Struggling to ‘see the big picture’: professional learning, policy and precarious employment

ABSTRACT

The authors argue that the professional learning practices of teachers in precarious employment may have a significant impact upon their understandings of specific policy reforms. The analysis considers a teacher’s understandings of learning about a new policy in light of the various ‘epistemological resources’ he brought to bear to his learning opportunities and the particular ‘framing’ which developed. The research reveals that enactment of policy reform is dependent upon opportunities for teachers in precarious employment circumstances having access to paid, professional learning opportunities on an ongoing basis. Such access may be reduced by the neoliberal challenge to historical employment relationships in education.

KEYWORDS:

• Epistemological resources
• framing
• professional learning
• precarious teacher employment

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. This is the body responsible for teacher registration in Ontario.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Wayne Melville

Wayne Melville is a Professor of Science Education in the Faculty of Education, Lakehead University. He has published extensively on the role of the secondary school science department in shaping, and being shaped by, the professional learning of science teachers.

Ian Hardy

Ian Hardy is Associate Professor at the School of Education, The University of Queensland. Dr Hardy researches the politics of educational policy and practice, with a particular focus upon the nature of teachers’ work and learning.

Matt Roy

Matt Roy works as a science teacher with Lakehead District Schools in Ontario, Canada. He also works as a Contract Lecturer in the Faculty of Education, Lakehead University. He is currently completing a Masters of Education focused on teaching the practices of science.