Teacher education futures: today’s trends,tomorrow’s expectations

Education is facing significant political and contextual challenges that will impact its future. This study employs a Delphi methodology to investigate teacher educators’ views of current trends and their consequences for teacher education futures. Interviews were conducted with a sample of expert teacher educators drawn from eight countries. This provided international perspectives on both local and global trends. The data were analysed to identify and elaborate key themes reported by the participants. The article draws on these themes to develop brief narratives around current developments that the teacher educators argue will have a major impact on the future of teacher education. These narratives are used to develop possible scenarios to inform thinking about teacher education futures.     

实行中小学继续教育教师资格认定制度之我见

实行中小学继续教育教师资格认定制度是保证中小学教师培训质量、实现中小学教师继续教育培养目标的有效途径。10年来,我国教师资格制度的实施和对继续教育理论研究的深入为实施中小学继续教育教师资格认定制度提供了实践和理论支持。因此,应尽早建立独立的继续教育教师资格认证机构,设立科学合理的继续教育教师资格认定标准,建立开放的继续教育教师资格认定机制。     

我国农村教师专业化发展的制约因素及实现途径

教师专业化是我国教师教育改革的重要趋势;农村教师专业化是我国教师专业化的一个重要组成部分。本文分析农村教师专业化所面临的严峻挑战,探寻其内、外部的制约因素及实现途径。     

A foot in many camps: literacy teacher educators acquiring knowledge across many realms and juggling multiple identities

This study involved 28 literacy/English teachers in four countries: Canada, the USA, the UK and Australia. The goal of the study was to examine their backgrounds, knowledge, research activities, identity and support within the university. The teacher educators had a range of classroom teaching experience which they drew on in many ways. Most went far beyond simply telling stories about their previous work. All were heavily influenced by their own childhood experiences, which continue to affect their current work. Many felt that they needed to hold dual identities, teacher and academic, because they were still heavily involved in schools through their research and in-service activities. Several felt that there was a hierarchy in their department with those most removed from schooling at the highest tier. Most saw themselves in the field of literacy not teacher education and gravitate towards literacy-focused conferences and journals rather than those in teacher education.     

Preparing teacher candidates for family–school partnerships

Previous research indicates that, while parent involvement promotes student achievement, how teacher candidates are prepared to establish family–school partnerships (FSP) is not well documented and the roles of teacher educators are often neglected. Explorative studies including curriculum analysis and focus groups of primary and secondary teacher candidates and teacher educators were conducted in three universities, one each in the Netherlands, Belgium and the USA. Data collection was designed to identify opinions towards FSP and perceived preparation for FSP. The programmes showed limited attention to aspects other than communication and FSP was not assessed. The findings indicate training is largely dependent upon the proclivities of individual teacher educators. Although all respondents acknowledged the importance of FSP, respondents of primary education held a more positive attitude towards parents than others. Hardly any differences were found between the views of candidates and educators, regardless of the programme they followed or taught.     

International mobility and cultural perceptions among senior teacher educators in Israel: ‘I have learned to suspend judgment’

ABSTRACT

The aim of the study was to explore the motives underpinning career mobility, and the impact of such mobility on changing the perceptions of senior teacher educators from Israel who have experienced cross-cultural professional transitions during the mid-career stage (hereafter referred to as ‘internationally oriented teacher educators’). A thematic analysis of five interviewees’ retrospective narratives highlighted three motives driving career mobility: the opportunity for professional development; the joy of adventure and challenge; and the need to bring about a fundamental change in their careers. In addition, two categories of changes in perceptions that occurred following international mobility were mapped: (a) pluralistic perceptions in a multicultural higher education environment, and (b) culture of learning among the younger generation. The discussion raises similarities and differences between the findings and the literature on career mobility in higher education.     

Feedback consistencies and inconsistencies: eight mentors’ observations on one preservice teacher’s lesson

Mentors play a key role in developing preservice teachers for their chosen careers, and providing feedback appears as a significant relational interaction between the mentor and mentee that assists in guiding the mentee’s practices. But what are mentors’ perspectives on providing feedback to their mentees? In this case study, eight mentors viewed a professional video-recorded science lesson facilitated by a final-year preservice teacher during practicum for the purposes of providing oral feedback in a simulated mentor–mentee discussion. Findings showed that mentors’ feedback was variable in both their positive feedback and constructive criticisms and, in one case, the feedback was contrasting in nature. Implications are discussed, including preservice teachers receiving feedback from more than one mentor and universities researching the design of valid and reliable tools to guide mentors’ oral feedback     

美国中小学国际教师招募现象解析

近年来,去美国从事中小学教学工作的外国教师越来越多,这也成为美国教育领域乃至全社会关注的焦点。有人把这一现象称为进口教育者。从其他国家招募教师,反映出美国基础教育教师不足的现状,一定程度上削弱了美国内改善师资状况的努力,并将教师短缺的危机转嫁到他国,尤其是发展中国家。美国教师联合会对美国进口教育者现象作了调研,分析了其中的原因及产生的影响。     

Para‐teacher scheme and quality education for all in India: policy perspectives and challenges for school effectiveness

This paper argues that the concepts, beliefs and understandings of local and non‐local teacher educators in a Hong Kong university are grounded in their own cultural cognition and antecedents. It presents the viewpoint that contemporary notions of good practice were compromised when applied to a context that is strongly influenced by the tenets of Confucianism. Thus the conclusion is that the contingencies of teaching and learning contexts are sufficiently different to compromise the goal of having pre‐constructed notions of good teaching. The alternative is that university tutors and future researchers re‐conceptualise good teaching practices within a context that gives it meaning and purpose.     

Preparing Teacher Candidates to be “Effective” in the Classroom: Lessons Learned from National Teachers of the Year

Defining what it means to be an “effective teacher” is a difficult, but necessary, undertaking, as research reveals a correlation between teacher qualities and student success (Buchel and Edwards 2005 Buchel, T., and F. Edwards. 2005. Characteristics of effective clinical teachers. Resid Educ. 37 (1):30–5. [Google Scholar]; Darling-Hammond 2000 Darling-Hammond, L. 2000. Teacher quality and student achievement: A review of state policy evidence. Center for the Study of Teaching and Policy. Seattle: University of Washington Press. doi: 10.1086/ahr/106.2.595-a.[Crossref] , [Google Scholar]; Lupascu, Pânisoa, and Pânisoar 2014; Stronge 2007 Stronge, J. H. 2007. Qualities of effective teachers. 2nd ed. Alexandria, VA: Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development. [Google Scholar]). The literature on this topic clearly demonstrates that there is no consensus on exactly what traits and characteristics truly define an effective teacher. Given this lack of agreement, the question for teacher educators becomes how do we prepare teacher candidates to be effective in the classroom when researchers, policymakers, and administrators can’t agree on the traits that encompass what the system has come to deem an “effective” teacher?

Throughout this article, we share our findings from an exploratory case study of National Teachers of the Year. Through an analysis of personal teacher of the year narratives and nomination letters, we learned that even in the ever-changing world of education, specific characteristics and philosophies which support and exemplify outstanding teaching have remained constant over the years. Award winning educators agree that teacher effectiveness is realized only through the intersection of curriculum, relationships, collaboration, engagement, and a commitment to further one’s learning. In this article, we offer insight into each of these ideological constants and discuss the implications they have for today’s teacher education programs.