Action research in pre-service teacher education – a never-ending story promoting professional development

ABSTRACT: The article reflects on teacher professional development as a continuum that starts during pre-service time, continues into the first years of newly qualified teachers’ induction phase, and spans a career-long development throughout their teaching careers. Finnish teachers work in contexts that provide high professional autonomy and agency in their work. Pre-service teacher education prepares them for this responsible role. In earlier years, in-service training occurred on training days and through short courses. The new trend sees teachers as developers in the whole school community. Teachers have researchbased orientation in pre-service teacher education, which makes them capable to design school-based projects and their own development as it relates to school development. The article introduces four cases in which new trends have already been implemented. These best practices are examples how to (1) support the school community to cross boundaries towards multi-professional cooperation, (2) design an innovative school community using a design-based approach together with many partners, (3) connect pre-service and in-service research-based teacher education in science, technology and math (STEM) teaching, and (4) promote induction for new teachers.

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Online Mathematics Teacher Professional Development

Handbook of Research on Online Pedagogical Models for Mathematics Teacher Education - Advances in Higher Education and Professional Development ◽

10.4018/978-1-7998-1476-4.ch012 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 203-215

Author(s):

Sandra B. Nite ◽

Ali Bicer

Keyword(s):

Professional Development ◽

Teacher Education ◽

Teacher Professional Development ◽

Mathematics Teachers ◽

Mathematics Teacher ◽

Mathematics Teacher Education ◽

Teacher Professional ◽

Pre Service Teacher Education ◽

Blackboard Learn ◽

Pre Service Teacher

The purpose of this chapter is to describe an online learning environment that has been used for professional development with mathematics teachers and can be used for pre-service teacher education. The description of the Blackboard Learn and Blackboard Collaborate combination for the mathematics teacher education enables teachers to collaboratively engage in inquiry, reasoning and justification, and technology integration as participants. In addition, teachers can have opportunities to discuss various ways to incorporate these ideas more fully into their instructional practices.

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Teacher educators’ understanding of integrating lesson study into pre-service teacher education

Journal of Adult Learning Knowledge and Innovation ◽

10.1556/2059.2021.00047 ◽

2021 ◽

Keyword(s):

Professional Development ◽

Teacher Education ◽

Education Reform ◽

Lesson Study ◽

Teacher Educators ◽

Two Dimensions ◽

Effective Teacher ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Pre Service Teacher Education ◽

Pre Service Teacher

Abstract In Myanmar, according to the National Education Strategic Plan (NESP) 2016–2021, the four-year Education College curriculum has been developed and implemented, in line with the pre-service teacher education reform. In the new curriculum, the Lesson Study (LS) model is integrated into the practicum. LS is an effective teacher professional development practice that originated in Japan and is becoming popular all over the world today, suited to both pre-service and in-service teacher education. The LS concept has been introduced to the Myanmar context since 2011 through international training projects and there are two LS research projects which focus on the impacts of the training. However, there is no follow-up research which explores teacher educators’ understanding of LS and their LS practices after the training projects and there is no research related to the integration of LS into pre-service teacher education. This study explores the LS experiences and perspectives of teacher educators who have to take the responsibility of integrating LS into pre-service teacher education with the aim of assessing their readiness for that. Eight teacher educators from six Education Colleges in Myanmar participated in this qualitative research project. Semi-structured interviews were conducted for data collection. The results reveal that teacher educators are already familiar with the term “LS” through the former LS projects. Moreover, the findings show two dimensions of teacher educators’ lesson study experiences; namely, lesson study experiences as a tool of professional development and as a tool of teacher training. They have positive perceptions about the integration of LS into the practicum but it is still challenging for them.

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