This study examines elementary school teachers'
professional communities, showing that teachers belong simultaneously
to multiple professional communities, centered on different school
subjects. Using data from four urban elementary schools, we describe
differences between math- and literacy-based professional communities
and identify possible explanations for these differences. We argue
that professional communities centered on mathematics and literacy
instruction differ in form and function, partly because teachers'
conceptions of these subjects differ in terms of flexibility,
enthusiasm, and moral purpose. Understanding the nature of subject-specific
professional communities is vital, as professional community has
been shown to be an important determinant of teachers' learning,
practice, morale, and implementation of reform policies.
Page Hayton, Graduate Student,
Human Development and Social Policy, Northwestern University James P. Spillane, Professor of Human Development,
Social Policy, and Learning Sciences; Faculty Fellow, Institute
for Policy Research, Northwestern University
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