Professional Learning in the Lives of Teachers: Towards a New Framework for Conceptualising Teacher Learning

Source: Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, Volume 41, Issue 4, 2013, pages 377-397

This study explored the continuing professional learning of teachers in a range of Australian schools.
The participants completed an open-ended questionnaire about their professional learning experiences and participated in semi-structured interviews in which they shared their learning narratives.

The findings revealed that three sets of major influences on teachers’ engagement with professional learning and the quality of that learning.
These influences were isolation (both geographic and professional), cost (both educational and emotional), and the professional and personal life stages of teachers.

A new descriptive framework through which to understand the intricate interconnections between teacher-learners, professional learning and learning contexts across teaching careers is proposed.