Power and place in teaching and teacher education

This paper explores the thesis that teacher education prepares teachers to fit into existing patterns and structures of teaching, schooling and society. The key questions explored are: (1) How have some discourses emerged as privileged, as others have been eclipsed? (2) What do these processes reveal about the relationship of power and place in teacher education? The case examined is Northern Ireland. The author concludes that if teacher education is to be one of the means by which educators learn new ways of seeing within a deep sense of tradition, then teacher education itself needs to become a discursive project.     

Curriculum development and teacher education in New Zealand

When the National English Syllabus Committee (New Zealand) was established in 1970 to revise the existing English syllabus for the first three years of secondary school, it sought to evolve a model of curriculum development which was process oriented.

This article describes the bases of the teaching guidelines and the extensive and complex teacher‐education programme which accompanied the evolution of the project. It describes an attempt to alter teachers' ideas about what to teach in English, as mother tongue, how to teach it and within what administrative structures it could best be taught.     

Students with learning disabilities in teacher education programs

Education faculty are dedicated to preparing competent teachers. At the same time, they must provide reasonable accommodations in the teaching and evaluation of qualified students with disabilities, in compliance with the mandates of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. This article describes some of the reasons that students with learning disabilities (LD) choose teaching as a profession, and the difficulties that some students with LD have in teacher preparation programs. It discusses the underlying legal and ethical issues encountered when working with students with LD in teacher education programs, as well as some ways to enhance success. The term learning disabilities is used since not all teacher candidates will have a language-based reading, spelling, and written expression disorder or dyslexia. It is assumed, however, that approximately 80 percent or more will have dyslexia.     

Developing fundamental principles for teacher education programs and practices

Traditional approaches to teacher education are increasingly critiqued for their limited relationship to student teachers’ needs and for their meager impact on practice. Many pleas are heard for a radical new and effective pedagogy of teacher education in which theory and practice are linked effectively. Although various attempts to restructure teacher education have been published, no coherent body of knowledge exists about central principles underlying teacher education programs that are responsive to the expectations, needs and practices of student teachers. By analyzing effective features of programs in Australia, Canada, and the Netherlands, this study contributes an initial framework of seven fundamental principles to guide the development of responsive teacher education programs that make a difference.     

Artefacts and utilization schemes in mathematics teacher education: place value in early childhood education

In this article, I discuss a case of pre-primary and primary school teacher education concerning place value in number representation. In primary school (in Italy, in grades 1 and 2), the topic is usually introduced by means of manipulatives (for instance, abaci and base ten blocks). But it is well known that no artefact is transparent for mathematical meaning, unless the social practices of the mathematics classroom, initiated by the teacher, are effective. The aim of this study is to report on tasks given in a four-session (16 h) workshop for 27 prospective pre-primary and primary school teachers, where the use of artefacts in learning place value in base ten was tackled, within a suitable theoretical framework. Different sessions of the workshop are analysed, focusing on tasks related to different components of mathematics knowledge for teaching. Effectiveness for professional growth is reported, quoting documents written by students and by external evaluators. In a final paragraph, the implication for pre-primary school teacher education is addressed.     

Personal epistemology and relational pedagogy in early childhood teacher education programs

Over the last decade, research related to personal epistemological beliefs has offered insight into how to promote effective teaching and learning across educational settings. Personal epistemological beliefs reflect an individual's views about what knowledge is, how knowledge is gained, and the degree of certainty with which knowledge can be held. However, there has been no research that specifically investigates the relationship between such epistemological beliefs and early childhood practice. This paper draws together current research findings on epistemological beliefs and tertiary learning to provide a conceptual framework which can be used in early childhood teacher education programs to provide a basis for investigating early childhood teachers' understanding about their own learning and how they use this knowledge in their practice.     

The McDonaldization of CAEP accreditation and teacher education programs abroad

McDonaldization is the processes of the fast-food industry that dominate segments of societies worldwide. Few studies address how McDonaldization applies to the accreditation of teacher education programs. This article demonstrates how the Council for the Accreditation of Education Programs (CAEP) could be perceived as a McDonaldized organization that propagates American understandings of teacher education in non-US universities. The article applies the five principles of McDonaldization to CAEP Accreditation and addresses possible influences on non-US universities seeking CAEP accreditation outside the US borders. Specifically, the article discusses the cultural challenges, language concerns, and issues regarding indigenous knowledge that non-US universities face.     

Middle years teacher education: New programs and research directions

Teacher education programs focussing on the development of specialist teachers for ‘the middle years’ have proliferated in Australian universities in recent years. This paper provides some insights into middle years’ teacher education programs at the University of Queensland, Edith Cowan and Flinders Universities with regard to their: philosophical underpinnings; specific educational context; scope and nature of the program. In addition, some of the research directions and efficacy strategies utilised in conjunction with the programs will be shared, along with some early findings from a longitudinal study in one of the programs. We propose that the pattern of programmatic growth heralds a new time for teacher education, and we speculate about the production of new kinds of teacher identities as graduates take their place in the profession.     

Elementary science education library resources in graduate and undergraduate teacher education programs of new England

The purpose of this study was to compare elementary science education library resources available in graduate and undergraduate teacher education institutions in New England. A 31-item survey was sent to teacher education institutions certified to prepare elementary teachers. The survey had four components: (1) services (i.e., ERIC, computer search, etc.), (2) journal holdings/science (i.e., Science and Children, Science Education, etc.), and nonscience (i.e., Reading Teacher, Instructor, etc.), (3) resources available (i.e., elementary science textbooks, audio-visual materials, computer software, etc.), and (4) an open-ended question about what major resources were needed to help prepare preservice students to teach science. There was a 72% return rate from the 87 institutions. Data were analyzed by the FREQUENCIES and ONEWAY subprograms of SPSSX. Less than 34% of the non-graduate libraries had ERIC microfiche available, Dissertation Abstracts, and computer search capabilities services. There was significant difference between graduate and nongraduate institutions journal holdings for science education journals and indexes. The surveyed libraries had more elementary science textbooks published prior to 1980 than those published after 1980 and were severely lacking in computer software.     

Child Development Under Threat: its place in initial teacher education for the years of primary schooling

Abstract

This paper is an attempt to discuss current and future ESL practice with reference to a postal questionnaire survey administered to all English local education authorities in February 1989. The first part of the discussion deals with ESL practice in its historical context. The second part reports some of the findings of the survey. The final part proposes a particular view on future development in terms of collaborative mainstream ESL pedagogy.     

A review of ICT related courses in pre-service teacher education programs

This study investigated teacher educators’, prospective teachers’, and K-12 teachers’ opinions about the effectiveness of ICT related courses and the ways to improve the courses in Turkey’s pre-service teacher education programs. The researchers used both quantitative and qualitative research approaches within the data collection and analysis processes. The data were collected from 111 teacher educators, 1,330 prospective teachers, and 1,429 K-12 teachers through questionnaires; and from 6 teacher educators, 6 prospective teachers, and 6 K-12 teachers through interviews. Even though a majority of the participants felt that ICT related courses are effective, most participants recommended that these courses need to be redesigned to be more beneficial in practice.     

Eminent classroom teachers join the dialogue on teacher education programs

Abstract

This article examines the views on effective teacher education programs held by 10 teachers who were identified by senior administrators within their school districts as exemplary teachers. The findings reveal many consistencies between the beliefs inherent within five models of teacher learning that predominate in literature on teacher education programs and those held by practicing teachers. The one major difference is that teachers in this study emphasize the transmission of a widely accepted body of pedagogical knowledge and skills to a greater degree than do researchers. This set of common belief provides a strong foundation for building collaborative relationships through which both cultures might work together to develop a shared vision. Transformation of teaching and teacher education practice requires a willingness to consider values and perspectives that might differ from those accepted within either culture and an openness to change on the part of both cultures.     

Learning opportunities in teacher education and proficiency levels in general pedagogical knowledge: new insights into the accountability of teacher education programs

Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability - This paper examines the effects of learning opportunities on the attainment of different proficiency levels in general pedagogical knowledge...