"I’m finding it really difficult to teach that way": enabling teachers to implement independent learning. Teacher Education and Development ANDREW READ & DONNA HURFORD UNIVERSITY OF CUMBRIA

Research Context Researching application of Assessment for Learning (AfL) in the classroom - learners generating their own success criteria. CPD involvement with school – independent learner focus in school’s development plan. Identified a teacher who we felt would want to work with us further –enthusiastic, critical, engaged. Working with teacher and her primary class.

Methodology University tutor-led Action Research –AfL model. Class teacher identified focus of the sessions. Planned and taught three morning sessions, over two terms, with Y5 class. Class teacher observed and interacted. Collected data on pupils’ and teacher’s engagement- observations, discussions, recorded interview.

They were excited: ‘Remember...we done this.” Pupils’ Engagement Class teacher on pupils’ responses to the independent learning sessions. They were excited: ‘Remember...we done this.” Pupils able to engage with approach

Teacher’s engagement It’s going to seem like they’re not making progression I found it difficult to apply those skills in a different context Whilst the teacher was enthused by the effectiveness of the approach, it was apparent that motivation and observation were not enough to change behaviour. We were interested to know what the teacher identified as more effective motivators.   The teacher expressed clear notions about her own needs and made suggestions for strategies to overcome these barriers: further team teaching opportunities, feedback on planning, for us to "throw something back and say, 'try it like this'. This presented us with a dilemma: if we were to provide the teacher with the support she perceives she needs to become more confident in enabling independent learning for the pupils, would we be perpetuating a dependency model? This led us to an initial, closed research question: Is it possible to provide the teacher with the support she perceives she needs whilst enabling her to become more self-confidently independent in her provision of pupils' independent learning? From this, further, multilayered research questions emerged: How can coaching be used effectively to enable critical self-reflection? Where there is a perceived hierarchy, can co-coaching be a genuine and effective partnership? How reasonable are our expectations of meta-reflection? “…there were, in reality, significant barriers to change. In almost all cases, the main barrier identified was the reluctance of teachers at all levels to adopt and implement policy changes” Dow (2006, p.311).

Co-researchers’ Dilemma Is it possible to provide the teacher with the support she perceives she needs whilst enabling her to become more self-confidently independent in her provision of pupils' independent learning?

Multilayered Research Questions How can coaching be used effectively to enable critical self-reflection? Where there is a perceived hierarchy, can co-coaching be a genuine and effective partnership? How reasonable are our expectations of meta-reflection?  

Co-coaching or Specialist coaching? Research Partnership: Co-coaching not Specialist coaching But... probably a naive view There was an expectation...it made me...anxious With twilights and insets you’re always given something to hold

Understanding reluctance to change Barriers to change Conscious Unconscious Individual Reluctance to shift (Dow, 2006) Discontinuity (Denscombe, 1982) Prior experience (Kennedy, 1997) Institutional Resistance to change (Long, 2004) External requirements (Wells, 1999) Institutional culture? Piaget’s assimilation and accommodation theories of learning. Why do ‘teachers’ resist accommodation? If their role is to encourage learners to challenge their own misconceptions why wouldn’t they be open to this too?  Reminiscent of the notion of lenses and the need ‘to unlearn’ as stated by Andreotti (Open Spaces for Dialogic Enquiry).

Implications Teacher ownership, a “bottom up” (Hallam et al. 2004, p.133) structure, and peer-mentoring led to effective changes in classroom practice; teachers involved demonstrated “overwhelming enthusiasm and commitment” (2004, p.133). “distributed nature of expertise” where “specific expertise is valued and…each participant is a resource for the other” Edwards et al. (2007, p.655). References are available in the accompanying Literature Review, prepared for BERA 2009.