Collaborative design as a form of professional development

Increasingly, teacher involvement in curriculum collaborative (re-)design is viewed as a form of professional development. However, the research base for this stance is limited. While it is assumed that the activities teachers undertake during collaborative (re-)design of curriculum materials can be beneficial, only few studies involving such efforts exist. Such studies regard effects on teacher attitudes, the quality of the designed artifacts, and/or implementation of the curriculum innovation at hand. However, they lack a theoretical framing for robust studies on teacher learning by design. Building on existing work, this paper presents a framework for exploring teacher learning through engagement in collaborative design teams. Thereafter, three cases are briefly discussed, each portrayed through the same framework. Reflections on the findings as well as suggestions for supporting teacher professional development through engagement in collaborative design activities are given.