Transformational practice: critical teacher research in pre-service teacher education

This article traces the experiences of three pre-service teachers as they engaged in teacher research as part of their teacher education program and considers how teacher research might disrupt dominant paradigms that aim to de-contextualize teaching and offer one-size-fits-all solutions to address inequities. In particular, the article examines: the role of the teacher’s personal and academic history in the design of their teacher research projects; how their research worked to disrupt and complicate classroom cultures and practices; and the ways in which the pre-service teachers interpreted their research in light of new contexts during their first year of teaching. This work has critical implications in an era when teacher education programs are under attack, including: the value of drawing on pre-service teachers' lived experiences as an entry point into inquiry; creating highly localized inquiries; and positioning novice teachers as knowledgeable practitioners who are able to share research with colleagues.     

How teachers become action researchers and how teacher educators become their facilitators

The article contributes to the theory of action research by focusing upon kinds of action an individual may undertake in relation to their research endeavour. The article explores action as illusion, as occurring at different speeds according to context, as ‘cure’, as repair to maintain a system, as system improvement, as border skirmishes, as deconstruction and as stealth action. Each of these kinds of action has implications for the action researcher seeking to bring about change. The article explores the ways in which the action researcher can challenge the status quo and bring about creative, educative, democratic frameworks for living in society.     

The recursive practice of research and teaching: reframing teacher education

As a field, Teacher Education has lived with continued criticism from governmental and research bodies on the quality of professional preparation and the lack of a strong research base. We respond to such criticisms by considering possibilities for further exploration of the research of practice and the practice of research in both initial and continuing teacher education. As both a theoretical and methodological challenge, this is tied recursively with research and practice in teacher education, for teacher educators, about teacher education. We draw on the theoretical resources of practice theories, to argue that teacher education practice must be informed by the study of the practice of teaching as well as research addressing the teaching of practice. In conclusion, we make a methodological case for reframing the roles of teacher and researcher within a “thirdspace” to consider the practice of researching teaching as recursive and always regenerative.     

Teaching as a collective work: analysis,current research and implications for teacher education

This article investigates teaching as collective work. The goals, functions and forms of teachers' collective work and changes in the professional representations or repertoire of actions through collective activity are identified. A synthetic framework is outlined and shown to be useful in addressing the data, by revealing the importance of interactions in professional competence acquisition. The article relates this framework to data collected from new teachers in the induction year in Scottish secondary schools (age range of pupils 11–18 years) and discusses the relationship of collective work to competence standards. Some issues for teacher educators and further research questions are identified.     

The power of student resistance in action research: teacher educators respond to classroom challenges

The purpose of this research was to study the design and implementation of a newly developed, two‐semester, action research course in a Master of Arts in Teaching program. Over a four‐year period, we (the instructors) used action research methodologies for analysis and evaluation of the course. Throughout this study, students expressed varying reactions to the process of action research, ranging from enthusiasm and acceptance to continual and persistent reluctance to accept the process as ‘real research’. This resistance is the focus of our study. Four years of reflection on our data points to the following reasons for student resistance: lack of understanding about what action research is and its purpose; a discomfort with the emphasis of process over product and the associated investment of time and ability to multi‐task; and willingness to embrace the transformational process of action research as part of learning to teach.     

Spatialised metaphors of practice: how teacher educators engage with professional standards for teachers

Pre-service teacher educators, both nationally and internationally, must negotiate a plethora of expectations including using Professional Standards to enhance teacher quality. In Australia, the recent Teacher Education Ministerial Advisory Group (TEMAG) report highlighted weak application of Standards in Initial Teacher Education (ITE). However, recent reports suggest that many education stakeholders feel positive about the implementation of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APSTs). This study responds to these differing viewpoints by exploring how teacher educators in a large metropolitan university in Australia account for the use of Standards in their work. Discourse analysis techniques in conjunction with socio-spatial theory make visible particular metaphors of practice as teacher educators negotiate the real-and-imagined spaces of regulated teacher education programmes. The findings highlight the importance of investigating the utility of Standards in the lived experiences of teacher educators, as they are responsible for preparing quality, classroom ready graduates.     

Uncovering a hidden professional agenda for teacher educators: A mixed method study on Flemish teacher educators and their professional development

Taking into account the pressing need to understand more about what teacher educators’ professional development characterises, this article adopts a mixed method approach to explore Flemish (Dutch-speaking part of Belgium) teacher educators’ professional development needs and opportunities. Analysis results of a large-scale survey study with 611 teacher educators and analysis of five qualitative focus groups (with 24 teacher educators) are presented. The results confirm the lack of attention for teacher educators’ professional development in the Flemish teacher education system. Moreover, the findings indicate a structural need for participation in professional development activities that are linked to teacher educators’ own practices, organised as long-term sustainable professional development trajectories, and formally recognised. To conclude, a professional development agenda for research, policy and practices related to teacher educators’ professional development is discussed.     

Finding out more about teacher candidates' prior knowledge: implications for teacher educators

While it is recognised that prior knowledge is a key factor in determining future learning, its influence on learning to teach is less well known. This study investigates two cohorts of teacher candidates studying for a one-year, graduate qualification for primary teaching, who completed two tasks at entry to their initial teacher education programme: a task in writing and a task in mathematics. The tasks focused on teacher candidates' ability to recognise the key features of a piece of student work. The teacher candidates' responses to the tasks highlighted the diverse nature of the prior knowledge that underpinned their responses. The study raises questions about the pedagogy of initial teacher education, particularly in relation to the assumptions teachers educators make about the candidates they teach. The findings suggest that the prior knowledge that students bring to initial teacher education is both a resource and a challenge for teacher educators.     

Research: an insight on how it is valued by Portuguese and English teacher educators

ABSTRACT

The quality of how teachers are being prepared is seen as a priority in the twenty-first century and engagement with research is often considered a crucial element of initial teacher education programmes. Institutional and national contexts have an impact in the way research is valued. This paper investigates the perspectives of Portuguese and English teacher educators towards the value given to research in initial teacher education. Interviews were completed with teacher educators working within different kinds of higher education institutions—university, polytechnic and teaching-led university. Results suggest that research has a significant presence and relevance in all cases but is valued differently     

Constructivism as a framework for literacy teacher education courses: the cases of six literacy teacher educators

This paper presents findings from the large-scale study Literacy Teacher Educators: Their Backgrounds, Visions, and Practices that includes 28 literacy/English teacher educators (LTEs) from four countries. The participants were interviewed three times and shared their course outlines. Six pre-service LTEs who use a constructivist approach are presented. The six LTEs speak English as their mother tongue. Three aspects of constructivism are discussed: knowledge is constructed by learners; knowledge is experience based; and a strong class community is essential. They have adopted a constructivist approach because they conceptualised the teaching/learning process as a partnership. Constructivism is a flexible and fluid framework so individual LTEs can shape their work for their context and draw on their strengths; however, it is demanding because courses have to be somewhat organic in order to create space for discussion of issues as they arise.     

Factors affecting the professional characteristics of teacher educators in Israel and in the USA: a comparison of two models

The objective of this research study was to identify the factors affecting the professional characteristics of teacher educators by comparing two models of teacher education. The research findings revealed four major focal points that have an impact on professional characteristics: the operational model adopted by the institution where teacher educators work; the breadth and depth of teacher educators’ research and scholarship and the degree to which such scholarship is required as part of the assessment criteria; the cooperation between the training institution and the practical field (i.e., the schools where the students do their practice teaching); and the informal relationships between teacher educators and their students. The novelty of the study resides in the fact that these points affect teacher educators’ professional characteristics and that focusing on these characteristics facilitates a comprehensive view of methods, tools and directions that may expedite the professional development of teacher educators.     

The making of personal meaning: Some thoughts for teacher educators

Much of the focus in schools today is on teaching critical thinking skills. This article challenges the current practice of teaching thinking as a set of skills and procedures. We propose a more thoughtful way of encouraging learners to make personal meaning of what they are learning by searching for insight, making connections between their past and present learning experiences, and using reflection as a tool for gaining understanding, all of which we do quite naturally.This article focusses on the experience of one post-secondary teacher as she attempts to take a more thoughtful approach to her practice with a class of student teachers. Specific ideas for assisting students in using reflection as a learning tool for furthering understanding and for promoting thoughtfulness are provided.     

Institutional racism and anti-racism in teacher education: perspectives of teacher educators

This paper focuses on the issue of institutional racism in the Irish education system. Drawing on insights from Critical Race Theory, the views of a sample of teacher educators in the Republic of Ireland were sought in relation to the existence of institutional racism in the Irish post-primary system and the extent to which anti-racism permeates teacher education programmes. Findings suggest the need for a form of deep engagement with anti-racism issues in the education of student teachers and the difficulties of doing so in the current structure of the Postgraduate Diploma in Education.     

Bridging theory and practice in Norwegian teacher education through action research

Handling the relationship between theory and practice is seemingly an endless challenge in Norwegian teacher education, and bridging theory and practice is highlighted whenever discussions about improvement of teacher education are raised. This article contributes to this discussion by shedding new light on the relationship through an analysis of empirical findings recorded in a subject-oriented action research project. The project was conducted as part of the subject Religion, Philosophies of life and Ethics integrated into teacher education at the University of Stavanger in 2008/09, and its name was ‘Teaching about Religious Diversity in School – Applying and Developing an Interpretive Cultural Approach to Religious Education’. As the name indicates, the project has tried out a particular approach to religious education. The tryout has been done by a community of practice. In this article I am asking whether findings from the project are pointing towards pedagogical approaches possible to categorize on a meta-level, and in which way these detected approaches shed new light upon the relationship between theory and practice in teacher education.     

Action research and the english as a foreign language practitioner: time to take stock

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the field of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) experienced an energetic and enthusiastic campaign in favour of the practice of action research among teachers in the profession. Although there are now some positive signs that action research is practised by teachers working in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) contexts, it is, as yet, not so clear that such practice is widespread. Yet, few educators deny the importance of action research for ‘bridging the gap’ between theory and practice, or the need for that gap to be bridged in all spheres of the profession. This article reports the result of a small-scale international survey into the knowledge, practices and opinions of EFL classroom teachers with respect to action research, and discusses reasons for and possible solutions to some of the difficulties and limitations of action research at this level     

Teacher Education Policy in South Africa: The voice of teacher educators

Teacher educators in a post-apartheid South Africa are being asked to re-conceptualise and re-design their pre-service teacher education programmes to respond to new national policies on teacher education. A sample of teacher educators from various teacher education institutions was interviewed about their understanding, support for and implementation of the new policy and the problems they have faced in making it a reality. This article comments on the potential tension between reform through legislation and reform through personal and institutional vision-building.     

The promises and limitations of international comparative research on teacher education

This article revisits methodological perspectives on international comparative research on teacher education (TE). Benefits and problems related to comparative educational research methodology in general are discussed. Further, methodological issues associated with designing and carrying out an international comparative study on TE are addressed using a multi-level study on teacher education in Finland and Norway an as example. Towards the end of the article, the promises and limitations of international comparative research on TE are presented. Important benefits of comparative education on TE include widening the understanding of one’s own and other TE systems as well as gaining an understanding of international trends. However, uncritical use of such research may lead to decontextualised, ahistorical and standardised transfer and development of education and educational policies. The article concludes by urging researchers in the field of international comparative research on teacher education to address the questions: What is being compared? How is context addressed?     

A systematic literature review of faculty development for teacher educators

Although ample literature exists regarding the effectiveness of faculty development (FD) activities, there is a gap in the literature synthesizing its outcomes. This review, using a predetermined review protocol, analyzed 22 publications on FD for teacher educators using Kirkpatrick’s training evaluation taxonomy. We found that North American universities provide the most empirical evidence about FD activities, focusing on technology integration in teaching and pedagogical skill improvement. Formal programs, such as serial workshops and developmental relationship, were reported with high frequency, compared to self-directed learning and organizational development activities. Empirical research was heavily based on self-reported, qualitative data and emphasized individual-level outcomes. There is a lack of information regarding the impact of FD activities for teacher educators on subsequent student learning or the downstream effect on school systems. Similarly, institutional involvement in FD remains largely unexplored. We conclude with robust recommendations for research and practice.