Newly qualified teachers and preservice teachers in collaboration in learning circles. Outro - Intro

The intention is to develop and test learning circles with both preservice teachers and newly qualified teachers in interaction with focus on developing professionality in teaching, and to strengthen the connection between theoretical and practical knowledge.
And
- to provide greater opportunity to get a strong foothold in the profession.
- to identify themes that ideally could be enhanced to a greater extent in teacher education.
- to encourage teacher students to write practical bachelor projects that can help them in the transition from education to profession.
The theoretical foundation is based on theory about
peer-group mentoring
inquiry-based collaborative mentoring
educative mentoring with a trifocal perspective in a Nordic understanding, which means mentoring, that does not primarily focus on special overall teaching concepts but rather on mentoring that must help the new teacher to understand and interpret students´ well-being, learning and bildung.
professional identity work
professional judgement
learning communities
Competence development takes place in two learning circles led by a trained primary facilitator and an observer who acts as a secondary facilitator (both associate professors and researchers in didactics). Each learning circle consists of four newly qualified teachers and four students.
The learning circles take place over a year with six meetings. If possible, it is implemented for two years.
Empirics are collected through the members logbook writing, observation of the learning circles and, semi-structured interviews.
The empirical material is analysed and thematized within its own conceptual universe.
Preliminary pre-analyzed themes appear to be development of professional identity and teacher role, such as: courage in the profession, strengthening reflection, tolerance of ambiguity, security and vulnerability, forward-looking actions, communication competences.
In Nordic countries we have no “Nordic model of mentoring”, but we are working on developing different models influenced by scientific and inspire each other’s to find some Nordic sustainable models. This project is a contribution.