Session Information
WERA SES 08 F, Teacher Education for the 21st Century: Developing Teachers Who Are Thoughtful, Reflective and Inquiring
Symposium
Contribution
Over the past decade, internationalization of the higher education system has had a strong impact on national education policies. As a consequence, teacher education, which has traditionally been considered as part of further professional education in many European countries, was incorporated into the higher education system (Kyvik, 2009; OECD, 2005). Likewise, there has been a remarkable change in Swiss teacher education: Following a major shift in 2000, teachers are now educated at the university level, with a more research-oriented focus in the curriculum than before the reform. Concurrently, the curriculum is strongly focused on practice (Denzler, 2014). Despite worldwide calls for reflective and research-oriented teaching in order to empower teachers to develop their own professional development, teacher education has traditionally been practice-centred. Therefore, calls for a more research-oriented approach remain controversial (Ball & Forzani, 2009; Darling-Hammond & Sclan, 1996; Zeichner, 2012). In the case of Switzerland, the current teacher shortage has led to lower admission to teacher education and to a strengthening of practical training in a learning-by-doing model as opposed to research-based and reflective activities. Since 2011, the Zurich University of Teacher Education offers training programs for candidates over 30 years of age with a bachelor degree or an equivalent qualification, former experience in the labour market, as well as in pedagogical work. Additionally, (in-)formal competencies acquired in (non-)vocational fields are credited. The training focuses on a strong nexus between theory and practice based learning and on guided reflection through mentoring and coaching. It comprises one year at the university and subsequent phases of workplace learning in schools. In our presentation, we address the following research questions: How can alternative teacher training programs be designed in order to strengthen inquiry and reflection as a stance (Cochran-Smith & Lytle, 2009; So, 2013), while concurrently enhance students teaching competencies? What are the second career teachers’ beliefs regarding different learning approaches, namely learning by doing, reflective and research based learning? How do students’ and mentors’ perceive students’ workplace learning with regard to these approaches? For our purposes, we refer to a longitudinal study on second career teachers’ learning processes, comprising quantitative and qualitative data. The results are based on a sample of 373 teachers whose competence development has been assessed from the outset. In addition, results from group discussions with students and mentors are presented. Finally, consequences for different pathways to an ‟Open University” are discussed.
References
Ball, D., & Forzani, F. (2009). The work of teaching and the challenge for teacher education. Journal of Teacher Education, 60, 497-510. Cochran-Smith, M., & Lytle, S. L. (2009). Inquiry as stance: practitioner research for the next generation. New York: Teachers College Press. Darling-Hammond, L., & Sclan, E. M. (2002). Dilemmas of building a profession for twenty-first century schools. In V. Richardson (Ed.), Handbook of research on teaching, 4th edition (pp. 76-101). Washington DC: American Educational Research Association. Denzler, S. (2014). Integration of teacher education into the Swiss higher education system. Dissertation, University of Lausanne. Retrieved from: http://my.unil.ch/serval/document/BIB_98AF6E7FC8D6.pdf Kyvik, S. (2009). The dynamics of change in higher education. Expansion and contraction in an organisational field. Dodrecht: Springer. OECD (2005). Teachers matter. Attracting, developing and retaining effective teachers. Paris: OECD Publishing. So, K. (2013). Knowledge construction among teachers within a community based on inquiry as stance. Teaching and Teacher Education, 29, 188-196. Zeichner, K. (2012). The turn once again toward practice-based teacher education. Journal of Teacher Education, 63(5), 376-382.
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