Professional learning

Student teachers face a set of complex challenges, particularly in their work in schools, where they have to work closely with associate teachers and the students they teach. The study described in this article sought to examine the teaching experiences of a group of student teachers through their eyes, with a focus on what they thought they had learnt from the students they taught.

Professional development of teachers as autonomous learners is crucial to the transformation to 21st century teaching and learning. Hornby High School invited a Teaching and Learning Research Initiative project to participate in their programme to establish “teachers as learners”, including holding a professional learning day that challenged teachers to reflect on their underlying assumptions about knowledge and learning. This article describes the activities from the day and some of the teachers’ responses.

Letting go of traditional “one-sided” teaching practices and moving towards power sharing and  learning with students can be a daunting and challenging process. This article describes one teacher’s journey towards a sociocultural approach and what supported him.