scholarly journals Teacher education as a laboratory for developing teaching approaches—a collaboration between teacher educators, student teachers, and local schools

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Birgitte Lund Nielsen ◽  
Elsebeth Jensen
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Teaching Approaches ◽  
Local Schools

Listening to the Experiences and Concerns of Pre-Service Teachers During Teaching Practice Programme

2021 ◽  
pp. 14-27
Author(s):  
Darshana Sharma
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Prospective Teachers ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Education Programme ◽  
Practical Training ◽  
Teacher Education Programme ◽  
Practice Teaching

Teaching Practice is widely recognised as the sine-qua-non of any teacher education programme. It is a component in the teacher preparation programme where prospective teachers are provided with an opportunity to put their theoretical studies into practice, get feedback, reflect on practice and consequently further improve their teaching skills. As teaching practice is an important component of a teacher education programme, considerable attention must be given to make it more effective and fruitful. This paper is based on a research study conducted to know pre-service teachers' experiences of the quality of teaching practice and the common concerns they have during teaching practice. On the basis of focussed group discussion a total of five themes were identified, these are (1) usefulness of teaching practice (2) experiences/concerns with pupils' behaviour (3) experiences/concerns with own behaviour (4) experiences/concerns with supervisors' behaviour (5) experiences/concerns with institutional and personal adjustments. The outcome of the focussed group discussion was used to prepare a structured questionnaire. Among other things, the study recommended rigorous practical training in lesson planning, demonstration lessons by teacher educators, simulated teaching before the commencement of practice teaching, school orientation programmes, a separate internship of two weeks and writing a journal by student teachers during teaching practice.

scholarly journals ELT Student Teacher Identity Construction: Exploring Teacher Roles and Domains of Expertise

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 113
Author(s):  
Nafiye Cigdem Aktekin ◽  
Hatice Celebi
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Identity Construction ◽  
Subject Matter ◽  
Teacher Identity ◽  
English Language ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Teacher Education Program ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Teacher Roles

In this study, we direct our focus to identity construction in an English language teaching (ELT) teacher education program. We explore the teacher roles in which student teachers are struggling to position themselves comfortably and the teacher expertise domains (subject matter, didactics, and pedagogy) that they are dedicating themselves to improving. To address our research focus, we have collected reflections and survey responses from 18 student teachers in an ELT education department. Our findings indicate that ELT student teachers find it difficult to position themselves as experts in and about the English language and that they feel a need to be equipped with expertise first and foremost in the subject matter, and then in didactics, followed by pedagogy. These results imply that in ELT teacher education, certain language ideologies are still prevalent and need to be dealt with by teacher educators for transformative outcomes in education.

scholarly journals Practice-Focused Research in Initial Teacher Education

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane Abbiss ◽  
Eline Vanassche
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Teacher Education ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Teacher Educator ◽  
Initial Teacher Education ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Educational Systems ◽  
Theoretical Contribution

A review of the field of practice-focused research in Initial Teacher Education (ITE) reveals four broad genres of qualitative research: case studies of teacher education programs and developments; research into student teacher experience and learning; inquiry into teacher educators’ own learning, identity, and beliefs; and conceptual or theory-building research. This is an eclectic field that is defined by variation in methodologies rather than by a few clearly identifiable research approaches. What practice-focused research in ITE has in common, though, is a desire on the behalf of teacher educator researchers to understand the complexity of teacher education and contribute to shifts in practice, for the benefit of student teachers and, ultimately, for learners in schools and early childhood education. In this endeavor, teacher educator researchers are presented with a challenge to achieve a balance between goals of local relevance and making a theoretical contribution to the broader field. This is a persistent tension. Notwithstanding the capacity for practice-focused research to achieve a stronger balance and greater relevance beyond the local, key contributions of practice-focused research in ITE include: highlighting the importance of context, questioning what might be understood by “improvement” in teacher education and schooling, and pushing back against research power structures that undervalue practice-focused research. Drawing on a painting metaphor, each genre represents a collection of sketches of practice-focused research in ITE that together provide the viewer with an overview of the field. However, these genres are not mutually exclusive categories as any particular research study (or sketch) might be placed within one or more groupings; for example, inquiry into teacher educators’ own learning often also includes attention to student teachers’ experiences and case studies of teacher education initiatives inevitably draw on theory to frame the research and make sense of findings. Also, overviewing the field and identifying relevant research is not as simple as it might first appear, given challenges in identifying research undertaken by teacher educators, differences in the positioning of teacher educators within different educational systems, and privileging of American (US) views of teacher education in published research, which was counteracted in a small way in this review by explicitly including voices located outside this dominant setting. Examples of different types of qualitative research projects illustrate issues in teacher education that matter to teacher educator researchers globally and locally and how they have sought to use a variety of methodologies to understand them. The examples also show how teacher educators themselves define what is important in teacher education research, often through small-scale studies of context-specific teacher education problems and practices, and how there is value in “smaller story” research that supports understanding of both universals and particularities along with the grand narratives of teacher education.

Using Mobile Technologies to Co-Construct TPACK in Teacher Education

2015 ◽  
pp. 195-219 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cornelis de Groot ◽  
Jay Fogleman ◽  
Diane Kern
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Teacher Knowledge ◽  
Learning Environments ◽  
Student Teaching ◽  
Mobile Technology ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Mobile Technologies ◽  
Teaching Experiences ◽  
Field Notes

How student teachers might benefit from using their mobile technologies during teaching experiences is a timely question for teacher educators. This chapter describes efforts to use the TPACK framework (Mishra & Koehler, 2006) to investigate how students use iPad computers during their student teaching and design appropriate supports. A design-based approach (Sandoval & Bell, 2004) was used over two years with two cohorts of student teachers (N=60). Descriptions of the use of the TPACK framework in this endeavor and findings from surveys and field notes about how and to what degree mobile technology can facilitate activities and interactions in planning, teaching, reflecting, and sharing are included. The case is made for co-learning and co-constructing by student teachers and teacher educators of the various TPACK domains of teacher knowledge in the context of mobile technology. Implications for developing supportive learning environments for 21st century student teachers are also discussed.

scholarly journals Reflective self-study for an integrated learning approach to early childhood mathematics teacher education

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Makie Kortjass
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Early Childhood ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Mathematics Teacher Education ◽  
Learning Approach ◽  
Early Childhood Mathematics ◽  
Study Research ◽  
Self Study

Background: This article gives an account of what I learned through the process of a self-study research project. Self-study teacher research allows teacher educators and teachers to improve their learning, plan new pedagogies and impact students’ learning.Aim: The aim of this self-study research was to improve my own practice in early childhood mathematics teacher education through interaction and collaboration with others, such as colleagues and students.Setting: As a South African university-based teacher educator, I piloted an integrated learning approach (ILA) in the teaching and learning of early childhood mathematics in a selected undergraduate programme.Methods: I began by tracking my personal development in mathematics education and in so doing was able to recognise my personal learning of mathematics as a child growing up in an African township context. I then worked with a class of 38 student teachers to create collages and concept maps to explore their understandings and experiences of ILA.Results: Through this project, I discovered that colleagues in the role of critical friends provided essential feedback on my work in progress. I also learned that student teachers need to be equipped with knowledge and hands-on experience of how integration can take place in teaching and learning early childhood mathematics. I realised that it was essential to constantly reflect on my own personal history and my professional practice to explore new ways of teaching mathematics.Conclusion: Teacher educators may consider engaging in self-study research that includes art-based self-study methods to reflect on their practices and see how they change for the benefit of their students and ultimately for the benefit of the learners.

Schooling, teachers in Jamaica and social responsibility: rethinking teacher preparation

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 816-827 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carmel Roofe
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Teacher Preparation ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Standardized Testing ◽  
School Violence ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Content Type

Purpose In a context where standardized testing and achievement scores have become the hallmark of accountability frameworks, the issue of social responsibility is not given much attention in schools in Jamaica. This has led to a continuous decline of the moral and spiritual dimension of schooling in the country. This is evidenced through an increase in school violence and other disparities among students. This paper aims to explore teachers’ perception of how they are prepared for their role as agents of social responsibility. Design/methodology/approach Through interviews of 16 in-service teachers, this research sought to explore teachers’ perception of how they are prepared for their role as agents of social responsibility. Each participant in the study was interviewed using a structured interview schedule comprising six questions. Data collected were transcribed and analyzed by sorting and identifying codes. Pattern codes were established which were then interpreted to form themes. Three themes emerged which are used to present findings. Findings Findings revealed that teachers had a shared understanding of social responsibility; they felt that they were prepared for this role through ad hoc curriculum encounters, were not adequately prepared for their role and social responsibility required a belief in the idea first before it can be taught. Research limitations/implications The findings from the research are used to present arguments in the paper for emphasis on preparing student teachers to be agents of social responsibility and for a rethinking of teacher preparation curriculum in Jamaica. The paper also presents strategies that can be used to guide the re-thinking of teacher preparation programmes. Practical implications Teacher preparation programmes represent the avenue through which teachers can be prepared to develop their social consciousness, so that they can in turn help students. The results of this paper are means of helping teacher educators understand this. Originality/value This paper is one of the first since the early 1990s to discuss social responsibility as a key component of teacher preparation in Jamaica. It also fills the void of scarcity of research in Jamaica on teacher education on a whole and social responsibility in teacher education in particular.

Service Learning and Teacher Education

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadine Petersen ◽  
Sarah Gravett ◽  
Sarita Ramsaroop
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Social Justice ◽  
Service Learning ◽  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Multicultural Education ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Social Transformation ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Initial Teacher Education ◽  
Justice And Care

Although teacher education actively promotes the ideals of social justice and care, finding ways of enculturating student teachers into what these values mean in education remains a challenge. Additionally, the literature abounds with the struggles of teacher educators to prepare student teachers with the knowledge and competencies required for the complex task of teaching. A way to address this is through the inclusion of service learning (SL) in initial teacher education programs. SL, as a form of experiential learning, with reflection at its core, serves as a means of deepening student learning about the practice of social justice and care and as a way of both drawing on, and informing, student teachers’ practical and situational learning of teaching. SL also holds potential for preparing teachers with the competencies required for the 21st century. The research on SL in teacher education draws on theoretical perspectives of experiential learning, democracy education, social transformation, multicultural education, critical reflection, and education for civic responsibility. A limitation is that the literature within developing contexts is underrepresented, limiting access to useful lessons from the research in these contexts and preventing wider theorization in the field.

Lesson study in Dutch initial teacher education explored: its potential and pitfalls

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 351-365
Author(s):  
Tijmen M. Schipper ◽  
Sui Lin Goei ◽  
Wouter R. Van Joolingen ◽  
T. Martijn Willemse ◽  
Evelien C. Van Geffen
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Lesson Study ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Initial Teacher Education ◽  
Target Groups ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Time Planning ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThis paper explores the potential and pitfalls of Lesson Study (LS) in Dutch initial teacher education (ITE). This context is examined through data drawn from student-teachers and teacher educators participating in LS.Design/methodology/approachThree case studies of three teacher education institutes in the Netherlands are presented, focusing on student-teachers' learning in two cases and teacher educators' learning in the third case.FindingsThe case studies show that LS in the context of Dutch ITE has high potential. All cases yield clear benefits for working collaboratively as a result of participating in a LS. Student-teachers appreciate the explicit focus in LS on how students learn and teacher educators stress how LS may strengthen their role as “teachers of teachers.” Time, planning arrangements, commitment and a LS facilitator are highlighted as essential conditions for LS application in ITE.Research limitations/implicationsThe three cases address a specific ITE context focusing on different target groups (student-teachers and teacher educators in applied and/or research universities). Consequently, results are explorative regarding Dutch ITE.Practical implicationsThe potential of LS in Dutch ITE is recognized and stressed; this study may act as a catalyst for further and wider application of LS in this context, taking into account possible pitfalls and conditions.Originality/valueThis is one of the first studies exploring the potential of LS in Dutch ITE using both student-teachers' and teacher educators' perspectives.

Designing a pre-service CLIL teacher education program

2019 ◽  
Vol 64 (3 (253)) ◽  
pp. 173-193
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Brzosko-Barratt
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Education Program ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Teacher Education Program ◽  
Mentor Teachers ◽  
Instrumental Case Study ◽  
Early Primary ◽  
The University

This paper is a part of a larger instrumental case study exploring the process of creating a CLIL teacher education program for early primary level at the University of Warsaw. The paper identifies some challenges related to program design and describes areas of growth of student teachers specifically related to CLIL planning instruction. The data were collected over a period of five years and included interviews and focused groups with student teachers, teacher educators and mentor teachers as well as the analysis of CLIL units created by the student teachers.

Getting Personal: How Early Childhood Teacher Education Troubles Students' and Teacher Educators' Identities regarding Subjectivity and Feminism

2005 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 244-255 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hillevi Lenz Taguchi
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Early Childhood ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Power Production ◽  
Early Childhood Teacher ◽  
Early Childhood Teacher Education ◽  
Regulatory Regimes

This article constitutes an attempt to investigate how student teachers and teacher educators in the context of Swedish early childhood teacher education are invented and reinvented by practices that are inspired by feminist and post-structural thinking. I give examples of practice that explicitly make use of different aspects of the personal, such as subjectivities, voice and experience. These are theorized, problematized and troubled in relation to concepts of power, resistance and emancipation. The article questions the possibility of ‘getting outside’ of the regulatory regimes of power production through practices of ‘getting personal’, and asks just how much freedom is possible, even given overtly ‘emancipist’ teaching.

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