Teachers´ work group as professional development: What do the teachers learn?

1 Teache s’ Wo k G oups as p o essional de elopmen : Wha do he eache s lea n? A aceli Es eba anz Pila Mingo ance Ca los Ma celo Uni e si y o Se ille Spain Teache s and Teaching: heo y and p ac ice. Vo. 5, Nol 2, 1999, pp. 153-169. 1. P o essional De elopmen in Spain In he pas 20 yea s, eache p o essional de elopmen in Spain has unde gone p o ound changes: om an on-going aining cen ed on he uni e si y, using cen alized, con en -based aining models, o mo e-decen alized, mo e-independen models managed by he eache s hemsel es. F om hei bi h, Pe manen Semina s ha e helped o de elop a mo e democ a ic and mo e g ass- oo s p o essional de elopmen o eache s. The conce n o successi e socialis go e nmen s o Andalusia in on-going eache aining has been o o e eache s a a ie y o aining modali ies. The esul is sho cou ses (wo kshops) oge he wi h Inno a ion P ojec s and school-based aining. Why ha e such modali ies appea ed in Andalusia? The answe lies in he se ing in mo ion o a le -wing policy aimed a enabling eache s o manage hei whole aining independen ly: a policy o gi e inno a ing eache s hei head in se ing up eams o eno a ion in eaching. This policy has been well ecei ed by he eaching s a , especially he mo e inno a i e. In Andalusia, he e m Sel - aining P og amme is applied o he a ious aining modali ies ha a e aimed a he de elopmen o eache s unde hei own ini ia i e and esponsibili y. I is in ended o c ea e wo k g oups o eache s (who migh belong o he same school o no ), able o diagnose a eaching p oblem, whe he cu icula o adminis a i e, and de elop a p ojec o sol e i . This p ojec is assumed o gi e cohesion o he g oup o eache s, gi ing hem oom o lea n abou wha hey wan and a e mo i a ed by. The Pe manen Semina s a e a p ime sel - aining modali y inanced by he Boa d o Educa ion and Science o he Jun a de Andalucía. Pe manen Semina s ha e a long adi ion in Andalusia. They we e one o he main measu es adop ed in 1983 by he Jun a de Andalucía 2 ( he Regional Go e nmen ) when i became esponsible o educa ional policy. A policy o gi e suppo o eache s, who wan o change hei p ac ice, by se ing up eams o inno a ion and eaching. Wha a e hey, and how a e hey o ganized? Thei membe s a e eache s - a minimum o ou , and a maximum o 10. These eache s may belong o he same school o no ; hey may belong o he same educa ional le el o no - i depends comple ely on hem. They decide who will o m pa o he Semina . A ea u e o he Pe manen Semina s is ha o be ecognized and o ecei e public unds, hey mus p esen a wo k p ojec . This p ojec has o conside speci ic p oblems and si ua ions o e e yday p ac ice o he eache s aking pa in he Semina . In his a icle, we analyze some opics iden i ied du ing ou esea ch. The Pe manen Semina s should inco po a e aining ac i i ies, such as wo k in g oups o indi idually. The e a e no s ic ules as o when he membe s should mee , no how o en, excep o an es ablished minimum o 20 hou s a yea o he s udy and de elopmen o he chosen opic. Th ough his mee ing and s udy, he eache s di ec hei own aining. The co-o dina ion and wo king o he Pe manen Semina s is comple ely he esponsibili y o he eaching s a , and so is b oadly democ a ic. The Pe manen Semina s may ecei e ou side ad ice when he eache s hink i necessa y. Such ad ice is gene ally gi en by ad iso s belonging o Andalusian Teache Cen es. Howe e , a common complain o eache s is ha he le el o ad ice is low due o he small numbe o ad iso s a ailable. Wha is he ole o he uni e si y in he wo king o he Pe manen Semina s? In p inciple, none. The on-going aining o he eaching s a in Andalusia is o ganized by he Teache Cen es. These a e un by eache s o In an s, P ima y, o Seconda y Educa ion, and include, as men ioned be o e, a numbe o T aining Ad iso s, who a e also eache s. Uni e si y eache s can also ac as ad iso s on any app op ia e opic, a he eques o a Pe manen Semina . In 1992, he Andalusian Plan o Pe manen T aining o Teache s was se up. This was an a emp o es ablish a gene al amewo k o ac ion and co-o dina ion in he aining o 3 eaching s a . The Pe manen Semina is mean o be a sel -de elopmen ac i i y: "a con inuing sys em o g oup sel -educa ion and e lec ion in eams o eache s”. I mus ha e he ollowing cha ac e is ics: • Team wo k o communica ion and he sha ing o expe iences in educa ional asks. • The ac i i y ca ied ou in he Semina eme ges om he g oup as a whole. The unc ioning o he Semina comes om pa icula si ua ions linked o he eali y o he class oom. Pe manen Semina s a e a mode o wo k in g oup/ eam as a con inuing sys em o sel - de elopmen and e lec ion in he p ac ice o eaching. They a e a o m o s udy, analysis, and e lec ion on a opic chosen by he eache s hemsel es o acqui e a deepe knowledge o ha opic. They a e a necessa y connec ion be ween he acqui ing o new knowledge and he analysis and in e change o expe iences. They a e a mee ing poin be ween eache s wi h di e en aining backg ounds, in which he e lec ion and he in e change o expe iences akes p ecedence o e p ac ice. 2. Resea ch This a icle p esen s a s udy on he Pe manen Semina s in Andalusia, om he poin o iew o hei in e nal condi ions o lea ning and de elopmen . I is a desc ip i e wo k on he in e nal cha ac e is ics indica ed by he eache s hemsel es, hei in ended goals, hei opics o common in e es , and he indi idual and collabo a i e lea ning s a egies hey use. Ou undamen al ques ions a e: Wha lea ning can we expec o eache s wo king in Pe manen Semina s? Wha achie emen s can be conside ed ele an ? Wha a e he implica ions o he p og ams o p o essional de elopmen o eache s? We conside Pe manen Semina s an essen ial ins umen o he p o essional de elopmen o eache s, o inno a ion, and o he imp o emen o he school; and we a emp o iden i y he cha ac e is ics and he wo k sys em o he eache s necessa y o 4 success in aining ac i i ies. In a p e ious s udy on he P ojec s o Inno a ion, ca ied ou in he academic yea 94-95, we showed ha he i s s ep in ca ying ou p ojec s o inno a ion is de e mined by he Pe manen Semina s (Ma celo e al, 1996). Techniques o da a collec ion: he ques ionnai e. The da a o he s udy we e ob ained using a g oup ques ionnai e, in ended o be answe ed by all o a la ge majo i y o he eache s aking pa in each Semina . I consis ed o 34 i ems, including bo h mul iple-choice and open esponses, based on he six dimensions shown in Figu e 1. Fi s , he e a e desc ip i e da a: he Ti le o he Semina , a iables desc ibing he membe s (numbe , le el, cu icula a eas), and he mee ing place, e c. Secondly, he adminis a i e cha ac e is ics de ining i nd con ol by he Au ho i y, including con ibu ions o economic o o he ype o suppo . Thi dly, he di e en aspec s o g oup wo k: 5 expe ience, opic chosen, how he idea a ose, how he membe s wo k (desc ip ion o a no mal session), and asks ca ied ou . Fou hly, he in e pe sonal ela ionships es ablished o main ained be ween g oup membe s, be ween he g oup and he managemen eam o he school, and wi h o he colleagues; a he same ime, how co-o dina ion was achie ed, and wha p oblems we e encoun e ed. Fi hly, in o ma ion on he planning o he Semina , including he aims, he mos - equen ac i i ies, he esou ces, and he in e nal e alua ion o he g oup. The six h and las dimension e e s o he lea ning o he eache s, explo ed as h ee aspec s: eaching, o ganiza ion, and he g oup wo k i sel . Techniques o da a analysis. Analysis o he ques ionnai es had a quan i a i e componen and ano he quali a i e, depending on he ype o esponse. Fo he quan i a i e analysis, we used desc ip i e s a is ical es s o he package SPSS. Fo he quali a i e analysis, we used he analy ical echniques o quali a i e con en , iden i ying uni s o signi icance, and in e ing induc i ely he classes ha eme ged om he da a. The sys ems o classes we e ep esen ed on seman ic maps o help in he in e p e a ion, desc ip ion and explana ion o he da a ob ained. As he goals o each Pe manen Semina s a e idiosync a ic, he ques ion e e ing o hem was open. We ob ained a g ea amoun and a ie y o in o ma ion on his opic. I is an impo an one because i makes he Pe manen Semina s uni e in ag eeing on he in en ions, ocus, and di ec ion o hei e o . We used he p og am AQUAD 5.1 o analyze he weigh ing o ce ain classes o goal, and he equency wi h which ce ain p oposals we e epea ed (Hube and Ma celo, 1993). The sample. The Conseje ía de Educación o he Jun a de Andalucía supplied us wi h a lis o all he Semina s app o ed o he yea 1995-96: he e we e 2,000. We did no make a selec ion om he sample, bu app oached he Co-o dina o s o all he Pe manen Semina s, in i ing hem o ake pa in he s udy, and sen hem he g oup ques ionnai e. We s udied he wo k o 6 all he Pe manen Semina s ha e u ned a esponse: 616 Pe manen Semina s (30.8% o he popula ion), which included 4,840 eache s. In Andalucia a ha ime he e was abou 80.000 eache s (p e-school, p ima y and seconda y), so mo e o less he 6% pa icipa e in a Pe manen Semina . In hese Pe manen Semina s, he numbe o membe s anged be ween 4 and 10 ( he minimum and maximum espec i ely es ablished by he Educa ion Au ho i y, excep in excep ional cases, when a Semina o up o 14 eache s can be app o ed). Mos o he Semina s had 6, 7 o 8 membe s. The eache s o a Pe manen Semina migh belong o he same school o o a ious. I is in e es ing ha he o al numbe o schools included in he sample o eache s was 1,658. Mos we e om public schools (87.3%), wi h he es om p i a e schools. Con inuing wi h he desc ip i e da a o he sample, we hink i is impo an o indica e ha wi h ega d o educa ional le el, he highes pe cen age was o hose Semina s ca ied 7 ou a P ima y le el, ollowed by In an s and P ima y simul aneously. The numbe o Semina s including eache s a Seconda y le el was also high. The ques ionnai e was sen o he co-o dina o o he Pe manen Semina , wi h he eques ha he esponse was made a a mee ing. This was done in 59% o cases. In 30.7%, he esponse was made by he co-o dina o . The esul s. We p esen he esul s o ou wo k as he ollowing opics: aims: Wha a e he in en ions o he eache s making up a Pe manen Semina ?; he g oup: Wha a e he Semina s, and how do hey wo k?; and lea ning: Wha do he pa icipa ing eache s lea n? Who akes pa , and why? O he eache s aking pa in a Pe manen Semina , 42.4% belong o he same school, 12% o wo schools, 9% o h ee, 10% o ou , and 5.5% o i e. Mo eo e , when he eache s belong o di e en schools, 52% o hese schools a e in he same own o ci y. Mee ings a e gene ally held in one o he schools o which he eache s belong, al hough i is no uncommon ha hey a e in o he places, such as a eache ’s house. The mee ings las be ween 1 and 3 hou s, and hei equency a ies: 53% o he Semina s mee each o nigh , while 23% mee weekly. When we asked he eache s “How did he idea o c ea ing a Pe manen Semina come up?”, mos (52%) eplied " om sha ed needs o he g oup", o because o an "a emp o sol e a p oblem" (40%). The Pe manen Semina s ope a e in an open-ended way, and hei composi ion a ies h oughou he aining p ocess. O hose ha eplied o he ques ionnai e, 62% had been in ope a ion mo e han one yea , while 35% we e newly se up. Some 18% had been wo king wo yea s, 12% h ee yea s, 8% ou yea s, ano he 8% i e yea s, and 4% six yea s. A he 8 same ime, 57% o he Semina s said he numbe o hei membe s had changed. The main cause o lea ing he Semina was a change o school (35.9%). The pe cen age o pe sonal con lic s was e y low (4.2%). Aims. Wha a e he in en ions o he eache s who make up a Pe manen Semina ? Table I shows he esul s o he analysis o quali a i e con en , es ablished in classes, subclasses, and speci ic codes e e ing o he aims included in each, as gene a ed by he da a. I also shows he equency wi h which hese aims appea when applying he echnique o AQUAD.3; he aims a e lis ed wi hin each subclass in descending o de o equency. As can be seen, he aims a e g ouped a ound he h ee basic componen s o educa ion: he pupils, he eache s, and he cu iculum. Aims ega ding he pupils. Pupils a e conside ed by eache s as subjec s who lea n and who could lea n mo e and be e . The i s subclass eme ging om he da a is lea ning. Wha is he lea ning ha conce ns o in e es s eache s? Fi s , he e is cul u e, o help he pupils disco e he Andalusian cul u e, and o become cul u ed ci izens, who know, alue and “ enew” he eal o m and exp ession o hei his o ical, a is ic, linguis ic, and li e a y he i age. Ano he impo an lea ning echnique, al hough a a conside ably lowe le el, is hough : “lea ning o hink”, o o de elop cogni i e and me acogni i e skills, as a medium inducing pupils o become mo e ac i e and sel -dependan in hei lea ning; o lea n o be (pe sonal lea ning), and o in eg a e o he a eas o lea ning, such as habi s o heal h, cla i ica ion o alues, he acquisi ion o sexual iden i y, and he de elopmen o sel -concep and sel -es eem; o lea n o li e oge he and o co-ope a e, espec ing plu ali y (social lea ning); and, inally, o lea n o do ( echnological lea ning), abo e all o use he new echnologies. A a hi d le el o impo ance is ecological lea ning  in e es in he espec o and ca e o he en i onmen . 9 All hese aims a e included in he Educa ional Re o m, so ha Pe manen Semina s con ibu e o i s implemen a ion. A he same ime, we hink i signi ican ha h ee o he se en opics p oposed by he Au ho i y o s udy in he sel - aining p ojec s a e p ecisely “Andalusian cul u e”, “T ans e se co es o he cu iculum” and “New echnologies o In o ma ion and Communica ion”. In only a ew cases do eache s p opose o educe educa ional ailu e by imp o ing he educa ional quali y. Aims ega ding eache s. Pe manen Semina s a e a means o lea ning o eache s, p omo ing hei p o essional de elopmen , and a e so conside ed by hem. The i s subclass ha eme ges is wha we ha e called esea ch/ aining, om he eache s’ own e minology: “ … o con e he Semina in o a esea ch communi y whe e we can sha e ou class oom expe iences, and, h ough hem, dialogue” (S.P.003, 2749-2751). The mos p ecise aims e e o p o essional g ow h: he in e change o expe iences, he upda ing o scien i ic knowledge, and discussion and c i ical e lec ion. In second place a e hose lea ning echniques ha ha e an impac on eaching, such as changes in me hods, he e iew o eaching-lea ning p ocesses, and he imp o emen o eaching p ac ice. Las ly, he e is he desi e o imp o e ela ionships be ween all he sec o s o he communi y, by lea ning o collabo a e in g oups. O he aims p oposed by he eache s ega ding hei p o essional de elopmen a e o know and o assimila e he educa ional ision in he LOGSE (Ley de O denación Gene al del Sis ema Educa i o; o S a u e o he Gene al O ganiza ion o he Educa ion Sys em), which was passed in 1990, bu is s ill in he implemen a ion phase; o co-o dina e wi h o he educa ional agencies and wi h pa en s; and o p omo e he in e es o o he eache s and s imula e bo h s a and pupils o he school. TABLE I 16 ha e adop ed “an open a i ude owa ds inno a ion”, which is an impo an aspec o lea ning o class oom wo k. Wha mos in e es s eache s is, ob iously, he daily eaching-lea ning p ocess, bu he e is also some in e es in ge ing new knowledge and concep s, p o iding an inno a i e unde s anding o he philosophy in he Re o m: wo k on cu icula p ojec s bo h a school le el and wi hin a pa icula cu icula a ea. In addi ion, he e is a need o lea n how o make he ecommended cu icula adap a ions possible, by bo h be e planning o he eaching uni s and g ea e adap a ion o he needs o he pupil. This need ex ends o o he aspec s, such as he p epa a ion o ma e ials, he capaci y o lead a class o di e en le els, and adap a ion o he cu iculum in he di e en schools o which he eache s o he Semina belong; in summa y, eaching and cu icula planning o adap a ion o he needs o pupils -- a new ield o inno a ion, wi h a wide iew on special educa ional needs, implying g ea e h us om eache s in hei class oom deli e y; and gi ing eache s he chance o gain con idence ega ding inno a ions, which hey unde s and “as a new a i ude in on o a new class, like a challenge”. They also gain in o ma ion abou speci ic opics, and abou he cul u e o he pupils. Planning is a p o essional si ua ion in which he eache s indica e wha hey ha e lea ned by wo king oge he . This means he p epa a ion and p og amming o new, all-encompassing subjec s, he p epa a ion o wo k guides o use in he class oom, and an open a i ude owa ds inno a ion: “we ha e been able o plan di e en opics (heal h, consume ques ions, en i onmen , coeduca ion, e c.) and a new way o including hem in he class oom, oge he – he educa ional communi y”. This si ua ion has gi en he eache s an oppo uni y o sha e eaching expe iences, and o become be e in o med abou wha is happening in he schools. A he same ime, i has p o ided a p ac ical oppo uni y o imp o ed analysis in he class oom, based on obse a ion and expe imen a ion: “we ha e lea ned o de ine and iden i y he beha iou o ou pupils clea ly, o ac consis en ly and au oma ically in di icul si ua ions, and o b eak up class oom isola ion”. 17 Wi h ega d o eaching esou ces, he Semina has a double unc ion: i p omo es he p epa a ion o new ma e ials, “ o ha e mo e ma e ials o s udying he en i onmen and o coun on he suppo o expe ience”, and, a he same ime, i is an occasion o ge ing o know and a emp ing o use new ma e ials, abo e all hose connec ed wi h he New Technologies “imp o emen in mas e ing he compu e , in pa icula wo d p ocesso s and da abases o educa ional aims”. Teache s also ecognize ha ia he Semina hey ha e a g ea e s imulus o use mo e esou ces in gene al: “we ha e lea ned o use he esou ces o he school and adap hem o he class oom”. E alua ion is a sou ce o lea ning o eache s, bu o a lesse deg ee; ew g oups e e ed o he opic; he g ea es in e es was he sea ch o uni ied c i e ia in o ma i e e alua ion, which could, in u n, help in he e alua ion o lea ning p ocesses. P ac ical applica ion o wha hey lea n is ano he conce n o eache s in hei aining. They need o ha e a clea idea o he e ec i eness o hei lea ning; in his sense, hey eel mo i a ed o g oup wo k because “i means eaching en ichmen by he in e change o expe iences among he membe s o he g oup, and a deepe p ac ical applica ion o heo e ical aining”. b) The lea ning o eache s ia he g oup. P ac ically all lea ning phenomena a e he esul o di ec expe ience, hough hey may de i e ica iously om obse ing he beha iou o o he s and he consequences o such beha iou . Lea ning by obse a ion enables he indi idual o gene a e and egula e pa e ns o beha iou , and hus has a g ea e ec in he p ac ice o eaching. Teache s, du ing g oup wo k, a e imme sed in ne wo ks o p o essional ela ionships. The opinions and beha iou o hose enjoying he same p o essional s a us ha e a g ea e ec in he dissemina ion o he p ac ices adop ed by ce ain membe s o he g oup. Wha ha e he eache s aking pa in he Pe manen Semina s achie ed? 18 Almos all lea ning is he esul o di ec expe ience, al hough i may be ica ious, by obse a ion o he beha iou o o he s and o he consequences ha such beha iou p oduces. The abili y o lea n om obse a ion allows he indi idual o gene a e and egula e pa e ns o beha iou , and hus has a g ea impac on he p ac ice o eaching. In his ega d, he eache s a e qui e clea abou he lea ning acqui ed. Abo e all, hey emphasize posi i e pe sonal ela ionships which, howe e , ha e o be wo ked a : “ou ela ionships inside he g oup a e e y good; a i s , he e we e qui e a lo o p oblems which we o e came wi h ime; he e is ic ion om ime o ime, disag eemen s and di e ences, bu we ge o e i ”; in addi ion, hey hink i impo an “ o know how o ake c i icism om colleagues and how o pick up he pieces when opics a e begun badly”, because i is a g ea oppo uni y o inc ease knowledge and imp o e p ac ice. All he g oups men ioned he need “ o be ole an and espec he ideas o o he s, e en when he membe s o he g oup ha e e y di e en inclina ions”. In mos cases, he esul s a e a ou able: “we ha e enjoyed a g ea iendliness and ha e lea ned 19 om each o he ”. “In e pe sonal ela ionships ha e been cemen ed, ideas ha e been p oposed and wo ked on in common”. Lea ning equi es p ocesses o delibe a ion as an essen ial pa o he p ojec s ca ied ou in common, in which, acco ding o he eache s, “we ha e lea ned o consen on ce ain opics”. The eache s also eel he need o join e lec ion; g oup wo k p o ides, abo e all, “many occasions o e lec ion”, because “wha is impo an is o e lec oge he , o ind he co-ope a ion and suppo o colleagues”. By communica ion, delibe a ion, and e lec ion hey a e able o lea n oge he wha is done by o he s: “we ha e been able o go inside each class oom and see how each eache deals wi h con lic s, and wha solu ions a e p oposed”, “we ha e been shown di e en ways o esol ing p oblems, and he possibili y o p oposing solu ions a g oup a he han indi idual le el”. Ne e heless, he e a e di icul ies a ising om he di e si y o he membe s o he g oup: “ he mo e-ha dwo king and in elligen , wha e e hei age, should no be held back by he es o he g oup”. Howe e , hey ecognize ha p o essional imp o emen equi es his in e change and join e lec ion: “ he g oup is also suppo i e; we ha e o sol e he p oblems ou sel es, wi h e e ybody con ibu ing”. The e alua ion o he g oup, as a lea ning si ua ion, is e y posi i e: “g oup wo k eally is possible”, and de elops “ he capaci y o lea n, abo e all, om he expe ience o o he eache s”. The esul is he in e change o expe iences wi h he “imp o emen in a i ude owa ds eamwo k and he in e change o expe iences”, “ he bes hing has been he expe ience o wo king wi h eache s o o he a eas wi h he same aims”. In summa y, we ansc ibe wha one g oup o eache s said: “we ha e achie ed good in e pe sonal ela ionships, and a he same ime he c ea ion o he semina has allowed us o e lec on opics ha conce n us all, o analyze hem, and o look o solu ions. We hink i is e y impo an o know he opinions and expe iences o each and e e y one o he colleagues making up he g oup, o be able, i necessa y, o change o imp o e ou educa ional p ac ice, and o in e ene ac i ely in he playg ound o imp o e i and ans o m i , wi h he aim ha should always be uppe mos in ou mind: o pu he child en in o con ac wi h he open spaces and di e en ma e ials ha o m he building o knowledge, s a ing om hei own ac i i y in con inuous in e change and in e ac ion wi h he en i onmen . We ha e lea ned oge he by e lec ion, in e changing ideas and expe iences”. 20 c) The lea ning o eache s: he o ganiza ional aspec . I em 32 o he ques ionnai e asked abou he impac he de elopmen o he Pe manen Semina s had on educa ional cen es. One speci ic aspec was ha o o ganiza ion: Wha did inno a ion mean o he o ganiza ion o he school? The equency o esponse indica es ha his is no a opic g ea ly conce ning he g oups; mo eo e , hey conside ha a change a ec ing he school as a whole causes p oblems -- because o a di e ence o in e es s, o om in ol emen in common asks, o om leade ship and ad iso s: “ om he o ganiza ional poin o iew, i is di icul o lea n when he in e es s o each one a e so di e en : sala y weigh ings and simila dis ac ions...”; “ om he o ganiza ional poin o iew, i ou side help is no a ailable, i ’s always he same ones who ake he b un ”; “ he o ganiza ional aspec is pe haps whe e we ha e ad anced leas due o he lack o aining 21 and ad ice ha we needed bu lacked”. Howe e , he eplies do indica e which opics we e o mos conce n. One is co-o dina ion among colleagues: “a good oppo uni y o co-o dina e wo k a ionally, o ha e i eady a he co ec momen ”; “ he pe manen semina s a e necessa y o imp o ing co-o dina ion among eache s and u o s” and “ he e is much co- o dina ion among he membe s o he g oup” by “ he sha ing ou o asks, and h ough hei co-o dina ion, we communica e and p epa e wo k s a egies”. Ano he aspec is he p epa a ion o he School Plan, an educa ional p ojec in common ha is he main wo k o some g oups: “we a e p epa ing he S.P.”; “ he semina is used o he p epa a ion o he cu icula p ojec s o he second cou se o seconda y educa ion, and o he School Cu icula P ojec ”. In such cases, co-o dina ion is seen o be necessa y be ween he di e en cou ses, among he eache s, and be ween he depa men o o ien a ion and he u o s. An o - epea ed e e ence is ha o in eg a ing he di e en a eas o he cu iculum. This means co-o dina ion o he di e en a eas ega ding cu icula con en and he sea ch o in e disciplina y ea u es, and in he use o esou ces: “i has helped us encompass and in eg a e a eas”; “we ha e gone deepe in o co-o dina ion and in eg a ion o he di e en subjec a eas”; “ou in en ion was always ha his ac i i y was in e disciplina y, al hough we did ind ce ain p oblems”; “i has helped us encompass and in eg a e a eas”. An o ganiza ional opic ha canno be le ou is ha o ime abling and ooms, al hough i appea s e y a ely, and is always ela ed wi h some p oblem conce ning he g oup: “a p oblem in co-o dina ing ime ables and ooms o mee ings “. Conclusions. Compa ison o he goals o sel -de elopmen p oposed by he Pe manen Semina s wi h he lea ning acqui ed by he eache s e eals a g ea cohe ence and coincidence. I he p esen s udy has shown any hing, i is ha he wo k g oup is an ideal si ua ion o p o essional de elopmen . Teache s ind in i a way o imp o e hei ideas and p ac ices, and o achie e a g ea e sense and sa is ac ion in hei p o essional li e. Bu hey also ind he cu iculum as a sou ce o o ganizing a cohe en and aluable whole, being ounded on an 22 a i ude o collabo a ion ha o ien s he school in ca ying ou a Common Educa ional P ojec . Wha does his expe ience show us ha could be use ul in p og ammes o p o essional de elopmen ? We belie e ha he s udy demons a es ce ain condi ions ha he p og ammes should include: School based lea ning g oup. Lea ning in he wo kplace is being conside ed a new app oach o eache de elopmen . This means ha indi iduals o g oups acqui e, in e p e , eo ganize, assimila e, o change in o ma ion, skills, and eelings join ly. In his new pa adigm, he lea ning design emphasizes c i ical e lec ion. Bu lea ning wi hin he wo kplace in ol es e lec ion, because e lec ion, o e alua ion o wha has been done, becomes pa o he way in which indi iduals do some hing in a pa icula place. Teache s’ lea ning should be om hei own expe ience, and om di ec con ac wi h he p oblems. Gil Rod íguez and Ga cía Saiz (1993) no e ha in in o mal g oups, he ac o s necessa y o ag eemen among membe s a e (apa om physical closeness) common pe sonal needs, in e es s, and expe ience in wo k, and es ablished ela ionships, as we ha e ound in his s udy. Cons uc ing om expe ience and de eloping g oup skills. Since p o essional knowledge is based on p ac ice and obse ing he expe iences o o he s, he e ha e o be oppo uni ies no only o mu ual obse a ion, bu also o c ea ing si ua ions in which indi iduals and g oups can hink abou he p ocesses and con en o hei lea ning. A he same ime, g oup lea ning should be he objec o e lec ion, ocusing discussion on how he expe iences o he membe s can ha e an impac on hei wo k h ough inc eased pa icipa ion and collabo a ion in class oom ac i i y. C ea ing a clima e o suppo ha gi es sense o he p o essional communi y o he membe s, hei collabo a ion, and hei p o essional dialogue. And no only when dealing wi h g oups o mally cons i u ed o pa icipa e in aining p ojec s o he Educa ion Au ho i y, 23 as in his case, bu also wi h mo e in o mal g oups seeking school imp o emen . G oups canno be “g a ed on o” exis ing s uc u es, bu mus be eal cells o a new kind o o ganiza ion. Bibliog aphy Fullan, M. and Ha g ea es, A. (1992).Wha 's wo h igh ing o in you school? Wo king oge he o imp o emen .London, Open Uni e si y. Gil Rod iguez, F. and Ga cía Saiz, M. (1993) G upos en las O ganizaciones (Mad id, Eudema). Hopkins, D.; Ainscow, M. and Wes , M. (1994) School Imp o emen in an e a o change. (London, Cassell). Hube , G. and Ma celo, C. (1993). Voices o Beginning Teache s: Compu e Assis ed Lis ening o Thei Common Expe ience. En M. Sch a z (Ed.) Quali a i e Voices in Educa ion, London, Falme P ess, pp. 139-156. Ma celo, C. e al. (1996). Educa ional Inno a ions as S a De elopmen : an e alua i e app oach. B i ish Jou nal o In-Se ice Educa ion, 22, 2, pp. 185-201.