The aim of this research was to conceptualize adult learners’ professional development process in the context of the Alternative Physical Education (PE) Teacher Qualification Program, which took two years to complete. The focus of this research was to find out and clarify the essence of a professional development process and its elements, paths of development and relationships between them. This research also opens connections between the professional development and the educational solutions, which in this research have roots in andragogy (Knowles 1980, 1990; Savicevic 2008) and the model of integrative pedagogy (Tynjälä, Slotte, Nieminen, Lonka & Olkinuora 2006; Tynjälä 2010). The orientation is both to physical education and adult education.The group of 20 informants consisted of 27–48 year-old women (9) and men (11), all with a higher university degree. They had on average seven years of work experience as unqualified PE teachers. They studied during 2006-2008 in the multi-form Alt ...
read more ...The aim of this research was to conceptualize adult learners’ professional development process in the context of the Alternative Physical Education (PE) Teacher Qualification Program, which took two years to complete. The focus of this research was to find out and clarify the essence of a professional development process and its elements, paths of development and relationships between them. This research also opens connections between the professional development and the educational solutions, which in this research have roots in andragogy (Knowles 1980, 1990; Savicevic 2008) and the model of integrative pedagogy (Tynjälä, Slotte, Nieminen, Lonka & Olkinuora 2006; Tynjälä 2010). The orientation is both to physical education and adult education.The group of 20 informants consisted of 27–48 year-old women (9) and men (11), all with a higher university degree. They had on average seven years of work experience as unqualified PE teachers. They studied during 2006-2008 in the multi-form Alternative PE Teacher Qualification Program. All of them graduated as qualified PE teachers for primary school (grades 1–6) and secondary school (grades 7–9). The research data consisted of essays, reflective weblogs, open interviews and written stories summarizing each learner’s personal experiences about the studying process. The data was analysed by using the constant comparative approach of grounded theory.The Glaserian grounded theory helped me to create the substantive theory of the adult learners’ professional development process in the context of the Alternative PE Teacher Qualification Program, which turned out to be very holistic by nature. The main categories are the Transforming Self-image, the Expanding Understanding and Expression of Professional Opinion and the Increasingly Versatile Agent. One of the most important findings of this research is the core category named as the Emotional Core.
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