Experiencing and evidencing learning through self-study: New ways of working with mentors and trainees in a training school partnership

Whitehead, Joan; Fitzgerald, Bernie

Abstract

This paper uses self-study to analyse the development of a generative, research-based approach to mentoring initial teacher training students in a Training School/university partnership and its contribution to redefining teacher education practice. It focuses on the ontological values and co-learning of the authors as they work collaboratively with mentors to develop a democratic form of social practice and relations. The use of video to record the teaching and situated learning of mentors and trainees is explored as are the qualities and conditions which helped foster the shift in power relations between participants as they engaged in reflective dialogue and inquiry. Issues of sustainability and embedding such practices are addressed as is the contribution of practitioner-research accounts to the professional knowledge of other teacher educators, teachers and trainees. © 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2007
• Journal: Teaching and Teacher Education
• Print ISSN: 0742-051X
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 23
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 1-12
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2006.04.007
• Keywords: teacher education partnerships, self study, ontology, mentoring, professional learning
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/1031550
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2006.04.007
• Additional Information: Additional Information : This paper makes a distinctive contribution to applied and practice-based research by considering ontology and values as features informing the development of mentoring practice in a University and Training School partnership. It highlights the use of video recordings of professional practice to facilitate learning through self-study of participants and shows how, through the development of a website, the learning was disseminated to the wider professional community. Developed from a paper given at the American Educational Research Association conference in 2004, this article also informed a further joint paper given at AERA in 2006. The work underpinning it contributed to workshop presentations to staff at the University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, in March 2006 and informed Whitehead's invited keynote address to the British Educational Research Association Practitioner Research SIG Conference at St Mary's College, July 2006. Whitehead was responsible for 60% of this publication.