Individual teacher learning in a context of collaboration in
teams
Meirink, J.A.
Citation
Meirink, J. A. (2007, November 15). Individual teacher learning in a context of collaboration in teams. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/1887/12435
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Individual teacher learning
in a context of
collaboration in teams
Leiden University Graduate School of Teaching
This research was carried out in the context of the Interuniversity Center for Educational Research.
This research was funded by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) (Project no. 411-01-251).
Title: Individual teacher learning in a context of collaboration in teams
Titel: Individueel leren van docenten in een context van samenwerking in teams
Print: Mostert & Van Onderen! Leiden Cover design: Friederike van der Boon Lay-out: Dirk Jan Meirink
ISBN 978-90-804722-7-3
© 2007, Jacobiene Meirink
All rights reserved. No part of this thesis may be reproduced, stored in retrieval systems, or transmitted in any form of by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of the author.
Individual teacher learning
in a context of
collaboration in teams
Proefschrift
ter verkrijging van
de graad van Doctor aan de Universiteit Leiden,
op gezag van de Rector Magnificus prof. mr. P.F. van der Heijden, volgens besluit van het College voor Promoties
te verdedigen op donderdag 15 november 2007 klokke 16.15 uur
door
Jacobiene Albertina Meirink geboren te Leiden
in 1980
Promotiecommissie Promotores
Prof. Dr. N. Verloop Prof. Dr. T.C.M. Bergen Copromotor
Dr. P.C. Meijer
Overige leden
Dr. H.H. Tillema (referent), Universiteit Leiden Prof. Dr. A. Aelterman, Universiteit Gent
Prof. Dr. M.L.L. Volman, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Voor pap en mam
Table of contents
Chapter 1. Introduction
1.1 Background to the study
1.1.1 Teacher learning in a context of collaboration in interdisciplinary teams
1.1.2 Fostering active and self-regulated student learning as a context for learning
1.2 Theoretical framework
1.2.1 Characterization of collaboration in interdisciplinary teams 1.2.2 Conceptualization of teacher learning
1.3 Design of the study 1.4 Outline
Chapter 2. Collaboration in teams: Teacher learning activities and self-reported outcomes 2.1 Introduction
2.2 Conceptual framework
2.2.1 Collaboration as a context for teacher learning 2.2.2 Learning activities in teacher collaboration 2.3 Method
2.3.1 Enlisting schools to participate
2.3.2 Characterization of collaboration in teams
2.3.3 Participants
2.3.4 Data collection 2.4 Analysis
2.5 Results
2.5.1 Learning activities in teacher collaboration 2.5.2 Succession of learning activities
2.5.3 Configurations: types and frequencies
2.5.4 Similarities and differences in configurations 2.6 Conclusions and discussion
15 16 17
17 17 19 21 22
30 31 31 32 34 34 34 34 35 36 39 39 40 41 43 44
Chapter 3. The relations of teacher learning activities to changes in beliefs about teaching and learning 3.1 Introduction
3.1.1 Perspectives on teacher learning
3.1.2 Teacher beliefs about teaching and learning 3.1.3 Teacher learning activities
3.1.4 The present study 3.2 Method
3.2.1 Participants 3.2.2 Data collection 3.3 Analysis
3.4 Results
3.4.1 Changes in teacher beliefs about teaching and learning 3.4.2 Teacher activities
3.4.3 Exploration of changed beliefs in relation to learning activities 3.4.4 Differences in the nature and topics of the learning activities 3.4.5 Differences in initial teacher beliefs about teaching and learning 3.5 Conclusions and discussion
Chapter 4. The relations of teacher learning activities to changes in preferences for learning activities 4.1 Introduction
4.1.1 Preferences for learning activities 4.1.2 Teacher learning activities 4.1.3 The present study
4.2 Method
4.2.1 Participants 4.2.2 Data collection 4.3 Analysis
4.4 Results
4.4.1 Preferences for learning activities
4.4.2 Changes in preferences for learning activities
4.4.3 Reported sequences of learning activities in digital logs 4.4.4 Associations between changed preferences for learning
activities and specific learning activities reported in the digital logs
4.5 Conclusions and discussion
52 52 53 54 55 56 56 57
60 64 64 65 67 69 71 73
82 82 83 84 84 84 85 87 88 88 89 89 90
98
Chapter 5. Characterizing collaboration in interdisciplinary teams and its relation to teacher learning
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Conceptual framework
5.2.1 The educational reform as a context for collaboration and learning in interdisciplinary teams
5.2.2 Teacher learning in collaboration 5.2.3 Teacher collaboration
5.2.3.1 Interdependency 5.2.3.2 Alignment
5.2.4 Group and organizational characteristics affecting collaboration in teams
5.3 Method 5.3.1 Design
5.3.2 Participants
5.3.3 Data collection methods 5.4 Analysis
5.5 Results
5.5.1 Within-case analyses: Collaboration and teacher learning in the five teams
5.5.2 Cross-case analysis: Patterns in collaboration and teacher learning in the five teams
5.6 Conclusions and discussion
Chapter 6. General conclusions and discussion 6.1 Short overview of the research project
6.2 Main findings with regard to the research questions 6.2.1 Research question 1
6.2.2 Research question 2 6.2.3 Research question 3 6.2.4 Research question 4
6.3 General conclusions and discussion 6.4 Limitations of the study
6.5 Implications and suggestions for future research
108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115
117 117 118 118 120 122 124 128 131
141 142 142 144 146 149 150 154 156
Nederlandse samenvatting References
Publications Curriculum Vitae Dankwoord
ICLON PhD dissertation series
163 173 181 183 185 187
List of Tables, Figures and Appendices
Chapter 2
Table 2.1 Learning activities categories found in three studies and starting learning activities categories for the present study
Table 2.2 Teacher characteristics and quantity of data collection Table 2.3 Specifications of teachers’ learning activities categories Table 2.4 Frequencies of configurations
Figure 2.1 Configurations of reported learning activities and changes in cognition or behavior
Appendix 2.1 Visualization of the information asked for in the digital log
Appendix 2.2 Example of how original data from interviews and digital logs was converted into configurations
Chapter 3
Table 3.1 Questionnaire ‘Beliefs about teaching and learning’
Table 3.2 Numbers of teachers with congruent, incongruent, or no changes in beliefs about teaching and learning
Table 3.3 List of learning activity sequences
Table 3.4 Relative frequencies of activity sequences 1, 7, and 9 according to changes in student- and subject-matter- oriented beliefs about teaching and learning.
Table 3.5 Initial means, standard deviations, minimum scores, and maximum scores for different patterns of change in student- and subject-matter-oriented beliefs about teaching and learning (October 2004)
Table 3.6 Characterization of activity sequences and belief changes in terms of nature and topic of learning experiences and initial belief scores Figure 3.1 Example of a configuration of teacher activities plus outcome
Chapter 4
Table 4.1 Composition of the five teams
Table 4.2 Categories of learning activities identified in the literature and used in the questionnaire
Table 4.3 Example situation of the questionnaire ‘Preferences for learning
activities’
Table 4.4 Means and standard deviations for the questionnaire
Table 4.5 Number of teachers with significant changes in their preferences for learning activities after one year (N=34)
Table 4.6 Relative frequencies of learning experiences involving
‘experimentation’ for teachers with changed preference scores for
‘trying different things’
Appendix 4.1 Situations in the questionnaire ‘Preferences for learning activities’
Chapter 5
Table 5.1 Overview of variables
Table 5.2 Sample items of questionnaire ‘Organizational characteristics’
Table 5.3 Description and classification of the collaboration in the five teams Table 5.4 Patterns in scores on the variables collaboration and teacher
learning in interdisciplinary teams
Figure 5.1 Teacher collaboration and learning in interdisciplinary teams within the school organization
Appendix 5.1 Matrix of results for type of collaboration, group and organizational characteristics, and teacher learning
