Conversations in a professional learning community: an analysis of teacher learning opportunities in mathematics

The growing perception of professional learning communities as an effective professional development approach needs to be supported with knowledge of how such communities create learning opportunities for teachers. Activities in professional learning communities are underpinned by collegial conversa...

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Main Authors: Chauraya, Million, Brodie, Karin
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: AOSIS 2019
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Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/11408/3492
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author Chauraya, Million
Brodie, Karin
author_facet Chauraya, Million
Brodie, Karin
author_sort Chauraya, Million
collection DSpace
description The growing perception of professional learning communities as an effective professional development approach needs to be supported with knowledge of how such communities create learning opportunities for teachers. Activities in professional learning communities are underpinned by collegial conversations that foster learning, and in this article we analysed such conversations for learning opportunities in one professional learning community of mathematics teachers. Data consisted of audio-recorded community conversations. The focus of the conversations was to understand the thinking behind learners’ errors, and teachers engaged in a number of activities related to learner errors and learner reasoning. Our analyses show how opportunities for learning were created in identifying the origins of learners’ errors as well as learners’ thinking underlying their errors. Results also showed that the teachers had opportunities for learning how to identify learners’ learning needs and in turn the teachers’ own learning needs. The teachers also had opportunities for deepening their own understanding of the conceptual meaning of ratio. The learning opportunities were supported by the following: having a learning focus, patterns of engagement that were characterised by facilitator questioning, teacher responses and explanations, and sharing knowledge. Such mutual engagement practices in professional learning communities resulted in new and shared meanings about teachers’ classroom practices. Our findings also show the critical role of a facilitator for teacher learning in professional learning communities.
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spelling ir-11408-34922022-06-27T13:49:06Z Conversations in a professional learning community: an analysis of teacher learning opportunities in mathematics Chauraya, Million Brodie, Karin Professional learning communities The growing perception of professional learning communities as an effective professional development approach needs to be supported with knowledge of how such communities create learning opportunities for teachers. Activities in professional learning communities are underpinned by collegial conversations that foster learning, and in this article we analysed such conversations for learning opportunities in one professional learning community of mathematics teachers. Data consisted of audio-recorded community conversations. The focus of the conversations was to understand the thinking behind learners’ errors, and teachers engaged in a number of activities related to learner errors and learner reasoning. Our analyses show how opportunities for learning were created in identifying the origins of learners’ errors as well as learners’ thinking underlying their errors. Results also showed that the teachers had opportunities for learning how to identify learners’ learning needs and in turn the teachers’ own learning needs. The teachers also had opportunities for deepening their own understanding of the conceptual meaning of ratio. The learning opportunities were supported by the following: having a learning focus, patterns of engagement that were characterised by facilitator questioning, teacher responses and explanations, and sharing knowledge. Such mutual engagement practices in professional learning communities resulted in new and shared meanings about teachers’ classroom practices. Our findings also show the critical role of a facilitator for teacher learning in professional learning communities. 2019-03-28T11:48:54Z 2019-03-28T11:48:54Z 2018 Article 2223-7895 ythagoras, 39(1), a363. https://doi.org/ 10.4102/pythagoras. v39i1.363 http://hdl.handle.net/11408/3492 en Pythagoras;Vol. 39, No. 1: p. open AOSIS
spellingShingle Professional learning communities
Chauraya, Million
Brodie, Karin
Conversations in a professional learning community: an analysis of teacher learning opportunities in mathematics
title Conversations in a professional learning community: an analysis of teacher learning opportunities in mathematics
title_full Conversations in a professional learning community: an analysis of teacher learning opportunities in mathematics
title_fullStr Conversations in a professional learning community: an analysis of teacher learning opportunities in mathematics
title_full_unstemmed Conversations in a professional learning community: an analysis of teacher learning opportunities in mathematics
title_short Conversations in a professional learning community: an analysis of teacher learning opportunities in mathematics
title_sort conversations in a professional learning community: an analysis of teacher learning opportunities in mathematics
topic Professional learning communities
url http://hdl.handle.net/11408/3492
work_keys_str_mv AT chaurayamillion conversationsinaprofessionallearningcommunityananalysisofteacherlearningopportunitiesinmathematics
AT brodiekarin conversationsinaprofessionallearningcommunityananalysisofteacherlearningopportunitiesinmathematics