While countries differ in their approach to and context of teacher evaluation, many have one thing in common--they hope it serves its formative and summative purposes. In this article, the author asks policymakers, educators and researchers to reconsider how these dual purposes are accomplished. Current approaches and research both in and outside…

Lesson study (LS) is a collaborative practice of inquiry in which teachers design a lesson plan and work to improve it and its execution after observing its instruction. Originating in Japan, LS is recognised in international research as a useful mechanism for teachers' training and professional development. However, research reveals that…

The paper examines the process of establishing a teacher evaluation system in Chile and its acceptance by teachers over time. The conceptual base upon which the system was established is described. Evidence is also examined from a variety of data sources and research related to the evaluation system as well as teachers' use of its results. This…

Drawing on the capability approach to human development and Bourdieuan reflexive sociology, this paper explores the interplay of teacher agency and professional practice. The paper names five facets of teacher agency. It shows that teachers with a strong sense of agency actively seek learning opportunities--inquisitive agency; think effortfully…

In this conceptual article, we draw on a graded theory concept as well as two exemplary cases to discuss the role of professional theorizing in teachers' practice. We present a model that can illustrate how a non-dichotomous, graded and processual understanding of theory may help overcome a split between theory, on the one hand, and practice, on…

The alignment of professional development and teacher evaluation has been a growing concern in teacher professional development practices. The issue of how teacher evaluation can help authentic professional development is important in that teachers only learn what is real, useful and valuable to them. Based on our reflections on current…

Based on recent findings about teacher learning, a critical analysis of traditional and new approaches to professional development is presented. To a large degree, teacher learning takes place unconsciously and involves cognitive, emotional and motivational dimensions. Moreover, teacher learning takes place at various levels. Although these…

This paper seeks to interrupt the dominant discourse of action research that emphasises the celebration of achievements, paying less attention to the "unwelcome truths" that can sometimes be revealed. Building on our work in supporting inservice teacher professional learning thorough practitioner research in contexts such as the…

This paper examines Donald Schon's critique of Herbert Simon's "science of design" to determine whether later developments in Simon's thought--particularly, his theories of "bounded rationality" and "goal-less designing"--can contribute to an appreciation of Schon's notion of reflective practice. The paper then argues, that viewed through the…

In this article, we explore two possibilities which arise from service-learning engagements, both from a narrative perspective. First, we consider the possibility that service-learning may be a sustaining experience for in-service teachers. And, second, we suggest that intentional inquiry into this experience for in-service teachers may foster the…

The article shows the experience of professional development over the course of a decade of one teacher's career nested against the backdrop of one reforming middle-school context in the USA. Through the use of four fine-grained narrative exemplars, the campus professional development trajectory is examined from the vantage point of Daryl Wilson,…

Based on the writing and oral reports of a group of 15 students in a graduate course focused on autobiographic writing and professional development, I address the question of how graduate study in education might sustain teachers in their work. For the course in question, the students studied recent research on teacher learning and devoted time to…

This paper examines the extent to which political devolution has influenced the nature of education policy-making in Scotland, taking initial teacher education and early professional development as a case. Pre-devolution studies of the policy community in Scotland stressed the close relationships between the various stakeholders and the inherent…

This paper takes up two important issues in the professional development of university teachers: the controversy surrounding reflective inquiry and its purported benefits for professional development and the lack of research on what teachers learn from reflective inquiry and how that affects and/or changes their professional practice.…

This paper offers an analysis of how six experienced teachers, and two in particular, used portfolios to aid and chart steps in their own professional development. The key finding of the study was that the pattern of growth of professional knowledge conformed strikingly to the central features of the model proposed by the philosopher of science,…