Action research mentoring for supporting
professional development of teachers as learners in Croatian educational
context
Branko Bognar
Primary School “Vladimir Nazor” Slavonski Brod,
Croatia
Summary
The role of a teacher as an action researcher
in Croatia is still insufficiently appreciated and promoted both in the
preparation of teachers' training school students and in the employed teachers’
professional post-qualification. In our country, the teachers are most
frequently perceived as mediators or technicians whose task is to prepare and
implement the tuition based on devised out-of-school expert instructions. Their
role is more artisan-like, being less professional and creative.
Action research enables the teachers, along
with other education-process participants (students, parents, expert
confreres), to initiate the changes aiming at the improvement of educational
practice as well as personal emancipation. Emancipation implies liberation of
invisible limitations caused by prejudices, compulsion, and ideology.
To take the role of teachers as action
researchers firstly they have to become reflective practitioners. In this
effort teachers need help of their critical friends and mentors. Headmasters’
and pedagogues’ support is essentially important.
To change this situation in our context I
invited 18 teachers from several elementary schools to join and start with
action research project with main question: “How to help teachers to become
reflective practitioner and action researcher?” Project started in spring 2000
years and officially finished in spring 2002 years. Unofficially we have never
finished project. We divided project in two parts. In the first part we
realized ten workshops which aim was teacher’s learning and practicing new
skills. We dealt with themes just as Confrontation with the risk of change,
Reflective teacher, Multiple intelligence, Vision of future school and so on.
My role during that period
was predominant. This fact was in contradiction with my values (emancipation)
but that was in the tune with the expectation of a teacher. During that period
teachers visited each other lessons and discussed about that. They hesitated to
speak honestly about problems which they observed. First part of the project
was easier and more appropriate way of professional development for more
teachers, but they were less responsible for preparation and realization of
workshops. They participated in beforehand prepared activities. In the second
part of the project we started with teacher’s action research projects. The role of the action researcher was
impossible for most members of the community, but in spite that some of them
realized first hand action research where they freely made plans and improved
their practice.
Our project gained the following results:
- permanent
teachers’ professional improvement,
- critical
thinking about existing school,
- creating
and realization shared pedagogical vision,
- popularization
of the action research.
Realization of the action research is very hard
job where a teacher need to be on professional higher level. Pedagogical values
and visions of teachers are most important motivation in their action
researches, but higher professional skill should be paid more.
1.
My professional career
I started my professional career
in the fall of 1987 after two years of study as teacher in small school 50 km
from Zagreb. The school building in which I was working was old and worn but
that did not discourage me in creating a school with my 15 students, where
children would go with happiness and not fear. In my teaching I used active
methods of teaching and students had the opportunity of deciding about
everything important that was going on in the school. On one occasion they
decided to change the set up of the classroom which I organized to be suitable
for accomplishing active teaching. They arranged desks and chares in three rows
and transferred my modern classroom into a classroom for classical teaching. I
accepted their ‘innovation’ with reserve, since I did not want to ruin democracy
values which I regarded highly. Luckily for me, after week student realized how
their classroom set up was interfering with active teaching which they
preferred, and after classroom meeting we have changed the classroom in to the
previous set up.
Despise my wish to improve
quality of my teaching and beginning successes after two years I came across
lack of new ideas. I have also realized how my formal education was only enough
for surviving but not for inventing new possibilities. Besides that, since I
worked by myself, I did not have professional communication with my colleges.
That is why in 1989 I joined project of professional development in which of 30
teachers met once a month during two years. At those meetings university
professors and other expert educators held seminars discussions and workshops
with accent on different pedagogical topics. We also had the opportunity to
attend one week long international seminar of Waldorf schools. That is when I
realized the importance of continued professional development which can
motivate teachers to break out of everyday rut pointing to different
possibilities in education. Besides interesting and quality professional
meetings, meeting my fallow teachers was very important as well. Those meeting resulted
in friendship and professional contacts which were my support and additional
motivation for creating my personal pedagogical career.
After the project ended I have
decided to continue my pedagogical study and to improve my formal education.
During my study I was exposed to different pedagogical theories, and I
dedicated special attention to philosophical and methodological foundation of
pedagogical science. After my pedagogy study, which I completed while I was
working, I was hired as school pedagogue in primary school “Vladimir Nazor” in
Slavonski Brod. In my new role as a pedagogue I have tried to assist teachers
in introducing changes whose aim was to break from the boundaries of
traditional teaching. I believed that the most important factor in accomplishing
this task was continued professional development. In spite of the quality of
different forms of professional development and teachers wishes for learning
and changes, teaching practice did not changed significantly – teaching
still retained the form in which teachers were oriented to meet official
program with little effort to develop different children’s capabilities and
especially their creativity. I realized how professional information, on which
is professional development of teachers mostly reduced, is not sufficient for
true educational changes. That is why I decided to start a project which would,
in addition to professional information, include reflective approach in
education, improve teacher’s capabilities, and assist them in creating their
pedagogical vision, plan of changes and questioning their accomplishment based
on gathered information.
2.
Philosophical beginnings
My professional career can be described as a
road with many intersections where I have to make decisions about which path to
take before and not like a one way street that leads to a single destination.
Decisions about which way to follow I based on more or less clear ideas and
values. I consider values and living philosophy as guidelines which assist in
making decisions in life. That is why, in the beginning, I would like to
describe my elementary philosophical grounds without explaining them in great
detail. My philosophical values are as foolows:
1.
education based
on freedom
2.
future oriented
education
3.
emancipational
education
4.
communicational
acting
2.1. Education based on freedom
The idea of freedom has its roots in Biblical
times, but its secular and promoting importance the idea of freedom gains in modernism.
Modernism begins with the Renaissance (around 1500) but its self-enlightenment
starts only around 1800. Important historical events that define modernism
include the Reformation, the Enlightenment and the French revolution (Habermas,
1988, p. 22). The main characteristic of modernism is that it can not and will
not take its values from another epoch, it has to create its own standards from
itself (Habermas, 1988, p. 12).
Any school which does not include development
of individual freedom in its education does not reach the level of the
modernism and we can say that it belongs to some other time that should be
behind us. The freedom is not conceived as natural education which was a goal
for Jean Jacques Rousseau (1998) for example, but as an effort which would have
to come from the participants of educational process so that a child would
leave the world of nature and begin to create its human nature (culture).
Education can be based on open communication between a child and an educator.
Education process has to be autonomous and can not be predicted or regulated
from outside. All concepts that try to prescribe, program or reform education
without respecting the needs of all participants in the education process
ignore that exact freedom as an important determinant of modern society. Should
the school go below the historically achieved level, or should it be on its
path at least?
2.2. Future oriented education
Traditional science
deals with predicting possible results in existing trends which they often call
laws. That is why, even when looking into the future, it is held in the past.
In spite of that, the future orientation that I support starting from
foundations of the existing culture creates a movement towards unrealized
possibilities, towards future that does not evolve from inertia of series of
events, but despite that. It sets its cause into the future and strives to
reach it through the power of creation. Future approach is deeply aware of its
involvement and responsibility for the world it creates. It does not look for
excuses for problems that it encounters but tries to find possibilities for
their improvement.
The approach that I
support motivates teachers to rethink and improve their performance, research,
accepting risk, release spontaneity and encourage communication with children
and other participants in the education process with the goal of achieving an
agreement about shared pedagogical vision and possibility of its realization
(Stoll & Fink, 2000; Ponder & Holmes, 1992). Vision is the seed of
educational process which changes the existing school from its roots. Vision is
not a puzzle which can be assembled from elements of existing picture. It is,
opposite to that, what it still does not exist. It exists only in ideas of its
creators, who act autonomously to change the world/mind. Ponder & Holmes
consider that vision is 'operating model' not 'simply a vague idea of desired
end'.
“The term
‘vision’ is used to describe a particular phenomenon. A mental image of the
possible, a view of a realistic, credible, attractive future for an
organization, a vision is a target that beckons and compels others to act; it
demands change. It is not simply a vague idea of a desired end. Nor is it a
clear picture of one, single aspect of an organization. A vision is an
operating model of all aspects of the organization and the actual steps
necessary to make that model a reality. A vision takes a picture of the whole
that is more than a mere snapshot; it reflects on the process of picture-making
as well as the end product.” (Ponder & Holmes, 1992, p. 2)
For me the 'operating
model' is the strategic plan and the vision is just 'vague idea of a desired
end'. I consider that we should not have precisely plans for everything what we
intend to obtain. In the beginning it is important that we have an idea of
desired end. That idea we could think out, create, and try during the time.
When we have enough experience and if occasions are suitable we may transform
our vision in operating model, then action, finally in visible results. My
concept of vision is between 'general values' and the 'operating model'.
Every vision remains a
utopia until it ‘lives’ in everyday life. Despite the fact that many
pedagogical utopias disappeared in a clash with reality, it does not mean that
they are irrelevant for the pedagogical science. That could mean that this reality
is overwhelmed with violence. ‘Should we give up on the utopia or such
reality?’ (Polić in Ambrosi-Randić, 2001, p. 49).
2.3. Emancipational education
The future orientation implies the new role of
a teacher who instead to be dutiful realizer is becoming emancipated person.
“Emancipation
is mostly defined as the predomination of such social relationships and the liberation
from such social circumstances which are caused by some forms of human
discrimination, i.e. by the loss of rights or by deprivation of rights on
gender, racial, national, religious, or some other basis (e.g. age basis, which
is on the other hand rarely mentioned). In this manner it is said about gender,
racial, national, religious etc. emancipation as the liberation from matching
forms of human discrimination. It is surely that the emancipation also means overcoming
all forms of human discrimination, but it is more than that.” (Polić, 1997, p. 109)
I could completely agree with the former
quotation, especially with the statement that emancipation is more then overcoming
all forms of human discrimination. For emancipation in its wider sense the
following is important:
1.
the liberation
from our personal limitation which restrains our development;
2.
freeing from
ideological constraints and addiction to authorities;
3.
the development
and expression of personal capabilities;
4.
the establishment
of the communication community where we could find interlocutors and
participants in the process of communicating our values and creating a shared
vision.
The first two presumption of the emancipation may
be termed the ‘critical element’, and the last two ‘affirmative part’ of the emancipation process. Through critical
questioning of our own prejudices and ideological constraints of our social
environment we provide the solid foundation for affirmation of our personal and
thereby social potentials. In any case it is important that we take
responsibility for achievement of emancipation presumptions. Therefore, the emancipation
can not be assumed just as the existing of social circumstances – rights,
but as the active contribution of each individual member of a community to
create his/her personal and social values and visions.
Without emancipated teachers there can not be
free education. A teacher, at best, could be an official; a student could be a customer,
and education the official work. In this way the aim of education is reduced to
getting a certificate (diploma), what is possible to obtain only if the
customer (student) fulfils every demand which is given by the official
(teacher) according to written and non written rules of the service. There is
no word about creativity, communication and needs of a participant of that
process because that could be obstructed or slowed down obtaining the main
objective – receiving the certificate (diploma).
2.4. The communicative action
The individual freedom and subjectivity as the main principle of modernism
made possible human appropriation of wealth which had spilt to sky before
(Habermas, 1988, p. 13). On the other hand, the subjectivity which was
abstractly understood could have been fulfilled only in the spirit of time or
in the dominant nation, class and state as the collective subject. Individuals
were alone against the spirit of the time and their power mostly have been
reduced to participate in historical events as revolutions, wars but rarely to
create communicative communities that used the power of argument as the
criteria for changes, instead of arguments of the power. Instead of the subjectivity
which founds ones own essence and in the same time loses them in uncritical
acceptance of existing institutions and historical trends, Habermas offered
communicative mind and communicative acting. Habermas revealed on the
importance of communication which in the modern society has been neglected
because, instead of the communication, coercion has been used as the most
important instrument to preserve social cohesion and main argument to implement
dominant ideas.
School could and should cultivate the
communicative action, which gives opportunity to a teacher, children and their
parents to make an agreement about the educational aims and ways of their implementation.
In that process it is important to take in account the presence of various
subcultures all of which have the right to exist and develop. School should not
be the instrument of the dominant culture for generating assimilation. School can
become place where children and adults together form learning communities with
the main aim of learning and making their common culture. Such learning
communities could not be reduced on programming children’ brains but their aim
is to satisfy needs of all participants in educational process. Important
precondition of making this new function of school is the communication between
children and adults. Only in the open and symmetric communication we can
identify particular and joint needs, and through deliberation and cooperation
try to find ways to satisfy them. In that way a teacher ceases to be the
official and becomes the autonomous person, who is responsible for improving his/her
own professional practice and for development of students.
3.
The reflective practicum and action research
I managed to find the ways of implementation of my philosophical values
in my practice and I found solutions which were almost completely matched.
First was Schön’s concept
of the reflective practitioner who actively observes children’s behaviour, listens attentively their
thoughts and feelings, notices their capabilities and tries to find adequate
methods which can help their development. A reflective teacher permits them to
be surprised with what the kid says or does, and manages with these unplanned
situations in creative ways by using professional artistry, not one of proscribed
methods.
“These explanations give the teacher the
knowledge of the greatest possible number of methods, the ability to invent new
methods and, above all, not a blind adherence to ONE method but the conviction
that all methods are one-sided, and that the best method would be the one that
would answer best to all the possible difficulties incurred by a pupil. That
is, not a method, but an art and a talent. And this is teaching in the
form of reflection-in-action.
It involves a surprise, a response to surprise by thought turning back on
itself, thinking what we’re doing as we do it, setting the problem of the
situation anew, conducting an action experiment on the spot by which we seek to
solve the new problems we’ve set, an experiment in which we test both our new
way of seeing the situation, and also try to change that situation for the
better. And
reflection-in-action need not be an intellectual or verbalized activity.”
(Schön, 1987b, p. 4)
For the reflective
practitioner approach is much more important improvisation than the deliberate and planned intent to
solve particular problem.
McMahon considers that the reflective practitioner model of teaching and
learning “can be used to identify problems, the action research can seek to
provide solutions”. (McMahon, 1999, p. 168)
McNiff consider
that at the moment three distinct developmental trends are visible in
literature about action research: an interpretive[1],
critical theoretic[2] and living
theory approach of action research. Interpretive and critical theoretic approaches, according to McNiff,
offer abstract models of social change and expect from other people to
implement them in their circumstances. Unlike these approaches, the living
action research demanded of us as the action researchers to place ourselves
(the ‘living I’) in the centre of ours enquires and to recognise our
potentiality as living contradictions. Process of social change begins with the
personal change of involved practitioners. Action researchers can not afford
themselves to just talk about action researches. ‘Action research means
action, not by some, but by all.’
(McNiff, 2002, p. 22-25).
Whitehead argues
for living approach to educational theory which is “growing in the living
relationship between teachers, pupils and professional researchers and embodied
within their forms of life.” (Whitehead, 1989a, p. 3) It is the value laden practical
activity to difference of the traditional science approaches which intent to be
of neutral value. Neglect of our values could impel us to undertake the action
to change that situation. In the same time values serve as the criteria for assessing
results of ours activities. (Whitehead, 1989b, p. 3)
For the living
action research approach is very important concept of living contradiction:
By ‘I’ existing
as a living contradiction, I am meaning that ‘I’ hold together values that are
mutually exclusive opposites. For example, I experience myself as a living
contradiction in those moments when I am conscious of holding certain values,
whilst at the same time denying them in my practice (Whitehead, 1999, p. 78).
Whitehead points
out that propositional forms of knowledge is communicated through statements
while dialectical form is imbedded in, and communicated through, practice. This
difference is obvious in case of contradiction:
In
propositional theories, the contradictions are between statements. In
dialectical theories the contradictions are experienced in practice (Whitehead,
1999, p. 80).
McNiff emphasises
that the action research operates in cycles or spiral which is consisted of
planning, executing and fact finding (McNiff, 1996, p. 22). But she considers
that the real nature of the action research is embedded in spontaneous,
self-reflective system of enquiry which can not be shown and explained by any
model which confines that process. Process of action research could not be
sequential or rational (Figure 1).
“It is possible
to begin at one place and end up somewhere entirely unexpected. The visual
metaphor I have developed is an iterative spiral of spirals, an exponential
developmental process.” (McNiff, 2002, p. 56)
Figure 1. A
generative transformational evolutionary process
(Source: McNiff, 2002,
p. 57)
I agree with
McNiff that is not appropriate to create any model of the action research in
prescriptive way, but I also agree with her when she states that action
research cycles “are best for helping us to organise the research” (McNiff,
1996, p. 23). Therefore I made my own model of action research cycles (Figure
2) which helps us to organize our projects.
Figure 2. The
action research or action learning[3]
process
For me as the participant of the educational process (a learning
community) the action research is our cooperative and communicative acting
which starts from connecting with other people to discuss about our
experiences, to identify our autonomous values and to obtain the shared vision,
continues with the (self)critical questioning of existing conditions and
identification of problems, proceed with planning, acting, observing and evaluating
educational activities with the main aim to develop our professional skills and
to improve our practice.
4.
Institutional context
Primary school[4]
of “Vladimir Nazor”, where the action research project was realised, is located
on the periphery of Slavonski Brod[5].
Besides the central school building, which is situated in the town, there are
five schools in nearby villages. In the school year 2000/2001, when we started
the project, it was one of the biggest schools in our town. There were 1265
students who were divided in 50 classes. There were 83 employees. Students who
attend the school are from seven-year-old to fourteen-year-old and they are
divided in eight grades. In central school teaching is organised in two shifts:
the morning shift lasts from 7:30 to 12:35 and the afternoon shift lasts from
13:00 to 18:05. Students who live in villages can attend local school from the
first to the fourth grade after that they travel by bus to central school.
Students spend the most
time at regular classes which are mostly led by one teacher for students from
the first to the fourth grade. Students from the fifth to the eighth grades are
taught by the subject teacher. They have one teacher for each subject. Students
spend four to six school hours[6]
in school daily. Weekly norm to stay in school depend of their age. Students in
the first grade have to stay in school about 20 school hours and seven and eight-grade
students have to spend about 30 school hours. Teachers usually come to school
15 minutes before their teaching starts. After they have finished the teaching,
they could go home. Teachers have to spend in school about 22 school hours
during a week.
At that time there were 62 teachers (26 class teachers
and 36 subject teachers) in school. Except teachers, there were four
professional advisers: a psychologist, a pedagogue, a special teacher and a
librarian. A headmaster is the administrative manager in school and the School Board
is the highest collective body for management. It consists of representatives
of teachers, parents and the local administration.
Table 1. Number
of class teachers and subject teachers
|
Teachers |
Total |
Women |