Jennifer Gore

Action research and reflective teaching in preservice teacher education: A case study from the United States

Abstract Following a discussion of different conceptions of reflective teaching, the social reconstructionist view of reflection that underlies the University of Wisconsin-Madison elementary teacher education program is described and then defended in relation to existing inequalities in the United States. This orientation to reflection stresses a commitment by teacher educators to both social justice and to an ethic of care. Various tensions that arise from this dual commitment are discussed. Following a discussion of the place of action research in the Wisconsin student teaching curriculum and of the way in which action research is facilitated by one supervisor, the written reports of action research projects completed by 18 student teachers during 1988–1989 are then analyzed for evidence of the favored view of reflective thinking. The authors speculate about why they did not find as much evidence of attention to the critical domain of reflection as they had hoped for and suggest several possible changes in the student teaching course that grow out of their analysis of action research reports.

Early career teacher professional learning

Becoming a teacher requires not only the development of a professional identity but the construction of professional knowledge and practice through continued professional learning. This study tracked a sample group of 16 early career teachers through their first year of teaching. The participants were encouraged to write about their experiences in journals and undertake an interview in an attempt to provide an understanding of the central tasks of learning to teach required by early career teachers during their induction into teaching together with the factors which support or hinder their professional learning. This paper makes use of a continuum developed by Feiman‐Nemser which identifies Central Tasks in Learning to Teach (CTLT) as a Framework for analysis of participant data. Conclusions indicate developing a professional identity and enacting a beginning repertoire to be the most challenging aspects of professional learning for these teachers. Learning support in the traditional form of formal induction programs and mentoring were recognized as useful; however, collaborative, informal, unplanned learning from colleagues and former peers was also reported as a most significant and valuable source of support. Conversely, participants felt additional responsibilities, difficult classes and unrealistic teaching expectations together with lack of status and professional feedback hindered their professional learning.

Beyond the Limits of Technocratic Physical Education

As part of their quest to secure academic credibility, physical educators in Australia, Canada, Britain, and the United States have increasingly privileged empirical–analytical forms of research. We argue that this strategy has resulted in a montage of professional values and practices that we term technocratic physical education (TPE). We contend that TPE is based on ideologies of professionalism, scientism, and instrumental rationality, which articulate one-dimensional definitions of excellence in teaching, the body, and sport and also marginalize issues related to political and moral ends. By drawing on the traditions of critical pedagogy and reflective teaching, we suggest some ways in which the limits of TPE can be transcended in pre- and inservice teacher education curricula.

Beyond Our Differences: A Reassembling of What Matters in Teacher Education

In this article, the author presents a framework for unifying teacher educators that is based on what happens in classrooms. The framework identifies intellectual quality, relevance, supportive classroom environment, and recognition of difference as four dimensions of classroom practice that are essential for the learning of student teachers and for their subsequent success in bringing about high-quality learning outcomes for all of their students. The author argues that without such a framework, existing differences among teacher educators, born of different traditions in teacher education, will continue to seriously compromise not only the reforms to which we might aspire but also the very quality and coherence of programs.

On the Continuity of Power Relations in Pedagogy

ABSTRACT While schooling has seen dramatic changes throughout the past century, there appears to be a certain continuity in the functioning of power relations in pedagogy. It is argued that this continuity constrains what we are in educational institutions and what changes are possible. Drawing on both Foucaults conception of power relations and a multi‐site empirical study which demonstrates micro‐level techniques of power, this paper contributes to the enterprise of thinking about how education might exercise power differently in order to improve the experience of schooling for students and teachers. Putting Foucaults ideas to use in a field‐based study of radical and mainstream, and institutionalised and non‐institutionalised sites, the paper also contributes to contemporary debates about the usefulness of poststructuralism, demonstrating rather than asserting what might be done.

The Perpetuation of a (Semi)-)Profession: Challenges in the Governance of Teacher Education.

Abstract In this paper, we analyse the Adey Report on National Standards and Guidelines for Initial Teacher Education for its potential contribution to teacher education reform in Australia and beyond. We examine (1) narratives constructed within the report in order to identify the logic of its argument and the context in which it places itself and (2) how the report constructs graduates. In so doing, we explore the documents aim of “preparing a profession” and identify internal aspects of the document as well as external factors that pose challenges to the goal of professionalisation.

On the Use of Empirical Research for the Development of a Theory of Pedagogy.

Abstract While philosophical scholarship and empirical research are frequently presented as discrete activities, I argue that both are essential to a project such as developing a theory of pedagogy. Functions and limits of philosophical work are outlined as background to my argument for systematic data gathering about the operation of power in pedagogy. Drawing upon work which is primarily philosophical in character from both radical pedagogy literature and Foucaultian literature, an empirical study is outlined. Examples are presented which demonstrate the benefits to be gained from employing both types of intellectual activity.

Reassembling teacher professional development: the case for Quality Teaching Rounds

Abstract Conventional professional development, while still in full swing in many places, has been widely maligned for its passive approach to learning, its failure to address local differences, and its often single-event format. While the corrective move to more collaborative models of professional learning has been heralded, few empirical studies to date have demonstrated impact on classroom practice or student learning outcomes. What is missing in both approaches, we argue, is a focus on pedagogy that guides teachers’ efforts at improvement. To address this absence, we elaborate our ‘reassembled’ approach to professional development, Quality Teaching Rounds. We argue that bringing together approaches to teacher development that privilege collaboration, community, and context with a substantive pedagogical framework will deliver more powerful professional development that makes a substantial impact on practice and produces measurable effects.

Unpacking the Career Aspirations of Australian School Students: Towards an Evidence Base for University Equity Initiatives in Schools.

ABSTRACT Demand for higher education in Australia has doubled since 1989, increasing the number of students from diverse social, economic and academic backgrounds. Equity targets have seen a proliferation of programs and interventions aimed at encouraging school students, particularly those from low socio-economic status backgrounds, to participate in higher education. However, little is known about the specific occupational interests of school students upon which targeted strategies might effectively be designed and implemented. This paper examines school students’ aspirations for specific careers that require a university education, in relation to student background and school-related variables. The analysis draws from a study of 6492 students from Years 3 to 12 in 64 New South Wales public schools. We found a complex array of factors relating to interest in different careers. Year level at school, gender and prior achievement were stronger predictors across many careers than factors such as SES, Indigenous status and school location. We argue that rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach to encouraging participation in higher education, outreach activities should be targeted to take account of student diversity and inequalities that foster differing aspirations.

An internet-supported school physical activity intervention in low socioeconomic status communities: results from the Activity and Motivation in Physical Education (AMPED) cluster randomised controlled trial

Objective Quality physical education (PE) is the cornerstone of comprehensive school physical activity (PA) promotion programmes. We tested the efficacy of a teacher professional learning intervention, delivered partially via the internet, designed to maximise opportunities for students to be active during PE lessons and enhance adolescents’ motivation towards PE and PA. Methods A two-arm cluster randomised controlled trial with teachers and Grade 8 students from secondary schools in low socioeconomic areas of Western Sydney, Australia. The Activity and Motivation in Physical Education (AMPED) intervention for secondary school PE teachers included workshops, online learning, implementation tasks and mentoring sessions. The primary outcome was the proportion of PE lesson time that students spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), measured by accelerometers at baseline, postintervention (7–8 months after baseline) and maintenance (14–15 months). Secondary outcomes included observed PE teachers’ behaviour during lessons, students’ leisure-time PA and students’ motivation. Results Students (n=1421) from 14 schools completed baseline assessments and were included in linear mixed model analyses. The intervention had positive effects on students’ MVPA during lessons. At postintervention, the adjusted mean difference in the proportion of lesson time spent in MVPA was 5.58% (p<0.001, approximately 4 min/lesson). During the maintenance phase, this effect was 2.64% (p<0.001, approximately 2 min/lesson). The intervention had positive effects on teachers’ behaviour, but did not impact students’ motivation. Conclusions AMPED produced modest improvements in MVPA and compares favourably with previous interventions delivered exclusively face-to-face. Online teacher training could help facilitate widespread dissemination of professional learning interventions. Trial registration number ACTRN12614000184673.