Practicing complexity in teacher development research
A call to action and a caveat
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 18075111 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Barbara S Stengel (0000-0001-9724-237X, Vanderbilt University, corresponding author), Nadav Ehrenfeld (0000-0002-5263-3868, Weizmann Institute of Science) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 54 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 1-19 |
| Publication date | 2026-05-08 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1359-866X • E-ISSN: 1469-2945 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/1359866x.2026.2667783 |
| OpenAlex | W7160635348 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 32 |
We begin with the recognition that teacher development is complex, a recognition that has found its way into more and more educational theorising but has still not impacted empirical research in a significant way. Here we argue by example that forms of complexity theorising can be usefully employed both to frame empirical studies and to analyse data in ways that reveal rather than reduce the complex reality of teacher education and development, and we encourage other empirical researchers to take on this challenge. In the process, we foreground – and model as empirical researchers – Michel Alhadeff-Jones’ admonition that those who would employ complexity theory to investigate educational practice should take care to “follow the recursive feedback loops and dynamics” characteristic of that theory. Only by rendering the practice of research itself “as a learning process that does not require the reduction of antagonisms and the complementarities” can researchers remain open to the fullness of the findings regarding education that complexity theory makes possible
Action research · Call to action · Chaos, Complexity, and Education · Educational Theory and Curriculum Studies · Teacher Education and Leadership Studies
Embracing Complexity
The Challenge and Promise of Complexity Theory for Teacher Education Research
Complexity Theory
Conceptualizing Teacher Professional Learning
Teacher education between principle, politics, and practice
The temporal dimension of teacher learning in a video-based professional development program
Teachers in provisional schools for displaced students
Using complexity theory to understand teaching
Nested networks and neighbour interactions
Researching classrooms
Introducing Complexity Theory to Consider Practice-Based Teacher Education for Democratic Citizenship
Framing an Ecological Perspective on Teacher Professional Development
What Is Complexity Theory and What Are Its Implications for Educational Change
From Representation to Emergence
Educational Philosophy and the Challenge of Complexity Theory
Three Generations of Complexity Theories
Improving Impact Studies of Teachers' Professional Development
Challenging images of knowing
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |