Building a community of shared practice by localizing externally-derived professional development in educational reform‘

Building a community of shared practice by localizing externally-derived professional development in educational reform‘

McKeown, John
Diboll,, Michael

This research focuses on sociolinguistic aspects of education reform in the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries (GCC) region and the strategies by which the achievement of ‗linguistic convergence‘ and corresponding ‗cultural convergence‘ or ‗optimal convergence‘ can enhance in-service teachers‘ Continuing Professional Development (CPD) participant learning. This professional reflection, situated within the evolving context of reform underway in Bahrain, is based on research conducted at the Bahrain Teachers College (an autonomous professional college founded in 2008 within the University of Bahrain) during 2008-2010. The data, gathered from in-service CPD modules with mid-career Bahraini teachers, includes a wide range of practice-based sources including surveys, interviews, focus groups, and observation. Managing the shift from externally-prepared in-service CDP, toward contextualizing the materials, curriculum, and program delivery to the cultural, social, and educational environment of Bahrain is challenging. Developing ―ownership‖ of new approaches to learning, can make effectively localize the training at the classroom level. The data points to ways that balance the learning needs of local in-service teachers with the internationalizing imperatives of multinational education consultancy:

Conference or Workshop Item
PeerReviewed

2011-05

104