Ascilite wacuts

Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 2004

2012

Australian education is undergoing national reform at many levels. The school sector, where preservice teachers will be employed, are adjusting to the demands of the National Curriculum and improving teacher quality through the National Professional Standards for Teachers.

Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 2016

Innovations in Higher EducationTeaching and Learning, 2017

2000

In the face of rapid technological and economic developments globally, schools in the Asia-Pacific region have been under increasing pressure to prepare students who are adaptable to change and empowered to change their environments, who are creative and innovative, and who are able to apply knowledge and solve problems with confidence. Teachers in such learning environments have to take on the more demanding role of a mediator and a knowledge broker: to provide guidance, strategic support, and assistance to help pupils at all levels to assume increasing responsibilities for their own learning. The challenge then, for teacher education institutions (TEIs) in the region, is to prepare teachers who are open to new ideas, new practices and information and communication technologies (ICT), to learn how to learn, unlearn and relearn, and to understand and accept the need for change. During the pre-service teacher phase, programs in teacher education institutions play a crucial role in preparing their graduates to be change agents in schools. This book aims to document these best practices and lessons learnt from the various TEIs in the region, and generate discussions of pertinent issues in pre-service teacher education such as pedagogical beliefs, theory-practice gap, curriculum and assessment, and ICT in education. Drawing upon leading scholars of teacher education from the Asia-Pacific region, the 12 chapters in this book are divided into three main sections: – Examining Pre-Service Teacher Education – Engaging Partners in Pre-Service Teacher Education – Emerging Practices in Pre-Service Teacher Education The first section of this book provides insights into the whys, whats and hows of pre-service teacher education in the Asia-Pacific: Why is there a need for change in pre-service teacher education? What are the changes in pre-service teacher education? How are the changes of pre-service teacher education meeting the changing needs of schools and their society? The three chapters in this section provide examples of how teacher education institutions in the region are considering the needs of their respective education systems within their courses. Two of the chapters discuss changes of the paradigm and implementation of key components of teacher education courses, while the third chapter examines pre-service teacher epistemological and pedagogical beliefs. Cheng, in the first chapter of the book, discusses how pre-service teacher education in the Asia-Pacific region is experiencing a new paradigm. He suggests that since the 1980s there have been three waves of paradigm shifts, providing an overview of each wave, before exploring the implications for and challenges to the first two waves. The remainder of the chapter is devoted to discussing the third wave in detail. In doing so, Cheng provides empirical evidence of the positive impact of the third wave paradigm shift on indicators of secondary school student learning. In addition, he analyses pre-service teacher education in terms of the third wave aims, curriculum and pedagogy. Northcote and Lim review the state of pre-service teacher education in the Asia-Pacific region. In the first part of the chapter they discuss how teacher education institutions are responding to the demands of teaching in the twenty-first century. While acknowledging variations in teacher education courses throughout the region, they describe the common aims and tasks of these courses. Northcote and Lim then move on to providing introductory comments on the role of partnerships between teacher education institutions and their education systems in responding to the needs of these systems. In the second part of the chapter, the authors identify the key components of pre-service teacher education courses, and then provide a general discussion about how teacher education institutions implement these components. The final part of the chapter presents a series of case studies from teacher education institutions in the Asia-Pacific region, which are specifically linked to the implementation of the key components. In the third chapter of this section Khine, Atpusthasamy, Chai and Teo discuss Singaporean pre-service teacher epistemological and pedagogical beliefs. After reviewing the literature on understanding personal epistemologies and teachers’ epistemological and pedagogical beliefs, the authors discuss research they undertook at Singapore’s National Institute of Education. Their study involved 340 postgraduate diploma in education pre-service teachers completing a questionnaire on personal beliefs and conception about teaching and learning. The structure of the questionnaire is outlined, and the results discussed and analysed, with the authors outlining recommendations based on their analysis of the collected data. The second section of this book examines aspects of engaging partners in pre-service education. The concept is examined in terms of partnerships developed between the pre-service teacher institute and schools, as well as one chapter highlighting partnerships set up between the private sector and schools to enhance the quality and the nature of learning. The chapters indicate the importance and relevance of partnerships particularly to the TEIS that are seeking work-place experience for the students. All four chapters in this section help us to reflect on the nature of partnerships and where the power lies in the relationship. They examine how partnerships can be developed to become of mutually beneficial and hence just not rhetorical. The reader is urged to consider to what degree the examples described in each of the chapters satisfactorily meet the need to address issues around sharing of power and the mutual benefits to each party. Related closely to this are the aspects relating to the sustainability of the partnership. The sustainability and the valuing of the partnership to some degree will be dependent upon each party being able to readily identify ‘what’s in this for me’. Lock and Yardley in chapter 4 focus upon the administrative structure developed to enhance relationships between government schools and the School of Education. The authors describe partnership relationships established with two school districts within the Western Australian Education Department. These partnerships provide both practicum placements for the student teachers, and professional development opportunities for the teachers within the schools, thus ensuring gains for both the School of Education and the school site. The chapter emphasises the need to have appropriate administrative structures to enable the partnership; the importance of decision making being a collaborative endeavour between all the stakeholders resulting in sharing of the power. In chapter 5, Suratno and Cock use a case study to explore the enhancement of school-university partnerships within the Indonesian context. They do this through examining the implementation of a particular programme known as ‘lesson study’ into schools. The partnership described incorporates collaborative efforts of the schools, school system, teacher associations and the university. The study provides some insight into the constraints, blocks and rhetoric that surrounds the notion of partnerships between schools and TEIs, and demonstrates the power of partnerships if the mutual benefits can be readily recognised by all parties. In Chapter 6, Quah examines the nature of public-private partnerships through examples within the project, Microsoft’s Partners in Learning. Once again in this chapter the need for collaborative decision making between partners for ‘mutually agreed objectives to be achieved’ is highlighted. Quah demonstrates the value of partnerships and the influence such partnerships can have upon the reformation of teaching and learning in schools, especially when one of the partners is able to bring to the table resources to support reform. The challenge then for pre-service education is what it can bring to the school institute partnership that will help to resource school improvement. Wong and Goh in Chapter 7 describe Singapore’s National Institute of Education’s experience in setting up partnerships with schools for teaching practicum. The authors highlight that some partnerships are ‘born out of necessity within a specific context: for example, the need for TEIs to find places for student teachers’ practicum. For the partnership to become strong there must be mutual benefits for each party and there must be some equality of power sharing, hence reinforcing the message which each of the chapters in their own way have addressed. The third section of this book discusses emerging innovative practices using ICT in pre-service teacher education. The chapters within this section present interesting insights into how teacher education institutions offering pre-service teacher education courses are effectively using ICT to enhance pre-service teacher learning. These cases are of particular relevance as the need to prepare teachers who are open to new ideas, practices and information, together with being able to use ICT in both their learning and teaching becomes increasingly important. For university academics, who have had to learn to use digital technology in their teaching, and who are endeavouring to develop learning experiences for their digital age pre-service teachers, the cases reveal strategies worthy of consideration. Overall, the chapters illustrate different examples, from a variety of tertiary institutions, of how ICT can be integrated into the learning and teaching experiences of pre-service teachers. Lim in Chapter 8 considers the implementation and evaluation of a program designed to improve pre-service teacher use of technology in their classroom teaching. He discusses an educational program at Seoul National University, which aims to develop pre-service teacher knowledge and skills to enable them to successfully integrate ICT into their teaching. In a different context, Lane describes the innovative use of digital technologies to promote learning and engagement in pre-service teacher education courses at Edith Cowan University. She uses two case studies in Chapter 9 to illustrate, firstly, how digital web 2 technologies are integrated into the design of coursework to accommodate pre-service teacher preferred learning styles, and secondly, how pod casts are used to match postgraduate and undergraduate learning needs and styles. In chapter 10, Halim, Meerah and Modd explore yet another use of ICT in pre-service teacher education at Universiti Kebangsan Malaysia. They present two case studies, one from a Teaching Training Institute and the other from their university, in which electronic portfolios are part of course assessment requirements. As a result of their research, the authors reveal the impact of portfolios on pre-service teacher learning, while outlining issues requiring close attention. In chapter 11, the integration of technology, using a blended approach to teaching and learning, with content and pedagogy in a postgraduate pre-service teacher group is investigated at the Hong Kong Institute of Education by Ng. She reports on the learning experiences in which pre-service teachers were engaged in face-to-face and online activities by referring to quantitative and qualitative data gathered during her research. The final chapter in this section differs from the previous four, in that it considers the use of ICT to develop reflective practices in an entire pre-service teacher education course at Edith Cowan University. Yardley, Lock and Walsh discuss the development, implementation and evaluation of a professional learning journal as it evolves from print to eportfolio format. They show how pre-service teachers are able to monitor and self-report on their progressive achievement of course outcomes, together with outlining the structures put in place to support this process. This book has started out by highlighting the urgent need to improve the quality of teachers, especially pre-service teacher programs. The chapters that follow discuss how various TEIs response or address this need. However, it is often a difficult task for the teacher education program to help pre-service teachers change their underlying beliefs about teaching and learning and equip them with all the competencies that they need to be an effective teacher in school. Even if the beliefs of pre-service teachers have been successfully shifted towards a more constructivist one, the question is whether it will necessarily bring about transformation in their instructional practices. When they enter the real world as classroom teachers, the school culture or/and the pressures of being a practising teacher may nurture or destroy their constructivist pedagogical beliefs. A supportive environment is indeed an important factor in fostering constructivist practices amongst teachers. In such an environment, teachers’ pedagogical beliefs are likely to be reinforced by the consensus of their professional peers and by the expectations of students in their classrooms. At the same time, the professional learning of teachers is a continuum from pre-service through to induction and in-service. TEIs should not feel pressurised to overload the curriculum in order to prepare graduates who are fully competent when they first walk through the school gate. TEIs should instead work closely with schools, and public and private organisations to build the skills of teachers at each stage of their career.

2016

This book provides a call to action for post-compulsory teacher education professionals, both in the UK and internationally, to unite around key principles and practices. The professional, educational and funding turbulence experienced by post-compulsory teacher education since 2008 has been significant. Austerity financing and increasing government intervention have provided many new and difficult challenges. At the same time evidence is building that the quality of teaching is the most important contributor to the quality of learning and achievement, and teacher education is demonstrably one of the most important influences on that teaching quality. The mainly workplace-based partnership model of teacher education used in the post-compulsory education (PCE) sector resonates well with a number of key current developments in the UK and broader field of teacher education. PCE teacher educators are particularly well placed to tell their story and share their vision of a better future ...

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