Teacher empowerment through engagement in a learning community in Ireland: working across disadvantaged schools

Abstract

This ongoing longitudinal study examined the professional development of physical education teachers in an Irish physical education learning community where all teachers worked in inner-city disadvantaged schools. This research is framed within teacher empowerment. Four years of data collection included in-service seminar/workshop evaluations, small group discussions and focus group and individual interviews. Data were analysed to allow us to answer three research questions that focused on support in setting and achieving group goals, shared experiences of planning and teaching students and the informed development of learning communities towards a community of practice model. Results highlight the support these teachers provide one another, the empowerment these teachers developed to address issues posed by their challenging work situations (e.g. limited facilities, low economic conditions, students with challenging behaviour) and the motivation that being a member of a community afforded them to persevere in teaching in difficult settings. This research is ongoing as we explore and examine how the same group of teachers are able to maintain the work of their community, reinvent themselves and move from concluding one phase to begin new projects and impact student learning.

Keywords:

• learning community
• teacher empowerment
• community of practice
• professional development
• disadvantaged schools
• physical education

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the work of Ger Murphy, physical education teacher at Beufort College, Navan and former associate with the JCPESS. Ger was the inspiration for the USG and a tireless leader on behalf of the group and it efforts. She continues to encourage, support and push the USG teachers to share their voice with others across the physical education community. Without her efforts, this story would not be told.