Jodie Kline

Population monitoring of language and cognitive development in Australia: The Australian Early Development Index

The Australian Early Development Index (AEDI) is a population measure of child development. The AEDI measures Language and Cognitive Development, Social Competence, Emotional Maturity, Physical Health and Wellbeing, and Communication Skills and General Knowledge. In Australia these data are collected by teachers for children in their first full time year of schooling. The aim of this paper is to aid peoples understanding and interpretation of population measures such as the AEDI. With a greater awareness of the merits and complexities of population data clinicians and allied health professionals can play a vital role in aiding communities and policy makers to interpret and act upon the data in an intelligent way. This paper is primarily descriptive providing background information on the development and use of the instrument utilizing one of the 5 developmental domains (Language and Cognitive Development) as an example. The results show a complex relationship between children residing in differing socio-economic regions, children with English as their primary or secondary language and children who are able or not able to effectively communicate in English.

Pedagogy of the Rural: implications of size on conceptualisations of rural

Abstract This paper proposes a concept of Pedagogy of the Rural that draws together current rural education theory and practice to illustrate the complexities of rural space and place often overlooked in teacher education more broadly. We firstly examine notions of size, and then we explore how this impacts on the ways in which teachers in rural locations are positioned in terms of their identity. Finally, we provide a way forward for valuing rural contexts for what they bring to teacher identities beyond traditional deficit positionings dominant in current discourses on rural education.

Employment Pathways, Mobility and Retention of Graduate Teachers

The relationship between the quality of teacher education and the employability and retention of graduate teachers in schools has received increased attention from policymakers and researchers in the current context of educational reforms (Barber and Mourshed in Shaping the future: how good education systems can become great in the decade ahead. McKinsey and Company, Singapore, 2009; Bransford et al. in Preparing teachers for a changing world: what teachers should learn and be able to do. Wiley, San Francisco, 2005; TEMAG in Action now: classroom ready teachers. Australian Government, Canberra, 2014).

Studying the Effectiveness of Teacher Education

The previous chapter outlined the complicated political context of contemporary teacher education. Sustained international scrutiny has seen many influential stakeholders (including Government ministers and accreditation bodies) voice concerns about the outcomes that can be linked to teacher education and, more specifically, the extent to which various teacher education programs produce ‘quality’ teachers who are, in turn, defined by their ability to impact positively upon student achievement.

Pedagogy of the Rural as a lens for understanding beginning teachers’ identity and positionings in rural schools

Abstract Pedagogy of the Rural is an approach to capture the complexities of rural space and place by challenging simple understandings of what it means to be a teacher in rural settings. Using Harré’s positioning theory, Baudrillard’s concepts of simulation and simulacra, and Lefebvre’s space and economic geographies to form a composite theory through which we analyse longitudinal data from interviews with three graduates and their principals in two rural Victorian schools in Australia. We identify the intricacies of beginning teachers’ understandings of, and positionings in, rural space and place. We highlight how size matters in the way these teachers value their rural educational experiences within the liminal space of identity formation. It is in this liminal time and space that concerns around retention and attrition of beginning teachers in rural schools are compounded by factors such as access to professional learning and resources, and isolation and visibility within communities.

How Well Equipped are Graduates to Meet the Requirements of the Diverse Settings in Which They are Employed

While there is a well-rehearsed international literature that points to the difficulties, many graduates face upon entering the profession, and the impact of external forces such as stakeholders’ perceptions of the role of teachers in the context of education reform, the SETE project uniquely frames an Australian evidence base of perceptions of the effectiveness and preparedness of graduate teachers. The evidence that was gathered for the first key research question affirms that teacher education is a complex and multifaceted endeavour.

Learning Teaching and Doing Teaching in New Hybrid Spaces

In many countries, government concerns about global economic competitiveness are driving large-scale reforms agendas designed to address perceived problems of teacher quality and the effectiveness of teacher education, both of which, it is argued, are critical to understanding and addressing falling economic competitiveness. The situation is often ‘imagined’ as needing neoliberal policies incorporating greater deregulation and market competition.

What Characteristics of Teacher Education Programs Are Most Effective in Preparing Teachers to Work in a Variety of Schools

As discussed in Chap. 4, research on preparing teachers for varied and diverse classroom settings has increased over recent decades. This research focus has developed, at least in part, to address a particular critique of teacher education preparation and adequate staffing of schools. Aubusson and Schuck (Teacher Development 17(3), 322–333, 2013) note that one of the issues with this critique is that ‘there appears to be a shortage of quality teachers who are able to teach in diverse and challenging environments’ (p. 323).

“Becoming” Teacher Education Researchers in Diverse Rural Communities

Rural research practice is the focus of a project exploring how two teacher education researchers prepare to partner with ethnically diverse rural school communities in Australia. Through critical conversations and engagement with the literature, the authors unpack their own located identities cultural and academic – and reflect on “becoming” rural teacher education researchers. They explore the ways in which professional identity, worldviews, and location influence their engagement with rural school communities and how this in turn influences their contribution to teacher education. In this work new understanding is considered as an important part of self-study requiring collaboration with others. The authors examine their attempt to deepen their awareness of what has influenced their own worldviews and informed their understanding of what constitutes ethical practice in teacher education research.