Professional Learning Places and Spaces: The Staffroom as a Site of Beginning Teacher Induction and Transition

Source: Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, Volume 39, Issue 1, 2011, pages 33-46.

This article argues that the staffroom is an important professional learning space where beginning teachers interact to understand who they are and the nature of their professional work.
The authors highlight the theoretical importance of space and place in the construction and negotiation of beginning teacher subjectivities.

The authors present two narratives based on the lived experiences of two beginning teachers, one in a primary context, the other secondary.

The authors conclude by calling for greater research attention to the significance of the staffroom and its interaction with teacher subjectivities.
At the level of practice, the authors also call for the teaching profession to recognise staffrooms as important sites of professional learning and places that should support induction and mentoring of beginning teachers.