A Counternarrative to the Deprofessionalization of Education
Open Access DepositedThe Stories of Educators Who Lead Study Abroad
Abstract of DissertationThe Stories of Educators Who Lead Study Abroad
A Counternarrative to the Deprofessionalization of Education Decades of research expounds upon the benefits of studying abroad in higher education, including those in teacher preparation programs with a smaller body of literature exploring study abroad outcomes for in-service educators who participate in such experiences. Less is known about the outcomes of leading study abroad experiences for educators who facilitate such opportunities. Therefore, this study explores the perceptions of secondary educators who lead study abroad for secondary students to understand the meaning they make of working in a globally oriented professional learning community that takes shape within a centrally administered study abroad program in Washington, D.C. Public Schools (DCPS). The stories educators tell of their experiences are situated as a counter-narrative to the deprofessionalization of educators, a phenomenon endemic to U.S. education since the 1980s. A qualitative case study approach is used to explore perceptions and sense-making, and the generation and analysis of educators’ stories suggests that educators advocate studying abroad. Educators who lead study abroad also see themselves as members of a globally oriented professional learning community (PLC), albeit a less formal PLC than is traditionally implemented for school reform. Educators expounded upon their learning and development via the roles they assume while leading study abroad experiences. From this learning and development, educators possess professional characteristics that suggest their increased professionalization within the DCPS Study Abroad Program. Further work should be undertaken to explore the possibility of reframing PLCs as a grassroots initiative created by educators that span campus and departmental or content-area boundaries to encompass professional interests.
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