Conceptions of school-based teacher educators concerning ongoing teacher education

In this work we describe and analyze the conceptions of 28 teacher educators on the principles, contents, methods, and evaluation of ongoing teacher education, taking the model of teacher-researcher as the theoretical referent. The data obtained with an Inventory of Beliefs on Teacher Education were submitted to classical statistical and to multifactorial analyses. The statistical analysis showed that most of the subjects agree that ongoing teacher education has to be developed around problems of professional practice and in contexts of curricular innovation, and disagree with a technical model of this education developed around academic disciplines. The multifactorial analysis identified four factors which together account for more than 50% of the variance, and which generally reaffirm these tendencies.     

Institutional racism and anti-racism in teacher education: perspectives of teacher educators

This paper focuses on the issue of institutional racism in the Irish education system. Drawing on insights from Critical Race Theory, the views of a sample of teacher educators in the Republic of Ireland were sought in relation to the existence of institutional racism in the Irish post-primary system and the extent to which anti-racism permeates teacher education programmes. Findings suggest the need for a form of deep engagement with anti-racism issues in the education of student teachers and the difficulties of doing so in the current structure of the Postgraduate Diploma in Education.     

Learning and unlearning: the education of teacher educators

Despite the many expectations that US and other teacher educators around the world are striving to meet, there has been little attention to development of a curriculum for educating teacher educators, or to local and larger policies that might support the development of what teacher educators need to know and do in order to meet the complex demands of preparing teachers for the 21st century. In this article, Cochran-Smith analyzes four teacher educator communities in different contexts and entry points across the career lifespan. She makes the case that the education of teacher educators is substantially enriched when inquiry is a stance on the overall enterprise of teaching, schooling, and teacher education.     

Perceptions and practices of multicultural education among Ethiopian secondary teacher education program officials,teacher educators and prospective teachers

This study explores the perceptions and practices of multicultural education among Ethiopian secondary teacher education program officials, teacher educators and prospective teachers. To that end, data were collected from secondary teacher education program officials, teacher educators and student teachers using questionnaire and interview. The data were analyzed by employing mixed methodologies. The study revealed that while Ethiopian secondary teacher education program officials and teacher educators have awareness about multicultural education, the prospective teachers’ awareness was found to be very low. Furthermore, there are inadequate practices of multicultural education in the secondary teacher education institutions. Suggestions which may enhance the implementation of multicultural education in the secondary teacher education program of the country and beyond are discussed in the article.     

Values in education: a challenge for teacher educators

The (growing) political, social and scientific attention to the moral aspects of teaching also concerns teacher education.This article reports an exploratory study into the preparation of student teachers for moral education. The designing of goals, program parts and teaching and learning methods for a part of the first year curriculum of a teacher education institute for primary education is described. Next the teacher educators who carried out the curriculum and the student teachers who participated in it, were asked whether they recognized the moral aspects of the curriculum as designed. Finally, we tested the effects of the curriculum on the learning of the student teachers, using a pre- and post- test. The results of the study evoke, among others, the conclusion that more attention is needed to the implicit and unplanned aspects of preparing students teachers for moral education.     

State intervention and teacher education for vocational educators in England and Scotland

Background:?The paper compares and contrasts the policy context of teacher training for vocational educators (VETT) in Scotland and England and locates this in its European setting. It explores the wider socio-economic context, one that emphasises lifelong learning, competitiveness and social justice.

Purpose:?In particular, it addresses the UK Coalition government‘s orientation to vocational teacher education and the way in which this impacts upon VETT in the two home nations.

Sources of evidence:?It draws on a small-scale illuminative case study of teacher educators in England and Scotland.

Main argument:?It explores the limits and possibilities for the development of radical and critical practices embedded in VETT policy and practice.     

Shaping Australian teacher education: Teacher educators’ AARE research interests

Turney and Wright (1990) argue that Australian teacher educators, because of their demographic characteristics (predominantly male, locally born of British background, urban orientation), have difficulty in (i) modelling appropriate teacher behaviour for their mainly female clientele; (ii) exemplifying principles of non-sexist and multicultural education; and (iii) adequately preparing teachers to work in rural schools. Teacher educators’ work does not merely consist in face-to-face teaching. Another important aspect of the work of teacher educators is research. Research is the means by which teacher educators produce useful knowledge and may be an important means of overcoming the determining effects of demographic characteristics. It is interesting therefore to examine the research endeavour of teacher educators through a content analysis of AARE Annual Conference (1991) abstracts to assess the extent to which teacher educators focus their research on issues relevant to (i), (ii) and (iii). As it turns out, research in these areas is sub-optimal.     

Modelling by teacher educators

A desirable professional competency of teacher educators is the ability to explicitly model for their students, the thoughts and actions that underpin one's pedagogical approach. However desirable, the articulation of knowledge of practice is a difficult and complex task that demands considerable awareness of oneself, pedagogy and students. This article explores the nature and development of explicit modelling by two teacher educators in the context of a preservice education programme in an Australian University. The article illustrates how through their collaborative self-study, the teacher educator/authors have begun to conceptualise a pedagogy of teacher education that is based on learning from the experience of ‘being explicit’.     

Quality requirements for teacher educators

This study deals with the quality requirements that are needed for teacher educators. The tasks teacher educators have to do and the competencies they should possess (a professional profile), according to their fellow teacher educators, were identified. On the basis of a literature search on tasks and competencies of teacher educators, we made a first overview of tasks and competencies. Next, we conducted a Delphi study in three rounds, during which we held open-ended interviews and sent out two rounds of questionnaires. The resulting profile consists of five task areas and four areas of competence. For university-based teacher educators, a sixth task area (carrying out research) has been added.     

Academic induction for teacher educators

This paper is a reflective exploration of major challenges facing new teacher educators as they make the transition into the academy, and of ways that best support them. The transition problems identified in the emerging body of literature about teacher educator career entry were offered for comment to a small group of new teacher educators in an Australian regional university. Their responses added complexity and nuance, suggesting a heterogeneity of entry pathways and experiences, as well as avenues for further inquiry. Consideration of the resulting issues leads to wider questions about the place of teacher education in the academy. In turn, this leads to question if the challenges faced by newly appointed teacher educators are distinctive from those experienced by all new academics. The paper argues for multidisciplinary cohorts for induction, and makes recommendations for systematic, inclusive induction programs for all new academics, including teacher educators. The paper concludes with two further recommendations. First, large‐scale research is required to inform us about the contemporary teacher education workforce. Little is currently known about entry and career pathways, nor of the impact of recent policy and funding changes such as research performativity measures and increasing employment of sessional staff. Second, induction must be seen as an organisational and professional responsibility shared by many, including new and experienced academics, faculties, departments, institutions and professional associations.     

Constructivism as a framework for literacy teacher education courses: the cases of six literacy teacher educators

This paper presents findings from the large-scale study Literacy Teacher Educators: Their Backgrounds, Visions, and Practices that includes 28 literacy/English teacher educators (LTEs) from four countries. The participants were interviewed three times and shared their course outlines. Six pre-service LTEs who use a constructivist approach are presented. The six LTEs speak English as their mother tongue. Three aspects of constructivism are discussed: knowledge is constructed by learners; knowledge is experience based; and a strong class community is essential. They have adopted a constructivist approach because they conceptualised the teaching/learning process as a partnership. Constructivism is a flexible and fluid framework so individual LTEs can shape their work for their context and draw on their strengths; however, it is demanding because courses have to be somewhat organic in order to create space for discussion of issues as they arise.     

Special educators in inclusive education programmes: reframing their work as teacher leadership

Special education teachers are finding themselves in increasingly complex and demanding contexts of practice. Many are considering leaving the field or have already done so. These conditions suggest a decline in the appeal of professional practice as a special education teacher, with potentially deleterious short‐ and long‐term effects on the lives of students with disabilities. Special education teachers identified as highly effective in serving students with low incidence disabilities in inclusive education settings were convened to understand better their realities of practice in inclusive education settings and to identify supports for such practice. Findings support and expand those presented in Bright Futures for Exceptional Learners () a report published by the US Council for Exceptional Children. In addition to corroborating the complexity of practice, the special educators articulated a sophisticated understanding of how their schools and districts function organizationally and politically. This understanding resulted in access to and utilization of a wide array of resources for students. It is posited that the work of special educators in inclusive education settings is appropriately viewed as teacher leadership. Recommendations are offered for engaging local conversations that result in support for special educators in their central role as leaders of inclusive education.     

Curriculum reform in Turkish teacher education: Attitudes of teacher educators towards change in an EU candidate nation

Educational development is one way through which Turkey enhances progress towards its social goals and prepares itself for European Union membership. A major effort to upgrade the Turkish educational system was made through a multi-phased comprehensive reform of the sector introduced during the 1990s. One part of this reform, perhaps most crucial to the long-term effectiveness of other developments in education, was a transformation of the approach to teacher education. This paper utilizes recently conducted research to assess the nature and extent of that reform as well as identifying the factors which enhanced its effectiveness.     

Research and professional development of teacher educators

Over the last decade teacher educators have started to systematically study the processes involved in their efforts to improve their teacher education practices. This research by teacher educators (self‐study research) has made an enormous contribution to the professional development of the teacher educators involved. Many teacher educators, however, have neither the time nor the knowledge to systematically study their own practices. In the light of this situation, the authors of this article have tried to devise other research strategies to support the professional development of teacher educators. The three studies presented in this article can be described as research with teacher educators. In closing, and based on the reflection on the three studies, five characteristics of productive research with teacher educators are presented.

Au cours des dix dernières années, les formateurs d'enseignants ont commencé à étudier systématiquement les processus impliqués dans les efforts qu'ils déployaient pour perfectionner leurs pratiques de formation d'enseignants. Cette recherche (étude individuelle) effectuée par des formateurs d'enseignants montre qu'elle contribue énormément au perfectionnement professionnel des formateurs. Il convient de signaler toutefois que plusieurs formateurs ne disposent ni du temps ni des connaissances qui leur permettraient d'étudier leurs pratiques professionnelles de manière systématique. C'est dans le cadre de cette situation que les auteurs du présent article se sont efforcés de concevoir d'autres stratégies de recherche pour soutenir le perfectionnement professionnel des formateurs d'enseignants. Les trois études présentées dans l'article peuvent être décrites comme étant des recherches entreprises avec des formateurs d'enseignants. Pour conclure, cinq caractéristiques de recherche productive avec des formateurs sont développées à partir de la réflexion des trois études.

En la última década, los formadores de docentes han empezado a estudiar sistemáticamente los procesos implicados en sus esfuerzos por mejorar las prácticas de formación de docentes. Esta investigación realizada por los propios formadores de docentes (investigación de autoestudio) ha demostrado contribuir enormemente a su desarrollo profesional. Sin embargo, muchos formadores de docentes no disponen de tiempo ni de conocimientos para estudiar sus propias prácticas de forma sistemática. En vista de esta situación, los autores del presente artículo han intentado diseñar otras estrategias de investigación para apoyar el desarrollo profesional de los formadores de docentes. Los tres estudios presentados en este artículo pueden describirse como una investigación con formadores de docentes. Para finalizar, y partiendo de la reflexión sobre estos tres estudios, se presentan cinco características de la investigación productiva con formadores de docentes.

In der letzten Dekade haben die Lehrerausbilder begonnen, systematisch die Prozesse zu erforschen, die zur Verbesserung ihrer Handlungsweise im Lehrerausbildungsbereich erforderlich sind. Diese von Lehrerausbildern durchgeführte Forschung (Selbststudienforschung) leistet einen bedeutenden Beitrag zur beruflichen Entwicklung der betroffenen Lehrerausbilder. Viele Lehrerausbilder haben jedoch weder die Zeit noch die Kenntnisse, ihre eigene Handlungsweise systematisch zu erforschen. In diesem Licht betrachtet haben die Autoren dieses Artikels versucht, andere Forschungsstrategien zu erarbeiten, um die berufliche Entwicklung von Lehrerausbildern zu unterstützen. Die drei in diesem Artikel vorgelegten Studien können als Forschung mit Lehrerausbildern bezeichnet werden. Abschließend und basierend auf der Reflexion über die drei Studien werden fünf charakteristische Merkmale produktiver Forschung mit Lehrerausbildern vorgelegt.     

What and how teacher educators prefer to learn

In which areas and domains do individual teacher educators prefer to work on their professional development? What kind of learning activities do they want to take on and with whom? Are there significant differences in these preferences between teacher educators? This article reports on a recent survey (N = 268) about the professional development of teacher educators and differences in learning preferences between less and more experienced teacher educators and between university-based and school-based teacher educators. Findings show, for example, that while most university-based teacher educators were mainly interested in improving their teaching, less experienced school-based teacher educators were more focussed on aspects such as coaching skills. In this study, ‘learning profiles’ have been developed for four categories of teacher educators. These profiles may help to create more meaningful arrangements for teacher educators’ initial education and further professional development in a context where teacher education is required to have a more school-based as well as a more research-based orientation.