ABSTRACT
Teachers no longer work in stable contexts but are being confronted with many changes in societal values, family conditions, educational and professional structures, and new opportunities of technologies (Niemi 2002). Increasingly, the role of the teacher shifts from someone who transfers knowledge to someone who coaches students (Geijsel and Meijers 2005; Korthagen 2004a). Whereas in the past teachers had a relatively autonomous position within their classroom and their school organization, pedagogical changes ask for more collaboration between teachers (Seezink and Van der Sanden 2005). More and more, the learning process of pupils is not just the responsibility of one teacher but of all teachers (Van Veen et al. 1999). In many countries a need is felt to build collaborative structures inside schools to reverse the isolation felt by many teachers (Lieberman 2000). Furthermore, instead of being objects in the design of school organization, teachers are more and more seen as agents of change and active decision makers (Geijsel and Meijers 2005).
