Exploring the TeachMeet phenomenon: motivations and perspectives of participants

The purpose of this paper is to explore the motivations of participants who engage in TeachMeet and other unconference events, and their perspectives on situating TeachMeet within professional learning. Findings showed participants as having three dispositions – seeking to improve themselves as teachers, willing to share successes with peers, and determined to bring the TeachMeet experience to others. Participants perceived TeachMeet to be situated in the intersections between Personal Learning Networks, Community of Practice, and Continuing Professional Development. These findings suggest TeachMeet to be evolving towards a niche in the more informal spaces in the professional learning landscape of education.