Using self-determined learning to improve teacher professional learning

As indicated in previous chapters, the dynamics of research investigating how to improve teaching requires us to investigate applied research within specific and distinct contexts. This is necessary to position research findings in relation to their clinical and/or professional situations, and derive value-adding insights capable of having an authentic, ‘real-world’ impact on practice. This chapter reports on research using heutagogy to promote self-determined learning (SDL) in relation to teacher training, using this research to promote online teacher professional learning (oTPL) in support of teaching improvement within an online learning environment. A key question for this chapter is whether or not online teaching and learning is able to be as efficacious as more traditional forms of teaching and learning, which tend to occur within a face-to-face (f2f) instructional context. Subordinate to this are further questions involving the relationship between oTPL and the purpose and form of research intended to investigate its efficacy; for example, which type of research best suits the particular situation and what model of online learning might be appropriate? We begin by focusing on why educators need to understand the importance of online teaching and learning. This has to do with understanding the impact technology has had on education in general, as well as the degree to which other factors, such as the use of school lockdowns as a measure to help control the covid pandemic, have also influenced our need to develop online teaching and learning skills as part of modern educational practice.