Toward Equity-Based Pedagogy: Monolingual Teachers’ Transformative Thinking Process

The reality that English language learners (ell s) have not been receiving adequate support in the mainstream classroom calls for urgency to prepare teachers in teacher education programs. Grounded in the theoretical construct of praxis and linguistically and culturally relevant approach (lcra), the purpose of this article is to share the author’s experience on how she supported monolingual teachers to engage in equity-based pedagogy. This article will focus on the specific projects that the author’s graduate students (mostly white and monolingual teachers/teacher candidates) conducted as a way to better understand the diverse needs of ell s in the dominant English context. The projects include: reflecting on monolingual identities through being in ell s’ shoes, building professional capital through theories of language learning, discussing and critiquing texts on ell s with a critical lens, designing lessons that integrate ell s’ culture as well as conducting the fieldwork in local schools, and synthesizing learning through the options of multiple final projects including learning a new language (e.g., ell s’ primary language). These activities intended to promote monolingual teachers’ transformative thinking process through the process of praxis and lcra in teacher education programs.

Toward a Decolonizing Framework for Equity-Oriented English Language Teacher Education

In this article I critically review the current literature on English language teaching (elt), (neo)colonialism, and empire to advance a decolonizing framework for equity-oriented English language teacher education (elte). This framework first argues that teachers should be supported to understand and confront linguistic imperialism of the English empire to promote plurilingual approaches to elt while developing students’ critical awareness of power. Second, it contends that instead of asking elt professionals to apply Western centered pedagogies that are often ill-suited to their local instructional realities, they should be supported to develop their own praxis. Third, it calls for disrupting epistemological racism to reclaim local knowledge. Lastly, it emphasizes the need to unsettle colonial ontology of white supremacy and native-speakerism that render teachers of color and nonnative English speakers (nnes) as perpetual Others. The article concludes with a call for action to prepare language teachers to disrupt racism, (neo)colonialism, and inequality through their praxis.

Preparing Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Teachers: Developing an Equity-Oriented Teacher Education Curriculum

As classrooms worldwide are becoming increasingly diverse, teacher education programs need to develop an equity-oriented curriculum, integrating domains of knowledge that prepare all classroom teachers to support the academic content and language learning of immigrant students. The first step of such an effort is to systematically examine the existing curriculum for its strengths and gaps. Using the conceptualizations of culturally and linguistically responsive teachers as an analytical tool, the study critically examined 31 out of 110 course readings required by five teaching methods courses of a US nationally ranked elementary teacher education program. The findings reveal an overall restricted focus on issues of supporting bilingual students and a discrepancy among topics addressed in different subject areas. The study calls for problematizing the “just good teaching” mindset, dismantling the deficit and monolithic portrayal of bilingual communities, acknowledging the complexity of teaching bilingual learners, and striving for conceptual coherence in curriculum reconstruction.

An Equity Perspective on Chinese (csol) Teacher Preparation for Global Contexts: Domestic and International Preservice Teachers’ Experiences

Using a three-dimensional framework that sees equity as distributed justice, inclusion, and rightful presence, this study examines the perspectives of 60 (40 domestic and 20 international) pre-service csol teachers’ experiences of preparation for teaching in diverse local and global contexts in a major teacher education program in China. Thematic analyses of semi-structured interview data revealed the exclusive Chinese linguistics focus of the program excluded both domestic and international preservice teachers’ needs to learn to teach in csol and through csol. The attention to traditional Chinese cultural knowledge also failed to legitimize “the rightful presence” of international students or prepare the teachers with intercultural competence. Finally, the lack of attention to the theory-practice connection in core competencies preparation had resulted in distributed injustice and a shared sense of under-preparedness for both groups. Findings inform an equity-centered Tcsol teacher education for global contexts.

Developing Equitable Pedagogical Practices in Teacher Education: Considerations for Critical Transformative Perspectives in a North American Context

Teacher education programs may encourage their students to reflect upon their own school experiences through critical perspectives to develop equitable pedagogical practices for a better society. However, what are the implications of using critical perspectives? The purpose of this theoretical paper is to examine assumptions of using critical transformative approaches in teacher education for equity by addressing the following question: What issues between teacher educators and their students need to be considered when using a critical transformative learning approach to develop equitable pedagogical practices in a North American context? By framing critical and transformative learning as working with difficult knowledge and cognitive dissonance, I argue that teacher education courses need to create spaces that foster authentic dialogues to move beyond psychologizing to critical awareness for equity in education.

The Power of Inquiry in Equity-Oriented Teacher Education

The international problem of differential achievement between groups of students has particular significance for New Zealand given its persistent problem of inequitable outcomes for Māori and Pasifika students, and those from poor communities. This qualitative study investigated how engagement in teacher inquiry supported student teachers’ understandings of, and practice for, equity. The 28 participants were in a one-year, equity-oriented Master’s initial teacher education programme. The data set comprised 84 research-related assignments participants completed for their teacher inquiry course. Thematic data analysis showed that the structured inquiry process supported participants to challenge inequity by problematizing student engagement and to address this by using a range of evidence to enhance their teaching. Overall, the study suggests that inquiry as research process and stance, along with the application of the Facets equity framework in authentic teaching and learning contexts, is a powerful source of student teacher equity-focused professional learning and practice.

Exploring the Experiences of Social Justice-Oriented Teachers in South Korea: A Comparative Analysis of Elementary and Secondary Teachers

Justice, equity, and diversity are more critical than ever in the global agenda in education. In the context of South Korea, this study aims to understand teachers’ practice of teaching for social justice, with a focus on how they respond to tensions and dilemmas encountered in different contexts of student development, student demographics, and school types. The process of data collection and analysis was guided by a narrative inquiry. Findings of this study demonstrate contextual constraints that the teachers face in their day-to-day practice of social justice teaching and instructional strategies that they crafted to deal with context-specific tensions and dilemmas. The discussion highlights politics of negotiation that has emerged from the teachers’ experiences of creating tactics for implementing social justice education in the given context.

Examining Macro-Policy Development Stages of Vocational Education in China: A Retrospective Policy Analysis

Since the reform and opening up, China’s vocational education has experienced a process of gradual recovery and development, which can be divided into five stages: the recovery and establishment period (1978–1984), the simultaneous development period (1985–1990), the sustained development period (1991–1998), the consolidation and adjustment period (1999–2009) and the strategic development period (2010-present). There are some problems, such as low degree of recognition, insufficient degree of adaptation to industrial development, incomplete school management system and lagging teacher team construction. To better cope with the challenges of the new era, we can accelerate the school-enterprise cooperation and industry-education integration, adapt to the changes brought by digital technology to vocational education, improve the management system of vocational education schools, strengthen the construction of vocational education teachers and other ways to promote the high-quality and balanced development of vocational education.