From inquiry to action : teachers' inquiry and actions for social change

Banderlipe I, Mc Ronald Simbajon (2023) From inquiry to action : teachers' inquiry and actions for social change. In: Humanities and Social Sciences Mini Conference 2023, 2023-05-25 - 2023-05-26, University of Strathclyde.

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Abstract

Different platforms, pathways and places for teacher training activities are constantly developing and evolving. While teacher training schools and higher education institutions are the recognised training grounds to nurture and develop teachers, there is a growing interest in how reflective and practitioner inquiry takes place in the workplace - the schools and communities they serve. Sachs (2000) suggests that while teacher professionalism should address the need for teachers to be more effective and efficient in their classroom practice, it should also foster continuous learning among them. Inquiry-based activities such as research, individual and group reflections and professional development activities interrogate their practice and situate them into the broader political, socio-economic and cultural discourses. However, even within their workplaces, teachers can find and cultivate different pockets of spaces and opportunities where teachers can reflect, write, and inquire about their practice. I argue that cultivating an ‘activist teacher professional’ requires an understanding the landscapes which support and foster teacher learning (Greene, 1978). This became my inspiration for this lightning talk. It offers a possible approach to understanding how they became teachers. It also builds insight how the schools, the classrooms and the communities around schools can provide pockets of opportunities to establish and build professional inquiry among teachers. The lived experiences of teachers in these places may provide them insights various actions to engage, inspire and work with the communities within and outside schools to achieve social change through a transformative professional practice.

CORE (COnnecting REpositories)