Towards an empirically substantiated professional development programme to train lead teachers to support curriculum innovation

Figures & data

Table 1. CIMO-logic (adapted from Deneyer et al. 2008).

	Component	Explanation
C	Context	The surrounding factors and the nature of actors involved
I	Intervention	Interventions aimed at achieving predetermined outcomes
M	Mechanism(s)	Mechanisms that are triggered to achieve predetermined outcomes
O	Outcome(s)	Predetermined outcomes

Table 2. Overview of interventions, assumed mechanisms and outcomes of the professional development programme to train lead teachers.

Interventions	Assumed mechanisms	Intended outcomes
A. NATIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITY OF LEAD TEACHERS-IN-TRAINING
A1. Participate in formal training on the context-based chemistry curriculum	Through presentation of relevant information by the trainers of the NLC on the rationale, set-up and pedagogy of the context-based chemistry curriculum, LTs-in-training learn… Through discussion of exemplary teaching materials, on the set-up, content and teaching-learning strategies and activities, LTs-in-training learn…	I.a. Knowledge about the context-based chemistry curriculum I.b. Knowledge and skills related to designing context-based chemistry teaching materials
A2. Participate in formal training on coaching techniques	Through presentation of relevant information by the trainers of the NLC on (peer) coaching techniques, LTs-in-training learn… Through demonstration of coaching techniques by the trainers of the NLC as role models, LTs-in-training learn…	II.a. Coaching skills II.b. Collaborative skills
A3. Perform peer intervision with other lead teachers-in-training	Through using participants’ experiences as leaders of a RLC as starting points for discussion and peer coaching, feelings of ownership are developed, establishing a ‘need-to-know’ basis fostering LTs-in-training to learn… Through peer intervision the LTs-in-training learn about others’ experiences as leaders and their perspectives on the leadership role, fostering LTs-in-training to learn…	II.a. Coaching skills II.b. Collaborative skills III.a. Ability to reflect on own functioning as a lead teacher III.b. Ability to reflect on own learning process
B. REGIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES OF TEACHERS
B1. Lead the regional learning community	Through practical experience as a leader LTs-in-training experience feelings of competence and effectiveness and thereby learn… Through sharing knowledge on the context-based curriculum with peers and leading the process of collaboratively designing teaching materials, LTs-in-training learn…	II.a. Coaching skills II.b. Collaborative skills for working with peers I.a. Knowledge about the context-based chemistry curriculum I.b. Knowledge and skills related to designing context-based chemistry teaching materials
B2. Receive feedback and support from a trainer or experienced lead teacher	Through visits of an experienced lead teacher or national trainer ongoing feedback, intervision and reflection on leadership activities are established, leading LTs-in-training to learn… Through an ongoing process of feedback, intervision and reflection on leadership activities, LTs-in-training become aware of their learning outcomes in terms of leadership qualities and can identify points of improvement, leading LTs-in-training to learn…	III.a. Ability to reflect on own functioning as a lead teacher III.b. Ability to reflect on own learning process II.a. Coaching skills II.b. Collaborative skills for working with peers
C. SELF-REFLECTION
C1. Perform self-reflection and write reflection reports	Through self-reflection, LTs-in-training become aware of their learning progress and which leadership qualities still need to be addressed, leading LTs-in-training to learn…	III.a. Ability to reflect on own functioning as a lead teacher III.b. Ability to reflect on own learning process

Table 3. Composition of the regional learning communities.

Regional learning community	# Lead teachers-in-training	Lead teachers-in-training	# Teachers	# Lead teachers
North	2	Beatrice & Ellen	2	4
East	1	Luke	4	-
South	1	Charles	7	-
West	2	James & Bob	2	1

Table 4. Data sources used to answer research question 1 and 2.

	Interview I	Interview II	Questionnaire	Portfolio
Research question 1	x	x	x	x
Research question 2	x	x	x

Table 5. Coding scheme I.

Code	Quotes concerning:
Subject expertise	Learning outcomes related to… …the new context-based chemistry curriculum …designing teaching materials
Ability to facilitate a learning community	Learning outcomes related to …coaching skills …collaborative skills
Personal dispositions	Learning outcomes related to …reflective skills

Table 6. Coding scheme II.

Code	Quotes concerning:
A. National learning community of lead teachers-in-training	Activities in the national learning community related to…
A1. Participate in formal training on the context-based chemistry curriculum	…learning about the new context-based curriculum
A2. Participate in formal training on coaching	…learning coaching skills
A3. Perform peer intervision with other lead teachers-in-training	…exchanging experiences and discussing the role of lead teacher in a regional learning community
B. Regional learning community of teachers	Activities in the regional learning community related to…
B1. Lead the regional learning community	… leading a regional learning community in general
B1a. Lead design process	…specifically leading the process of designing teaching materials for the new curriculum
B1b. Lead discussions on classroom practice	…specifically leading discussions on classroom use of the new curriculum
B2. Receive feedback and support from a trainer or experienced lead teacher	…receiving feedback from a trainer or experienced lead teacher
C. Self-reflection	Activities related to…
C1. Perform self-reflection and write reflection reports	…reflecting on own learning process and learning outcomes

Table 7. Example of a quote to answer RQ 2.

Quote [Beatrice, interview II]	Codes	Mechanism
I learned a lot from coaching a teacher who still had a lot to learn. (…) Without the professional development programme I would have done that very differently, with less successful results I think. To have somebody to share your knowledge with and to be able to immediately practice the things you have learned, that is really nice. That way you can see what works and what doesn’t work (…) That was very pleasant.	Intervention – B1 Outcome – Ability to facilitate a learning community Intervention – B1 Outcome – Ability to facilitate a learning community	Through immediately applying coaching techniques learned in the NLC to coach a peer teacher in the RLC, Beatrice’s learned coaching skills are reinforced.

Table 8. Overview of reported learning outcomes of lead teachers-in-training.

		Intended outcomes	Additional outcomes
SUBJECT EXPERTISE
I.a.	Knowledge about the context-based chemistry curriculum	X
I.b.	Knowledge and skills related to designing context-based chemistry teaching materials	X
I.c.	Changed perspective on teaching and learning in classroom practice		X
ABILITY TO FACILITATE A LEARNING COMMUNITY
II.a.	Coaching skills	X
II.b.	Collaborative skills	X
PERSONAL DISPOSITIONS
III.a.	Ability to reflect on own functioning as a lead teacher	X
III.b.	Ability to reflect on own learning process	X
III.c.	Increased work attitude		X
III.d.	Explicating personal views		X

Table 9. Interventions, experienced mechanisms, achieved outcomes.

Interventions	Experienced mechanisms	Achieved outcomes
A. National learning community of lead teachers-in-training
A1. Participate in formal training on the context-based chemistry curriculum	Through active engagement with the new curriculum, a lead teacher-in-training learns about the principles, didactics and classroom implementation of the new curriculum, and develops a personal vision on the new curriculum. Consolidation of these learning outcomes is obtained by implementing the new curriculum in classroom practice, and by sharing and applying this knowledge in the RLC.	I.a. Knowledge about the context-based chemistry curriculum
A2. Participate in formal training on coaching techniques	Through active learning about coaching, a lead teacher-in-training gains skills in managing group processes and coaching individual teachers, which aid a lead teacher-in-training in leading a community of teachers.	II.a. Coaching skills
	Through active learning about coaching, a lead teachers-in-training becomes aware of the importance of the learning processes of teachers in the RLC over producing teaching materials for the new curriculum.	III.a. Ability to reflect on own functioning as a lead teacher
A3. Perform peer intervision with other lead teachers-in-training	Through exchanging experiences and ideas with other lead teachers-in-training, a lead teachers-in-training develops a personal vision on the new curriculum.	I.a. Knowledge about the context-based chemistry curriculum
	Through intense discussions of situations occurring in the RLC’s, a lead teacher-in-training gains skills to analyse and manage group processes, and learns how to handle (difficult) situations in a learning community of peers.	II.a. Coaching skills
	Through collective reflection on the functioning of the RLC, a lead teacher-in-training becomes aware of the importance of the learning processes of teachers in the RLC over producing teaching materials for the new curriculum.	III.a. Ability to reflect on own functioning as a lead teacher
B. Regional learning communities of teachers
B1. Lead the regional learning community	Through deep discussions about the new curriculum in the RLC or with individual community members, and through classroom visits to community members, a lead teacher-in-training expands his/her personal perspective on the new context-based chemistry curriculum and on its use in classroom practice.	I.a. Knowledge about the context-based chemistry curriculum
	Through collaboratively designing teaching materials in the RLC, a lead teacher-in-training leads ongoing discussions about the content and pedagogy of the context-based chemistry curriculum, thereby applying newly gained knowledge about the context-based chemistry curriculum, which reinforces this knowledge.	I.a. Knowledge about the context-based chemistry curriculum
	Through collaboratively designing teaching materials and ongoing discussions about quality of teaching materials in the RLC, a lead teacher-in-training gains increased knowledge and skills to design context-based chemistry teaching materials and learns what makes materials (un)suitable for use in classroom practice.	I.b. Knowledge and skills related to designing context-based chemistry teaching materials
	Through experience with using the context-based chemistry curriculum in classroom practice and through discussions with peers about chemistry education and the new curriculum, a lead teacher-in-training gains new perspectives on teaching and learning chemistry.	I.c. Changed perspective on teaching and learning in classroom practice
	Through leading a RLC, a lead teacher-in-training gains practical experience in using acquired coaching techniques. Through this experience, the lead teacher-in-training learns what coaching techniques do (not) work for him/her, what leadership style he/she prefers, and thereby learns to effectively and efficiently lead collaborative actions and interactions within the RLC. Noticing progress in the professional development of peer teachers motivates a lead teacher-in-training to actively lead a RLC.	II.a. Coaching skills
	Through confrontation with a twofold aim in the RLC (professional development of teachers and designing teaching materials), a lead teacher-in-training learns to shift focus in community meetings. In this learning process, a lead teacher-in-training learns that a too strong focus on the product of design instead of the process of designing disturbs the learning process of himself/herself and community members.	II.a. Coaching skills
	Through communication issues in the RLC in between meetings, a lead teacher-in-training learns about the importance of ongoing communication to keep the collaborative processes going.	II.b. Collaborative skills
	Through dominance of an experienced lead teacher in the RLC, the learning process of a lead teacher-in-training is disturbed. Through this experience, a lead teacher-in-training learns to establish and value a clear division of roles and tasks within the RLC.	II.b. Collaborative skills
	Through collaboration with peers in the RLC on designing teaching materials, a lead teacher-in-training gains practical experience with collaborative skills.	II.b. Collaborative skills
	Through experienced difficulties in collaboratively designing teaching materials and subsequent discussions about it with the members of the RLC, a lead teacher-in-training learns to reflect on actions and interactions in the RLC and his/her own role in it.	III.a. Ability to reflect on own functioning as a lead teacher
	Through collaboratively designing teaching materials in the RLC, a lead teacher-in-training receives feedback on his/her design work. Through this experience, he/she learns to cope with feedback.	III.b. Ability to reflect on own learning process
	Through deep discussions in the RLC on designing and using context-based chemistry teaching materials, a lead teacher-in-training is forced to reflect on his/her personal views on teaching and learning chemistry and learns to explicate his/her views in discussions with peers. Through confrontations with alternative views on teaching and learning, a lead teacher-in-training learns to take an open stance towards these alternative views.	III.d. Explicating personal views
B2. Receive feedback and support from a trainer or experienced lead teacher	Through feedback on his/her functioning, a lead teacher-in-training learns what he/she is (not) doing well as a leader of a RLC.	II.a. Coaching skills
	Through feedback on his/her functioning, a lead teacher-in-training becomes aware of his/her role in collaborative processes in the RLC.	II.b. Collaborative skills
	Through feedback on his/her functioning and on reflection reports, a lead teacher-in-training learns to reflect on his/her role as a leader of a RLC.	III.a. Ability to reflect on own functioning as a lead teacher
	Through feedback on his/her functioning and on reflection reports, a lead teacher-in-training learns to reflect on his/her learning process and outcomes.	III.b. Ability to reflect on own learning process
	Through the example set by an experienced lead teacher, a lead teacher-in-training learns to take a critical stance, and to encourage dedication and enthusiasm within the RLC.	III.c. Increased work attitude
C. Self-reflection
C1. Perform self-reflection and write reflection reports	By performing self-reflection, a lead teacher-in-training becomes aware of what does (not) work for him/her in leading a RLC.	II.a. Coaching skills
	By performing self-reflection, writing reflection reports and receiving feedback on these reports, a lead teacher-in-training learns to reflect on his/her actions and role as leader of a RLC.	III.a. Ability to reflect on own functioning as a lead teacher
	By performing self-reflection on their personal role in the process of designing teaching materials in the RLC, a lead teacher-in-training becomes aware of the importance of participating teachers’ professional development over designing teaching materials.	III.a. Ability to reflect on own functioning as a lead teacher
	By performing self-reflection, writing reflection reports and receiving feedback on these reports, a lead teacher-in-training learns to reflect on his/her personal learning process and outcomes.	III.b. Ability to reflect on own learning process
	By performing self-reflection, writing reflection reports and receiving feedback on these reports, a lead teacher-in-training learns to explicate personal views on teaching and learning and to be receptive of other teachers’ views.	III.d. Explicating personal views

Table

Date	Activity
September 2011	Meeting 1: – Organizational issues – Introduction to making a personal portfolio for final assessment – Formal training: • Organizing meetings for a regional learning community
November 2011	Meeting 2: – Formal training: • Context-based chemistry – Exchange of experiences among participants
January 2012	Meeting 3: – Formal training • Coaching • Recruiting new teachers for regional learning communities – Exchange of experiences among participants
March 2012	Meeting 4: – Exchange of experiences among participants • Progress in regional learning communities • Progress in professional development to become a lead teacher • Progress with recruiting new teachers for regional learning communities
April 2012	Meeting 5: – Exchange of experiences among participants • Progress in regional learning communities • Progress in professional development to become a lead teacher • Progress with recruiting new teachers for regional learning communities
June 2012	Meeting 6: – Regional learning communities present designed teaching materials – Starting new regional learning communities in the next year – Final assessments

Table

Protocol interview I
1. What were your drivers to participate in the professional development trajectory and to become a lead teacher?
2. What do you want to accomplish as a lead teacher for context-based chemistry?
3. What role do you want to take on in the new context-based chemistry curriculum?
4. According to you, what are necessary developments in chemistry education?
5. What are you currently doing within the national and regional learning community and what do you plan to do after this year of training?
6. What do you expect to learn in the professional development trajectory to become a lead teacher?
7. What do you expect to learn from
a. Other lead teachers-in-training?
b. Experienced lead teachers?
c. The two experts in the national learning community?
Protocol interview II
1. What did you learn during participation in the professional development trajectory to become a lead teacher?
a. What learning outcome do you consider most important?
2. What were drivers to continue professional development to become a lead teacher after completing stage 1 of the trajectory as a competent context-based teacher and designer?
3. Did you experience hindering or stimulating factors during the professional development trajectory to become a lead teacher?
4. Which aspects of the professional development trajectory did you experience as stimulating professional development?
5. Which aspects of the professional development trajectory did you experience as hindering professional development?
6. In retrospect, would you again choose to participate in this trajectory?

Table

1. Do you consider the national learning community for lead teachers a hindering or stimulating aspect of the professional development trajectory?
∘ Hindering
∘ Somewhat hindering
∘ Somewhat stimulating
∘ Stimulating
Please illustrate your answer.
2. Do you consider designing teaching materials a hindering or stimulating aspect of the professional development trajectory?
∘ Hindering
∘ Somewhat hindering
∘ Somewhat stimulating
∘ Stimulating
Please illustrate your answer.

Deneyer, D., Tranfield, D., and van Aken, J.E., 2008. Developing design propositions through research synthesis. Organization studies, 29 (3), 393–413. doi:10.1177/0170840607088020

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar