Teachers' lived experiences of professional learning in the workplace

This study aims to explore the lived experiences of secondary school teachers on the professional learning activities within their workplace. A qualitative research method with Phenomenological design was employed to achieve this objective. The participants were selected through purposeful sampling, focusing on the desirable cases such as teachers with varying levels of experience (less than 6 years or more than 10 years), full-time teaching experience, recognition as exemplary teachers or active researchers in lesson research and the other related festivals, experience as the head of the educational group, being teachers of special schools, and those known for their efficiency and expertise. A total of twenty professional teachers from Gonābād city's male and female secondary schools were chosen as the key informants. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews, and the open and axial coding were employed for the data analysis. Also, the validity of the results was obtained on the basis of the four criteria of Lincoln and Goba, with the assurance of the data obtained from the interview, the documentation of the data coding process at various stages and reviewing by the research team members. Findings revealed several categories that depicted teachers' experiences of professional learning in the workplace, including constructivist learning (reflective learning, learning from work, feedback, learning through experience), social learning (interactive learning, mentoring, and observational learning), self-directed learning (self-development and learning opportunities), virtual learning communities, and formal learning (short-term and long-term training). These categories offer insights into the complexities and dimensions of professional learning as perceived by the secondary school teachers. This understanding helps to support and facilitate the teachers' professional development programs in the workplace.