Professional development through mutually respectful relationship: senior teachers’ learning against the backdrop of hierarchical relationships

Abstract

This article draws on interview data across eight months from Senior Teachers [ie experienced teachers who are subject leaders] in Egyptian primary schools, to explore how they described their learning during a professional development Project in which they led gatherings of interested teachers in Teacher Learning Communities. The article explores the hypothesis that an important ingredient for effective teacher professional development is an affirming relationship between the learning-teacher and their coach or peers. Carl Rogers' person-centred theory (1951 [1987], 1967 [1988]) from the psychotherapy context is explored here in an educational context where, as in many countries, hierarchical relationships control how professionals relate to each other and express themselves. The article concludes that an enhanced sense of professional value and authority can result from more mutually respectful relationships and become the bedrock for significant professional development.

The professional development needs of beginning and experienced teachers in four municipalities in Sweden

“…The responses that reinforce collegial models of professional learning augurs well to the nurturing of contexts that develop through 'mutually respectful relationships' (Hargreaves & Elhawary, 2019) rather than those that perpetuate individualised learning or are centrally imposed.…”

Examining Professional Learning Communities in National-Type Chinese Primary Schools in Perak, Malaysia

“…While examining the important roles of school leaders and teachers in developing and supporting PLCs in schools, Huffman and Jacobson (2003), Hipp and Huffman (2010) highlight that there is always a tendency that as due attention has been given to the importance of school leadership in promoting and supporting PLCs, the role of the teachers in supporting PLCs tends to be neglected. To a large extent, this issue may be linked significantly to whether teacher leadership that serves as the key tenet of PLCs (Hairon, 2016;Hargreaves and Elhawary, 2019;Roudledge, 2018;Harris et al, 2018), has been given much emphasis and attention. Although the importance of conversations in teacher learning communities has been spelt out among Malaysian schools (MOE, 2015), this did not warrant for such leadership sustaining conversations in the teacher learning community to be emphasised or established in the NCPSs.…”

Professional Learning Communities in Peninsular Malaysia: Comparing Day Secondary School and National Religious Secondary School

“…If learners are impeded by expressing themselves or reflecting on their own experiences without fear of being judged, of rejection or of failure, it is difficult to establish effective learning relationship. Hargreaves and Elhawary (2019) point out that only by establishing a relationship that encourages learners to trust their own experience, learners will open themselves to building new ways of perceiving and acting in the learning process. Consequently, they will exchange ideas or experiences, get feedback from colleagues, develop and share new materials as well as give each other moral support that encourage the developing of practical wisdom and creativity in the journey of continuous learning.…”

“…However, the tendency to conform to authority and the hierarchical relationships within schools may hinder the mutual respect and trust among teachers in the learning process. This kind of relationship usually does not encourage curiosity, initiative-taking and creativity within teachers in enhancing further self-learning and development that are crucial for the success of PLCs in schools (Hargreaves and Elhawary, 2019). As a result, PLCs will be impeded as this conservative and closed oriented learning culture does not encourage collaborative and agentic learning in the school community.…”