Teacher Learning: Expectations And Reality

During the changing times, teacher learning and development loads a lot of social expectations, while it is unknown whether teachers'learning in reality can conform and meet those expectations. Despite the expectations from all aspects to teachers'lifelong learning and continuing professional development, the importance of teachers as learners has not been given enough attention.This study exploring from the perspective of teachers as learners, does research into the primary and middle school teachers'learning in Shanghai, using the literature, the interview, the questionnaire survey, the content analysis method, as well as the triangulation(the use of triangulation in this study is mainly reflected in the theoretical basis for teacher learning, the sources of research data and the research methods) by means of looking into expectations and reality of teacher learning, and provides countermeasures and suggestions for the improvement of teacher-learning policies, research on teacher learning, and the learning methods of teachers.Some findings of this study are as follows:First, teacher learning and development loads a lot of social expectations. (1) Government looks forward to the lifelong learning and continuous development of teachers, teacher professional learning and training, teacher learning and training based on schools, teacher cooperative learning in learning communities, teacher self-study and self-reflection. (2) Researchers put forward the same views as government by mere coincidence, that is, they expect teachers to become lifelong learners, independent learners, cooperative members of the learning community, action researchers, reflective practitioners, and learning leaders. (3) Teachers also have high expectations for their own learning and development, namely, they expect to grasp extensive and professional knowledge, carry out diversified learning ways and means in order to make their professional quality perfect and improve their professional qualities; they expect to change the current difficulties and enhance their professional status through the survival of their own learning; they even look forward to more adequate self-study time, stronger leading abilities and more professional support from rich resources. It has been found that teachers'own expectations comply with the former twos, and that the contradictions between then are in a continuum.Second, teacher learning in the status quo confused us. Teachers can adapt to the expectations of the government and researchers with times going on, strive to improve their professional quality, constantly adapt to the new curriculum reform and seek actively to change their educational concept, improve their professional knowledge and ability, and promote their professional spirit as professionals in the course of school development. At the same time, teachers learn and develop in a dilemma: lack of teachers'learning content targeting and multiple learning ways, poor self-study status of teachers, absence of the rich learning resources and an effective learning mechanism, etc.Conclusions of this study focus on the following three aspects:(1)The learning contents, methods, motivation and conditions of teachers are connected with each other and must be taken into consideration holistically. Teachers are actively trying to learn new contents, concerning about a variety of factors that have impacts on their learning, and making great efforts to seek a variety of learning styles. Nevertheless, teachers also expect a more highly appropriate and applied learning, better learning situations and conditions, a more diversified approach to learning and better learning opportunities.(2)Teachers agree with the necessity of the external association with their own learning, actively create a learning community, develop professional learning capacities, and seek their own change of teaching actions, but the real teachers'learning status quo is far from the expectations of the government and researchers. For example, Government and researchers expect our teachers to promote professional development and self-development or self-realization, but the professional learning of teachers is not satisfying and teachers'self-directed learning is in poor states. Teachers actively improve their own expectations and seek change, but they lack adequate learning conditions, appropriate learning assessment and effective learning mechanisms as safeguards.(3)There exist significant differences about teachers'learning in demographic statistical variables (gender, seniority, job, title, education, grade, school type, etc.). In many ways, female teachers are significantly better than male teachers; teachers that hold the positions of leadership in schools are better than ordinary teachers; primary school teachers are significantly better than junior and high school teachers, junior teachers are also better than high school teachers; teachers in ordinary schools are significantly better than key school teachers.