Researching Teachers,Researching Myself
Challenging my teacher educatorpedagogy through researching beginningteachers
Dr. Monica McGlynn-Stewart
George Brown College
Abstract
Purpose
•In this self-study, the researcher explored herearly literacy learning experiences and currentteacher educator practices whilesimultaneously examining how theprofessional practice of six beginningelementary teachers was influenced by theirown childhood literacy experiences
Research Questions
•How does my story of learning and teachingintersect with the beginning teachers’ stories?
•What can I learn about my teacher educationpractice from studying the successes andchallenges of six beginning elementaryteachers?
Theoretical Perspectives
•Personal history research suggests that student teachers use theirown experiences as students to generalize when interpreting andmaking decisions about their teaching (Carter & Doyle, 1996)
•Feiman-Nemser (2001) considers teachers’ own schooling and earlyteaching to be far more influential than the typical pre-serviceprogram
•Loughran (2004) encourages teacher educators to examine theirexperiences and their assumptions in order to better understandtheir practice
•Through researching their experiences, teacher educators canexplore, describe, understand, and raise awareness about thetensions embedded in teacher education (Berry, 2007)
Methods and Data Sources
•Participants: Six elementary teachers, one teacher educator and one criticalfriend
•All elementary teachers were graduates of post-baccalaureate teachercredential programs at a large urban university, all teaching in urban schools
•Teachers were Interviewed five times over the first three years of theirpractice and observed in their classrooms
•Interviews were semi-structured, lasted about one hour and were taperecorded and transcribed
•Researcher wrote her learning autobiography, kept a research journal andnotes from meetings with a fellow teacher educator who acted as a criticalfriend
Results
•1)The beginning teachers who had richliteracy experiences as children found itchallenging to teach students who strugglewith literacy learning. Conversely, beginningteachers who had been struggling literacylearners as children brought a richperspective, engaged in more PD, and spentmore time teaching students who similarlystruggled.
Results
•2) Through critical reflection on their ownearly literacy learning experiences, thebeginning teachers were better able torecognize, understand and address thelearning needs of students with very differentlearning histories.
Results
•3) Reflecting on my own learning and teachingstory, while investigating the stories ofbeginning teachers, allowed me to gainperspective on my own early learning andteaching and my current teacher educationpractice. I realized that I too privilegedstudents who struggled in school literacy as Idid.
Results
•4) As a teacher educator, I need to providemore opportunities for autobiographicalcritical reflection.
Conclusion
Teachers’ confidence in planning and teaching schoolsubjects, professional development choices, understanding ofstruggling learners, and ability to support students werestrongly influenced by their experiences as students in school.Teacher educators can also be influenced by their earlylearning and teaching experiences.
It is clear that teachers and teacher educators need to betterunderstand how their early experiences have informed theassumptions, beliefs, and attitudes they hold about learningand teaching. It is only through being reflective about theirearly learning experiences that teachers and teacher educatorscan come to understand and address the learning needs of allof their students.
References
•Berry, A. (2007). Re-conceptualizing teacher educator knowledge as tensions:Exploring the tension between valuing and reconstructing experience. StudyingTeaching Education, 3(2), 117-134.
•Carter, K. & Doyle, W. (1996). Personal narrative and life history in learning toteach. In B. Sikula & R.Geyton (Eds.).,Handbook of research in teacher education.New York: Simon & Shuster MacMillan.
•Feiman-Nemser, S. (2001). From preparation to practice: Designing a continuum tostrengthen and sustain teaching. Teachers College Record, 103(6), 1013-1055.
• Loughran, J. (2004). Learning through self-study: The influence of purpose,participants context. In Loughran, J., Hamilton, M., Kubler LaBoskey V. & Russell, T.(Eds.), International handbook of self-study of teaching and teacher educationpractices (pp.151-182). Great Britain: Kluwer Academic Publishers.