Deep learning in teacher professional development using Goethean phenomenology: a self-study

Abstract

While teacher professional development (PD) has the potential to improve pedagogy and student learning, multiple factors contribute to its effectiveness. Research has identified supports and barriers which can influence the success or failure of PD initiatives at each stage of the process. Despite progress, many PD programmes are ineffective and do not always result in meaningful and enduring changes. In the trajectory from PD planning to implementation, the relationship between content presented and content accepted by teachers is critical. Yet there is a gap in the literature in terms of what teachers report actually happens around their PD learning. Studies focus largely on intended PD and less on teacher perceptions of PD experiences. This self-study explored the potential of using Goethean phenomenology as a novel approach for understanding and capturing the teacher/researcher’s perceptions of their own learning. The study focussed on a series of PD sessions in drama education using the author’s personal experiences as data. Findings highlight key supports and barriers to teacher learning of PD material. Goethe’s method is shown to be a useful model for teacher reflective practice, an effective framework for deep learning, and a powerful tool for elucidating teachers’ lived experiences of their PD learning.