TY - JOUR
T1 - STEM professional learning
T2 - supports and tensions with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabian teachers’ immersion experiences in Australian schools
AU - Kewalramani, Sarika
AU - Adams, Megan
AU - Cooper, Rebecca
N1 - Funding Information:
The level of English proficiency of the KSA teachers created tensions between making meaning of conversations and understanding the STEM integration presented during the school immersion experience. During the interviews, all KSA teachers interviewed acknowledged that the support from the Ministry as the scholarship enabled them to live in Australia for one year helped them learn English. The teachers indicated their own motivation to learn, supported by the specialised English tuition and the time in school immersion helped to improve their English proficiency and, in turn, contributed to the process of understanding STEM integration were also noted as supports. The teachers were aware that their ability to discuss and understand STEM integration was related to improvement in their language skills.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
PY - 2022
Y1 - 2022
N2 - A novel way to support change and development in a country’s education system is to send teachers abroad on a professional learning program, so that they become immersed in a different culture, language and education system. The focus of this study was to investigate the supports and tensions created during a professional learning and leadership development program, in which teachers from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) (n = 45) lived in Australia for one year. A multiple case study approach was used to report on the analysis of individual interviews with the KSA teachers (n = 5) and their capstone projects. Drawing on the 2019 study of McChesney and Aldridge, we report on findings related to the teachers’ evolving Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) integration and leadership skills. Findings indicated that there were both tensions and supports for the KSA teachers. Tensions existed as the teachers were developing their English language proficiency and learned more pedagogical ideas about the integration of STEM into the curriculum. Furthermore, the KSA teachers benefitted from mentor teachers’ support in schools and modelling of leadership practices with respect to planning and through completion of a capstone project. Implications concerning an international immersion program are discussed.
AB - A novel way to support change and development in a country’s education system is to send teachers abroad on a professional learning program, so that they become immersed in a different culture, language and education system. The focus of this study was to investigate the supports and tensions created during a professional learning and leadership development program, in which teachers from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) (n = 45) lived in Australia for one year. A multiple case study approach was used to report on the analysis of individual interviews with the KSA teachers (n = 5) and their capstone projects. Drawing on the 2019 study of McChesney and Aldridge, we report on findings related to the teachers’ evolving Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) integration and leadership skills. Findings indicated that there were both tensions and supports for the KSA teachers. Tensions existed as the teachers were developing their English language proficiency and learned more pedagogical ideas about the integration of STEM into the curriculum. Furthermore, the KSA teachers benefitted from mentor teachers’ support in schools and modelling of leadership practices with respect to planning and through completion of a capstone project. Implications concerning an international immersion program are discussed.
KW - STEM professional learning
KW - Supports
KW - teacher leadership capacity
KW - teacher STEM integration
KW - teacher transnational immersion program
KW - tensions
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85129178857&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/13540602.2022.2062736
DO - 10.1080/13540602.2022.2062736
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85129178857
SN - 1354-0602
VL - 28
SP - 398
EP - 419
JO - Teachers and teaching: theory and practice
JF - Teachers and teaching: theory and practice
IS - 4
ER -