This paper describes an attempt to address, through pre-service teacher education, the complex interaction of the ideologies carried by schooling, the denial of the rights of Maori as promised by the Treaty of Waitangi and the underachievement of Maori children in New Zealand schools. It is set in the context of an action research project that…

This study examines the interaction between indigenous culture and modern religious practices of teaching and learning, and how this contributes towards shaping the preconceptions of teaching, learning, a teacher's role(s), students as learners, and knowledge of three secondary school pre-service teachers who were just commencing their teacher…

Since 1999, pre-service teachers undertaking the Bachelor of Teaching (Secondary) Program at the University of Western Sydney have participated in an alternate practicum called Professional Experience 3 (PE3). This practicum encourages students to engage in broader educational settings within local communities. Increasingly, a number of…

Worldwide there has been a range of initiatives in the area of standards for teachers as part of a discourse of professionalism. In Australia there are a plethora of standards: state and territory frameworks, generic and subject-specific, systemic and cross-systemic, for pre-service, beginning and experienced teachers. Little has been written as…

In the context of escalating criticism of university-based teacher education across the world, a clear need exists for informed defence of the field and the profession as well as critical evaluation of both teacher education and schooling. This paper takes up the issue of the 'outcomes question' in this regard, arguing the case for a strong focus…

This paper explores assumptions about essential knowledge in degree programs that have traditionally prepared teachers of physical education, and discusses the question of what sort of teacher education is necessary or desirable to prepare teachers for the new Health & Physical Education (HPE) key learning area. I argue that the curriculum of the…

Rural schooling has remained a concern for policy-makers, employers, teacher education providers and schools throughout our recent history. In particular, the allegedly variable quality of teaching and learning in rural Australia is a major concern for teacher educators and educational leaders alike, with the provision of quality services for…

Reviewing and rethinking the 'knowledge base' for teacher education has become a particularly critical issue in recent times, given profound social and cultural shifts and changes and the emergence of new epistemological, political and technological conditions and contexts. This paper takes up the question of what are the key conceptual and…

While there has been widespread take-up of the concept 'flexible learning' within various educational environments--and equally frequent references to the flexible 'natures' of the computer and communication technologies that often underpin flexible learning initiatives--the relationship between technologies and flexibility is not a simple one. In…

Examines the importance of learning to teach for social justice, social change, and social responsibility. All teachers must learn to teach against the grain by collaborating closely with university- and school-based mentors to develop critique, challenge common practices, and engage in inquiry. Preservice programs must provide the social,…

Citizenship education should be reconceptualized because of the increased salience of diversity worldwide. Students must develop a delicate balance of cultural, national, and global identifications. To help students become effective citizens, teachers must acquire the same identifications. The author describes how he tries to help students in one…

Describes how one exemplary support teacher defines and enacts his role with beginning teachers. Based on interview and observation data, the article illustrates specific principles and strategies that shape his mentoring practice and discusses how he learned to do this kind of work, offering a vision of educative mentoring and some ideas about…

Presents the stories of three novice teachers with disabilities, describing their journeys to knowing themselves as young adults and teachers. The impact of their experiences is discussed in light of their developing pedagogical knowledge, concluding that for them, teaching is an encounter with the self, and their encounters are an untapped…

External demands on teacher education, plus teachers' and student teachers' inherent professional needs, create difficult situations for teacher educators. External demands (globalization, professionalization, and teaching for understanding) are analyzed, noting how teachers' needs for certainty and control exacerbate them. Gaps between teachers'…

Discusses the challenges in assessing Professional Development School (PDS) impacts, noting examples of assessments from the literature. The paper outlines a conceptual framework for assessment and explains how it may help organize more systematic thinking about PDS evaluation. Examples from a multisite case study demonstrate how one consortium of…