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Article
Occasional Teachers' Access to Professional Learning: Final report for the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario, Provincial Office
Education Publications
  • Katina Pollock, Western University
Document Type
Report
Publication Date
1-1-2010
Disciplines
Abstract

The purpose of the study was to explore how occasional teachers engaged in professional learning. More specifically, it sought to examine the strategies occasional teachers used to participate in professional learning and the challenges occasional teachers experienced when attempting to engage in professional learning. This study employed mixed methods: 8 focus group sessions across the province of Ontario and an online survey. Four hundred and forty survey links were requested and sent out to potential participants; 371 surveys were actually completed. Findings in this report are organized into 6 areas. First presented are the responses of the entire occasional teacher population that participated. The data are then broken down into five more specific categories to provide more detailed information about occasional teachers who are retirees, new entrants, career occasional teachers, internationally educated occasional teachers and teachers in the north. This executive summary includes a brief description of the demographic makeup of occasional teachers, education and general work history of the occasional teacher workforce who are members of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO). A general synopsis of occasional teachers’ formal and informal professional learning is presented followed by some general recommendations.

Citation Information

Pollock, K. (2010). Occasional Teachers' Access to Professional Learning: Final report for the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario, Provincial Office. Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario. https://www.edu.uwo.ca/faculty-profiles/docs/other/pollock/Occasional_Teacher_Pollock_2010.pdf