Abstract
Because of the shift towards competence based qualifications, professional development of teachers is a major subject in vocational education. This study addresses the question how and to what extent self-directed professional development of teachers will contribute to the fulfillment of the organizational goals of Regio College, a small Dutch vocational
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education and training center, in the domain of educational reform and team development. The research is based on an elaborated model of workplace learning proposed by Billett, Ehrich and Hernon-Tinning (2003). According to this model, learning of teachers is embedded in workplace practices, and will be influenced by the agency of learners as well as by the affordances of the workplace. Three consecutive studies have been conducted in order to answer the research question. Using a multiple case study design, fifteen cases of teachers which participated in a self-directed learning trajectory were analyzed. It was hypothesized that high self-efficacy (agency ) combined with job resources that outweigh job demands (affordances) would result in sophisticated, collaborative activities and innovative learning outcomes. Pattern matching was used to compare the cases with the model. No specific pattern was identified. However some interesting conclusions could be drawn. Teachers who are involved in learning by doing only (6 cases) do not realize innovative learning outcomes and teachers who do realize innovative learning outcomes (4 cases) all worked on assignments directly related to educational design and student guidance. Two participants of the self-directed learning trajectory participated with their teams in the second study. For each team a learning history (Roth & Kleiner, 1996) was conducted in order to examine in what way team learning was influenced by the individual professional development of these two teachers. It was expected that teams would play an intermediating role in converting learning from the individual level to the organizational level. In fact, different learning conversions were found from individual to team and from organization to team. However, a direct learning conversion between the organizational level and the individual level was found as well. The self-directed learning trajectory was a key factor in this learning conversion. The third study was conducted as a survey among all teachers of Regio College to compare the self-directed learning trajectory with other professional development activities. This study shows that participants in completely self-directed professional development report more learning outcomes compared to participants in partially self-directed professional development. Furthermore, organizational commitment (agency) and the learning climate in teams (affordances) are related to participation in professional development activities. The model of workplace learning of teachers has been useful to analyze learning on the individual and team level. However, more research has to be done to establish patterns of learning. Nevertheless, this study shows that self-directed professional development is an effective way to promote individual learning of teachers and teacher team development
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