Teacher education: What Australian Christian schools need and what higher education delivers

Abstract

The intersection between schools and the higher education institutions that prepare graduates for teaching in schools is driven by secular agendas. These agendas showcase knowledge transfer as a key indicator of effective learning and teaching. However, the preparation of graduate teachers for service in Christian schooling systems cannot be limited to an exclusive focus that places emphasis on knowledge transfer as a means to an end. Employers of teachers for Christian educational contexts, including Catholic education, desire teachers who are competent in their discipline area(s) and are able to draw confidently upon their Christian beliefs and values in a way that informs their professional work as educators. This article proposes that the intersection between higher education and schools needs to be navigated more effectively in the preparation of teachers for Christian schooling systems who are responsible for approximately one-third of the student population in Australia. The role of the teacher in Christian educational contexts is explored, drawing on practical theological insights into the teacher as Christian witness. Secular perspectives on effective teaching and learning in higher education teacher training courses are considered in the light of teacher preparation for Christian schooling systems. Approaches to teaching and providing opportunities for students to belong to a community in learning, as well as planning time for students to critically reflect on learning, are proposed as possible examples of how to help prepare teachers for service in Christian schooling systems.