(Download) "Learning Together: Constructing Knowledge in a Teacher Research Group." by Teacher Education Quarterly " Book PDF Kindle ePub Free
eBook details
- Title: Learning Together: Constructing Knowledge in a Teacher Research Group.
- Author : Teacher Education Quarterly
- Release Date : January 22, 2006
- Genre: Education,Books,Professional & Technical,
- Pages : * pages
- Size : 220 KB
Description
As O'Donnell-Allen (2001) notes, teachers, like all learners, extend and expand their understanding of teaching through a variety of socially-mediated contexts. Teacher Research Groups (TRGs) provide one means of creating learning communities among teachers with the express purpose of systematically examining practice and enriching teachers' knowledge about learning and teaching (Cochran-Smith & Lytle, 1993; McLean & Mohr, 1999; O'Donnell-Allen, 2001; Wells, 2001b). These groups meet regularly, may be facilitated by a more experienced peer or university researcher, assist teachers with the development of research questions and methods, and support individual members as they work through the research process (Allen, Cary, & Delagado, 1995; O'Donnell-Allen, 2001). Their purpose is to engage teachers in ongoing reflection and inquiry with respect to practices grounded in teachers' immediate contexts. There has been little study, however, of the processes by which teachers learn in such groups or the ways teachers' participation contributes to their sense of agency (O'Donnell-Allen, 2004). This study examines the discourse of a teacher research group with a focus on the ways in which the teachers constructed knowledge through talk about theory and practice during three day-long meetings organized to support their research efforts. Through this investigation, we explore the role that TRGs can play in transforming teachers' knowledge and in developing teachers' agency. Theoretical Framework