Search

Isolated from other professionals, teachers and their practice are embedded within a hierarchical system in which the day-to-day activities are governed by external forces: administrative mandates, parental request, and currently, legislative directives. One issue facing teachers today and about which their voices are infrequently heard is that of culture, and the growing diversity of the pupil population of the United States. This diversity stands in contrast to a notable lack of apparent diversity in the teaching force. This paper is about teacher study groups as activity settings where teachers might break free of that isolation and engage in powerful learning about culture and literacy. The paper reports on research conducted from 1995 through 1997 on two study group contexts for teacher learning--one focused on exploring culture, literacy, and autobiography through a master's course, and a subsequent voluntary book club called the Literary Circle, which continued for two years. The paper states that the study of the activity settings and participants' conversations in the course and the book club led to the theorizing about the meaning of "sustain" and "sustainable" when referring to teacher development in study groups. It first describes the research into the two study groups, as well as the underlying rationale for the thematic focus and value placed on conversations within the study group. It then shifts focus to a discussion of sustainability in light of the groups' described activities and subsequent initiatives. (Contains 27 references.) (NKA)

A study addressed two challenges in American teacher education: (1) the differences in background between a largely Euro-American teaching force and the diverse pupils it serves; and (2) the difficulty of teaching about literacy and culture in responsive ways. Working with a group of teachers, the study used ethnic autobiographies, written by authors to illustrate cultures other than late 20th century white America, combined with a context for discussion around these books new to many teachers--"Literary Circles." Results indicated that, for the teachers who participated in Literary Circles, the ethnic literature and autobiographies became the means for conducting autobiographical studies of their own lives and, in turn, led to changes in teachers' beliefs about literacy, schooling, and cultural identity. Findings suggest that the combined activities of reading, writing, and discussion have the potential to simultaneously foster personal and professional development. Contains 20 references and a 24-item list of works studied in the Literary Circles. (RS)

Staff development carried out within a conference format is multidimensional, ambiguous, potentially face-threatening, and complex. It is dependent upon the interactional work that takes place during face-to-face negotiations. The skills and knowledge of the staff developer cannot be shared with a teacher in a vacuum, but are dependent upon the social relationships of the participants and how they negotiate the purpose of the interaction and their relative status and roles within it. A case study is presented of a meeting between a staff developer and a teacher, demonstrating the social complexity of staff development and why it is so difficult to accomplish. (JD)