Developing teachers as learning doctors

Abstract

This article describes how workshop sessions have attempted to help teachers from one curriculum area develop their diagnostic skills to use in assessment for learning. The approach uses the metaphor of the teacher-as-learning-doctor to encourage teachers to think about the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of learning ‘bugs’. The workshop involves the use of a ‘typology of learning impediments’ as a framework to discuss important research findings about potential barriers to classroom learning. This model then acts as a focus for groupwork ‘diagnosing’ authentic ‘presentations’ of student misconceptions. This article describes the rationale for the workshops, the basis of the typology, and how teachers have responded in the workshop context. The limitations of this form of provision as the basis for initiating teacher development are considered. The workshops have engaged and involved teachers, indicating the potential of the approach, but future work will need to look at how this translates into classroom practice.