Making Meaning of Teacher Registration from a Group Perspective

In early childhood education in Aoateroa/NewZealand, teachers work together as team members and are required to participate in a shared understanding of the philosophy of their early childhood setting. Teacher registration guides teachers through a process, where they work towards becoming valued early childhood education professionals. In this investigation a monthly facilitated registration meeting became the forum for five teachers working at the same early childhood education setting to join with their colleagues and registration tutor and discuss thoughts, beliefs, assumptions and aspirations in regards to teaching and learning practice. Group discussion and individual written narrative reflections act as tools for communication for members of the registration group. Practitioner research guided the research investigation as well as the registration process, allowing room for teachers to theorise about their practice and the practice of their colleagues. An action research framework developed which has been termed reflexive action research and supports the concept of a registration tutor as researcher. This study aligns itself with sociocultural notions of learning.