What is teacher development, and how is it achieved?Ontological and processual models

paper presented at ECER 2008, University of Gothenburg, within the symposium:Issues in European teacher development: linking theory and practice, Friday 12th September

Dr Linda EvansSchool of Education, University of Leeds, UK

My current quest

The professional development process:

defining and delineating the process

formulating a theoretical model of the process whereby individuals (e.g. teachers) develop professionally

What is theory?

‘It is rarely clear what people are against when they dismiss theory. It is important to distinguish between theory, in the sense of the assumptions which lie behind practice but which often go unacknowledged, and theory, in the sense of tightly organised systems of explanation.’

(Pring, R. (2000) Philosophy of Educational Research, London, Continuum)

What is theory?

LeCompte and Preissle (p. 118):

‘Theories are statements about how things are connected. Their purpose is to explain why things happen as they do’

‘Many researchers eschew contact with theory altogether; they treat the process of developing a theoretical framework as little more than the collection of a few corroborative empirical studies into what could pass for a literature review and proceed directly to collect data. They leave a concern for theory to “great men”, but they do so at the peril of poor work.’

(LeCompte, M. D. and Preissle, J. (1993) Ethnography and Qualitative Design in Educational Research, San Diego, CA., Academic Press)

What do I mean by ‘theory’?

universally–applicable explanation of why/how things occur

‘I realise that the word “theory” is used widely and loosely, and cannot hope to change that. I wish to distinguish the useful theory work from mere persiflage or worse’.

(Gorard, 2004)

Key components in the process of developing theory

in-depth analysis of findings

comparative analysis

seeking generalisability

seeking exceptions

conceptual clarity and definitional precision

Teacher development

Teacher development is: the process whereby teachers’ professionalism and/or professionality may be considered to be enhanced.

What do we mean by ‘professionalism’?

What do we mean by ‘professionality’?

Professionality and professionalism

Eric Hoyle: professionalism - status-related

• the institutional component of professionalisation

professionality - knowledge, skills & procedures used in one’s work

• the service component of professionalisation

‘extended’-‘restricted’ professionality continuum

Teacher professionality orientation:

‘Restricted’ professionality

Skills derived from experience

Perspective limited to the immediate in time and place

Introspective with regard to methods

Value placed on autonomy

Infrequent reading of professional literature

Teaching seen as an intuitive activity

‘Extended’ professionality

Skills derived from a mediation between experience & theory

Perspective embracing the broader social context of education

Methods compared with those of colleagues and reports of practice

Value placed on professional collaboration

Regular reading of professional literature

Teaching seen as a rational activity

Eric Hoyle, Eric Hoyle, 19751975

The ‘restricted’-’extended’ teacher professionality continuum

Professionality and professionalism

Professionality is: an ideologically-, attitudinally-, intellectually-, and epistemologically-based stance on the part of an individual, in relation to the practice of the profession to which s/he belongs, and which influences her/his professional practice.Evans, L. (2002) Reflective Practice in Educational Research (London, Continuum)

Hoyle (2008) ‘the service component of professionalism’

Professionality and professionalism

Professionalism is: the ‘plural’ of professionality; professionality writ large; the amalgamation of individuals’ professionalities.

Professionalism is: professionality-influenced practice that is consistent with commonly-held consensual delineations of a specific profession and that both contributes to and reflects perceptions of the profession’s purpose and status and the specific nature, range and levels of service provided by, and expertise prevalent within, the profession, as well as the general ethical code underpinning this practice.

(Evans, L. (2008) ‘Professionalism, professionality and the development of education

professionals’, British Journal of Educational Studies, 56 (1), 20-38)

Professionalism and professionality

Professionality is: an ideologically-, attitudinally-, intellectually-, and epistemologically-based stance on the part of an individual, in relation to the practice of the profession to which s/he belongs, and which influences her/his professional practice.

Professionalism is: professionality-influenced practice that is consistent with commonly-held consensual delineations of a specific profession and that both contributes to and reflects perceptions of the profession’s purpose and status and the specific nature, range and levels of service provided by and expertise prevalent within the profession.

The substance of professionalism

A closer look at professionalism 2 main perspectives:

subjective professionalism (the insider view) objective professionalism (the outsider view)

3 reified states of professionalism Professionalism that is demanded or requested

specific service level demands or requests Professionalism that is prescribed

envisaged or recommended service levels Professionalism that is enacted

as observed Only the 3rd of these is ‘real’

Key components of professionalism

Subjective professionalism

Functionalcomponent

Intellectualcomponent

Attitudinalcomponent

proceduraldimension

productivedimension

processualdimension

evaluativedimension

motivationaldimension

perceptionaldimension

epistemologicaldimension

rationalisticdimension

comprehensivedimension

The intellectual component of professionalism

intellectualcomponent

epistemologicaldimension

rationalisticdimension

comprehensivedimension

What is the basis of practitioners’ knowledge?

To what extent do practitioners apply reason to decision making?

What do practitioners know andunderstand?

Common sense and experience?Research and/or scholarship?

•In which disciplines/subjects?•What depth?•What width?•Contextual differences?

Is practice underpinned by rationality, intuition or a mediationof the two?

What does teachers’ professional knowledge base comprise?Are there specialist areas?Are there minimum (general) practitioner knowledgerequirements?

The attitudinal component of professionalism

attitudinalcomponent

evaluativedimension

motivationaldimension

perceptualdimension

How do practitioners evaluate things (issues, situations, people, activity, etc.)?How do they evaluate their own profession and its purpose?

What is the basis of practitioners’ motivation?What factors influence motivation?

How do practitioners perceive things (issues, situations, people, activity, etc.)?How do they perceive their own profession and its purpose?

What values do teachers hold?How widespread/consensual arethese values?Are there any key/core values?

How motivated are teachers?What motivates them?

What perceptions do teachers hold?What perceptions do they not hold?How widespread/consensual arespecific perceptions?Are there any key/core perceptions?

The functional component of professionalism

functionalcomponent

proceduraldimension

productivedimension

processualdimension

What procedures do practitioners apply to their practice?What hierarchical procedures operate within the workforce?What stratification exists within the workforce?

What is the nature of practitioners’ output?How much do practitioners produce? (or ‘do’?)What (if any) productive yardsticks guide them?

What processes do practitioners apply to their practice?

Teachers’ modes of communicating andinteracting?Mode(s) of implementing policy?Mode(s) of innovating?How are responsibility and authoritydistributed?What layers of practice exist?

What do teachers ‘do’ atwork – their remit and responsibilities?Is the workload determined by the clock – set hours?Is workload determined by the task – in response to need?

Educating?Socialisation?Motivating?Disciplining/controlling behaviour?Learning?Collegiality?Home-school liaison?

The professional development process

The process involves enhancing individuals’ professionality.progression along the professionality

continuum

What does the professional development process in individuals involve?

The professional development process in individuals (model 1)

Recognition of work-related deficiency or imperfect situation

1

Recognition of perceived improved alternative (a better way)

2

Motivation to adopt perceived improved alternative (or better way)

3

Adoption of perceived better way

4

Evaluation and refinement of adopted alternative

5

Recognition of new practice as an improvement

6

Evaluation and refinement of adopted alternative

5

Linda Evans (2007)

The professional development process (model 2)

Recognition of a better way of doing things

1

Recognition of work-related deficiency or imperfect situation

2

Motivation to adopt perceived better way of doing things

3

Adoption of perceived better way

4

Evaluation and refinement of adopted alternative

5

Recognition of new practice as an improvement

6

Evaluation and refinement of adopted alternative

5

Linda Evans (2007) - work in progress

The professional development process in individuals

Components: recognition that there’s an alternative

a better way ‘encountering’ a specific alternative evaluating the specific alternative recognising the specific alternative as a better way

implies recognition of the perceived relative inadequacies of previous practice/views/knowledge etc.

adoption of the perceived better way evaluation of the newly adopted practice/views/attitudes etc. as

better than what it/they replacedEvans (2008) work-in-progress

Professional development:an ontological model (2002)

ProfessionalDevelopment

AttitudinalDevelopment

FunctionalDevelopment

ProceduralChange

ProductiveChange

IntellectualChange

MotivationalChange

Professional development:an ontological model (2008)

(Evans, work in progress)

professional development

functionaldevelopment

intellectualdevelopment

attitudinaldevelopment

proceduralchange

productivechange

processualchange

evaluativechange

motivationalchange

perceptionalchange

epistemologicalchange

rationalisticchange

comprehensivechange

Issues for consideration

Does the model apply to all elements of professional development?

May each element involve a different process?

Is there a process that, at the lowest reductionist level, is applicable to all three elements? stimulus to modify professional practice, or

related attitudes, knowledge and/or understanding?

Linda Evans

School of Education, University of Leeds,

l.evans@leeds.ac.uk