| Summary: | The study addresses the process of teacher development in the context of close
collegial relations. It is a case study of two teachers, Mary and Sadie, who worked
collaboratively over two school years in a series of reciprocal cycles of clinical
supervision. The main purposes the teachers held for the process were to develop their
understanding about their teaching practices in order to grow professionally and to acquire
new skills in supervision. Their beliefs, behaviours, and knowledge contributed to shape
their relationship and serve their respective needs for growth.
An interpretive methodology was employed. The research approach was derived
from the theoretical perspective of George Herbert Mead (1932, 1934, 1938). This
provided for an analytical description and interpretation of the meanings and knowledge
constructed socially by the participating teachers about clinical supervision, collegiality
and teacher development. It also enabled the identification of a number of factors which
influenced the teachers' development in the context of a collegial relationship.
The teachers practiced new behaviours in an unfamiliar context of close
colleagueship in order to incorporate research-based knowledge into their practical
working lives. They devoted considerable effort and attention during the first year to the
mechanics of clinical supervision in order to become more proficient with the process. In
the second year of the study, the teachers explicitly rejected the term "clinical supervision"
in favour of "reflective conferencing". The new terminology reflected their deeper
understanding about the processes of collaboration and reflection. As their relationship,
knowledge and skills developed, they became more thoughtful about collaboration and
purposeful about facilitating each other's development.
The teachers discovered that change takes time and occurs incrementally. Trust
was required from both colleagues, in the process and in each other, as they took turns
observing each other teach and then meeting to discuss matters related to their instructional practice. A culture of collaboration took hold, albeit more slowly than either
had envisioned. Through repeated practice in reflective conferencing, they acquired an
appreciation of the challenges and benefits of collaboration for the promotion of teacher
development. === Education, Faculty of === Educational Studies (EDST), Department of === Graduate
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