Maria Eracleous, MA, MPhil, Phd

Department of In-Service Training,

Cyprus Pedagogical Institute

* The three R’s in supporting teacher’s professional learning through collaborative action research: the case of Cyprus Pedagogical Institute

*Outline of this presentation

*Cyprus Pedagogical Institute (CPI)

*In-service training department

*School-based training

*Supporting teachers professional learning through collaborative action research

*Priorities of the Pedagogical

Institute

*Support of teachers, of all levels in different ways

*Special emphasis on school-based activities

*Provision of training for teachers of all levels for the Curriculum

*CYPRUS PEDAGOGICAL

INSTITUTE

*IN-SERVICE TRAINING DEPARTMENT

*EDUCATIONAL DOCUMENTATION DEPARTMENT

*EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT

*Department of Teachers’ In-service

training

*The department of teachers’ in-service training aims at providing support to all teachers of all levels in different ways, which take into consideration the needs of teachers, the priorities set by the Ministry of Education and Culture and the current scientific knowledge and practice on the area.

*Department of Teachers’ In-

service training

* Mandatory recurrent courses addressed to Deputy and Head Teachers

* In-service program for teachers working with pupils, for whom Greek is not their first language (teaching Greek as a Second Language)

* Seminars on the new revised Curricula

* Optional Seminars,

* Seminars addressed to parents,

* Conferences,

* Day seminars and

* An In-service Training Programme for Greek Origin Teachers from Eastern Europe

* An In-service Training Programme for the Greek Origin Teacher teaching in Greek school in the USA

* School-based seminars tailored for different schools and their needs,

*School Based Training

Programme

*Optional

*Requests from each individual school

*All requests are satisfied by members of the Department or collaborators of the CPI

*The training is tailored for each individual school

*The training take place at the school

*School-based Training

*1.Informative seminars (87)

*2.Workshops (72)

*3. Supporting Professional Learning (15) (Collaborative action research project)

*Shift of emphasis

*Informative seminars and workshops to collaborative action research

*Transferring knowledge to

Co-construction of knowledge

*I train you Vs we are all part of a learning process

*Trainers to facilitators (discourse analysis)

*The three R’s

*Re-thinking

*Re-researching

*Re-flection

*The three R’s

Re-Thinking

Re-flecting

Re-searchin

g

*Supporting teacher’s professional learning

Levels of research and exploration

1. Preparation of the innovation

2. Introduction of the innovation

3. Administration of the innovation

Critical stance

Adopt all r’s in all levels

*Background information

*Throughout the years different CPI officers acted as facilitators in small scale action research projects (individual initiatives)

*During this school year it was decided to support teachers’ professional learning through collaborative action research in a more rigid and systematic way(initiative of the Department of In-service training)

*Steps of action

1. Preparation of the innovation

*Collaboration with a university expert in the area of action research

*Preparation of a research methodology in supporting teachers

*Literature review on the area of action research and most specifically using action research in supporting schools

*Two day training seminar concerning action research methodology for the CPI officers (develop a common understanding)

*Steps of action

2. Introduction of the innovation

*Open call to all schools of Cyprus

*Announcement and Leaflets to all schools for each individual teacher (emphasis and presuppositions of the 3rd option)

*Informative meetings about the shift of emphasis (Inspectors, Head of all schools)

*Steps of action

3. Management of the innovation

*Meetings of the supporting team with the university expert (reflection)

*Frequent meetings of the supporting team of the CPI (reflection, sharing of experiences and materials)

*Monthly meetings of the facilitators with the staff of each school

*Introduction of the innovation

*Research Questions

1. What is the underlying philosophy and the intentions of the of the innovations (Head of Department and the Coordinators of the Programme - interviews with those introducing the innovation – necessity, aims, choices)

2. In what ways was it possible for the philosophy to be applied both at the level of the preparing and designing the innovation

*Introduction of the innovation

*Research question

3. In what ways the supporting team was prepared for the innovation (supporting materials, two days seminar, initial beliefs, examples of good practices, pre and post questionnaire)

4. What was the response of the school to the call? (number of schools, questions pose by the school, clarifications)

*Management of the innovation

Research questions

5. What were the difficulties faced by the participant teachers as well as the supporting team of the CPI? In what ways those difficulties were overcome? (reflective diaries, meetings of the supporting team, meeting with the university expert and the supporting team, questionnaires for the teachers and the supporting team)

6. In what ways the professional learning procedure lead to the documentation of the teaching task as well as the reification of the action plans of each school?

7. What is the level of satisfaction of the participants. Where there opportunities for suggestions for plans of improvement.

*Action Research

*Assumptions of action research

*Those undertaking the research must be involved individuals capable of identifying problems that need to solved

*The ones involved must be seriously committed to solve the problem and improve performance

*The participants must engage in research systematically

*Practical Action Research

*Practical action research

*Educational setting

*The primary purpose of action research is to inform practice

*It is performed by a group provided that the focus remain clear and specific

*The result of this research is the action plan

*Collaborative Action Research

*A collaborative action research provides people with the means to take systematic action in an effort to resolve specific problems

*It is democratic

*Participatory

*Encourage teachers to formulate accounts and explanations of their situation and to develop plans to resolve those issues

*Methodology

*Sampling

*15 schools completed an application to take part in Supporting Professional Learning (collaborative action research project)

*2 schools opted an informative seminar instead of SPL

*2 pre-schools

*9 primary schools

*2 high-schools

University Expert

Head of department

School 12CPI

facilitator 1School 1

CPI facilitator 2

School 2

CPI facilitator 3 School 3

CPI facilitator 4 School 4

CPI facilitator 5 School 5

CPI facilitator 6 School 6

CPI facilitator 7 School 7

CPI facilitator 8 School 8

CPI facilitator 9 School 9

CPI facilidator

CPI facilitator

CPI facilitator

10

School 10

School 11

Chain of Support

*Areas of challenge for each school

*School culture

*Parents involvement

*Teaching

*Classroom climate and culture

*Methods of data collection

Interviews (coordinators,

children)

Questionnaires(Facilitators, teachers)

Reflective Diaries

(Facilitators)

Focus groups(supporting

team, teachers)

*Diary of Actions

October (beginning)

*Identify the needs of the school (Data analysis)

*Identifying the area of challenge (develop a common understanding on the Challenge)

*Contact person (communication between the contact person and the CPI facilitator)

October (end)

*Discussion of the results

*Decide on investigating procedures

*Determine data collection techniques

*Diary of Actions

November

*Discussion of the results of the data collection as well as the

*December

*Training

*January

*Discussion for the Plan Action

*Present the Assessment

*February

*….

*Methodology

*Internal validity: threats in action research are greater because of collector bias. The source of data are also the researcher

*Results in external research cannot be generalized

*Implication for the future

*It improves educational practice and helps create better professionals (school autonomy)

*Research based methodology for the facilitators of supporting teachers professional learning

*Research based methodology for the teacher

TEACHERS AS RESEARCHERS

*Thank you!