Teacher professional learning through pedagogy of discomfort

ABSTRACT

The established link between quality early childhood programs and positive child trajectories has led to the professionalization of the early childhood workforce in Australia. Attention has concentrated on the upgrading of qualifications and opportunities for professional learning. This paper focuses on exploring teacher professional learning, positioning it as a reflective practice. It considers teacher dispositions, moments of disjuncture and how these influence teacher learning. Theoretically, the paper is informed by Bourdieu’s concepts of habitus and reflexivity; Mezirow’s theory of transformative learning; and Boler and Zembylas’s notion of pedagogy of discomfort. The data are drawn from a statewide mentoring project for newly graduated early childhood teachers in Victoria, Australia. The findings suggest that for teacher professional learning to be transformative, the process must be informed by a pedagogy of discomfort thereby considering the interplay of teachers’ professional dispositions, experiences of disjuncture, and acts of deliberation.

KEYWORDS:

• Teacher professional learning
• pedagogy of discomfort
• disjuncture
• reflective practice

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Andrea Nolan

Andrea Nolan is Professor of Early Childhood Education in the School of Education, Deakin University, Australia. Andrea has worked on a number of State, National and international projects concerning literacy development, program evaluation, and professional learning for teachers. Her research is framed around the Early Childhood Education and Care workforce capabilities, focusing on the professionalization and practice of teachers. She has researched the impact of the current Australian reform agenda on professional identities and educator practice, leadership, mentoring, inter-professional work, and reflective practice as a means to better understand practice.

Tebeje Molla

Tebeje Molla is a postdoctoral research fellow in the School of Education, Deakin University. His research focuses on education policy analysis, educational inequality and policy responses, and teacher professional learning. Theoretically his work is informed by critical sociology and a capability approach to social justice and human development.