Investigating Differences in Teacher Practices Through a Complexity Theory Lens: The Influence of Teacher Education

2017 ◽  
Vol 69 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan D. Martin ◽  
Sherry Dismuke
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Elementary Teachers ◽  
Complexity Theory ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Teacher Practices ◽  
Learning Opportunities ◽  
Mixed Methods Study ◽  
Teacher Education Programs ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Education Coursework

How to prepare teachers to be effective in our nations’ classrooms seems to get increasingly complex, yet the links between teacher education and teachers’ eventual practices are little understood. Using complexity theory as a theoretical framework, this mixed-methods study investigated writing teacher practices of 23 elementary teachers. Twelve teachers had participated in a comprehensive course focused on writing, either at inservice or preservice levels. The other teachers had not taken any course focused on writing and had little to no writing professional development. Despite the small number of participants in our study, quantitative analysis demonstrated significant differences on multiple, effective practice indicators. These findings were borne out in qualitative analyses as well. Clear connections of teachers’ practices and understandings and the course were noted. These findings contribute to understandings of the ways in which teacher education coursework makes a difference in optimizing candidate learning and reducing the variability across teacher practices and subsequent student learning opportunities. Findings suggest implications for policy makers, teacher education programs, as well as for teacher educators and researchers.

scholarly journals Grounding Teacher Education in Practice Around the World: An Examination of Teacher Education Coursework in Teacher Education Programs in Finland, Norway, and the United States

2017 ◽  
Vol 69 (2) ◽  
pp. 184-197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Inga Staal Jenset ◽  
Kirsti Klette ◽  
Karen Hammerness
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Analytical Framework ◽  
The United States ◽  
Teacher Education Programs ◽  
Observation Data ◽  
International Programs ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Education Coursework ◽  
Successes And Challenges

Worldwide, teacher educators and policy makers have called for teacher preparation that is more deeply linked to practice. Yet we know little about how such linkages are achieved within different international programs. We examine the degree to which programs provide opportunities to learn that are grounded in practice, during university coursework. We report on observation data ( N = 104 hr) from the methods courses in six programs in Finland, Norway, and California. Using an analytical framework decomposing the conception of “grounding in practice” in teacher education, this article provides evidence regarding the successes and challenges of incorporating practice in teacher education.

When Asked, Teachers Said…

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-29
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
United States ◽  
Teacher Education ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
The United States ◽  
Teacher Education Programs ◽  
Education Programs ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Racial Hierarchies ◽  
The U.S

The authors perceive that institutionalized racial hierarchies are the greatest barrier to educational equity in the United States. While P-12 teachers may express the desire to make their classrooms spaces of joy, creativity, and intellectual brilliance, it is primarily through intentional skills development that teachers succeed. The authors assert the need for greater investments by school districts and teacher education programs in professional development for in-service P-12 teachers that further empower them and, in turn, their students, to contribute to the dismantling of racism in the U.S. Teacher educators, administrators and policy makers need to position themselves as cultivators and supporters of P-12 teachers in ways that encourage and sustain their antiracist advocacy and equity work in their teaching.

Seeking Support in Teacher Education for Racial Knowledge: The Role of Professional Networks and Social Identities

2021 ◽  
pp. 004208592110584
Author(s):  
Lisette Enumah
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Teacher Learning ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Social Identities ◽  
Teacher Education Programs ◽  
Race And Racism ◽  
Professional Networks ◽  
Racial Identities ◽  
Racial Knowledge

Drawing from the narrated experiences of teacher educators (TEs) at different institutions, this paper analyzes TEs’ perceptions of support related to their work in teaching about race and racism. TEs varied in the extent to which they viewed their institution as supportive, and they identified factors that signaled that their institution supported teacher learning about race and racism. TEs also described how their racial identities and positional privilege related to tenure status informed engagement with peers both for providing and seeking support. Implications for teacher education programs in providing support for TEs who teach about race and racism are discussed.

scholarly journals Client Analysis in Teacher Education: What Some Canadian and South African Teachers Identify as their Professional Development Needs

2001 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 78 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruth Epstein
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Teacher Education ◽  
South African ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Teacher Education Programs ◽  
Education Programs ◽  
Professional Development Needs ◽  
Teachers Professional Development

The client analysis conducted in this study explores the professional development needs of11 language teachers, five in South Africa and six in Canada. The study employs a questionnaire and interviews to discover how each teacher's background and context affects his or her perceived professional development needs. Interviews show that teacher educators cannot necessarily predict teachers' professional development needs based on their backgrounds and contexts alone. A variety of inputs from recipients over an extended time is desirable and would yield more accurate predictability of an individual's professional development needs. This would result in teacher education programs that more accurately meet a teacher's real needs.

A University-Community Partnership in Teacher Education From the Perspectives of Community-Based Teacher Educators

2018 ◽  
Vol 69 (2) ◽  
pp. 140-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorena Guillen ◽  
Ken Zeichner
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Pacific Northwest ◽  
Teacher Candidates ◽  
Research University ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Teacher Education Programs ◽  
Education Programs ◽  
Community Based ◽  
The Pacific

This article examines the experiences of a group of nine community-based mentors of teacher candidates who partnered for several years through a local, community-based organization with the graduate elementary and secondary teacher education programs at a research university in the Pacific Northwest. Following a brief discussion of the history of partnerships between teacher education programs and local communities, we report the findings of a study of the perspectives of these community mentors on their work with teacher candidates and university teacher educators.

Learning in Context and Practicing in Place: Engaging Preservice Teachers in Urban-Focused Context Specific Teacher Education

2022 ◽  
pp. 004208592110651
Author(s):  
Kavita Kapadia Matsko ◽  
Karen Hammerness ◽  
Robert E. Lee
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Preservice Teachers ◽  
Classroom Practice ◽  
Mixed Methods Study ◽  
Teacher Education Programs ◽  
Opportunities To Learn ◽  
Learning In Context ◽  
Practice Opportunities ◽  
Urban Contexts ◽  
Context Specific

Teacher education programs are increasingly taking up commitments to prepare new teachers for equitable teaching. Despite best intentions, programs feel challenged to help candidates translate these commitments into classroom practice. Using a context-specific teacher education framework, we conducted a mixed-methods study of seven urban-focused programs to understand how they targeted preparation for urban contexts. We found that while programs offer multiple opportunities to learn about content embedded in context, fewer opportunities exist for candidates to practice in context, and that faculty play a critical bridging role in designing practice opportunities that are informed by program vision.

Developing Critical Dispositions in Teacher Education Programs

2019 ◽  
pp. 106-124
Author(s):  
Jarrett D. Moore
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Teacher Preparation ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Teacher Preparation Programs ◽  
Teacher Education Programs ◽  
American Education ◽  
Education Programs ◽  
Preparation Programs ◽  
Self Reflection ◽  
Purpose Of Education

This chapter advocates for the (re)framing of critical thinking from a skill to a disposition and proposes a framework whereby teacher education programs can create space for pre-service teachers to develop a critical disposition. By studying the context of American education and schooling and their corporate interest, pre-service teachers along with teacher educators can start to unravel the discourse and power inherent in American education. Understanding how these concepts lead to hegemony can begin the process of creating a counterhegemonic movement among American educators that includes the reclaiming of the purpose of education, raising pertinent epistemological question, and practicing critical self-reflection. The final part of the new framework for developing critical dispositions is a reintroduction of broader theoretical concerns into teacher preparation programs.

Digital Storytelling in Teacher Education

2011 ◽  
pp. 235-237 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vivian H. Wright
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Teacher Candidates ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Digital Storytelling ◽  
Teacher Education Programs ◽  
Instructional Tool ◽  
Education Programs ◽  
Technology Tools ◽  
Learning Productivity

In teacher education programs, there is a consistent need to locate and to recommend to teacher educators, teacher candidates, and in-service teachers, viable technology tools and concepts that can be used in the classroom. Digital storytelling is a concept that is growing in popularity and one which offers versatility as an instructional tool. This chapter presents information and ideas on how to facilitate learning, productivity, and creativity through a variety of digital storytelling classroom uses.

Competency Based Special Education Teacher Training

1973 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 192-197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard E. Shores ◽  
Patricia Thomas Cegelka ◽  
C. Michael Nelson
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Teacher Behavior ◽  
Special Education Teacher ◽  
Teacher Education Programs ◽  
Teacher Competencies ◽  
Research Strategies ◽  
Competency Based ◽  
Child Performance

This review takes a critical look at a major component of competency based teacher education: the derivation and validation of teacher competencies. The available literature indicates that teacher competencies tend to be derived from “expert” opinion rather than the direct observation of teacher behavior, that they often are not behaviorally stated or evaluated as to whether or not they have a positive impact on child performance, and that few teacher educators or researchers are attempting to validate competencies empirically before including them in teacher education programs. Research strategies to remediate these deficits are suggested.

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