Constructing the problem of initial teacher education in Aotearoa New Zealand: policy formation and risk, 2010-2018

This paper reports findings from an interpretive policy and discourse analysis of documents informing contemporary initial teacher education (ITE) policy development in Aotearoa New Zealand. The study first asks: what is the problem of teacher education as constituted in policy and associated documents in the period 2010-2018? We then compare the problems, suggested solutions, and recent evidence about the work of teacher education in New Zealand, to discuss the policy discourse, and theorise about the potential utility of solutions to address the problems raised. Our comparative analysis of the problems of ITE and proposed policy solutions with research evidence of teacher education work underscores the imperative of engagement with local and relevant evidence-based knowledge as a basis for informed policy decision making. &nbsp

Constructing the problem of initial teacher education in Aotearoa New Zealand: policy formation and risk, 2010-2018

This paper reports findings from an interpretive policy and discourse analysis of documents informing contemporary initial teacher education (ITE) policy development in Aotearoa New Zealand. The study first asks: what is the problem of teacher education as constituted in policy and associated documents in the period 2010-2018? We then compare the problems, suggested solutions, and recent evidence about the work of teacher education in New Zealand, to discuss the policy discourse, and theorise about the potential utility of solutions to address the problems raised. Our comparative analysis of the problems of ITE and proposed policy solutions with research evidence of teacher education work underscores the imperative of engagement with local and relevant evidence-based knowledge as a basis for informed policy decision making. &nbsp

Associate Teachers in New Zealand: Great Expectations

Practicum is the cornerstone of teacher education. This research is set in the New Zealand context and explores understandings of the practicum from the perspective of associate teachers in the primary school sector. Much has been written from the perspective of the student teacher and there is a body of work about how the associate teacher role should be enacted but the voices of associate teachers are under-represented in the literature. The aim of this qualitative research is to investigate the experiences and meaning making of individual associate teachers, in order to inform understandings of the practicum context. The research sits within a sociocultural framework in acknowledgement of the situated nature and interconnectedness of human experience. Using that lens, I view associate teachers as situated members of communities of practice and explore the influences that inform their understandings of their role. This case study is designed as an aid to understanding the ways associate teachers conceptualise their role via data from interviews at the beginning and the end of a year, on-line postings, and field notes. The process of data analysis was informed by grounded theory and was both inductive and deductive. The study participants were twelve associate teachers who taught in the same school. During the first half of the year teachers were part of a school-wide professional development programme focussed on the role of the associate teacher, facilitated through readings and on-line discussion. In the second part of the year they were supported to identify and implement an independent learning experience of their choice. Their projects were focussed on: improving feedback for student teachers, classroom pedagogy and the professional dispositions of the associate teacher. The realities of the associate teacher role were investigated through their experiences during the research study. The findings indicate that associate teachers in this study see their role in idiosyncratic ways. The teachers constructed their associate teacher identities based on their own prior experiences in the absence of any significant support from the initial teacher education provider to move into that role. The perceptions presented by the associate teachers suggested a preoccupation with forming positive relationships and giving feedback rather than acting educative mentors. The study illuminates the likelihood that professional experiences for student teachers will become fragmented unless there is effective communication and mutual respect between the teachers who work with student teachers in schools, and initial teacher education providers. The thesis outlines possible ways to improve practicum experiences

Associate Teachers in New Zealand: Great Expectations

Practicum is the cornerstone of teacher education. This research is set in the New Zealand context and explores understandings of the practicum from the perspective of associate teachers in the primary school sector. Much has been written from the perspective of the student teacher and there is a body of work about how the associate teacher role should be enacted but the voices of associate teachers are under-represented in the literature. The aim of this qualitative research is to investigate the experiences and meaning making of individual associate teachers, in order to inform understandings of the practicum context. The research sits within a sociocultural framework in acknowledgement of the situated nature and interconnectedness of human experience. Using that lens, I view associate teachers as situated members of communities of practice and explore the influences that inform their understandings of their role. This case study is designed as an aid to understanding the ways associate teachers conceptualise their role via data from interviews at the beginning and the end of a year, on-line postings, and field notes. The process of data analysis was informed by grounded theory and was both inductive and deductive. The study participants were twelve associate teachers who taught in the same school. During the first half of the year teachers were part of a school-wide professional development programme focussed on the role of the associate teacher, facilitated through readings and on-line discussion. In the second part of the year they were supported to identify and implement an independent learning experience of their choice. Their projects were focussed on: improving feedback for student teachers, classroom pedagogy and the professional dispositions of the associate teacher. The realities of the associate teacher role were investigated through their experiences during the research study. The findings indicate that associate teachers in this study see their role in idiosyncratic ways. The teachers constructed their associate teacher identities based on their own prior experiences in the absence of any significant support from the initial teacher education provider to move into that role. The perceptions presented by the associate teachers suggested a preoccupation with forming positive relationships and giving feedback rather than acting educative mentors. The study illuminates the likelihood that professional experiences for student teachers will become fragmented unless there is effective communication and mutual respect between the teachers who work with student teachers in schools, and initial teacher education providers. The thesis outlines possible ways to improve practicum experiences