A Whole Brain® Action Research approach to the development of a beginner teacher self-regulated professionalism framework

Abstract

This study explored the transformation of a facilitative mentor’s practice and cultivation of her self-regulated professionalism and the construction of a beginner teacher self-regulated professionalism framework using a Whole Brain® Action Research design. Although a mentoring framework was the end-product of this study, the process involved the cultivation of the self-regulated professionalism of the beginner teachers. Working within a community of practice, eight beginner teachers reflected on their own professionalism while identifying factors that inhibit the development of their professionalism. The facilitative mentor not only focused on the beginner teachers’ reflections but also on her own observations to improve her practice as mentor and enrich her self-regulated professionalism. During focus group sessions data was collected both qualitatively and quantitatively. Quantitative data comprised the brain profiles of the beginner teachers that was generated by the Hermann Whole Brain® Instrument (HBDI®). This instrument determined the thinking preferences of the beginner teachers. The brain profile of the facilitative mentor was done prior to the study and was used as baseline data. Qualitative data included video recordings, observations, feedback questionnaires and reflections. The beginner teachers also generated qualitative data through the process of Interactive Qualitative Analysis. Qualitative data were collected throughout the focus group sessions as well as after the sessions. Finally, the beginner teachers determined the structure of the mentoring framework themselves as part of their self-regulated professionalism. The findings indicate that the construction of a beginner teacher self-regulated professionalism framework contributed to the cultivation of the self-regulated professionalism of both beginner teachers and a facilitative mentor’s practice.