This article, the first of two, argues for the need to move away from the rhetoric of policy documents to a reality that places professional learning at the heart of the reform process.
To foster professional learning (PL) in schools it must be recognised that PL is different to professional development (PD), which is a term traditionally applied to the experiences and formal programmes teachers attend to be informed, extended or affirmed in their teaching pedagogies (e.g. INSET).
There are no guarantees, however, that attendance at PD experiences will impact on the practice of teachers and subsequently enhance the learning outcomes for students, as often the overall provision of PD is brief, fragmented and rarely sequential in nature. One-off events do not significantly enhance the learning of teachers or their students.
Examples of good practices locally exist and are on the increase. My involvement at the Tikka Matematika Workshop in March this year, organised by a highly spirited group of educators within the Directorate for Quality and Standards in Education, and the Teacher Education Policy in Europe Network conference, organised by the Faculty of Education last May, show genuine attempts by local educators to bring out the difference between PD and PL.
PL embodies the philosophy of continuous learning which is dynamic and ever changing; one which helps challenge participants to engage in authentic dialogue, critically questioning their practices.
It is through engagement in collaborative processes that teachers are able to compare and contrast new pedagogies, affirm effective practice and embrace issues of concern
It is through engagement in collaborative processes that teachers are able to compare and contrast new pedagogies, affirm effective practice and embrace issues of concern. This is central to teachers’ PL as their learning is situated and owned within the context of their practice, enabling them to learn from each other, while at the same time encouraging teachers to share their strengths and expertise.
In this context educational leaders can play a critical role. They need to know how to best support teachers in their pursuit of PL if pedagogy is to be transformed. Effective schools, as Hargreaves and Fink (2008) argue, are ones that have school leaders whose primary focus is on establishing a culture of learning where opportunities and resources are directed and made readily available so that these conversations occur.
This requires shared leadership from within rather than from ‘above’, where the college principal, heads of school and other leaders work alongside teachers and LSAs in a mentoring role, providing resources, support and challenge as the learning unfolds. Thus, a professional learning community (PLC) is nurtured, one which supports and energises members, that inspires individuals to connect and work positively with their colleagues and where leadership is an act of engagement.
In a context which is calling for massive improvements in learning there is need for the upskilling of teachers so that they are equipped with a range of strategies that enables them to critically examine their pedagogical practices as they teach and assess for deep understanding and the development of students’ metacognitive skills. This can be done through INSET, but it is more productive when engaged upon through collaborative processes where teachers are not left to evaluate and develop in isolation, with little encouragement and assistance. After all, this was the principle behind the setting up of our 10 colleges as expounded by the Amendment to the Education Act of 2006.
Through the formation of teams, educators from within and across schools, together with other educators coming from outside the schools (e.g. education officers, university lecturers from different disciplines), can participate in activities that encourage PL through school-based research projects of pedagogical enquiry.
This is done so as to achieve high levels of critical thinking, creativity and problem solving while supporting each other in a culture of learning. Thus activities which promote PL through school-based initiatives meet not only the needs of the school/college but help teachers develop ways to articulate and document their practices against the standards set by the learning outcomes framework in a positive and constructive manner.
The creation of PLCs may be viewed as a pipe-dream by many but not I. There is a genuine feeling that abounds within the profession that, in spite of the difficulties and challenges we face to educate tomorrow’s citizens, milestones are being achieved.
Unfortunately, they often go unnoticed. We need to celebrate good practices; we need to nurture a positive and sustainable climate that helps individuals to grow personally and professionally. In the next article I will share a number of strategies that can promote PL.
Christopher Bezzina is deputy dean, Faculty of Education, University of Malta.