How Do In-Service Teachers Learn From Their Teaching Experiences?

Abstract

The present study reviewed research about in-service teacher learning that was published in the U. S. since 2000, as well as recent research published in Japan. In-service teacher learning was examined comprehensively from 3 perspectives: (1) learning from teaching experiences,(2) school-wide contexts that support teacher learning, and (3) the longitudinal process of teacher development. Seeing teachers as “reflective practitioners” means that reflecting on teaching experiences constitutes a central point of in-service teacher learning. The present review of studies about pre-service and new teachers revealed relationships between reflection and both teaching beliefs and knowledge construction. The present review of studies on the teacher community and lesson study suggested that teachers learn from their interactions and conflicts; they also learn how collective learning occurs through lesson study as part of their school-wide professional development. The present review of research on teacher development and expertise suggested that teachers personalize their teaching, and that teachers are “adaptive experts.” Further research is needed on the beliefs of in-service teachers, the development of empirical research methods for studying the development of collegiality, and teacher learning in Japan.