Session Information
10 SES 01 B, Research on Teacher Induction and Early Career Teachers
Paper Session
Contribution
Notwithstanding the differences in formal programmes of study that trainee teachers receive in different European countries (Eurydice 2002) and across the world (Britton et al 2003, OECD 2005), as well the differing patterns of support for teachers in their first post, it is generally the case that opportunities for professional learning become less formalised once any statutory period of induction has been completed. As a result there is the danger that such learning may become ‘incidental’, ‘unplanned’ and ‘may even take place beyond learners’ awareness’ (Hoekstra et al., 2009:665), and that it is certainly likely not to take place in any formal way. Eraut’s (2000) typology of non-formal learning identifies learning that is either implicit, reactive or deliberative (2000:116), where the latter is dependent on time being set aside and is characterised by ‘systematic reflection’ on past experiences, engagement in current decision making and problem solving and planned ‘learning goals’ and ‘learning opportunities’ for the future. Even within such an approach, however, the degree of intentionality may vary. Our own previous findings show that while beginning teachers all claim to learn from experience, and in so doing may develop the required levels of classroom competence, it cannot be assumed that experience in itself will automatically result in the development of strategies which would ‘sustain and take forward their learning once the resources and support structures of the ITE programme were removed’ (Mutton et al., 2010:89). It is, however, vitally important that the foundation for lifelong professional learning is established in these early stages of a teacher’s career if they are to continue to strive continually to improve their own practice (Hagger et al., 2008).
This paper focuses on one approach to the beginning teachers’ learning, namely ‘intentionality’, one of five categories (or dimensions) within an established analytical framework. This framework was developed originally in order to categorise beginning teachers’ orientations towards learning from experience in the PGCE year (Hagger et al. 2008) and was subsequently tested and refined, first in light of the lesson-based interviews conducted in their first and second years as qualified teachers, and then in relation to the teachers’ more general reflections on their learning. Each dimension is represented as a continuum with opposing orientations at either end. Thus ‘intentionality’ (referring to the extent to which teachers’ learning is planned) is represented at one end of the continuum by a highly pro-active approach to learning and at the other end by an approach that relies predominantly on a reaction to each teaching experience as and when it occurs. The questions informing our analysis are:
i. How does ‘intentionality’ manifest itself in the learning of beginning teachers?
ii. To what extent is there variation in the level of ‘intentionality’ across individuals and over time (i.e. during the initial training year and through first two years of full-time teaching)?
The data presented in this paper relate to all three years of the study and draws on interviews with the 17 teachers for whom we have full data sets.
Method
Expected Outcomes
References
Britton, E., Payne, L., Pimm, D. & Raizen, S. (2003) Comprehensive teacher induction. London, Kluwer Academic Publishers. Brown, S. & McIntyre, D. (1993) Making Sense of Teaching (Buckingham, Open University Press). Eraut, M. (2000) Non-formal learning and tacit knowledge in professional work, British Journal of Educational Psychology, 70 (1) 113-136 Eurydice (2002) The teaching profession in Europe: Profile trends and concerns. Report 1: Initial training and transition to working life (Brussels, European Commission) Hagger, H., Burn, K., Mutton, T. & Brindley, S. (2008) Practice makes perfect? Learning to learn as a teacher, Oxford Review of Education, 34 (2) 159-178 Hoekstra, A., Brekelmans, N., Beijaard, D. & Korthagen, F. (2009) Experienced teachers’ informal learning: learning activities and changes in behavior and cognition, Teaching and Teacher Education, 25 (5) 663-673 Mutton, T., Burn, K. and Hagger, H. (2010) 'Making sense of learning to teach: learners in context', Research Papers in Education, 25 (1) 73-91. OECD (2005) Teachers Matter: Attracting, Developing and Retaining Effective Teachers (Paris, OECD Publications)
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