This book presents a new framework for how teachers develop their assessment capacity, based on a multi-year study conducted in four countries--Australia, Canada, England, and New Zealand--which focused on student-teacher learning in assessment throughout their initial teacher education programs. It examines how teacher learning is shaped by the…

This edited book provides a critical re-reading of the concept of teacher education, in addition to a re-thinking of the sole focus on Initial Teacher Education (ITE), with implications for education policy, theory, and practice. This book presents new investigations that explore the concept of teacher education from ITE to retirement and how this…

This book explores how well teachers are prepared for professional practice. It is an outcome of a large-scale research and development program that has collected extensive data on the impact of the Graduate Teacher Performance Assessment on Initial Teacher Education programs and preservice teachers' engagement with the assessment. It contributes…

This book investigates the professional learning needs of teachers beyond initial teacher education, focusing on teachers in complex teaching positions, such as out-of-field teaching practices. The information presented here will help to improve professional learning strategies, while also offering an in-depth understanding of teachers' needs,…

Norwegian teacher education has been subject to numerous reforms in the last decade; the most recent one, requiring all teacher education programs to be at a master level, took effect from August 2017. The initiatives are policy initiated and heavily influenced by international trends characterized by an increasing demand for accountability. At…

In this chapter, we examine the influence of teacher educators on teacher candidates' learning and beliefs in educational assessment. Specifically, we aim to consider how teacher educators shape teacher candidates' readiness for classroom assessment and how they might be mediating teacher candidates' classroom experiences. Despite their potential…

Contemporary reform of initial teacher education (ITE) across international contexts has sharpened political agendas on issues of quality and impact. Essentially, the quality and impact of ITE is increasingly being bound up with notions of evidence of graduate performance in relation to professional standards and evidence of the impact of…

Discussions of Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programs have indicated prevailing concerns regarding the linking of theory and practice with ongoing student criticisms that the theoretical, academic content of their degrees was the least helpful in preparing them for classroom teaching (Ure 2009). While competency-based movements underscored by…

This chapter discusses how beginning teachers perceive their preparedness for work, drawing on findings from the Studying the Effectiveness of Teacher Education (SETE) project (Mayer et al. 2017). The goal of this large-scale, longitudinal project was to explore graduate teachers' experiences in Australia in order to understand their perceptions…

Policy reforms in initial teacher education in Australia have typically omitted the early childhood sector. This chapter adopts a cultural-historical perspective to explain this persistent neglect. Obvious explanations, such as the location of early childhood education outside the compulsory education sector, are noted. It then argues that recent…

The current global focus on quality teacher preparation and expectations for profession-ready pre-service teachers when entering the workforce turns attention to their first assignments. Complex employment conditions affect new teachers' preparedness and confidence. The challenge for education leaders who seek to improve the quality of initial…

The most recent review of Initial Teacher Education (ITE) in Australia titled Action Now: Classroom Ready Teachers (Craven et al. 2014) heralded the introduction of Teacher Performance Assessments (TPAs) as summative assessments of graduate profession 'readiness'. The conceptualization, research-informed design and implementation of authentic…

Developing programs that adequately prepare teachers to address the key challenges of quality and equity in schools remain an ongoing challenge in the new, democratic South Africa. This chapter reviews the changes effected in the Professional Studies theory and teaching practicum component to enhance student teachers' knowledge and skills for…

Neoliberalism has been increasing its impact on the educational policy landscapes in many nations in a way that leads to emphasize test-based accountability mandates. In the USA, the federal government has been gradually strengthening its accountability control by implementing high-stakes testing and using student performance data for teacher…

Over the past decade, there have been a number of shifts in the expectations we have for student learning, of student teachers on graduation and of teachers. University-based teacher educators need to be able to support teachers to respond to these changes, while simultaneously meeting the expectations associated with their university roles. In…