scholarly journals The intersections of selves and policies: A poetic inquiry into the hydra of teacher education

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 ◽  
pp. 29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie Behm Cross ◽  
Alyssa Hadley Dunn ◽  
Erica K. Dotson
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Teacher Preparation ◽  
Education Reform ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Research Policy ◽  
Teacher Education Reform ◽  
Poetic Inquiry ◽  
Neoliberal Reforms ◽  
Collective Resistance ◽  
Market Driven

This article explores the intersection of selves and policies for teacher educators in an era of teacher education reform. Borne out of a promise to one another to write about our experiences navigating increasingly complex market-driven, neoliberal attacks on our work and world, we collected data across several years that documented our attempt to break our silence (Lorde, 1977) and explore how we, as teacher educators, make sense of neoliberal reforms and policies in teacher preparation. We draw specifically on Dunn’s theory of the Hydra of Teacher Education (2016), alongside literature on reforms and policies in teacher preparation and teacher educators’ forms of resistance to frame our work, and utilize arts-based poetic inquiry methodology (Prendergast, 2009; Rath, 2001) to explore the real, everyday implications of educational policy in our lives and in our careers. The poems we created as a “performative act” (Prendergast, 2009, p. xxiii) revealed that our experiences seemed to follow a cycle from hopelessness, to silence, to acquiescence, to collective resistance. We look carefully at this last portion of the cycle in our work, wondering how, if at all, teacher educators can resist the neoliberalization of teacher preparation. We conclude with implications for research, policy, and the practice of teacher education as we write to understand, write to resist, and write to survive.

Teacher Educators’ Practice and Vision of Good Teaching in Teacher Education Reform Context in Ghana

2017 ◽  
Vol 46 (4) ◽  
pp. 194-203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kwame Akyeampong
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Education Reform ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Good Teaching ◽  
Teacher Education Reform ◽  
Primary Mathematics ◽  
Learner Centered ◽  
Learner Centered Pedagogy

Teacher education in sub-Sahara Africa (SSA) has been criticized for the lack of attention to learning to teach in real classrooms, which limits the opportunity for pre-service teachers to successfully introduce learner-centered pedagogy in African primary school classrooms. To address this problem, Ghana has implemented a teacher education reform since 2004 to incorporate practicum. However, the critical role of teacher educators has been overlooked by policymakers, and few studies have qualitatively investigated their practice and vision. The study draws on qualitative data from the Ghana component of the Teacher Preparation in Africa (TPA) research project to explore eight teacher educators’ practice and vision of good teaching of primary mathematics. The study found that teacher educators’ practice and vision of good teaching consist of the use of teaching and learning materials (TLMs) and small group activities following specific steps without understanding the principles of learner-centered pedagogy that could be applied in a variety of classroom contexts and mathematics topics. The study also identified the hierarchical relationship between teacher educators and school teachers as a major challenge for effective practicum, limiting the opportunity to transform teacher educators’ vision and practice of primary mathematics teaching. Recommendations for enhancing professional learning opportunities for teacher educators are offered.

scholarly journals Practice Teachers’ Role in Teacher Education – Individual Practices across Educational Curricula

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 179-192
Author(s):  
Kirsten Elisabeth Thorsen
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Education Reform ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
New Teacher ◽  
Theoretical Studies ◽  
School Teachers ◽  
Broad Perspective ◽  
Teacher Education Reform ◽  
Depth Interviews

Praksislærere har en sentral rolle i lærerutdanning. Forskning peker imidlertid på at både tilfeldigheter og uklarheter er knyttet til utøvelse av rollen. Forskningsprosjektet “Teachers` Professional Qualifications” (TPQ), undersøker intensjoner med den nye lærerutdannings­reformen i Norge i et bredt perspektiv. Denne artikkelen undersøker hvordan praksislærere oppfatter sin rolle og sine oppgaver på bakgrunn av at reformen har ambisjoner om praksis­lærere som likeverdige samarbeidspartnere i lærerutdanning. Studien har utgangspunkt i en spørreundersøkelse med 45 praksislærere i tillegg til dybdeintervju med åtte andre.Resultatene viser at det som kjennetegner rollen som praksislærer, først og fremst er lang erfaring som lærer. I tillegg viser resultatene at generelle læreroppgaver har mer oppmerk­somhet i praksisperioder enn det som er mål i lærerutdanningsprogrammet. På den måten legitimerer praksislærere sin rolle ut av en lærerutdanningskontekst. Studien bekrefter også det internasjonal forskning viser: behovet for å involvere praksislærere i felles prosesser for å utvikle sammenhenger mellom teoristudier og praksisopplæring i lærerutdanning.Fire år etter implementering av lærerutdanningsreformen i Norge er det grunn til å stille spørsmål ved i hvilken grad intensjonene i reformen har blitt realisert. Diskusjonen er i hovedsak knyttet til profesjonalisering av praksislærerrollen og praksislærere som likeverdige samarbeidspartnere i lærerutdanning.Nøkkelord: lærerutdanning, lærerutdannere, praksislærere, forholdet teori-praksisAbstractPractice teachers have a central role in teacher education. However, research indicates ran­domness and obscurity in performing this role. The research project “Teachers’ Professional Qualifications” (TPQ) examines objectives regarding the new Teacher Education Reform in Norway from 2010 in a broad perspective. As the reform places high demands on practice teachers as equal participants in teacher education, this article examines how they perceive their roles and tasks with respect to the intentions. The study is based on a survey of 45 practice teachers and in-depth interviews with eight others.The main results reveal that the role of practice teachers as mentors is based on signifi­cant experience as school teachers and that general teacher activities are more focused than the claims of the educational programs. Practice teachers seem to legitimate their role out­side of the context of teacher education. The study also seems to confirm what international research strongly indicates: the need to involve and cooperate with practice teachers to increase coherence in theoretical studies and school practice.Four years after the implementation of the reform, there are reasons to question the degree to which the reform intentions have been realized. The discussion is related, in particular, to the professionalization of the role of the practice teachers and their role as cooperating participants in teacher education.   Keywords: teacher education, teacher educators, practice teachers, theory-practice relation­ship

scholarly journals Advancing Teacher Education through Faculty Development

2009 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Julian Kitchen
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Teacher Education ◽  
Faculty Development ◽  
Education Reform ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Teacher Educator ◽  
Effective Teacher ◽  
Teacher Education Reform ◽  
The North ◽  
Body Of Knowledge

In light of a growing body of knowledge on effective teacher education practices and programs, more attention needs to be given to faculty development as a means of reforming teacher education. After identifying key themes in the North American teacher education reform literature since the 1980’s, the author identifies some of the challenges to the professionalization of both clinical faculty and professors of education. The paper concludes with the identification of four possible components of a pan-Canadian program of professional development for teacher educators: initial teacher educator preparation; ongoing professional development; practitioner research by teacher educators; and disseminating teacher education research and reforms.

The Policy Context for the Evolution of Teacher Education Reform in New Jersey

2017 ◽  
Vol 119 (14) ◽  
pp. 1-64
Author(s):  
Gary Natriello
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
New Jersey ◽  
Education Reform ◽  
Quality Of Education ◽  
Teacher Education Programs ◽  
Teacher Education Reform ◽  
Policy Context ◽  
Three Stages ◽  
General Concern

This article examines the genesis of the New Jersey Provisional Teacher Program, also known as the New Jersey Alternate Route Program, in three stages. First, the motivation to consider alternative ways of recruiting and preparing teachers for New Jersey schools began with general concern about the quality of education in the state and soon moved to consideration of means of strengthening teachers and teacher education. Second, the interest in improving the preparation of teachers led directly to changes in the regulations governing college-based teacher education programs. Third, the principles that were first applied to the reform of college-based programs were then adopted to structure and regulate an alternative route to teaching and the Provisional Teacher Program.

Whiteness as Property in Science Teacher Education

2018 ◽  
Vol 120 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-38
Author(s):  
Felicia Moore Mensah ◽  
Iesha Jackson
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Teacher Preparation ◽  
Science Teacher ◽  
Science Teachers ◽  
Elementary Science ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Science Teacher Education ◽  
Methods Course ◽  
Teachers Of Color ◽  
Science Teacher Educators

Background/Context The disparity between the race and ethnicity of teachers and students is expected to increase as our nation and classrooms continue to become more racially, ethnically, linguistically, and economically diverse. It is extremely important to think about not only the educational needs of such a diverse student population within schools but also who will teach these students. However, when looking at subject-matter specificity for the retention of Teachers of Color, such as science teachers, the picture becomes extremely serious when we understand teachers’ paths into and out of science and teaching. Purpose The purpose of the study is to analyze the experiences of preservice Teachers of Color (PTOC) enrolled in an elementary science methods course as they gain access to science as White property. Our analysis provides evidence that PTOC can break the perpetual cycle of alienation, exclusion, and inequity in science when they are given opportunities to engage in science as learners and teachers. In addition, we also offer insights regarding the role science teacher educators may play in preparing teachers and especially TOC for urban schools. Setting/Research Design The context of this study was a graduate-level preservice elementary science methods course at a large urban university in New York City. Multiple data sources included pre-post surveys, semester observation journals, final course papers, and a post-course questionnaire. Utilizing constructivist grounded during the initial phase of analysis and themes from critical race theory (CRT), our unique voices of color and positionalities allowed us to interpret the data from a CRT perspective and arrive at findings relevant to making science inclusive to PTOC. Conclusions/Recommendations In order to push the field of science teacher education toward social justice issues of access, opportunity, and enjoyment, efforts must focus on increasing representation of Teachers of Color in science education. The transformation of science teacher education to grant equitable learning experiences for Teachers of Color is needed. Further research on the experiences of science Teachers of Color, as well as Faculty of Color and their relationship with students, is highly encouraged. Both teacher preparation and science education must be open to interrogate and reveal structural forms of race, racism, and power that manifest through curriculum, structure, and pedagogy that cause alienation and exclusion for Teachers of Color. Therefore, we encourage science teacher educators to examine their own course curriculum, structure, and pedagogy through self-study and refection. Overall practices in teacher preparation must empower rather than impede progress toward important goals of CRT, and this may be achieved through building stronger relationships with PTOC and Faculty of Color across teacher preparation courses in support of these goals.

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