Teacher learning as collective creation: thinking with the theatre arts

Abstract

Teacher learning groups represent an increasingly widely used strategy for teachers’ in-service professional development. While teachers have largely embraced participation in such groups, researchers have critiqued the effectiveness of the groups’ practices in supporting participants’ learning and their impact on instructional practice. This article presents a cross-domain study into teacher learning group practices. Drawing on practices for collective creation in theatre arts, the author constructs a model for generating instructional and conceptual resources within teacher learning groups. The model highlights three interacting elements: means, materials, and modes of engagement. To test its capacity as an analytical framework for activity in teacher learning groups, the article applies it to an episode from a primary school group. The article proposes use of the framework as a tool for teacher learning groups to structure critical self-reflection on their own practices. The article concludes with implications for teacher learning groups, teacher educators, and researchers.

Keywords:

• teacher inquiry
• collaboration
• creativity
• professional learning
• instructional improvement