Generating knowledge and strengthening practice through teachers' joint work

The need for continual teacher learning has prompted renewed interest in grade level teams and engagement of teachers in joint work on school-sites. This study examines teachers' participation in joint work and how the shared and generated knowledge informs and is translated into their instructional practices. Using qualitative data collection methods, I conducted case studies of two grade level teams within one elementary school. Findings from the study suggest teachers' joint work serves an important role in decreasing teacher isolation to promote sharing information and generating knowledge to support teacher learning. This study found that teachers participate in five types of work with colleagues: sharing and discussion, interaction around objects, creation of objects, socio-emotional support, and reflection on practice. These five areas of work serve as a learning resource for teachers to make sense of their instructional practice and extend their working knowledge to improve student work. Over the course of the study teacher interaction that centered in discussion of objects and the creation of objects created greater opportunities for participation and knowledge generation than other types of joint work. The data also reveals objects serve to mediate and support teachers' reflection on practice in joint work. From their on-going participation, teachers utilize their learning to change their instructional practices in two ways by making small scale refinement to their instruction or substantial instructional change, thus making a conceptual shift of practice based on the grade level team's collective action.;Findings from this study suggest the importance of studying teachers' joint work to understand how it supports teacher learning and helps build a knowledge base of the teaching profession. The findings from this study can be helpful for professional developers, principals, and school leaders as they guide teachers to the kind of work that will most likely enhance the sharing and generating of knowledge about pedagogy and instructional practices during joint work. Furthermore, this study is important in illustrating how what is shared and discussed during joint work can influence classroom practices and students' opportunities for learning.