Education Commons^™

Experiential Learning Projects As Assessment In Initial Teacher Education, Renee Crawford, Louise E. Jenkins, Lydia Wan

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

In a rapidly changing global environment, Initial Teacher Educators (ITE) have a responsibility to role-model contemporary teaching approaches, which develop graduates who think creatively and flexibly in educational workplaces. An important aspect of this work is supporting pre-service teachers (PSTs) to understand how to design assessments which facilitate a deep understanding of student learning. This learning can be achieved through the implementation of assessments which model contemporary practices and enrich student learning in ITE courses. This paper discusses new ways to consider the purpose of assessment by focusing on Experiential Learning (EL) as a form of assessment in ITE. This …

Investigation Of Non-Academic Characteristics Used For Selection Entry Of Pre-Service Teachers Into Higher Education Courses, Janine E. Wyatt, Michael O'Neill

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

: Education reform is prioritised in most countries. In 2014, the Australian federal government established the Teacher Education Ministerial Advisory Group with a mandate to improve initial teacher education (ITE) to better prepare new teachers for the classroom. One recommendation involved higher education providers selecting ITE candidates who possessed the required academic skills and non-academic characteristics to become successful teachers. This study investigates the prevalence and impact of non-academic characteristics among first-year graduates, using insights from principals in Western Australian public schools. According to the available literature, the link between non-academic characteristics in the ITE selection process and student outcomes …

Creating Greater Awareness Of The Australian Professional Standards For Teachers In Initial Teacher Education, Melissa Cain, Chris Campbell

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Throughout their initial teacher education training in Australia, students are informed about the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST) and the necessity of gathering evidence to achieve these for teacher registration. Whilst the use of digital technologies as tools for reflection has become increasingly popular, there remains a paucity of research around the types of digital technologies that students use to document their ability to achieve accreditation requirements. This study presents details of how PebblePad, a specialised ePortfolio platform, can assist teacher education students to gain increased awareness about the 37 APST descriptors through the use of tagging. Results demonstrate …

Supervision In Initial Teacher Education: A Scoping Review, Madlen Griffiths, Mandie Shean, Denise Jackson

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Supervision in initial teacher education is a pivotal component of professional experience, widely considered to be the most valued aspect of preservice teacher learning. Key to these experiences is the work of the university appointed supervisors who mentor the novices during their in-classroom learning. This is a dichotomous and often under-rated role, fraught with challenges, yet remains under-theorised and underresearched. Situated in a framework of readiness for teaching, this literature review provides a synopsis of the challenges facing the provision of quality teacher education programs and the supervision of preservice teachers and details the myriad of tasks undertaken by these …

Exploring Change And Continuities In Internationally Mobile Pre-Service Teachers’ Conceptualisations Of Effective Teaching, Rhonda Di Biase, Elizabeth King, Jeana Kriewaldt, Catherine Reid, Mahtab Janfada

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

: This qualitative study investigates the changes and continuities in conceptions of teaching and learning from course commencement to course completion for a group of international pre-service teachers undertaking a two-year Masters-level degree in Initial Teacher Education (ITE). Data were collected through a series of graphic elicitation activities and ranking tasks at baseline and endpoint. Findings indicate that there was: a growing emphasis on student engagement and its linkages to student learning; a shift from viewing teaching as the transfer of knowledge to learning as an active process; and a more developed repertoire of professional language to explain what is …

Exploring ‘Next Practice’: Principals’ Perceptions Of Graduate Skills And Attributes For Future Classrooms, Angela Fitzgerald

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The phrase ‘next practice’ was coined to indicate a shift from the notion of best practice to thinking more broadly about the needs of future learners and the ways in which teaching practice might align to support these needs. In understanding what next practice means for the classroom, this study was particularly interested in examining how initial teacher education (ITE) could respond through their graduate preparation. The presented data presented is derived from an Australian small-scale qualitative study that sought to explore principals’ perceptions of graduate skills and attributes for future classrooms which captured the perspectives of six primary and …

The Role Of The Teacher As Assessor: Developing Student Teacher’S Assessment Identity., Audrey Doyle, Marie Conroy Johnson, Enda Donlon, Elaine Mcdonald, Pj Sexton

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The closure of schools across the globe due to the Covid-19 pandemic had the potential to have a catastrophic impact on a fundamental pillar of initial teacher education: school placement. This paper maps a new “site” of professional practice for “school placement” called “Teacher Online Programme” (TOP) using Xu and Brown’s (2016) conceptual framework of teacher assessment literacy in practice. Its main focus lies in the integration of the assessment baseline knowledge into the programme under the seven elements proposed by the framework. A case study methodology informed the approach taken. Data was collected and analysed in three phases: the …

Early Career Teachers’ Intentions To Leave The Profession: The Complex Relationships Among Preservice Education, Early Career Support, And Job Satisfaction, Nick Kelly, Marcela Cespedes, Marc Clarà, Patrick A. Danaher

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This paper investigates the complex factors that lead to early career teachers (ECTs) deciding to leave the profession. It extends prior studies to show the associations that different elements of preservice education (PSE), early career support, and on-the-job satisfaction have with the intention to leave the profession. The study uses data from 2,144 Australian ECTs to explore these relationships. Results highlight the importance of teachers’ collegial relationships with their peers, and replicate prior findings showing the significance of mentoring and induction programs. Results show that elements of job satisfaction are strongly associated with intention to leave the profession, leading to …

An Evaluation Of The Use Of An Online Demonstration School, Robert Whannell, Jane Lamb, Linley Cornish, Tim Bartlett-Taylor, Brenda Wolodko

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

In 2016, a change was made to the approach taken for delivery of the first practicum placement experience for initial teacher education students at [the university]. Rather than the traditional 20-day in-school observation placement, an alternative 10-day online experience, called the Online Demonstration School (ODS), was developed. The ODS provided students with a fully online practicum experience involving viewing videos of a variety of classroom situations developed in conjunction with local schools. Subsequent reflection and collaboration with peers and academics allowed targeted aspects in the classroom situations to be examined in depth. This article summarises the literature supporting this change …

Social Media Use In Initial Teacher Education: Lessons On Knowing Where Your Students Are, Narelle Lemon, Siobhan O'Brien

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The use of social media in initial teacher education offers connection to a community of learners. As teacher educators we planned to use Twitter with pre-service teachers (PSTs). But at the end of the semester it was revealed that PSTs insisted on using a different platform; offering valuable perspectives and insights into the boundaries that are set by PSTs when moving from personal to professional use of social media. Through this paper we share our voices as initial teacher educators who valued the voices of PSTs in navigating the integration of Twitter into a semester of study. Revealed are insights …

'Nobody Is Watching But Everything I Do Is Measured': Teacher Accountability, Learner Agency And The Crisis Of Control., Joanne Dargusch, Jennifer Charteris

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

It is widely acknowledged that there is systemic pressure on teachers to enact assessment practices that raise student achievement. In this article assessment related discourses that influence teacher and student classroom practices are examined in relation to initial teacher education. In Australia, preservice teachers (PSTs) are required to demonstrate assessment capability, promote student agency and monitor their practice impact on student learning whilst working in schooling ecologies that are marked by high stakes accountability measures. Processes that bridge university and in-school PST teacher preparation are an important consideration in developing assessment capability. It is argued that there are tensions in …

An Investigation Of Preservice Teachers’ Beliefs About The Certainty Of Teaching Knowledge, Leila E. Ferguson, Jo Lunn Brownlee

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Beliefs about the certainty of teaching knowledge may influence how preservice teachers engage with and learn from knowledge sources in teacher education, and their subsequent practice. In light of inconsistencies in prior findings that mainly employ epistemic questionnaires, we extended research focusing on a contextual analysis. Sixty-six elementary and lower-secondary preservice teachers in Norway responded to the Beliefs about the Certainty of Teaching Knowledge (BECK) scale in the first and second year of study, respectively. Participants believed knowledge about teaching and learning was more tentative and evolving at T2 than at T1 (t (65) = 2.0, p = .049, Cohen’s …

Classroom Ready? Pre-Service Teachers’ Self-Efficacy For Their First Professional Experience Placement, Kang Ma, Michael S. Cavanagh

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This study investigates the level of teacher self-efficacy (TSE) among 90 secondary preservice teachers (PSTs) before their first teaching practice and the factors which influenced their ratings. The Scale for Teacher Self-Efficacy (STSE) (Pfitzner-Eden, Thiel, & Horsley, 2014) was adapted by adding some open-ended questions. Data were analysed via SPSS and NVivo separately. Results show a relatively lower level of TSE compared with previous research and classroom management was of greatest concern. PSTs reported factors such as lacking teaching experience, previous informal teaching and other relevant experience, teacher education program, personal qualities and characteristics, and teacher-student relationship. Implications, limitations, and …

Australian Teacher Education Policy In Action: The Case Of Pre-Service Internships., Susan Ledger, Lesley Vidovich

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Studies on internships within initial teacher education have existed in literature since the early 1900s, they have espoused the benefits of experiential learning or critiqued the variance available in terms of structure, length of time and purpose. However, little research on teacher internships has been reported within a policy context. This study employs a modified ‘policy trajectory’ framework to capture the impact of teacher internship models emerging from policy reform in Australia driven by the National Partnership Agreement on Improving Teacher Quality Program (NPTQ). It highlights how policy contexts and practices are inextricably interconnected and influenced by key policy ‘threads’ …

Implementation Of Portfolios Within Australian Initial Teacher Education: Who’S Leading The Charge?, Chad M. Morrison, Jennifer Masters, Megan Quentin-Baxter

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Recent changes to national accreditation requirements have emphasised portfolios as the required mechanism for initial teacher education providers to demonstrate the impact of their programs against the Graduate Teacher Standards and to prepare graduates to be classroom ready. This paper presents findings from a national survey of teacher educators developed to capture how and where implementation of portfolios of evidence has been occurring. Discussion focuses on the reported concentration of activities within small programmatic teams and the comprehensive level of involvement that champions of portfolios are assuming. The priorities pursued by these individuals and teams are presented alongside possible implications …

Lines Of School-University Partnership: Perception, Sensation And Meshwork Reshaping Of Pre-Service Teachers’ Experiences, Narelle Lemon, Anat Wilson, Catherine Oxworth, Agli Zavros-Orr, Bryan Wood

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

School-university partnerships are complex, entangled and layered. As renewal of initial teacher education is at the forefront, understanding how we approach partnerships is imperative. This paper draws on reflective narratives of a school leader and initial teacher education staff involved in setting up a school-university partnership program. We identify the use of ‘meshworks’, that is complex and layered weaving of ideas or lines (Ingold, 2011; 2015; 2017) – specifically the lines of ‘partnership’, ‘partnership understanding’, ‘involvement’, ‘supporting pre-service teachers’, ‘noticing of pre-service teachers’, and ‘impact’. The analysis of the findings illuminate benefits from co-design and vision, while demonstrating how a …

“I Learned Quite A Lot Of The Maths Stuff Now That I Think Of It”: Māori Medium Students Reflecting On Their Initial Teacher Education, Ngārewa Hāwera, Merilyn Taylor

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Research involving preservice or initial teacher education (ITE) indicates that mathematics education is a vital component of study. Little is known however, of indigenous student views of their compulsory mathematics education courses for a teaching degree. This research contributes to that knowledge space as it explores Māori medium ITE students’ perceptions of mathematics education in Aotearoa New Zealand. A thematic and qualitative analysis of a focused group discussion provides insights into key factors that students reported as significant links between their university and practicum experiences (teaching practice in schools). Some suggestions for strengthening that programme were also expressed. Findings indicate …

Project Evidence: Responding To The Changing Professional Learning Needs Of Mentors In Initial Teacher Education, Jeanne Maree Allen, Simone White, Cheryl Sim

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This positioning paper seeks to contribute to the knowledge base of the changing professional learning needs of supervising or mentor teachers in initial teacher education. To do so, we draw from the work of Project Evidence, an Australian Office of Learning and Teaching funded project, designed to support teacher education through the development of a professional learning website. Our focus in this paper is our growing understanding of the complex work of teachers as they navigate new supervisory and mentoring roles in the current education context of high stakes standardisation. We examine the implications for their changing work practices within …

Comparing Stress Levels Of Graduate And Undergraduate Pre-Service Teachers Following Their Teaching Practicums, Gretchen Geng, Richard Midford, Jenny Buckworth

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

In comparison to undergraduate pre-service teachers (PSTs), graduate PSTs have previously completed a three-year bachelor degree and are enrolled in initial teacher education (ITE) programs to become a teacher. Following a review of literature on teachers’ sense of stress, reflection and identity development, this study compared the stress levels and concerns of graduate PSTs with those of undergraduate PSTs. One hundred and fifty-one graduate and one hundred and fifty-nine undergraduate PSTs participated in this study. The graduate PSTs had significantly higher stress levels than undergraduate PSTs (p < .01). Contributing stressors from both groups’ own demographic background and teaching practicum perspectives were investigated and compared. These findings provide an empirical basis from which to develop appropriate strategies to support both groups of PSTs to manage their stress, develop their identity and personal beliefs and increase their retention in teacher education programs.

Volunteering Within Initial Teacher Education: Factors That Boost And Block Participation, Daniella J. Forster, Jennifer Archer, Rukhsana T. Tajin

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Voluntary professional experience can be a powerful way for initial teacher education (ITE) students to develop an understanding of schools and their communities. Do ITE students make use of these opportunities? There is little Australian research that explores genuine volunteering that does not “require” students to engage with the community. We conducted an on-line survey with 141 ITE students who were eligible to participate in a volunteer program. What factors reduced volunteering and what factors enhanced it? The results showed that, while students value volunteering and can point to benefits that come from it, most are unable or unwilling to …

Learning To Teach: What Do Pre-Service Teachers Report., Dawn A. Naylor, Glenda Campbell-Evans, Carmel Maloney

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Abstract: Taking a sociocultural approach to understanding the phenomenon of learning to teach, this study examined the extent to which seven pre-service teachers, in their final year of a Bachelor of Education course in a regional Australian university campus, identified personal, professional and contextual aspects as significant influences on learning to teach. By listening to the voices of the pre-service teachers, this study found three orientations towards learning to teach. While these orientations were specific to the pre-service teachers enrolled in one regional teacher education program, they do offer teacher educators some insight and advice into the phenomenon of learning …

Learning In A Pre-Service Teacher Residency Program, Shuyi Zhen

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Teacher educators worldwide are seeking ways to develop stronger links with schools, to improve the quality of initial teacher preparation. In this study the researcher investigated a residency approach to initial teacher education (ITE) in a one-year Graduate Diploma of Education course designed to prepare primary school teachers at a university in Western Australia. A mixed methods inquiry approach was employed to examine the nature and quality of the professional learning experiences of the pre-service teacher participants.

The Teacher Residency Program (TRP) was based on a medical residency model, with residents given a semester-length placement in two schools. Each placement …

Using Appreciative Inquiry To Frame The Appraisal Of An Australian Initial Teacher Education Program, Jeanne M. Allen, Maureen Innes

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This paper reports on a study that investigated the process and outcomes of using Appreciative Inquiry (AI) in an Australian initial teacher education (ITE) program review. The aim of the study, which drew on a sample of teaching staff involved in this Master of Teaching program, was to gain an understanding of the extent to which the application of the AI framework can be used effectively in the review of ITE programs. AI promotes collegial reflective practice and the generation of positive resolutions and thus aligned with the purposes of the review that were to foster collaboration, strengthen staff morale …

Towards Evidence-Based Initial Teacher Education In Singapore: A Review Of Current Literature, Ee-Ling Low, Chenri Hui, Peter G. Taylor, Pak Tee Ng

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Initial teacher education (ITE) in Singapore is shifting towards evidence-based practice. Despite a clear policy orientation, ITE in Singapore has not yet produced the evidence base that it is anticipating. This paper presents an analytical review of previous research into ITE in Singapore and makes comparisons to the larger international context. The review begins with a brief overview of some of the main characteristics of the research over the last decade (1999-2010). Our analysis suggests that the field of ITE research in Singapore is relatively new and still struggling to be a focus of educational research. Current published studies are …

Initial Preparation Of Secondary Teachers: Implications For Australia, Penny Collett

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Observation of secondary art teacher education in the United Kingdom and Australia has revealed a range of differences, including a greater role for schools in initial teacher education (ITE) in UK. The literature reporting on research into preparation of teachers in UK indicates a general satisfaction among students regarding their experiences in schools. However some issues of concern arise which need to be considered if there is a move towards greater involvement of schools in ITE in Australia.