Investigating Teacher Professional Learning: A Case Study of the Abu Dhabi New School Model

The broad objective of the current study is to contribute to the understanding of teacher professional learning by focusing attention on practices and policies in the local context of Abu Dhabi New School Model. The study adopted a situated and social-cultural theoretical approach to teacher professional learning which maintains that teachers learn in their social context as they interact with other teachers, school leaders and students. The three learning theories, which build the conceptual framework of the present study, are (a) socio-cultural learning (Vygotsky, 1978), situated learning (Lave & Wenger, 1991), and organizational learning (Argyris & Schön, 1978; Senge, 1990). For the purposes of the study, a mixed-method design was used for collecting and analyzing the study data. The major aim of using both quantitative and qualitative data collection tools is to illuminate the way teachers construct both their individual and collaborative learning realities in their context, and how they use and understand these learning opportunities in relation to student learning and school improvement. Data were collected sequentially according to the explanatory sequential design. In the first phase of the study, a questionnaire was used to survey the whole teacher population. This was followed by a focus group interview to feedback the questionnaire results to the teachers and school leaders. In the second phase, two semi-structured interviews were conducted (i.e., teachers’ interview and school leaders’ interview). Findings of this study revealed that teacher professional learning inside the school lacked coherence, focus and strategy. The qualitative data also suggested that teachers lack agency regarding their professional learning, as many constraints seemed to hold them back from engaging in further professional learning opportunities. These constraints included lack of administrative support, lack of time as well as lack of choice in the school’s professional development programmes. Finally, recommendations and implications for policy and practice were drawn based on the findings of the study.