Teacher learning in mathematics teacher study groups

Abstract

In this paper I explore the challenges and possibilities for teacher learning in study groups by examining the typical discourse generated in one particular group. Special attention was paid to the teachers' talk when doing mathematics together and when talking about their teaching practices and students' work. When doing mathematics together, the examined group's talk can be described as exploratory talk, that is talk characterized by speakers seeking and showing intellectual involvement; public disclosure of disagreements and confusion; and talk that is generative and collaborative. In contrast, the teachers' talk about their teaching and students' work can be categorized as expository talk, which can be characterized by the use of monologues; speakers seeking and giving approval; and the non-analytical or unproblematic narration of events. These are features of study group talk that seem important to attend to and study as these affect the participants' learning opportunities and impact the design and leadership of teacher groups. Introduction The notion of school-based study groups is a departure from traditional approaches to the professional development of teachers. Rather than attempting to " sell " the reform-minded ideas about mathematics teaching and learning, teacher study groups are designed as forums for critically examining and experimenting with standards-based mathematics teaching. This departure from traditional professional development activities stems from the negligible impact they have had on helping teachers realize the more ambitious goals of teaching and learning embedded in the mathematics reform documents. It has also grown out of the realization that professional development that seeks to engage teachers with " what is hard " about teaching and learning needs to happen in critical and reflective learning communities (Ball & Cohen, 1999) and that teacher learning needs to be " activated " rather than delivered (Wilson & Berne, 1999). Recent years have seen an emerging consensus in the research literature on teacher learning about the " essential principles " of effective professional development. Putnam and Borko (2000), for example, have named the following as essential features to include in professional development opportunities for teachers: 1. Teachers should be treated as active learners who construct their own understanding. 2. Teachers should be empowered and treated as professionals. 3. Teacher education must be situated in classroom practice. 4. Teacher educators should treat teachers as they expect teachers to treat students. Wilson and Berne (1999) generated a similar list stating the typical features of successful professional development as work that: 1. Is ongoing; 2. Is school based and embedded in teacher work; 3. Is collaborative; 4. Focuses on students' learning; 5. Recognizes teachers as professionals and adult learners; 6. Provides adequate time and follow-up support; 7. Is accessible and inclusive. It is however important to realize that " we know as little about what teachers learn in these kinds of forums as we do about what teachers learn in traditional staff development and in-service " (Wilson and Berne, 1999, p. 176), And, as Ball (1996) notes, " determining how to design provocative experiences for teacher learning and for engagement with what is hard about the reforms, while still honoring teachers as professionals, is a more complex matter than many may recognize. " (p. 502). Following on the reform-minded ideas for professional learning my colleagues and I have been working with four elementary schools that have close ties to our institution's elementary teacher preparation program. Each of us is both an instructor in the teacher preparation program and a study group leader in one of the participating schools. The idea is that by working with the teachers that mentor our students, prospective teachers will have access to teachers who are reflecting, studying, and innovating their teaching practice. The aim of our project, therefore, is twofold: (1) to strengthen our partner schools' teaching of mathematics; and (2) to strengthen the field-based component of our teacher preparation program. In this paper, however, I will focus on the insights, questions, and tentative conclusions I have drawn from my work as a study group leader in one of the teacher study groups of this project. More specifically, my aim is to address the following questions: (1) What opportunities for learning do teacher study groups afford the participants, and (2) How do different study group activities affect the nature and substance of these learning opportunities? Data Sources and Analysis The study group I will focus on is composed of seven K-4 teachers. The group meets once every 3 weeks for 2.5 hours during school hours. Meetings began in the spring of 2001 and will continue until the spring of 2003. Six