Graduate feedback on a teacher education program and school district support: An argument for a continuum of professional learning

This phenomenological study aimed to explore how early career teachers were supported in their transition from teacher education to professional practice. It involved interviewing seven recent graduates from a post-degree teacher education program on their perceptions of both the program and their local school district in supporting them as early career teachers. Results involve numerous recommendations for supporting these teachers during their induction into the profession leading to the articulation of a continuum of lifelong professional learning that includes teacher education, induction and mentorship, and professional development. Key responsibilities for school districts, principals, and teacher education faculty are included.     

Widening participation to doctoral education and research degrees: a research agenda for an emerging policy issue

Widening participation is on the political agenda but, to date, policy, practice and research has focused on undergraduate education. This article identifies an emerging widening participation focus on doctoral education. Using England as a case study, the article examines this development within the context of the long-standing concern with equity in education, before reviewing the relatively small literature addressing who participates (and why) in doctoral and more general postgraduate education. An analysis of Widening Participation Strategic Assessments produced in 2009 by 129 English Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) reveals an emergent institutional awareness of this new development. Finally, a research agenda for widening participation to research degrees, focusing on research students, HEIs and policy-makers, is outlined. The conclusion calls for this agenda to be pursued at institutional, national and cross-national levels so that future policy can be made and implemented on the basis of a robust evidence base.     

Hidden labor in the mentoring of pre-service teachers: Notes from a mentor teacher advisory council

This article argues that mentoring reflects a form of hidden labor within pre-service teacher education. Using Marx’s concern for the ways in which aspects of an economic system are rendered invisible, the article draws on discussions from an American mentor teacher advisory council to illuminate otherwise marginalized aspects of mentors’ work. Meeting data reveal challenging dynamics of initiative, complications in determining teaching opportunities, and unique positions taken up by mentors during transitions in authority. The authors argue for the creation of “intersection contexts” where the voices of various constituencies in the mentoring of pre-service teachers can be heard.     

The contribution of action-research to training teachers in intercultural education: A research in the field of Greek minority education

The article describes the framework, the methodology and the results of an educational research in the field of Greek minority education. The aim of the research was to explore whether action-research can help educators from the majority develop empathy for their minority pupils. The schools where the research took place are placed in Thrace, an area of North-Eastern Greece, which borders with Turkey.The research showed that the teachers’ training brought changes in their perceptions and attitudes related to their general ideological beliefs concerning otherness, their professional role and their educational work.     

Contexts of mentoring and opportunities for learning to teach: a comparative study of mentoring practice

Drawing on data from twenty-three US, UK, and Chinese mentor teachers, this study explores the relationship between contexts of mentoring and mentoring practice. It discusses learning opportunities created by mentoring in different contexts for novices to learn to teach. Through comparative analysis, it finds that mentoring practices show greater differences across programs and countries than within. This is the case even when mentors are practicing or moving toward practicing a kind of teaching as expected by education reformers. These differences are reflected in mentors’ beliefs about what novices need to learn, their interaction patterns and foci with novices. Three instructional contexts in each setting shape such differences: structure of school curriculum and assessment, organization of teaching and mentoring, and student population. These findings suggest that the reform-minded teaching practice that mentors developed does not necessarily guarantee the effective mentoring that supports teacher learning and teaching reform. Teacher educators should pay attention to the influences of instructional contexts on mentoring and the kinds of learning opportunities that mentoring creates for novice teachers in different contexts. When designing mentoring programs and arranging mentoring relationships, teacher educators need to consider how to restructure school contexts and help mentors learn how to mentor.     

Racism and the future of antiracism in education: A critical analysis of the Sewell Report

This article provides an analysis and critique of the education component of the 2021 Sewell Report on Race and Ethnic Disparities. Discussion focuses on the report’s spurious claims to objectivity, the erasure of racism and the inadequacy of its recommendations. It is suggested, however, that despite its many flaws, the Sewell Report poses challenges for those who have traditionally been aligned with antiracism in education. The article concludes by setting out a vision for a new progressive project aimed at advancing racial and cultural justice that, it is suggested, can begin to address these challenges.     

Relevance,challenge and motivation: The ingredients of a novel managerial development program

The Division of Information and Academic Services (DIAS) is a large service division (over 400 staff) at Queensland University of Technology (QUT). In 2002 it supported a novel one‐month rotation of roles by the three department directors. The rotation was conceived as an important professional development opportunity for each of the directors and by example, to other divisional staff. It was also designed to fast track a more collaborative culture across the Division and identify opportunities for improved services. The three‐way nature of the exchange created a particular tension and a unique learning opportunity. Each director simultaneously played the role of novice manager, critical friend and reflective observer. The learning opportunity was relevant because it was contained within the one institutional culture. It was challenging because it demanded a shift in professional perspective, and motivating because it fostered a collegial working environment where change was welcomed, supported and reinforced. Overall, the directors and the staff viewed the rotation positively. Each director gained a better understanding of the operations the other departments either through direct engagement in a “host” department or by inclusion in three‐way director debriefing sessions. The initiative was evaluated using a third party process to gather feedback from the staff involved. Some important opportunities for collaboration have been identified and implemented. All three directors have emerged from the experience feeling better able to seek and offer advice about management and organizational issues. There is greater empathy for the challenges inherent in each of the departments and a greater willingness and confidence to accept a divisional responsibility for complex cross‐departmental projects. Increasingly, there is a collective and shared understanding of how to get things done across the organization. Most importantly, it suggests a novel model of academic development that has the potential for broader application.

La Division of information and Academic Services (DIAS) constitue un vaste service (plus de 400 employés) de la Queensland University of Technology (QUT). En 2002, elle a mis en place une nouvelle rotation mensuelle en qui a trait au rôle des trois directeurs de départmant La rotation était conçue comme une opportante de développment professionnel pour chacun des directeurs et, à titre d’exemple, pour les autres membres du personnel de la division. Elle visait aussi à accélérer la mise en place d’une culture davantage collaborative dans l’ensemble de la division, en plus d’identifier des opportunités pour ameéliorer les services. La nature tridimensionnelle du changement a ceéé une opportunité d’apprentissage unique et fut paticulièrement pertinente parce qu’elle avait lieu à l’intérieur d’une culture institutionalle. Chaque directeur jouait simultanément le rôle d’apprenti‐gestionnaire, d’ami critique et d’observateur réflexif. L’initiative a été évaluée par l’entremise d’un processus impliquant des tierces parties de façon à recueillir des informations auprès du personnel impliqué. Les trois directeurs sont ressortis de l’expérience avec une plus grande empathie en ce qui a trait aux défis inhérents à chacun des départments, ainsi qu’une plus grande volonté et confiance relativement à leur attribution de responsabilités divisionnelles pour des projets inter‐départementaux complexes. De plus en plus, il existe une compréhension collective et partagée des dimensions relatives à l’accomplissement de certaines tâches ausein de l’organisation. De façon importante, ceci suggère un nouveau modèle de développement académique, lequel a un potentiel correspondant à des applications plus vastes.     

Effects of a college access program for youth underrepresented in higher education: A randomized experiment

This article describes EXCEL, a program that encourages youth underrepresented in higher education to enroll in higher education, specifically at the sponsoring university. Eighty-three eighth grade students with GPA of B and above and standardized test scores at grade level or above were randomly assigned to the program or to a control group. The program guaranteed a scholarship to the sponsoring university and provided enrichment activities throughout high school. Program students were more likely to enroll at the sponsoring university than were control students. However, program and control students enrolled in higher education at rates that did not differ significantly. No differences were detected in self-esteem or high school GPA. Program students desired more education than control students. The results suggest that scholarship incentive and support programs that target average to above average achieving students in the eighth grade may not raise the overall number of aspiring minority youth attending college, but may be useful to specific universities to raise their minority enrollment.     

Using methodological triangulation to examine the effectiveness of a mentoring program for online instructors

In this quasi-experimental mixed methods study, we examined the effectiveness of a faculty-to-faculty mentoring program to increase student success rates in online courses at an American university. Over one semester, 24 faculty mentees worked with 6 faculty mentors on improving course organization and implementing student engagement techniques. Using methodological triangulation, we found positive results for two of our effectiveness measures (i.e., mentor and mentee feedback and mentors’ ratings of mentees’ courses). However, in terms of our third measure (i.e., student learning data), although institutional data showed that there was a 4.1% aggregate increase in online student success after the intervention, the intervention group made no significantly greater gains than two control groups. Our findings highlight some benefits and shortcomings of these types of university initiatives and also emphasize the importance of using triangulation to integrate participant feedback with formal measures of student success.     

The coordination role in research education: emerging understandings and dilemmas for leadership

Changes in expectations of research education worldwide have seen the rise of new demands beyond supervision and have highlighted the need for academic leadership in research education at a local level. Based on an interview study of those who have taken up local leadership roles in four Australian universities, this paper maps and analyses different dimensions of the emerging leadership role of research education coordination. It argues that while there is increasing clarity of what is required, there are considerable tensions in the nature of the coordination role and how coordination is to be executed. In particular, what leadership roles are appropriate and how can they be positioned effectively within universities? The paper draws on the Integrated Competing Values Framework to focus on the activities of coordination and on ideas of distributed leadership to discuss the leadership that characterises coordination. It is argued that without acknowledgement of the influences that coordinators need to exert and the positioning and support needed to achieve this, the contemporary agenda for research education will not be realised.     

Moving beyond the reflectivity of post-lesson mentoring conferences in teacher education and creating learning/development opportunities for pre-service teachers

This longitudinal case study suggests ways to move beyond the reflective process usually associated with post-lesson mentoring conferences by describing the modalities likely to generate real learning/development opportunities. Based on cultural-historical activity theories (CHAT) and using methodologies from sociodiscursive interactionism, this study shows the joint construction of the meaning of teaching experience and proposes aids for developing the pre-service teacher’s power to act more effectively in the classroom. It provides a source for transforming the traditional mentoring methods, mediations and arrangements in teacher education. Proposals are made to further professionalise co-operating teachers at the new Graduate Schools of Teacher Education in France.     

Learning from the Past: An account of an oral history project for students in an early childhood teacher education program

Engagement of student-teachers with the community of practice they are entering is central to the formation of their identity as an educator. This paper outlines a teaching and research project that enabled early childhood student-teachers to gain insights into the field through interviewing past teachers and reflecting on their practices. In the process, students became aware of the complexities of their chosen profession, alternative teaching practices and different ways of relating with families. Their responses indicated that the experience had an impact on their identity with the profession, their learning about the nature of history and their understanding of research processes.     

Religious education legislation in an atheist state: towards a typology and policy analysis for contemporary China

ABSTRACT

The rule of law presents a new path for understanding and handling religious affairs in contemporary China. The field of religious education is no exception and current legislation has to be improved so that China’s religious education can be further promoted. This research examines the legislation and legislative regulations governing China’s diversified and dynamic religious education, which includes professional religious studies, religious education embedded in ethnic education, missionary religious education, religious education included in general education, and education on religious policies and regulations. It argues that how to understand and implement the principle of separation of education and religion stands out as the core issue, as China requires a more dialectical and pluralistic religious education.     

Spectrum Approach to Mentoring: an evidence-based approach to mentoring for academics working in higher education

Anecdotal and empirical evidence indicates that mentoring can be a successful strategy for supporting professional learning, yet limited literature exists on approaches to mentoring designed specifically for academics working in higher education. The aim of this study was to create an approach to mentoring tailored to the needs of academics and underpinned by evidence from the literature. Participatory action research was chosen as the methodology for the project as this enabled a process of inquiry to be embedded within academic practice. The outcome was the development of the Spectrum Approach to Mentoring (SAM). This three-step approach is goal orientated, and encompasses mentoring relationships that may be ongoing and sustained over time through to those that are short-term and aligned with a particular task or focus. SAM provides a suite of resources that can be used by academics to promote valuable opportunities for professional learning through the initiation of mentoring relationships.     

Mentoring pathways program for first-year education doctor of education students: perspectives of a program redesigned for sustainability

ABSTRACT

Education doctoral (EdD) students face unique challenges to complete a doctorate as scholar-practitioners. An EdD mentoring pathways program for first year EdD students to receive support and advice from fellow colleagues and graduates of the doctoral program to successfully complete the degree at a mid-sized, midwestern university was initially implemented in the 2016–2017 academic year. In order to sustain the EdD mentoring pathways program, the program was redesigned and studied for sustainability the following year for first year EdD students (mentees). To better understand mentees’ perspectives of the mentoring pathways program, mentees participated in pre- and post-surveys, an interview, and a focus group during the 2017–2018 academic year. Themes emerged from quantitative and qualitative data and include: (a) mentees view mentors as successful role models and resources; (b) mentees used the mentoring program to connect with one another; and (c) mentees desire more access to and advice from mentors.     

Language and education: The experience of the Penan in Brunei

Rurally situated minority groups in Southeast Asia, especially those with nomadic backgrounds, such as the Penan in Borneo, have received relatively little scholarly attention with regard to language knowledge and use, language education and levels of achievement in formal learning contexts. When individuals from these small, as well as socially, politically and generally economically vulnerable groups enter formal education, they are almost inevitably immersed in school settings where the medium (or media) of instruction are either second or foreign languages, and where they receive little or no second or foreign language support for their immersion or, rather, submersion experience. These minorities, in this case the Penan of Brunei, frequently attain (unnecessarily) poor academic results for reasons that are posited and discussed in subsequent pages. This article depicts the environment of Penan in Sukang, in the southern part of Brunei, and describes ways in which the Penan are affected by aspects of the context they inhabit, including national policies, in terms of language and social categorization. This is part of a larger consideration of ways in which Penan have been adapting to settlement, since they gave up a nomadic hunting and gathering existence (Sercombe, 2007), a significant aspect of which is processes of socialization and ways in which formal education has impacted on the lives of Penan in Brunei. The paper begins with an outline of the locality, physical and social, and goes on to describe the language ecology of this part of Brunei. It then considers more closely the local school and its role, as a conduit for the implementation of national policy, and ways in which this affects Penan children's educational progress, as well as suggesting strategies that might be implemented for the benefit of all stakeholders.     

国内外职业教育师资培养的比较

通过对美国、韩国、日本、俄罗斯、乌克兰等国职业教育师资培养的渠道、任职资格、培训课程的比较,探讨职业教育师资的共同特点和借鉴经验,为培养适应21世纪需要的新型职教师资服务。     

Perceptions of Zimbabwean trainee/educational psychologists regarding the training on their support roles and responsibilities in inclusive education

The study used focus group interviews at three administrative offices (provinces) that house trainee/educational psychologists in order to explore their experiences on how they learn about their support roles and responsibilities regarding the implementation of inclusive education. 13 trainee/educational psychologists from these provinces volunteered to participate in the study. The study used a qualitative design based on a phenomenological perspective and inductive thematic content was used to analyse data. The results indicate that trainee/educational psychologists had known their support roles through master's degree programmes, a single 2016 workshop, personally guided reading and collaborative work with workmates. Their views indicated inadequate training and supervision, and negative feelings towards internship after master's programme, payment of supervisors, continuing professional development points, lack of degree programmes in Master of Science in educational psychology, and location of conferences. The results provide important information about educational psychology in Zimbabwe with important implications for training and policy making.     

Educators in non-formal vocational education and training in Mozambique: a plea for recognition and professionalisation

Interest in vocational education and training (VET) is growing. This can be attributed to global socio-economic developments requiring continuously changing knowledge and skills. Adult education and training, particularly in non-formal education (NFE) contributes to provide these skills and knowledge for youth and adults. This puts pressure not only on programmes and facilities, but also on the educators. How do they cope with the changing demands? This paper focuses on educators in non-formal vocational education and training (NFVET) in Mozambique. It explores the perceptions, experiences and reflections of educators in NFVET working in training centres on the outskirts of Maputo. Semi-structured interviews and observations were used to get insight into the educators’ understandings and into the conditions in which their educational activities took place. The findings point to the need for the professionalisation of NFVET educators. This would contribute to the quality of their activities and to their status as professionals.     

我国高校博士生课程设置的现状及问题分析——基于48所研究生院高校的调查

为深入探讨我国博士生课程设置的现状及问题,对全国48所研究生院8064名在校博士生进行了调查。调查结果显示,学生认为博士课程设置应至少遵循强调研究方法训练、与研究方向相结合以及强调应用知识能力三种取向。然而,现实中博士生课程仍与硕士课程有较多或非常多重复,在选修课的选择范围和研究方法课程量上存在明显不足;课程内容的广度与深度以及前沿知识与跨学科知识比重有待提升;课程设置体现出较大的学校与学科差异。研究认为,应激发博士生主体意识,鼓励博士生参与课程建设;明晰本硕博课程的层次性,提高课程衔接度;适当扩大选修课的选择范围,增加前沿知识与跨学科知识比重,实现不同学校和学科博士课程的横向拓展与纵向深化。