ABSTRACT

Physical education (PE) researchers demonstrate the benefits of collaborative continuing professional development (CPD) through the cultivation of professional learning communities (PLCs). Furthermore, this body of research reflects teachers’ empowerment as a current concern in the literature about PLCs. Although the importance of teachers’ empowerment in PLCs is recognised, there is much to learn about the facilitator's actions to create spaces for empowerment. The purpose of this paper is to explore the facilitator's actions in supporting PE teachers’ empowerment in a PLC. Action research framed this project in Brazil. Participants included six PE teachers, a facilitator, and a critical friend. Data sources included daily observations and reflections from weekly meetings with the teachers and the critical friend. Data were analysed using inductive and thematic methods. By engaging a Freirean view as a theoretical framework, it was understood that the teachers needed to empower themselves to survive in their reality, learn in order to be recognised at school, and act to change their micro-context. Accordingly, three themes represented the facilitator's actions to support teachers’ empowerment: (a) creating a horizontal relationship with teachers through dialogue; (b) understanding and respecting teachers’ learning and (c) struggling with teachers in their reality as an act of solidarity. These facilitator actions contributed primarily to building a democratic space where the teachers could name, critique and negotiate the barriers they faced. Although creating spaces for teachers’ empowerment provided the opportunity for improving teachers’ PE knowledge, these spaces fundamentally supported teachers in seeking better professional conditions, organising themselves as a community and pursuing social change.

摘要

体育 (PE) 研究人员通过培养专业学习社区 (PLC) 展示了协作式持续专业发展 (CPD) 的好处。此外，这组研究反映了教师赋权是当前关于 PLC 的文献中关注的问题。尽管教师授权在 PLC 中的重要性已得到认可，但仍有很多关于促进者为授权创造空间而采取的行动。本文的目的是探讨促进者在支持 PLC 体育教师赋权方面的行动。行动研究在巴西制定了这个项目。参与者包括六名体育老师、一名辅导员和一名挑剔的朋友。数据来源包括每日观察和每周与老师和挑剔的朋友开会的反思。使用归纳法和主题法分析数据。通过将 Freirean 观点作为理论框架，可以理解教师需要赋予自己权力以在现实中生存，学习以便在学校获得认可，并采取行动改变他们的微观环境。因此，三个主题代表了促进者支持教师赋权的行动：(a) 通过对话与教师建立横向关系；(b) 理解和尊重教师的学习，以及 (c) 在现实中与教师斗争是一种团结的行为。这些促进者的行动主要有助于建立一个民主空间，教师可以在其中命名、批评和协商他们面临的障碍。