Facilitators' specific discourse strategies to construct socio-emotional dynamics promoting collaboration and dialogue in teachers' professional development

Abstract

Collaboration among teachers and a dialogical orientation are key features of effective professional development (PD). For this orientation to appear, safe socio- emotional dynamics need to be built. An observational study, using a descriptive system of data analysis, was carried out to identify the specific discourse strate- gies that an expert facilitator used to promote socio-emotional dynamics during a one-year PD process. We identified nine facilitator’s specific discourse strategies intended to promote mutual trust and egalitarian inclusion among the participants. We also found that the facilitator’s use of these strategies varied in different moments of the PD process.