Youth Participatory Teacher Education Rehearsals: Working with Youth to Shape Novice Teacher Learning

Background A significant body of scholarship has highlighted the importance of improvisation in teaching, particularly the interactional and responsive creativity that is required for teachers to co-construct meaning with students. However, recent efforts inside and outside university-based teacher education have pushed against novice teacher learning through improvisation, preferring to focus on the “practicing” of identifiable components or discrete techniques of teaching. Purpose Based on an expansive view of practice, I argue that improvisation is inextricably connected to practice and illustrate that the marginalization of improvisation limits opportunities for novice teachers to learn the relational aspects of teaching. I develop the concept of principled improvisation: improvisation that is purposefully oriented toward justice and that accentuates each moment of teaching as political, ethical, and consequential. I describe the design of a learning environment for preservice teachers that was organized around principled improvisation and demonstrate its unique affordances for particular forms of novice teacher learning. Research Design Based on a close reading of novice teachers’ weekly reflections and audio recordings and field notes from the whole-class discussions, I highlight five examples of practice guided by principled improvisation that span a diversity of participants, contexts, and scale. These illustrative cases are not meant to systematically characterize all instances of practice guided by principled improvisation in the course; rather, they are meant to be invitations to grapple with new pedagogical and learning possibilities (and limitations) that emerge when teacher education is organized around principled improvisation. In particular, I explore how learning to listen played prominently in teacher practice guided by principled improvisation and examine how the opportunity to narrate, re-narrate, and re-envision experiences allowed novice teachers to learn and collectively build place-relevant theory. Conclusions The opportunities to learn to recognize emotion, listen, see race in place, consider political expression, and make sense of power across scales were significant aspects of the relational work of teachers that were learned by organizing novice teacher learning around principled improvisation. These forms of learning could not have taken place if the experiences of the novice teacher were only organized around the rehearsal of components of teaching. It required teaching in a complex space that connects self and interactions in place to larger structures and ideologies in society.

Status and inquiry in teacher communities

Significant effort has been made to support pre-service and novice teacher learning abroad; however, not enough attention has been paid to promoting pre-service and novice teacher learning via collaboration with peer teachers and more expert educators at secondary education level in the context of mainland China. In order to facilitate this type of teacher collaboration and provide necessary support for pre-service and novice English language teachers in high schools in the southern part of China, a micro-teaching program has been incorporated into the pre-service training for these novice teachers. The micro-teaching program aims at equipping novice teachers with relevant teaching skills and behaviors through practice of teaching under controlled conditions. The purpose of this paper is to trace the developmental trajectories of the novice teachers participating in this program and examine the effect of formal assessment on the development of novice teachers. This study reveals that the program can help teachers share teaching strategies and solve practical problems in teaching, thus novice teachers acquire teaching skills and gain confidence in teaching. It is recommended the faculty should incorporate the program not only in pre-training service for novice teachers but also in service for teachers to improve their teaching routine.

Stage 1: Survival During Stage 1, which may last throughout the first full year of teaching, the teacher's main concern is whether she can survive. This preoccupation with survival may be expressed in questions the teacher asks: "Can I get through the day in one piece? Without losing a child? Can I make it until the end of the week? Until the next vacation? Can I really do this kind of work day after day? Will I be accepted by my colleagues?" Such questions are well expressed in Ryan's enlightening collection of accounts of first-year teaching experiences (3).

The study investigated the mentoring practices of senior teachers and school heads to facilitate the professional development of novice teachers (NT), particularly in enhancing lesson planning, classroom management, and pedagogical practices. This research was conducted as a phenomenological case study, wherein the researcher carried out semi-structured interviews with NT, senior teachers, and school heads operating in the primary schools of Rawalpindi city (20). The findings indicate that NT encounter challenges related to classroom management and behavioural issues with problematic students, are overwhelmed by the administrative responsibilities assigned by school heads, and often lack the support of senior colleagues in areas such as lesson planning, pedagogy, and assessment practices. The lack of academic cohesion among NT, senior teachers, and school heads poses a significant obstacle to reciprocal and ongoing professional development. An institution-based framework is recommended to facilitate the continuous professional development of NT while simultaneously supporting senior teachers. Furthermore, the study highlights the need for structured mentorship programs that foster collaboration and knowledge sharing among educators. Novice teachers often struggle with adapting to school culture and implementing effective teaching strategies due to insufficient guidance. Senior teachers, while experienced, may lack formal training in mentorship, leading to inconsistent support. School heads play a crucial role in bridging this gap by promoting a culture of professional growth. Recommendations include regular workshops, peer observations, and feedback mechanisms to strengthen mentoring relationships. Addressing these challenges will enhance teaching quality and create a supportive environment for both new and experienced educators. References Ahmad, I., Rehman, K., Ali, A., Khan, I., & Khan, A. F. (2014). 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The aim of this study is to determine the competencies and technological roles of teachers who are able to employ technology in education and keep themselves up-to-date with the requirements of the era of information and communication technology. Moreover, it aims to identify the presented image of the teacher and his/her roles as reflected by the teacher education programs courses (namely, Child Education and Classroom Teacher Education Programs) from the viewpoints of faculty members; as well as to determine the image of the teacher and his/her roles from the viewpoint of students enrolled in the Child Education and Classroom Teacher Education Programs. Additionally, the study aims to explore and identify the perceptions of students majoring in Classroom Teacher Education and Child Education and their future roles as teachers. The researcher based her work on theoretical papers, published research, and different literature in a collection of relevant data to extract facts and conclusions, as well as following the descriptive analytical method which relies on the quantities method to determine the roles of teacher preparation programs to grade students enrolled in Classroom Teacher and Child Education programs through a questionnaire which included (78) items. In order to determine the roles of the teacher through the student's views, the researcher employed another questionnaire consisting of (63) items. The same approach was also used in determining the students' perceptions of their future roles as teachers through a third questionnaire that consisted of (42) items. The scales have been applied to all students enrolled in Classroom Teacher and Child Education programs at Petra Private University. The study concluded that most of undergraduate courses for Classroom Teacher and Child Education programs have failed to reflect the competencies of the teachers and technological competencies of the preparation and design of teaching from the perspective of teachers. The study also showed that students have a blurry image of their future roles as teachers, and the roles of guidance and counseling and skills related to ethical and professional technology employing the most mysterious of these roles.

Purpose– Significant effort has been made to support pre-service and novice teacher learning in the K-12 context. Less attention has been paid to promoting pre-service and novice second language teacher learning via collaboration with peers and more expert educators at the university level. In order to facilitate this type of teacher collaboration, a mentoring project was incorporated into the existing practicum of a Master of Arts in Teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) program at a US University. The purpose of this paper is to examine the nature of the mentoring experiences of four ESL mentor-pre-service teacher pairs in the US University context.Design/methodology/approach– For this research project, eight teachers – four mentor-pre-service teacher pairs – participated as pairs in mentoring sessions focussed on activities such as co-planning, co-teaching, and co-reflecting on teaching. Informed by a sociocultural perspective on teacher learning (Vygotsky, 1978), this study presents case studies of all four pairs in order to demonstrate the complex nature of mentoring. The data analysis focussed on the content of the teachers’ interactions and their perceptions of the mentoring experience.Findings– The study traced the developmental trajectories of the participating teachers over one 15-week academic semester. The study uncovered some critical contradictions that the participants encountered during the mentoring experience, thus pointing to its complexity. The study also uncovered the varied nature of mentoring: whereas in one pair the mentor acted as a more expert other (Vygotsky, 1978), in another pair, the mentoring relationship was more reciprocal.Practical implications– This study showed that pre-service teachers can develop further through mentoring. Such mentoring can help teachers gain confidence and share teaching strategies. At the same time, the study revealed certain challenges associated with introducing a mentoring project in a pre-service teacher practicum. It is recommended that program faculty as a whole read the rich dialogues produced by participating teachers engaged in relationships focussed on collaborative learning, thereby discovering a foundation for revisions that go beyond individual teaching practices to the programmatic level.Originality/value– This study’s principal contribution to the field is that it showcases the complex nature of mentoring experiences and the ways in which they differ from each other.

Teachers' Sense of Efficacy: An Important Factor in School Improvement

The purpose of this study is to investigate summative assessment (SA) perceptions and the sources of summative assessment literacy for novice second/foreign language teachers in Sweden and Finland. Data were collected through a questionnaire ( N = 27) and a semi‐structured interview ( N = 22) from a group of novice teachers who graduated from two Swedish universities and one Finnish university. Descriptive and content analysis of the data reveal that novice teachers perceive themselves to have a good understanding of most of the basic SA areas. They consider teacher education as the main source of their conceptual understanding while they attribute their skills mostly to experience in schools. Swedish and Finnish teachers present both similar and varied perceptions of the role of teacher education in developing their summative assessment literacy. Context and implications Rationale for this study What summative assessment literacy pre‐service teachers acquire during teacher education, and how this literacy reflects on their teaching are critical questions in understanding novice teachers' learning and use of summative assessment in schools. This study investigates the perceptions and experiences of novice teachers of second/foreign languages in Sweden and Finland. Why the new findings matter The findings provide an understanding of novice language teachers’ perceptions on key components of summative assessment and the sources and processes enabling development of this literacy. Insights into theoretical and practical aspects of summative assessment that novice teachers need are expected to guide teacher education programmes in realigning their programmes respectively. Implications for teacher educators and policy makers Novice language teachers are confident about their theoretical knowledge of summative assessment but need to develop skills to put their knowledge into practice. Hands on exercises through content‐specific materials and tasks are critical in developing skills such as test construction, grading, analysis of exams and exposure to national tests. Special needs and diverse sociocultural contexts should be taken into consideration in teacher education. Steering documents should make the summative assessment requirements and expected competencies clearer to guide TE programmes in organising learning experiences for pre‐service teachers.

Elementary teachers need support in developing their content knowledge for teaching science that foregrounds science concepts and practices. We know little about how teacher education provides opportunities to learn that potentially support both knowledge domains. We conducted a 4-year longitudinal case study of the opportunities to learn across a practice-based teacher education program (drawing on data sources such as syllabi, readings, slides) and preservice and in-service school contexts for three teachers (e.g. interviews with teachers). The practice-based teacher education program was founded on the work of teaching where novice teachers engaged with artifacts and approximations of teaching practice to support their learning and work with the high-leverage teaching practices. We found that although the practice-based program was intended to support novice teachers’ teaching practice, it also provided opportunities foregrounding novice teachers’ development of their pedagogical content knowledge and subject matter knowledge of the science practices. Also, during the participants’ in-service years, some opportunities foregrounding pedagogical content knowledge led participants to pursue other opportunities to learn science concepts. We discuss implications for how teacher educators can use opportunities to learn within practice-based programs to potentially support novice teachers in developing their content knowledge for teaching science.

It is widely accepted that how teachers identify with the profession influences how they think about teaching. In this chapter, we synthesize two sets of interpretive case studies to theorize the relationship between teacher identity and teacher learning. First, we examine how pre-service and novice teachers’ conceptions of a “good teacher” activate particular motivational filters through which they weigh whether to learn instructional practices in constructing their emerging teacher identities. Second, we explore how interactions with actors playing a standardized parent in a simulation cycle influence pre-service teachers’ understanding of their social positioning in relation to other people. Foregrounding teachers’ positional identities in this way can lead teachers to revise the way they filter instructional practices and thus, what they choose to learn as they aspire to become “good teachers.”

This study explores the phenomenon of 'school adaptation of novice primary school teachers' in the process of entering their actual primary school field. This study also studies the achievement of teacher agency and their teacher belief establishment procedure as novice teachers, not only in the actual teaching context but also as teachers who faced a special situation where their given role was different from what they learned from their university life. This study used a 'narrative' methodology. Narrative inquiry starts with 'researcher's narrative', which begins with the researcher's own story. The participants joined in interviews and submitted their teaching diaries. The participants of this study were three novice in-service teachers who were newly assigned to their primary schools. The research results are as follows. First, the novice primary school teachers achieved teacher agency while adjusting themselves to the school for a year. Second, novice primary school teachers did their best in terms of preparing for their classes in the process of being familiar with their schools’ culture and system. This study highlighted the need for dual support of teaching and administrative tasks for novice primary school teachers. Keywords: designing science lesson, novice teacher, science education, teacher agency, teacher education

Within the last three decades, the discipline of initial language teacher education has undergone what is called as the Sociocultural Turn (Johnson, 2006). This shift necessitates considering teacher learning and professional development as a situated social and individual that is facilitated by opportunities for new teachers to acquire the mediational skills required to fully engage in teaching-focused communities of practice. At the practical level, much of what takes place in teacher education classrooms still follows traditional models that emphasize passing on to teacher candidates either pre-existing theories or pre-existing practices for teaching languages. Initial Language Teacher Education by Gabriel Díaz Maggioli, an academic advisor to the Institute of Education at Universidad ORT Uruguay, South America; the vice president of IATEFL, and an active member and contributor of TESOL International Association, describes the long process of becoming a language teacher. To Maggioli, this process includes a much more active and interactive attempt in which different levels of expertise are served. Through reciprocal, intentional scaffolds, the novice teachers are empowered to be able to practice theory while also theorizing practice.

In this manuscript, we foreground the concept of critical affective theory drawing on scholarship from within and outside of literacy education and highlight testimony and critical witness as an example of affective practice to foster students’ literacy experiences. Situated within a study of a writing methods course in an elementary teacher education program, we explore testimony and critical witness for its potential as a critical-affective practice that may support relational and justice aims within teacher education courses and school-partnerships. Drawing on video, interviews, and writing artifacts, we focus on two child/adult pairs to illustrate how affective practices were embedded in the literacy routines of work with children and how the critical-affective framework, as well as particular pedagogies and structures of the course, seemed to support teacher candidates to attune to particular moments with children in impactful ways. We also show how children responded to the intentional use of critical-affective pedagogies designed to center adult educators’ vulnerability as invitation for children to serve as witnesses and, in the cases we discuss, how the novice teachers’ modeling of risky and vulnerable writing functioned as an important invitation for students to do the same. We found that both the teacher and students contextualize their work as steeped in the affective and highlight the value of their relationship and the practice of collective risk-taking as central to their learning together. We conclude with hopes for the field’s continued inquiries into the multiple ways we might envision the important intangibles of critical-affective literacies as tangible pedagogies in K-12 and teacher education classrooms.

As test-based accountability gains more popularity worldwide, concern has been growing that it reduces and confines teacher learning and professionalism to exam-oriented teaching. Given novice teachers’ vulnerability and the likelihood that accountability regimes will affect them significantly, this review examines 12 studies focusing on novice teachers’ professional learning in varied test-based accountability contexts. Despite the international popularity of accountability, most of the studies in this area were conducted in the United States, apart from one from Singapore. Most studies found that test-based accountability had a negative effect on novice teachers’ learning by causing them to experience too much pressure and tension and forcing them to produce teacher-directed lessons for exam preparation. Meanwhile, a few studies suggested that providing balanced principal leadership, community support, or both could help reconcile teachers’ instructional beliefs with exam-oriented practices, thus leading to better teacher learning. The review findings have produced implications for research, policy, and teacher education.