Learning in professional learning communities: shifts in mathematics teachers’ practices
Professional learning communities as a form of teacher development have been in existence internationally for some time now and more recently in South Africa. Although strong claims have been made for their influence on teacher practices, very few research studies have investigated these claims. Thi...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis (Routledge)
2019
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1080/0035919X.2017.1350531 http://hdl.handle.net/11408/3490 |
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| author | Chauraya, Million Brodie, Karin |
| author_facet | Chauraya, Million Brodie, Karin |
| author_sort | Chauraya, Million |
| collection | DSpace |
| description | Professional learning communities as a form of teacher development have been in existence internationally for some time now and more recently in South Africa. Although strong claims have been made for their influence on teacher practices, very few research studies have investigated these claims. This paper presents a case study that connects teacher-learning activities in a professional learning community to shifts in teaching practices. Four high school mathematics teachers’ practices were analysed before, during and after their participation in a professional learning community. The results show that two teachers made modest shifts in three of the five key dimensions of their lessons and one of the two teachers sustained these shifts. The two other teachers did not make major shifts in their teaching. The shifts are linked to learning activities in the professional learning community, which involved the teachers in conversations about learners’ errors and learners’ learning needs, and designing lessons to
address these needs. Findings from the study indicate how teacher-learning activities in a professional learning community can support shifts in teachers’ teaching and explain why changes differ among teachers. |
| format | Article |
| id | ir-11408-3490 |
| institution | My University |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2019 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis (Routledge) |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | ir-11408-34902022-06-27T13:49:06Z Learning in professional learning communities: shifts in mathematics teachers’ practices Chauraya, Million Brodie, Karin Professional learning community Teaching practices Professional learning communities as a form of teacher development have been in existence internationally for some time now and more recently in South Africa. Although strong claims have been made for their influence on teacher practices, very few research studies have investigated these claims. This paper presents a case study that connects teacher-learning activities in a professional learning community to shifts in teaching practices. Four high school mathematics teachers’ practices were analysed before, during and after their participation in a professional learning community. The results show that two teachers made modest shifts in three of the five key dimensions of their lessons and one of the two teachers sustained these shifts. The two other teachers did not make major shifts in their teaching. The shifts are linked to learning activities in the professional learning community, which involved the teachers in conversations about learners’ errors and learners’ learning needs, and designing lessons to address these needs. Findings from the study indicate how teacher-learning activities in a professional learning community can support shifts in teachers’ teaching and explain why changes differ among teachers. 2019-03-27T11:21:13Z 2019-03-27T11:21:13Z 2017 Article 1028-8457 https://doi.org/10.1080/0035919X.2017.1350531 http://hdl.handle.net/11408/3490 en African Journal of Research in Mathematics, Science and Technology Education;Vol. 21 No. 3: p. 223-233 open Taylor & Francis (Routledge) |
| spellingShingle | Professional learning community Teaching practices Chauraya, Million Brodie, Karin Learning in professional learning communities: shifts in mathematics teachers’ practices |
| title | Learning in professional learning communities: shifts in mathematics teachers’ practices |
| title_full | Learning in professional learning communities: shifts in mathematics teachers’ practices |
| title_fullStr | Learning in professional learning communities: shifts in mathematics teachers’ practices |
| title_full_unstemmed | Learning in professional learning communities: shifts in mathematics teachers’ practices |
| title_short | Learning in professional learning communities: shifts in mathematics teachers’ practices |
| title_sort | learning in professional learning communities: shifts in mathematics teachers’ practices |
| topic | Professional learning community Teaching practices |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1080/0035919X.2017.1350531 http://hdl.handle.net/11408/3490 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT chaurayamillion learninginprofessionallearningcommunitiesshiftsinmathematicsteacherspractices AT brodiekarin learninginprofessionallearningcommunitiesshiftsinmathematicsteacherspractices |