A meta-study of teaching practitioner's conceptions of their work

Abstract

It has been posited that meaning making around occupation both fuels pursuit, and guides vocational development as conceptions form. This dissertation investigates post-secondary teaching professionals conceptions of their vocation with the goal of highlighting possible occupational developmental pathways. Through a meta-study of several phenomenographys a holistic view of the profession emerged. Utilizing existing findings from twelve contributing phenomenographic studies, sixty-one categories of description were gathered. These past findings provided the underpinning work conceptions of post secondary teaching professionals. These categories upon deconstruction into conceptions reveal different ways teaching practitioners could understand their vocation. Through an iterative process patterns of work meaning were sought by deconstructing, interpreting and synthesizing. A dynamic activity context of the vocation of post-secondary teaching emerged.Patterns of interaction appear to link with the professional's teaching intention. This suggests that interactions can be a dynamic meditational tool utilized for promoting learning, yet flexible to support teaching practices in often changing circumstances.