Integrating "just-in-time" learning in the design of mathematics professional development

Abstract

This paper describes a professional development (PD) programme design integrating just-in-time learning (JITL) to support teachers to learn about and enact inquiry teaching. Through JITL, teachers are provided with support that is responsive and applicable to their needs. This case study reports on the professional journeys of three teachers who received JITL via online resources, face-to-face meetings, opportunities for community building within and across schools, and reflections on pupils’ reactions to learning mathematics through inquiry. Findings indicate that JITL embedded within PD facilitated teacher learning about inquiry enactment, since the PD was responsive to teachers’ immediate and contextual needs. We suggest that explicit attention to JITL is given in the design of teacher PD, providing support that is made readily available for teachers to access and utilise.