Diversity in learning trajectories: Towards a tangible conceptualization of dynamic processes

Knowledge of which information teachers use in their sensemaking processes and how these culminate in competences is limited, but necessary to understand how teachers learn professionally in the workplace and how their development interplays with the change capacity of schools. This study aims at enriching the dynamic conceptualisation of these ongoing and situated processes, which in a previous study using a dynamic systems analysis were characterized by effort, intentionality, and sensitivity. For that purpose, log data have been coded along competence categories and subsequently learning sequences were constructed. Measures thereof were compared between two teams. The results point to the diversity in paths to develop knowledge and skills, but also to the restraints that types of tasks (of teams) bring with them. The hypothesis that can be distilled from this study, is that the contribution of teachers to the change capacity of their schools is accordingly divers and modest. The application of this type of study for future school improvement research will be discussed.