Design principles to support student learning in teacher learning groups

Professional Learning Community (PLC) is a platform that is recognizable to the development of professionalism among educators as well as the aspects of teaching and learning of educators. A professional learning community, or PLC, is a group of educators that meets regularly, shares expertise, and works collaboratively to improve teaching skills and the academic performance of students. Therefore, an initiative has been taken by the Institute of Teacher Education Malaysia (IPGM) to cultivate PLC among teacher educators in all 27 IPGs in Malaysia. One of the collaborative tools recommended for its application is Lesson Study (LS). LS is seen as a collaborative tool that focuses on student learning and is implemented collaboratively. A study was conducted by applying LS in the Teaching and Learning process (PdP) at Raja Melewar Teacher Education Institute to student teachers in the Post -Education Diploma Program (PDPP) for Philosophy and Educational Development in Malaysia (EDUP2072). The students involved are students majoring in History and TESL. A total of two cycles were implemented and the results of each cycle were shared with fellow teacher educators and given improvements before the implementation of the 2nd cycle. Observations were carried out during the TnL process by seven fellow teacher educators as well as one expert. A reflection session was held immediately after the end of each TnL and discussed. The results of the study found that i. LS can provide an impact on student learning towards better understanding and clarity, ii. Collaboration between teacher educators can produce a healthy culture in the organization and iii. Cultivation of LS among teacher educators can promote the cultivation of PLC in Teacher Education Institutes in Malaysia. Overall LS and KPP should be given focus by all instructional leaders in Teacher Education Institutes and The Institute of Teacher Education Malaysia (IPGM) as a culture and in an effort to develop the professionalism of teacher educators.

The paper is devoted to the consideration of the problem of finding approaches to assessing the level of formation of teachers’ readiness for research activities, as one of the important components of their professional practice. Recognition of the significance of the phenomenon under consideration in the educational sphere and the realization that the system of pedagogical support for research activities of future teachers in pedagogical higher educational institutions, and teachers in the system of raising their qualifications to some extent outdated, require their substantial renewal. In this connection, the problems of searching for approaches to the study of ways of forming teachers’ readiness for research activities become relevant, which makes it necessary to build a model of such readiness itself. The aim of the paper is to analyze the state and develop a model of readiness for research activities of students of a pedagogical higher educational institution and teachers of educational institutions. The main research methods are theoretical analysis of scientific and psychological-pedagogical literature devoted to the problem of research, testing of teachers of general educational institutions, bachelors and masters studying at a pedagogical university, methods of mathematical processing of statistical data. Means of researching the problem posed is criterion-based questionnaire-test tools, which allow to identify correlation dependencies between the indicators of the components of readiness for research activities and the levels of its formation. The study was conducted on the basis of the Krasnoyarsk State Pedagogical University named after VP. Astafyev with the participation of bachelors, master and teachers of educational institutions. The analysis of the state of the problem of research activities in the training of future teachers in a pedagogical university and teachers of educational institutions based on questionnaire and test diagnosed tools revealed correlations between the indicators of the four components in the structure of students’ readiness for research (motivational, cognitive, activity, reflexive) and levels this readiness (student, practitioner, theorist, research leader). The obtained dependencies and research data allowed to form a model of readiness for research activities of students of a pedagogical university and teachers of educational institutions, describing the degree of formation of each component at each level. The article materials may be useful for the organization of computer diagnostics of the readiness in question. Such diagnostics will not only allow automated identification of the level of readiness for research activities, but also give recommendations on the development of a particular characteristic, show how close the respondent is to the next level and what he needs to do to do this.

This article describes an investigation into the use of self-assessment to facilitate students' learning in teacher education. The study aimed to explore whether there were any changes in students' teaching and learning practice after using self-assessment. Participants comprised 47 students who were enrolled in an in-service teacher education program and who engaged in a self-assessment process by setting goals, recording evidence, and evaluating their teaching performance. Questionnaire and focus group interviews were employed to examine the usefulness of the self-assessment and the possible changes in students' learning. Analysis of the results indicates that students found that self-assessment enhanced their learning during teaching practice, especially in the area of reflective thinking. The self-assessment process helped students to assess the quality of their teaching, and it provided information on which to reflect and plan their next lessons. Students also reported evidence of positive changes in terms of their planning, teaching, and reflection.

Foreword by Stephanie Hirsh Publisher's Acknowledgments About the Author Introduction 1. An Overview: Collaborative Curriculum Design as Professional Learning 2. Establishing Assumptions About Student and Staff Learning 3. Determining Complex Curriculum Standards and Concepts 4. Mapping the Curriculum 5. Assessment of Student Learning 6. Designing Instruction 7. Analyzing Student Work and Monitoring Student Learning to Inform Instruction 8. Using Effective Grading and Parent Reporting Practices 9. Leading Schools to Sustain the Effort and Fulfill the Promise Appendix 1. Our Assumptions About Student and Staff Learning Appendix 2. The Principles of Professional Learning Appendix 3. Our Vision of Our School: Iduma Elementary School, Killeen ISD, Killeen, TX Appendix 4. A Learning Walk Appendix 5. We are a School Community That Values Learning Appendix 6. Template for Developing Our Learning Community's Norms Appendix 7. Quakertown High School Goals Appendix 8. Sample Letter to Parents Appendix 9. Critical Attributes of a Performance Task Appendix 10. Template for Culminating Demonstrations Appendix 11. Example of a Task Analysis of a Culminating Demonstration Appendix 12. Example of a Task Analysis of a Culminating Demonstration (Term III) Appendix 13. Precision in Adverbs Appendix 14. Middle Ages Scoring Guide Appendix 15. Culminating Demonstration Rubric for First Grade Students at Heritage Elementary Appendix 16. Kindergarten Literacy Lesson Plans References Index

Student teacher learning is a key issue for further professional development. Literature on student teacher learning suggests that students learn about teaching and undergo professional transformation during their education. However, studies often focus on a certain time period and on how students should learn instead of how they actually do learn. In this study, 19 interviews with student teachers are used to analyse their learning patterns during teacher education. Four qualitatively different kinds of patterns of student teacher learning were identified. The patterns varied in terms of students’ motivation to learn, conceptual coherency, approach to learning, and action strategy used. The patterns also held some internal inconsistencies between the different components observed. This may indicate a lack of understanding, willingness or skills concerning active learning. The results imply that more attention should be paid to promoting student teachers’ active learning during education.

Teacher education reform in the United States (US) is a crucial part of a broader educational reform intended to improve teaching practice and, thus, student performance (Darling-Hammond, 2005). Teacher education reform has become an international trend (Bates, 2008; Garm & Karlsen, 2004), which in spite of the different national contexts and traditions, shares a set of similar expectations, foci, and even policy interventions (Loomis, Rodriguez, & Tillman, 2008). Underlying these reforms are the assumptions that the quality of teaching is the most important, if not the only, factor that contributes to changes in student learning, which is shaped by factors such as teacher salaries, working conditions, and public support for public schools (Education Policy White Paper Project, 2009). Teacher education is a major factor in improving teaching quality (Delandshere & Petrosky, 2004). Central to the quality of teaching are teachers' deep understanding of what they need to teach and the pedagogical practices that can be used to represent such understanding to students (D. L. Ball, 2000). These have become important foci for reform in teacher education programs in many countries. Policy initiatives to reform teacher education have been very similarly framed, inasmuch as governments have played important roles in establishing standards for what teachers need to know and do in their classrooms and in developing relevant assessments to regulate what students have learned and done (Tatto, 2006). However, when these surface-level similarities are analyzed more deeply, one uncovers competing forces with different expectations, foci, and approaches to teacher education reform (Cochran-Smith, 2001). Each of these approaches reflects different ideologies and appeals to different political interests, but none receives substantial empirical support (Apple, 2001; Cochran-Smith & Fries, 2001; Zeichner & Ndimande, 2008). Add to this that the contexts and cultural traditions of teaching and teacher education provide little opportunity for important teacher education reform initiatives and ideas to be realized (Feiman-Nemser & Floden, 1986; Little, 1990a, 1990b). Consequently, only an insightful and comprehensive understanding of these competing expectations, foci, and approaches to teacher education reform will have utility in informing future policy making and program development. The research community in teaching and teacher education must accept its notable and irreplaceable role in helping to develop such an understanding through an empirical base focused on the processes and outcomes of reform. In this issue of the Journal of Teacher Education (JTE), eight articles address reform and its complexities in the area of teacher education. In this editorial, we first highlight important arguments and findings that emerge from each article. Next, we challenge some of the authors' ideas with support from existing literature and suggest what further conceptual and empirical work is needed to understand dynamic and complex teacher education reform and its contexts. Reform With Competing Expectations for Learning Outcomes and Teaching Underlying various teacher education reforms are two related and seemingly irrefutable assumptions (Delandshere & Petrosky, 2004). First, the quality of teaching is the most important factor that influences student learning. Second, teacher education plays an important role in shaping quality teaching. However, these assumptions sometimes become conceptually ambiguous when used to guide the development of teacher education reform policy and programs. Theoretically speaking, student learning and quality teaching can be defined differently, depending on how one views society and education. Varying definitions imply a range of foci for teacher education reform. Following are three popular conceptions of student learning and teaching quality, as well as their respective foci for teacher education reform, which have made their way into various teacher education reform documents. …

This paper explores the learning processes within a higher education networked learning leadership programme made up of owner-managers of small to medium sized enterprises. Networked learning still has some way to go to fully realise its potential within and by the higher education sector. Accordingly, this paper seeks to contribute to our understanding of how to support networked learning communities and maximise their learning potential by focusing on learning spaces. Space has been a topic of discussion in much of the literature on learning and more often than not it focuses on the physical spaces and design for teaching and learning. This is particularly relevant for networked learning as our understanding about learning using technology is changing our ideas about learning spaces .This paper draws upon in depth qualitative research to conceptualise an alternative way of looking at learning spaces which calls for a different understanding of space within learning communities and networked learning. The central argument is that space in relation to learning can be reconceptualised through a different way of thinking about learning spaces. The four learning spaces proposed are; 1) peer-to-peer, 2) social, 3) reflective and 4) peripheral. It is argued these spaces act as a health check for networked learning communities as a way of looking at the taken for granted practices of the community. Consequently, they represent the social and cultural ways of being a member of a learning community. The learning spaces within this study are conceived of as both constructs and effects of the learning community’s engagement with networked learning. Used in this way they can be seen a viable way to rethink how facilitators in networked learning can support the learners. It is argued that they provide a compelling way of understanding the learning processes within networked learning and can be used as a litmus test to indicate whether a learning community is maximising its learning potential. Understanding the practices of this community can contribute to social theories of learning in order to develop our understanding of the complexities of learning within networked learning. Arguably the learning spaces themselves are a social theory of learning. The paper finishes by urging facilitators to nurture opportunities for the conceptual learning spaces with a set of recommendations in order to help the learning community maximise its learning potential.

The indomitable spirit of higher education paves the way for the growth of a nation in the political, economic, social, intellectual and spiritual dimensions. Teacher education is one of the areas in higher education which trains student-teachers in pedagogy, which in turn helps them to train the young minds of educational institutions. The “Fate of the nation is decided in the classroom,” is a remark made by the Education Commission of India. Such classrooms are created by committed and dedicated teachers. These teachers are trained in teacher education institutions. Teacher education institutions should maintain quality to ensure the academic excellence of trainees who come into the teaching profession. Quality is a comparative standard prescribed for those institutions that are on the quest for output brilliance. Quality assurance in teacher education reflects on the high profile of the institution and the competency of student-teachers. The present study on the application of principals of TQM in teacher education institutions in India has exposed the tangibility of institutions in the perception of teachers based on eleven quality indicators, such as principal as leader, teacher quality, linkage and interface, students, co-curricular activities, teaching, office management, relationships, material resources, examinations and job satisfaction. A total of nine colleges of education was selected to collect data. The exploratory technique under the survey method of research design was used for the study. A tool - ‘Teacher Institutional Profile’ (TIP) - was constructed, standardized and used for data collection. Quantitative and qualitative analyses were made for finding and interpreting results. The findings focus on the strong and weak areas of various teacher education institutions according to the quality indicators. The study recommends further strengthening of quality indicators, which are already strong, and the revamping of weaker quality indicators. It is also recommended that institutions should adhere to the quality standards set by national and international assessment and accreditation bodies. In conclusion, the global scenario expects skilled teachers to produce students with a versatile personality for which teacher education should be strengthened.

In this chapter I write from a stance that acknowledges the complex, dynamic, and contested nature of teaching practices and the schools where those practices are enacted and developed or learned. This chapter places teacher education in schools in a wider context of professional practice and the literature of situated and workplace learning to illuminate a broader perspective and deeper understanding than might be gained by considering teacher-education practicums—also called work-integrated learning (WIL)—in isolation. This is underpinned by the premise that enhancing the quality of teacher-education WIL is best built upon a deep and rich understanding of what teaching practice is like, the context where it is enacted, and the nature of what needs to be learned to become a teaching professional. Workplaces (including school classrooms) shape student (including teacher-education student) learning to such an extent and in such different ways from academic environments that development of specific WIL pedagogies is warranted. These specific pedagogies, underpinned by WIL theories, would move the focus away from instruction to privilege learning through student engagement with, and participation in, authentic workplace activities and relationships. These pedagogies would also acknowledge the significant influence of contextual factors on student learning, in particular the manner in which learning is shaped by the complex and interdependent interactions between students and workplaces. Fine-grained examination of schools as both workplaces and learning contexts for teacher-education students through WIL lenses open up pedagogical possibilities that can harness the richness of authentic contextual workplace influences to enhance student learning. This, combined with deliberate quality assurance of WIL experiences, will shape the construction of WIL experiences that best develop teacher-education students’ authentic and appropriate capabilities for current and future education needs.KeywordsSituated learningWork-integrated learningWorkplace learning theoryProfessional practiceQuality assurance

This chapter discusses an analysis of how action research can be used to develop collaboration between teacher education institutions and the practical field, aimed at enhancing professional relevance in teacher education. The context is an innovation project concerning teacher education schools conducted by the Department of Vocational Teacher Education at Oslo Metropolitan University – OsloMet and three upper secondary schools (the LUSY project). Methodological principles in two central approaches to action research, educational action research and dialogue-based action research, are analysed with a focus on how they can contribute to strengthening coherence and relevance in teacher education. The fundamental principles of each approach and the relationship between them are related to development plans in the LUSY project. Together, the principles and initiatives constitute an action research methodology aimed at professionally relevant teacher education. A core aspect of the methodology is dialogue conferences, which facilitate the exchange of experiences regarding professional and organizational development needs and possible initiatives at each educational institution. This then leads to research-based development projects initiated and carried out in close collaboration between teachers and teacher educators. Regular sharing of experiences from the projects is crucial. The chapter demonstrates how education, development, and research can be anchored in professional work both as a teacher and as a teacher educator, as well as within the operations of each school and teacher education institution. Such anchoring can contribute to creating relevance, cohesion, and continuity in teacher education.

As we enter the twenty-first century, the outcomes, consequences, and results of teacher education have become critical topics in nearly all of the state and national policy debates about teacher preparation and licensure as well as in the development of many of the privately and publicly funded research agendas related to teacher and student learning. In this article, I argue that teacher education reform over the last fifty years has been driven by a series of questions about policy and practice. The question that is currently driving reform and policy in teacher education is what I refer to as "the outcomes question." This question asks how we should conceptualize and define the outcomes of teacher education for teacher learning, professional practice, and student learning, as well as how, by whom, and for what purposes these outcomes should be documented, demonstrated, and/or measured. In this article, I suggest that the outcomes question in teacher education is being conceptualized and constructed in quite different ways depending on the policy, research, and practice contexts in which the question is posed as well as on the political and professional motives of the posers. The article begins with an overview of the policy context, including those reforms and initiatives that have most influenced how outcomes are currently being constructed, debated, and enacted in teacher education. Then I identify and analyze three major "takes" on the outcomes question in teacher education—outcomes as the long-term or general impacts of teacher education, outcomes as teacher candidates' scores on high stakes teacher tests, and outcomes as the professional performances of teacher candidates, particularly their demonstrated ability to influence student learning. For each of these approaches to outcomes, I examine underlying assumptions about teaching and schooling, the evidence and criteria used for evaluation, units of analysis, and consequences for the profession. I point out that how we construct outcomes in teacher education (including how we make the case that some outcomes matter more than others) legitimizes but also undermines particular points of view about the purposes of schooling, the nature of teaching and learning, and the role of teacher education in educational reform. In the second half of the article, I offer critique across the three constructions of outcomes, exploring the possibilities as well as the pitfalls involved in the outcomes debate. In this section, I focus on the tensions between professional consensus and critique, problems with the inputs-outputs metaphor, the need to get social justice onto the outcomes agenda, problems with the characterization of teachers as either saviors or culprits, and the connection of outcomes to educational reform strategies that are either democratic or market-driven.

Although many instructional technologists have suggested that teachers should be trained in using instructional design models, few studies have been conducted to determine if teachers can be successful in acquiring and applying these models. The purpose of this study was to examine preservice teacher success in acquiring and applying principles of learning and instructional design. Preservice teachers enrolled in a professional teacher preparation program were taught the essentials of learning and competency-based instruction and were required to plan a lesson using these concepts. Results indicate that most of the preservice teachers were successful in acquiring and using the principles of learning and instructional design.

ABSTRACTAction research methodology is commonly used in initial teacher education programmes as a pedagogical strategy to enhance student teacher learning. Action research is most often used in tandem with school-based practicum components in the latter stage of programmes as a means of bridging the theory-practice divide. It is also frequently used as a capstone assessment to assure prospective teacher capability for reflective inquiry. The study reported here focuses on the perspectives of teachers who were recent graduates of two initial English language teacher education programmes in Chile, who had undertaken action research projects as part of their degree programme. It also engaged the university-based supervisors who had overseen this work. These experiences are analysed in the context of the guiding epistemological and political foundations of action research. The outcomes of this research suggest that the use of action research in initial teacher education contexts may be more problematic than it is often assumed; particularly, where student teachers’ work is professionally isolated. From this, it is suggested that action research in initial teacher education needs to be conscious of potential constraints in school-based contexts, as these may act to limit the current and prospective impact of this learning experience.

The study aimed to examine the important predictors of Ghanaian classroom Diploma in Basic Education teacher trainees' growth mindset toward student learning. Participants included a purposive sample of 328 (177 male and 151 female) second- and third-year teacher trainees in one college of education in the northern part of Ghana. The predictor variables were the type of program, year in program, age, sex, and marital status. The student learning subscale of the Physical Education and Sports Ability Survey (Sofo et al., 2016) served as the main data source. The items were adapted for the classroom setting. Most of the trainees had a growth mindset but with some fixed ideas for student learning (80.18%). Approximately 19.21% of the trainees had a strong growth mindset in student learning. The mean decreased Gini (MDG) values for the year in the program, program type, and marital status (married vs. single) showed that these predictors were important for student learning. A logistic regression analysis showed that type of program, year in program, and marital status were significant predictors of growth mindset for student learning. Trainees in the early childhood program were approximately seven times more likely to have a growth mindset regarding student learning compared to those in the primary education program. Trainees in their third year were approximately 145 times more likely to have a growth mindset regarding student learning compared to trainees in their second year. Single teacher trainees were approximately 213 times more likely to have a growth mindset regarding student learning compared to married teacher trainees. The study provides insights for teacher educators regarding the profiles and factors that promote the development of a growth mindset in teacher education settings in Ghana

The paper discusses the international scenario of teacher education,drawing from the systems and practices prevalent in various countries of the world,including in Europe,North America,Japan,Latin America,and in India.It highlights how teacher education scenario and its priorities have evolved and changed over time,with changing perceptions of the role of the school teacher,the differing priorities attached to education (in general) and teacher education specifically by the various Governments across different points in time, and manner in which pre-service teacher education has metamorphized over time in terms of course content, course duration, role of Universities, the differing levels of autonomy to teacher education institutions, and how government policies have shaped teacher education systems. Of particular significance is the various phases and waves of teacher education which evolved over time across countries (particularly in Europe),the evolution of two models of teacher education – the Consecutive model and the Concurrent model and their adoption in different countries,the impact of education policy initiatives on teacher education systems, such as those in the USA, and how recommendations of the various commissions/committees on education shaped teacher education environment, as in India.The paper also discusses the heterogeneity of practices in terms of course duration,entry level qualifications,etc.,both across countries and even within a country (such as in India,Japan,England, Latin America).The paper also highlights how changing perceptions of the quality of the teacher education institutions led to regulatory challenges and the statutory and other instrumentalities which were used to meet such challenges.In respect of India,the paper discusses in brief the recent developments impacting teacher education environment in the country, including the recommendations of the Justice Verma Commission on Teacher Education (August, 2012) and National Education Policy, 2020, the development of the Integrated Teacher Education Programme (ITEP), and how the National Council of Teacher Education (NCTE), the statutory body on teacher education, has risen up to meet the expectations arising of these recommendations.