J.G.M. Imants

Teacher learning and collaboration in innovative teams

In this study the relationship between teacher learning and collaboration in innovative teams was explored. A comparative case study was conducted in five temporary teams in secondary schools. Several quantitative and qualitative data collection methods were used to examine collaboration, teacher learning, and the context for learning and collaboration. In cross‐site analysis two complementary patterns of teacher learning and collaboration were identified. Collaboration in all teams could be characterized as ‘sharing’. However, sharing was further specified with regard to differences in the content and aims of sharing. Different types of sharing were related to teacher learning. The results give cause to rethink the nature of interdependence in collaboration, and the nature of the relationship between collaboration and learning. A practical result may be that collaboration in innovative, temporary, and voluntary teams could be a promising direction for teacher professional development.

Teacher Isolation and Communication Network Analysis in Primary Schools

The aim of this study is to analyze teacher isolation at the level of communication behavior of teachers. The usefulness of communication network analysis is explored in eight elementary schools. The first research question is whether and in what way the communication behavior of teachers varies within as well as between schools. The second research question is how teachers’ communication network participation is related to their perception of different types of tasks. Our findings support the idea that teacher isolation at least partly results from the behavior of individual teachers. Results regarding the relationship between communication network participation and task perception yield insights that can be helpful in developing and supporting collegial relationships in schools.

Departments as teams: Functioning, variations and alternatives

Complex, multi-dimensional and often conflicting reform has led in The Netherlands to a situation in which the management of schools is no longer seen as the exclusive preserve of senior management. In order to manage changes within schools it is deemed necessary to expand the management function to other levels of the organization. In this context teams are held increasingly responsible for carrying out the middle management function, in particular in the educational domain of schools. In this article the results of Dutch research into these teams, in particular subject departments, and the way they carry out the middle managment function are presented and compared to results of similar research in other educational settings. The article ends with a reflection on the desirability of departmentalisation. The functioning of departments will be compared with the functioning of teams within different contexts, in particular interdisciplinary teaming. Finally, suggestions for future research into departmental...

Restructuring schools as a context for teacher learning.

Abstract The two questions in this chapter are whether school restructuring promotes or constrains the professional development of teachers and which mechanisms for workplace learning appear to enhance the capacity of teachers to critically interpret educational reforms. To answer the first question, the implementation of structural changes and instructional innovations as part of the inclusion reform in Dutch elementary education was analyzed with special attention to the utilization of learning opportunities by the teachers. The second question is answered by analyzing the potential of two mechanisms, especially feedback and collaboration, to promote teacher workplace learning and systematic reflection. The study of communities of practice in schools will be put forward as a promising approach to extend our knowledge of teacher workplace learning and the interpretations of teachers of educational reforms.

Teacher learning as workplace learning

Against the background of increasing attention in teacher professional development programs for situating teacher learning in the workplace, an overview is given of what is known in general and in educational workplace learning literature on the characteristics and conditions of the workplace. Although workplace learning potentially has several advantages, the six workplace factors identified for learning to take place, also show the complexity of teacher workplace learning and several potential problems. It is argued that not all learning at work is good, and a balance is necessary between individual and organizational learning, and off-site and on-site learning. ?? 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Looking for cohesion: the role of search for meaning in the interaction between teacher and reform

Teachers’ reactions to reforms are often perceived in terms of agreement or resistance. In this article, an alternative is explored. More specifically, the interaction between teachers and reforms within the school are explored in order to gain greater insight into the manner in which teachers make sense of the reforms confronting them: How do teachers relate their own frames of reference to the perceived frames of reference of the reforms. Based upon the relevant literature, four forms of search for meaning are distinguished: assimilation, accommodation, toleration and distantiation. The reform stories of four teachers are analysed in particular to show how different forms of search for meaning are employed and the role that this can play in the implementation of the reform. The results indeed show teachers to use different forms of search for meaning to construct a workable relationship between their own frame of reference and the perceived frames of reference of the reforms. The role of such search for meaning is to maintain a balance between continuity and change in the work of the teacher and a balance between pressure to reform and professional autonomy.

Doing Philosophy Effectively: Student Learning in Classroom Teaching

An important aim of teaching philosophy in Dutch secondary schools is to learn about philosophy (i.e., the great philosophers) by doing philosophy. We examined doing philosophy and focused specifically on the relationship between student learning activities and teacher behavior; in doing so, a qualitative cross-case analysis of eight philosophy lessons was performed. The effectiveness of doing philosophy was operationalized into five learning activities comprising rationalizing, analyzing, testing, producing criticism, and reflecting, and scored by means of qualitative graphical time registration. Using CA we find a quantitative one-dimensional scale for the lessons that contrasts lessons that are more and less effective in terms of learning and teaching. A relationship was found between teaching by teachers and doing philosophy by students. In particular we found students to produce a higher level of doing philosophy with teachers who chose to organize a philosophical discussion with shared guidance by the teacher together with the students.

Cause maps and school leaders’ tacit knowledge

The complexity of the work of school leaders has intensified in recent years. The basic assumption underlying this article is that school leaders should develop a coherent vision of the school to effectively cope with the increased complexity of their work. In order to develop such a coherent vision, integration at a cognitive level is needed. In order to gain insight into both the complexity and integrity of the visions of school leaders, their tacit knowledge is studied using cause maps. More specifically, a method to elicit and interpret cause maps is explored and the analysis of the tacit knowledge, as expressed in the structure and content of their cause maps, indeed shows them to differ with regard to the level of cognitive integrity and balance within their cognitive repertoires.

The adoption of Thinking Through Geography Strategies and their impact on teaching geographical reasoning in Dutch secondary schools

The development of geographical reasoning is essential in geographical education. Strategies developed by the English Thinking Through Geography group (TTG) offer a promising approach to promote geographical reasoning. In the last decade, the TTG approach has become a regular element in geographical education in several countries. Research suggests that teachers acquainted with TTG do not always take full advantage of the possibilities of these strategies. The adoption of the TTG approach is explored ten years after its introduction in the Netherlands. Findings are presented of a survey conducted among Dutch geography teachers (N = 307) about the significance they assign to geographical reasoning and their use of TTG assignments. The results suggest that teachers use TTG selectively and adapt TTG assignments to fit them into existing practices and beliefs about students and teaching geography.

The Role of the Special Services Coordinator in Dutch Primary Schools A Counterproductive Effect of Inclusion Policy

The focus of this study is the role of the special services coordinator in Dutch primary schools, whose function is to act as a consultant for colleagues regarding students with special needs, and to coordinate the delivery of special services in the school. The question is how the new role is interpreted in primary schools, and whether this interpretation will provoke counterproductive effects. This question is answered by means of an exploratory study in 12 primary schools. The study consists of a survey and interviews with special service coordinators, principals and teachers of Grade 3. Findings suggest that the interpretation of this new role promotes the development of a separated system of special education within the regular school. The delivery of services for students with special needs remains the exclusive task of specialists, and classroom teacher’s learning is not promoted. To promote inclusive education the professional aspects of the special service coordinator’s role as a consultant should be strengthened, and the middle management aspects of the role should be kept in the background.