Professional and academic knowledge in teachers’ research: An empowering oscillation

• Published in: European educational research journal EERJ Vol. 19; no. 6; pp. 587 - 608
• Main Authors: Bergmark, Ulrika, Erixon, Per-Olof
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01.11.2020
• Subjects: academic knowledge; Academic Language; Academic literacies; Action Research; Discourse Analysis; Education; Educational Practices; educational work; Faculty Development; Foreign Countries; Graduate Study; knowledge structures; Masters Programs; Pedagogical Content Knowledge; Pedagogik; pedagogiskt arbete; PIUF; Research Reports; Teacher Attitudes; teacher knowledge; teacher research; Teacher Researchers; Theory Practice Relationship; Writing (Composition); Sweden; knowledge structures; academic knowledge; teacher knowledge; teacher research; Academic literacies
• ISSN: 1474-9041; 1474-9041
• DOI: 10.1177/1474904119890158

In this article, we study the academisation of the teaching profession in Sweden, which follows contemporary trends in other Nordic and European countries. The specific aim was to analyse 14 reports written by researching teachers enrolled in a master’s programme to investigate how they perceive, interpret and value academic and professional knowledge. The conceptual framework comprises theories concerning academic literacies and knowledge structures. The report analysis focussed on scope, aims and research questions, and how the researching teachers related to teacher knowledge and academic knowledge, normativity and a critical approach. After a preliminary analysis, the researching teachers were invited to participate in the analysis, giving their contextual understanding. The study indicates that the reports were based on empirical data and situated in a professional context, with the aim of exploring and understanding professional issues in relation to research, national policies and professional teacher experience. Report orientation was deeply nourished by teacher knowledge. The researching teachers’ contextual knowledge both benefitted and challenged academic knowledge and vice versa, with the ambition to improve practice. Accordingly, the teachers’ contextual knowledge can deepen the understanding of a research phenomenon. There was an empowering oscillation between teacher knowledge and academic knowledge in the teachers’ research.