Expert-Novice Teacher Interactions in a Professional Development Partnership Program

Author / Creator

PERC SM21 (2021)

Conferences

PERC SM21 Poster Session 1B (2021)

Available as

Online

Summary

Understanding how experienced and novice teachers learn in the context of professional development can help us develop a supportive community of practice. However, the nature of teachers' learning ...

Understanding how experienced and novice teachers learn in the context of professional development can help us develop a supportive community of practice. However, the nature of teachers' learning conceptualized as meaning making processes using in-depth data analysis and robust theoretical frameworks is still understudied. In this study, the learning processes of two high school physics teachers- one expert and one novice-were reviewed as they participated in the Illinois Physics and Secondary Schools (IPaSS) partnership program in summer 2020. Positioning theory was used as a lens to unpack teachers' discussion on conceptual reasoning about energy in paired collaborative work. The analysis was validated and augmented by individual video-stimulated recall interviews, during which each teacher shared her perspective on the interactions that took place during the collaborative work. Preliminary results revealed two main storylines from the interactions of these two teachers: 1) the experienced teacher's self-positioning as a learner, and 2) the novice teacher's openness to learn, which established rapport and created a space where both felt comfortable sharing their ideas and expressing uncertainty, enabling them to collaborate productively and support each other's professional development.

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