Rejuvenating experienced teachers through Quality Teaching Rounds professional development

Abstract

AbstractThe key premise of professional development (PD) is that learning to teach continues throughout teachers’ careers. And yet, experienced teachers are often portrayed in media and public policy as resistant to such learning and afraid of change. This paper seeks a more nuanced understanding of why experienced teachers might resist the prospect of PD by investigating their responses to an innovative research-based collaborative approach known as Quality Teaching Rounds (QTR). We chronicle a story of change, from initial reservations to deep engagement and professional renewal. Analysis of before-and-after interviews with 25 mid-to-late career teachers from 20 primary and secondary schools in New South Wales, Australia, revealed that three features of QTR were critical to teacher turnaround: the time afforded teachers to refocus on quality teaching; time to observe teaching and learning and be observed; and processes founded on trust in and respect for teachers. In essence, QTR inspired teachers to embrace the opportunity to enhance their individual and collective practice, and they were rejuvenated in the process. Accordingly, we argue that the problem of professional development uptake among experienced teachers may lie less in ageist assumptions about their resistance to change than in the nature of the PD on offer. When PD is meaningful, intellectually engaging, safe, and collegial, experienced teachers are eager to participate.