Living In The Teacher Learning Community-An Ethnographic Study Of Teacher Development

With the start of the new millennium, many societies, including China, are engaged in serious and promising educational reforms. Teacher professional development becomes one of the key elements in the reform in China. This thesis aims to explore whether a traditional Lesson Preparation Group (LPG) in a high school in the current situation can develop into a teacher learning community which facilitates teacher development. This paper attempts to answer (1) How can a LPG develop into a learning community? (2)What impact may a learning community have on teacher professional development or even their life? (3)What should be the characters of teacher learning community which facilitate teacher development?The study was conducted among six English teachers in a LPG in Yucheng High School. The research methods adopted in the study were ethnography, narrative inquiry, case story method, and observation etc. The data came from teacher's reflective journals, teachers' e-mail letters, interaction of the learning community and conversations among teachers.The analysis of the data is both narrative and critical. The narrative account, consisting of four sections, pictures the whole process of how a LPG developed into a teacher learning community and illustrates the impacts the learning community has on teachers. Based upon the theories of teacher learning community, identity and teacher development, the analysis shows that while living in the community, teachers in the community pursued their development through the reconstruction and integrity of their identities. It also shows that their interaction in the community has the quality of community of the truth (Palmer, 1998), which consequently, facilitates teacher development. Fairclough's version of CDA supplies the major analytical framework for the critical analysis. The results show that there is no obvious distribution of power in our community and the memebers of the group can share equal rights and obligations, thus it is beneficial for the healthy development of community and also their individual professional development.Based on the analysis, the thesis draws the implications for the essential characters of a healthy learning community that facilitate teacher development. First, shared vision is the trigger and motion of a learning community. And the vision will develop together with the development of the community, when teachers understand and are understand on their way to their self-development. Second, suitable mechanism is the assurance of the development of a learning community. Mutual respect to some set rules of the community can ensure that the activities can be carried out smoothly. And also, an "invisible" leadership, which can be identified as a designer, steward and teachers, is necessary for the development of a community. Third, favorable environments can enhance teacher development in a learning community. The favorable environments reflected in this case study characterize themselves in three aspects. They are learner-centered, knowing-centered and community-centered, which means that community is built with the aims to be close to the truth of knowing, and each member can see their contribution and investment in the collaboration and learning.