Abstracts - Earli

Teacher learning in the context of innovation: The learning activities of experienced teachersInge Bakkenes, Utrecht University, NetherlandsJan Vermunt, Utrecht University, NetherlandsTheo Wubbels, Utrecht University, NetherlandsThe study that is discussed in this paper describes both visible and mental learning activities thatexperienced secondary school teachers engage in. Starting from an individual, cognitivepsychological perspective, the study illuminates how different learning activities are connected toeach other and to learning outcomes. The study was conducted within the context of a nationalrenewal in secondary education in the Netherlands, using digital logs. Eight main categories oflearning activities could be distinguished: experiencing friction, experimenting, reflecting on own– and students’ functioning, learning through others, relating own learning experiences to student’slearning, struggling with behavioral tendencies, reflecting on own learning and avoiding learning.Experiencing negative friction (unexpected events/ unsatisfying results) is the most frequentlyreported learning activity. This activity often forms the start of a sequence of other activities.Learning activities that involve meaning–oriented reflection lead to more and stronger changesthan learning activities that are characterized by immediate performance-oriented reflection. Theteachers primarily reported changes in cognition.Tools for inquiry and the role of feedback in teachers’ learningVivienne Baumfield, University of London, United KingdomElaine Hall, Newcastle University, United KingdomSteve Higgins, University of Durham, United KingdomKate Wall, Newcastle University, United KingdomThis paper investigates how the use of tools designed to elicit, record and analyse the developmentof students’ awareness of their own learning processes supports teacher inquiry and subsequentprofessional learning. Data is drawn from the Learning to Learn (L2L) Phase 3 Evaluation, a threeyear collaborative action research project. Participants are drawn from 25 schools in England andrepresent a range of school contexts (Higgins et al. 2006). The project was designed to enableteachers to increase their students’ awareness of their own learning within a broad dispositionallyfocusedpedagogical framework. The data set consists of over 60 case studies reporting the impactof action research on student learning and teachers’ own professional development; 30 semistructuredteacher interviews from each annual action research cycle; annual cross-project analysisand a three-year overview conducted by the University partner and a teacher questionnairecompleted towards the end of the last year of the project. In addition, informal channels ofcommunication (email and personal contacts with teachers), whilst limitations as a reliable sourceof evidence are acknowledged, they have been included in the process of interpretation. Analysisfocuses on the role of feedback in teachers’ learning through three dimensions: from the studentsas part of the pedagogical encounter; from colleagues within the context of the action researchprojects; from the university researchers in their capacity as ‘critical friends’. Links between thetools used, the source and content of the feedback, teacher characteristics and appraisal of theirown learning are mapped from a ‘second order perspective’ derived from the diverse data sources.The resulting taxonomy contributes to our understanding of what is transmitted, negotiated andconstructed through the feedback loops and interactions and the extent to which participation inthe project has enabled the teachers to develop a language for learning.– 140 –