The complexities and challenges of be(com)ing a teacher and a teacher educator

Much has been written about the process of be(com)ing a teacher. Issues such as the professional socialisation of new teachers, the need for support and guidance, mentoring and induction, the formation of teacher identity and opportunities to learn in the workplace have been addressed. Existing literature points to the complex and ongoing nature of the process of becoming a teacher, which relates not only to issues pertaining to the content and form of teacher education programmes, but also to motivational, contextual and professional aspects (Flores 2006; Feiman- Nemser 2012). Less is known, however, about the process of be(com)ing a teacher-educator, particularly as far as his/her education and opportunities for continuing professional development (CPD) are concerned, as well as his/her professional identities, despite the growing interest in the topic in recent years (Vanassche and Kelchtermans 2014; Izadinia 2014; Lunenberg, Dengerink, and Korthagen 2014).CIEC – Research Centre on Child Studies, IE, UMinho (FCT R&D unit 317), PortugalNational Funds through the FCT (Foundation for Science and Technology) and co-financed by European Regional Development Funds (FEDER) through the Competitiveness and Internationalization Operational Program (POCI) through CIEC (Research Centre on Child Studies, of the University of Minho) with the reference POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007562info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

What makes a good induction supporter?

The Teacher Induction Scheme, introduced in 2002, marked the first major change to new teacher induction in Scotland in 37 years. This paper gives an outline of these changes set against developments in mentoring theory in the wider context. It argues that the personal qualities of the induction supporter are crucial to developing an effective mentoring relationship. The views of student teachers are used to describe preferred characteristics of effective mentors and effective induction provision. A person specification is created by the comments of the "Class of 2002" — the first probationer teachers to have taken part in the Scheme

Swimming in Deep Waters. A Response to A Review of \u3cem\u3eTeaching as a Moral Practice\u3c/em\u3e

The authors respond to a review of their book, Teaching as a Moral Practice: Defining, Developing, and Assessing Dispositions. The authors emphasize a vision of shared commitments for quality teaching whereby teacher-educators instill and nurture the wisdom and virtue that a moral teacher must possess in order to teach in a variety of circumstances where clear-cut answers do not exist. In addition, teacher-educators help teachers discern how, in that context, they should enact particular knowledge, skills, and commitments to reach desired ends. The key to enact this vision of teaching as a shared, moral practice is critical colleagueship

Accountability and responsibility: 'Rogue' school leaders and the induction of new teachers in England

This paper considers the professional responsibility of schools in England to provide effective induction practices in the context of a central government mandated policy. It looks at individual schools as ‘habitats’ for induction and the role of school leaders and LEAs as facilitators or inhibitors. Notions of professional responsibility and public accountability are used to analyse the small number of ‘rogue’ school leaders who, within the new legislative framework, treat new teachers unprofessionally and waste public resources. A typology of ‘rogue’ schools that are in some way deviant in transgressing induction requirements is developed and the various sanctions that can be deployed against such schools are examined. How LEAs handle their monitoring and accountability role and manage deviant schools is considered. Finally, suggestions are made for improvements, such as the need to clarify professional responsibility and refine systems of professional accountability

Conceptual learning : the priority for higher education

The common sense notion of learning as the all-pervasive acquisition of new behaviour and knowledge, made vivid by experience, is an incomplete characterisation, because it assumes that the learning of behaviour and the learning of knowledge are indistinguishable, and that acquisition constitutes learning without reference to transfer. A psychological level of analysis is used to argue that conceptual learning should have priority in higher education

Beginning elementary teachers' beliefs about the use of anchoring questions in science: A longitudinal study

Current science education reform efforts highlight the importance of engaging students in scientifically oriented questions as a central dimension of inquiry-based elementary science. However, elementary teachers, particularly beginning teachers, must often overcome a variety of challenges to engage their students in reform-minded, standards-based, inquiry-oriented classroom practice. To better support beginning elementary teachers' learning to support students to ask and answer scientifically oriented questions, it is necessary to better understand their beliefs about questions and questioning, as well as how they negotiate these beliefs at this crucial stage of the teacher professional continuum. Four beginning elementary teachers were studied longitudinally over their first 3 years of professional teaching careers. Results show that each teacher cited the importance of driving questions and investigation questions to establish purpose and promote student sense-making. However, they followed different trajectories in reconciling their ideas about the use of driving questions and investigation questions in light of the particular facets of science teaching they prioritized. These findings have important implications for current perspectives on teacher learning along the teacher professional continuum and help inform research on teachers and teaching, as well as teacher education and science curriculum development. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Sci Ed 94: 365–387, 2010Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/65029/1/20370_ftp.pd