The teacher as learner: Interpretations from a case study of teacher change

This case study investigates questions of teacher learning related to change. The initial questions which guided the research were: (a) What counts as a knowledge source for the teacher as learner? (b) How do existing conceptualizations of teaching and learning influence a teacher's learning and construction of alternative images? (c) What kind of knowledge is valued as a basis for constructing new images and changing practices! Data collected through classroom observations and weekly informal discussion with the teacher were the basis of interpretations generated from the study. The interpretations are presented in a theoretical framework based on constructivism as a theory of how individuals learn. Specific long-held meaning systems constructed by the teacher that constrained his construction of new knowledge and subsequent change are identified. Implications for creating learning environments which foster conceptual change among teachers are discussed.