Enhancing teacher growth through conversation: an analysis of colleague conversation during the planning and teaching of a reading assessment course

Abstract

This ethnographic study explores the nature of the conversations between two colleagues, a more experienced and a less experienced university professor, during the planning sessions, class meetings, and debriefings of a reading assessment course. The study describes what happened during the planning sessions and class debriefings of the more experienced professor, and how the conversations between the two colleagues assisted them in further developing their teaching. Case study methods (Bogdan & Biklen, 1982; Merriam, 1988) were used to conduct and analyze the study. The data included field notes, course documents, and transcriptions of the audio taped planning sessions, class meetings, and debriefings.