Supporting Learning: An Examination of Two Teacher Development Collectives

Authors

  • Xavier Fazio
  • Tiffany L. Gallagher

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29173/cmplct8810

Abstract

This study examined two teacher development cases (middle/secondary school science teachers and elementary learning resource teachers) from which significant professional learning outcomes emerged. Both collectives exhibited characteristic qualities ascribed to complexity theory (e.g., self-organized; bottom‐up emergent; ambiguously bounded). This post hoc analysis provides evidence of the robustness of complexity theory and its applicability to analyzing professional development collectives. A diagrammatic representation is provided as a tool for the development and study of teacher development collectives. Recommendations are offered to researchers and teacher development facilitators to use complexity theory at the outset of their projects.

Author Biographies

Xavier Fazio

Xavier Fazio is a member in the Teacher Education Department of the Faculty of Education at Brock University. As a science educator, he teaches secondary science teaching education and professional practices and certification for teachers. Xavier’s current research interests include science and environmental literacy, teacher development, assessment literacy, and complexity theory in educational contexts.

Tiffany L. Gallagher

Tiffany L. Gallagher is also member in the Teacher Education Department of the Faculty of Education at Brock University. She teaches courses in educational psychology and assessment and evaluation. Tiffanyʹs current research interests include literacy assessment; reading and writing strategy instruction; the role of the special education teacher; teachers with learning disabilities; post‐secondary education for persons with disabilities, and complexity theory in educational contexts. Tiffany’s website is http://www.ed.brocku.ca/~tgallagh/.

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Published

2009-07-01

Issue

Section

Research Articles