Fostering multiliteracies pedagogy through preservice teacher education

Teacher education for literacy teaching is often fairly narrow in focus. New approaches are needed that are sociocultural in orientation and take due account of the diversity of language forms, both traditional and contemporary, formal and informal, literary and non‐literary. We believe this need can be met by largely adopting a ‘multiliteracies’ approach as articulated by the New London Group. This research examined the ideas and practices of 10 literacy faculty in a large school of education and 22 first year literacy teachers from the same institution. It found that despite some important advances in a multiliteracies direction, many shortcomings remained. Part of the difficulty was lack of clarity about the nature and purpose of multiliteracies pedagogy. This paper has two main purposes: first, to attempt to clarify the nature and importance of a multiliteracies approach; and second, to report on the successes achieved and challenges encountered in moving in this direction in one school of education.     

Those who can,teach: the academic quality of preservice students in teacher education programmes in Taiwan

Difficulty in recruiting high-calibre individuals into teaching is a perennial issue in the field of teacher education. In some countries, students in teacher programmes are in general found to be lower in academic standing than their counterparts in other fields, which might lead to belief in the old saying that “those who cannot, teach.” In contrast to such discouraging phenomenon, based on analysis of a nationally representative data set, preservice students in Taiwan are found to be academically more outstanding than their nonteaching peers. Underlying policy and sociocultural contexts of such a positive phenomenon of “those who can, teach” are explained and implications for educators are discussed.     

Using modelling to make culturally responsive pedagogy explicit in preservice teacher education in Finland

Despite multiculturalism being discussed in teacher education, teachers still often feel insecure in the classroom around developing meaningful practices. This might be due to several issues about how preservice teachers are taught. In this article, modelling culturally responsive pedagogy is demonstrated as a promising strategy in shaping preservice teachers’ learning experiences and facilitating the finding of pedagogical responses in their future work. The article examines preservice teachers’ awareness of modelling as a teaching strategy in a multicultural education course in Finland, and the ways in which they connected the modelled strategy to their own learning and intentions for future teaching. A total of 246 reflective learning journals were analysed qualitatively, using a constant comparison approach. The results indicate that preservice teachers recognised and reflected on modelling culturally responsive pedagogy. They highlighted several aspects of the culturally responsive activities, environment and teacher educator behaviours modelled for them. For some preservice teachers, this recognition stayed at the level of personal awareness of own learning on the course, but for others these revelations were springboards to start forming ideas about future teaching practice. Preservice teachers articulated their intentions about the kind of teachers they would like to become, their principles in teaching, as well as specific teaching/learning activities. We present how the modelling of culturally responsive pedagogy strategies allowed preservice teachers to self-reflect, critique and connect their own learning experiences to future practice. Therefore, modelling culturally responsive pedagogy is argued to be a fruitful strategy in teacher education.     

Social justice and school linkages in teacher education programmes

This paper investigates current research into the role of education in combating social injustice, assembles this research to indicate key features of a teacher education programme that would assist education for social justice, and links these features to one innovative university teacher education programme to ascertain some of the practical difficulties in establishing such a programme. The research indicated key approaches that would enhance the probability that graduates from teacher education programmes will be able to pursue social justice initiatives.     

Bridging understanding between preservice teachers and diverse students through service-learning

This study examines the effectiveness of service-learning as a pedagogical approach that seeks to bridge the gap of understanding between predominantly White undergraduate preservice teachers (PSTs) and diverse students at a local elementary school. Analysis of ‘before’ and ‘after’ reflective papers and surveys from 23 PSTs enrolled in an entry-level education course as well as reflective letters from 41 fourth-grade students, revealed that prior to the project, PSTs feared that students’ language barriers or home circumstances might prohibit them from understanding or valuing the concepts introduced through the project. In PST ‘after’ reflections, PSTs expressed their new realizations that teaching is complex and requires careful preparation, that the children were ‘less different’ and more engaged than they expected, and that they can make a difference in children’s lives. Benefits to the children include development of new and usable social skills and an increase in their interpersonal confidence.     

Teaching knowledge and teacher competencies: a case study of Turkish preservice English teachers

This article outlines criteria of acceptability for teacher assessments (credibility, dependability, fairness), the major dimensions of teacher assessment (attributes, behaviours, knowledge), details the methods used by the United States National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, and places a major emphasis on assessment schemes based on teacher effects on the students (value-added models, achievement, quality of learning, and normative reference points). Given that the majority of teachers are acceptably proficient, the major argument for teacher assessment should be to identify and promote excellence, to guide professional development programmes, and to demonstrate to the education/school communities that excellence is present, fostered, and esteemed.     

A review of critical literacies in preservice teacher education: pedagogies,shifts, and barriers

In literacy teacher education, a small but important group of studies have addressed how teachers can be prepared for enacting critical literacies pedagogies in K-12 classrooms. In this review, we argue that, more than ever, these efforts have a place in the field of teacher preparation. After providing a brief review of how critical literacies are conceptualized in the field, we review the approaches of teacher educators across the reviewed work. We identify approaches in coursework, including text-based and non text-based approaches as well as approaches to preparing teachers through experiences with students. We also identify the barriers that teacher educators face when preparing teachers for critical literacies pedagogy, and finally, provide recommendations for future studies.     

Coteaching as a model for preservice secondary science teacher education

This paper focuses on a 3-year, longitudinal study of the implementation of coteaching, as an innovative approach for preparing high school science teachers enrolled in an undergraduate science teacher education programme located in the United States. The coteaching|co-generative dialogue|co-respect|co-responsibility dialectic is introduced as a way to conceptualise coteaching practice and support successful implementation. We also discuss means to introduce coteaching into the preservice programs and report on findings from an evaluative study of the implementation process. Coteaching has the potential to re-conceptualise teacher preparation and professional development models for science teachers.     

Evolving through tensions: preservice teachers’ conceptions of social justice teaching

ABSTRACT

This study utilized cultural historical activity theory to explore the evolution of nine preservice teachers’ (PSTs’) conceptions of social justice teaching while enrolled in a social justice-oriented teacher education program. From three interviews conducted over one year, findings show that tensions PSTs encountered while student teaching in high-poverty schools predominantly shaped their thinking. PSTs’ conceptions of social justice teaching evolved to include navigating inequitable systems, loving students critically, and viewing social justice teaching as uniquely personal. Implications include the importance of teacher educators leveraging inevitable student-teaching tensions as learning opportunities to further PSTs’ commitment to social justice teaching.     

Mathematics-related anxiety and attitudes: examining the impact among Latina preservice teachers

The purpose of this study was to investigate mathematics-related anxiety and attitudes among Latina preservice teachers. Three sections from the Inventory of Mathematics Attitudes, Experience, and Self Awareness were administered to preservice teachers enrolled in a curriculum and instruction mathematics course during the 1st semester of a 2-semester credential program. Pre- and postsurvey data were examined among female students. There were significant differences on 5 statements that suggest positive perceptions about mathematics and 5 statements that suggest negative perceptions about mathematics. We discuss strategies to reduce mathematics anxiety and address attitudes in preservice teachers.     

From student to teacher: changes in preservice teacher educational beliefs throughout the learning-to-teach journey

Preservice teachers enter programs with beliefs about teaching and learning, constructed from prior schooling experiences. This longitudinal study examines preservice teachers’ K–12 memories, their initial educational beliefs, and the changes in those beliefs over their teacher education program. Analysis of questionnaires, interviews, work samples, and observations from six preservice teachers collected over a two-year period revealed that they initially believed that students were similar to themselves, that teaching was simple and autonomous, that students perform uniformly within grade levels, and that teaching ensures learning. At program’s end, however, they believed that students differ from one another and from themselves, that teaching is complex, that classroom freedom has limits, that differentiation is essential, and that teaching does not ensure learning. The data suggested a common progression from initial idealism, to cognitive dissonance, to a search for an authentic teaching persona, and finally, to confidence in their new role as teacher.     

A longitudinal investigation of the science teaching efficacy beliefs and science experiences of a cohort of preservice elementary teachers

ABSTRACT

This paper assesses the relationship between participation in two tertiary science courses and the science teaching efficacy beliefs (STEBs) of one cohort of preservice elementary teachers over a four-year period. Two Type II case studies were conducted within the courses. Data were collected through 26 administrations of the Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument-B and semi structured interviews. Results showed that participation in the subjects covaried with increases in the participants’ STEBs. These increases in STEBs remained durable for two years. Implications for these findings are discussed within the paper.     

The effect of problem-based learning on the environmental attitudes of preservice science teachers

This study attempted to investigate the effect of problem-based learning (PBL) on the environmental attitudes of preservice science teachers. In the study, an experimental design was used with a pre-test and post-test control group. In all, 51 junior preservice science teachers participated in the study. The study was carried out over 10 weeks within the scope of an environmental science course. During the study, lessons in the experimental group were processed using a PBL approach while lessons in the control group were processed using a traditional teaching approach. Data were collected through a personal information form and environmental attitudes inventory. Data were then analysed using PASW Statistics 18 (SPSS Inc.). The findings of the study revealed a statistically significant increase in favour of the experimental group preservice science teachers’ environmental attitudes. An increase in environmental attitudes was also found in the control group; however, this increase was not statistically significant. As a result, PBL was found to be more effective than the traditional teaching approach in the development of environmental attitudes in preservice science teachers.     

Supporting the work arrangements of cooperating teachers and university supervisors to better train preservice teachers: a new theoretical contribution

This longitudinal case study examines whether a school-based training scheme that brings together different categories of teacher educators (university supervisors and cooperating teachers) engenders true collective training activity and, if so, whether this collective work contributes to pre-service teacher education. The scheme grew out of a recent French reform policy. The study is based on an original theoretical conception of teacher education that borrows postulates from a theory of learning and collective action (Wittgenstein 1996). Illustrated by excerpts from post-lesson meetings and self-confrontation interviews, the results suggest that the training scheme does not always lead to collective training activity. The difficulties are notably due to disagreement between the educators about attributing meaning to the pre-service teacher’s classroom activity, which hampers professional development. On this basis, proposals are made to contribute to an effective and authentically shared supervision process and to reposition training activity at the heart of the processes of pre-service teacher professional development.     

Defining content for field-based coursework: Contrasting the perspectives of secondary preservice teachers and their teacher preparation curricula

The current study examined changes and continuities in how 11 secondary teacher preparation programs and 743 preservice teachers conceptualized the content and sequence of field-based teacher preparation. Although curricula and candidates differed regarding the knowledge each deemed as most relevant for field-based preparation, they largely agreed on the types of learning activities considered as most meaningful for the acquisition of that knowledge base. Possible explanations for these discrepancies and continuities are discussed.     

Talking (fe)male: examining the gendered discourses of preservice teachers

Through the use of feminist poststructural discourse analysis (Baxter 2003 Baxter, J. 2003. Positioning Gender in Discourse: A Feminist Methodology. New York, NY: Palgrave MacMillan.[Crossref] , [Google Scholar]), the author examines the gendered discourses created and reified by a group of preservice secondary social studies teachers (n?=?25). Because gender is socially constructed, it is important for future teachers to examine their own gendered identities in order for them to be able to see how they contribute to the greater society. Findings reveal discourses of ‘having it all', ‘being a superwoman', ‘female struggle', and ‘gender not playing a key role in culture’ being advanced by both male and female identified individuals. Intersections of race and social class with gender added to the complexity of the different discourses. Implications for teacher education are discussed.     

The ethical perspective of British and American preservice teachers

As society increasingly expects schools to teach about moral issues and stress character development, educators are faced with a series of new challenges. One of these challenges is how to assist perspective teachers in understanding their own ethical orientation, and helping them realize how that orientation affects their teaching. This short report presents the results of a study which compares and assesses the ethical orientation of British and American preservice teachers. The study addresses a number of ethical positions which are denned in the paper. Forsyth's Ethical Position Questionnaire was employed to develop the data. The report closes with conclusions and suggestions based on the findings described.     

First off the blocks: professional experience and learning for first-year preservice Physical and Health Education teachers

Recent research focusing on professional experience has shifted towards understanding preservice teachers' learning. The aim of this study was to gain insight into the learning of preservice Physical and Health Education teachers throughout three progressively designed professional experiences. Ten volunteering first-year preservice teachers, who were enrolled in a four year degree, were recruited. A qualitative practitioner inquiry approach was employed, with participants interviewed twice to provide insights into their learning and theorising of practice. Key themes emerged around the relationship between the unit content (theory) and professional experience (practice); notions of professionalism; engagement with the syllabus and lesson planning; communication; and understanding of students. Findings indicate the potential of microteaching placements as stepping-stones to larger, more intense professional experience placements. However, future research is needed to provide stronger evidence for these placements.