Lena Glaés-Coutts

I am assistant professor (lektor) in the Department of Didactics and Teacher practice at the Faculty of Education in Växjö.  I teach a broad spectrum of courses at the elementary school level, with a special focus on the education of school-age educare (Fritidshem) teachers.  My work additionally includes collaboration with schools in Sweden as part of the school improvement program Samverkan för Bästa Skola initiative that Linnaeus University carries out in conjunction with the Swedish National Agency of Education.

My research centers on teacher professional learning and how teachers gain new knowledge and integrate it into their daily practice. My Ph.D. thesis, Teacher to Learner and Back Again: A Narrative Inquiry into Teacher Voice in Professional Learning, investigates how experienced teachers in Ontario, Canada use their personal and professional knowledge to define what they consider to be personal, purposeful and relevant professional learning.  Other research areas of interest include knowledge construction and leadership within schools.