Accountability In Teacher Education Research Articles

Teachers’ Experiences of Transformational Professional Learning Through Master’s Level Study: Becoming, Being and Belonging As a Teacher and Researcher

ABSTRACT Teachers’ engagement in critical intellectual and research work in England has been challenged in recent years under hegemonic policies and practices in teacher education. Since 2019, centralisation, standardisation and accountability in teacher education have intensified, along with explicit criticism of university involvement. Some describe teaching in England as a ‘semi-profession’ where teachers are positioned as technicians and their engagement in wider ethical, moral and intellectual endeavours are discouraged. Within this challenging policy and practice context, this paper argues that there is a need to reconsider the space of professional learning over professional development for teachers, and that Master’s level qualifications can be site for potentially transformative learning experiences for teachers. An empirical research project is reported, where teachers’ lived experiences of engaging in critical intellectual and research work through part-time MA Education were systematically mapped and interrogated. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and video diaries. Analysis of significant episodes of each teacher’s narrative unlocked an understanding of their shared journeys as ‘becoming’, ‘being’ and ‘belonging’ as a teacher and a researcher. Conclusions and recommendations are presented which challenge current reductive policies and practices along with a call to prioritise teachers’ critical and intellectual knowledge and research work.

Accountability in Teacher Education for Achieving Sustainable Development Goals 2030

A teacher is believed to have a significant role in shaping the future and guiding the younger generation in the right direction. And no doubt, this is the foundation for the prosperity and social advancement of any nation. Thus, we can say that the teacher makes a huge contribution to the development of the person, society, nation, and the entire world. TheNational Education Policy (NEP) 2020, in its recommendations, clearly states that teachers must be enthusiastic, focused, professionally qualified, and equipped to teach students at all levels.However, if the recent research studies in Teacher Education (TE) are examined, it would be noticed that India observes various challenges in teacher education that include designing uniform curricula for teachers, identifying and preparing qualified and qualitative teachers, preparing teachers to cater to the diverse needs of 21st-century learners, changing roles, multi-culturalism, competency-based teaching and assessment, etc. Such hindrance creates a lot of hurdles in bringing quality not only to the TE but also to the entire education system. The 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, which were endorsed by all UN Member States in 2015, provide a shared path forward for peace and prosperity for people and the environment both now and in the future. By reducing poverty and other forms of deprivation among people, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG, 2030) seek to promote global peace and prosperity by improving health, education, the environment, and economic growth. At its heart, 17 goals are decided in a global partnership. If the objectives are carefully followed, it will become clear that all of the goals are achievable provided we have a robust educational system created by qualified human resources.A teacher can make the child understand the concerns of crises like hunger, poverty, discrimination, inequalities, consumption and production, peace, justice, and global climate change.Hence, the author of this paper believes that it is very important to find the linkages between the components of sustainable development and TE. In this paper, the authorexamined the need and significance of one of the key variables of TE i.e. 'accountability', and its relevance as a chief component in achieving the goals of SDG, 2030. To accomplish this, the authorexamined over 35 studies that addressed the topic. After a thorough examination and analysis of the published literature, it was discovered that the majority of academic work views accountability more frequently as a moral commitment, responsibility, and community duty. However, now is the moment to examine accountability from a broader angle, considering how it relates to sustainability. Further, this article also highlights various models of accountability that could serve as a roadmap for achieving the SDG 2030 goals. As a submission by the author, this paper advocates to pursue and maintain the process of establishing a democratic voice in educationthat is aligned with global goals. The author promotesthe idea of ‘Democratic Accountability’ in TE as one of the ways of achieving sustainability. Democratic Accountability ensures that leaders and institutions are transparent, responsive, and answerable to the people they serve. And in TE, it refers to teacher educators being open, receptive, and accountable to prospective teachers.So in a way, to achieve the 17 goals of SDG, teacher educators may exercise democratic accountability for making adequate academic preparation, continued professional growth, knowledge of and concern for their students, ethical conduct, active participation in community affairs, communication, involvement in educational and social concerns so on and so forth. Once teacher educators practice it, it will automatically be instilled in the student teachers. Such quality in future teachers will increase the likelihood of a democratic and sustainable environment in school education.The author concludes by arguing that democratic accountability in teacher education is essential for preparing teacher educators and future teachers who can support inclusive, moral, and values-based education, encourage civic engagement and critical thinking and act as change agents within and outside of their communities. Not only this, it also guarantees that the knowledge and abilities of the next generation are prepared to tackle the difficult problems of a sustainable future and harmonize teacher education with democratic ideals.

Forcing quality without substance: a critical analysis of evaluating teacher education programmes in South Korea

ABSTRACT In this study, the South Korean policy of evaluating the nation’s entire teacher education programmes regularly, which was introduced amid the globalization and rising popularity of neoliberal education reforms, was examined. Over the years, this policy has been criticized widely for its minimal impact on transforming teacher education. Employing the theoretical frameworks of teacher quality and teacher education accountability, a variety of relevant policy documents and teacher educators’ accounts were analysed to examine this problem. The results reveal that policymakers’ intention of quality assurance through this evaluation affirms an instrumental and neoliberal value, reflecting the global education reform discourse that associates teacher quality with the nation’s economic competitiveness. Aligned with this value, policymakers legitimize government control of teacher education and implement policies based on a narrow conception of teacher quality and the use of high-stake accountability mandates, thereby causing fear-based compliance with the programmes rather than genuine improvement in quality. The results suggest that any teacher education reforms that aim for meaningful teacher learning should reframe their conception of teacher quality based on a thoughtful and collective deliberation on what good teacher education is by actively engaging diverse stakeholders.

Designing and validating an assessment inventory for online language teacher education accountability

Designing and validating an assessment inventory for online language teacher education accountability

Reclaiming Accountability in Teacher Education

Reclaiming Accountability in Teacher Education

Research capacity in initial teacher education: trends in joining the ‘village’

ABSTRACT Stenhouse’s image of the teaching profession as a ‘village’ could be interpreted as a parochial and insular view of teachers and their readiness to be involved in research. In this paper, I argue that the capacity for teachers to play a more active role in research is diminishing because of how research is situated in initial teacher education (ITE). Drawing on a study of five large-scale university-providers of ITE in different national contexts, I outline four trends. The first is that the role of universities within teacher education is precarious, along with the perceived value of research in teacher education. The second argues that prospective teachers do not perceive teaching as a research-based profession and therefore expect teacher education to be practice-orientated. Teacher education accountability structures downplay the significance of research as part of a teacher’s knowledge base and practical repertoire. And finally, the career trajectories and contractual arrangements of teacher educators reduces the overall research capacity of the field. Taken together, these four trends affect how (new) teachers are introduced to education research and diminish their capacity to be actively involved in education research throughout their careers.

Collaborative Professional Learning: An Exploration of Empathy in Early Childhood Teacher Education

ABSTRACT Three early childhood teacher educators from different institutions engaged in a collaborative self-study to explore the role of empathy in preservice teacher professional development. The two-fold purpose of the study was to: 1) develop and refine their practices to build teacher candidates’ empathy in their interactions with children, families, and colleagues and 2) reclaim accountability in teacher education by examining their practices in complex ways. They postulate that high-stakes testing, technology, and neoliberal education reforms influence their teacher candidates’ abilities and willingness to apply empathy in the classroom. A deeper understanding of how teacher candidates understand and apply empathy provides avenues for teacher educators to navigate the tensions in school reform impacted contexts.

Accountability and Initial Teacher Education Reform: A Perspective from Abroad

This article focuses on accountability as a tool for teacher education reform. The article is based on my experience as a teacher education scholar and practitioner over the last 40 years and especially on analyses of teacher preparation accountability in the United States, recently conducted by Project TEER (Teacher Education and Education Reform), a group of teacher education practitioners, researchers, and scholars at Boston College. The members of the group were united by a growing concern about the direction education reform was taking and the impact it was having on teacher education in the US and by a commitment to equity for all the students served in the nation's schools. For five years, we tracked US teacher education reform, concentrating on the major accountability initiatives that were shaping the field. This work culminated in the book, Reclaiming Accountability in Teacher Education (Cochran-Smith et al., 2018). Drawing on this work and on my experience in the national and international teacher education communities, this article has three purposes: to present a framework for unpacking accountability policies related to initial teacher education; to use that framework to describe briefly the dominant accountability paradigm in the US as well as an alternative to the dominant paradigm –democratic accountability in teacher education; and finally, to use ideas from the framework and from our US analyses to comment on the current reform of initial teacher education in Wales.

Review of Reclaiming accountability in teacher education

Review of Reclaiming accountability in teacher education

The control, content, and consequences of edTPA: World language teacher educators’ perceptions

AbstractImplemented in almost 900 teacher education programs across 41 states and the District of Columbia, edTPA is marketed as a content‐specific, standardized portfolio assessment of beginning teacher performance. However, concerns about edTPA and its content specificity are pervasive. To that end, the researchers surveyed teacher educators with World Language (WL) edTPA experience (N = 88) to ascertain their perceptions of the assessment, including its impact on teacher candidates, teacher education programs, and clinical placements as well as the resources required, support experienced, and consequences perceived as a result of its implementation. Using a framework of teacher education accountability, the researchers explored issues of control, content, and consequences related to power relationships and the WL edTPA, centering on the assessment's intended content specificity, while recounting an ACTFL task force's efforts in 2016 to influence the assessment's content.

The accountability era in US teacher education: looking back, looking forward

In keeping with the theme of the 40th anniversary issue of EJTE, this article looks back and forward at US teacher education accountability. It argues that “holding teacher education accountable” has been the major approach to reforming teacher education in the US for the last two decades, assuming that enhanced teacher education quality depends on vigilant public evaluation and monitoring of outcomes related to teacher education institutions, programs, and teacher candidates. This article looks back at the “era of accountability” by examining five policy, political, and professional developments that contributed to its emergence and strong hold on US teacher education. Looking forward to the future of teacher education accountability in the US, the article argues that we need a new approach – democratic accountability in teacher education – which is based on intelligent professional responsibility for students’ learning including democratic knowledge and skills, strong equity, and genuine collaboration with multiple stakeholders.

An elusive policy imperative: data and methodological challenges when using growth in student achievement to evaluate teacher education programs’ ‘Value-Added’

In this study researchers examined the effectiveness of one of the largest teacher education programs located within the largest research-intensive universities within the US. They did this using a value-added model as per current federal educational policy imperatives to assess the measurable effects of teacher education programs on their teacher graduates’ students’ learning and achievement as compared to other teacher education programs. Correlational and group comparisons revealed little to no relationship between value-added scores and teacher education program regardless of subject area or position on the value-added scale. These findings are discussed within the context of several very important data and methodological challenges researchers also made transparent, as also likely common across many efforts to evaluate teacher education programs using value-added approaches. Such transparency and clarity might assist in the creation of more informed value-added practices (and more informed educational policies) surrounding teacher education accountability.

Preparing elementary school teachers for social studies instruction in the context of edTPA

In a context of high-stakes accountability in teacher education, concerns are emerging about challenges to the already tenuous position of elementary social studies teacher education. In this case study, the author administered a survey to elementary social studies teacher educators in Georgia and conducted follow-up interviews focusing on the impact of edTPA on elementary social studies teacher education and the ways in which they are navigating the new context of teaching elementary social studies methods. The findings reveal the possibility of further decline of social studies in elementary teacher education programs due to elementary edTPA׳s singular focus on literacy and math content pedagogy along with the high-stakes nature of edTPA process. Implications for future research on edTPA and elementary social studies education are discussed.

Two Roadmaps, One Destination: The Economic Progress Paradigm in Teacher Education Accountability in Georgia and Missouri

The current accountability conversation in teacher education is the direct result of the policy paradigms that shape our understandings of schooling and reform. The authors present cases from Georgia and Missouri illustrating how these policy paradigms have resulted in outcomes-based accountability initiatives for teacher education. Specifically, the authors discuss the procedures these states are using to connect P–12 teacher performance with teacher preparation programs. The authors conclude that the impact of these reform initiatives have the potential to turn teacher education into an individualistic, economic good.

Topics in Teacher Education Research

In previous editorials, we have described how criticism of the rigor and relevance of teacher education has influenced our vision for the journal. As a result, we have shared our criteria for determining the quality of manuscripts submitted to Journal of Teacher Education (JTE) and described how certain published articles exemplified these criteria (see Issues 63:1 and 64:2). However, our examples have primarily focused on improving methodology, creating the theoretical and conceptual frameworks that enable readers to see linkages in findings within and across studies, and providing explanations of how the findings from a study add to the existing knowledge base. Recently, in discussions at conferences and through email exchanges, potential authors have asked about specific topics of interest to the editorial team and to readers of the journal. In other words, what do we publish? Given the diversity of our readership, as well as our editorial team, the range of topics is broad and diverse. Nevertheless, we tend to see some topics as more relevant given identified needs of researchers, practitioners, and policy makers. Many of these preferences appear as themed calls for proposals or as special issues and include the following: research on features of teacher education programs as opposed to pathways (Issue 63:3), diversity and disability in teacher education (Issue 63:4), assessment and accountability in teacher education (Issue 63:5), inservice and preservice professional development related to the Common Core and other standards (Issue 64:3), interdisciplinary teacher education collaboration (Issue 64:5), professional development and practices of teacher educators (Issue 65:4), and implications of preservice and inservice teacher performance assessment for teacher education (Issue 65:5). As the ultimate intent of the themed calls is to advance research and discussion in these specific areas, the themes remain topics of special interest long past the particular target issue. Other important topics, although not specified as themes, emerge in editorial team discussions and through communication with reviewers and readers. Topics of interest include uses and impacts of technology in preservice and inservice professional development, diversity and multicultural teacher education, issues of teacher quality and retention related to teacher education, practice-based teacher education, professional development communities of practice, coaching and mentoring in both preservice and inservice contexts, processes and outcomes in various cognitive and affective areas (e.g., pedagogical content knowledge, professional identity, self-efficacy), and teacher education within specific content areas. This list is not in any particular order and is not exhaustive. Often we receive manuscripts on topics not on the list whose authors make a compelling case for relevance and importance to teacher educators (e.g., body pedagogy, bullying, community-based placements) and are published in JTE as a result. The argument for the relevance and importance of the topic, coupled with how the particular study advances our understanding and knowledge in the area, influences reviewers' and editors' decisions about inclusion. The articles that comprise this issue provide good examples of the diversity of topics included in JTE and the rationales for importance and relevance that influenced reviewers and editors. The topics include exploration of race and multicultural teacher education, professional development using collaborative web technologies, teacher recruitment and preparation in relation to various outcomes, teacher preparation and induction support in relation to career intentions and decisions, and alignment of teacher education assessment course curricula with standards and policies. One of the five articles is a theoretical/conceptual discussion while the remaining four represent both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. …

A rising tide meets a perfect storm: new accountabilities in teaching and teacher education in Ireland

This paper examines the emergence of new accountabilities in teaching and teacher education in Ireland in the 15 years period 1997–2012. Framing accountability in terms of the three main approaches to it globally in education systems, that is, compliance with regulations, adherence to professional norms and attainment of results/outcomes, we identify significant changes, particularly, in compliance- and results-driven accountability. A ‘rising tide’ of accountability, due to the interrelated influences of the European higher education space, education legislation and professional self-regulation policies (i.e. Teaching Council), is evident since the late 1990s. This was punctuated by a ‘perfect storm’ in 2010 comprising ‘bad news’ from PISA 2009, the economic bailout and strategic leadership at a system level. The cumulative impact of the ‘rising tide’ and ‘perfect storm’ is evident in how they reframed both ‘to whom’ and ‘for what’ accountability in teacher education relates. Significantly, the new accountabilities in teaching and teacher education reflect a move towards the dominant global education reform movement (Sahlberg 2007) with its emphasis on standardisation, narrow focus on literacy and numeracy and higher stakes accountability.

Student Achievement and Preparation Program Accountability: A Study of Optional Approaches

Accrediting entities, the U.S. Department of Education, and policy makers in a number of states are advocating for teacher education accountability by linking students' performance on state-standardized tests to their teacher and the entity that prepared that teacher. Using student-level test data linked to new teachers and experienced teachers in the same school, the authors explored a number of different ways to organize, analyze, and interpret the findings relative to criteria emerging from current accountability systems for teacher education programs. Among the approaches, the authors introduce a model based on a construct of performance parity and discuss its implications for policy and teacher education programs within the context of today's climate of accountability.

Errata

Knight, S. L., Edmondson, J., Lloyd, G. M., Arbaugh, F., Nolan Jr., J., Whitney, A. E., & McDonald, S. P. (2012). Examining the complexities of assessment and accountability in teacher education. Journal of Teacher Education, 63, 301-303. (Original doi: 10.1177/0022487112460200) The above-referenced editorial explains that technical information for several articles would be placed in online-only appendices, and that links to the appendices would be provided in abstracts. However, links to the appendices were omitted from the abstracts, and for one article (by Gansle, Noell, and Burns) the appendix was included within the article as a normal appendix, rather than separated into an online-only appendix. The online appendices for these articles can be found at http://JTE.sagepub.com/supplemental ; by viewing the November/December 2012 issue online at http://JTE.sagepub.com/content/63/5.toc ; or by visiting the respective articles at http://JTE.sagepub.com/content/63/5/318 and http://JTE.sagepub.com/content/63/5/335 . Gansle, K. A., Noell, G. H., & Burns, J. M. (2012). Do student achievement outcomes differ across teacher preparation programs? An analysis of teacher education in Louisiana. Journal of Teacher Education, 63, 304-317. (Original doi: 10.1177/0022487112439894) The appendix for the above-referenced article should have been provided as a separate online-only appendix, without inclusion in the print issue. A link to the online-only appendix should have been provided in the abstract. Plecki, M. L., Elfers, A.M., & and Yugo, N. (2012). Using evidence for teacher education program improvement and accountability: An illustrative case of the role of value-added measures. Journal of Teacher Education, 63, 318-334. (Original doi: 10.1177/0022487112447110) Henry, G. T., Kershaw, D. C., Zulli, R. A., & Smith, A. A. (2012). Incorporating teacher effectiveness into teacher preparation program evaluation. Journal of Teacher Education, 63, 335-355. (Original doi: 10.1177/0022487112454437) In each of the above-referenced articles, the abstract should have included a link to the article’s online appendix, which is available at http://JTE.sagepub.com/supplemental . The online appendix can also be found by viewing the November/December 2012 issue online at http://JTE.sagepub.com/content/63/5.toc or by viewing the respective articles online at http://JTE.sagepub.com/content/63/5/318 and http://JTE.sagepub.com/content/63/5/335 .

Examining the Complexity of Assessment and Accountability in Teacher Education

The theme of accountability currently permeates conversations about education at every level, including teacher education and professional development. In our Call for Manuscripts for this theme issue, we invited empirical or conceptual manuscripts addressing assessment and accountability in teacher education that would move the community forward in considering the topics both more precisely and with greater complexity. The range of suggested subtopics and questions within assessment and accountability in teacher education was broad to elicit a wide range of responses. In general, we asked, Who is to be held accountable? For what? And by whom? As we reviewed the many excellent submissions, one predominant response to these questions centered on value-added modeling (VAM) approaches to accountability. Although this is only one of several answers to the questions we asked, it is one that has important intended and unintended consequences for various stakeholders in teacher education, including beginning teachers, mentor teachers, administrators, teacher educators, higher education institutions, and policy makers. Emergence of Value-Added Models for Teacher Education The rise of interest in VAM for teacher education is related to the search for the definition of teacher quality that has emerged as a primary factor in determination of K-12 student performance, probably as a confluence of a number of events (see Knight, 2011). The Tennessee study (Sanders & Horn, 1998), a landmark study using random assignment of teachers and students to classrooms, firmly established the advantage for students of having a high-quality teacher over a number of years. For many years, educators had struggled with the seemingly intractable socioeconomic factors related to poor student performance. The notion of teacher quality appeared to be manipulable and constituted a viable approach for closing student achievement gaps. Not only do teachers make a difference but their effectiveness can potentially be assessed, rewarded, and improved through recruitment, incentives, and/or professional development. No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top funding and legislation served to popularize the VAM approach for determination of teacher quality. Given the emphasis on teacher professional development as a contributor to teacher quality, the application of VAM approaches for teacher education accountability may have appeared to be an obvious connection to policy makers (see Floden, 2012 [this issue]). Despite the rather limited evidence of the impacts of teacher preparation programs on student achievement (Duckworth, Quinn, & Seligman, 2009), many policy makers concluded that the quality of teacher education preparation, as with individual teachers, can potentially be assessed, rewarded, and improved--or removed if necessary. However, just as VAM applied to determination of individual teacher quality resulted in a number of methodological, ethical, and other concerns, VAM used to determine the quality of teacher education programs carries similar concerns as well as others specific to teacher education. Possibilities and Limitations of VAM for Teacher Education In February 2012, Journal of Teacher Education (JTE) sponsored a Major Forum at the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) Annual Meeting in Chicago that featured research using VAM for assessment of the quality of teacher education programs in several states and commentaries that focused participants on both the possibilities as well as the limitations of this approach. Participants agreed that the framing of VAM as a policy issue is important and that much is at stake as we consider the education of teachers and the education of young people in this country. Federal and state governments are investing a great deal of money in value-added assessment systems, and the consequences of policy implementation are complex and significant. …

Kids Say the Darndest Things: PETE Program Assessment through the Eyes of Students

An ever-increasing focus on accountability in teacher education has augmented the importance of physical education teacher education (PETE) programs to develop procedures for assessing their candidates and completers—the student teachers (STs). Finding out what students think, know, and feel about STs’ teaching ability is yet another valuable source of data that can assist in the assessment process. The purpose of this study was twofold: (a) to examine students’ perspectives of STs’ effectiveness as a window into the effectiveness of a PETE program, and (b) to identify students’ ability to provide valuable feedback to PETE programs on how well STs meet the NASPE National Standards for Beginning Physical Education Teachers (NSBPET). Using the NASPE/NCATE standards as a framework, a set of interview questions was developed to elicit students’ perspectives of the STs’ performance. Findings were inductively analyzed and indicated that STs were able to meet some of the NASPE/NCATE standards and that students can be valuable data sources regarding STs’ competence in Content Knowledge, Diverse Learners, Communication, Management and Motivation, Planning and Instruction, Student Assessment, and Reflection. Students were less able to provide insight into STs’ performance in Growth and Development, Technology, and Collaboration. Overall, these findings suggest that students can be counted on as a source of evidence to complement a thorough and fruitful program assessment.