University Teacher Preparation Research Articles

THE TEACHER QUALIFICATION SCHEME: A CASE OF ALBANIA

The study aims to analyse the results of “Teacher Qualification Exam” in Albania, and to link these results with teacher preparation curricula taught in public universities. The methodology of research includes desk research on the literature about curricula and teacher continuous professional development, elaboration of the results of the testing of 3064 teachers, analysis of the university teacher preparation curricula in terms of skills development, the elaboration of the results of questionnaires developed by novice teachers, and in depth interviews with students graduating from the education departments. As a result, the research shows the relationships amongst the curricula developed in the teacher preparation faculties in Albania, the poor results of novice teachers involved in the induction scheme, and the comparatively low results of teachers pertaining to the third category of the Qualification Scheme (novice teachers having no more than 5 years of teaching experience) in Albania. It is advisable to adopt a better professional development scheme. Key words: desk research, novice teachers, teacher qualification.

Mathematical Knowledge Management

This virtual presentation shares technology, techniques, and a more demanding use of the mathematical register to promote a better understanding of mathematics within a teacher preparation program. Knowledge of mathematics managed under these higher expectations should inevitably promote more creative and productive thinking that will extend to the elementary, middle and high school classrooms. Experts in knowledge and knowledge management are reminding us of the need to produce more curious, inventive, and productive math/science instruction to satisfy the technological needs of the twenty-first century. This presentation will share examples of how this is already being done at a university teacher-preparation program.

"They Prepared Me to Be a Teacher, But Not a Culturally Responsive Navajo Teacher for Navajo Kids": A Tribal Critical Race Theory Analysis of an Indigenous Teacher Preparation Program

This article argues that federally-funded Indigenous teacher preparation programs housed at mainstream, predominantly White universities can be colonial and thus require significant focused work in order to ensure that they are not. The article has three interrelated objectives: first, to discuss efforts to prepare Indigenous teachers for Indigenous schools within predominantly White university teacher preparation programs; second, to examine whether these programs continue the legacy of colonization and assimilation, or advance tribal nations' goals of sovereignty and self-determination; and third, to extend the theoretical capacities of critical race theory and tribal critical race theory by using their analytic tools to make sense of particular efforts in Indigenous education. The preparation of culturally responsive Indigenous teachers for schools serving Indigenous youth is clearly needed, but this is difficult work given the larger context of imperialism, White supremacy, and assimilation that still structures our educational institutions.

Terms of engagement: Preparing pre-service teachers to form authentic partnerships with families and communities

Abstract Family engagement topics are less common in university teacher preparation curricula than subject content and pedagogical studies. This article describes some current conceptualisations about the positive impact that thoughtful community and family partnerships have for the growth and development of children, teachers, families and schools. Theoretical, historical and societal factors will be considered, as well as data from a questionnaire distributed to 66 teacher education graduate students just prior to taking courses in their degree sequence that focus on working with families. Even at Master's level, candidates expressed significant fears about working closely with families. Strategies are presented for better integration of family-centered learning experiences into the pre-service curriculum so that graduates can begin their work in schools with greater family and community theoretical understanding and practical competence.

Book Review of Learning Through Teaching Mathematics

Understanding what mathematics teachers know, what they need to know about mathematics, and how that knowledge is learned are important goals in mathematics education. Research on mathematics teacher knowledge can be divided into two categories: (a) what knowledge mathematics teachers have or need to have to teach effectively (e.g., Hill, Rowan, & Ball, 2005; Kahan, Cooper, & Bethea, 2003), and (b) how teachers' mathematical knowledge for teaching can be developed (e.g., Bell, Wilson, Higgins, & McCoach, 2010; Proulx, 2008). This book describes research of the second type. To date, research in this area has focused primarily on how mathematical knowledge develops in university or researcher-led teacher preparation or professional development programs. This book is novel in that it concerns how and what teachers learn through the process of teaching itself. In his contribution to this book, Ron Tzur (chapter 3) lays out three reasons why this research is essential. First, he argues, teacher preparation programs simply do not contain enough time for teachers to learn all they need to know, so teachers' learning through teaching is essential. Second, for teachers to develop knowledge of how students think about mathematics and how students receive mathematical lessons, teachers must have classroom experience. Third, the experiences that teachers encounter when teaching have the potential to give rise to meaningful changes in their beliefs and practice.

PERFORMANCE AND PASSING RATE DIFFERENCES OF AFRICAN AMERICAN AND WHITE PROSPECTIVE TEACHERS ON PRAXISTM EXAMINATIONS: A JOINT PROJECT OF THE NATIONAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION (NEA) AND EDUCATIONAL TESTING SERVICE (ETS)

ABSTRACTThis report focuses on two aspects of teacher supply and quality: (a) the under‐representation of racial/ethnic minorities, especially African Americans in the teaching pool, and (b) teacher candidates' performance on licensure assessments, including general skills tests in reading, writing, and mathematics (known as Praxis I®) and selected tests covering areas of content and pedagogy (known as Praxis II®). The report presents trends in the overall and minority teaching workforce, utilizes some of the available PraxisTM program data, combined with interviews of faculty and students involved in college and university teacher preparation programs, to address supply, achievement, and performance gaps between prospective minority and White teachers. African American candidates are the focal group in this report, in order to gauge the effect that Praxis has on the supply of prospective African American teachers and to generate ideas for closing gaps. Other minority Praxis test‐taking populations in the selected states are not included because these are not large enough to produce sufficient data from which to make valid inferences.The research was collaboratively planned and guided by National Education Association and Educational Testing Service to use Praxis data for addressing the following questions: (a) What are the trends in minority representation among teacher candidates, (b) What are the differences between majority and minority candidates' performance on both Praxis I and Praxis II, (c) Are the performance differences reflected in the state licensing pass rates of majority and minority candidates, and (d) What factors should be targeted to reduce racial/ethnic group performance differences on Praxis I and Praxis II.

Professional Development in TBI for Educators

Effective instructional and behavioral support strategies implemented by trained educators can help mitigate the academic and behavioral challenges associated with childhood brain injury. However, the training provided by university teacher preparation programs is clearly inadequate, a problem that cuts across the professions that work with school-aged students. Educators need training in methods validated for students with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and in adapting strategies validated for students with other disabilities. Almost 10 years after Ylvisaker and colleagues proposed a research and professional development agenda in the area of teacher training, students with TBI continue to be underserved and underidentified for educational supports. Effective staff development practices for educators must include training in evidence-based interventions, supervised practice with new skills, and continued mentoring, feedback, and consultation in the school setting. Two models currently in use-the TBI Consulting Team and BrainSTARS models-incorporate those features. Preliminary evidence suggests that these models help teachers feel more prepared and knowledgeable in working with students with TBI. Given the urgent needs of students with TBI, validating these promising practices should be a high priority for the field of pediatric brain injury.

CONNECTING UNIVERSITY SUPERVISION AND CRITICAL REFLECTION: MENTORING AND MODELING

This study reports on the experiences of supervisors in a university teacher preparation program regarding their critical reflection on their practice. This has an impact on the learning opportunities available for their student teachers. Findings include: (a) an understanding of critical reflection is something that builds over time for student teachers through exposure to their supervisor's practice; (b) explicitly modeling, guiding, and communicating the importance of critical reflection in teaching practice through supervisory stance helps teacher candidates develop critically reflective practices and understandings; (c) developing critical reflection in their individual and shared practices takes time for both parties.

Entrepreneurial Intention of University Students: An Analysis of Gender and Ethnic Groups

A study was conducted to determine the perception of university students towards entrepreneurial intention. Four hundred and thirty nine students participated in the study. They comprised of university teacher preparation students from three leading research universities in Malaysia. The purpose of this study was to measure education students’ entrepreneurial intention by using the Theory of Planned Behaviour. Findings indicated that there was a significant difference on entrepreneurial intention of the respondents. Those who are positive in entrepreneurial career aspiration scored higher in means intention compared to those who have no aspiration towards entrepreneurial career. This study suggests that an entrepreneurship course and proper entrepreneurial teaching strategies should be developed to create positive entrepreneurial intention and aspiration among teacher trainees. The implication of the study is to develop future teachers’ entrepreneurial values so as to infuse entrepreneurship among secondary school students.

Extending Transfer of Learning Theory to Transformative Learning Theory: A Model for Promoting Teacher Leadership

This article describes collaborative efforts to frame university teacher preparation program activities within transfer of learning and transformative learning theories to promote teacher leadership. Specifically, we describe (a) a community sponsored, public school, campus-based experience during an introductory teacher preparation course; (b) a university supervision program designed to empower teachers to take primary responsibility for guiding and developing future colleagues; and (c) a model for providing guidance and development for a postbaccalaureate alternate route to certification for students during their first year of teaching. A goal for each program is to foster within teachers a long-term commitment to teacher leadership, particularly in culturally diverse, low socioeconomic schools.

Noise-Induced Hearing Loss: Implications for Schools

Regulations and practices associated with the prevention of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) are explored with regard to the public school setting. Requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act provide the only federal education regulations that mandate hearing-loss prevention activities in schools. School hearing screening regulations, other federal legislation, classroom acoustics standards, Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards, and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health guidelines are all discussed as they relate to this topic. Current school practices suggest that school personnel have limited awareness of hearing-loss prevention activities and the implications of NIHL. Recommendations for actions needed by schools, the government, university teacher preparation programs, and the community are suggested.

Introduction to Codebusters

Spelling is an ignored wound in American education.It is so ignored that university teacher-preparation programs do not even include a single course onhow to teach spelling.Lacking professional guidance, teachers concoct a variety of approaches. Some present a list ofwords and tell their students to memorize them for Friday’s test. Others have their students finger-paintthe words. Others dwell on complex rules, such as: "In monosyllabic words ending in a terminalconsonant, double the terminal consonant before adding –ed or -ing."Spelling is so ignored that California’s entire content standards for eighth grade spelling instruction isfour words long: Use correct spelling conventions. That’s it. One sentence. Four words.No wonder students cannot spell.

Bridging the University–School Divide

Research on teacher learning consistently documents the disjuncture between the practices beginning teachers encounter in university teacher preparation courses and those they reencounter in the K-12 classrooms in which they learn to teach. As preservice teachers enter teaching, they gravitate toward conventional K-12 practices, dismissing those endorsed by the university as impractical. In this article, the authors delineate the concept of horizontal expertise and document how its production and use can address this “two-worlds pitfall.” Drawing on the authors' work creating a cross-institutional collaborative, they identify three processes central to the production of horizontal expertise in teacher education: the exchange of tools, the negotiation of social languages, and argumentation. They then trace its use across the university and school settings to show how horizontal expertise can rescript mentoring and expand dialogic practices in the university. The authors conclude by identifying the challenges of developing horizontal expertise in teacher education.

Feared, Forgotten, or Forbidden: Sexual orientation topics in secondary teacher preparation programs in the USA

This study examined the coverage of sexual orientation topics within 77 public university secondary teacher preparation programs across seven US states, and represented programs preparing 8,300–11,500 teachers annually. Findings indicated that 40% of programs did not address sexual orientation as a diversity topic. Further, even programs that did address sexual orientation tended to abandon the topic in practica courses, perhaps limiting students’ abilities to apply the information to practice. Further findings outlined the types of sexual orientation topics covered in programs and the challenges to addressing sexual orientation topics as reported by coordinators. Conclusions suggest that secondary teacher programs may passively sustain homophobic and heterosexist school cultures through the omission of sexual orientation topics.

THE INFLUENCE OF PERSONALITY TYPE ON THE EXTENT COOPERATING TEACHERS PROVIDE PSYCHOSOCIAL ASSISTANCE TO STUDENT TEACHERS

The No Child Left Behind Act emphasized the need to do what university teacher preparation programs have been doing for years - look for ways to improve the development of preservice teachers. Because there are many aspects of preservice teacher preparation, research should begin at the most important aspect of such preparation. In agricultural education, literature points to student teaching being the most important aspect, particularly the student teachercooperating teacher interaction within student teaching. The purpose of the study was to determine if personality type, as measured by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI®), influences the psychosocial support cooperating teachers of agricultural education at the University of Missouri-Columbia and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign provided their student teachers. Both student teachers and cooperating teachers are more S, T, and J, according to the MBTI®. According to both student teachers and cooperating teachers, cooperating teachers are providing psychosocial assistance to student teachers, but differently across the five psychosocial functions. Personality type was not found to be influential in predicting psychosocial assistance.

A Situative Perspective on a Collaborative Model for Integrating Technology into Teaching

This article describes a collaborative professional development model in which faculty in a College of Education partnered with a local school district to design and implement a year-long project in an effort to increase effective integration of technology in instruction by K-8 classroom teachers, university teacher preparation faculty, pre-service teachers and novice teachers graduating from that teacher preparation program. A brief description of the project, its accomplishments and dilemmas, analysis of the project design and experiences of participants through the lens of situative professional development are presented. Lessons for structuring professional development such that subsequent improvements in technology use within partnership schools and teacher preparation programs can occur are discussed.

Challenges for ESL teacher professionalization in the US: a case study

As the language minority student population in the US increases at a rapid pace, a larger number of teachers are pursuing a primary or secondary certification in English as a Second Language (ESL). This case study describes the professional development efforts to provide an ESL endorsement to a group of K‐12 teachers in a large mid‐western university. It describes the systemic nature underlying their professional development, highlighting the influence of different constituencies. These range from federal, state, county and district levels to the university teacher preparation program, as well as the teachers themselves. By understanding how these factors influence teachers' professional development, the authors identify important lessons that can be learned by teacher educators.

Why University Teacher Preparation Programs Should Provide A New Set Of Personal Constructions Of Mathematics Through Math Content Courses For Elementary Teachers

Teacher preparation programs are in danger of seriously under-preparing elementary teachers to teach mathematics for understanding if they wait to provide students with evidence of effective mathematics teaching methods in the mathematics methods courses. With strong traditional beliefs about how mathematics ought to be taught and their determination to be able to explain mathematics to elementary children, the methods course is much too late to change preservice teachers’ perceptions of mathematics or how to teach it. If we want to change the way they teach mathematics, we must do it in their mathematics content courses. In the content courses, we have a chance to provide them with positive and successful personal mathematics constructions. Only when they learn to become active problem-solvers, can they teach others the importance of interactive problem solving as a means of truly understanding mathematics. It is only through their own experience with mathematics that they can come to appreciate the value of a student-centered environment for learning and to appreciate how a teacher’s desire for control can stifle true learning.

A Comparison of the Experiences of Yearlong Interns in a Professional Development School and One-semester Student Teachers in a Non-PDS Location

University teacher preparation programs are experiencing a period of major reform as they transition away from engaging teacher candidates in theoretical discussions of instructional practices to programs that require teacher candidates to implement instruction in P-12 classrooms. In this study, 22 yearlong interns in professional development schools and 35 traditional one-semester student teachers in non-PDS sites were interviewed at the end of the four-year program. Interview questions concerned instructional responsibilities and decision-making, behavior management, professional support, social interactions with mentor teachers, university supervisor support, and content of seminars. The groups reported differences in the areas of instructional responsibilities, behavior management problem solving and perceptions of professional support.

Out Loud and in Public

I HAD A sort of post-traumatic-stress-related flashback last week. I it was triggered by the Presidential debates. I'd thought that criticizing No Child Left Behind (NCLB) was all but forbidden. But the Democratic candidates didn't have a single nice thing to say about it, and each one of them could point out plenty of shortcomings. And did they ever. Out loud. In public. Gov. Dean (still in the race as this was written) reminded his opponents that he had been against NCLB since day one. I remembered that about him. I'd read the news reports at the time. Later, my mind had created entertaining images of him holding a lantern in the Old North Church and admonishing Patrick Henry and Sam Adams for failing to meet his standards of revolutionary fervor. Sen. Kerry said NCLB was a good law that had been corrupted by misinterpretation and torpedoed by lack of funding. That answer didn't work for me. After I'd finished trying to figure out what Kerry could have been thinking when he cast his vote for the law, my mind began to wander off in another direction. Could this new freedom to criticize NCLB be the beginning of the slippery slope that leads to the legalization of qualitative research? Maybe it could. I imagined myself on Wall Street. A ticker-tape parade was weaving through a vast crowd of merrymakers. Qualitative researchers were dancing in the streets, and funders were forcing grant applications into the dancers' hands and pockets. Grounded theorists were kissing phenomenologists. Qualitative research had been liberated! I was having fun with that image and hoping the giant Huckleberry Hound balloon would come by before I was snapped back to reality. That's when the flashback hit. I found myself going over and over the last four years and my experiences with No Child Left Behind. In those four years, I've had three jobs (it's not as bad as it sounds). Each forced me to interact with NCLB or its precursors. Four years ago, I was president of Foxfire. At that time, our work focused largely on national reform efforts. Three years ago, I taught elementary school methods courses in a university teacher preparation program in northern Montana. The last two years rank among my all-time favorites. I taught in a public school located on the Chippewa-Cree reservation about 30 miles south of the Canadian border. The work I did with these children propelled me in new and exciting directions that I'm working on this year and next. I was surprised by the ways NCLB affected teachers in that little school on the reservation. I'd thought it would be one of the schoolpeople's and community's last concerns. It wasn't. Teaching is stressful. It just is. It doesn't matter whether we're teaching preschoolers or doctoral students. Years ago, I embraced the stress as a natural part of the work. So I'd expected that. But the stress I felt during those two years in Montana was different from anything I'd experienced before. It had a new layer that was much more difficult to identify and accept. It was almost surreal. This new stress wasn't about the kids. They were great. It wasn't about my teaching methods or the racial difference or even my cultural illiteracy. I could find ways to deal with those realities, worries, and concerns. Not easy ways, mind you, but ways. As I studied it, I began to believe that the new and elusive stress was being generated by No Child Left Behind. Many teachers were worried about the law's vague but omnipresent threats. They created a sense of doom that hung over us like a dark cloud. NCLB had changed the educational climate. It zapped teachers' energy and crushed their morale. I had really loved working at Foxfire, too. Our approach to teacher support made perfect sense. It might best be described as a think globally, act locally approach to change. We believed that sustainable school change grew out of the hearts and minds of teachers. …