Journal of Teacher Education current issue

Why Teach?: Part II

Whitcomb, J., Borko, H., Liston, D. — 2008-08-28

Constructing Coherence: Structural Predictors of Perceptions of Coherence in NYC Teacher Education Programs

Grossman, P., Hammerness, K. M., McDonald, M., Ronfeldt, M. — 2008-08-28

In this article, the authors focus on the concept of coherence, a relatively underexplored concept in teacher education. They investigate the relationship between students' perceptions of coherence and a number of structural features of teacher education programs to help develop a stronger definition of one important dimension of coherence—the relationship between fieldwork and coursework. The authors examine the relationship between specific program features and students' perceptions of the degree to which program vision, principles, and practices are aligned with those in the field and also explore the degree to which students have opportunities to practice what they are learning in the program and to enact program goals and visions of good teaching and learning in the classroom. In a field that is calling for larger-scale studies, this research attempts to identify promising features that are also amenable to large-scale studies of the impact of teacher education.

On the Reasons We Want Teachers of Good Disposition and Moral Character

Osguthorpe, R. D. — 2008-08-28

The point of this article is to make a case for teachers of moral disposition without regard for the moral development of students. The article concludes that there are multiple reasons for wanting teachers of good disposition and moral character; that teachers' dispositions are best conceived as modifiers to the methods that they employ; and that the crux of the dispositions debate is ultimately grounded in avoiding poor moral character. Implications of the article point teacher educators toward a conception of teacher education that focuses on preparing teachers of good disposition and moral character simply for the sake of teaching that accords with what is good, right, and virtuous. The analysis suggests that the scope of a teacher's dispositions should be broadened to include all matters of classroom life and teacher effectiveness.

Adding Value to Public Schools: Investigating Teacher Education, Teaching, and Pupil Learning

2008-08-28

This research investigated the value added to middle school public education by pedagogically trained college students. An experimental design was employed in which 680 middle school pupils were randomly assigned to instructional groups. University arts and sciences students were put into two groups on the basis of those with formal teacher training and those without. Each student taught four lessons to his or her instructional group. Pupils were administered pre- and posttest measures on the content delivered in the four lessons and a reflection scale on lesson difficulty. Teachers' behaviors were recorded and scored independently by two trained observers. Results indicated that pupils' achievement was influenced by their perceptions of task difficulty and that teaching behaviors had a statistically significant influence on adjusted pupil achievement outcomes among students with formal pedagogical training. These results support the contention that pedagogical preparation of teachers adds value to middle school public education when measured in terms of pupil academic learning.

The Reading Habits and Literacy Attitudes of Inservice and Prospective Teachers: Results of a Questionnaire Survey

Nathanson, S., Pruslow, J., Levitt, R. — 2008-08-28

This article describes a questionnaire survey of 747 students enrolled in a graduate school of education, who are currently teachers or prospective teachers. The Literacy Habits Questionnaire, developed by Applegate and Applegate, was administered in September 2006. Findings suggest a high prevalence of aliteracy, the ability to read but a disinterest in personal reading. Although graduate students acknowledge the importance of reading for teachers, they do not themselves exhibit investment in personal reading. Also, the findings suggest that professors of literacy and education need to do more to encourage personal reading by incorporating strategies to promote reading among current and future literacy professionals.

Between Constructivism and Connectedness

Gordon, M. — 2008-08-28

Parker Palmer is correct in his claims that good teaching depends more on the capacity for connectedness than on technique and that helping teacher candidates cultivate a strong sense of personal identity is crucial. However, to what extent are Palmer's claims compatible with the various constructivist models of learning that are now prevalent in many colleges of education? Moreover, how are the goals of Palmer's approach integrated with those of constructivism? This essay responds to these questions and negotiates between constructivism and Palmer's educational approach. First the author lays out a predominant constructivist model of teaching and learning. Next, he explores some potential limitations facing constructivism and argues that Palmer's notion of connectedness can help mitigate against some of the shortcomings of constructivism. Finally, the author examines a specific example from an English methods course that represents an attempt to integrate the virtues of Palmer's approach with those of constructivism.

Critical Race Theory and Interest Convergence as Analytic Tools in Teacher Education Policies and Practices

Milner, H. R. — 2008-08-28

In The Report of the AERA Panel on Research and Teacher Education, Cochran-Smith and Zeichner's (2005) review of studies in the field of teacher education revealed that many studies lacked theoretical and conceptual grounding. The author argues that Derrick Bell's (1980) interest convergence, a principle of critical race theory, can be used as an analytic, explanatory, and conceptual tool in the study and analyses of policies and practices in teacher education. In particular, the author outlines interest convergence as a tenet of critical race theory, conceptualizes some broad themes of "raced" interests in teacher education, applies the interest-convergence principle to teacher education, and introduces an evolving theory of disruptive movement in teacher education to fight against racism in teacher education policies and practices.

Noticing Noticing: How Does Investigation of Video Records Change How Teachers Reflect on Their Experiences?

Rosaen, C. L., Lundeberg, M., Cooper, M., Fritzen, A., Terpstra, M. — 2008-08-28

This study investigated the following question: To what extent and in what ways might using video help interns reflect on their discussion-based teaching in a more complex manner than when they use memory-based written reflection? Three elementary interns participated in the study. Findings suggest that video-supported reflection enabled interns to write more specific (vs. general) comments about their teaching than writing from memory, shift the content of the reflections from a focus on classroom management in memory-based reflections to a focus on instruction when video was available, and focus less on themselves and more on children when they reflected on video clips of their teaching. The power of video-based reflection to help interns revisit, notice, and investigate how they facilitate classroom discussions is considered.

Linguistically Responsive Teacher Education: Preparing Classroom Teachers to Teach English Language Learners

Lucas, T., Villegas, A. M., Freedson-Gonzalez, M. — 2008-08-28

Students who speak languages other than English are a growing presence in U.S. schools. As a result, many mainstream classroom teachers are finding that they have English language learners in their classes. Unfortunately, most mainstream classroom teachers have had little or no preparation for providing the types of assistance that such learners need to successfully learn academic content and skills through English while developing proficiency in English. In this article, the authors identify a small set of principles that can serve as the linguistic foundation for the teaching of English language learners in mainstream classes. The authors then outline linguistically responsive pedagogical practices that flow directly from those principles. They conclude with concrete suggestions for how teacher education programs can incorporate the knowledge and skills that will prepare all preservice teachers to be linguistically responsive.