Exploring the Radical Middle between Theory and Practice: A collaborative self-study of beginning teacher educators

This article is a collaborative self-study of our development as beginning teacher educators over the course of an academic year. A focus of our self-study was our shared interest in the role of theory and of practice in teacher education programs. Theodore taught a philosophy of education course and Shawn taught a practicum supervision course. Both authors share autobiographical excerpts of their teaching contexts and the problems of practice that they encountered. Our analysis suggests that the dichotomy between theory and practice is unhelpful and unproductive for both teacher candidates and teacher educators. Theory and practice are densely interwoven aspects of teaching that can be tacitly separated by coursework in teacher education. We advocate a pedagogy of teacher education that explores the radical middle between theory and practice.     

Research-based and hands-on practical teacher education: an attempt to combine the two

This article, based on the analysis of responses given by 27 students in initial teacher education, gives an account of how education theory can be conceived by students as relevant to their teaching practice. Research on teacher education in many countries has revealed that students regard theory and practice to be inconsistent or to belong to different worlds in initial teacher education. This may have a potentially negative effect on the teachers’ opportunities for future professional development, as such development should be based on the ability to view one’s own teaching practice from a critical, theory- and research-based perspective. In the research and development project reported in this article, the PIL-project, the students’ teaching practice was chosen as the pivotal point for all the other activities involved in the teacher education programme. Results indicate that when questions emerge from the students’ own experience, theory is often found useful in discussing and understanding their practical experiences. The results further show that the students’ choice of theory when discussing their teaching practice is eclectic. Students tend to choose theory with direct relevance to their daily tasks in the classrooms. The implication for initial teacher education is that the educational theory taught should more often address the immediate challenges faced by the students doing their teaching practice.     

Reflections on the Manner in Teaching Project

In reflections on the Manner in Teaching Project, I focus on four themes: why teaching is an intellectual and moral endeavour; the significance of the school context for understanding the moral dimensions of teaching; the uses and limitations of moral theory in research on teaching; and the centrality of the person in the role of teacher. The 'Manner in Teaching Project' sheds useful light on these themes, including how to examine them systematically.     

Master in oral biology program: A path to addressing the need for future dental educators

In dental education, the anatomical sciences, which include gross anatomy, histology, embryology, and neuroanatomy, encompass an important component of the basic science curriculum. At Creighton University School of Dentistry, strength in anatomic science education has been coupled with a solid applicant pool to develop a novel Master of Science in Oral Biology, Anatomic Sciences track degree program. The program provides a heavy emphasis on developing teaching skills in predoctoral students as well as exposure to research processes to encourage the cohort to pursuing a career in academic dentistry. The individuals considered for this program are applicants for admission to the School of Dentistry that have not been accepted into the entering dental class for that year. The students undertake a two year curriculum, studying anatomic sciences with a special emphasis on teaching. The students also must complete a research project that requires a thesis. The students in the program are guaranteed acceptance to dental school upon successful completion of the program. After six years, the first ten students have received their Master of Science degrees and continued in dental school. The program is favorably viewed by the faculty and participating students. It is also considered successful by metrics. Nine of the ten graduates have said they would like to participate in academic dentistry in some capacity during their careers. Anat Sci Educ 10: 607–612. © 2017 American Association of Anatomists.     

Closing the gap between the theory and practice of teaching: implications for teacher education programmes in Hong Kong

The gap between the theory and practice of teaching is an issue of concern in teacher education. Although researching this gap is not new, few studies have been conducted in Hong Kong. It is worth investigating the contemporary Asian models of teacher education that can provide reference to the international literature. This paper examines this theory–practice gap by reporting a study that researched the inconsistencies between student teachers' best teaching strategies and their most commonly employed ones. Specifically, we investigated: (1) the considerations that contribute to the inconsistencies in the student teachers' conceptions of teaching; and (2) the enhancing factors of the teacher education programme which help to close the gap between the theory and practice of teaching. Through examining the interview data, the findings revealed three main dimensions of consideration attributing to the inconsistencies in the conceptions of teaching: pre‐training experience, teaching context and student needs. These considerations lead to expansive or constraining impacts on the student teachers' selections of teaching strategies. Influences from the teacher education programme that might close this gap are identified. Implications for improving teacher education programmes are also discussed.     

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.     

Teaching in the borderland: critical practices in foundations courses

Using first-person accounts of classroom experiences, five professors examine the intersection of social foundations and borderland theory and their efforts to move students through resistance to understanding and affirmation of sociocultural diversity. The authors present this paper in two parts, the first providing examples of using a borderland approach within the classroom and the second providing illustrations moving these borderland strategies beyond the classroom. In each case, authors show the interwoven nature of pedagogy, identity, knowledge, and experience as they work to connect theory and practice. All of the institutions represented have majority white populations, and many do not reflect the diversity of the communities in which they are situated. The need for borderland practices in social foundations courses is urgent in these areas. These pedagogical reflections, although not meant to be recipes for success, provide examples of practices that can serve to meet the growing demands from schools and communities for culturally competent, socially aware teacher–leaders, and reaffirm the critical importance of social foundations in teacher education.     

Developing a Professional Identity as an Elementary Teacher of Nature of Science: A self-study of becoming an elementary teacher

This study explores the development of professional identity as a teacher of nature of science (NOS). Our research question was ‘How can a teacher develop a professional identity as an elementary teacher of NOS?' Through a researcher log, videotaped lessons, and collection of student work, we were able to track efforts in teaching NOS as part of regular classroom practice. A team of four researchers interpreted the data through the Beijaard et al. professional identity framework and found that it was not as simple and straightforward to teach NOS as we predicted. Development of professional identity as a teacher of NOS was influenced by contextual factors such as students, administration, and time, as well as personal struggles that were fraught with emotion. Development took place through an interpretation and reinterpretation of self through external factors and others' perceptions, as well as the influence of sub-identities.     

Cultivating relationships with school placement stakeholders: the perspective of the cooperating teacher

The aim of this paper is to analyse Irish school placement cooperating teachers’ supervisory experiences when involved in various structures of communities and explore factors which enabled or challenged them in cultivating relationships with school placement stakeholders where there is no formal system of supervision established in schools in the Republic of Ireland. Describing learning as a social process, research implies the significance of the development of relationships, membership within communities and identity construction. Using a qualitative approach, it was found that by formally engaging in a supervisory process, cooperating teachers experienced each of these characteristics to varying extents resulting in different supervisory experiences. The different configurations of membership allowed cooperating teachers to contribute towards school placement collaboration.     

The value of the academic award in initial teacher education: key stakeholder perceptions of the masters level Postgraduate Certificate in Education in two English universities

The Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) has been a successful and popular initial teacher education (ITE) programme since the 1950s, with the masters level PGCE being successfully embedded within universities in England since 2007 and having high levels of student satisfaction. Recent White Papers, policy and reviews have undermined the academic award in ITE, however, favouring school-led initial teacher training and the minimum, essential professional award. Located within the Secondary ITE phase in two English universities, this article presents the value of studying education and the academic award at pre-service level via key stakeholder perceptions from interviews with teacher–educators and student–teachers within a case study. Findings highlight improvements to student–teachers’ knowledge and practice; enjoyment in working at a higher academic level; improvements to the ITE programme overall, including student–teacher support and student–teachers’ articulation of knowledge and practice; and enhanced opportunities for employability, career advancement and gaining a Master’s degree.     

我国教师专业发展学校:推广的必要性及对策

教师专业发展学校是融职前教师教育、在职教师培训、大学教师发展为一体的教师教育模式,推行广泛并取得了巨大成效。我国教师教育发展模式相对滞后的现状迫切需要我们认真学习国外先进经验,加快发展我国的教师专业发展学校建设。     

Preparing the Next Generation of Science Teacher Educators: A Model for Developing PCK for Teaching Science Teachers

Science education doctoral programs often fail to address a critical piece—the explicit attention to the preparation of future science teacher educators. In this article, we argue that, in addition to developing skills and a knowledge base for research, doctoral students must be given the opportunity to observe, practice, and reflect on the pedagogical knowledge necessary to instruct science teachers. In particular, we contend that the construct of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) can be adapted to the context of knowledge for teaching science teachers. We use the PCK construct to propose a model for the development of knowledge for teaching science teachers, grounded in our experiences as doctoral students and faculty mentors. We end by recommending a vision for doctoral preparation and a new standard to be included in the ASTE Professional Knowledge Standards for Science Teacher Educators.     

师范类专业认证背景下师范类院校有机化学教学改革与实践

有机化学在化学类专业本科生的培养过程中占有极其重要的地位。在师范类专业认证背景下,作者从师范类专业认证“学生中心、产出导向、持续改进”的基本理念出发,对优化课程目标、整合教学内容、优选教学方法、探索课堂教学新模式和采用多种评价形式等多方面进行了教学改革与实践。实践证明,教学改革能培养学生主动探究的精神,激发学生的学习兴趣,有效地提升化学师范生的学科素养、教学组织能力以及合作与反思能力。     

Capturing the Complexity of Practice: A self-study in the context of engineering education

This article is based on a project in which a teacher educator, acting as a critical friend, worked with six engineering teachers in a Masters program in Machine Engineering in order to stimulate their reflection on their own teaching and learning as a way of developing their scholarship of teaching. The article draws particular attention to ways of expressing the learning from self-study in order to illuminate the complexities of teaching and to begin to encourage the articulation of the scholarship of teaching as a consequence of a collaborative experience. The results highlight how making teaching visible through the use of self-study offers new ways to capture the complexity of practice, which in this article is considered to be an important aspect of developing the scholarship of teaching.     

Back to the Classroom: Lessons learnt by a teacher educator

This self-study focuses on the suitability of implementing the Communicative Language Teaching approach to teach English in contexts where the conditions for learning might be different to those implied by the original tenets of the approach. As a university-based teacher educator, the researcher promotes this approach in her methodology classes. She returned to classroom teaching to better understand the challenges faced by student teachers in implementing Communicative Language Teaching and to re-visit several assumptions of her understanding of the teaching and learning process.     

美国教师教育课程规划改革:教学观变革视角的检视

在美国存在着四种主要的教学观,而这直接影响教师教育课程的总体规划思路。以简单化的教学观指导下的传统的教师教育课程设计存在诸多问题。要改变传统教师教育课程设计的弊端,就要将教学看做是一种专业或是艺术,重视教师教育课程总体构成的四种主要关系,这将给教师教育课程的总体规划提供一种新的思考方式。     

Developing reflective teachers: the experience of two modules in the teacher training programme at the national institute of education,Singapore

The Singaporean education system is undergoing many changes in order to develop schools and nation which cultivate learning and education. A crucial success factor to these initiatives is the teacher. Singapore needs reflective teachers who can continually reflect upon their own practices to find better ways of teaching as well as maintain their purpose and direction amid a sea of changes. This article describes attempts during the years of 2002 to 2004 to develop trainee teachers into more reflective teachers at the National Institute of Education (NIE), focusing specifically on the experience of two revamped pre-service teacher education modules. The experience suggests that a social constructivist approach, in which trainee teachers discuss and debate critical issues impinging on their professional practice, is more successful than the traditional ‘tell and regurgitate’ approach, in developing reflective teachers.     

Beginning teachers' experience of the workplace learning environment in alternative teacher certification programs: A mixed methods approach

Workplace learning in early entry (EE) teacher education programs has been proposed as an alternative to traditional programs and as bridging the theory-practice gap in teacher education. However, there is little empirical evidence for the underlying assumption that one can become a highly qualified teacher by merely being a teacher. This article discusses to what extent students of teaching in EE programs experience their work environment as a stimulating learning environment. The results of semi-structured interviews and an online survey suggest that schools tend to hinder rather than serve the purpose of workplace learning. Obstructions and supporting conditions are discussed.