School-Based Deliberative Partnership as a Platform for Teacher Professionalization and Curriculum Innovation

Book excerpt: Using cutting-edge and frontline research relating to present day problems in educational systems, this volume provides a critical discussion about political alternatives in education to neoliberalism. Based on Engeström’s Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT), a theory that has potential for new areas of educational research, this book explores a conceptual framework of curriculum innovation in school practice that focuses on processes of mutual meaning-making as boundary crossing between partners from different communities. Focusing on active professionalization and continuing professional learning of teachers as subjects, agents, extended professionals and curriculum makers in school-based deliberative partnerships with one another and with other educational partners inside and outside school, this volume is divided into eight accessible chapters and covers topics such as political and curricular considerations about educational change, deliberative partnership as a new way for reform, prospects for an innovative curriculum process and putting into action deliberative partnership-based curricular innovation. This volume is the perfect addition for teachers, teacher educators, researchers and practitioners who are looking to explore beyond the viewpoint that teachers operate in singular communities and the potential and possibility of an alternative framework for teacher learning in the future.