Lexie Grudnoff

The Politics of Responsibility: Teacher Education and “Persistent Underachievement” in New Zealand

Abstract Historically, New Zealand policy makers have defined quality teachers as those who form effective learning relationships with students and teach in culturally appropriate and responsive ways. Recent global emphasis on standardised test score improvement suggests that this definition is shifting, implying changes for the focus and the form of teacher education. This article explores this shift and its effect on raising achievement for learners in New Zealand schools and its implications for teacher education.

Making sense of reflection: a comparison of beginning and experienced teachers’ perceptions of reflection for practice

The importance of reflection for learning has been emphasised in professional education programmes. In teacher education, a number of researchers have claimed the success of various initiatives in developing teachers as reflective practitioners. However, there appear to be few studies comparing and contrasting beginning and experienced teachers’ perceptions of the usefulness of reflection for practice. The study reported here examined how reflection was used by experienced and beginning teachers who were formally introduced to the same model of reflection. The data were collected as part of two separate qualitative studies, one a study of 12 beginning teachers and one of 12 experienced teachers, via semi‐structured interviews. The findings suggested that both groups of teachers moved from being somewhat sceptical about reflection, to embracing reflection as a tool to analyse and modify their practice. A major difference between the two groups related to the scope, focus and impact of their reflective activities.

All’s well? New Zealand beginning teachers’ experience of induction provision in their first six months in school

While the importance of induction for increasing beginning teacher retention and supporting professional development is widely recognised, less is known about the nature of support that novices encounter when they first start teaching. This study investigated 12 first-year New Zealand primary teachers’ perceptions of their induction experiences in their first six months of teaching. Semi-structured interviews (n = 24) were the primary sources of data for this qualitative study. The study showed that despite New Zealand’s longstanding commitment to the induction of beginning teachers, the participants’ experiences were diverse and variable. The findings point to the learning and development opportunities open to beginning teachers when they work in schools that both recognise novices’ particular needs and have a school-wide commitment to the ongoing professional learning of all teachers.

Teacher preparation to proficiency and beyond: exploring the landscape

Concerns around the provision and retention of quality teachers are global. Amongst these concerns are the preparedness of graduate teachers and the quality and nature of teacher education. The purpose of the article is to focus questions of teacher preparedness and education within a wider discussion around the professional life-cycle of teachers. Initial teacher education is viewed as the first phase of the professional life-cycle of a teacher; part of a professional continuum of learning and expertise, rather than a distinct preparatory phase. We do not present a detailed model for this continuum; believing there is still significant work to be done on defining and delineating the levels of expertise. Such work is beyond the scope of this paper. We do provide a starting point for further consideration. Further, we suggest a scaffolded transition, determined by the learning needs of teachers, between initial teacher education and induction, moving to in-service learning, with closer connections between providers and schools to mitigate against a disconnect between these phases of development. The potential role of professional standards in supporting teacher learning across the professional life-cycle is also discussed.

Re-envisaging and reinvigorating school–university practicum partnerships

ABSTRACT The study that provides the context for this article developed from a major overhaul of the practicum in an undergraduate initial teacher education degree in which practicum roles and relationships were re-envisaged. The aim was to reinvigorate university–school practicum relationships through the collaborative development of a practicum where teacher professional knowledge and university scholarly knowledge could come together in the service of student teacher learning. The article reports a qualitative study involving 72 participants from one university and four primary schools. Analysed through the lens of “third space” the findings indicated that relationship and role transformations undertaken by the participants, along with collaborative practice during the practicum, were key to reinvigorating the practicum. In the discussion, we examine the main factors that contributed to the development of a “third space” between the university and participating practicum schools, and also note some cautions related to this development.

Mapping a complex system: what influences teacher learning during initial teacher education?

ABSTRACT Despite a growing body of knowledge about what content, processes and arrangements for learning may result in more effective initial teacher education, there remains a problem with the variability of outcomes from teacher education programmes. This paper reports on a multi-perspective exploration of what influences learning to teach in valued ways during initial teacher education. Framed by complexity theory, which emphasises the non-linear nature of social phenomena, the paper presents an analysis of 76 maps of influences on learning to teach (made by teacher candidates, teacher educators, mentor teachers and policy makers), looking for differences and patterns that might point the way to explanations about teacher candidates’ varying ability to enact practice that improves outcomes for all learners.

Redesigning Authentic Collaborative Practicum Partnerships: Learnings from Case Studies from Two New Zealand Universities

This chapter reports on work undertaken in two New Zealand universities whose goal was to re-conceptualise and reinvigorate university-school partnerships. The two case studies contribute specifically to an understanding of how genuinely collaborative schooluniversity partnerships can establish shared goals and processes to support the professional learning of student teachers. The authors argue that such partnerships can help to address the disconnect between school and university, and between theory and practice, that is a feature of much of the criticism of university-based ITE.

Teaching for equity: insights from international evidence with implications for a teacher education curriculum

ABSTRACT Researchers, practitioners, and policy-makers in many countries are grappling with ways to address the persistent problem of inequitable educational outcomes between advantaged and disadvantaged students. This paper reports the results of a unique cross-country, cross-cultural analysis undertaken to provide insights into teaching practices that promote equity, drawing on programmes of empirical research or syntheses of major programmes of research that worked from a complex, non-linear view of teaching and its outcomes. We analysed international evidence about teaching practices that have a positive influence on diverse students’ learning outcomes and opportunities and then compared and contrasted the results of these analyses. From the commonalities we identified, we derived six interconnected facets of practice for equity, which are general principles of practice rather than specific teaching strategies or behaviours. Building on these facets, we developed a conceptual framework that can inform an equity-centred teacher education curriculum that specifically addresses the task of preparing teachers who can make a positive difference to the learning opportunities and outcomes of diverse students, particularly those historically disadvantaged by the education system.

Rethinking initial teacher education: preparing teachers for schools in low socio-economic communities in New Zealand

Abstract Differential student achievement has particular significance in New Zealand as it has one of the largest gaps between high and low achievers among all OECD countries. Students from low socio-economic status (SES) communities, who are often Māori and Pasifika, are heavily over-represented in the low achieving group, while students from wealthier communities, mainly European and Asian, are over-represented in the high achieving group. This article reports a predominately qualitative study, which investigated student teacher perceptions of how their programme, specifically designed to put equity front and centre, prepared them for teaching in low SES communities. Overall, the findings indicated that the student teachers perceived their programme did prepare them to work in such contexts. However, the study also highlighted ways in which the programme could be strengthened, including the need for a more direct focus on the effects of poverty on children’s learning, and the implications of this for teaching.

Assessment for equity: learning how to use evidence to scaffold learning and improve teaching

Abstract This article examines evidence regarding the assessment learning of preservice teachers (PTs) in a new Master of Teaching designed to prepare teachers to address the less than equitable outcomes of certain groups of students in New Zealand. The assessment curriculum was integrated across all of the courses and the in-school experiences as one of six interconnected facets of practice for equity. Evidence about the assessment learning of 27 preservice teachers was collected using a survey, interpretive analysis of three assignments and a focus group interview. The findings demonstrated that preservice teachers combined theory and practice encountered in many contexts to build the assessment understanding and competence needed to address equity issues. We argue that this was facilitated by incorporating the assessment curriculum within each course, intertwining university and school experiences, and the specific focus on addressing equity throughout the programme.