Stories of professional growth : reflections on a multifaceted inquiry into the implementation and evaluation of a many-layered learning environment for in-service teacher education in Quebec

Professional development can take on many faces. In this inquiry, a professional development infrastructure, which included web and video materials as well as the description of processes, was piloted at two schools in Quebec's anglophone sector (n = 14). The inquiry, using techniques of case study, action research and narrative inquiry, took place between the months of January and June, 1999 and focused on how teachers and teams of teachers use the process and materials provided to further their professional learning in the field of technology integration in largely self-driven ways and utilizing local resources. Issues arising out of the inquiry cluster around (a) the technology infrastructure of each school, (b) the concerns and challenges surrounding technology integration itself and (c) professional development as a locally-driven process in schools. The utility of the findings is primarily in terms of the redesign of the professional development infrastructure in question and also the future design of any other large-scale professional development initiatives which have as a secondary aim the fostering of autonomous decision-making at the school level and a creation of professional identity and community