‘We are the change that we seek’: developing teachers’ understanding of their classroom practice

Abstract

This paper describes an innovative approach to continuous professional development using Exploratory Practice (EP), a form of practitioner research developed in second language teacher education and professional development. One of the goals of EP is to empower teachers, so that they can develop a better understanding of their classroom environment, and from this, devise strategies for enhancing learning opportunities for students. It draws on a framework of Critical Learning Episodes (CLE) as a tool to enable them to investigate their practices in classroom interaction. This approach has guided a group of university teachers to understand their classroom practice which has, as a result, led to novel insights by the teachers, improved learning opportunities for students and a better quality of life for all in the classroom.

Keywords:

• exploratory practice
• critical learning episodes
• scaffolding
• understanding
• quality of life
• classroom interaction