Exploring Teachers’ Experiences of Participating in Teacher Inquiry as Professional Learning

Authors

  • Eleanor Gillis St. Francis Xavier University
  • Jennifer Mitton-Kukner St. Francis Xavier University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.37119/ojs2019.v25i1.412

Keywords:

teacher inquiry, professional learning, middle school, ethnography

Abstract

Teacher inquiry is the intentional and methodical reflection on one’s praxis that leads to action, and the resulting adjustments to one’s teaching practice. While scholars identify the importance of supports to be in place to sustain engagement in teacher inquiry, the specifics of the supports have remained somewhat unidentified, and there is little documentation about what teachers experience as they engage in teacher inquiry as part of a school-wide professional learning initiative. This paper explores the experiences of three middle school teachers participating in a year-long, guided teacher inquiry as part of a school’s professional learning plans. It is approached from an ethnographic, emic perspective. The challenges and supports teachers experienced when engaging in the inquiry process, as well as what they felt allowed honest dialogue, emerged as important aspects informing the results of this study. Participants identified that feeling safe influenced their ability to engage in teacher inquiry, and their willingness to address challenges associated with conducting research.

            Keywords: teacher inquiry; teachers as researchers; school-based professional learning

Author Biographies

  • Eleanor Gillis, St. Francis Xavier University
    Eleanor Gillis is a recent graduate of the Masters of Education program at St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia. Her teaching and learning leader experiences are in the areas of mathematics, inclusion, and, most recently, wellness.
  • Jennifer Mitton-Kukner, St. Francis Xavier University
    Jennifer Mitton-Kükner is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education at St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia, Canada. Her current research is in the areas of disciplinary literacy, classroom assessment, adolescent writers, LGBTQ education, and pre- and in-service teacher education.

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Published

2019-06-13

Issue

Vol. 25 No. 1 (2019): Spring 2019 [Teaching and Learning] in education

Section

Articles

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