John Yeo

In these courses, participants learn to make sense of their own professional learning and growth trajectory at different stages of their career. Situated and distributed learning as well as cross-cultural comparative perspectives offered by the course readings will further support a critical examination of the narrated learning experiences and lead to a better understanding of self as a learner and how one learns in the profession. 

Course participants will also discuss how diverse and dynamic 21st century schools and classrooms now require pedagogical sophistication and flexibility.  To this end, classroom research underpinned by methods such as lesson study, action research and post-structuralism will be used to inform this discussion.  Overall, the topics in this course aim to engage participants in dialogue and debate around the notion that teachers are unique and complex professionals, who must now develop teaching strategies in increasingly complex learning environments.  This course therefore has significant implications for enhancing teachers’ pedagogies, and theoretical as well as practical knowledge.   

Key Understandings:

• Reflect on teachers' own professional development and professional learning trajectories in the context of curriculum, teaching and reform;

• Critically examine concepts of situated and distributed learning, professionalism, teacher knowledge, teacher learning and professional learning community;

• Investigate how social, cultural, political and educational factors impact on teacher professional learning in different educational systems;

• Examine teachers’ professionalism and diverse participation in professional learning communities

• Teacher collaboration and learning: construction and development of pedagogical practices learning 

• Teachers’ engagements with school reform and curriculum innovation discourses