This study is about teachers’ reflexion of their own continuing learning interests and strategies against the background of their professional development.

The process of professionalization of teachers plays an important role in the discussion about teacher training and continuing teacher education (cf. Beijaard et al 2005; Combe/Helsper 1997; Dewe et al 1992; Hackl 2004; Tenorth 2006). This is not surprising if teachers’ professional development is understood as “[...] a lifelong process which begins with the initial preparation that teachers receive [...] and continues until retirement” (Villegas-Reimer 2003, p.8; emphasis in the original; cf. also Scheerens 2010, p.19).

Furthermore, very often teachers have to live up to high expectations by students, parents, school management and society in general, are expected to bring, keep and develop a number of skills, are influenced by changes promoted by governments and at the same time are “significant change agents in these reforms” (Villegas-Reimer 2003, p. 7, cf. also p.39ff). This requires continuous training and development. As it is assumed that the professional development of teachers is closely linked to their learning as adult learners and the question of life-long learning in general, it seems important to know the teachers’ perspective on their own professionalization and learning as this can be expected to give some revealing insights into the field of teacher continuing education.

So the process of teacher professionalization is closely linked to their learning. This seems to be of relevance not only in Germany but also in the Anglo-American and the European context as over the past decades “[...] there have been significant changes in the policy and social context of teaching” that have had implications for teacher professionalization internationally (Gewirtz et al 2009, p. 4). Thus, the topic of teacher professionalization and learning is of great international interest as it lies at the core of changes on different levels of the educational system.

Against this background this paper, which presents some of the work on my PhD project, takes the learning and further education interests of teachers in the context of their individual^[1] professionalization into consideration. The main focus will be on teachers as adult learners and in how far they understand themselves as learners. The central question to be looked into in the setting of this conference is how teachers reflect their own learning processes and strategies, and how this may be a resource for their individual professional development.

[1] Terhart (1997) distinguishes between individual professionalization and professionalization of a whole occupational group. Individual professionalization refers to the professional development of an individual. In contrast, professionalization of a whole group refers to the development and recognition of a whole occupational group as a profession (cf. Terhart 1997, S. 452).

Beijaard, D.; Meijer, P.C.; Morine-Dershimer, G.; Tillema, H. (eds.) (2005): Teacher professional development in changing conditions. Dordrecht: Springer. Combe, A.; Helsper, W. (Hrsg.) (1997): Pädagogische Professionalität. Untersuchungen zum Typus pädagogischen Handelns. Frankfurt /Main: Suhrkamp. Dewe, B.; Ferchhoff, W.; Radtke, F.-O. (Hrsg.) (1992): Erziehen als Profession: Zur Logik professionellen Handelns in pädagogischen Feldern. Opladen: Leske+Budrich. Flick, U. (2009): Qualitative Sozialforschung. Eine Einführung. Reinbek: Rowohlt Taschenbuch Verlag. Gewirtz, S.; Mahony, P.; Hextall, I.; Cribb, A. (2009): Policy, professionalism and practice: understanding and enhancing teachers’ work. In: Gewirtz, S.; Mahony, P.; Hextall, I.; Cribb, A. (eds.): Changing Teacher Professionalism. International trends, challenges and ways forward. London: Routledge, 3-16. Gibson, W. (2010): Qualitative Research as a Method of Inquiry in Education. In: Hartas, D. (ed.): Educational Research and Inquiry. Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches. London: Continuum, 54-64. Hackl, B. (Hrsg.) (2004): Zur Professionalisierung pädagogischen Handelns: Arbeiten aus der Sektion Lehrerbildung und Lehrerbildungsforschung in der Österreichischen Gesellschaft für Forschung und Entwicklung im Bildungswesen. Münster: LIT-Verlag. Janesick, V.J. (2000): The Choreography of Qualitative Research Design. Minuets, Improvisations, and Crystallization. In: Denzin, N.K.; Lincoln, Y.S. (eds.): Handbook of Qualitative Research. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, 379-399. Scheerens,J. (ed.) (2010): Teachers’ Professional Development: Europe in international comparison. An analysis of teachers’ professional development based on the OECD’s Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS). Belgium: European Union. URL: http://ec.europa.eu/education/school-education/doc1962_en.htm (28.05.2011). Tenorth, H.-E. (2006): Professionalität im Lehrerberuf. Ratlosigkeit der Theorie, gelingende Praxis. In: Zeitschrift für Erziehungswissenschaft, 9(4), 580-597. Terhart, E. (1997): Berufskultur und professionelles Handeln bei Lehrern. In: Combe, A.; Helsper, W.: Pädagogische Professionalität. Untersuchungen zum Typus pädagogischen Handelns. Frankfurt/Main: Suhrkamp, 448-471. Villegas-Reimer, E. (2003): Teacher professional development: an international review of the literature. Paris: International Institute for Educational Planning. Witzel, A. (2000). Das problemzentrierte Interview. Forum: Qualitative Social Research, 1(1), Art. 22, http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs0001228 (12.01.2011).