Benefits of Collaborative Action Research for The Beginning Teacher
Source: Teaching and Teacher Education, Volume 25, Issue 2, February 2009, P. 344-349.
Beginning teachers are confronted with many issues as they begin their teaching careers, issues, such as classroom management, individual differences, behavior problems, dealing with parents, and so on. Many beginning teachers take professional development seminars in an attempt to deal with these and other issues. Professional development seminars, however, may not address the specific issues faced by beginning teachers but rather focus on approaches that are more global. In this article, the authors argue that the best approach to professional development is through a collaborative action research model. By extending the partnerships established between student teachers, mentor teachers and university supervisors during student teaching into the beginning teachers' career, many of the everyday problems can be confronted within a supportive network. Several recommendations are offered for beginning and maintaining productive CAR relationships.