The difficulties that many teachers face when introduced to new approaches in the
classroom is how to work these new ideas into their existing practice so that a
different overall practice emerges (Priestly & Sime, 2005). This is not a simple task as
it requires the teacher to understand the implications and likely effects of such
changes on their practice and on the learning of their students, as well as demanding
different behaviours from each of the parties. This can involve teachers reshaping
their own beliefs about what constitutes effective science teaching and learning,
especially if their new practice differs from that of their colleagues in school
(Cochran-Smith, 1994). Teachers are therefore challenged to justify not only to
themselves but also to their students, colleagues and other interested parties as to why
they are bringing in these new practices. As such, developing new practices is a risky
business and one that will call on teacher time and effort to ensure that they are not
only effective but seen as acceptable within the school context (Loucks-Horsely et al,
2003). Such developments frequently take place in environments where there are
competing priorities for teacher time and development of practice (Harrison, 2005).
Finding 3: Constructing the portfolios provided further opportunity for reflection,
discussion and learning for the teachers.
An essential task within the programmes was to introduce the idea of the portfolio so
that teachers’ understood the role and nature of the portfolio and its contribution to
their professional learning, and had sufficient guidance about how to go about
constructing a portfolio. This was achieved by focusing on features in each domain
that indicated „accomplished’ practice, that is, practice that demonstrated an
understanding of teaching and learning in that domain. Teachers were thus able to
focus on evidence that showed their progress towards accomplishment in the domain
in which they were working and so the processes that they engaged in took a more
ipsative rather than comparative approach to their professional development. They did
not compete with one another but rather focused on their own learning journeys, while
at the same time often working collaboratively with peers to help them realize their
progress towards accomplished teaching in that domain.
The notion of „learning through reflection’ is central to the use of portfolios for
teacher development (Dinham & Scott, 2003), and is a recognised feature of
professional learning systems (e.g. Hoban, 2002, Loucks-Horsley et al 2003, Munby
et al, 2000). The selection of pieces of evidence for the portfolio is an important first
step towards reflecting on practice. For example, teachers can use resources they have
developed, student outcomes, video material etc to reflect on the effectiveness of their
practice and their own professional learning. Other researchers have shown that the
process of reflection in portfolio construction can be enhanced through peer
discussion and collaboration (Davis & Honan 1998, Grant & Huebner 1998, Lyons
1998, Shulman 1992). The provision of feedback, questions and different perspectives
by peers and mentors can strengthen the portfolio development process through
broadening the process of reflection, as Orland-Barak (2005) found when teachers
became more dialogic as they collaborated.
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