Opportunities for Teacher Professional Learning: Two Case Studies of Experienced Teachers in Ontario, Canada

The purpose of this study is to understand the opportunities for professional learning teachers encounter over the span of their careers. I conduct two qualitative case studies of mid-career teachers from Ontario, Canada to obtain insights into their teacher development experiences over their first...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Rosales Cordova, Elizabeth Augusta
Other Authors: Kosnik, Clare
Language:en_ca
Published: 2014
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/1807/65532
Description
Summary:The purpose of this study is to understand the opportunities for professional learning teachers encounter over the span of their careers. I conduct two qualitative case studies of mid-career teachers from Ontario, Canada to obtain insights into their teacher development experiences over their first eight years in the teaching profession. The analysis of interviews conducted during this period led me to identify four learning opportunities that were significant for the participants: mentoring at the beginning of the career, learning from and with colleagues, mandated collaborative learning, and part-time graduate studies. The teachers highlight the limits and possibilities of these opportunities considering their professional needs and contexts. Drawing on these findings, some practical recommendations for the design and implementation of teacher development programs are suggested.