Initial Teacher Preparation Research Articles

Unpacking the Clinical and Participatory Dimensions of the Trump Math-Teacher-Residency-Program

The research presents a Residency Math teacher education program that has been developed in Israel in search of transforming initial teacher preparation on the Clinical-Participatory continuum. It is a 'multi-phase' mixed-method research aiming to present the clinical and participatory dimensions of the TMR: the way in which they are reflected in the curriculum planning program, how Student Teachers (STs) in the program perceive the program's clinical and participatory dimensions and the nature of the challenges that arise in the program. Tools include: Documents of the programs; observations of the practical school experiences; A closed clinical socialinteractive Questionnaire and a semi-structured clinical participatory (CP) questionnaire. The findings reflect clinical-participatory concept in teacher education, both in the curricular and the socio-interactive aspects. The analysis of the clinical-participatory dimensions, including their different aspects and components can be a guiding framework for diagnosing, planning, investigating and evaluating teacher education programs.

Developing professional capital in teaching through initial teacher education: comparing strategies in Alberta Canada and the U.S.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to contrast the approaches to improving teacher quality through initial teacher education (ITE) in the Canadian province of Alberta, a consistently high performing system on international comparisons, to the approach taken in the United States, which has consistently fared less well than the average country in these comparisons.Design/methodology/approachWe draw on a case study of policies and practices related to teaching and teacher education in Alberta and on analyses of U.S. teaching and teacher education policy to compare a business capital approach with a professional capital approach to initial teacher education.FindingsThe decision by philanthropists, business and corporate interests, and the federal government in the United States to invest in the business capital approach has led to the growing privatization of public education. The U.S. would do well to learn from Alberta’s investment in the professional capital of teachers. Alberta’s system truly is a system that has decided to invest in building “the whole teacher”. The province supports education, including initial teacher education, pays its teachers competitive salaries, and provides access to high quality and teacher driven professional development.Originality/valueWhile comparative analyses of education systems are not new, this comparative analysis of initial teacher education in Alberta and the U.S. using a theoretical framework based on Hargreaves and Fullan’s (2012, 2013) discussion of business and professional capital should give pause to the current U.S. trajectory of disinvesting from university and college based initial teacher preparation in favor of early-entry programs.

Student vocational teachers: the significance of individual positions in workplace learning

In most initial teacher preparation (ITP) programmes, learning in teaching placements is considered to be an important component for providing workplace learning experiences to develop the skills of being a teacher. This paper is based on a bigger qualitative study which explored the learning experiences of a group of in-service student vocational teachers prior to and during their one-year ITP programme in Brunei. The study examined these student teachers’ dispositions to learning as revealed through their experiences on different placements during their training. The findings of this paper highlight the importance of the student vocational teachers’ roles and positions relative to their teaching placements. Theoretically, the findings also extend Bourdieu’s thinking, where existing cultural capital in the form of subject knowledge which is valued in one context does not necessarily help the learning of individuals in becoming a vocational teacher in another context. In addition, the paper argues for a need to reconceptualise in-service teacher education, more specifically, the workplace learning aspect. Lastly, it concludes with recommendations to support these student teachers in their placements through creating more expansive learning environments.

‘Just go away and do it and you get marks’: the degradation of language teaching in neoliberal times

ABSTRACTThe marketization of education in countries like the UK may be seen as part and parcel of the rise of neoliberalism as the dominant shaper of policy and practice in many societies from the late twentieth century onwards. This paper explores how marketization has impacted on two initial teacher preparation programmes and focuses on the Cambridge English Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults (CELTA) as a particular kind of market driven model. It begins with a discussion of neoliberalism, marketization and the conditions of labour in neoliberal capitalism, making clear the complexity of these phenomena as well as the serious implications that they have for language teacher education. It then moves to a consideration of data from a specific CELTA course where some of these key issues can be seen to play out in ways which we suggest give cause for concern. Our conclusion is that programmes of this type both index and reinforce a model of English as purely instrumental and disembedded from social context and a model of professional activity which is highly instrumental and emblematic of the kind of deskilling and discrediting which have occurred in many professional sectors in recent decades.

School administrators and university practicum supervisors as boundary brokers for initial teacher education in Chile

The study examines school administrators' perspectives on a central problem of the school-based component of initial teacher preparation: the distance between schools and universities. Data obtained through in-depth interviews and focus groups with administrators (N = 51) from 36 schools were analyzed using Wenger's (2000) theory of inter-organizational learning. Findings suggest that an expansion of the roles supervisors and school administrators have traditionally played in the practicum may help reduce this gap. As brokers for their respective institutions they can coordinate actions by gaining access to the meanings each community assigns to practices and acknowledging the competence each brings to the practicum.

Janina Parafiniuk-Soińska (1922–2012): szczecińska pedagog i uczona

The article presents professional and scientific acitivity of professor Janina Parafiniuk-Soiński. The scientist was connected with Szczecin (family and professionally) already since 1949. She actively participated in the construction of the Szczecin academic education because worked at Wyższa Szkoła Nauczycielska and Wyższa Szkoła Pedagogiczna. These institutions, as we rememeber, can be considered as a praforma of University of Szczecin, including Instytut Pedagogiki. The professor also served as a director of the latter institutions in the most difficult period of its operation, which certainly required from the considerable amount of work and effort. The paper also presents the directions of scientific work – research focusing on two fundamental: learning process in teaching and initial preparation of teachers at university level. Also invoked the image of Janina Parafiniuk-Soińska in the memories of her colleagues and students at the same time pointing out its most important qualities as a man and scientist.

<p>Technological Literacy Courses in Pre-Service Teacher Education</p>

The goal of this study was to determine to what extent technological literacy courses were required in K-12 teacher education. A documents review of the appropriate course catalogs for initial teacher preparation was conducted. The documents review identified general education requirements and options for technological literacy courses, as well as requirements and options for these courses for English, social studies, mathematics, and science education majors. For this study, technological literacy was defined as “the ability to use, manage, assess, and understand technology” (ITEA, 2000/2002/2007, p. 9). This definition of literacy is broader than technology literacy associated with computer use and instructional technology, as well as courses limited to the history or philosophy of technology. A finding from this study is that there is very little exposure to technological literacy courses for prospective K-12 teachers. This may be due in part to the confusion between instructional technology literacy and technological literacy.

Impact of structured group activities on pre-service teachers’ beliefs about classroom motivation: an exploratory study

Pre-service teachers’ beliefs about classroom motivation, and how these beliefs may be developed during initial teacher preparation, is a relatively new aspect of enquiry in the fields of motivation and teacher education. An empirical study, grounded in a social constructivist perspective, was designed to examine the impact of providing pre-service teachers with opportunities to develop their existing beliefs about classroom motivation in interaction with peers. Participants were 53 teacher education students who participated in three semi-structured small group seminars, involving guided reflection and collaborative activities. Data were collected through matched pre- and post-questionnaires, and a final individual interview. The findings show that pre-service teachers’ initial beliefs about classroom motivation can be consolidated and expanded through engagement in semi-structured collaborative learning activities that induce in-depth reflection and examination of beliefs, and in authentic problem-solving situations that connect with theory. Implications for further research and teacher education are discussed.

Teacher Education: A Genuine Tool for Curbing Social Challenges in Nigeria

This paper analytically explores the missing links between teacher education and social problems also known as social ills. A social problem is a condition which effects large number of people in an adverse manner. It can also be seen as a difficulty of misbehaviour which vast majority wants to correct. Social problem also arises when there is deviation from accepted social norms. These are usually threats to established social norms and therefore, it is necessary to eliminate them as quickly as possible. Elimination of social ills posed challenges to all and sundry including teaching profession. The paper views education in the 21 st century as a dramatic departure from information delivery system of the past. A career in education is rigorous, intellectual and ethical work. Teaching is an opportunity to touch the future and reform society at large. The paper argues that there is need for a new cohort of teacher educators that approach teacher education based on clinical and experiential theories of learning. Teaching at its core is a moral profession, scratch a good teacher and you will find a moral purpose'. Therefore, teacher education programs must help teaching learners to learn social responsibility and moral purpose that influence them with the tools that will prepare them to engage in productive change. Finally, the paper posits that social ills can be dealt with provided teacher education links initial teacher preparation and continuous teacher development based on social responsibility, moral purpose and attitudinal change with the corresponding restructuring of societal needs and their relationships. The paper recommends elimination of justice discriminatory practice everywhere especially on women, less privileged and minorities in order to create harmony of co-existence and cooperation amongst Nigerians.

Preservice Teachers’ Perspectives of the Emphasis on Stewardship from Their Initial Teacher Preparation

The stewardship of schools is central to the renewal and preservation of that which is precious in our nation's schools. This study examined perceptions of future teachers as to the degree to which their teacher preparation program emphasized the idea of stewarding schools. In addition this article outlines specific emerging aspects of the stewardship construct that can be integrated into teacher education curricula. With a theoretical foundation that initial teacher preparation provides the foundation for teacher beliefs and practices, gaining insight how teacher preparation emphasizes the stewardship of schools provides a better understanding of the current milieu in schools. Results of this study and follow-up research will allow for a fuller discussion around the stewardship of schools and will inform those who prepare teachers to work in our nation's schools.

Interpreting Kenyan Science Teachers’ Views About the Effect of Student Learning Experiences on Their Teaching

Abstract Analysis of views from a select group of Kenyan science teachers regarding the effect of student learning experiences on their teaching after implementing a contextualized science unit revealed that the teachers’ (a) literal interpretation and adherence to the official curriculum conflicted with the students’ desires to understand scientific phenomena embedded within their local environment; (b) inability or ability to sustain students’ motivations for understanding science through the local environment, which depended on initial teacher preparation; and (c) implementation of the contextualized science reduced the gulf that often hindered free student–teacher dialogue due to the teachers’ endeavors to maintain science and science teacher statuses.

Health Optimizing Physical Education (HOPE): A New Curriculum for School Programs—Part 2: Teacher Knowledge and Collaboration

Part 1 of this article, which appeared in the April 2013 of JOPERD, presented the theoretical foundation and evidence-based needs for a main-theme curriculum model called Health Optimizing Physical Education (HOPE) for schools. It also described eight strands that could be used to plan, implement, and assess this version of a comprehensive school physical activity program (CSPAP). Teachers in HOPE programs will need a broader knowledge base than what is currently provided to preservice teachers and available for practicing (inservice) teachers. Also, HOPE programs cannot be effective without the support and collaboration of parents, teachers, administrators, and other professionals and organizations in the local community. This article, Part 2, presents some strategies for the initial preparation of HOPE teachers, continued professional development of inservice HOPE teachers, and suggestions for establishing strong working relationships both inside and outside of schools in order to make HOPE an effective CSPAP model.

Initial and Ongoing Teacher Preparation and Support: Current Problems and Possible Solutions

The effective initial preparation and ongoing support of teachers of students who are deaf and hard of hearing has always been a difficult and controversial task. Changes in student demographic characteristics and educational settings, combined with the rapidly diminishing number and diversity of deaf education teacher preparation (DETP) programs, indicate that the field of deaf education may be at a tipping point. In the present article, the author establishes the dimensions of the current problems and proposes specific solutions to increase the accessibility and effectiveness of DETP programs that would simultaneously enhance the supply, retention, and instructional effectiveness of teachers of students who are deaf and hard of hearing.

Ohio’s Middle Childhood Licensure Study

The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe middle level prepared teachers’ perceptions of their practices after completing an Ohio Middle Childhood: Grades 4–9 teacher education program. Using the National Middle School Association/National Council of Accreditation of Teacher Education Initial Level Teacher Preparation Standards (2001) as the organizing framework for the interview protocols, the researchers interviewed middle level teachers, their administrator, and their students. The researchers in this study wanted to explore the perceptions of teachers in their implementation and understandings of the middle school concept as articulated in the teacher education program, even if the middle level schools in which they were employed did not fully implement practices consistent with these middle level practices. The findings that emerged from these analyses provide insights for middle level teacher educators about how middle level teachers construct a philosophy arising out of middle level ideals and, therefore, how they implement their understandings with young adolescents.

More than canons: teacher knowledge and the literary domain of the secondary English curriculum

Background: The matter of teacher knowledge in the curriculum subject of English is not simple. Certainly it is not easy to delineate what its ‘content knowledge’ should be and how this relates to other aspects of teacher knowledge. In the context of education policy in England, at a time of change when the nature of the subject and its pedagogy are under scrutiny, the issue acquires heightened relevance from an initial teacher preparation perspective. Purpose: This paper sets out to consider the following questions: how do teachers of English acquire their teacher knowledge? What is known about the nuanced process of teacher knowledge development in English? Curriculum content is one element of teacher knowledge, but in the literary domain of English it does not suffice to specify what and how much should be read. The questions are discussed from the perspective of the knowledge development of postgraduate English teachers during initial teacher preparation. Sources of evidence: Literature concerning the development of teacher knowledge and expertise both generally and in the curriculum subject of English is critically discussed. Within the literature, the notion of the mentor–novice dialogue is identified as an important way of developing teacher knowledge. Alongside the literature, three illustrative mentor accounts are presented, drawn from the experience of postgraduate students learning to teach English to secondary school pupils. Main argument: The mentor accounts suggest that the boundaries of English are not easily demarcated. They indicate that the knowledge developed is other than the ‘content’ knowledge that might be acquired through initial degree studies. It is argued that teacher education demands a conception of teaching that takes full account of this knowledge development. At the same time, specific dispositions that do not automatically follow from prior academic attainment appear to be relevant. It is suggested that how these are cultivated, and how they are distinctive to the subject discipline are important questions for initial teacher preparation. Conclusions: Whatever the new contexts for initial teacher preparation, understanding how teachers acquire and apply ‘teacherly’ knowledge deserves as much attention as the content of a subject or the prior attainment of entrants to the profession. Initial teacher preparation arrangements need to acknowledge the complexity of learning to teach English as a curriculum subject. Learning to teach is a nuanced process, requiring engagement with a dedicated pedagogical content knowledge. In literary English teaching, this comprises attention to micro and macro aspects concurrently, for example through attention to individual texts concurrent with consideration of conceptions of readers and reading.

Mapping the effects of policy on mathematics teacher education

Changes in school mathematics curricula, pedagogy and assessment, and as a consequence the pressure for changes in initial teacher preparation, are consequences both of government policy initiatives and pressure from unofficial agents such as the research community, teachers and others, though with great variation across the world. In the case of England, it has resulted in strong regulation, including inspection, of initial teacher education too. In this article, I draw on sociological theory to help in mapping the relations between official and unofficial agents and in interpreting the effects on mathematics teacher educators, in particular. The article draws in the main on the changing position in England over the last decade or so, and a case study analysis is carried out of a key official document to illustrate the application of theoretical tools provided by sociologists and others for examining the relations between agents and agencies and on their consequences.

Reality aftershock and how to avert it: second-year teachers’ experiences of support for their professional development

Drawing on analyses of data from a large-scale, mixed-method study of new entrants to the teaching profession in England, this article presents new findings on beginner teachers’ experiences of post-induction support for their professional development, about which little was previously known. As well as highlighting positive and negative aspects of support provision, it is shown that the recognised phenomenon of ‘reality shock’ is not confined to the transition between initial teacher preparation and teachers’ first year in post, since some second-year teachers experience a new or additional shock associated with the cessation of the induction support introduced, in part, to cushion the impact of that transition. Amongst the potential implications of these findings, it is argued that where they do not already exist, formal mechanisms should be introduced to facilitate the provision of contingent support for beginner teachers’ professional development beyond their first year.

Student Teachers' Perceptions of the Effectiveness of their Initial Preparation

What influences how well‐prepared student teachers feel towards working in schools upon completion of their initial teacher preparation (ITP)? In order to investigate this question, we used a path analysis using data from a longitudinal study investigating the experiences of trainee and early career phase teachers in England. The data were generated via self‐complete questionnaires and follow‐up telephone interviews with 1,322 trainees. Those on undergraduate or school‐based programmes felt better prepared to work as teachers than one‐year postgraduate trainees, perhaps because the former give higher ratings of the quality of assessment of, and feedback received on, teaching practice, and because of the clarity of theory‐practice links in programmes. Across different kinds of ITP programme, good relationships with school‐based mentors significantly boosted trainees' confidence that their ITP had effectively prepared them for teaching. Trainees' motives for entering the profession and their initial concerns about and expectations of ITP also affected their perceptions of its effectiveness, by shaping the way they experienced aspects of their courses. Implications of these findings for policy and practice in teacher preparation are discussed.

The preparation of primary mathematics teachers in Singapore: programs and outcomes from the TEDS-M study

This paper describes five aspects of primary mathematics teacher education in Singapore: (a) the teaching profession in Singapore, (b) the structure of pre-service teacher education programs offered by the National Institute of Education, (c) self-reports of Singapore future primary mathematics teachers about the opportunities to learn mathematics-related contents offered by these programs, based on the Teacher Education and Development Study in Mathematics (TEDS-M) survey, (d) the performance of these future teachers in mathematics content knowledge and mathematics pedagogical content knowledge assessed by the TEDS-M study, and (e) the relationships of opportunities to learn with this performance. The paper concludes with some suggestions about how to improve the quality of initial teacher preparation in the areas of recruitment and training.

Investigating changes in pedagogical knowledge and skills from pre-service to the initial year of teaching

This study examined the levels of pedagogical knowledge and skills as perceived by student teachers who were enrolled in the Post Graduate Diploma in Education program at the National Institute of Education, Singapore, from the beginning of their initial teacher preparation program to the end of their first year of teaching. Their perceptions were assessed using the Pedagogical Knowledge and Skills in Teaching (PKST) survey which comprised six factors, namely, Student Learning, Lesson Planning, Instructional Support, Accomodating Diversity, Classroom Management, and Care and Concern. A sample of 812 student teachers participated in the study. The MANOVA conducted showed that there were significant increases in both their pedagogical knowledge and skills in teaching in all six factors from the start of their initial teacher preparation (ITP) program till the end of their first year of teaching. However, between the exit from the program to the end of the first year of teaching, they only perceived that their level of pedagogical knowledge in classroom management and care and concern continued to increase significantly. In the case of self-perceived skills, their level increased significantly between entry and exit of the program for all factors, except for care and concern, while the increase between the exit and first year of teaching was significant for all six factors. These results may have implications for preservice teacher education and this will be discussed in this article.