Teacher Logbooks and Professional Development

Abstract

The “voice” of the teacher is only seldom heard in research on teaching and learning. This article proposes and evaluates the use of logbooks as a methodological tool in qualitative research on learning processes. This article describes the way solicited logbooks were used in a research project on arts education in elementary schools. Schoolteachers who were trained by arts educators kept a log during their training program. This article describes how the teachers handled the format of the logbook and evaluates the limits and opportunities the logbooks offers for research. The analysis of the data shows that the half open format may pose limits on its use when informants are inclined to “do it right” and stick to the questions in the format. The research also suggest that the way the teachers relate to the subject of their learning process, the arts, influences the way they handle the format of the logbook. The form of the logbook allows for a thorough analysis of the perspectives, roles, and contexts of subjects’ experiences. Over all, it is concluded that logbooks are a good way to capture the personal experiences of teachers, but only when taking into account the different ways in which respondents use the logbook. It is recommended to supplement the data from the logs with other sources such as interviews.