• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.1-18
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• 2022

Objective: A teacher learning community was developed in order to implement a play-centered curriculum at a child care center, and teachers' experiences during the process were explored. Methods: The teacher learning community was carried out for a total of 23 sessions. One researcher and six teachers participated in this study. Data including the transcripts of recordings of the teacher learning community, transcripts of individual teachers' interview recordings, teachers' reflective journals, and social media posts were collected. Data were analyzed according to the qualitative data analysis procedure. Results: The teachers recognized their experiences of the teacher learning community as follows: (1) encouraging and empowering each other to find a way together, (2) self-reflection, communication and sharing with experiences, (3) becoming a teacher who practices change. Conclusion/Implications: The results of this study show the importance and effectiveness of managing the teacher learning community in a way that teachers interact with each other in a collaborative manner within the community based on initiative and spontaneity, and to provide help to each other in the process of understanding and practicing the play-centered curriculum. The teacher learning community supports the professionalism of teachers for the practice of a play-centered curriculum.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.189-206
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• 2019

Objective: The objective of this study was to develop and apply a Teacher Learning Community Program in order to improve the specialization of infant daycare center teachers and explore the changes in the learning attitudes of teachers. Methods: To develop the program, the requirements were analyzed by surveying 500 teachers of infant classes. The developed program was provided to 25 infant daycare center teachers for a total of 14 sessions. A total of 75 sets of collected journal writing materials were analyzed qualitatively. Results: First, the Teacher Learning Community Program for infant daycare center teachers was developed. Second, the Teacher Learning Community Program was found to bring a shift in the learning attitudes among the teachers of infant classes towards reflective and communal learning. Conclusion/Implications: The Teacher Learning Community Program brought a shift in the learning attitude towards reflective and communal learning. Thus, the Teacher Learning Community Program can be applied as a teacher education program for improvement of the specialization of infant daycare center teachers.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.683-699
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• 2014

The purpose of this study was to explore the characteristics of teacher learning and changes in teachers' epistemic beliefs within a learning community of elementary science teachers. Three in-service elementary teachers who majored in elementary science education in a doctoral course of a graduate school of education participated in the study, and learning activities in the teachers' beginning learning community provided a context for the study. Data sources included field notes produced by the researcher who engaged jointly in the teacher learning community as a coach, audio-recordings of the teachers' narratives, and artifacts generated by the teachers during the process of teacher learning. Complementary analyses of these multiple sources of data revealed that epistemic beliefs of the three elementary teachers were different and that each teacher made a different plan of science instruction based on his own epistemic belief even after the learning experiences within the teacher community. It was therefore suggested that science teacher education programs should be organized in consideration of the nature of teachers as constructivist learners and their practical resources.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.66 no.1
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• pp.15-30
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• 2022

The purpose of this study was to examine interactions among components of pedagogical content knowledge of middle school science teachers in a teacher learning community targeting science practice-based instruction. Data collection consisted of pre and post questionnaire and interview with each of five science teachers, audio-recording of teacher discussion in a teacher learning community, lesson plans, teacher written reflection, and video-recording of teaching practice. Qualitative data analysis revealed that there were two types of interactions, i.e., one-way interaction and two-ways interaction among components of pedagogical content knowledge of science teachers in a teacher learning community. There were also consecutive interactions as well as one-shot interaction. For two-ways interaction there were synchronous two-ways interaction in a teacher learning community meeting as well as consecutive two-ways interaction along with several meetings. This study provides implications that collaborative learning context in a teacher learning community should stimulate various types interactions among components of pedagogical content knowledge.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.970-984
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• 2014

This study aims to inquire into experience of geography teachers participating in a teacher learning community based on the grounded theory methodology. Participation observation was conducted on one of geography teacher learning communities. The total of 11 research participants were selected to conduct in-depth interviews. The data collected were analyzed by the coding method proposed by Strauss and Corbin(1990, 1998). In open coding, 125 concepts, 43 sub-categories and 17 categories were drawn and in axial coding by paradigm model, phenomenon, conditions, action/interaction and consequences turned out. In selective coding, the participants were classified into four types and the condition/consequence matrix was developed. As a result of the analysis, first, participation, obstacles and continuous participation factors of geography teachers in the teacher learning community could be understood from multi-dimensional aspects. Second, principles of the collaborative teacher learning and the factors promoting collaborative teacher learning were established. Third, the professional development of geography teachers through teacher learning community could be understood.

• Education of Primary School Mathematics
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.189-203
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• 2014

The purpose of this study was to analyze the strengths and weaknesses resulting from a study of elementary mathematics lessons among in-service teachers and to discuss implications for the direction of improvement of the study on elementary mathematics lessons based on teacher learning community. The results of this study showed that the study on elementary mathematics lessons based on teacher learning community improved teacher knowledge related to teaching mathematics, enhanced teacher's accomplishment and self-esteem, made it possible for participant teachers to teach one another, created atmosphere in which teachers investigated instruction via sustainable and systematic lesson study. However, some limitations were noticed such as regulations by the social norms of the teacher learning community, the influence of an expert teacher, teachers' unprofessional decision making, and lack of systematic evaluation and reflection on lessons. Based on these results, this paper closes with critical implications to enhance teacher learning community.

• The Mathematical Education
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• v.53 no.2
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• pp.201-217
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• 2014

This research has an intention of developing a professional development program. We proposed an alternative mathematics teacher training model based on the situated learning theory, community of practice, and reflective practitioner. The developed mathematics teacher professional development program recruited participation unit that was consisted of 3 or 4 teachers in same school and total of 28 teachers from 9 schools. Also, there were 18 mentors to support each school. In this sense, it can be called multi-tired teacher community professional development program. Through the program, the teachers improve their teaching competency. Also, the operation ability of teacher learning community was improved. Learning community culture has been formed in each school. It shows ability that the explorative learning community can be operated voluntarily although the program finished. Furthermore, community shared corporate responsibility about open class. They recognize open class as a new method to improve community teaching ability than a tool to evaluate individual teaching ability.

• Journal of the Korean School Mathematics Society
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.279-306
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• 2022

The purpose of this case study is to get an implication on elementary pre-service teacher education programs by exploring how a pre-service teacher's noticing changes within a learning community. The pre-service teacher participated in a learning community with researchers. Data includes recordings and transcription of actual class and pre- and post discussion in the learning community, the pre-service teacher's reflection essays, field notes, and students' worksheets. Results are as follows. First, the pre-service teacher's attending moved from the result of tasks to students' mathematical thinking. Second, the pre-service teacher's interpretation changed from a lack of diversity and specificity of evidence to diversity and specificity. Third, the pre-service teacher's decision-makings changed from unproductive deciding to productive deciding.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.1-26
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• 2024

As the limitations of professional development programs and individual attempts to improve teaching expertise have been reported, mathematics teachers have operated various types of teacher learning communities as alternative teacher professional programs. A teacher learning community can be considered a Community of Practice(CoP) in that it satisfies three factors of Cop, which are common purpose, mutual participation, and shared repertoire, so the 'learning' of a teacher community can be interpreted based on the theory of CoP. The purpose of this study is to investigate the process of identity development of five mathematics teachers who have been continuously involved in teacher communities. For this, the researcher collected data on the entire process of community activities through participant observation and conducted individual follow-up interviews to explore mathematics teachers' narratives and personal experiences. Results indicated that mathematics teachers experienced the development of practical knowledge related to mathematics teaching and learning, improvement of teaching practice through continuous reflection and introspection, and recognization the shared value of togethering through community immersion. Based on these experiences, implications for the effective operation of learning communities such as national support of teacher learning communities and horizontal and cooperative teacher norms were discussed, and follow-up research was proposed.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.143-157
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• 2003

This paper is to make strides toward an enriched understanding of mathematics teacher learning and professional development. Different theoretical frameworks in understanding mathematics teacher learning are reviewed, followed by a discussion of the relationships of knowledge and teaching practice. This paper then analyses contemporary conceptions about effective professional development and, in particular, deals with teacher learning in inquiry communities. This paper introduces a research project describing transition processes from teacher- centered mathematics classroom culture to student-centered culture and analyzing teacher learning in communities and its concomitant change in teaching practice. On the basis of the emerging problems in doing the project, this paper finally addresses some crucial issues on teacher learning and professional development, including the management of an inquiry community, the description of teaching practice from the researcher's perspective, and the analysis of teacher learning in communities.