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Refocusing Teacher Education: A Paradigm Shift Towards Professional Development of Teachers

By mungai njoroge
The ultimate purpose of education is nurturing learners to develop relevant knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary for peaceful coexistence, and to utilize the environment intelligently to sustain and improve the standard of living. Effective teachers are among key enabling factors in the improvement of education towards achieving this critical purpose. Arguably, no society can rise above the standard of its teachers at all levels of education. Therefore, it is imperative to have in place an effective teacher education in order to empower teachers with appropriate knowledge, skills, and attitudes framework to facilitate meaningful learning. By highlighting fundamental and essential auxiliary components of teacher education, informed by review of selected literature on teacher education, the ensuing discussion prompts a paradigm shift towards effective preparation of prospective and practicing teachers especially in developing countries. Key words: Teacher Education, Meaningful learning, Teacher Professional Development ...Read more
A paper presented during the 1st Annual International Interdisciplinary Conference, held at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA), June 27-31, 2012 Refocusing Teacher Education: A Paradigm Shift Towards Professional Development of Teachers by Njoroge J. Mungai jomush77@yahoo.com Centre for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education in Africa (CEMASTEA) Abstract The ultimate purpose of education is nurturing learners to develop relevant knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary for peaceful coexistence, and to utilize the environment intelligently to sustain and improve the standard of living. Effective teachers are among key enabling factors in the improvement of education towards achieving this critical purpose. Arguably, no society can rise above the standard of its teachers at all levels of education. Therefore, it is imperative to have in place an effective teacher education in order to empower teachers with appropriate knowledge, skills, and attitudes framework to facilitate meaningful learning. By highlighting fundamental and essential auxiliary components of teacher education, informed by review of selected literature on teacher education, the ensuing discussion prompts a paradigm shift towards effective preparation of prospective and practicing teachers especially in developing countries. Key words: Teacher Education, Meaningful learning, Teacher Professional Development Fundamentals of Teacher Education Substantial research evidence indicates that teachers who have had thorough preparation for teaching are more competent and successful with students than those who had little or none (Darling- Hammond, 2000). These teachers facilitate meaningful learning. Novak, Mintzes, and Wandersee (2000) pose that meaningful learning occurs when learners seek to relate new concepts and propositions to relevant existing concepts and propositions in their cognitive structures. In light of this, it can be argued that the worth of any teacher education programme is a function of the extent to which it upgrades the capacity of the teacher to scaffold meaningful learning. However, a review of trends in teacher education reveals conflicting and competing beliefs globally on issues as basic as when and where teachers should be educated, who should educate teachers, and what education is most effective 1
A paper presented during the 1st Annual International Interdisciplinary Conference, held at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA), June 27-31, 2012 in preparing teachers (Levine (2006). Primarily, teacher education programmes should inculcate into teachers several essential elements. Content knowledge of what is to be taught to learners is the first essential that needs redress in teacher education. This is because teachers lacking understanding of subject matter are likely to misrepresent knowledge to their students (Ball and McDiarmid, 1990) and therefore learners may fail to acquire appropriate knowledge and skills needed as basis for meaningful learning. Importantly, as pointed out by Darling-Hammond (2006) content knowledge taught to teachers should be in relation to the curriculum goals. However, looking at the content knowledge curriculum offered to pre-service teachers my opinion is that much needs to be done in most of our tertiary institutions in Kenya in terms of aligning it to curriculum goals. For instance, there are some cases where pre-service teachers graduate without being exposed to the content they will teach in school. Secondly, in order to effectively teach appropriate content to students teachers require exposure to variety of pedagogical knowledge; the understanding of how students with diverse needs at various stages of human development and from different contexts construct knowledge, acquire skills and develop habits and positive dispositions towards learning (Mishra and Koehler, 2006). Without thorough grounding in pedagogical knowledge, teachers would lack the foundation that helps in assessing student learning in respect to the teaching strategy being used and the possible modification (Darling-Hammond, 2006). Unfortunately, much of the pedagogical knowledge exposure in most education colleges is biased towards theory; the pedagogical knowledge curriculum is delinked from the content knowledge curriculum. What is normally classified as foundations courses-philosophy, psychology are taught as isolated entities and do not find grounding in the pedagogical knowledge curriculum. Ideally, practical harmonization of the two curriculums is central. 2
A paper presented during the 1st Annual International Interdisciplinary Conference, held at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA), June 27-31, 2012 Refocusing Teacher Education: A Paradigm Shift Towards Professional Development of Teachers by Njoroge J. Mungai jomush77@yahoo.com Centre for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education in Africa (CEMASTEA) Abstract The ultimate purpose of education is nurturing learners to develop relevant knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary for peaceful coexistence, and to utilize the environment intelligently to sustain and improve the standard of living. Effective teachers are among key enabling factors in the improvement of education towards achieving this critical purpose. Arguably, no society can rise above the standard of its teachers at all levels of education. Therefore, it is imperative to have in place an effective teacher education in order to empower teachers with appropriate knowledge, skills, and attitudes framework to facilitate meaningful learning. By highlighting fundamental and essential auxiliary components of teacher education, informed by review of selected literature on teacher education, the ensuing discussion prompts a paradigm shift towards effective preparation of prospective and practicing teachers especially in developing countries. Key words: Teacher Education, Meaningful learning, Teacher Professional Development Fundamentals of Teacher Education Substantial research evidence indicates that teachers who have had thorough preparation for teaching are more competent and successful with students than those who had little or none (DarlingHammond, 2000). These teachers facilitate meaningful learning. Novak, Mintzes, and Wandersee (2000) pose that meaningful learning occurs when learners seek to relate new concepts and propositions to relevant existing concepts and propositions in their cognitive structures. In light of this, it can be argued that the worth of any teacher education programme is a function of the extent to which it upgrades the capacity of the teacher to scaffold meaningful learning. However, a review of trends in teacher education reveals conflicting and competing beliefs globally on issues as basic as when and where teachers should be educated, who should educate teachers, and what education is most effective 1 A paper presented during the 1st Annual International Interdisciplinary Conference, held at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA), June 27-31, 2012 in preparing teachers (Levine (2006). Primarily, teacher education programmes should inculcate into teachers several essential elements. Content knowledge of what is to be taught to learners is the first essential that needs redress in teacher education. This is because teachers lacking understanding of subject matter are likely to misrepresent knowledge to their students (Ball and McDiarmid, 1990) and therefore learners may fail to acquire appropriate knowledge and skills needed as basis for meaningful learning. Importantly, as pointed out by Darling-Hammond (2006) content knowledge taught to teachers should be in relation to the curriculum goals. However, looking at the content knowledge curriculum offered to pre-service teachers my opinion is that much needs to be done in most of our tertiary institutions in Kenya in terms of aligning it to curriculum goals. For instance, there are some cases where pre-service teachers graduate without being exposed to the content they will teach in school. Secondly, in order to effectively teach appropriate content to students teachers require exposure to variety of pedagogical knowledge; the understanding of how students with diverse needs at various stages of human development and from different contexts construct knowledge, acquire skills and develop habits and positive dispositions towards learning (Mishra and Koehler, 2006). Without thorough grounding in pedagogical knowledge, teachers would lack the foundation that helps in assessing student learning in respect to the teaching strategy being used and the possible modification (Darling-Hammond, 2006). Unfortunately, much of the pedagogical knowledge exposure in most education colleges is biased towards theory; the pedagogical knowledge curriculum is delinked from the content knowledge curriculum. What is normally classified as foundations courses-philosophy, psychology are taught as isolated entities and do not find grounding in the pedagogical knowledge curriculum. Ideally, practical harmonization of the two curriculums is central. 2 A paper presented during the 1st Annual International Interdisciplinary Conference, held at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA), June 27-31, 2012 One aspect of practical harmonization is providing teachers with opportunities to nurture their pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). PCK is the understanding of what makes the learning of specific topics easy or difficult from the learner’s perspective (Shulman, 1986). It enhances teacher’s position to address learners’ difficulties, misconceptions and scaffold them to access content knowledge (Mishra and Koehler, 2006). Additionally, PCK enables the teacher to teach subject-matter not as separate themes but as consortium of interrelated concepts, resulting to conceptual and relational understanding (Skemp, 1976). To facilitate nurturing of PCK the current shallow models of teaching practice needs revision. Pre-service teachers need more practical opportunities in real classroom situations. As a way of consolidating fundamental-elements of Teacher-Education, there is need to institutionalize school-based-internships and professional-development-schools concepts in teacher education curriculum. Darling-Hammond (1998) articulates this exigency by asserting that “Teachers learn best how to teach by studying, doing, and reflecting; by collaborating with other teachers; by looking closely at students and their work; and by sharing what they see” (p.2). She further argues that effective learning occurs more productively when student-teachers encounter questions in the context of real students and get opportunities for research and inquiry; for trying, testing and evaluating the results of teaching-and-learning. Therefore, school-based-internships provide prospective-teachers the opportunity to generate connections between theories and practice of teaching-and-learning process (Miller and Silvernail in Darling-Hammond, 1998) thereby increasing their effectiveness with students. Additionally, through collaborative relationship with veteran teachers within the professionaldevelopment-schools concept, novice teachers benefit from rich experiences. Learning experiences in professional development schools are useful for practice and ongoing theory building considering that a 3 A paper presented during the 1st Annual International Interdisciplinary Conference, held at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA), June 27-31, 2012 professional teacher is one who learns from teaching rather than one who has finished learning how to teach (Darling-Hammond, 1994). Essential Auxiliaries In traditional thinking, especially in developing countries, learning to teach is considered as a terminal onetime event meant for pre-service teachers. This is a wrong perception. As rightly argued by Cochran-Smith (2011) learning to teach never ends, in fact, it is no longer a one-time process of teacher training where pre-service teachers are armed with theory and methods and then sent out to exercise teaching. On the contrary, as a professional etiquette, the current emphasis is to have teachers engage in lifelong learning. This is for the purpose of renegotiation and reconstruction for effective teaching (Bell & Gilbert, 1996) and the fact that learning to teach takes place over time rather than at isolated moments in time (Cochran-Smith, 2011). Additionally, lifelong learning may enhance teachers’ ability of relating theory with practice, engaging in innovations and inventions necessary to bring about meaningful teaching and learning, and subsequently contribute towards satisfaction in teaching career. Even though there are clear policies in regard to institutionalization of pre-service teacher education, most developing countries are yet to institutionalize in-service teacher education. Consequently, there is the tendency to conduct in-service education haphazardly. The current exigency for teachers to engage in lifelong learning requires a paradigm shift. Countries need to have in place in frameworks for in-service education. Admittedly, this does not necessarily mean formulating a “onesize-fits-all” kind of in-service education to be adhered by all. Rather, customized in-service education should be designed to address specific contextual needs. In support, Gaible and Mary (2005) cues is that effective teacher professional development should begin first with an understanding of teachers’ needs and their work environments, i.e., schools and classrooms. For instance, currently there is 4 A paper presented during the 1st Annual International Interdisciplinary Conference, held at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA), June 27-31, 2012 increasing demand for teachers to integrate Information Communication Technology (ICT) as a way of enhancing the teaching-and-learning process. However, even though Mishra and Koehler (2006) have formulated technological-pedagogical-content-knowledge (TPACK) as the ICT integration framework they posit that quality teaching requires teachers to develop an understanding of the complex relationships between technology, content, and pedagogy, and use this understanding to develop appropriate context-specific teaching strategies. This implies that TPACK provides a generalized solution but individual teachers have to customize it to address particular needs of their own classroom. In addition to having in place lifelong learning that addresses contextual needs, and contrary to what is considered normal practice, Cochran-Smith (2011) recommends continued teacher education that transcends the stereotype process of periodic “staff development” where practicing teachers are congregated into auditoriums to obtain latest updates about teaching methods. Rather, the paradigm shift should be towards embedding in-service education in teachers’ daily work in the classroom. This can be achieved through various ways such as lesson study which provides opportunities for extensive interactions and sharing of individual experiences among communities of teachers to build stronger shared professional basis of best practices (Olson, 2005), teacher inquiry where teachers direct their own learning and focus on the particular needs of their own classroom (Poekert, 2011); the teacher analyzes a particular dilemma, engages professional literature, experiments with new strategies, and generates professional knowledge as a result of such experimentation (Cochran-Smith & Lytle 2009), and reflective practice; the importance of reflective-practice and critical-inquiry skills for teachers is emphasized by Hole and McEntree (1999) argument that ordinary occurrences during teaching-andlearning are entry points towards improving teaching. Reflecting on these ordinary occurrences creates the foundation for assessing classroom situations and making rational instructional decisions that 5 A paper presented during the 1st Annual International Interdisciplinary Conference, held at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA), June 27-31, 2012 eventually benefit learners. Additionally, considering that “learning to teach is about raising questions and working with others to generate local knowledge rather than simply receiving information from outside experts and applying it the same way for every student in every context” (Cochran-Smith, 2011: 22), the concept of professional development schools has a lot to offer. In professional development schools as veteran practicing-teachers engage in various roles such as supervision and mentoring of student-teachers; coresearch work with universities; and collaboration with other teachers through joint reflections and action-research, they deepen their knowledge about the teaching-and-learning process (DarlingHammond, 1998). Contextual Implication One peculiar misconception that has infiltrated our education system in Kenya is the common understanding that the suitable qualification for secondary school teachers, primary school teachers, and early childhood education teachers should be undergraduate teacher education, diploma teacher education, and certificate teacher education respectively. Thus, the higher qualification a teacher receives is considered as a ticket towards teaching at a higher level of schooling rather than mastery of teaching in a certain level. This implies that teachers who acquire postgraduate teacher education qualification seek teaching opportunities at universities and tertiary-colleges, but not in secondary, primary or nursery schools. In my view, all levels of education are important and should have highest professionally educated teachers. Undoubtedly, teachers who have had thorough pre-service preparation and upon admission in into the teaching profession engage in lifelong learning are more competent and successful with students than those who do not. In view of this and considering the preceding discussion, the current 6 A paper presented during the 1st Annual International Interdisciplinary Conference, held at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA), June 27-31, 2012 teacher education programmes concerning initial teacher-preparation and practicing teachers in Kenya are in need of a paradigm shift. In their current state, pre-service teacher education-programmes provide inadequate opportunities for student-teachers to relate theory with practice. Consequently, teachers graduate from tertiary-institutions with more theory than practical know-how for contextual application. Arguably, most of these graduates are unable to engage in effective teaching and consequently learners suffer. As a remedy, teacher-education-programmes should have intensive-andextensive school-based internships linked to coursework. This will orient prospective-teachers with intricacies of teaching-and-learning process and subsequently sharpen their effectiveness with students. Indeed, as Darling-Hammond (2006) observes, without practice no amount of course work can singly counteract the powerful experiential lessons that shape what teachers do. Much of the content taught to student-teachers is delinked from official curriculum. Consequently, prospective teachers spend a lot of time learning unnecessary-content at the expense of consolidating pedagogy, nurturing of pedagogicalcontent-knowledge, and acquisition of technological-pedagogical-content-knowledge. Thus, studentteachers encounter frustrations when they embark on actual teaching as novice teachers since they are not well grounded in the content they are supposed to teach and appropriate instructional strategies. The situation gets worse since mentoring programmes have not been institutionalized. This scenario has escalated the problem of ineffective teachers and degraded the quality of education. In Kenya the Ministry of Education is yet to put up a policy to govern in-service education. As such most practicing teachers experience teacher professional development programmes with dilute and decontextualized content, with insufficient inclusivity and limited diversity, and fail to meet the aspirations of the teachers (Njoroge & Njiru, 2012). Notably, there are inadequate forums for collaborative reflections and action-research on classroom teaching-and-learning and pertinent issues 7 A paper presented during the 1st Annual International Interdisciplinary Conference, held at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA), June 27-31, 2012 like integration of Information-Communication-Technology. Therefore, teachers miss opportunities to socially construct and share necessary knowledge that refines practice throughout their careers (Stigler and Stevenson, 1991). Conclusion Deficiencies in teacher education programmes lower the quality of education and hinder prospects of nurturing critical thinking and understanding learners. The foregoing discussion has focused on aspects of effective teacher education programmes, for prospective and practicing teachers, that ensures teaching remains a profession that inspire learners to superior achievements. Without refocusing teacher education in East Africa, to integrate the elements discussed, learning to teach and teaching will continue to annihilate the noble purpose of teaching; that of enhancing meaningful learning which is critical for industrialization. 8 A paper presented during the 1st Annual International Interdisciplinary Conference, held at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA), June 27-31, 2012 References Agarkar, S. C., & Pradhan H. C. (2002). In-service Training of Mathematics Teachers in Ashram schools. In Y. C. Cheng, K. T. Tsui, K. W. Chow & M. M. C. Mok (Eds.), Subject Teaching and Teacher Education in the New Century: Research and Innovation (pp. 193-207). Hong Kong: The Hong Kong Institute of Education. Ball, D., & McDiarmid, G. W. (1990). The subject matter preparation of teachers. In W. R. Houghston (Ed.), Handbook of research for teacher education (pp. 437-449). New York: Macmillan. Bell, B., & Gilbert, J. (1996). Teacher Development: A model from Science Education. London: Falmer Press. Cochran-Smith, M. (2011). Does Learning to Teach Ever End? Laureates Speak. Kappa Delta, PI Record. Retrieved May 29th, 2012, from http://www.kdp.org/publications/pdf/record/Centennial/Cochran_Smith.pdf Cochran-Smith, M. and Lytle, S.L., 2009. Inquiry as stance: practitioner research for the next generation. New York: Teachers College Press. Darling-Hammond, L. (2006). Constructing 21st-Century Teacher Education. Journal of Teacher Education, 57(3), 300-313. Darling-Hammond, L. (2000). How Teacher Education Matters. Journal of Teacher Education, 51(3), 166-173. Darling-Hammond, L. (1998). Teacher Learning that Supports Student Learning. Educational Leadership Journal, 55(5), 6-11. Darling-Hammond, L. (1994). Professional Development Schools: Schools for Developing a Profession. New York: Teachers College Press. Gaible, E. & Mary, B. (2005). Using Technology to Train Teachers: Appropriate Uses of ICT for Teacher Professional Development in Developing Countries. Washington, DC: infoDev / World Bank. Available at: http://www.infodev.org/en/Publication.13.html Hole, S., & McEntree G. H. (1999). Reflection is at the heart of practice. Educational Leadership, 58(8), 34-37. Larson, E. B., & Keiper, A. T. (2007). Instructional Strategies for Middle and High School. London: Routledge. Levine, A. (2006). Educating School Teachers. The Education Schools Project. Retrieved November 15, 2011, from http://www.edschools.org/pdf/Educating_Teachers_Report.pdf 9 A paper presented during the 1st Annual International Interdisciplinary Conference, held at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA), June 27-31, 2012 Mishra, P., & Koehler, M. J. (2006). Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge: A framework for teacher knowledge. Teachers College Record, 108(6), 1017-1054. Njoroge, J. M, & Njiru, S. N. (2012). Professional Development of Mathematics and Science Teachers: Which way for Kenya? Unpublished paper presented in the International Conference on Educational Reforms and Innovation in Enhancing Quality and Equity held on 20th and 21st February 2012 at Kenyatta University, Kenya. Novak, J. D., Mintzes, J. J., & Wandersee, J. H. (2000). Learning, Teaching, and Assessment: A Human Constructivist Perspective. In Mintzes, J. J., Wandersee, J. H. & Novak, J. D. (Eds.), Assessing Science Understanding: A Human Constructivist View (pp. 1-13). London: Academic Press. Olson, J. (2005). Do teachers change their practices while participating in a lesson study? In P. Clarkson, A. Downton, D. Gronn, M. Horne, A. McDonagh, R. Pierce, & A. Roche (Eds.), Building connections: Research theory and practice. (Proceedings of the 28th annual conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia, Melbourne, pp. 593-600). Sydney: MERGA Poekert, P. (2011). The pedagogy of facilitation: teacher inquiry as professional development in a Florida elementary school. Professional Development in Education, 37(1), 19-38. Shulman, L. S. (1986). Those who understand: Knowledge growth in Teaching. Educational Researcher, 15(2), 4-14. Skemp, R. R. (1976). Relational understanding and instrumental understanding. Mathematics teaching, 77, 20-26. Stigler, J. W., & Stevenson, H. W. (1991). How Asian teachers polish each lesson to perfection. American Educator, 15(1), 12-47. 10
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ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to investigate teachers’ perceptions of the impact of Continuing Professional Development on promoting quality teaching and learning. This study adopted a mixed method approach using both quantitative and qualitative research designs. Closed-ended self-administered questionnaires and interview schedule were used to collect data. Two hundred teachers were sampled through simple random sampling procedure to complete the questionnaires, while ten teachers participated in face-to-face semi-structured interviews. The results show that teachers recognise the impact of professional development in broadening their pedagogical and content knowledge, teaching skills and strategies to improve student’s learning. Results also show that teachers are undergoing professional development initiatives in order to gain financial rewards. The study concludes that teachers have positive perceptions of their professional development even though they are not being supported adequately by Department of Basic Education and their schools.The study recommends that adequate financial rewards be put in place to encourage and motivate teachers when furthering their studies as part of Continuing Professional Development. Further research into the factors influencing teachers furthering their studies as part of professional development in South Africa should be undertaken.
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From Best Practice to Next Practice: A Shift through Research- Based Teacher Education
Michael Schratz
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Assessing Outcomes of Teacher Education: Quantitative Case Studies From Individual Taiwanese and Japanese Teacher Training Institutions
The Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 2014
Quint Oga-Baldwin
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FM RESEARCH PROPOSAL
Fanny Nombulelo Agnes Malikebu(Miss).
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Prof Keraro CV,
Prof Fred N Keraro
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Reflections on the Teacher Education System Overhaul (TESO) program in Ethiopia: Promises, pitfalls, and propositions
Journal of Educational Change, 2008
Dawit Mekonnen
In 2003 the Ethiopian education system experienced wide-ranging reform that touches every aspect of the system. This reform is called TESO (Teacher Education System Overhaul). Designed to address educational problems in Ethiopia, TESO introduced significant structural changes and promised to bring a ‘paradigm shift’ in the Ethiopian educational system by engaging teacher education in changing society and promoting democratic, practical, and problem-solving education. This paper examines, through an analysis of the TESO document and an examination of the views of teacher educators, TESO’s assumptions, mission and the coherence among the various components of TESO. It also reveals gaps and discrepancies between TESO’s mission, its reform process, and strategies. The promise and assumptions of TESO are challenged by considering extant realities in Ethiopian schools and evidence from literature on effective teacher education programs and educational reform. The paper reflects on how, by giving priority to equity, TESO compromises on some elements of effective teacher education programs. It is indicated that TESO has been a welcome addition to the Ethiopian education system as it addresses elements that had previously been missing from the system, such as, outlining directions to teacher education, devoting longer duration for practicum, and heeding seriously to the professional preparation of teachers. At the same time, it is contended that the imbalance among program components, its permeability to ill-prepared students and the contradiction between program rhetoric and strategy and reform processes, as described by teacher educators, could be stumbling blocks which prevent TESO from fulfilling its promises.
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Preservice student views of teacher judgement and practice in the age of artificial intelligence
Southern African Review of Education, 2019
Jacqueline Batchelor
The fourth industrial age is characterised by artificial intelligence (AI) playing an increasingly important role in many occupations. In the field of education, statements such as 'Robots will replace teachers by 2027' (Houser 2017) have been made. But the act of teaching is complex and, while technology will inevitably influence the judgement and practice of teachers, it is not possible to reduce that complexity to a set of algorithms. Instead, we envisage complementary roles for teachers and robots and propose that teachers learn to embrace the affordances of technology to improve learning. Working with the idea that teacher education programmes have a twofold task-preparing students with specific teacher knowledge to function in the schools of today, and equipping them to operate in an increasingly complex world-we wanted insight into what young student teachers thought about these issues. We posed the questions: 'If, as some claim, a robot can do the work of a teacher, what is the future of teaching?' 'Will teachers still have a role to play in educating children?' Data comprised student teachers' responses to a number of prompts related to this central issue in a competition that ran over a four-week period. These were analysed for content and discourse, and provide insights into how students in two teacher education programmes think about their task of making professional judgements in the classrooms of the future.
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Creating Supportive School Cultures for Beginning Teachers: Mitigating the Cultural Contextual Factors
The International Journal of Educational Organization and Leadership, 24(2), 1-18, 2017
Benjamin Kutsyuruba, Keith D Walker
Our internationally focused, systematic review of research literature explored a variety of contextual factors that affect experiences of beginning teachers and how these factors are addressed in the programs of support for new and beginning teachers. The transition and socialization processes that accompany early-career teachers, as well as efforts focused on acculturation to school contexts and the profession, are commonly noted in the literature and provide insights for those who support novice teachers. In this article, we report our findings that focus specifically on the cultural contextual factors. We view the cultural context as the eclectic environment wherein these early-career teachers learn to organize their thoughts, emotions, and behaviours, based on shared norms, beliefs, values, customs, and traditions that are common to a group of people. Upon the initial review of the literature on teacher attrition, retention, induction , and mentorship, we discuss the overarching themes that we found from our exploration of the cultural factors affecting beginning teachers, the aspects of induction and mentoring programs that were designed to address these factors, and we offer conclusions and research implications.
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Arabic Language Education in the UAE: Choosing the Right Drivers
Springer, 2019
Hanada Taha Thomure
This chapter describes the many initiatives that have been spearheaded by the United Arab Emirates in an effort to develop the teaching and learning of Arabic in the country. Although there has been unprecedented attention given to Arabic language education in the decade up to 2018 including an Arabic language charter, a reading law, the Arabic reading challenge, the Arabic for life report, and the Arabic award to list just a few, private and public schools are still having some challenges in bringing best practice to the Arabic language classrooms with students still underperforming. The UAE vision and initiatives set in place to develop Arabic language education are to be applauded, however, it is the direction of that vision that needs to be adjusted to focus mainly on teacher preparation and teacher and school leadership training. Teachers and school leaders are the most important piece in the educational fabric and without ensuring that they receive the best preparation and continuous and meaningful training and support throughout their careers, these initiatives will have little impact on Arabic language education outcomes. 2
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Narrative Inquiry in Program Evaluation: The Epistemological Territory of Contested Teacher Identities
Sean Wiebe
This chapter reports on how a narrative inquiry approach to teacher education program evaluation can offer rich insights into candidates' teacher identity development. Data were drawn from the reflective entries of teacher education candidates in an on-line, interactive journal for a Foundations of Education course during an after-degree B.Ed. program in Atlantic Canada. Findings revealed the struggles of the "contested self" that occurred in the borderland of "pre-service" that situates the teacher education candidate between role of 'student' and 'teacher'. Analysis of the entries created a series of snapshots of the challenging epistemological journey of developing an identity of ‘teacher’. Narrative inquiry proved to be an appropriate and effective analytic approach to understanding the epistemologies related to identity transformation of pre-service candidates as they lived the course and the program. We conclude with the assertion that narrative inquiry offers not only deep insights into individual pre-service teacher identity development but also a rich and thick understanding of the complex processes of becoming of a critical, creative curriculum maker.
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Reconceptualizing Teacher Education at the University of Ottawa
Nicholas Ng-A-Fook
The calls by the Ministry of Education for extended teacher education in 2012 reflect restructuring without reconceptualization, which, Grimmett (1995) argues, “does not lead to genuine change in teacher education” (p. 202). As we stated in our introduction, our reconceptualization of teacher education was informed by Grimmett’s three approaches to restructuring; namely restructuring that arises out of reconceptualization. In Ontario, with the severely restrictive time allowed to reconceptualize and restructure new programs for 2015, we continue to question if we have been able to engage in a rich reconceptualization of teacher education alongside of the externally imposed restructuring to the degree that we would wish. To meet the goals articulated by Grimmett (1995), Korthagen (2001), Kincheloe (2004), Loughran (2006), and Russell and Loughran (2007) to name but a few who call for reconceptualization of teacher education, we need to break free of the old ways of thinking about teacher education. Here, Thomas and Kane (2016) suggest that this would require significant shifts in the ways we as university-based teacher educators view our roles in the preparation of teachers, our commitment to partnerships with school-based teacher educators and how we understand one becomes a teacher. It will also most importantly require authentic and sustained collaboration with teachers and schools and key partners within the wider community. This is one of the directions we are heading as we continue to work toward developing, implementing, and living a teacher education program that reflects a reconceptualization grounded in innovative practices and partnerships. The promises of such reconceptualization take time. Only now are we seeing some of the recommendations of the 1990s come to fruition. Time will tell, if our program lives up to its future promises.
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Professional learning as a physical education teacher educator
Physical Education & Sport Pedagogy, 2011
Ann MacPhail
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JUNE RESEARCH PROPOSAL (1)
Fanny Nombulelo Agnes Malikebu(Miss).
The Value of Teaching Practicum in learning to teach: Student Teachers’ Experiences in an Initial Teacher Education Programme in the Western Cape.
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Initial teacher education outcomes: standards for graduating teachers. A paper for discussion
Sinnema Claire
This paper is designed to inform policy and promote discussion on programme development for initial teacher education and the mentoring of beginning teachers. This paper proposes expectations for teacher candidates at the point of graduation and entry into the profession: what they should be able to do, and the knowledge, competencies, dispositions, ethical principles, and commitment to social justice that they should possess. We begin by outlining the challenges involved in writing standards for initial teacher education. We then examine the current international and New Zealand contexts with the aim of understanding how best to design standards that will support quality teaching. This leads us to propose an inquiry-oriented model for graduate teaching – the Teaching for Better Learning model – together with related standards. The standards we propose are structured around a series of inquiries designed to establish learning priorities and teaching strategies, examine the enactment of strategies and their impact, determine professional learning priorities, and critique the education system. In making these inquiries, teacher candidates draw on as resources education’s body of knowledge, competencies, dispositions, ethical principles, and their own commitment to social justice. The standards emphasise the context-dependent nature of effective teaching and, therefore, adaptive expertise as the hallmark of a professional teacher. We conclude by raising some implications of inquiry-oriented standards for a graduate profile and teacher education curricula.
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Exploring the distinctive contribution of higher education to teacher education
Natasa Pantic, Lani Florian
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A Review of Literature On Professional Development Content And Delivery Modes For Experienced Teachers
Ly Tran Thi Phuong
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Learning to explain: How student teachers organise and present content knowledge in lessons they teach
Education as Change, 2011
Lee Rusznyak
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Student Teachers Learning Through Inquiry: International Perspectives
Agnieszka Szplit
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Empowering Teachers to become Change Agents through the Science Education In-Service Teacher Training Project in Zimbabwe
Comparative and International Education Education Comparee Et Internationale, 2013
Viola Manokore
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Evaluation of Iranian Teacher Education Programmes for EFL Student-Teachers
Journal of Modern Research in English Language Studies, 2019
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Teaching and Teacher Education, 2008
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