Understanding change in their own words: developing teacher mindsets and behaviours in primary government school teachers in India

Traditional teacher training in developing contexts often focuses on content knowledge, ignoring teacher identity and perspective. Increasingly, teacher mindsets, such as self-efficacy, commitment, motivation, and behaviours,... [ view full abstract ]

Traditional teacher training in developing contexts often focuses on content knowledge, ignoring teacher identity and perspective. Increasingly, teacher mindsets, such as self-efficacy, commitment, motivation, and behaviours, such as reflective practice, collaboration, are seen as important to sustaining professional development. However, little empirical research exists around these mindsets and behaviours in developing countries. STIR Education works in low-income countries to build teacher networks, through which teachers collaboratively develop solutions tailored to their context. Teachers in STIR networks use journals to reflect on changes in their mindsets, behaviours, and their impact on classroom practice. A thematic analysis of 20 journals in India was conducted to examine teachers’ lived experiences of these changes. The presentation will share initial findings to shed light on changes teachers experience in their mindsets and behaviours, how they experience them, and how such analyses can lead us to think differently about making teacher professional training and development sustainable.