Fostering a community of practice: teachers’ experience of a blended model of professional development

Although sound professional development (PD) can positively influence teacher practice, many PD opportunities lack the support needed for teachers to explore and integrate new ideas into their practice over time. A group of six Late French Immersion teachers were presented with a PD opportunity designed to be blended, sustained, teacher-driven, grounded in practice and collaborative. The goal of the study was to describe participant experience with the PD opportunity. Data in the form of field notes, interview responses and participant logs was analyzed and twelve themes emerged. The PD opportunity was found to fulfil a specific need for the participants, who previously lacked opportunities to discuss and collaborate in a meaningful way to their teaching program. However, involvement with the online component use was sporadic, which was inconsistent with the participants’ advocacy of its use. Despite this, participants found the overall experience as being valuable to their practice.