1. Towards Contemporary Practice:
A model to encourage professional engagement through the development of Teacher Practical Theories
Oh the places Youll Go!
By Abi Woldhuis

2. Introduction
You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.
Youre on your own.
And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy wholl
decide where to go
(p. 2, Seuss, 1990)
3. What is a teachers Practical Theory?
a hierarchically structured set of beliefs about the proper ends and means of teaching, the characteristics of students, the modes of learning, and the ways in which all of these interact to govern the teachers behaviour at any given moment (p.80, Gage 1977)
..a persons private, integrated but ever-changing system of knowledge, experience and values which is relevant to teaching practice at any particular time (p.9, Handal and Lauvas 1987)
4. Teachers Practical Theory
5. Pedagogical Shift An agent for Professional Engagement
review
dialogue
quality
improvement
rapid change
excellence
achievable
reflection
engagement
6. Pedagogical Shift An agent for Professional Engagement
(p. 11, Seuss, 1990)
7. The Towards contemporary practice Model The path forward
Growth of the school based professional community is marked by conversations that hold practice, pedagogy, and student learning under scrutinyRich and recurring discourse promotes high standards of practice, and both generate and reinforce core beliefs, norms and values of the community. In other words, talk is the bridge between educational values and improved practice in schools. (p. 182, Horn & Little, 2010)
8. The Towards contemporary practice Model Its Genesis
Evolved through professional dialogue involving the author of this paper with educational leaders
Source of professional development
Monitored through teacher leaders
Constructivist approach
- learner as an active participant
- unique repertoire of experiences and beliefs
- constructs new meaning and knowledge
- learner as having innate curiosities
- emphasis on higher-order thinking and problem
solving skills
- teachers determine specific learning outcomes
- cooperation and collaboration.
9. The Towards contemporary practice Model Its Genesis
Aspects of Action Research
- experimenting with teaching and learning strategies
- questions that arise out of everyday practice and the
consequent effort to reflect and develop on those questions
- adapt practice, test, experiment with new ideas
- higher excellence
- collaboration
Learning Threes
- breadth of ideas and accountability
- intimacy and confidentiality
10. The Towards contemporary practice Model
Step 1: Develop the theory
Develop your own theory
Complete the Teaching Perspectives Profile Questionnaire (Pratt and Collins) http://www.teachingperspectives.com/
Discuss your Teachers Practical theory in your learning three.
Step 2: Identify a practice to shift
Identify an area of your teaching where student engagement needs improving
Step 3: Measure the current circumstances
Use a tool that measures the engagement of students in your lessons
Class Behavioural Checklist is a simple tool that can be used as a basic measure of student engagement. From: http://www.docstoc.com/docs/54389861/Class-Behavioral-Checklist-measuring-student-engagement
11. Measuring student engagement checklist example
12. The Towards contemporary practice Model
Step 4: Research, decide and implement a change in pedagogy
-Learning threes - discuss the options
- Decide on the pedagogic tool(s) that you will employ in your chosen program to improve engagement.
- Plan for and implement the program.
Step 5: Measure the change
- using the same tool as used in Step 3.
Step 6: Evaluate and Reflect
Step 7: Share the findings
- brief statement (approx. 200 words and no more than 300 words)
- share your statement with your learning three
- publish
13. Term 4 trial of modelmoodle
14. Conclusion
In the language of Dr Seuss, you know who you are going to affect but with brains in your head and feet in your shoes, where you go does not need to be a lonely and isolated place but rather one where professional engagement is encouraged, achievable and beneficial for the teacher but more so for the students in our care.
Where will you go?
15. References
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