Abstract

This seminar explores how teachers build and define their identity within professional communities that cross borders. Increasing numbers of teachers work with colleagues from other nations in a variety of contexts. These include the fact that as professionals they may work in different nations during a lifetime of teaching; there are also many formally constructed opportunities for teachers to engage with colleagues from other nations run by a variety of organisations such as The British Council and also run by universities such as the International Teacher Leadership Project at Cambridge. Significantly, governments also often seek the direct transfer of practice via dialogue with teachers from other nations, with the goal of this leading to statistically identifiable improvements in children’s education. There is also a large pan-national federation of teachers unions, ‘Education International’, which looks to connect teachers by identifying common goals. However, although there is literature on the nature of professional communities and communities of practice and the relevance of these concepts for schools, there is far less research into whether these terms are relevant for teachers working together across national boundaries. In this seminar I will be discussing the results of a scoping study and pilot study that I have recently completed, as well as looking at these issues more broadly prior to commencing my field-work.