study are based on the initial stage of grounded theory (GT) analysis, the open coding process, which was carried out using the constant comparative method (Glaser, 1978, 1992; Glaser & Strauss, 1974). GT approach is recommended when the focus is on developmental processes and on the conceptualization of a phenomenon that has not been researched exhaustively (Glaser 1978). NVivo 8 analysis software was used in organising the data into analytic components or ‘incidents’ (2,893 in total). The analysis proceeded by constantly comparing the meanings of codes to each other and gradually building up concepts and their properties (Glaser, 1978, 1992; Glaser & Strauss, 1974). The weblog data was analyzed by dividing it into 14 groups of periods, according to the time spans between the 14 face-to-face instruction sessions. A category map of each of the 14 separate analysis processes was drawn. A comparison of those category maps revealed qualitative changes over time. Finally, the integration of and connections between the categories and their properties were organized as a stage structure characterized clear vertical and horizontal lines.

Expected Outcomes

On the basis of the data analysis three horizontal key phases of a student teachers’ professional development were identified: 1) egocentric learner; 2) researching professional and 3) expert within society. The horizontal phases clarify the temporal change of development. Each horizontal phase consisted of three vertical development conceptualized as: 1) transforming self-image; 2) expanding professional understanding and self-expression and 3) strengthening and widening agency. One of the most important results of this study was the core category of the development referred to as the emotional core. It had a relevant relationship with other main categories and subcategories, and it integrated all of these into a whole. In other words, all of the three vertical processes of student teachers’ professional development were characterized by strong emotional aspects. By the concept of emotion, I refer to its broadest meaning as defined by the data or to a unity of different kinds of feelings, sensations, affects, emotional states and moods. It should be noted that there is individual variation professional development. It went forward at each student's own individual pace. Variations were evident in the attainment of different professional development key phases. All student teachers in this study progressed through the first and second key phases of the development processes, some completing certain phases several times, but not all of them reached the third and final key phase of the development processes. These variations revealed the individual nature of learning and professional development processes, which by their nature, are probably more cyclical than linear.

References

Arnold, L. (2008). Experiential work-integrated online learning: Insights from an established UK higher education program. Innovate: Journal of Online Education, 4(3), 6. Avalos, B. (2011). Teacher professional development in teaching and teacher education over ten years. Teaching and Teacher Education, 27, 10–20. Dall'Alba, G., & Sandberg, J. (2006). Unveiling professional development: A critical review of stage models. Review of Educational Research, 76(3), 383–412. Fuller, F.F. (1969) Concerns of teachers: A developmental conceptualization. American Educational Research Journal, 6(2), 207–226. Fuller, F.F., & Brown, O. (1975). Becoming a teacher. In K. Ryan (Ed.), Teaching education, Part II: The 4 th yearbook of the National Society for the Study of Education (pp. 25–52). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Glaser, B. G. (1978). Theoretical sensitivity. Mill Valley, CA: Sociology Press. Glaser, B. G. (1992). Basics of grounded theory analysis. Mill Valley, CA: Sosiology Press. Glaser, B. G. (1998). Doing grounded theory: Issues and discussions. Mill Valley, CA: Sociology Press. Huberman, M. (1993). Steps toward a developmental model of the teaching career. In L. Kremer-Hayon, H. C. Vonk, & R. Fessler (Eds.), Teacher professional development: A multiple perspective approach (pp. 93–118). Netherlands: Swets & Zeitlinger. Katz, L.G. (1995) Talks with teachers of young children: A Collection. Stamford, CT: Ablex. Levy, R., Dickerson, C., & Teague, J. (2011). Developing blended learning resources and strategies to support academic reading: A student-centered approach. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 35(1), 89–106. Meijer, P. C., Korthagen, F. A., & Vasalos, A. (2009). Supporting presence in teacher education: The connection between the personal and professional aspects of teaching. Teaching and Teacher Education, 25(2), 297–308. Tynjälä, P. (2008). Perspectives into learning at the workplace. Educational Research Review, 3(2), 130–154. Tynjälä, P. (2013). Toward a 3-P model of workplace learning: a literature review. Vocations and Learning, 6(1), 11–36. Tynjälä, P., & Gijbels, D. (2012). Changing world, changing pedagogy. In P. Tynjälä, M-L. Stenström, & M. Saarnivaara (Eds.), Transitions and transformations in learning and education (pp. 205–222). Dordrecht: Springer.

Author Information

Leena Aarto-Pesonen (presenting / submitting)

University of Jyvaskyla, Finland

Department of Teacher Education

University of Jyvaskyla

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