Evolution, Continuity, and Vision for Future Teacher Research
Reflecting on the intellectual and pedagogical heart of teacher research and Voices of Practitioners, we are struck by elements that connect this body of work: Teacher research is grounded in the real lives of educators, children, programs and schools, and communities, and the act of studying one’ s own practice generates understanding that is both personal and shareable. Indeed, teacher-led inquiry is a source of renewal for the field and a record of teachers’ evolving understandings of themselves, their students, and their work.
and offers unusable answers to teachers who want to understand and improve their practice( Stremmel 2002; Cochran-Smith & Lytle 2009).
One of my favorite stories,“ The Toads: Refocusing the Lens,” was written by Amanda Jo Messer( 2020). It demonstrates how narrative inquiry was used to study a problem that existing research cannot easily address. The teacher creates new knowledge about teaching and learning from the direct study of her work in the classroom. Messer uses a narrative landscape to explore and find meaning in children’ s ideas concerning the death and resurrection of toads. In doing so, she learns about young children’ s ability to care, to have faith, and to take seriously the concept of death. From my personal observations having been a teacher of young children, this is a topic that adults shy away from addressing with children( Olin & Wilcox-Herzog 2020). Messer demonstrates an ability to listen, be respectful, and honor what the children have to say. She also shows pedagogical thoughtfulness by asking the right questions at the right time, pondering children’ s responses, and negotiating a solution to address an issue of importance to them.
This kind of teacher inquiry validates a more comprehensive and accurate view of what it means to be a teacher. It places direct emphasis on what it means to teach, as opposed to the technical aspects of teaching. It enables teachers to better understand and interpret their own teaching in context; to systematically study and critically reflect on their attitudes, thoughts, and feelings; and be more responsive to children and the demands of the classroom. In this way, knowledge of teaching and learning originates in teaching that is grounded in inquiry( Stenhouse 1975).
About the Author
Andrew J. Stremmel, PhD, is professor emeritus in the School of Education, Counseling, and Human Development in the College of Education and Human Sciences at South Dakota State University.
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