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ERIC Number: EJ986606
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012
Pages: 17
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0965-0792
EISSN: N/A
In Search of Coherence: "Inquiring" at Multiple Levels of a Teacher Education System
McQuillan, Patrick J.; Welch, Matthew James; Barnatt, Joan
Educational Action Research, v20 n4 p535-551 2012
Inquiry-into-practice represents a valuable disposition for teachers; reflecting on one's teaching to derive insights for subsequent practice can enhance professional efficacy and promote student achievement. To support this disposition among teacher candidates (TCs), Lynch School of Education faculty at Boston College created a capstone course, Inquiry Seminar, where TCs complete a formal "inquiry project". Conducted while student-teaching, the project requires candidates to research their teaching practice, identify areas of concern, and modify their teaching accordingly. To assess the teacher education system's coherence, we explored how Inquiry Seminar did, and did not, align with program objectives. We drew on varied data sources, including interviews, course observations, archival data, and inquiry project papers. We found that when Inquiry Seminar experiences complemented TCs' field experience, program objectives were more often realized. Two factors proved critical to our research: integrating the often-neglected voice of TCs and clinical staff, and examining a foundational feature of the teacher education program, Inquiry Seminar. (Contains 2 notes.)
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 325 Chestnut Street Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Fax: 215-625-2940; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Massachusetts
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A