Non-Linear Perspectives on Teacher Development: Complexity in Professional Learning and Practice

The authors of this book offer non-linear alternatives to traditional perspectives on teacher development, drawing on a continuum of complex perspectives such as CHAT, complexity theory, actor network theory, indigenous studies, rhizomatics, and posthuman/neomaterialisms. They argue that research on teacher development should focus on process as much as product and that complexity perspectives can support forward-thinking, assets-based pedagogies. The book provides conceptual, theoretical, and methodological tools to understand current educational conditions in late capitalism and imagine otherwise.

Format: Hardback
Length: 372 pages
Publication date: 21 March 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Despite the intricate and multifaceted nature of teaching, prevailing perspectives tend to conceptualize teacher development in linear, dualistic, transactional, and human-centric manners. The authors in this book present non-linear alternatives by drawing upon a diverse range of complex perspectives, including Complexity Theory, Actor Network Theory, Indigenous Studies, Rhizomatics, and Posthuman/Neomaterialisms. The chapters included herein shed light on how different ways of thinking can aid in a more comprehensive examination of how teachers learn, encompassing relational aspects, human interactions, material elements, and discursive processes. They also offer insights into the intricate interplay between that learning and the outcomes of classroom instructional practices. Furthermore, the chapters provide situated illustrations of these entanglements or assemblages across various phases, from early childhood to secondary settings, spanning multiple continents. The authors provide evidence that research on teacher development should prioritize the process as much (if not more than) the product, and demonstrate how complexity perspectives can foster forward-thinking, asset-based pedagogies. Methodologically, the chapters encourage conceptual creativity and expansion, while also advocating for blurring the boundaries between theory and method and normalizing methodological hybridity. Ultimately, this book offers conceptual, theoretical, and methodological tools to understand the prevailing educational conditions in late capitalism and envision alternative possibilities. It was originally published as a special issue of the journal Professional Development in Education.

Weight: 848g
Dimension: 246 x 174 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032444208