Teacher Education Standards Research Articles

Critical thinking for transformative praxis in teacher education: Music, media and information literacy, and social studies in the United States

The notion and practice of critical thinking (CT) has moved from its speculative formation by John Dewey to a standard element in teacher education curricula and standards. In the process, CT has narrowed its focus to the analysis and articulation of logical thought, and lost transformative value. In this paper, we examine the conception and implementation of CT in three teacher education domains primarily in the United States–music, media and information literacy, and social studies–asking how CT has deformed education in those domains, and how domain-specific approaches could reinvigorate CT. We further suggest refocusing the purpose of CT in teacher education on accomplishing transformative education for equity in school and society, by implementing a critically reflective, transformative praxis based on the insights of domain-specific approaches to CT.

Understanding Circle Time Practices in Montessori Early Childhood Settings

Circle time is commonplace in traditional preschools, yet there are few references to the practice in Montessori’s writings or in major Montessori organizations’ and teacher education standards. This article investigates whether circle time is frequent in Montessori 3–6-year-old classrooms using data from a widely distributed Qualtrics survey. The results, from 276 respondents spanning all 50 states, provide insight into the circle time practices of United States-based preschool Montessori teachers, also known in Montessori classrooms as guides. We present novel information regarding circle time duration and frequency, types of circle time activities, Montessori guides’ circle time training and planning, whether children’s circle time attendance is free choice or compulsory, and the nature of circle time in programs associated with Association Montessori Internationale versus American Montessori Society. Results revealed that 92% of survey participants have circle time every day or most days; most participants hold circle time for 20 minutes or less; the most common circle time events were show-and-tell, calendar work, vocabulary lessons, Grace and Courtesy lessons, read aloud discussions, dancing and movement, snack time, general conversation, read aloud (stories), and birthday celebrations. We found that many of the most frequent circle time activities do not align with children’s preferences, teacher preferences, or Early Childhood best practices. Our work invites Montessorians to engage in the work of reconstructing the traditional practice of circle time to better align with Montessori hallmarks of choice, development of the will, and joyfulness.

Examining Standards Across Five K-12 Academic Disciplines in the United States: Similarities, Distinctions, and Implications for Teacher Preparation

ABSTRACT Teacher preparation has long suffered from an issue of status in the United States. As a way to professionalize teaching, subject area-specific standards have materialized as one of its most powerful tools in homogenizing what teacher candidates should know and do upon graduation. These standards play a large role in accreditation, but they operate in isolation from one another. To actualize clinically based teacher education, such standards can no longer remain in silos. The purpose of this study was to understand what subject area standards for teacher education exist; on what key concepts, topics, and ideas do they collectively agree; what is distinct to each; and what the implications are for teacher education. Using document analysis, seven sets of standards for teacher education across five subject areas were examined. Findings show that while there were distinctions, there were more similarities among the subject areas. This finding demonstrates a common understanding of basic knowledge and skills across disciplines teacher candidates need to be profession-ready teachers.

Literacy in Indian Akshara Languages and Other Transparent Orthographic Languages - Teacher Education Considerations

Alphabet-based languages are more often researched in literacy acquisition and education than akshara languages. Languages that use alphasyllabaries including symbols, called aksharas, represent a large portion of the world languages, including the languages in the second most populous country, India. This conceptual research paper addresses teacher education in literacy related to akshara languages. Using theory and research base of existing alphabet and akshara acquisition, with teacher education standards for literacy in alphabet languages, this paper presents a model for teacher education in literacy for akshara languages. This framework provides teacher education standards and other considerations such as evaluation of teacher education curriculum and performance to enable data-based decision making in literacy instruction. The premise of this paper is to approach the problem of dismal literacy rates by drawing into the robust research in alphabetic language literacy education by using a systematic approach to target the source – pre-service teacher education. While the paper addresses examples of languages in India, other transparent orthographies that use symbols or aksharas can draw from this to inform their teacher education in literacy

Determination of Graduate Accreditation Standards in Teacher Education: Management and Quality Assurance Standard Area

Türkiye’de henüz lisansüstü eğitim akreditasyon standartlarının geliştirilmemiş olması nedeniyle öğretmenlik eğitim programlarının lisansüstü akreditasyonu yapılamamaktadır. Bu çalışma, literatürdeki bu eksikliği gidermek amacıyla yapılmıştır. Çalışmada, Avrupa ve Amerika’da şemsiye akreditasyon kuruluşlarına üye kalite güvence kuruluşlarının lisans ve lisansüstü (doktora programı) akreditasyon standartları incelenerek Türkiye’de öğretmenlik eğitimi programları için lisansüstü akreditasyon standartları hazırlanmıştır. Bu amaca yönelik lisansüstü eğitimde kullanılmak üzere 8 kalite güvence standart alanı geliştirilmiştir. Çalışmanın verleri doküman incelemesi ve delphi tekniği kullanılmıştır. Doküman incelemesi tekniği doğrultusunda 12 ülkeden 23 akreditasyon kuruluşunun lisans ve lisansüstü standartları incelenmiştir. Saksonya bölgesinin doktora programı standartları, AB lisans standartları ve bölgesel kalite kuruluşlarının standartları da incelenerek Türkiye’de kullanılması amacıyla lisansüstü akreditasyon standartları hazırlanmıştır. Hazırlanan standartlar Delphi tekniği ile uzman görüşlerine sunulmuş ve 47 uzmandan gelen geri dönüşler doğrultusunda standartlar 3 kez revize edilmiştir. Doküman inclemesi tekniği ile elde edilen verilerin analizinde betimsel analiz yöntemi; Delphi tekniği ile elde edilen verilerin analizinde istatistiksel analiz yöntemleri kullanılmıştır. Yönetim ve kalite güvencesi standart alanına ilişkin 14 alt standart, 54 gösterge ve 88 kanıt hazırlanmıştır. Hazırlanan gösterge ve kanıtlar için 7 uzmanın görüşü alınmıştır. Bu çalışmada yönetim ve kalite güvencesi standart alanına ait alt standart, gösterge ve kanıtlar ele alınmıştır.

Educator preparation: a multi-discipline analysis of standards to promote critical thinking

ABSTRACT Teacher education standards are designed to guide the preparation of pre-service teachers to acquire knowledge and develop skills required for delivering high-quality educational experiences to all learners. Analysing how critical thinking (CT) is positioned in educator preparation standards is an initial step towards understanding the conceptualisation and operationalisation of CT in teacher education. In this study, a team of researchers analysed U.S. educator preparation standards across multiple disciplines and learner populations through a crosswalk standards database for the presence of CT, gaps in the standards, and relation among standards. Results indicate that most CT-related standards focus on preparing teachers to perform strategies that promote CT for students. Less prevalent, or missing, are standards that prepare teachers with essential knowledge of the role of CT in the classroom, using assessment to monitor CT, or the role of planning to provide CT learning experiences. Implications for these gaps are discussed.

Partnership or prescription: a critical discourse analysis of HEI-school partnership policy in the Republic of Ireland

ABSTRACT The Republic of Ireland has witnessed a transformative reform agenda in teacher education, stemming from internal trends, increased emphasis on supranational ranking indicators, and recommendations from national and international reviews of existing teacher education. As part of this reform agenda, the Teaching Council of Ireland has espoused models of higher education institution (HEI)-school partnerships, crystallised in Céim: Standards for Initial Teacher Education (Teaching Council, 2020) and Guidelines on School Placement (Teaching Council, 2021). Using critical discourse analysis, we unpack how language is directed to two key partners within the policies, namely higher education institutions and schools. Findings unpack a range of agendas at play that are undermining the notion of partnership, including how language can displace the roles and responsibilities of key stakeholders. We conclude with a call for further critical policy research in teacher education, given the wider policy and political influences at play. This paper offers a theoretical-oriented framework that can support a critical reading of such policies.

Leadership of School Principals to Improving Teacher Professionalism at Muhammadiyah School

The principal's leadership increases teachers' work motivation and improves education quality. The study examined the principal's leadership in improving teacher professionalism at SD Nitikan Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta. This qualitative descriptive research uses interviews, observation, and documentation. This study involved the principal and 25 teachers as informants. The principal's strategy to improve the quality and professionalism of teachers is to motivate, encourage, and organize training on IT development, reward, and punishment. Principals must also meet content, process, graduation capacity, facilities and infrastructure, management, funding, teacher and staff, and teacher education standards. Supporting factors provide teachers with equal opportunities to develop their pedagogical and professional skills through teaching and training activities based on knowledge and adapted to needs and budgets. Lack of internal motivation from teaching priorities is a barrier. This research contributes to the development of Islamic education by analyzing principals' efforts to increase teachers' professional capacity in Islamic schools.

Pre-Service Teachers’ Perceptions and Experiences Implementing CATCH My Breath

ABSTRACT Background Vaping among American secondary students is increasing. School-based health education is well positioned to deliver messaging about the dangers of vaping and to develop refusal skills. CATCH My Breath (CMB) is an evidence-based vaping prevention curriculum that provides resources to create and sustain healthy behaviors. Given inherent challenges during the induction stage of career socialization, pre-service and beginning health and physical educators may experience heightened teaching efficacy by delivering prepackaged curriculum. Purpose Investigate health and physical education pre-service teachers’ perceptions of and experiences with implementing the CMB curriculum. Method Basic qualitative research design was utilized to determine perceptions of 12 pre-service teachers from two teacher education programs in the eastern United States. Pre-service teachers completed semi-structured focus group interviews. Results Themes emerged from a detailed analysis: (a) mastery experiences, (b) support, (c) resources, (d) health education impact, (e) collaborate and lead, and (f) challenges. Discussion By implementing the curriculum, participants gained teaching efficacy and reported likelihood for future selection of prepackaged units. Translation to Health Education Practice: Implementing evidence-based prepackaged curricula into PETE/HETE programs aligned with teacher education standards supports collaboration and reflection within the student teaching triad which may increase teaching efficacy of pre-service teachers.

KEPEMIMPINAN KEPALA SEKOLAH DALAM MENINGKATKAN PROFESIONALISME GURU DI SD NITIKAN MUHAMMADIYAH YOGYAKARTA

The principal's leadership is very effective in increasing teachers' work motivation in carrying out their responsibilities and impacting the quality of education. The study aimed to determine the principal's leadership in improving teacher professionalism and the supporting and inhibiting factors at SD Nitikan Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta. This research is descriptive qualitative, data collection through interviews with purposive sampling technique, observation, and documentation. Sand sources of data from school principals and teachers amounted to 25 people. The results of the research on the principal's strategy to improve the quality and professionalism of teachers are to motivate, encourage and organize seminars/training related to knowledge and understanding of the development of information technology, reward, and punishment for teachers. In addition, school principals strive to meet content standards, process standards, graduation capacity standards, facilities and infrastructure standards, management standards, funding standards, teacher and staff standards, and teacher education standards and standards. While the supporting factors are providing equal opportunities for teachers to develop their pedagogical and professional capacities by participating in various teaching and training activities, based on knowledge and adapted to needs and budget allocations. The inhibiting factor is the lack of internal motivation due to busy teaching time for priority reasons.

Unsupported and unrealistic expectations? Misalignment between teachers’ required knowledge of the law in the Code of Professional Conduct for Teachers and Céim Standards for Initial Teacher Education

ABSTRACT This research investigates the extent to which educational law features and is constructed in the Teaching Council's documentation for Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes (2017, 2020) and in the Code of Professional Conduct for Teachers (Code) (2016), and analyses teachers’ required knowledge of the law across these documents. Document analysis was used to track changes and provide insights. The findings indicate that teachers’ knowledge of educational law has a low profile in the criteria used to review and accredit ITE programmes. Despite significant developments in law related to schools and teachers since 2017, including additional statutory requirements for child protection, the 2020 document does not have a commensurate increase in emphasis on law. Contrastingly, the findings indicate a high profile, and a high bar, for teachers’ knowledge of the law in the Code. Recommendations include that the Teaching Council analyse graduates’ legal knowledge during registration to ensure that they have the requisite skills to adequately perform as a professional; that the emphasis on educational law be increased in the ITE criteria so that it is aligned with the Code, and that programme providers fulfil their duty of care to students by providing them with adequate standalone modules on educational law.

Preparing Preservice Teachers via Teaching Methods Courses: A Literature Review

Purpose: To review past research on teaching methods courses with preservice physical education teachers and preservice elementary classroom teachers. Method: This study was guided by the 2017 National Standards for Initial Physical Education Teacher Education. A thorough literature search was conducted using online databases, and a total of 28 articles were selected for review. Results: About two thirds of the reviewed studies were related to elementary methods courses, and 10.7% of the studies were quantitative. Perceptions and confidence in teaching physical education were the focus of studies for preservice elementary classroom teachers, while pedagogical knowledge development and restructuring was the primary emphasis for preservice physical education teachers via elementary methods course. Research on the secondary methods course yielded no salient themes. Conclusions: Research on the topic has been incongruent with the national standards. More experimental and quantitative studies are needed in the future.

An Analysis of the Teachers Professionalism Performance of Pancasila and Civic Education at Padang City

The teachers’ professionalism performance of Pancasila and Civic Education (PPKn) was something that needs to be analyzed at this time; this greatly determines the development of a teacher's ability in carrying out of his functional duties. Therefore, the comparison and evaluation was needed in the professional performance of an educator The aim of this article was to analyze more deeply of teachers’ professional performance of Pancasila and Civic Education (PPKn) at Padang City. This research was mixed methods with a Sequential Exploratory Design approach, namely quantitative and qualitative approaches. In the quantitative approach, the data was obtained from the results of the analysis of teacher performance questionnaires and student questionnaires, then the qualitative approach data was obtained from the analysis of interview results, documents in the form of lesson plans, observation and documentation study. Based on the findings and results of data analysis described that (1) The teachers performance of Pancasila and Civic Education PPKn at SMP Negeri 20 Padang was categorized good category, because only 33.3% of teachers have low performance, while as many 66.67% of teachers already have very good and good performance categories. (2) The factors that influence the performance of teachers in schools at SMP Negeri 20 Padang was qualification for Civics teacher education standards, the leadership factor of the school principal, the training factor, and the teacher competency factor. (3) The efforts to improve teacher performance at SMPN 20 Padang can be done through coaching, upgrading, training to improve teacher competence. Keyword : Teacher Professionalism, Teacher Performance, Civic Teachers Professionalism

The Establishment and Development of Professional Training for Preschool Teachers in Western European Countries

The problem of providing lifelong learning opportunities at the present stage of global community development remains relevant and is a top-priority agenda for practically all civilized countries. Positive experience in organizing professional training of preschool teachers in European countries requires that perspective trends in the modernization of future preschool teachers’ professional training should be specified following European standards of teacher education and the most significant achievements of higher education, its peculiarities and specifics should be preserved. Conceptual principles, peculiarities of historical development and key trends in the system of professional teacher education in Germany, France and the UK have been analyzed and determined; professional profiles, professional competency profiles and qualification requirements have been characterized; both national specific and general common trends in development of preschool teachers’ professional training in European countries have been outlined. The development of professional standards for teacher education in European countries contributes to specifying and developing professional profiles of preschool teachers in Europe that are rather diverse and determine the multifacetedness and multifunctionality of professional training. The main trends in education policy and qualification requirements for professional training of preschool teachers in European countries include: providing public sector specialists with initial training; adjusting consecutive education to the provisions of the Bologna Declaration; ensuring continuing professional development of specialists involved in educational activities in preschool institutions; implementing the European conception of professional training with the use of competency-based approach.

Transforming PETE’s Initial Standards: Ensuring Social Justice for Black Students in Physical Education

ABSTRACT Calls to transform the initial Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE) standards to reflect social justice have garnered little attention. Recent events have magnified the racial injustices inflicted upon Black people in America and their ability to participate as full equals in a society influenced and characterized by white supremacy. Using critical race theory (CRT) as a framework, the authors examine the racial formulation of the historical and current installations of SHAPE America’s initial PETE standards. Illustrated is the influence of white supremacy in PETE programs, the relationship to physical literacy, and the impact on Black students. After analysis, the authors integrate culturally relevant frameworks, and provide a blueprint of socially just PETE standards that challenge structural racism, and diversity initiatives promoted by SHAPE America and in higher education. The authors conclude that infusing Black perspectives is essential to the advancement of inclusive social justice standards in PETE.

Regenerating Teacher Education Programs with Indigenous Knowledge in Idaho

This paper examines movements in educational policy to address the inequitable schooling experiences of American Indian youth. We look specifically at recent policy revisions to teacher education standards in the state of Idaho which intend to address preservice teachers’ knowledge and dispositions to build understanding and respect for Indigenous ways of knowing and tribal sovereignty in classrooms and schools. We argue that critical, culturally based teacher training programs can prepare competent, equity conscious teachers to address the unique challenges of schools, especially those serving Indigenous youth. Such frameworks are vital acts of social justice education which benefit all students.

Индивидуальная траектория методического саморазвития педагога

The relevance of the problem of building an individual trajectory of methodical self-development of a teacher is due to the change of reference points in the training and certification of teachers. The article presents an analysis of the category "methodological training" of a foreign language teacher from the point of view of both the process and the result. As a result of the analysis of psychological and pedagogical, methodological literature and comparison of essential characteristics of the desired category, the authors revealed that the teacher's methodological competence is a complex multi-faceted set of psychological, pedagogical and linguistic components. The content of the components of methodological training includes knowledge of modern approaches and technologies of training, knowledge about the essence and main characteristics of the learning process, the availability of skills and abilities of effective organization of the learning process, as well as personal and professional qualities of the teacher AND staff.
 On the basis of comparative analysis of requirements of the FSES IN teacher education and Professional standards articulate a set of knowledge, skills, and labor actions, constitute the essence of the methodical training of teachers of a foreign language and to determine the specific tasks of professional self-development and improvement of the teacher. The identified knowledge, skills and labor actions will allow you to design an individual program in accordance with the predicted difficulties and complications in your professional activity.

Preparing Candidates in Physical Education Teacher Certification: A Look at the New Components Added to the National Standards for Initial Physical Education Teacher Education

SHAPE America recently revised the National Standards for Initial Physical Education Teacher Education (2017) and added four new components to standards that PETE programs need to meet: 1 & 2) 1.a & 1.b Content and Foundational Knowledge Standard, 3) Component 3.f Planning and Implementation Standard, and 4) Component 6c Professional Responsibility Standard. This article will introduce the four new components and offer suggestions for meeting these new requirements for candidates.

Toward an inclination to advocate: a discursive study of teachers’ stance toward linguistically-responsive pedagogy in online language teacher education

An inclination to advocate is an important orientation for teachers working with emergent bilingual learners; emphasized in both frameworks for teacher education and in teacher education standards. Nevertheless, scholars have only begun to investigate how advocacy is constructed and enacted within online language teacher education coursework designed to promote linguistically responsive pedagogy. This study investigates teacher candidates’ orientations to advocacy by examining asynchronous online discussions to understand how candidates’ personal stances were interactionally constructed. Analysis drew upon critical discursive psychology for its focus on talk/writing as action-oriented and for its emphasis on the ways that constructs traditionally interpreted as cognitive, such as one’s personal beliefs or stance, are made accessible through examining language-in-interaction. Findings demonstrate how candidates oriented to advocacy work as both programmatic and political, while employing specific discursive and conversational features to construct their personal stance within each pattern. This study advances understanding of teacher candidates’ ‘inclination to advocate’ as an essential orientation of linguistically responsive pedagogy and has implications for the planning and design of online language teacher education coursework.

Reconstruction of Professional Teacher Education Program

The Professional Teacher Education Program (in Indonesia known as Pendidikan Profesi Guru – PPG) was developed by the teacher training university by referring to Teacher Education Standards which include educational standards, research standards, and community service standards. Article 17 (1) of The Act Number 12 of year 2012 concerning Higher Education states that professional education is a higher education after an undergraduate program that prepares students for works, which need special expertise requirements. Based on this article of The Act, the competencies of PPG graduates that should include four professional teacher competencies, which are professional, pedagogical, personal and social competencies, should be more than undergraduate’s competencies. However, do the material and evaluation systems currently show such a relationship? Besides that, the social, personal, professional and pedagogical abilities of the teacher are not abilities that are mastered separately but rather the overall integration of these abilities which shows the professionalism of the teacher. This article discusses the weaknesses of the current PPG program implementation and the efforts to reconstruct it to obtain a PPG program implementation system that takes into account the comprehensive and integrated competencies as learning outcomes of the program’s graduates. Keywords : professional teacher, Professional Teacher Education Program, professional education DOI : 10.7176/JEP/11-16-12 Publication date : June 30th 2020