What is teacher development, and how is it achieved? Ontological and processual models paper presented at ECER 2008, University of Gothenburg, within the symposium: Issues in European teacher development: linking theory and practice, Friday 12 th September Dr Linda Evans School of Education, University of Leeds, UK

My current quest The professional development process: defining and delineating the process formulating a theoretical model of the process whereby individuals (e.g. teachers) develop professionally

What is theory? ‘It is rarely clear what people are against when they dismiss theory. It is important to distinguish between theory, in the sense of the assumptions which lie behind practice but which often go unacknowledged, and theory, in the sense of tightly organised systems of explanation.’ (Pring, R. (2000) Philosophy of Educational Research, London, Continuum)

What is theory? LeCompte and Preissle (p. 118): ‘Theories are statements about how things are connected. Their purpose is to explain why things happen as they do’ ‘Many researchers eschew contact with theory altogether; they treat the process of developing a theoretical framework as little more than the collection of a few corroborative empirical studies into what could pass for a literature review and proceed directly to collect data. They leave a concern for theory to “great men”, but they do so at the peril of poor work.’ (LeCompte, M. D. and Preissle, J. (1993) Ethnography and Qualitative Design in Educational Research, San Diego, CA., Academic Press)

What do I mean by ‘theory’? universally–applicable explanation of why/how things occur ‘I realise that the word “theory” is used widely and loosely, and cannot hope to change that. I wish to distinguish the useful theory work from mere persiflage or worse’. (Gorard, 2004)

Key components in the process of developing theory in-depth analysis of findings comparative analysis seeking generalisability seeking exceptions conceptual clarity and definitional precision

Teacher development Teacher development is: the process whereby teachers’ professionalism and/or professionality may be considered to be enhanced. What do we mean by ‘professionalism’? What do we mean by ‘professionality’?

Professionality and professionalism Eric Hoyle: professionalism - status-related the institutional component of professionalisation professionality - knowledge, skills & procedures used in one’s work the service component of professionalisation ‘extended’-‘restricted’ professionality continuum

Teacher professionality orientation: ‘Restricted’ professionality Skills derived from experience Perspective limited to the immediate in time and place Introspective with regard to methods Value placed on autonomy Infrequent reading of professional literature Teaching seen as an intuitive activity ‘Extended’ professionality Skills derived from a mediation between experience & theory Perspective embracing the broader social context of education Methods compared with those of colleagues and reports of practice Value placed on professional collaboration Regular reading of professional literature Teaching seen as a rational activity Eric Hoyle, 1975

The ‘restricted’-’extended’ teacher professionality continuum

Professionality and professionalism Professionality is: an ideologically-, attitudinally-, intellectually-, and epistemologically-based stance on the part of an individual, in relation to the practice of the profession to which s/he belongs, and which influences her/his professional practice. Evans, L. (2002) Reflective Practice in Educational Research (London, Continuum) Hoyle (2008) ‘the service component of professionalism’

Professionality and professionalism Professionalism is: the ‘plural’ of professionality; professionality writ large; the amalgamation of individuals’ professionalities. Professionalism is: professionality-influenced practice that is consistent with commonly-held consensual delineations of a specific profession and that both contributes to and reflects perceptions of the profession’s purpose and status and the specific nature, range and levels of service provided by, and expertise prevalent within, the profession, as well as the general ethical code underpinning this practice. (Evans, L. (2008) ‘Professionalism, professionality and the development of education professionals’, British Journal of Educational Studies, 56 (1), 20-38)

Professionalism and professionality Professionality is: an ideologically-, attitudinally-, intellectually-, and epistemologically-based stance on the part of an individual, in relation to the practice of the profession to which s/he belongs, and which influences her/his professional practice. Professionalism is: professionality-influenced practice that is consistent with commonly-held consensual delineations of a specific profession and that both contributes to and reflects perceptions of the profession’s purpose and status and the specific nature, range and levels of service provided by and expertise prevalent within the profession.

The substance of professionalism A closer look at professionalism 2 main perspectives: subjective professionalism (the insider view) objective professionalism (the outsider view) 3 reified states of professionalism Professionalism that is demanded or requested specific service level demands or requests Professionalism that is prescribed envisaged or recommended service levels Professionalism that is enacted as observed Only the 3 rd of these is ‘real’

Key components of professionalism Subjective professionalism Functional component Intellectual component Attitudinal component procedural dimension productive dimension processual dimension evaluative dimension motivational dimension perceptional dimension epistemological dimension rationalistic dimension comprehensive dimension

The intellectual component of professionalism intellectual component epistemological dimension rationalistic dimension comprehensive dimension What is the basis of practitioners’ knowledge? To what extent do practitioners apply reason to decision making? What do practitioners know and understand? Common sense and experience? Research and/or scholarship? In which disciplines/subjects? What depth? What width? Contextual differences? Is practice underpinned by rationality, intuition or a mediation of the two? What does teachers’ professional knowledge base comprise? Are there specialist areas? Are there minimum (general) practitioner knowledge requirements?

The attitudinal component of professionalism attitudinal component evaluative dimension motivational dimension perceptual dimension How do practitioners evaluate things (issues, situations, people, activity, etc.)? How do they evaluate their own profession and its purpose? What is the basis of practitioners’ motivation? What factors influence motivation? How do practitioners perceive things (issues, situations, people, activity, etc.)? How do they perceive their own profession and its purpose? What values do teachers hold? How widespread/consensual are these values? Are there any key/core values? How motivated are teachers? What motivates them? What perceptions do teachers hold? What perceptions do they not hold? How widespread/consensual are specific perceptions? Are there any key/core perceptions?

The functional component of professionalism functional component procedural dimension productive dimension processual dimension What procedures do practitioners apply to their practice? What hierarchical procedures operate within the workforce? What stratification exists within the workforce? What is the nature of practitioners’ output? How much do practitioners produce? (or ‘do’?) What (if any) productive yardsticks guide them? What processes do practitioners apply to their practice? Teachers’ modes of communicating and interacting? Mode(s) of implementing policy? Mode(s) of innovating? How are responsibility and authority distributed? What layers of practice exist? What do teachers ‘do’ at work – their remit and responsibilities? Is the workload determined by the clock – set hours? Is workload determined by the task – in response to need? Educating? Socialisation? Motivating? Disciplining/controlling behaviour? Learning? Collegiality? Home-school liaison?

T he professional development process The process involves enhancing individuals’ professionality. progression along the professionality continuum What does the professional development process in individuals involve?

The professional development process in individuals (model 1) Recognition of work- related deficiency or imperfect situation 1 Recognition of perceived improved alternative (a better way) 2 Motivation to adopt perceived improved alternative (or better way) 3 Adoption of perceived better way 4 Evaluation and refinement of adopted alternative 5 Recognition of new practice as an improvement 6 Evaluation and refinement of adopted alternative 5 Linda Evans (2007)

The professional development process (model 2) Recognition of a better way of doing things 1 Recognition of work-related deficiency or imperfect situation 2 Motivation to adopt perceived better way of doing things 3 Adoption of perceived better way 4 Evaluation and refinement of adopted alternative 5 Recognition of new practice as an improvement 6 Evaluation and refinement of adopted alternative 5 Linda Evans (2007) - work in progress

The professional development process in individuals Components: recognition that there’s an alternative a better way ‘encountering’ a specific alternative evaluating the specific alternative recognising the specific alternative as a better way implies recognition of the perceived relative inadequacies of previous practice/views/knowledge etc. adoption of the perceived better way evaluation of the newly adopted practice/views/attitudes etc. as better than what it/they replaced Evans (2008) work-in-progress

Professional development: an ontological model (2002) Professional Development Attitudinal Development Functional Development Procedural Change Productive Change Intellectual Change Motivational Change

Professional development: an ontological model (2008) (Evans, work in progress) professional development functional development intellectual development attitudinal development procedural change productive change processual change evaluative change motivational change perceptional change epistemological change rationalistic change comprehensive change

Issues for consideration Does the model apply to all elements of professional development? May each element involve a different process? Is there a process that, at the lowest reductionist level, is applicable to all three elements? stimulus to modify professional practice, or related attitudes, knowledge and/or understanding?

Linda Evans School of Education, University of Leeds,