Changing the "Micros" of Teaching through Collaborative Inquiry: A Qualitative Case Study of Teacher-Led Professional Learning in an Urban School District.

This article examines the role of teacher agency in effective professional learning by studying a teacher-led professional development model called the Telescope Network’s Learning Sites and Learning Cohorts in Boston Public Schools, a large urban district. The model emphasizes teacher leadership, voluntary participation, collaborative observation, and reflection to support small-scale, context-specific changes in classroom practice. Findings indicate that educators who consistently engaged in the program implemented a variety of incremental instructional adjustments inspired by peer collaboration and aligned with their motivations and classroom contexts, though attendance drop-off suggests not all participants made changes. The study highlights how structured opportunities for teacher agency, coherence with individual teaching contexts, and collaborative facilitation strategies can enable professional learning that supports instructional improvement, while also noting workplace constraints and the need for ongoing evaluation of sustained impacts.