What Counts as Rigor When Rigor Counts?: Increasing Intentionality in Teacher Education

Debates regarding the effectiveness of teacher preparation programs continue to persist. The level of rigor in teacher preparation programs and the ability of teacher educators to prepare candidates for the challenges persist in the educational climate. In higher education, rigor has been well-defined, but the understanding is limited, specifically rigor in preparing new teachers. This study undertook a telling case approach to explore student and faculty perceptions of rigor in a teacher preparation course. This research “leans in” to the criticism of rigor by exploring how teacher preparation programs can match the rigor and demands of the profession and to self-assess our own progress towards meeting that aim. Findings confirm that rigorous coursework consists of interrelated components of meaningful content, appropriate expectations, higher-order thinking, and active learning. Applications and implications for teacher preparation are discussed

What Does Written Reflection Reveal About Novice Teachers’ Knowledge, Beliefs, and Skills Related to Literacy Assessment?

Assessment of literacy learning has been a long-standing focus for future teachers in elementary education. Teacher educators use ongoing written reflection to promote learning before, during, and after coursework and field experiences. In this study, the researchers examined the effects of ongoing written reflection on two groups of novice teachers’ knowledge, beliefs, and skills about literacy assessment in a semester-long graduate-level literacy assessment course with embedded fieldwork. First, the researchers conducted qualitative and descriptive analyses to examine what novice teachers reflected about in their ongoing written reflections. Second, they conducted comparative analyses to examine the extent to which the two groups differed in what they reflected about. Qualitative and descriptive analysis of written reflections revealed four prominent categories in which novice teachers reflected: (a) content knowledge related to literacy assessment, (b) beliefs about literacy assessment, (c) empathy and perspective-taking in the literacy assessment and instruction process, and (d) instructional planning and decision making. Comparative analyses revealed significant differences between the two groups of novice teachers in all four categories

Extending the Apprenticeship of Observation: How Mentee Experience Shape Mentors

Although the importance of mentor teachers in clinical teacher preparation is well established, few researchers explore the social identity development of these individuals. Through our study we contribute to the body of research by exploring mentor teachers\u27 social identity development through the concept of Apprenticeship of Observation - specifically, how they felt their own mentoring experiences influenced their approaches to mentoring. The multi-case study includes findings about mentoring beliefs and practices during the laboratory school component of an Alternate Route to Licensure program. Incorporating semi-structured interviews and video analysis, the findings demonstrate how four mentor teachers\u27 prior experiences as mentees - including Alternate Route to Licensure, traditional teacher preparation programs, and inservice teaching - influenced their interactions with teacher candidates as mentors. Recommendations for practice and implications for future research are provided

The Quality of Recent Studies in Content- Area Writing in Secondary Classrooms

Situated within the historical and current state of writing and adolescent literacy research, we conducted a systematic literature review in which we screened 2,871 articles to determine the prevalent themes in current research on writing tasks in content-area classrooms. Each of the 37 final studies was evaluated and coded using seven methodological quality indicators. In this article, we further explore the quality analysis step of the review. Specifically, we critique the relative strengths and weaknesses of the current research in the area of content-area writing. Additionally, we identify exemplars for each of our primary recommendations for rigorous literacy research

Full-Time Teaching Internships: A Public School-University Partnership Designed to Increase Teacher Retention in Urban Area Schools

In response to teacher shortages and concerns over teacher turnover and attrition rates, especially in urban schools, an urban teaching internship supported by intensive mentoring and other induction procedures was designed and implemented. When compared to national, state, and program peers, data from the current study indicate statistically significant lower attrition rates among teachers completing an innovative internship. Additionally findings indicated lower turnover rates among the interns when compared to the teacher turnover rates for the schools in which they were employed. These results along with prior research findings provide support for continuation of the program as well as implications for further investigations

Developing a Community of Academic Writers: Using Social Media to Support Academic Accountability, Motivation, and Productivity

This qualitative study investigated the use of Facebook as an online social network site as a support tool for graduate students\u27 and faculty\u27s writing accountability, motivation, and productivity. The purpose of the study was to explore writing practices while using a Facebook group as a physical and virtual place to provide support and acocuntability. Data came from the Facebook group\u27s postings and responses from group members to an online questionnaire. Through a sociocultural lens, the research team explored the social environment of the community, and the results suggest that the Facebook group offered participants a platform to support one another, while providing peer accountability and building a community for their academic writing. Overall, the qualitative data analysis showed evidence that group membership allowed for building a community, including face-to-face contact, with fellow academic writers