How teachers become action researchers and how teacher educators become their facilitators

The article contributes to the theory of action research by focusing upon kinds of action an individual may undertake in relation to their research endeavour. The article explores action as illusion, as occurring at different speeds according to context, as ‘cure’, as repair to maintain a system, as system improvement, as border skirmishes, as deconstruction and as stealth action. Each of these kinds of action has implications for the action researcher seeking to bring about change. The article explores the ways in which the action researcher can challenge the status quo and bring about creative, educative, democratic frameworks for living in society.     

How teaching influences learning: Implications for educational researchers,teachers, teacher educators and policy makers

This article is a tribute to Graham Nuthall's contribution to classroom research from his early experimental studies through to his recent work on theory integration. It also explains the potential of the methodology, findings and theory building in our collaborative work to make a substantial positive difference for diverse students. The article explains the significance of, and need for, research linking learning to teaching processes (a scientific realist approach to putting ‘process’, socio-cultural context and theory building into a new process–product paradigm). Findings of student outcomes contrary to educational goals (for example, teaching designed to enhance appreciation of cultural differences triggering racist abuse) signal the importance of research that explains the impact of teaching on learner outcomes. The article also foreshadows the implications of the work that Graham and I did for teaching, teacher education, research and educational policy. The article concludes with Graham's view that the most important contribution his work would make, would be to initial teacher education.     

Teacher educators as researchers: A profile of research in Israeli teacher colleges versus university departments of education

The teacher research movement has encouraged the development of practitioner research action-oriented and reflective studies among teachers and teacher educators alike. This study compares the profile of research conducted in the Israeli academic teacher colleges with that performed by university faculty. A content analysis of the 204 papers presented at the recent conference of the Israeli Association of Educational Research reveals, that teacher college research indeed focuses on teacher education issues and the relevant study populations. Yet, it does not depart from traditional university research in terms of types of studies and research methods. Dream and reality are therefore mixed in teacher education research.     

Toward Transparency: Competing discourses of teacher educators and teachers

This self-study emerged within the context of a school-based professional development project that established collaboration between two teacher educators and a group of elementary public school teachers. We launched the Book in a Bag project as a way to promote curriculum integration in classrooms and at the same time to provide a venue for research. Within the two contexts of university and public schools, certain knowledge and practices were privileged, largely as a result of the distinct stewardships each assumes. When tensions arose in the course of the project, we employed self-study methodology. We identified competing discourses of teachers, teacher educators, and partnership, noting paradoxes that focused on discourse-bound knowledge, discourse-driven motivation, and discourse-limited aspirations. Self-study served to deepen our understanding of our own practices and ourselves as teacher educators with an eye to future relationships with teachers.     

Research mathematicians as teacher educators: focusing on mathematics for secondary mathematics teachers

We believe that professional mathematicians who teach undergraduate mathematics courses to prospective teachers play an important role in the education of secondary school mathematics teachers. Thus, we explored the views of research mathematicians on the mathematics that should be taught to prospective mathematics teachers, on how the courses they teach can serve teachers in their work with school students, and on the changes they would implement if their courses were designed specifically for prospective teachers. We constructed profiles of the four mathematicians based on their responses to a clinical interview. We employed the construct of mathematics teacher-educators’ triad in the reflective analysis of our findings and extended the construct based on the results of this study. In conclusion, we commented on potential ways to draw stronger connections between university mathematics and the mathematics taught in schools.     

Teacher educators’ expertise: what do novice teachers and teacher educators say?

Expertise of teachers has been the topic of many studies in the field of teacher education published in recent years. Less attention is, however, given to expertise of teacher educators; the focus of this study. The study examines the issue by discussing some of the literature on the subject, and by asking novice teachers and teacher educators about the characteristics of good teacher educators, the professional knowledge of teacher educators and the difference between the expertise of teacher educators and teachers. Findings indicate that even though there is much overlapping in the expertise of the two groups of professionals, there are also distinct differences of importance to the current discussion on standards and education for teacher educators.     

Teacher educators as researchers: multiple perspectives

This article suggests that part of the task of the teacher educator is functioning simultaneously as both researcher and practitioner. However, there are sharply diverging viewpoints about the worth of this kind of research. On the one hand, there is now more research about teacher education being conducted by teacher educators themselves than at any previous time. On the other hand, in certain contexts, this research is discounted because it is judged not rigorous or because it does not generalize across contexts. The article considers the deliberations about practitioner research by the AERA Panel on Research and Teacher Education as an illustration of how these competing viewpoints can play out.     

Creating a supportive climate for teacher growth: Developing graduate students as teachers

This article presents several fundamental principles of teacher training which grew from a case study of a successful orientation and training program for graduate teaching assistants at a large mid‐western university. Instructional strategies, observational methods, and evaluative procedures are discussed. A supportive climate is highlighted as a critical component of an effective training program.     

Improving research on teacher quality in science and mathematics: Report of a symposium of scientists,educators, and researchers

Many initiatives designed to improve the quality of elementary and secondary teachers have been proposed and implemented at national, state, and local levels. It is unclear whether these initiatives are based on a common definition of teacher quality or adequate knowledge about the conditions that produce quality teaching. This article summarizes the results of a symposium of the National Research Council on the state of research knowledge on teacher quality. Topics for needed research that were identified in the symposium included studies on the effects of state and local policies which set new standards for teachers, studies on the subject-matter knowledge and preparation of teachers, analyses of alternative methods of developing teaching skills, and assessments of the effects of school conditions for teaching on career patterns of teachers.     

Aesthetic experience in a dynamic cycle: Implications for early childhood teachers and teacher educators

Abstract

This study describes early childhood teachers’ own beliefs and concepts of aesthetic experience in young children. The teachers involved in this study were directly engaged in preschools for 4 and 5 year‐olds where arts and aesthetic education are a primary consideration of their integrated curriculum. These teachers identified a variety of features of aesthetic experience in three dimensions, which develop in a dynamic, non‐linear cycle. This study suggests that early childhood teacher's awareness and knowledge of aesthetic experience is critical to support the high quality of young children's learning through the arts. It concludes with implications for both teacher education programs and early childhood teacher educators. © 2005 Published by Elsevier Inc.     

Working as Partners: School teachers' experiences as university-based teacher educators

A qualitative study was undertaken of 25 teachers who have taken time away from schools or early childhood centres to work on short-term contracts in a university college of education preservice teacher education programme. The study considers their perceptions of the experience and how this might impact on the partnerships between colleges and schools or early childhood centres. Findings suggest that there are benefits and difficulties associated with short-term contracts. However, overall participants found that teaching in a preservice teacher education programme was a very valuable professional experience and that it enhanced their ability to support student teachers more effectively.     

Spatialised metaphors of practice: how teacher educators engage with professional standards for teachers

Pre-service teacher educators, both nationally and internationally, must negotiate a plethora of expectations including using Professional Standards to enhance teacher quality. In Australia, the recent Teacher Education Ministerial Advisory Group (TEMAG) report highlighted weak application of Standards in Initial Teacher Education (ITE). However, recent reports suggest that many education stakeholders feel positive about the implementation of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APSTs). This study responds to these differing viewpoints by exploring how teacher educators in a large metropolitan university in Australia account for the use of Standards in their work. Discourse analysis techniques in conjunction with socio-spatial theory make visible particular metaphors of practice as teacher educators negotiate the real-and-imagined spaces of regulated teacher education programmes. The findings highlight the importance of investigating the utility of Standards in the lived experiences of teacher educators, as they are responsible for preparing quality, classroom ready graduates.     

Faculty development for preservice teacher educators: A research utilization perspective

Weak research utilization strategies limit the faculty development of university-based preservice teacher educators. Compared to school district-based inservice teacher educators, preservice teacher educators have weaker knowledge acquisition strategies, and are less likely to have sustained contact with researchers, especially where a training focus is prominent. Preservice teacher educators have less developed networks that facilitate research utilization, and have less institutional support for internal staff development. A research utilization theoretical framework is used to propose recommendations for helping preservice teacher educators.