scholarly journals A QUALITATIVE APPROACH TO STUDY THE ROLE AND IMPORTANCE OF INQUIRY-BASED LEARNING: PROFESSIONAL LEARNING EXPERIENCE OF TEACHER-EDUCATORS AND STUDENT-TEACHERS IN INITIAL TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAMS

2012 ◽  
Vol 29 (1-2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nasreen Akhtar ◽  
Intazzar Hussain Butt
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Science Teacher Education ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Initial Teacher Education ◽  
General View ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
Understanding Of Science

There is a general view that the transmission style of teaching is inadequate in helping students develop their learning in science, particularly in Initial Teacher Education (ITE) in Pakistan. Inquiry-based pedagogy in science is considered key means of improving an understanding of science and helps students cultivate their science literate thinking and develop their confidence to teach science effectively. In light of the key roles of inquiry-based pedagogy in initial science teacher education, this study explores the perceptions of teachers and students at a university in Punjab as how they understand the elements and process of inquiry-based pedagogy. The research is innovative in the context of exploring teacher-educators’ and student-teachers’ perceptions of inquiry-based pedagogy and also in relation to inquiry in the practicalities of their teaching at University in Punjab (Pakistan). Data has been collected using 2 focus groups with student-teachers and 20 interviews with teacher-educators. The result of this study indicates that the teachers and students mostly held positive views about inquiry-based pedagogy. Significantly, the teachers and students showed a limited understanding of the elements of inquiry-based pedagogy in ITE but they appreciated that they could facilitate the learning process using inquiry. When inquiry-based instructional strategies are integrated into a teaching science methods course, the majority of teachers developed a fair understanding of inquiry-based strategies in science. Moreover, the biggest challenges to inquiry are a non-supportive university academia, the current curriculum and assessment methods used. Finally, recommendations about the importance of teachers’ and students’ perceptions on inquiry-based pedagogy, arrangement of resources, preparation for teachers and students are made to the teacher-educators, University administration, and Higher Education Authority.

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.

iTE

2018 ◽  
pp. 2104-2118
Author(s):  
Brendan Mac Mahon ◽  
Seán Ó Grádaigh ◽  
Sinéad Ní Ghuidhir
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Resource Sharing ◽  
Collaborative Design ◽  
Education Programme ◽  
Pedagogical Knowledge ◽  
Initial Teacher Education ◽  
Knowledge Development ◽  
Teaching Learning

Research on the use of iPad in initial teacher education is limited. This paper outlines a study to examine how the professional learning and pedagogical knowledge development of student teachers could be supported following 1:1 iPad deployment on a second level initial teacher education programme in Ireland. Findings show that iPad can be utilised both as an effective pedagogical tool and as a medium for the creation of new learning spaces where student teachers' professional and pedagogical knowledge development is supported through feedback, peer-learning, resource sharing and critical reflection. Creating resources with and for iPad as part of a collaborative design process can also support student teachers in developing and integrating technological, pedagogical and content knowledge (TPACK) within their approaches to teaching, learning and assessment. Implications for initial teacher education providers and the integration of technology within schools are outlined.

scholarly journals Re-imagining mentoring as a dynamic hub in the transformation of initial teacher education

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 248-260 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel M. Lofthouse
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Teacher Educator ◽  
Deep Understanding ◽  
Practical Experience ◽  
Initial Teacher Education ◽  
Experienced Teacher ◽  
Content Type ◽  
School Based

Purpose Teacher education in many countries is under reform with growing differences in its form and function. This is indicative of the ongoing negotiations around the place of theory, research and practice in teachers’ professional learning. However, the demand for mentoring of trainee teachers during often extended and multiple school-based placements is a relative constant. Indeed, with the trend towards greater school-based professional experience mentoring practices become ever more critical. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach This is a conceptual paper written from the perspective of an experienced teacher educator in England, drawing on both practical experience and a body of associated research. It can be conceptualised as related to cases of practice, linked to episodes of practitioner research grounded in the ethics of the improvability of practice, the desire to meet the needs of the professional communities and a deep understanding of the demands and cultures of their workplaces. Findings Mentoring can be re-imagined as a dynamic hub within a practice development-led model for individual professional learning and institutional growth. Acting on this conceptualisation would allow mentors, trainees and other supporting teacher educators to contribute to the transformation of professional learning practices and educational contexts. Originality/value This paper goes beyond offering merely helpful guidance to participants and stakeholders in mentoring, or stipulating standards to be achieved, to considering what might be described as a hopeful or transformational stance in relation to mentoring. Teacher educators can continue to bring value to the transformation of teacher education through a focus on mentoring as an educative process.

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.

scholarly journals ASSESSING THE FIELD PLACEMENT IN INITIAL TEACHER EDUCATION: FINDING A BALANCE BETWEEN FORMATIVE AND SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT

2014 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-52
Author(s):  
Deborah A. Chetcuti ◽  
Michael A. Buhagiar
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Formative Assessment ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
Summative Assessment ◽  
Initial Teacher Education ◽  
Current View ◽  
Field Placement

The research study reported in this paper explores the issues and challenges faced by teacher educators when assessing student-teachers during their field placement. The key research question is: What are the issues and challenges faced by teacher educators and university administrators in relation to the formative and summative assessment of student-teachers during their field placement in Initial Teacher Education? The research tries to address this question by drawing on qualitative data from interviews with key academics and administrators at the University of Malta. The data from the interviews suggests that finding a balance within a university setting between the formative and summative aspects of assessment can create a potential conflict. This results in teacher educators focusing more on administrative demands for accountability and standards through summative assessment (also known as ‘assessment of learning’) rather than on the learning process through formative assessment (also known as ‘assessment for learning’). The authors challenge this current view and, using examples from good practice, construct a model of assessment for the field placement that tries to improve the balance between formative and summative assessment. Key words: formative assessment, summative assessment, field placement, initial teacher education

scholarly journals Elkarrizketak irakasleen prestakuntzarako bitarteko: irakasle-bideratzaileen jarduna ezaugarritzen

Tantak ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 99-116
Author(s):  
Eneritz Garro ◽  
Nagore Ipiña ◽  
Arantza Ozaeta
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Initial Teacher Education ◽  
Education Teacher ◽  
The Way

ABSTRACTThe aim of the present paper is to analyse and characterise the way in which teacher educators work with student teachers when conducting analyses of their own practice by means of selfconfrontation interviews. The corpus of this work consists of 10 self-confrontation interviews carried out by 5 teacher educators. The role of those teacher educators was analysed using the transcriptions of the interviews and 9 categories were identified. Two categories were found to be the most common: demanding specifications and creating controversy. Differences were also found as regards teacher educators’ profile. As a result, in-depth training for teacher educators has been considered as needed.KEYWORDS: initial teacher education, teacher educators, analysis of the activity, self-confrontation interviews.LABURPENALan honen helburua da aztertzea eta ezaugarritzea unibertsitateko irakasle-bideratzaileek zer nolako bidaidetza mota egiten duten etorkizuneko irakasleekin euren praktikaren analisia bideoaren aurreko autokonfrontazio elkarrizketak egiten ari direnean. 5 irakasle-bideratzailek egindako 10 autokonfrontazio elkarrizketak osatutako corpusean,. aztertu da irakasle-bideratzaile horien rola ikasleekin egindako autokonfrontazio elkarrizketen transkribapenetan eta euren jarduna 9 kategoriatan banatu da. Horietatik bi zehaztapenak eskatzea eta kontrobertsia sortzea, dira elkarrizketetan erabilienak. Irakasle-bideratzailearen profilaren arabera, ordea, ezberdintasunak sumatu dira jarduteko moduetan eta, ondorioz, prestakuntza eredua partekatua izan dadin irakasle-bideratzaileen prestakuntzan sakondu beharko litzateke. GAKO-HITZAK: irakasleen hasierako prestakuntza, irakasle-bideratzailea, jardueraren analisia, autokonfrontazio elkarrizketa.

scholarly journals Critical discourse analysis of university teacher educators’ professionalism in Chilean teacher education policy

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 ◽  
pp. 180
Author(s):  
Yenny Hinostroza-Paredes
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Education Policy ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Critical Discourse Analysis ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Initial Teacher Education ◽  
Critical Discourse ◽  
Managerial Control ◽  
Teacher Education Policy

This article uses critical discourse analysis (CDA) to interrogate the discursive construction of Chilean university teacher educators’ professionalism in government initial teacher education policy and institutional policy enactment documents. The study examines the network of discourses—new managerialist, quality assurance, performance, functionalist professional development—producing a version of professionalism akin to organizational professionalism. Used as a form of managerial control over teacher educators’ professional practices, such professionalism exacerbates performativity while reducing professional agency opportunities and consistent professional/academic development. Ultimately, this study contributes to the necessary questioning of Chilean ITE policy reform and the need to examine its effects on university TEs’ professional lives and the professional modeling of their student teachers. 

Teaching Ambition Realized: Paul’s Beginning Music Teacher Identity

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-55
Author(s):  
Tami J. Draves
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Identity Development ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Teacher Identity ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Music Teacher ◽  
School Senior ◽  
Music Teacher Identity ◽  
Beliefs About Teaching

The purpose of this particularistic case study was to explore Paul’s teacher identity in his first year as a music educator. I chose Paul purposively because, while a high school senior, he had participated in previous research about teacher socialization. Using Olsen’s sociocultural view of teacher identity as a lens, I examined Paul’s teacher identity including personal beliefs about teaching, how those interacted with professional learning and teacher education experiences, and how Paul made sense of himself as a teacher. Through data analysis I revealed three themes: Becoming Student Focused, Learning to Be Myself as a Teacher, and Taking Ownership. I recommend making preservice and cooperating music teachers more aware of teacher identity models and suggest activities to promote teacher identity development in music teacher education programs. Music teacher educators would benefit from having more teacher identity scholarship focused on music student teachers and beginning music educators.

scholarly journals Facilitating Transfer of Training in NZ and Samoan Student Teachers

2017 ◽  
Vol 22 ◽  
pp. 122
Author(s):  
Lex McDonald ◽  
Rasela Tufue-Dolgoy
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Transfer Process ◽  
Transfer Of Training ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Initial Teacher Education ◽  
Future Research ◽  
The Past ◽  
Key Players

Initial teacher education is a complex multifaceted process with one of the pivotal components being transfer of the training.  In the past, minimal attention has been given to how teacher educators interact with student teachers to facilitate implementation of ideas in the classroom. The purpose of this study was to explore teacher educators’ knowledge of transfer of training as an approach to assisting student teachers achieve outcomes in the classroom. It was an exploratory qualitative study and 16 teacher educators (10 New Zealanders and 5 Samoan) were interviewed. The findings from the two sets of educators were similar but a few differences were noted. The teacher educators understood transfer as an important concept and practice involving a set of key players. They could not specifically link their practice to transfer theories, strategies or a strategic framework for implementation. Knowledge of transfer effectiveness and the means of evaluating its occurrence were largely unknown as was the literature on transfer barriers. Nevertheless, most could relate their approach to a transfer process and report successes but it was concluded that they were largely uninformed by the transfer of training literature. Implications for practice and the need for future research were outlined.

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