Understanding teachers’ professional learning needs: what does it mean to teachers and how can it be supported?

ABSTRACT

Professional learning is a significant focus of discussion in most schools but it is not all that common for these conversations to be informed by teachers’ needs and expectations. Instead, they tend to be driven by external factors, such as accreditation, mandated professional development requirements and policies. Based on an in-depth study of a large number of teachers at one school, this paper begins to unpack the participants’ views about and the expectations they hold for their professional learning. Data were collected over two school terms through several focus group interviews reaching approximately two-thirds of the staff. Analysis of the data sets led to identification of themes used to categorise teachers’ perceived areas of developmental need (e.g. special needs, wellbeing, etc.) and what would be required to address these needs (e.g. time, collaboration, etc.). Findings indicate that what teachers receive to support their professional learning is not always what they want or value. Their aspirations regarding their professional learning needs tend to be more informed by their own beliefs about learning and teaching rather than more global, systematic or operational requirements.

KEYWORDS:

• Teacher needs
• professional development
• professional learning
• teacher expectations

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Monash University [small grant].

Notes on contributors

Rebecca Cooper

Rebecca Cooper is a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Education Monash University specialising in Secondary science education. Her research has focused on science education and the development of teacher knowledge for pre-service and in-service science teachers and science teacher educators, with a particular interest in what stimulates and supports knowledge development at different stages of a teacher’s career.

Angela Fitzgerald

Angela Fitzgerald is an adjunct Associate Professor in the School of Education at the University of Southern Queensland and an Assistant Principal in a rural secondary college in Victoria, Australia. She is recognized for research activities that support pre- and in-service teachers in developing their confidence and competence in science learning and teaching in primary school settings.

John Loughran

John Loughran is an Emeritus Sir John Monash Distinguished Professor, he was the Dean of the Faculty of Education at Monash University for a decade. His research interests include Teachers’ Professional Knowledge, Science Education, and Teacher Education.

Michael Phillips

Michael Phillipsis the Associate Professor of Digital Transformation in the Faculty of Education, Monash University. His work focuses on the knowledge expert teachers develop when integrating educational technologies into their practice

Kathy Smith

Kathy Smith is a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Education Monash University specialising in primary science education. Her research has focused on science education and teacher professional learning with a particular interest in understanding the conditions which build teacher capacity for self-directed learning and development.