Special Issue: COVID-19: Education Response to a Pandemic

Volume 9 – Issue 2 – 2021

Teacher Professional Learning Whilst in Quarantine: A Case Study from
China
Kevin Laws
The University of Sydney
Australia
Feng Xun
Tengzhou Zhoudairu Kindergartens
China

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Abstract
Transforming two early education centres in China to incorporate the educational philosophyof Maria Montessori is a huge task. To induct teaching staff into Montessori’s philosophy,
pedagogy, and curriculum when their past educational experiences have been formed by a rigid,
traditional model added to the challenge. To further complicate matters the transformation took
place during lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the staff participated in acompletely voluntary capacity whilst in isolation. For this research project the authors collected
data through direct observations, surveys, questionnaires, individual teacher interviews, andfocus group interviews. How online professional learning for 35 staff members was planned,
organised, modified, and undertaken is outlined. Practical and technical issues involved inmoving from face-to-face to online teaching are also included. Teachers reported that the
professional learning program had prepared them well for when the centres reopened and thechildren returned.
Keywords: China, COVID-19, early childhood education, Montessori, quarantine, teacher
professional learning

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This article explores the professional learning of early childhood teachers in two preschools in
Shandong Province, China. The professional learning program was designed to bring aboutmajor and enduring changes to pedagogy and curriculum, and occurred at a time of unique
circumstances associated with the coronavirus pandemic in the first half of 2020.
The term “professional development” of teachers is well understood, however in a growing
number of countries the term “professional learning” is gaining currency (O’Brien & Jones,
2014) and will be used in this article. The Organisation for Economic Co-Operation andDevelopment [OECD] definition of teacher professional development/learning encapsulates
the concepts which have been identified as contributing to successful and effective teacher
professional learning:
Effective professional development is on-going, includes training, practiceand feedback, and provides adequate time and follow-up support. Successfulprogrammes involve teachers in learning activities that are similar to ones
they will use with their students, and encourage the development of teachers’
learning communities (OECD, 2009).
Literature Review
The elements of effective teacher professional learning and development have been the focus
of considerable research. In a wide-ranging review of the literature on teacher professional
development/learning Villegas-Reimers (2003, pp. 119–120) identified the following factors
necessary to create a “culture of support” for successful professional learning: collegiality,
openness, and trust; opportunities and time for inquiry; teachers learning in context.
In a policy brief on teacher professional development in the USA, Kedzior and Fifield (2004)
identified the characteristics of high-quality teacher professional development as including a
focus on content, the provision of opportunities for active learning, collaboration withcolleagues, and responsiveness to teacher needs. Based on a literature review of effective
contexts for teacher professional learning Timperley and colleagues (2007) added an extended
time for opportunities to learn and opportunities to process new understanding, thedevelopment of a learning culture, and the creation of conditions for distributed leadership.
Little (2012) conceptualised good teacher professional learning as being contextualised,
connected to issues of teachers’ practice, encouraging experimentation, collegial andcollaborative, and active as opposed to being “episodic, superficial and disconnected from theirown teaching interests and recurring problems of practice” (p. 22). To be most effective Harrisand Jones (2017) stated that “teachers’ professional learning should be appropriate, timely,
targeted and meaningful” (p. 331).
Based on a literature review of effective approaches to teacher professional development Borko
et al. (2010) stated that professional development content should be situated in practice,focused on student learning, take place in a collaborative learning environment, and involve
teaching practices modelled by the leaders of the professional learning program.
In Turkey, a qualitative study involving elementary school teachers Bayar (2014) found theparticipating teachers identified the characteristics of effective professional learning as
including meeting the teachers’ existing needs, involving teachers in the design and planning

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Volume 9 – Issue 2 – 2021of the activities, and opportunities for active participation (p. 319). These features also wereidentified in an editorial by Kennedy (2015, p. 1) in the UK.
With specific reference to early childhood education in Australia, Nolan and Molla (2018)
conceptualised professional learning as socially situated practice conducted in a specificcontext. They referred to the four C’s of effective professional learning: context, collegiality,
criticality, and change.
In a recent review of thirty-five “methodological rigorous studies” of effective professional
learning Darling-Hammond et al. (2017, pp. iv-v) identified positive links between effective
teacher professional learning, teacher practices and improved student learning outcomes:
1. The learning is content focused and develops specific pedagogies and teachingstrategies associated with related curriculum content.
2. Teachers are actively involved in designing and trying out teaching strategies thatinvolve the same style of learning they are designing for their students.
3. Opportunities are provided for teachers to share ideas and collaborate while they create
learning communities.
4. Teachers are provided with a clear understanding of what best practices might look likethrough shared curricular models and the modelling of instruction.
5. Professional learning activities and shared expertise focuses on the individual needs ofteachers.
6. The professional learning includes time and space for teachers to reflect, receive input
about, and make changes to their teaching practice.
7. There is adequate time for teachers to learn, practice, and implement new strategies thatfacilitate changes in their practice.
The factors outlined in the seven points identified by Darling-Hammond and colleagues (2017)encapsulate the points made by the authors of previous paragraphs and were used to analyseand structure the professional learning experiences of teachers in two early childhood education
centres (ECE) during the first half of 2020.
Context of the Study
When this study commenced in early February 2020, educational institutions in Shandong
Province, China, were prevented from opening after the Chinese New Year holiday because of
the outbreak of a novel coronavirus in the city of Wuhan. Prior to this, the decision to introduce
a Montessori approach to teaching and learning through a one-week professional learning
program for teachers in the two ECE centres had been planned. The lockdown meant thatteachers were not being paid and the Centre’s Director was not receiving any income from fees.
Nevertheless, all teachers volunteered to continue to participate in the professional learning
program.
For a number of years, the two centres had operated in different areas of the same Chinese city
under the ownership of the Director. Each centre had a Principal as well as teachers and carers,
and their daily management was relatively independent. For each thirty children the teachinggroup consisted of three people, a Head Teacher, a General Teacher and a Carer. The children
were organised into mixed-age groups from 2.5 to 6 years of age. This situation was different
from that which existed in most early childhood centres in China where the number of children
in each class group was larger and the children in each class were in the same age group.

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The professional learning sessions began online in February and continued until June. The
content of the early sessions had been planned but, as the length of time that staff wereprevented from meeting face-to-face increased, the range of topics for professional learning
grew. At first topics were largely determined by the Director, with input from the two
Principals, but over time the specific needs of individuals and groups of staff members wereacknowledged, and these needs became the focus of continuing professional learning activities.
In order to appreciate the challenges confronting the professional learning program it isnecessary to understand the external and internal forces that were impacting upon earlychildhood education in China and, more specifically, in the two centres in late 2019 and theearly months of 2020.
External Factors
In January 2019, the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council
announced that by 2025 preschool education would be available for all children (Zou Shou,
China Daily, 2 January 2019). This decree placed considerable pressure on the existing private
early childhood centres to conform to a fee structure set by the government, in order for thecentres to continue to operate.
At the beginning of 2020, awareness of a novel coronavirus (COVID-19) was recognised by
Chinese authorities. The initial centre of the disease, Wuhan, was shut down, as was much of
China. On 30 January, the World Health Organisation declared COVID-19 a Public Health
Emergency of International Concern, and as a pandemic on 11 March 2020.
Internal Factors
The Director had decided previously that the centres would adopt a modified Montessori
approach to ECE, and that it would be necessary to provide professional learning experiences
for all teachers in the new pedagogy and curriculum. To induct the teaching staff into
Montessori’s philosophy, when their past educational experiences had been formed by a rigid,
traditional model, provided a major challenge. Because of COVID-19 the government closed
access to all educational institutions in China and prevented the gathering of groups of people.
This meant that the mode of delivery for the planned professional learning program for thecentres’ thirty-five staff members had to be modified. Some practical and technical issues
involved in moving from face-to-face to online teaching became apparent. An added issue was
the level of training and the relative inexperience of many of the teachers. A few teachers were
university graduates, but most had undertaken certificate courses or were high school
graduates.
The Decision to Introduce a Montessori Approach
Late in 2018 the Director decided that both centres would be re-organised to implement a
Montessori approach to teaching and learning. She had attended short-term training programs
about progressive approaches to teaching and learning including those of Montessori, Reggio
Emilia and Waldorf and she had read widely from the works of John Dewey, Jerome Bruner
and others.
The Director wrote:
At first, I doubted the feasibility of applying any of these approaches in myschools in a city like my hometown, where parents all think education,
including early childhood education, is about academic performance. … I

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chose the Montessori approach because it gives teachers full practicaltraining to allow them to understand the core of the approach gradually.
Once the decision was made the Director undertook an official Montessori program herself
which provided her with a formal Montessori teaching qualification.
Montessori’s Approach to Education
Montessori’s training as a medical doctor, together with her studies in anthropology,
philosophy, psychology, education, and her experiences in teaching children with mental
disabilities provided her with a background to develop what she considered a “scientificpedagogy”. She wrote:
Our aim in education in general is two-fold, biological and social. From thebiological standpoint we wish to help the natural development of theindividual, from the social standpoint it is our aim to prepare the individual
for the environment. … The education of the senses is most important fromboth of these points of view (1912, p. 150).
She believed in the power of each child to learn through observing and adapting to life
especially in the important first six years of life, and advocated an education that would provide
children with a stimulating environment in which they could “experiment” and learn throughtheir experiences. She designed learning materials to be used in classrooms which allowed
children to identify their errors and learn without being corrected directly by the teacher.
Montessori emphasised the importance of the child in doing “work” (learning) by themselves.
She demanded that a teacher must be a careful and systematic observer of each child in order
to be aware of what and how each child has been learning, and when a child might be ready tograsp the opportunity to move onto different or more complex concepts.
Montessori saw a child’s natural development as taking steps towards achieving independence
through different “planes of development”. The first plane extended from birth until six yearsof age. In the first three years the child learns through sensory experiences. During the second
half of the first plane, a child learns in a more conscious way by being encouraged to actively
do things on their own (Montessori, 1912, p. 150).
Montessori wrote about a “new pedagogy” which has important implications for teachers.
It is my belief that the thing we should cultivate in our teachers is more thespirit than the mechanical skill [of teaching] … we wish to awaken in themind and the heart of the educator an interest in natural phenomena (1949,
pp. 28–29).
To be able to achieve this the school must be set up in such a way that a child may be observedin a systematic, yet unobtrusive way. She believed the teacher’s task was not to talk at thechildren, but to prepare activities, based on specifically designed materials which would assist
children to act and think for themselves. The child would be free to select the activity andmaterials that caught their attention at any time (Montessori, 1949, p.229). In this context what
is commonly thought of as a “lesson” becomes an experiment for the child. Any guidance132

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offered by the teacher should be brief, simple, and aimed at assisting the child to achieve thechild’s objective.
Implementing a Montessori Approach
In the centres about two hours every morning was spent using Montessori teaching and learning
activities and materials. During this time each child had access to a range of learning materials,
some devised by Montessori over 100 years ago, supplemented by newer materials created byteachers, but based on Montessori principles. Each piece of learning material was designed to
produce a specific learning outcome for an individual child. Some newer materials reflected
the influence of Chinese traditional art, festivals, and local cultures.
The learning materials were laid out on shelves which were easy for the children to access. The
children were free to choose any of the materials which interested them and to spend as muchtime as they wished using them. During this time the teacher systematically observed individual
children and recorded his/her observations in order to understand their learning anddevelopmental needs. In the afternoon, group activities which involved music, art, language,
and personal safety were organised according to the ages of the children.
There was a considerable difference in the level of qualifications and experience among thestaff. Four had a bachelor’s degree or above, while two-thirds of the staff either had a college
diploma or vocational school certification. A few had only completed high school. Some havetaught in traditional schools for a number of years, but others have only taught in schools for ashort time. The Director made the following comment:
Young teachers, who form the majority of our teacher group, don’t have theexperience of self-learning as they were taught in a traditional way. They
have little idea of how to stimulate the children’s active learning.
A persistent issue for most early childhood centres in China is a constant turnover of staff, withfew staying for more than one or two years. According to a report in the China Daily (2 January,2020) the shortage of public kindergartens and teachers can be attributed to the poor pay, heavy
responsibilities, and pressures from the children’s parents. The Director expressed a desire forteachers to stay for at least three years so they could work with the same group of children
through the whole of Montessori’s first plane of development.
Research Methods
This study, which took place over four months in the first half of 2020, is a qualitative casestudy and is interpretive in nature (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). It was conducted by the Directorof the two ECE centres. It is a requirement of the Chinese Government that teachers undertake
professional learning activities on a regular basis and that a record be kept of these activities.
This record of activities, together with the Director’s observations, reflections and interactions
with teachers through individual interviews and focus group interviews and a survey into
teachers’ preferred modes of professional learning, form the basis of this study. Apart from theidentity of the Director, no individual member of staff can be identified. The results wereanalysed by using the seven elements of effective professional learning identified by DarlingHammond et al. (2017). A limitation of this study is that it reports on the professional learning
program developed for the teachers, but it does not report on how the program changed teachingpractices. This will form the basis of a future study

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The professional learning activities for all staff were conducted online each morning for about
one-and a-half to two hours from early February until June while the schools were closed, andall teachers were isolated from each other in their own homes. Most of the staff members’learning activities were shared using “live broadcast” within the learning group on the Ding
Ding app. This meant that teachers could listen to presenters and view PowerPoint slides, but
questions to the presenter had to be typed into a message and sent separately in order to be readand answered. The computer screen showed the presenter in the upper right corner of the screenand questions appeared on another part of the screen. This approach caused some difficulties
for discussions, but alternative approaches, such as video conferencing, proved less successful
because of bandwidth issues and the lack of suitable software.
Results
The results of the study are reported under two headings related to the timing of the professional
learning activities and staff reactions: February-March, and April-June.
Phase 1: February-March
The first three professional learning sessions outlined what was involved in the Montessori
approach and illustrated how it differed from traditional Chinese education. The sessions
included the essentials of the Montessori approach and the different role for teachers. Teachers
were presented with ways of building a Montessori environment in their classrooms. Thesesessions were mostly theoretical and involved introducing elements of Montessori’s
philosophy in a didactic manner, although there were opportunities for questions andcomments. A very important part of the Montessori approach is the observation of an individual
child whilst interacting with the learning materials. Teachers were instructed on how to observein a non-intrusive manner, and how to record a child’s reactions towards and with the materials
in a systematic and regular manner. As an essential part of the first three sessions teachers wereintroduced to Montessori’s ideas of regulation and freedom of the children.
The succeeding sessions were more practical in their focus but difficult to conduct because theteachers were isolated from one another. Experienced teachers demonstrated and discussed
how they used traditional Montessori materials for all teachers to observe. This was particularly
useful for the less experienced teachers as they were encouraged to observe, note, and comment
on what occurred.
Teachers were asked to develop hand-made “complementary Montessori” materials to sharewith colleagues. In most of the sessions one teacher presented her new material in a manner
which demonstrated how it might be used in the actual learning environment and what learning
was likely to be achieved by a child “working” with that material.
The content of each of the sessions was found easy to understand and teachers thought the key
points were clearly emphasised and the content of each session clarified their work in theclassroom and inspired their practical work. They thought the presenters made interesting andinformative presentations and answered questions clearly. They especially appreciated the way
in which the presenters focused their main message on the teachers’ everyday work. Overall,
all participants were well satisfied with the professional learning sessions, although a few
indicated they would have liked more interactive activities, however the technology available
did not allow for this to occur at the level which was desired.

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A number of teachers found it very useful to be able to review each session at a later time as
this allowed them to clarify their thinking and reflect upon the important messages, as well as
picking up on points they may have missed initially. They indicated that when participating asa member of a group of 35 and interacting spontaneously it was difficult to grasp thesignificance of everything that was said.
After the initial three sessions it was decided that the following sessions should have a specificfocus resulting in teachers being provided with focus questions to consider in preparation for
the next day’s session. Some key readings were also provided to stimulate their thinking. These
measures assisted teachers, especially those with less experience, and provided a definite focus
for each professional learning session.
Table 1: Details of selected professional learning sessions based on Director’s notes
Time
11Feb.
(Day 1)

Topic of learning activities
Presentation: “The basic theories of Montessori
education” followed by question and answers

Presenter
Director

Learners
Allteachers

13 Feb.
(Day 3)Presentation: Observation and recording,
freedom and regulation”
Homework: Come to session with questions
about basic theories of Montessori education
Discussion: questions about teaching the areaof Practical Life in Montessori classroom
Sharing: hand-made materials for the area
Homework: hand-made traditional Montessori
sensorial material called “Pink Tower”
1.Question raised by teachers
2. Showing pictures of Constructive Triangles
II hand-made by each teacher
3. Sharing the making process
4.Three teachers demonstrate the process using
their hand-made materials in a live session or avideo recording uploaded to the online learninggroup
5. Discussion about the session and theuploaded video
6. Homework: 1) singing practice; 2) handmade traditional Montessori sensorial material
called Constructive Triangles III

DirectorAllteachersAnexperienced
teacher
One principal

Allteachers

18Feb.
(Day 6)25 Feb.
(Day 11)
4 March(Day 18)

Activity 1.
discussed byteachers anddirectorAllteachers
Allteachers

Activities 26. conductedby anexperienced
teacher

Two formal evaluations of the professional learning activities were undertaken in this phase.
In late February, a survey was distributed to all teachers and towards the end of March focus
group discussions were held involving all teachers, followed by separate focus group
discussions with specific groups of teachers, and individual meetings with beginning teachers.
The survey indicated that the majority of teachers spent three or more hours on the first three
sessions which focused on the basic theory of Montessori education, Montessori environment
and materials, and methods of observing and recording children’s learning. All teachersreported that the online presentations assisted them to understand Montessori’s approach, but

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most teachers found the sessions on the development and use Montessori materials were themost useful.
When surveyed about the forms of professional learning they preferred, the teachers indicatedthey preferred online synchronous lessons and interactive learning approaches best. The 31
respondents were able to choose one preferred form of professional learning, or as many asthey wished.
Table 2: Teachers’ preferred modes of professional learning
Mode of professional learning
Online live (synchronous) sessions
Online interactive learning
Off-line interactive learning
Workshops or seminars
Professional reading
Face-to-face presentations

Numbers selecting each mode
22 (1 person chose only this form)
22 (2 people chose only this form)
22 (1 person chose only this form)
20
17
14 (2 people chose only this form)

In the second part of this phase emphasis was placed upon developing materials based uponMontessori principles, and focus group discussions began. The majority of comments fromteachers indicated their interest was stimulated by the learning materials other teachers had
prepared, as well as developing a renewed interest in their own learning and their deeper
understanding of Montessori principles. Teachers commented:
I have become more skilful in operating these materials than before. My
memory [of how they should be used] was somewhat fading away, and now
it is refreshed (A Head Teacher).
At the beginning I participated in making new materials because I’m a leaderof a teaching group so I must make my presentation for our teachers as apositive role model. But eventually, I found it has become more and moreinteresting, so I make everything with a passion (A Head Teacher).
Making teaching materials improved my concentration and dug out mypotential. I did not think I could be so good. In the past I was a very carelessperson. When [my supervisor] saw my work she said she had got to know adifferent me (A less experienced teacher).
The focus group discussions with the less experienced teachers provided some additional
insights into their uncertainties and lack of experience. Despite encouragement from presenterssome of the younger teachers felt shy and uncertain about contributing to the discussions andasking questions publicly. The following comments from less experienced teachers indicate
this:
I wanted to listen to other teachers about how to answer first and then answer
myself. But by then the discussion had moved to the next question too quickly.
In spite of this, listening to the issues that teachers discussed together was very useful:136Special Issue: COVID-19: Education Response to a Pandemic

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Listening to the teacher’s story about their class and the teacher’s answers isvery helpful. In the future, if I encounter such children or such situations, I
will know how to help them. I have learned some methods from otherteachers’ experiences.
Some less experienced teachers were concerned that different teachers used the learningmaterials in slightly different ways. This confused them because they seemed to think that there
was only one correct way to use the materials. Some beginning teachers commented:
I found that teachers have their own operating habits, and there aredifferences. I hoped to have a unified approach which I could follow in the
future.
and,When we watched the replays of live broadcasts, some teachers presented
materials in different ways. We got confused and don’t know which one iscorrect.
This reflects their reliance upon their previous experience associated with didactic approaches
to teaching and learning. However, it was obvious that less experienced teachers found thesessions useful and one suggested that the broadcasts and videoconferences could betransferred to videos. This would allow the teachers to re-watch and re-listen to presentations
and discussions and help overcome the problems of poor computer connections. This would
help them clarify issues that were missed while they tried to be active in the discussions.
A written comment by the Director towards the end of March provides a positive view of theresults of the program at that time:
This morning I was so surprised by the quality of the hand-made materials
the teachers made at home. They are so sophisticated. It has been such a joy
to be involved in the teachers’ experience-sharing in the morning learning
sessions. I believe this group is so much better than before. It is so unexpected
but a great achievement while we’re losing so much during the pandemic.
This keeps me feeling hopeful and that we will be successful in being able tobattle this most difficult situation that we have ever met.
Phase 2: April-June
During April and May discussion groups and online learning activities continued. Specialised
online discussions and activities were set up for different groups of teachers. These groups
were led by the Director and the two Principals and focused on the different work and needs ofclusters of teachers.
In April a series of sessions for the Principals and Head Teachers began. When asked to suggest
issues which would form the basis of these sessions, they identified the following:
•
•
•
•
•

How to understand children better through observing their behaviours;
How to improve leadership;
The methods of developing children’s abilities;
How to build up better trust with parents through communication;
How to organise the daily work better;

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The management of a Montessori class;
How to build a cohesive and energetic team;
How to deal with an injured child.

Materials on each issue were prepared and the Head Teachers were provided with one or two
readings prior to each session. Head Teachers were encouraged to use their previous
experiences to provide “real” scenarios for discussion. Details of selected sessions based on
the Director’s notes are presented below:
Table 3: Selected professional learning sessions for Head Teachers
Time
24
March
(Day 1)

Learning Activities
1. Participants vote for the issues that concern
them most to choose the contents for theirlearning that could most help them at theirposition in the centres

Presenter
Director

Learners
Head
Teachers
andPrincipals

31
March
(Day 2

1. Presentation: Team Cohesion and Personal
Leadership:• Understand yourself better• Teambuilding and cohesion• Core management skills and leadership
2. Interaction with learners about:
What kind of person am I?
3. Homework: Describe your strengths andweaknesses. Devise a plan to improve yourstrengths and overcome your weaknesses.
Presentation: Team Work and Efficiency
Management• Time management• Plan-making• Power of regulation
Homework:• Prioritising your work
• Short term and long-term goals for yourteam
• Describe a conflict among children andprepare your language to help solve theproblem
Discussion: Studying the book “Understanding
and Positive Guidance of Children”• Indoor environment that suits children’sdevelopment• Positive communication• Effective interference of behaviour
guidance.
• Real examples

Director

Head
Teachers
andPrincipals

Director

Head
Teachers
andPrincipals

Director

Head
Teachers
andPrincipals

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Towards the end of May some less experienced teachers were becoming aware of the pressure
parents were likely to put on them once the children returned. They wondered how they might
gain parents’ trust. The young teachers were aware that the Montessori method was very
different to what they had experienced in their own education. They thought it might be difficult
to convince parents that the children were learning because it might appear that the children
were “playing” with materials rather than “learning”. The Director, together with the two
Principals decided that the parents needed to be aware of the basis of the Montessori approachand to accept it as the way in which learning now takes place in the two ECE centres. The
Director planned to have meetings for parents once the coronavirus quarantine was lifted to
explain the processes involved in a Montessori approach. In the meantime, parents were
provided with online materials which explained Montessori education.
Over the period of physical isolation necessitated by COVID-19, the Director provided someinsights into staff reactions to being isolated physically from colleagues and the children.
The morale and cohesion of the whole teacher team has been considerablyincreased since we started the online program. … I don’t know the exact
reason but strongly feel it might be because of the difficulties everybody
shares right now … We realise it is better to stay with the groups we are in to
support [each other] …. It may give each other more security when everybody
feels the stress from the uncertainty spreading in the whole society.
In the past the Director had found it difficult to stimulate much discussion during face-to-faceprofessional learning sessions. She suggested that this could have been due to her role as the
Director as well as the trainer. Part of the way through the online professional learning program
she stated:
There are so many more teachers involved in discussion now online. They canhave some preparation before each discussion. … It wasn’t like this at the
beginning of the online sessions, [but] we decided to give teachers notice anda few related questions to think about in advance. I found the group
discussion online is so different.
The regular online sessions involving practical exercises increased the level of teachers’
personal communications, especially among experienced teachers. The Head Teachers now
understood that they had a role to play in leading younger colleagues in understanding why andhow the Montessori approach leads to a special kind of children’s learning.
Teachers chosen to demonstrate online how they used the learning materials with children took
their role very seriously. They conferred with other experienced teachers prior to theirdemonstration to ensure that the details they provided were accurate and clearly expressed. As
the Director states, this unexpected outcome seems to have contributed to group learning in aself-motivating way. A learning community was developing.
An important reason that the teachers, as unpaid volunteers, continued their involvement in the
program after the planned one-week was that, as they were in isolation, they looked forward to
the opportunity to see and hear their colleagues on a regular basis.
The Director could see many advantages to online learning. She stated:

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I’d seriously consider using this form of learning (online) regularly in the
future, in addition to our usual face-to-face professional learning activities.
Analysis and Discussion
The results of this study are analysed through the seven elements of effective professional
learning programs identified by Darling-Hammond et al. (2017).
Content-Focused
Effective professional learning involves teaching strategies and specific pedagogies which areassociated with specific curriculum content (Darling-Hammond et al., 2017 pp. 5–7). It wasplanned that the two ECE centres adopt a modified Montessori approach to education. In theearly stages of the teachers’ learning program, they were introduced to the philosophy andprinciples of the Montessori method with emphasis on “the education of the senses”. In later
sessions some specific approaches advocated for teaching reading, writing, language, andnumeration were introduced. Teachers worked with special materials developed on Montessori
principles and through this began to understand what Montessori was trying to achieve throughher pedagogical methods and materials.
Active Learning
Effective professional learning provides opportunities for teachers to design and try out newteaching strategies and to engage in the same style of learning they are designing for theirstudents (Darling-Hammond et al., 2017, pp. 7–9). After an introduction to Montessori’s
philosophy of education and child development, all activities had a practical emphasis.
Teachers were given tasks to develop materials which could be used to produce the types oflearning advocated by Montessori. During each session selected teachers would explain how
they developed materials, and they also demonstrated online how they would use the materials
with children. Given the nature of the situation under which the professional learning took
place it was not possible for teachers to physically practice the new materials with children,
however, teachers gained confidence in their own ability to adapt to the Montessori method.
Collaboration
Effective professional learning helps teachers create communities of learners which can change
the culture of instruction by providing time and space for the sharing of ideas (DarlingHammond et al., 2017, pp. 9–11). Although teachers were separated by distance, they wereunited in sharing the presentations and discussions that occurred during the online sessions. A
high degree of collaboration was developed because of the regularity of the meetings which
led to teachers becoming more familiar with each other as individuals. As the isolation
restrictions were eased small groups of teachers were able to begin to meet face-to-face. The
special series of sessions for Head Teachers were developed specifically to meet their espoused
needs. As a result of allowing Head Teachers to meet online and face-to-face they developed
their own learning community. These communities showed how Head Teachers might become
pedagogical leaders for the other two members in each of their groups.
Models of Effective Practice
Effective professional learning involves teachers developing a clear understanding of what
appropriate professional practice might look like as well as providing opportunities for teachers
to share stories of actual teaching events (Darling-Hammond et al., 2017, pp. 11–12). During
the online meetings teachers were encouraged to share positive examples of their teachingpractice. Although it was mainly the more experienced teachers who were able to do this, newer

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teachers learned from the practical stories of their colleagues. When demonstrating how they
thought new materials might be used in the classroom teachers used effective practices andalso elicited possible modifications from other teachers.
Expert Support
Effective professional learning focuses directly upon the individual needs of teachers, allows
them to share personal expertise, and provides appropriate support from experts (DarlingHammond et al., 2017, pp. 12–14). Having graduated with a professional qualification in theMontessori approach to education the Director was able to answer questions and clarify what
the materials and activities were designed to achieve. She was supported in this by her two
Principals. The provision of expert support was most important because the Montessori
approach is so different to what most teachers had experienced throughout their own schooling.
Two areas of concern for some teachers were how to maintain discipline in the classroom andhow to respond to parents who questioned the Montessori approach. Discipline in theclassroom can only become a practical reality once the classes are in operation. The teachers
understand, in theory, Montessori’s approach that a child developing self-discipline occurs
through an understanding of how their behaviour might impact upon others in the classroom.
Convincing parents of the advantages of a Montessori education is a task for the Director andthe two Principals. In order to achieve this objective, the Director is conducting meetings withparents to explain what, how, and why certain things are important in the education of theirchildren.
Feedback and Reflection
Effective professional learning involves teacher reflection and allows time for teachers to think
about their practice (Darling-Hammond et al., 2017, pp. 14–15). Although there were sometechnical difficulties in providing instant feedback during the group online sessions, these
difficulties were overcome to a certain extent when it was possible to organise discussions for
special groups. One outcome from the online sessions was that teachers were able to review
and reflect upon what happened during each session. Many teachers liked the fact that they
could re-watch the sessions at a later time. While they were participants in real-time sessions
there was no time to think about what they had observed, nor was there time for reflection. Rewatching provided for thinking and reflecting.
Sustained Duration
Effective professional learning provides adequate time for learning. It consists of multiple
opportunities for learning over a sustained time period (Darling-Hammond et al., 2017, p. 15).
For four months teachers interacted with each other on an almost daily basis, discussing
professional issues and clarifying for themselves what the Montessori approach meant for themand the children they were to teach. Prior to this, teachers from each centre used to meetseparately at the end of each week, and both centres met together every two months. From theteachers’ comments, much was gained from the regularity of the sessions they spent together
online, but physically apart. The stresses of being unable to socialise, or do the things they
liked to do, and being unable to work face-to-face was, in part, overcome by the feeling thatthey were not alone and that others were having similar feelings. The fact that they knew they
could interact with colleagues who were in the same predicament on a regular basis wasreassuring.

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Conclusion
The professional learning program was initially planned to be implemented over a one-weekperiod. During this time teachers at two early childhood education centres in Shandong
province, China would learn about the Montessori approach, and the philosophy underpinningits pedagogy and curriculum. As a result of the government requirement for individuals toquarantine themselves for an indeterminate length of time the program grew and developed
into a highly practical experience. The mode of delivering the program was rapidly adaptedfrom face-to-face to online learning.
Teachers’ comments after their professional learning program indicated that they felt preparedto implement a learning program for children which is different to that which they had
experienced as students. A greater sense of collegiality was developed during the months ofprofessional learning, and teachers were able to develop closer relationships with each other.
The teaching group structure of three people, Head Teacher, Teacher, and Carer was very
important, especially for professional learning in the future. Each member of each group got toknow other members better and came to understand their colleagues’ strengths and weaknesses.
A factor which contributed to the success of the professional learning project was the ability of
the Director to see opportunities the extended period of professional learning presented. Thisadditional time allowed for the development of a more extensive program involving input fromstaff members, and the consideration of issues which otherwise could not have been addressed.
At the beginning of June, when the children were permitted to return to the centres, the teachersreported that they felt refreshed and were eager to try out the things they had learned.
The elements of effective professional learning identified by Darling-Hammond et al. (2017)
were reflected in the literature consulted and the seven elements were found to provide a usefulstructure for the analysis of the results of the program. What remains to be determined is theimpact the professional learning program has had on teachers’ practices in the classroom oncethe children return.

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Corresponding author: Kevin Laws
Contact email: kevin.laws@sydney.edu.au144