Research provocation: Creating opportunities for deeper authentic learning for teachers to improve teaching and learning in schools

Abstract

The goal of teacher professional development should not only be to improve knowledge of the subject matter, but also to provide opportunities for teachers to reflect on their own teaching practices and consider how they can better support learners in their classrooms. For professional development to be effective and purposeful, it must support teachers during the crucial implementation phase where they directly apply what they ʺlearnʺ to what they ʺdoʺ in their classrooms. This paper attempts to explore the implications of a social constructivist Vygotskian model as it applies to teacher development, and how it can increase opportunities for deeper authentic reflection on teaching practices in the classroom, and support the creation of environments that nurture authentic teacher collaboration and teacher autonomy.

Keywords: Teacher development, teacher education, social constructivism, zone of proximal development, professional learning communities.