Issues in the education of TESOL teachers by distance education

Language teacher education by distance (LTED) has become a widespread and important practice in the preservice and in‐service education of teachers, and in language education internationally. The advent of the Internet has combined with developments in other information communication technologies, the globalisation of English, and the marketisation of education to afford a rapid increase in the number of TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of other Languages) teacher education programs, and greater variety in the ways in which teaching and learning is mediated in these programs. This article reports on an international survey of TESOL teacher education providers, and considers the status of language teaching qualifications earned by distance, changes in the institutional roles of language teacher educators, and the current state of research into LTED.     

Intersections of race and sexuality in a teacher education course

This paper examines the ways that one group of US pre‐service teachers, enrolled in an alternate route teacher education class, expressed and challenged each other’s contradictory discourses about teaching for social justice. Particularly significant are the many ways that this group of students enacted subject positions around race and sexuality as various combinations of African American, White, gay, straight, lesbian, Christian, and as members of this class. Epiphanic moments about race and sexual orientation are examined to illuminate the ways that subject positions were contested, reified, or renegotiated in order to preserve a sense of community within the class. This research demonstrates the ways that social justice teacher education differentially positions people who have been historically marginalized and how it can at times reify a hierarchy of marginality.     

对适合我国国情职教师资培养模式的几点思考

从职业技术教育所教学科的专业理论、开展相关职业活动所需的动手实践技能和从事教育教学及相关管理工作所需的理论与技术来看,适合我国实际情况的职教师资培养模式,是以独立设置的职技高师为核心,有条件高校共同参与,培养和培训相互衔接,半封闭、半开放的师资培养体系。     

英美大学与中小学合作促进教师专业发展的经验与启示

教师素质的好坏直接影响教育质量的高低,教师教育担负着提高教师素质的重任,可见教师教育改革是教育改革的关键。在20世纪80年代以来的西方新一轮教育改革中,许多国家都将教师培养和培训的改革作为重点。美国的专业发展学校和英国的校本教师培训就是这种改革的产物,它们所反映的面向中小学实际需要的教师教育观,在一定程度上代表了未来教师教育的发展方向。因此,考察英美教师教育改革的经验,能为我国当前的教师教育改革提供有益的启示。     

我国教师继续教育存在的问题及解决对策

目前，我国中小学教师继续教育存在的主要问题是：培训目标和内容缺乏针对性、实用性和全面性；培训模式单一；课堂教学模式僵化。新时期要提高教师继续教育的质量，必须注意建立规范的工作程序，加强继续教育目标与内容的针对性、实用性和全面性；构建系统配套的继续教育模式；积极探索多种多样的课堂教学模式，努力适应培训对泉的多种需求。     

Teacher education as a field of historical research: retrospect and prospect

UK-based teacher educators formed the core membership of the History of Education Society when it was founded in 1967, and they were frequent early contributors to the Society’s journals. Given these origins, one might imagine that the history of teacher education would have featured more prominently in the pages of the first 40 volumes of the journal than it has. This article identifies and discusses examples of research into teacher education that have featured in History of Education since 1972, making connections with the contexts of political, social and educational change. The influence of feminist scholarship is particularly noted and it is argued that work relating to teacher education, which peaked in the 1990s, has both reflected and shaped new methodological approaches to studying the history of education. Notwithstanding the journal’s publication of some important work, it is argued that the theme remains under-researched and, in the period ahead, it is to be hoped that interest can be re-invigorated.     

未来高职院校教师的素质与职后培训研究

随着经济、社会的发展,未来社会对高职院校教师素质的要求必将进一步提高,"双师型"教师将会显示出其局限性,而专家型、经营管理型、创新型、复合型教师将有广阔的发展天地。本人从探讨未来高职院校教师素质的角度出发,对培养素质所需的职后培训政策及方式进行了研究,提出多渠筹措资金奠定高职教师职后培训基础的建议。     

Multicultural apprenticeships in teacher education

The purpose of this paper is to explore the theoretical structure of what we call multicultural apprenticeships in teacher education. This structure is drawn from decades of scholarship and research in teacher education, in general, and in preparing teachers for diversity, in particular. It is further situated within our own work in an Early Childhood Education Masters in Education program and our commitments to preparing teachers to support diverse populations of children. Three different multicultural apprenticeships are used to provide concrete examples of the characteristics of this approach to preparing teachers for diverse classrooms.     

教师教育模式问题研究

在21世纪，对照国际教师教育模式的发展趋势，我国教师教育模式尚存在一些弊端。其改革一方面必须结合我国的具体国情，另一方面还要借鉴世界各国教师教育改革的成功经验，在此基础上，理性地规划出我国教师教育模式改革与发展的具体思路。     

State intervention and teacher education for vocational educators in England and Scotland

Background:?The paper compares and contrasts the policy context of teacher training for vocational educators (VETT) in Scotland and England and locates this in its European setting. It explores the wider socio-economic context, one that emphasises lifelong learning, competitiveness and social justice.

Purpose:?In particular, it addresses the UK Coalition government‘s orientation to vocational teacher education and the way in which this impacts upon VETT in the two home nations.

Sources of evidence:?It draws on a small-scale illuminative case study of teacher educators in England and Scotland.

Main argument:?It explores the limits and possibilities for the development of radical and critical practices embedded in VETT policy and practice.     

Promoting inclusivity through and within teacher education programmes

Promoting inclusivity is a core aim for many teacher education programmes throughout the UK, USA, Canada and other highly diverse nations. However, despite this aim, teacher education programmes continue to face challenges in preparing teachers who feel confident in addressing issues of diversity and inclusivity in their classrooms. The purpose of this research was to present an in-depth examination of how one initial teacher education programme coherently promotes inclusivity through various pre-service programme structures and experiences. Data were collected from four senior programme administrators, 10 faculty members and 25 teacher candidates via interviews, focus groups and professional development journals. Results provided a complex analysis of programme coherence related to the multiple ways in which inclusivity was interpreted and experienced within the teacher education programme. Specifically, three different interpretations of inclusivity were identified across participant groups: integrative, dialogical and transgressive. Each of these interpretations were manifested in varied ways through programme structures of field-based placements, curriculum and pedagogies. Based on this analysis, the paper concludes by identifying critical issues related to the preparation of inclusive educators as a foundation for future research and teacher education development.     

素质教育与高素质教师的培养

从“应试教育”转向素质教育，这是当前我国教育改革的热点和难点。全面实施素质教育的前提和关键是要有一支高素质的教师队伍。高素质教师除了在学历上要达到大学本科和研究生毕业，而且应具备以时代精神为主体的思想品德素养、以学科专业知识和人文科学知识为内涵的文化修养和以开拓创新能力为核心的能力结构以及以心理健康为标志的身心素质。培养高素质的教师应“双管齐下”：一要从“源头”抓起，切实推进高师院校的教育改革，抓好教师的职前教育；二要“截流”提高，建立竞争淘汰机制，加大在岗教师的继续教育的力度，努力造就一支适应新世纪要求的高素质的教师队伍。     

幼儿英语教育目标定位及学前英语师资培养策略

一支高素质的师资队伍是提高幼儿英语教育水平的根本保障。本文以幼儿英语教育的目标定位为研究的起点,对当前幼儿英语教育对教师的基本素质要求进行了分析,并进一步提出了学前英语师资培养的主要策略以及培养过程中需要注意的问题,结论对于提高学前英语师资培养水平具有一定的借鉴价值。     

Family-school partnership in the Spanish education system

Abstract

The benefits of positive, active relationships between families, schools, and the community (not only in the academic outcomes of the children, but also in the family’s and school’s wellbeing) have, up to now, had plenty of supportive evidence. Nevertheless, experience shows that there are many difficulties involved in making participation a reality. Education regulation acknowledges the importance of family participation at school, but neither implementation methods nor the concept of participation are clearly defined. Spanish initial teacher education curriculum programmes include, only in a marginal form, competences and skills that would prepare teachers to become involved in a collaborative relationship with families and the community. This article addresses the training of professionals in education from the perspective of the competences, skills, and knowledge demanded to engage in collaborative work with families and the community. It was conducted through a comparative analysis of the curriculum programmes of Spanish Universities, with a special focus on curriculum content and competences, and on the formal organisation of the initial training of pre-service teachers.     

Balancing the pros and cons of GMOs: socio-scientific argumentation in pre-service teacher education

This study investigates the role of the discursive process in the act of scientific knowledge building. Specifically, it links scientific knowledge building to risk perception of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). To this end, this study designed and implemented a three-stage argumentation programme giving pre-service teachers (PSTs) the opportunity to consider, discuss and construct shared decisions about GMOs. The study involved 101 third-year PSTs from two different classes, randomly divided into control and experimental groups. The study utilised both quantitative and qualitative methods. During the quantitative phase, researchers administered a pre- and post-intervention scale to measure both groups’ risk perception of GMOs. During the qualitative phase, data were collected from the experimental group alone through individual and group reports and an open-ended questionnaire. T-test results showed a statistically significant difference between the experimental and control groups’ risk perception of GMOs. Qualitative analysis also revealed differences, for example, in PSTs’ weighing of the pros and cons of scientific research demonstrating positive results of GMOs. In addition, PSTs’ acceptance of GMOs increased. Consequently, this study suggests that developing familiarity with scientific enterprise may play an effective role in adopting a scientific perspective as well as a more balanced risk perception of GMOs.     

Teachers working in culturally diverse classrooms: implications for the development of professional standards and for teacher education

This paper reports the outcomes of a survey to investigate the level of cultural understanding and confidence for teachers working in culturally diverse classrooms. The survey was administered to teachers in primary and secondary schools in an Australian regional city. The aim of analysis was to determine the direction and strength of association of six demographic variables with measures of cultural awareness among teachers and confidence in supporting the learning of students. It found that teacher responses to working in culturally diverse classrooms varied according to levels of familiarity with the cultural groups concerned and with the level of schooling within which the teacher worked. The paper outlines the implications of these findings for the development of professional standards and for teacher education. It discusses how these findings contribute to further investigations into the extent to which teachers understand cultural diversity and their confidence as literacy instructors.     

The emergence of a national policy on teacher education in Ireland

The development of the Irish system of education was, not unlike all critical aspects of Irish identity, fundamentally shaped by its relationship with its colonial neighbour. Prior to Independence in 1922, the system of education promoted was a fundamental part of a strategic effort to ensure cultural assimilation and political socialisation. Control over the education system facilitated the systematic erosion of the native language and culture and the reproduction of colonial values. Following Independence, the system of education promoted was a response to what was perceived as centuries of political, economic, cultural and linguistic domination. However, whether prior to or post‐Independence, the pedagogical was often marginalised at the expense of the political. This article focuses on an aspect of Irish education policy which has largely escaped the focus of scholars to date: teacher education policy. It examines the ideological basis underlying the development of a national policy on teacher education from 1831.     

Preservice teachers respond to And Tango Makes Three: deconstructing disciplinary power and the heteronormative in teacher education

This study employs Foucualdian concepts to analyse macro and micro contexts of publicly spoken and silent discourses describing ‘homosexuality,’ ‘education’ and ‘teacher’ in order to identify teacher subject positions available to preservice teachers. The macro context is analysed by tracing heteronormative discourses found in newspaper stories involving teachers and public schools that address conflicting views of homosexuality. The macro context analysis indicates two binary teacher subject positions: martyred (unemployed) teacher/silent (employed) teacher and sophisticated teacher/unsophisticated teacher. The micro context analysis is of preservice teachers' responses to And Tango Makes Three, a picture book by Richardson and Parnell. This analysis demonstrates how preservice teachers take up and negotiate teacher subject positions found in the macro analysis. Combined, the analyses allow the researchers to consider how preservice teachers' performances of teacher subjectivity open up possibilities for re-imagining new teacher subject positions and what this might mean for the practice of teacher educators.