VOICES IN EDUCATION: ACCOUNTABILITY IN TEACHER EDUCATION AND THE NATIONAL COUNCIL ON TEACHER QUALITY

Abstract

This article explains several reasons why multicultural preservice teacher education is important and suggests some ways it can be better accomplished. The authors make a strong case for teacher education programs to be more deliberate about preparing European Americans to teach ethnically diverse students of color. They argue that this explicit professional preparation is needed because of the increasing racial, cultural, and linguistic divide between teachers (predominately European American) and K–12 students (increasingly from ethnic groups of color). Two other factors underscore the need for more multicultural teacher education: the fear of diversity and the resistance to dealing with race and racism frequently expressed by students enrolled in teacher education programs. To overcome these problems and better prepare preservice teachers to work effectively with ethnically diverse students the authors suggest a two‐part program of professional development.     

QUALITY IN TEACHER EDUCATION: RELFECTIONS ON A DECADE

This article reflects on the changing definitions of quality as they have been applied to teacher education in the 1980s and looks forward to the decade ahead.     

MATHEMATICS TEACHER EDUCATION AND QUALITY

‘Quality’ in mathematics teaching does not relate solely to pupil achievement, to teaching approaches or to deeply held beliefs about the nature of mathematics and its teaching and learning, but to all of these. A model of a teacher's mathematics‐related belief‐system is presented, and the issue of the contrast between espoused and enacted beliefs is discussed. ‘Quality’ in mathematics teacher education raises all of these issues, as well as the aims, goals and means of the teacher preparation process itself. The paper concludes by arguing against the ‘apprenticeship’ model of mathematics teacher education, for depriving student teachers of theory and of practical research experience. A well known dictum paraphrased states that theory without practice is empty, but that practice without theory is blind. ‘Quality’ in mathematics teaching and teacher education depends on both theory and practice in systematic cooperation.     

LINK SCHOOLS: AN EVALUATION OF AN INNOVATORY SCHEME IN TEACHER EDUCATION

Teacher education is facing major new challenges. In this context the concept of partnership between LEAs, schools and the training institutions has assumed key importance. This paper outlines an in‐novatory scheme of professional partnership with a BEd primary degree programme. The Westminster Primary Link Schools Scheme is developmental, responsive to the changing nature of education, built upon existing good practice in initial and in‐service education and self‐evaluatory. The evaluation of the first year of the scheme is described. Guiding principles, relevant to the development of partnership schemes, are discussed and issues relevant to evaluations of this type are explored     

CAN THERE BE QUALITY IN TEACHER EDUCATION WITHOUT SPIRITUALITY?

In this paper the need for ensuring the inclusion of the spiritual dimension in Teacher Education courses is considered. This dimension is included in both the 1944 and 1988 Education Acts, but no definitions or guidelines are given. The research of Hardy and Hay is drawn upon to underline the significance of the spiritual aspect of human nature, and the writings of Berger and Hull to demonstrate its repression in modem life. Despite the problems involved in finding an acceptable definition of spirituality, a case is argued for its inclusion in Teacher Education courses. Some questions are proposed for influential parties such as Course Leaders and validators to use when evaluating courses.     

TAKING ACCOUNT OF STUDENTS’ EMPLOYMENT EXPERIENCE IN A COURSE OF INITIAL TEACHER EDUCATION

This study focuses on an industrial, commercial and community experience programme within a full time, one year postgraduate teacher training course. Acknowledging the heterogeneous experiences brought to this course by the students, an attempt was made to detect links between the students’ prior experience and their experience of the industrial, commercial and community programme. The students completed questionnaires before and after a placement and the findings are described. These findings contribute to an evaluation of the programme and suggest a number of important questions for those responsible for designing teacher education courses.     

INVESTIGATING IDEOLOGICAL CLARITY IN TEACHER EDUCATION

Set in a graduate-level multicultural literacy course, this qualitative study draws on Bakhtin's theories of ideological becoming and a hybrid of critical discourse analysis (CDA) methods (Gee, 1996 Gee, J. P. 1996. Social linguistics and literacies. Ideology in discourses, , 2nd ed. London: Falmer..  [Google Scholar]; Fairclough, 1995 Fairclough, N. 1995. Critical discourse analysis: The critical study of language. London: Longman..  [Google Scholar]; 2003 Fairclough, N. 2003. Analyzing discourse: Textual analysis for social research. London: Routledge. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar]) to explore the complexities of learning to teach culturally and linguistically diverse students. We investigated how eight beginning teachers' ideologies were constructed and reconstructed by closely examining the struggles and tensions teachers expressed in one multicultural literacy course. This research adds to the literature about how beginning teachers might better address cultural and linguistic diversity in literacy instruction. The study also describes the types of activities that can facilitate the development of teachers who are interested and committed to working with culturally and linguistically diverse students.     

对21世纪高校体育教师素质的再思考

面临21世纪知识经济的时代,体育作为人力资本的重要内容之一,对一个国家的兴盛与综合国力的提高,起着越来越重要的作用。本文就高校体育教师素质的现状以及高校体育教师的人文素质、专业素质、知识结构、科学素养、科研和创新能力的培养等方面进行分析。     

培养培训相互衔接相互促进的英语教师教育探索

培养培训相分离的弊端阻碍了我国教师教育的发展。遵照国务院的要求，通过教育科研、教育实习等活动。建立起高师与中小学英语教学的紧密联系，使其相互促进。这既能充分发挥师范院校在教师教育中的主体作用。解决中小学英语教师的继续教育问题。又能促进高师院校英语教育专业自身的改革与发展，并在此基础上完善国务院提出的“培养培训相衔接的开放的教师教育体系”。     

ENTERPRISE AWARENESS IN TEACHER EDUCATION: AN EVALUATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INSTITUTIONAL POLICY MAKING AND IMPLEMENTATION

Investigations into EATE's particular style of development, and its effectiveness of approach in introducing and sustaining innovations, were thought to be important aspects in the identification of noteworthy strategies for bringing about change in issues relating to enterprise, economic and industrial awareness in institutions of initial teacher education. This article describes the composite thinking and support underpinning the eclectic evaluations of EATE‐funded initiatives. It discusses two essential, and sequential, steps — initial thinking about issues which need to be clarified before embarking on an evaluation, and the strategies for action, i.e. the practical activities which can then be carried out. The article is written with reference to the EATE initiative but ideas and considerations could, with ease, be applied to other innovationsThe processes of formulating a policy statement on enterprise education, undertaking a course audit and introducing enterprise education and economic awareness into college courses are discussed. In particular developments within Professional Studies in the BEd Primary Education course are examined. The respective contributions of college staff and business representatives are assessed. The interaction between Institutional policy‐making and implementation in enterprise education is seen as opportunistic and organic as much as rational and systematic.     

COLLABORATIONS IN EARLY CHILDHOOD TEACHER EDUCATION: CHALLENGES AND PROMISE

Abstract

This article describes the reflective process used by a group of early childhood faculty members to study national standards in order to improve their teacher education program. The standards studied included those from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC), National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) and the Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children (DEC/ECE). The reflective process and study resulted in changes in field experiences, course requirements and activities and assisted in state and national accreditation.     

论素质教育的质量评价

素质教育质量评价，是根据国家教育方针、素质教育目标、标准和宗旨，采用现代教育评价理论、方法与技术，确定素质教育工作质量与产品质量达成预定目标及标准的程度，作出科学的价值判断，并为素质教育决策系统提供反馈信息的控制过程。本文对素质教育质量评价的基本原则、主要内容以及建立素质教育质量评价制度三个问题进行了较为系统的论述。     

ENTERPRISE AWARENESS IN TEACHER EDUCATION (EATE)

This paper sets out the rationale underpinning the setting up, delivery and evaluation of a major initiative in initial teacher education. The purpose of Enterprise Awareness in Teacher Education (EATE) is to incorporate enterprise, economic and industrial issues into all initial courses for trainee teachers. This is facilitated through an extensive programme of staff development. The article then goes on to record the processes and thinking behind one level of the evaluation of the initiative which has been incorporated into individual developments in institutions from the outset     

PREDICTING SUCCESS IN EARLY CHILDHOOD TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAMS

The purpose of this study was to investigate the usefulness of standardized tests (ACT, Preprofessional Skills Test) as predictors of student success in early childhood studies. Success was measured as grade point average at the time of graduation. The sample consisted of students enrolled at a four‐year public institution in the United States (N = 129). Data analysis indicated the standardized measures, including ACT and the Preprofessional Skills Test, were significantly related to success in early childhood studies. In addition, both tests, along with high school rank and student age, were useful in the prediction of grade point average at graduation, but did little to predict success during the student teaching experience.