Teacher Education Professionals Research Articles

Holding our Ground in the Face of Public Mistrust: The Future of Professionalism in Teaching and Teacher Education

Globally, enduring skepticism around professionalism in education systems has questioned the efficiency in which teachers meet students’ educational needs and their authority to do so. Presently, efforts toward professionalization in teacher education (TE) are threatened by neoliberal reforms promoting alternative pathways into teaching and performance-based accountability mechanisms to monitor teachers and schools. In the face of public mistrust and external threats, this conceptual paper aims to envision the future of TE in light of the complexities inherent to the notion of professionalism. To this end, two competing ideals of teaching, which represent co-existing conceptions of professional work in education are examined: The teacher as an expert clinician ideal entrenched in expertise-driven professionalism and the teacher as a democratic pedagogue grounded in democratic professionalism. I offer ways in which these competing discourses could be fused to set the discussion about professionalism in teaching and its implications for TE on firmer grounds.

Improving teacher performance: Evolution and enlightenment of primary and middle school teacher certification institution in China (1978–2023)

AbstractFrom the perspective of historical institutionalism, based on several critical junctures of the past half‐century in China, this paper divides over 40‐year history of China's teacher certification institution into four stages and elaborates on mechanisms and processes of critical junctures that impact even determine teacher certification institution reforms. The features of China's teacher certification institution are as follows: Its examination system is increasingly perfect; its direct accreditation depends more on graduates' quality rather than major categories; its history is a seesaw effect history between pedagogic and academic orientation of teacher education; teacher certification institution and normal specialty students' quality is the bottom line of teacher workforce performance under the open teacher education system; and the intersection between pedagogic and academic orientation of teacher education leads to the standardization and professionalization of teacher education in all respects.

Teaching with Technology during COVID-19 Pandemic: An Interview Study with Teachers in Indonesia

This paper reports on an interview study with eight secondary school teachers in Indonesia regarding their experiences of teaching with technology during the COVID-19 pandemic. Employing semistructured interview questions and geared under a qualitative research approach, the study probes explicitly into (1) the availability of technology access at home, (2) teachers’ difficulties in teaching online, (3) teachers’ ability to adapt during online teaching, and (4) teachers’ experiences of teaching with technology. Findings from the study suggest insights into the impact of forced changes in teaching that could have implications for the professionalization of teacher education in terms of digitalization. The interview analysis informs that the participating teachers negotiated efforts in online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic using technology vis a vis with the challenges of an ever-changing era. Teachers were baffled with explaining lessons in details during the online teaching and knowing which students have understood or not. The study reveals that learning is mainly dependent on the Internet connection as many teachers suddenly lose their connection when they are teaching.

REFUGE SEEKING: CHALLENGES IN IMPLEMENTING EFFECTIVE INTERDISCIPLINARY TEACHING AND LEARNING IN SCHOOLS IN JAPAN

The aim of this study was to develop a theoretical understanding of the process and strategies school organization members engage in when faced with issues concerning schoolwide curriculum change initiatives using a grounded theory approach. Building on this new theoretical understanding, the study aimed to explore factors and conditions that are needed to implement effective and meaningful interdisciplinary teaching and learning environments in the whole school. Most of the relevant data came from field notes of classroom observations, and several meetings that were held regularly over a two year period, with a study group that comprised of teacher education professionals, school administrators, and teachers in the primary and secondary divisions from a K-16 school in Japan. The study suggests that, ‘Vaguing’, (which emerged as a core category in this grounded theory study), a behaviour that organizational members including leaders exemplify when an organizational change initiative is suggested, plays a key role in contributing to the ongoing struggle in the design and implementation of successful schoolwide curriculum reform initiatives.

A Way Forward Toward Professionalizing Teacher Education

Amid countless challenges faced by teacher education, public universities, preparing a large share of the nations' teachers, are called upon to a lead the charge of moving the field forward. The American Association of State Colleges and University's Teacher Education Task Force sought to examine current conditions among member institutions. Presidents, provosts and deans of education responded to a survey with their assessment of the current status of teacher education. The results yielded six recommendations for quality teacher education programs. The latter of which stresses professionalizing the field. Further examination of the recommendations reveals gaps between the current landscape and the recommendations. It is through these gaps that a strategic means to advance the professionalization of teacher education is put forth. Advancing the professionalization of teacher education is a collaborative effort of leadership. The process demonstrates and builds momentum from positive impact on communities and the profession itself. It is undergirded by an ethical imperative.

Professionalization in Teacher Education As an Interorganizational Learning Challenge

Cultural and social changes, new administrative regulations and curricular reforms have had a significant impact on the work and professional self-image of future teachers in many European countries involved in the Bologna Process. This constellation gives rise to new challenges for established routines, practices and identities of the organizations involved in teacher education. This article deals with processes of professionalization in teacher education and presents new forms of interorganizational cooperation between schools, universities, education authorities and extracurricular agencies. Three case studies from Germany and Austria clearly demonstrate that different organizational cultures as well as different professional self-images meet in cooperative environments. The goal of the article is to analyse systematically the various interorganizational learning challenges in the field of teacher education.

Історія становлення та сучасна соціальна роль комм’юніті (громадських коледжів) США

This article represents the results of the scientific research of the community colleges in USA. The author traces the development of community colleges in America from their earliest days through modern times, describing the social, political, religious, and economic factors that influenced their development. The community college evolved from at least seven sources of educational innovation: community boosterism and the rise of the research university (1880s and 1890s.); the advent of universal secondary education, the professionalization of teacher education, and the vocational education movement (from the educational reforms of the Progressive Era (1900–1916); open access to higher education, and the rise of adult and continuing education and community services (were primarily post–World War II phenomena). The community college is largely a phenomenon of twentieth-century American higher education. The label applies to an array of institutions that offer six-month vocational diplomas; one- and two-year vocational, technical, and pre-professional certificates; and two-year programs of general and liberal education leading to an associate degree. Two-year colleges may be public, private, proprietary, or special purpose, although public institutions represent the majority of community colleges in the twentieth-first century. Community colleges in the United States have a considerable popularity, which is growing every year. Community colleges serve the region where were placed, usually a city and district. College students often study in various forms of education (day, evening, distance form) and have the opportunity to work during the day. A special interest of educational manager of Ukrainian colleges is paid on issues concerning governance, financing, access into higher education and cooperation with employers at community colleges.

Pan-Canadian Perspectives on Teacher Education: The State of the Art in Comparative Research

This text proposes a comparative analysis of the inter-provincial developments of the professionalization of teacher education in Canada, and focuses on two issues: governance of teacher education and the development of new training programs. More specifically, based on a literature review, we analyse how current comparative research brings an understanding of the professionalization of teaching in Canada and we argue the need for more comparative studies in this matter.

21st Century Change Drivers

Contemporary challenges confronting special education teachers include, in part, workload, role ambiguity, evaluation, and shortages. Based on these and other challenges, the piece-meal fragmented approach to pre- and in-service training, which exists currently, needs to be replaced with 21st century models of special education teacher development that are seamless, technology enabled, comprehensive, cohesive, and career spanning. In this article, the authors briefly address persistent and unresolved challenges, identify contemporary change drivers, and discuss ways in which teacher education professionals could leverage the drivers to inform the development of 21st century models for special education teacher development aimed at improving outcomes for students with disabilities. Change drivers include the digital revolution, the diversity gap, the credibility factor, the demand for collective impact, and the culture of we. The authors conclude with a call to action.

Meeting PETE Students in Their World: Tracking Physical Activity through Technology

Considering that physical education teacher candidates use technology as a part of their everyday life, perhaps physical education teacher education professionals should engage candidates through the use of such technology in ways that are pedagogically sound. One piece of technology that could be considered a reasonable place to start is an activity-tracking device.

New Directions in Professionalization of Teacher Education in India

The teacher education curriculum has been revised in 1978, 1988, 1998 and 2009 to incorporate as well as to assimilate the socio-cultural, linguistic and demographic plurality of the nation. Keeping pace with the renewing parameters of knowledge, ever evolving with the continual shifts in political, social and economic dimensions in tandem with technological revolutions, is another significant objective. The National Curriculum Framework for Teacher Education, 2009, visualized to act as “a catalyst to change the profile of teacher education”, as pointed out by Mohd. Akhtar Siddiqui, Chairperson, NCTE, in the Preface to the NCFTE (2009), remains a significant area to be analysed to chart a major paradigm shift in the definition and conceptualization of quality teacher education. This paper attempts a humble analysis of the teacher education curriculum reforms with NCFTE 2009 in perspective and its efficacy in professionalizing the entire teacher education system of our nation.

A Continuum of Learning: Enhancing Connections Between Teacher-Candidates and Education Graduate Students Through a Narrative Framework

This paper was written to complement the book review; "What’s Your Story? A Book Review of Leah Fowler’s A Curriculum of Difficulty: Narrative Research in Education and the Practice of Teaching" (2006), which can also be found in this issue of in education. This paper challenges teacher-education professionals to consider the benefits of creating and facilitating meaningful mentorship opportunities between teacher-candidates and education graduate students. This paper discusses Fowler’s (2006) model for narrative inquiry and its relationship to the formation of teacher identity and explores whether or not this particular model can support the creation of sustainable and effective mentoring relationships in current teacher-education programs. Teacher-candidates and graduate students alike will both come to a “deeper understanding of the relationship among past, present, and projected senses of self” (Sumara & Luce-Kapler, 1996) as they engage in mutually beneficial, critically reflective learning practices. Purposeful construction of mentorship opportunities that honour the experiential stories of individuals may serve to further increase education students’ awareness of their dynamic position along a continuum of learning in both undergraduate and graduate contexts.Keywords: narrative research; mentorship; teacher identity

Troops to Teachers: Future Implications for Teacher Educators

Teacher educators will soon be confronted with the prospect of a relatively large number of former members of the United States Armed Forces seeking to make a transition to the profession of education. With support from the federal government in the form of the Troops-to-Teachers program as well as various state supplements, America's colleges and universities will be charged with ensuring that these aspiring teachers will be trained properly. It will soon be imperative that teacher education professionals recognize and effectively deal with the unique challenges related to this coming reality.

Teacher education policies in the United States: The accountability shift since 1980

This conceptual paper examines a tug-of-war between state and national authorities in the United States for control of teacher recruitment, preparation, licensing, and professional development policy-making. A discussion of policy problems and instruments grounds analysis of each governing body's policy-activity since 1980. The analysis reveals how policy instrument changes have sidelined teacher education professionals and shifted programme accountability from the state to national level. Conclusions and recommendations challenge teacher education researchers to alter the current accountability trajectory by becoming active participants in the United States policy-making arena.

Who Should Guard the Gates? Evidentiary and Professional Warrants for Claiming Jurisdiction

This article explores empirical and theoretical literature relevant to accreditation of teacher education programs. The lack of substantial research on accreditation makes it impossible to make empirically based claims about the value-added of such processes, including how accreditation processes enhance the professionalization of teacher education. Contemporary scholarship, especially in sociology, also raises questions, especially about the uncritical acceptance of the professionalization movement in teacher education. After briefly reviewing three lines of criticism concerning professionalization, the authors use that literature to “read” both Wise’s (2005) description of the benefits of NCATE’s work and Murray’s (2005) description of TEAC’s role in enhancing professionalism in teacher education. Both authors presume that professionalization is a good; both fail to confront some of the central concerns about the exclusionary practices of professions in their descriptions of NCATE and TEAC. The authors conclude by suggesting that the professionalism movement within teacher education—while important—requires that we encourage and embrace both internal and external forms of criticism.

Quality in initial teacher education

Presents a critique of the assumptions underlying the Teacher Training Agency (TTA) strategy of defining quality centrally and imposing its view through a power‐coercive change process. An alternative view of effective teacher education is developed, based on the contention that high quality courses result from the thinking and commitment of teacher education professionals, working with their colleagues in schools, in local settings. It is argued that the development of high quality initial teacher training (ITE) results essentially from the engagement of teacher educators with ideas drawn from teacher education practice and research. Centrally‐driven curriculum blue‐prints are unlikely to lead to the same high quality results, rather they will tend to result in mere compliance. The argument is illustrated by an example of teacher education development in one institution leading to a set of propositions about the elements which characterise high quality teacher education more generally.

Didactic closure: Professionalization and pedagogic knowledge in Finnish teacher education

This article concerns the kind of symbolic and strategic value that science-legitimated pedagogical knowledge has in the professionalization of teacher education. The aim is to try to understand certain peculiarities in this body of knowledge through studying the history of the “science of teaching” and of the professionalization of teacher education in Finland. The conclusion is that there are at least three professionalist drifts that produce and reproduce a kind of “decontextualized pedagogic discourse” in Finnish teacher education: the pursuit of science legitimation, loyalty to state educational reforms and a striving for distinction from rival disciplines. The analysis shows that, at least up to the present day, the science-legitimated knowledge system for teacher education has served as a very successful strategy in the struggles on the field of Finnish higher education.