Re-imagining Professional Experience in Initial Teacher Education
Narratives of Learning
JudyWilliams
NarrativesofLearning
Editors AngeFitzgerald
SchoolofTeacherEducationandEarly Childhood
UniversityofSouthernQueensland Springfield,QLD Australia
GrahamParr MonashUniversity Melbourne,VIC Australia
JudyWilliams MonashUniversity
Melbourne,VIC Australia
ISBN978-981-13-0814-7ISBN978-981-13-0815-4(eBook) https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-0815-4
LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2018942630
© SpringerNatureSingaporePteLtd.2018
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Foreword
EmbracingComplexityinTeacherEducationintheFace ofEndlessSimpli fication
Itisgenerallyacknowledgedbyallthoseinvolved universityeducators,practisingteachers, educationdepartmentsandbeginningteachersthemselves thatnopre-servicetrainingcan fullypreparenewteacherstoperformattheirfullcapacityfromtheir firstdayatwork.Thisis notareflectiononthequalityofnewteachersoronthestandardofpre-servicetraining.Itisa recognitionofthecomplexityofteachingandofthelargenumberofvariables(suchastypeof school,socio-economicandculturalbackgroundofstudents,school ‘ethos’,extentofsupport fromcolleaguesandprincipal,etc.)affectingateacher ’ sperformance.Thisbeingthecase, inductionprogrammeshaveavitalroleinensuringasmoothtransitionforbeginningteachers fromuniversitytraineestocompetentpractitioners.(CommonwealthofAustralia1998,p.204)
Intermsofteachereducation,the leitmotif ofourcurrentpolicymomentin Australiais ‘classroomreadiness’ (ashighlightedinthe2015TeacherEducation MinisterialAdvisoryGroupreport,Cravenetal.2015).Likequality,itishardto argueagainstclassroomreadiness:underwhatcircumstanceswouldwewishfor ‘unready’ teacherstobeplacedinthenation’sclassrooms?Thinkofthechildren! Butabriefcheckoftherearvisionmirrorrevealsthatthispreoccupationisa relativelynewone.
Thequotationaboveistakenfromthereportofasenateinquiryintothestatus oftheteachingprofessionconductedundertheHowardLiberal-NationalCoalition Governmentinthelate1990s,knownas AClassAct.Atthetime,anunderstanding ofthecomplexityofteachingmeantthatnobeginningteachercouldbethoughtto beuniversal ‘classroomready’ attheoutsetoftheircareer.Indeed,todosowould assumethatinitialteachereducationwaspreparingpre-serviceteachersforstandardised,cookie-cutterschoolenvironmentswherecircumstances,andthus preparation,couldbeeasilyanticipatedand ‘lockeddown’.Fastforward20years, andalackofthiskindof ‘classroomreadiness’,however,ill-de fined,isusedasa tooltodeclaimthepoorqualityofbothprospectiveteachersandteachereducation.
Takingthelongview,itisnothardtoseehowwegothere.Increasingcomplexityanduncertaintyhaslongbeenrecognisedbysociologistsasdrivingsocieties toward ‘riskmanagement’ (Bourke2005;Power2007),andineducationalterms thishasseenaglobalriseineffortstowardstandardisationofcurriculum,pedagogy, assessmentandteachers’ practice.Considertheriseofnationalcurriculum,standardisedtesting,teachingstandardsanddogmaregardingtheteachingofphonics, tonamebutafew,allofwhichconstituteattemptstolockdowntheeducational processinthefaceofrecognisedcomplexity,andmanagerisk.Interestingly, sociologistsoftrustworkingindifferent fi eldshavelongobservedthesymbiotic relationshipbetweenriskandtrust(Misztal1996;Tejpaletal.2013),wherein ‘trust cannotexistinanenvironmentofcertainty;ifitdid,itwoulddosotrivially. Therefore,trustexistsinanuncertainandriskyenvironment’ (Bhattacharyaetal. 1998,p.461).Inthesetimesofincreased ‘riskgovernance’ (Renn2008)ineducation,itisworthconsideringtheimplicationsofsuchriskmanagementinrelation tosocialtrustineducationprocessesandprofessionals.
Inmanyways,contemporaryscufflesover ‘classroomreadiness’ constituteyet anotherseriesofdebatesaroundtheage-oldkeyquestionofcurriculum,namely ‘whatknowledgeisofmostworth?’ (Spencer1859),thistimeplayedoutinrelation toteachereducationcurriculum.Theironyisthattrulyclassroomreadyteachersfor thetwenty-firstcenturymightnotnecessarilycarrywiththemapre-conceivedbody ofknowledgeattheoutsetoftheircareers.Certainly,theywouldhaveabroad understandingoftheinterplaybetweensocietyandeducation,ofhumandevelopmentandlearning,ofcurriculum,pedagogyandassessmentandtheirownrolein theshapingofallthreefortheirschoolsandstudents.Whiletheymightpossessa good ‘starter ’ knowledgeofcurriculumcontent,moreimportantlytheywould possesstheskillstoquickly ‘comeuptospeed’ onthoseareasofcurriculum contenttheyhavelessintimateknowledgeof.Further,theywouldpossessahigh toleranceforambiguity,endlesscuriosityaboutteachingandlearning,mental agility,capacitytoworkproductivelywithcolleagueswhoholdvastlydifferent perspectivestotheirsforthebenefitofstudentlearning,patience,empathy,creativity,aconstantlycriticalorientation,expertproblem-solvingskillsandthelist goeson.Inmountingacaseforanewwayofthinkingabout ‘teachingquality’ in 1990,LawrenceStenhousearguedthat ‘theacquisitionofsubjectknowledgeand technicalskillsarenecessaryconditionsofgoodteaching,butdonotcharacterize thedifferencebetweengoodteachersandothersoperatingatminimallyacceptable levelsofcompetence’ (Stenhouse1990,p.2).Theroleofteachereducation,then, mightbethoughtofasreachingbeyondthesenecessarybutnotsuffi cientconditionstosupportteacherstodeveloporientations,dispositionsandunderstandings thatwillhelpthemtoadapttheirsubjectknowledgeandtechnicalskillstothe benefitoftheirstudentsineachandeverycontextinwhichtheyworkoverthe courseoftheircareers.
Over15yearsago,MarilynCochran-Smithissuedawarningtoteachereducatorstobevigilantinembracingthecomplexityofteachingandresistingthe tendencytooversimplifi cationandreductionisminrelationto ‘goodteaching’ .
Teachingis unforgivinglycomplex.Itisnotsimplygoodorbad,rightorwrong,workingor failing.Althoughabsolutesanddichotomiessuchasthesearepopularintheheadlinesand incampaignslogans,theyarelimitedintheirusefulness.Theytacitlyassumethereis consensusacrossourdiversesocietyaboutthepurposesofschoolingandwhatitmeansto beengagedintheprocessofbecominganeducatedpersonaswellasconsensusabout whoseknowledgeandvaluesareofmostworthandwhatcountsasevidenceofthe effectivenessofteachingandlearning.Theyignorealmostcompletelythenuancesof ‘good’ (or ‘bad’)teachingofrealstudentscollectedinactualclassroomsinthecontextof particulartimesandplaces.Theymistakereductionismforclarity,myopiaforinsight. (Cochran-Smith2003,p.4)
Thecontemporarycatchcryof ‘classroomreadiness’ smacksofthiskindof reductionism theideathatgoodteachingcanbedistilledintoasetofdescriptors orcompetenciesabletobedeployedby ‘classroomready’ graduatesondayone oftheir firstyearofteaching.Goodteachingisalwaysaboutrelationship,andthe basictenetsofproductiveteachingandlearningrelationshipstaketimetodevelop, asdoestheprofessionalcapacityofteacherstodevelopsuchproductiverelationshipstimeandtimeagainwithdifferentcohortsofstudents.
Thesecondproblemwithourcurrentdiscourseof ‘classroomreadiness’ isthe endless(nottomentionpointless)dichotomiesitproducesandworkswith.Theory pittedagainstpractice(classroomreadinessisintensely ‘practical’); ‘new’ against experiencedteachers(sometimeswithonegrouppreferable,atothertimesthe other);teachersagainstteachereducators(practitionersagainstivory-towerdwellers).Again,thesedichotomiesrepresentanoversimplifi cationofthingsthatare enormouslycomplex.Thereflexiveandimportantrelationshipbetweentheoryand practice,rememberingKurtLewin’sclaimthat ‘thereisnothingsopracticalasa goodtheory’ (1951),isunderminedbythedichotomizingoftheoryandpractice, whiledichotomiesthatseektodividegroupsofeducatorsonanarbitrarybasissuch astheirlengthofserviceorthecontextoftheirpracticeworkagainstthedevelopmentofrealcollaborationforthebenefi tofstudents,andultimatelysociety. Furthermore,suchdichotomiesgenerallyrepresentanattemptto findasimple solutiontoidentifypolicyproblems,whetherthequalityofteachereducation, pre-serviceteachersorschoolingwritlarge.
Thisbookspeaksbacktothesediscoursesinpowerfulways.Ittakesasastarting pointtheideathatprofessionalexperienceismorethana ‘placement’ designedto promoteclassroomreadiness:thatprofessionalexperienceplaysaparticularrolein thedevelopmentofteacherprofessionalidentity,teacherknowledgeandteaching skills;andthatprofessionalexperience,collaborativelydesignedandenacted,can constitutea ‘thirdspace’ betweenschoolsanduniversitiesinteachereducation. Furthermore,atatimewhen ‘partnerships’,particularlybetweenuniversitiesand schoolsaroundprofessionalexperience,aremandatedbutscarcelysupportedona systemlevel,thenarrativesofpracticewithinthisbookhighlightarangeof innovativeandcreativeprofessionallearningpartnershipsthatfunctiontothe benefitofpre-serviceteachers,in-serviceteachersandteachereducators.
Thebookpointstothecrucial ‘boundarywork’ , ‘relationalwork’ and ‘identity work’ ofprofessionalexperienceinpreparingbeginningteacherswhoaretruly ‘classroomready’.Inrelationto ‘boundarywork’,theauthorspositnewwaysof
working ‘inpartnership’ inteachereducationthatintheirverybeingchallengeold andstultifyingdichotomies,openingupnewpossibilitiesforlearninginthe ‘third space’ (Zeichner2010)betweenuniversityandschool.Infocusingon ‘relational work’,theauthorschallengeustothinkabouttheroleofprofessionalexperiencein teacherdevelopmentbeyondthose ‘necessarybutinsufficientconditions’ forgood teachingidenti fiedbyStenhouseabove,throughthedevelopmentofgenerative inter-generationalandinter-culturallearningforbothpre-serviceandin-service teachers.Finally,inrelationto ‘identitywork’,theauthorsexploretheroleof professionalexperienceinsupportingthe becoming ofteachersandteachereducators,withtheirpersonalnarrativesrepresentingwhatConnellyandClandinin (1999)havereferredtoas ‘storiestoliveby’,thebuildingblocksofteacherprofessionalidentity.
Together,thechaptersandthenarrativestheycontainconstituteanargumentfor embracingcomplexityandrejectingoversimplifi cationinteachereducationatthis importantjuncture.Theauthorsholdthatthe ‘work’ ofprofessionalexperience withinteachereducation,whether ‘boundary’ , ‘relational’ or ‘identity’ ormost usually,acombinationofallthree,isachallenging,messy,humanbusinessthatin itsveryessencedeniessimpli fication.Theychallengeallofusinvolvedinteacher educationtothinkbeyondsimpleconceptualisationsof ‘classroomreadiness’,to embrace,andprepareourstudentsfor,thebeautifulcomplexityofteaching.
Sydney,AustraliaNicoleMockler TheUniversityofSydney
References
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Misztal,B.(1996). Trustinmodernsocieties:Thesearchforthebasisofsocialorder Cambridge:PolityPress. Power,M.(2007). Organizeduncertainty:Designingaworldofriskmanagement.Oxford: OxfordUniversityPress. Renn,O.(2008). Riskgovernance:Copingwithuncertaintyinacomplexworld.London: Earthscan.
Spencer,H.(1859).Whatknowledgeisofmostworth? WestminsterReview,16(1),1–41. Stenhouse,L.(1990).Describingteachingquality:Towardsanalternativemodelofquality assurance.Retrievedfrom https://www.uea.ac.uk/documents/4059364/4994243/Stenhouse1990-Describing+Teaching+Quality.pdf/65ad6e84-cf51-435e-b275-7e7bb4ab5d34 Tejpal,G.,Garg,R.K.,Sachdeva,A.(2013).Trustamongsupplychainpartners:Areview. MeasuringBusinessExcellence,17(1),51–71. Zeichner,K.(2010).Rethinkingtheconnectionsbetweencampuscoursesand fieldexperiencesin college-anduniversity-basedteachereducation. JournalofTeacherEducation,61(1–2), 89–99.
GrahamParr,JudyWilliamsandAngeFitzgerald
JudyWilliams,SimoneWhite,RachelForgaszandHelenGrimmett
3BeyondClassroomWalls:HowIndustryPartnerships
JaneKirkby,KellyCarabottandDeborahCorrigan
SarahHopkinsandPennyRound 5GoingRemote:NarrativesofLearningonanIndigenous
JenniferRennie,CordeliaProwd,RyanHarrison,TanyaDavies andTeanauNewton
MinhHueNguyenandGrahamParr 7GenerationsofLearning:AProfessionalLearning
JohnPardyandKristinReimer
HaoranZheng,AnneKearyandJulieFaulkner
PartIIIProfessionalExperienceasIdentityWork
9BringingtheProfessionintoUniversityClassrooms:Narrativesof LearningfromCo-teachingPrimaryMathematics 143 SharynLivyLivy,JohnsonAlagappan,TraceyMuir andAnnDownton
10Co-teachingasPraxisinEnglishInitialTeacherEducation ...... 163 GrahamParr,FleurDiamondandScottBulfi n
11BacktotheFuture:AJourneyofBecomingaProfessional PracticeConsultant .....................................
OndineJayneBradbury
12(Re)navigatingtheClassroomasaTeacherEducator ...........
AngeFitzgerald
Re-imaginingProfessionalExperience inInitialTeacherEducation
GrahamParr,JudyWilliamsandAngeFitzgerald
Abstract Thisopeningchapteriswrittenbythebook’seditors.Theysetoutthe historical,cultural,policyandresearchcontextsfor Re-imaginingprofessionalexperienceininitialteachereducation:Narrativesoflearning,andpresentarationale forthecollectionatatimewhenteachereducationinAustralia,aselsewhere,is attemptingtodealwithsignificantpolicypressures.Thechapteroffersadefinition ofprofessionalexperiencethatunderpinsallofthechaptersthatfollow,andproposes aconceptualandmethodologicalframeworkforengagingwiththosechapters.Each oftheeditorscontributesashortautobiographicalnarrativetoconveysomeoftheir personalandacademicbackgroundsasteachereducatorsandtoillustratesomeof thepowerfulwaysnarrativecanbeusedtorepresentandinquireintoprofessional experience.Thechapterconcludeswithbriefsummariesofallother11chaptersof thecollection.
WhyThisBook?WhyNow?
Thelasttwodecadeshaveseenagradualerosionofconfidence,atleastasfaras politiciansandpolicymakersareconcerned,inthecapacityofuniversity-based initialteachereducation(ITE)programstopreparethenextgenerationofteachers. Thishaspromptedgovernmentstointroducewide-rangingreformsofITE.IntheUS, thesereformshaveincludedsignificantderegulationofteachereducation,promoting theestablishmentofindependentteachereducationprogramsthatdonotinvolve universitiesatall(Zeichner, 2017).InEngland,thecontributionofuniversitiesto initialteachereducationhasbeensignificantlyreducedbyagovernmentdirectivethat pre-serviceteachers(PSTs)undertakesubstantiallymoreoftheir‘teachertraining’ inschools,sothattheycanthenbetterfocusondevelopingtheir‘coreteachingskills’
G.Parr(B) J.Williams MonashUniversity,Melbourne,Australia e-mail:graham.parr@monash.edu
A.Fitzgerald
UniversityofSouthernQueensland,Springfield,Australia
©SpringerNatureSingaporePteLtd.2018
A.Fitzgeraldetal.(eds.), Re-imaginingProfessionalExperienceinInitial TeacherEducation,https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-0815-4_1
(Carter, 2015).InAustralia,wheretheauthorsandeditorsofthisbookwork,there hasbeenasimilarincreaseinmandatedschool-basedpracticumhoursforPSTs. Thiswasoneofmanyrecommendationsof Actionnow,Classroomreadyteachers, agovernmentfundedreportonITEbytheTeacherEducationMinisterialAdvisory Group(TEMAG)(2014).
Onekeythemeof Actionnow,Classroomreadyteachers,consistentwithrecent internationalreports,istheimportanceofensuringgraduateteachersare‘classroom ready’.Thisthemeisdrivenbyanenthusiasticbeliefinthepowerofstandardsand standardisationofITEprogramstoimprovethequalityandconsistencyofteacher educationacrossAustralia.Andyet3yearsafterthepublicationof Actionnow,the notionof‘classroomready’isstillbeinghotlydebated.Whatdoes‘classroomready’ actuallymean?Whatdoesthepreparationof‘classroomready’teachersentail?How willthestandardisationofinitialteachereducationprogramsandpractices,orpreserviceteachersspendingmoretimeinoneschool,ensuregraduatesareto‘ready toteach’intheculturallydiverseclassroomsofAustralianschools?Additionally, White,BloomfieldandLeCornu(2010)haveaskedwhetherapreoccupationwith ‘classroomready’graduateteachersignorestheimportanceofthesegraduatesbeing school and community ready.
Re-imaginingprofessionalexperienceininitialteachereducation:Narrativesof learning takesupthesequestions,andrespondstocallstoundertakemorerigorousresearchintoprofessionalexperience(e.g.,LeCornu, 2015),bytellingauthenticscholarlystoriesaboutprofessionalexperienceinITE.Thestoriesreflexively describeandcriticallyanalysethelearningthatemergesfromarangeofprofessionalexperience(PE)programsandinitiativesinandaroundMonashUniversityin associationwithitspartnerinstitutionsandcommunities.Ourprimaryfocusisonthe professionallearningofacademicandprofessionalstaff,andonschool-,communityandindustry-basedmentorsassociatedwithpre-serviceteachers’professionalexperience.Occasionally,thisextendstotheprofessionallearningofpre-serviceteachers aswell.Ouranalysisisshapedbythebeliefthatprofessionalexperienceconstitutes arangeofcollaborativeactivities,relationshipsandpartnershipsinvolvingclose interactionwithprofessionalteachersandinstitutions(notjustschools),andthatit shouldbemotivatedbyasetofethicalimperativesforpreparingthenextgeneration ofteacherswhoareneededtoteachallchildreninaculturallydiverseworld.
Workingwiththisbelief,thebookhighlightstensionsinthewayspolicy,practice andtheoryunderstandprofessionalexperienceininitialteachereducation.Through presentingandanalysingtheirexperiences,theauthorsteaseoutthesetensions, anddiscusshowprofessionalexperienceinandaroundoneFacultyofEducation cancontributetothedevelopmentofpre-serviceteachers’identities,knowledge andskills.The‘re-imagining’inthebook’stitlereferstoashiftbeyondanarrow understandingofprofessionalexperienceasshort-termpracticum(althoughthis, too,canbeimproved)toonewhichincludesadiversityofeducationalexperiences andpartnershipsthatassistpre-serviceteacherstolearntoteach,toappreciatethe extraordinarycomplexityoftheprofessiontheyareabouttoenter,andtodevelop theirprofessionalidentitiesasteachers.
Itissignificantthatmostchaptersofthebookfocusoncollaboration,partnerships and/ormentoringonandacrossthebordersthatseparateschools,community‘centresoflearning’,industryanduniversities.Differentchaptersinquireintodifferent waysthatMonashUniversityisengagingwiththeteachingprofession,bothwithin moretraditionalpracticumprogramsandinothersettingswithpre-serviceteachers,university-basedteachereducatorsandexternallybasedprofessionals.Authors describearangeofinnovativeprograms,arrangementsandapproachesthatare respondingtopublicandpoliticalconcernaboutqualityinteachereducation,therole ofeducationalpartnershipsinteacherpreparationandthepersonalandprofessional learninggainedfromsuchopportunities.Thestoriestheytellrevealamultiplicityof experiences,challenges,successesandinsightsofacademicsandprofessionalstaff inoneuniversity’sfacultyofeducation(alongwiththeireducationalpartners)asit re-imaginesprofessionalexperienceinITE.
Atatimewhenpoliticalandpublictrustininitialteachereducationisfaltering,we believeitisimportanttobesharingrigorouslytheorisedstoriesofprofessionalexperience. Re-imaginingprofessionalexperienceininitialteachereducation:Narratives oflearning informspolicymakersandotherscepticsofthevaluableworkuniversitiesandtheirpartnersarealreadyundertakingtoenrichandimprovetheprofessional experienceofpre-serviceteachersinITE.Thebookillustrates,andpresentsforcriticalscrutiny,waysinwhichuniversitieslikeMonasharerespondingtocallsfora well-supported,clearlyfocused,research-basedprogramofprofessionalexperience. Wehopethatreadersmightbeencouragedtodeveloptheirownnewunderstandings ofprofessionalexperience,andappreciatethebenefitsofanexpandedunderstanding ofprofessionalexperienceintheirinstitution.
HowDidThisCollectionComeAbout?
We,thethreeeditorsofthisbook,collaboratedonapreviouseditedcollectionabout initialteachereducationwithSpringer, Narrativesoflearningthroughinternational professionalexperience. Thatbookusednarrativetoexplorethenatureandexperienceofinternationalprofessionalexperience(IPE)forpre-serviceteachers,aswell astheAustralianteachereducatorsandeducationalpartnerswholedtheseexperiencesindifferentgeographicsettings(Fitzgerald,Parr,&Williams, 2017).Our long-terminvolvementin,andcommitmentto,IPEprogramsandpartnershipsin theFacultyofEducationatMonashUniversity,wasakeydriverforthatcollection. So,too,withthiscollection,wherethefocusexpandstoencompassallaspectsof professionalexperienceinITE,includingsomeradicaldevelopmentsinthefield.
AsteachereducatorsinMonash’sprofessionalexperienceprogram,thethreeof ushaveplayedanumberofteachingandleadershiprolesoverthepast15years. JudyandAnge,forinstance,haveheldtheseniorleadershippositionofDirectorof ProfessionalExperienceandPartnerships,andGrahamhasbeenDirectorofSecondaryTeacherEducationcourses.Also,wehavevisitedandobservedpre-service teachersonschoolplacement;liaisedwithmentorsorcoordinatorsofpracticum
placementsinschoolswhenthingswerenotgoingwell;negotiatednewandalternativeprofessionalexperiencearrangementswithschoolleaders,withinAustralia andinternationally;andworkedwithpartnersinschool,communityorindustryto developalternativeconceptionsofprofessionalexperience.Inalloftheseactivities, wehaveappreciatedthecentralityofprofessionalexperienceinitsdifferentforms intheformationofthenextgenerationofteachers.
Givenourbeliefaseditorsinthevalueofnarrativeinrepresentingandcritically investigatingaspectsofprofessionalexperience,wefeelitisimportanttoshare heresomemoreinformationaboutourbackgrounds,intheformsofstoriesofour involvementinprofessionalexperience.Inthenextsection,weeachpresentabrief narrativewindowintoourpast,showinghowourbiographieshaveinformedour interestin,commitmenttoandpassionforprofessionalexperience.Judyreflects uponhertimeasaprimaryschoolteachersupervisingastudentteacherwhenher pasteducationlecturerfromMonashUniversitypaidavisittoherclassroomto observethat‘studentteacher’inaction.Grahamthenrecallsanearlymemoryasa teachereducatorobservingapre-serviceteacherteachonapracticumplacement, andbuildingaprofessionaldialoguewithheraboutherteaching.Finally,Ange ponders(inherstrategicroleasDirectorofProfessionalExperience)feedbackfrom pre-serviceteachersshowinghowmuchtheyvalueprofessionalexperiencetimein schoolsduringtheirteachereducationdegree.WebeginwithJudy’snarrative.
Judy’snarrative: “YoushoulddowhatIdo!”
Alecturerfrommy almamater (MonashUniversity)wasvisitingmyprimaryschoolclassroom,andobservingthepre-serviceteacherwhomIhadbeen‘supervising’forthepastweek orso.Theword‘mentoring’wasn’tusedinthelate1980s,atimewhen‘studentteachers’ undertook‘teachingrounds’todemonstratetheireffectivenessasclassroomteachers.This particularlecturerhadbeenmylecturer10yearspreviously.Irememberedherlecturesbeing fulltooverflowing,asstudentsflockedtoherclassestohearherpassionatelyteachingabout ourfuturecareers—asprimaryschoolteachers.Now,shewasinmyclassroom,workingwith thenextgenerationofbeginningteachers.Icannotrecallthedetailsofourconversation,but Imusthaveexpressedaninterestintheprocessofsupervisingstudentteachersinmyclassroom,andhowinterestedIwasintheirlearning.Thismighthavegonebeyondtheusual conversationsshe’dhadwithothersupervisingteachers—Iamnotsure.ButIrememberthis conversationleadingtoherexclamationthatIshould“dowhatIdo”—workinauniversity toteachaboutteaching.
Asitturnedout,mycareertrajectory did leadmetodoingwhatthatlecturerwasdoing—workingwithpre-serviceteachers,bothatuniversityandinthefield,duringtheirprofessionalexperienceplacement.WhenIenteredtheacademy,Iwasallocatedteachingrolesthat directlysupportedpre-serviceteachersonplacement,includingvisitstotheirclassroomsto observeandconverseabouttheirteaching.OvertheyearsIalsotaughtinunitsthatsupportedpre-serviceteachersintheirjourneyintotheteachingprofession.Whiletheteachers, principals,pre-serviceteachersandchildrenworkingandlearninginschoolshavealways beenanimportantpartofmypersonalandprofessionalidentity,asmycareerasateacher educatorprogresses,Ihavecometoseethatworkingwiththeprofessiondoesn’talways havetoinvolvethepracticum.
Theterm‘professionalexperience’hasgrowntoencompassmorethanmerelythe ‘practicum’or‘placement,’andasmyroleattheuniversitybeginstoshiftawayfrom workingdirectlywithschools,IunderstandthatIcanstillbepartoftheessentialworkof teachersandteachinginotherways.
Istillteachinunitsthatdirectlysupportpre-serviceteacherslearningabouttheirteaching. ButInowoftenfindmyselftalkingtoandmentoringthenextgenerationofteachereducators—noviceacademics,graduateresearchstudents(someofwhomareteachersinschools), classroomteacherslookingforacareershiftintoacademia,professionalstaffsupporting pre-serviceteachersinschools,andco-teachersstraddlingtheboundariesofschoolsand universities.Involvementintheprofessionalexperienceofpre-serviceteachersisnotlimitedtothepracticum.AndwhileImissbeingdirectlyinvolvedinworkingwithteachersand childreninschools,bynecessity,myperspectiveshavebroadenedtoencompassarangeof waysinwhichourpre-serviceteacherscanengage in and with theprofession,tobecome thenextgenerationofteachingprofessionals.
Graham’snarrative: The‘luxury’ofknowingstudentswevisitonprofessionalexperience InmyearlyyearsasanEnglishteachereducatoratMonash(after14yearsasanEnglish teacherinsecondaryschools),Iusedtotravelto30plusschoolseveryyeartoobserve‘student teachers’frommy‘Englishmethods’classeson‘teachingrounds’.Ilovedthatwork.Itwas oneoftheprivilegesofbeingateachereducatortobeabletospendtimeinsuchawide rangeofschoolsandclassrooms.Thelanguage,thepolicylandscapeandtheinstitutional infrastructurefororganisingprofessionalexperiencewereverydifferentthen.Thenature ofmyownworkasateachereducatorwasalsoverydifferent.LikeJudy,opportunitiesto observepre-serviceteachersinschoolsaremuchrarerformenow.Imakeshorterandfewer visitstofewerpracticumschoolsthanIdidthen.Iregretthat.
WhenIfirstbeganvisitingstudentteachersonteachingroundsin2001,Iwasalwaysobservingstudentsfrommyownclassesatuniversity.Also,Ihadthe‘luxury’ofspending time in theschooltoconverseatsomelengthwiththatstudentbeforeandaftertheobservedlesson. ThismeantthatthefeedbackIwroteduringthelessoncouldbemoreconversationalthan evaluative.Myfocuscouldbeonpromotingaprobingprofessionalconversationwithmy studentabouthis/herteachingratherthanimaginingIcouldflyintotheclassroom,observe alesson,offeranobjectiveevaluation,andthenflyoutasquicklyasIhadflownin. Inpreparingforthewritingofthisnarrative,IfoundcommentsIwrotein2004forCelia (notherrealname),anEnglishstudentteacheronateachingroundinthesecondsemester ofherDiplomaofEducation.Inourpre-lessonchat,Celiahadsharedwithmeherunhappy experienceofrevisionlessonswhenshewasasecondarystudentwhere herteacher did mostoftherevisingandstudentssataroundboredwitless!Topreventthishappeninginthis practicumlesson,CeliaplannedtodivideherYear10studentsintocollaborativegroups, providethemwithcarefullychosenquotesandpromptsfromtheliterarytextstheywould bewritingaboutintheirupcomingexams,andinvitethemtocompareandcontrastthese texts.
MycommentaryonCelia’slessonbeganasfollows:
It’searlyintheday.Thestudentsarechattinghappilyastheyspillintoyourclassroom. Youengageverynaturallyandsociablywiththemastheytaketheirseats,greetinga fewstragglerswithagentle‘hurryup.’Theyrespondasyou’dhope–theyrealisethe classisabouttobegin.Therapportthatyouhavedevelopedwiththisgroupbefore todayisevidentintheseinitialexchanges.Andyetyoucaneasilyshiftintoandout ofaslightlymoreperemptorytone:‘Anyonewhohasn’tsubmittedthishomework …I’llseethemafterclass.’
Itwasadecisivestarttothelesson,althoughtherestofmynotessuggestthatwhatfollowed haditsupsanddownsforCelia.Nevertheless,Irecallthatmyextendedprofessionallearning conversationwithherafterthelessonwasrichanddiverse.
Backin2004,asanearlycareerteachereducator,Iprobablytookforgrantedthe‘luxury’of alreadyknowingthestudents(likeCelia)Iobserved‘onrounds’.ItookforgrantedthatIhad ampletimetobuildaconversationwiththemaroundmyobservationsoftheirteaching.That
wouldchangeasteachereducatorswereforcedtobecomemore‘efficient’inthewaythey usedtheirtime.ThisisachangeinmyworkasateachereducatorthatIdeeplyregret.On amorepositivenote,myawarenessofotherpossibilitiesforweavingdiverseprofessional experience/sintoteachereducationcoursesandprogramshasalsochanged—inexciting ways….
Ange’snarrative: Teachereducatorsinthedrivingseatforchange
Recently,Ispentanumberofhourscarefullyreadingthequalitativefeedbackthatourinitial teachereducationstudentssharedthroughtheofficialuniversitychannel(StudentEvaluation ofTeacherandUnit—SETU)abouttheirprofessionalexperienceunits.Oneofthejoysof beingtheDirectorofProfessionalExperienceintheFaculty!Thisfeedbackwasframed aroundtwokeyquestions—Whichaspect(s)ofthisunitdidyoufindmosteffective?;and Wouldyousuggestanychangestoenhancethisunitinthefuture?—andwasinlightofhaving completedarecentpracticuminacentreorschool.Resoundingly,regardlessofcourseor stageofcourse,professionalexperiencewasthefocusoftheiranswerstobothquestions. Studentsunequivocallyappreciatedtheopportunitytohavetimeonplacement,andthey wantedmoreofit.
Beinginaschoolenvironmentwasfarmoreeffectivethanauniversitysetting.Fair tosayIlearnedmoreinthese10daysthaninayearofuniversity(2ndyearstudent, B.Ed.(PrimaryandSecondaryEducation))
Moreprofessionalexperiencecouldneverbeabadthing!(3rdyearstudent,B.Ed. (SecondaryEducation))
HavingtheopportunitytoapplywhatI’velearnedsofarinanactualworkplacesetting (1styearstudent,M.Teach(EarlyYearsEducation))
Commentslikethesecausepauseforthought. Itiscertainlynotuncommonoranewphenomenonforeducationstudentstoidentifythat moretimeinschoolsmighthelpcombattheirfeelingsofbeingunderpreparedfortherealities oftheclassroom.Myconversationswithourstudentsinrecentyearshavesuggestedthat manyareoptingtoundertakecasualreliefteachingorcasualeducation-relatedworkinitially ratherthanapplyforpermanentschoolorcentrepositionsasawayofgainingmoreteaching experienceandclassroomconfidence.Itisinterestingtoconsiderthesethoughtsinrelation tomyrecentconversationswithcentreandschoolleadersaboutwhattheyarelookingfor ingraduates.Onerecountedhowwithover120applicantsforonegraduatepositionather school,theyneededtohavewaystonarrowthefieldgiventhatallhavecompletedaninitial teachereducationdegreewithasetamountofprofessionalexperience.Voluntaryexperiences andcasualworkinvolvingchildrenandyoungpeople,suchasswimminginstructingorafter schoolcareorotherformsofteachinginthecommunity,wereseenaskeywaysto‘stand outfromthecrowd’.
Inteachereducationcourses,itisclearthatprofessionalexperienceisanimportantaspect oflearningthecraftofteaching.Itisobviousthathands-onopportunitiestolearninsitu matter.ButinmycurrentroleIseethattheseopportunitiesneedtobeweighedupagainst minimumrequirementsforteacherregistrationaswellasstructuralandfinancialconstraints thatexistwithinschoolsandfacultiesofeducation.Regardless,ithasbecomeincreasingly cleartomethatengagementwithprofessionalexperienceneedstocomefrommorethanjust practicumplacements.Itmeansgettingcreativeandcapitalisingonno-to-low-costwaysto connectwiththeprofessioninwaysthataretargetedandcontextualised.Anditisus—teacher educators—whoareinthedrivingseattoinstigatethiskindofchange.Weneedtoembrace opportunitiestobringdifferentwaysofthinkingaboutandparticipatinginprofessional experienceintoourpracticestobettersupportthedevelopmentoffutureteachers.
Oneofthebenefitsoftellingourownstoriesaswehaveaboveisthatweareableto clarifyandmakemoreexplicitourotherwiseblurredidentitiesasco-authors.Fora brieftime,atleast,weinterruptthecombinedvoicethatcharacterisedtheopening pagesofthischaptertopresentindividualvoicesasteachereducators,researchers andcollaboratingeditorsofthiscollection.This‘interrupting’allowsustoreveal thehistoriesandattitudesofthreeindividualacademicswhoareactivelyreflecting upontheirexperiencesinexistingprofessionalexperienceprogramsandimagining whatprofessionalexperienceinITEmightlooklikeintothefuture.Bynarratively situatingourworkonthisbookinaparticularplaceandhistoricalcontext,wecan provideinsightsintoITEthatarenotpresentintheanonymouslycompiledboxand whiskerplots,histogramsandtablesofstatisticsintheInitialTeacherEducationData Reports,forexample,publishedeveryyearbyAITSL(e.g.AITSL, 2017).Inother words,thereismuchthatnarrative-basedresearchcaninvestigateandcommunicate thattraditionalquantitativestudiesofITEcanneverachieve—suchasexploring therelationalworkofprofessionalexperienceandteasingoutpersonalperspectives onthisexperience.Wewanttotakethisopportunitytostateourbeliefthatany commitmenttoimprovingprofessionalexperienceinITE,andpromoting“amore informeddebateaboutthedirectionofITEinthiscountry”(JohnHattie,quotedin AITSL, 2017,p.1),shouldpayattentiontoawiderangeofinsightsandresearch methodologies.
Indeed,ourvisionaseditorsofthiscollectionhasplacedgreatstoreintheway narrativecanbothrepresentandcriticallyexploreexperiencesandrelationshipsfrom differentperspectives(Clandinin&Connelly, 2000;Parr,Doecke,&Bulfin, 2015). Thechapterswhichfollowpresentrigorouslytheorisedstoriesauthoredbyteacher educators,mentorsandprofessionalstaffwhoseprofessionalexperience/sarecrucial inpreparingthenextgenerationofteacherstoentertheteachingprofession.Where otherrecentpublicationsaboutprofessionalexperiencehaveprovideda‘handbook’ approach,offeringpre-serviceteachersvaluableinformationabouthowtosucceed intheirprofessionalexperienceorpracticum, Narrativesoflearningthroughinternationalprofessionalexperience eschewsthisoption.Rather,weusenarrative-based methodologies(suchascriticalautobiography,self-study,autoethnographyandnarrativeinquiry)torepresentandprobethechallengesandopportunitiesofdeveloping newandalternativeapproachestoprofessionalexperienceininitialteachereducation.Wehavepurposelyleftittoauthorsofeachchaptertoarticulatewhatparticular traditionsandtheoriesofnarrativeinresearchtheyaredrawinguponintheirwriting, andhownarrativemediatestheirinvestigationandtheknowledgetheyaresharing.
HowIsProfessionalExperienceRe-imaginedinThisBook?
ThreeKeyThemes
Intheusualparlanceofteachereducationliterature,theterm‘professionalexperience’referstothecompulsorypracticumplacementsorfieldexperienceofaninitial teachereducationprogram.InAustralia,thiscurrentlyinvolvesaminimumof80days forundergraduatecourses(usually4years,fulltimestudy)and60daysforgraduate courses(1.5–2years,fulltimestudy).Forthedayswhenpre-serviceteachersare locatedinschools,earlychildhoodsettingsorothereducationalcentres(usuallyin Australia,butsometimesoverseas),theyarementoredorsupervisedbyexperienced teachersorindustryprofessionals.Thesementorsarerequiredtoprovideareport onandevaluationofthepre-serviceteacher’s‘performance’intheclassroom(or othersetting),whichbecomespartoftheuniversity’sfinaljudgementofwhethera pre-serviceteacheris‘readytoteach’attheconclusionoftheirdegree.Thesearethe accreditedrequirementssetdownforprofessionalexperienceofferedbyAustralian teachereducationproviders(AITSL, 2015),andinmostchaptersofthisbookthey arethestartingpointforre-imaginingprofessionalexperience.Forexample,some authors’re-imagininginvolvesconsiderationofwhatcanbeimprovedinmoretraditionalpracticumarrangements(suchasintheareaofschool-basedmentoring,and mentoringwhichisgenuinelysharedbetweenschoolanduniversity-basededucators).Othersillustratewhatispossiblewhenafacultyofeducationreachesoutto andcollaborateswithawiderrangeofsettingsandpartnersforpre-serviceteachers to undertake theirprofessionalexperiencefieldwork—suchasinthecommunityor inindustry.Stillothersre-conceptualiseprofessionalexperiencethatdoesnotrelyon students travellingtoaprofessionalexperience,asitwere,butrathertheprofessional experienceisdeeplyembeddedwithinacampus-basedteachereducationprograms (forinstanceinco-teachingarrangements).
Acrossthesedifferentapproaches,anumberofkeythemescanbeseenemergingandplayingoutinparticularandsometimessimilarways.Threeofthemost frequentlyaddressedthemesareoftenreferredtoasformsofwork—(i)boundary work;(ii)relationalwork;and(iii)identitywork.Weoffer,here,abriefintroduction totheseinterrelatedthemesandtheirsignificancetothebookoverall,beforegoing ontosummarisethechaptersthatfollow,andtheirconnectionwiththesethemes.
i. Boundarywork
Darling-Hammond(2009)andZeichner(2010)havepoetically(andnowfamously) describedthedisconnectbetweenacademiccourseworkand‘fieldworkexperiences’ astheAchillesheelofinitialteachereducation.Andtheyhaveadvocatedfor‘new hybridspaces’that‘morecloselyconnect’thesedimensionsofpre-serviceteacher education(Zeichner, 2010,p.89).Manyofthechaptersinthisbookcanberead aspositiveresponsestothisadvocacy.Weseeauthorsthinkingdifferentlyabout, andoftenre-conceptualising,whattheyframeasprofessionalexperience.Muchof their‘thinkingdifferently’involvesworkingonandacrosstraditionallyassumed ‘boundaries’betweencampus-basedlearningand‘professionalexperience’(usually
assumedtobeinschools).Eachchapterisenlivenedwithexamplesofhowthisdifferentthinkingcanbeimplementedinpractice.Thecarefullytheorisedresearchstories sharedinthiscollectionbringtolifewhatmightbeachievedintermsofengaging andrigorousteachereducationpractice.Andyettheauthorsdonotshyawayfrom identifyingthechallengesofthisboundarywork,suchaswhentherequiredinnovativeworkdoesnotfitneatlyintotheboundedexistingrolesofteacher,teacher educatororpre-serviceteacher.
Somechapterauthorshavehighlightedthattheynowseetheirroleasteacher educatorasanegotiatorbetweendifferentstakeholders,andtheydescribehowthey havehadtonegotiatebetweencompetingdemandsinanunfamiliarenvironment. Theyfindthemselvesduckingandweavingthroughoptionsof who theymightbe and how theymightbeinthispreviouslyunchartedspace.Zeichner(2010)captures thissenseofbeing‘neitherherenorthere’incontemporaryteachereducationthrough imaginingwhatheandothershavecalledthe‘thirdspace’.Inthiscollection,the notionofthethirdspacesignalsarejectionofclearcutbinaries(suchasbetween theoryandpractice,orbetweenpractitionerknowledgeandacademicknowledge) andoptsforashiftfromaneither/orperspectivetoanintegrationofaboth/alsoview. Zeichnerchallengesthoseofusinvolvedininitialteachereducationtothrowoffthe shacklesthatconfineustomoreconventionalteachereducationspacesthatwemight feelobligedtoworkin—thesemightbeinacademiccourseworkorinprofessional experienceplacementsorboth—andtoembracemorehybridrolesasleadersand facilitatorsinpre-serviceteachereducation.
Inasimilarveintotheconstructofthethirdspace,Aikenhead(1996)andGiroux (2005)havereferredtoaparadigmaticshiftinexploringthenotionofbordercrossing orworkinginborderspaces.Thisworkalsoinvolvesnegotiation.Giroux(2005)made referencetothenotionsof‘mingling(and)clashing’(p.2)asawayofmakingsense oftheencountersthathappenasindividualsand/orgroupsmoveacrossboundaries thattraditionallydemarcatedthedifferentteachereducationspaces.Examplesof minglingandclashingareevidentacrossmanyofthechaptershere,asauthors describetheeffortsofteachereducatorsandotherstonegotiatetheirwaytodeeper learninginthesehybridspacesandtonewemergingidentities.Aswehaveidentified previously(Williamsetal., 2017),‘theprocessofmingling(andmakingsenseof thatmingling)andclashing(andseekingtoresolvetheseclashes)isacrucialpart of…professionallearninganddevelopment’(p.8).Webelieveanappreciationof thepositiveoutcomesofboundarycrossingiscrucialinanyattempttore-imagine professionalexperienceinITE.
ii. Relationalwork
Beingateachereducatorinauniversityenvironmentinvolvesadiverserangeofwork. Wemustundertakeresearch,administration/service,andformostteachereducators, teachpre-serviceteachers.Muchofthisteachingtakesplaceinuniversityclassroomsandlecturetheatres,butformany,teachinginvolvesreachingoutbeyondthe universitywallstoengagewiththeteachingprofession,schoolsandothereducationalproviders,parentsandcommunities,allwiththeaimofeducatingpre-service teachersaboutwhatitmeansto be ateacher,andnotjusthowto do teaching.The
differencebetween doing and being isoneofthemoreimportantthemesemerging fromthesechapters.Whileprofessionalexperiencecanbeseenintermsofitsorganization,artefacts,practices,programsandgraduateoutcomes,thechaptersinthis collectionhighlightjusthowimportantrelationshipsareintheprocessoflearning to become ateacher.Therelationshipsinclude,butarenotrestrictedto,thefollowing:relationshipsbetweenpre-serviceteachersandteachereducators;relationships betweenpre-serviceteachersandprofessionalstaff;betweenschool-basedmentors anduniversity-basedteachereducators;betweenteachereducatorsandtheiruniversitycolleagues;andbetweentheuniversityandschoolsandothercommunity partners.
Kitchen(2005a, b)described‘relationalteachereducation’as‘areciprocal approachtoenablingteachergrowththatbuildsfromtherealisationthatweknowin relationshiptoothers’(2005a,p.17).Further,hebelievedthathisownrelationships withpre-serviceteachershelpedhimtounderstandwhohewasasateachereducator. Hestressedtheimportanceofrelationalworkinteachereducatorsunderstandingand improvingtheirownpractice;understandingthelandscapeofteachereducation;displayingrespectandempathytoallinvolvedinteachereducation;helpingpre-service teachersfaceandmanagetheirownchallenges;and,critically,beingreceptiveto ‘growinginrelationship’(Kitchen, 2005a,p.18).Allthechaptersinthiscollection haveelementsofthisrelationalworkinthem,andintheirvariouswaysunderscorethe importanceofrelationshipsintheworkofprofessionalexperience.Mentoring,partnerships,collaborationandcollegiality,andcommunityinvolvement—allofthese facetsofprofessionalexperiencearebuiltonnotionsofrespectfulrelationships, trustandsomedegreeofinformedrisk-taking.Asinanyrelationship,thereisno guaranteeofsuccess,andparticipantsneedtotrustthemselvesandeachotherwhen facingtheinherentchallengesthatrelationalworkinvolves.Eachnarrativeinthis bookexploresthechallengesin,andthelearningarisingfrom,professionalexperiencerelationships.Theytakethenotionofrelationalworkinprofessionalexperience beyondthepracticumandtheconstraintsthatthissometimesinvolves,toadeeper understandingoftheprofessionalandpedagogicalrelationshipsthatunderpinthe learningofallinvolved.Whentherelationaldimensionsofprofessionalexperience arefullyunderstoodandappreciated,arrangementsaremorelikelytobecreatedor organisedsoastooptimisereciprocallearningexperiencesthatcanonlyflourish whererespectfulrelationshipsexist—whichis,afterall,whatteachingisallabout.
iii. Identitywork
Itiswidelyrecognisedintheliteraturethatinitialteachereducationisajourney of‘becoming’duringwhichthepre-serviceteacher’sbeliefsandidentityareradicallytransformed.Thejourneybegins—asFeiman-Nemser(2001)andBritzman (2003)observe—wellbeforeapre-serviceteacherenrolsinateachingdegree:all experiencesinschoolandothereducationspacesleadinguptoateachereducation degreehavecontributedtothepre-serviceteacher’semergingsenseofhim/herself asapotentialeducator.Allbeingwell,thisidentitycontinuestoemergeandbecome throughoutateachereducationcourseandindeedthroughateacher’scareerora teachereducator’scareer.Butintheperiodwhenstudentsareenrolledinaninitial
teachereducationcourse,andespeciallywhentheyareconnectedwithsomeelement ofprofessionalexperience(inaschool,university,communityorindustrysetting), thattransformationcanbeparticularlyintense.
Atonelevel,thetransformationinvolvesadynamicshuttlingbetweenthepreserviceteacher’sidentityasastudentstudyinginauniversityandhis/heridentityas ateacherlearnerandclassroompractitioner,withprofessionalandethicalresponsibilitiesfortheyoungandimpressionableschool-agedstudentsinhis/hercare.At anotherlevelthepre-serviceteacherisworkingouthowtooperateindifferentroles indifferenteducationalspaces,sectors,institutionsandcommunities,eachwithits owndistincthistories,cultures,practicesanddiscourses,andyetwithsomethingsin common.He/sheismovingbackandacrossmultipleboundariesthatprovisionally demarcatethesespaces,sectors,institutionsandcommunities,workingout whoto be and howtobe inthem.Intime,he/shemustfindawaytobringtogethersometimes disparateselves:ahomeselfandauniversityself;auniversityselfandaschoolself; aselfasteacherofonediscipline(orevenoneclass)andaselfasteacherofanother discipline(orclass);aselfwhocanworkwithoneprofessionalmentorandwith anotherverydifferentmentor;andaselfthatcan be differentlyindifferenteducationalsettings.Thedynamicmovementbetweentheseselves—whatmanyauthors inthiscollectionrefertoas‘identitywork’—canreinforceordisruptordestabilisea senseofone’sidentity.Thiscollectionarguesthatsuchmovementisacrucialdimensiontoone’slearninganddevelopmentintheprofessionalexperiencedimensionsof ateachereducationcourse.
Thechaptersthatfollowillustratehowuniversity-basedacademicsandprofessionalstaff,andschool-,community-andindustry-basedmentors,allofwhomseek tosupportandenablepre-serviceteachersintheirprofessionalexperienceandlearning,areobligedtoknowandappreciatethecomplexityandnuancesofpre-service teachers’identitywork.Importantly,thebookarguesthattheseteachereducatorsand educationprofessionalsarethemselvesengagedincomplexidentitywork,shuttling between,combiningandcreatingdifferentidentities,movingacrossboundaries, negotiatingcontrastingcultures,spacesandcommunities.Itischallenging,often under-appreciatedwork,whichrequiresparticularexpertise,asthestoriesinthis collectiontestify.
Gee(2000)offersahelpfulhermeneutictomakesenseofthisidentitywork.He arguesthatidentityisbothanindividualandasocialconstruct;thatitiscreatedand negotiated,ratherthanbeingdiscoveredorfreelychosen;anditisalwaysprovisional, intheprocessofbecoming.Identity,forGee,ismediatedwithrespecttothefollowing influencesorperspectives:(i)one’sbiology/genes;(ii)theinstitutionsinwhichone hasworked;(iii)thediscoursecommunitieswithinwhichonehasoperated;and (iv)thepracticesonehasengagedinwithparticular‘affinity’groups(Gee, 2000). Thestoriestoldbyauthorsinthiscollection,whethertheyexplicitlyinvokeGee orthediscourseofidentitywork,neverthelessillustratehowtheseinfluencesplay outintheiridentitywork.Thisidentityworkhasneverbeenmoreimportantthan now,whenstandards-basedreformsincreasinglyseektodeterminenotjustwhat teachersshould do buthowtheyshould be. Morethan10yearsago,Bauman(2004) describedtheworldofliquidmodernity,wheresomeindividualsfindtheiridentity
workcanbeacutelyrestricted,tothepointwheretheyfeel‘burdenedwithidentities enforcedandimposed[onthem]byothers’(2004,p.38).Manyauthorsinthepast decadehavealertedustothedangerofthisineducationalspaces.Thisbookstrongly articulatesauthors’concernswiththetrendinstandards-basedreformstoimpose standardisedidentitiesonteachersandteachereducators.However,thefollowing chaptersaredistinctiveintheircommitmentalsotoexploringthewaysinwhich teachereducators,pre-serviceteachers,school-basedmentorsanduniversity-based professionalstaffarepositivelyrespondingtothistrend.
OutlineoftheBook
Ourdivisionoftheother11chaptersofthiscollectionintothreepartsispromptedby ourfirmbeliefinthesalienceoftheabovethreethemesinanyproposedre-imagining ofinitialteachereducation.However,wewanttomakeclearthatthethemesshouldbe readasrichlyinterconnected,notasclearlydelineatedcategories.Wehavegrouped eachchapterinoneofthethreepartsdependingonwhichthemeitspoketomost directly,butweacknowledgethatallchaptersdemonstratesomeconnectionswith allthreethemes.
Part1. Professionalexperienceasboundarywork
Part1openswithaninvestigationintotheprofessionallearningofateamofteacher educators,inaninnovativepartnershipprogram,calledthe‘MonashCaseyTeaching AcademyofProfessionalPractice’(TAPP).In‘Storiesfromthethirdspace:Teacher educators’professionallearninginaschool/universitypartnership’,JudyWilliams, SimoneWhite,RachelForgaszandHelenGrimmettusenarrativecasesandthird spacetheorytoanalysemomentsthattriggereddeepreflectionandlearningabout whatitistobeateachereducatorinvolvedinacollaborativeuniversity-school partnership.
Reportingonadifferentformofpartnership,thistimewithindustry,JaneKirkby, KellyCarabottandDeborahCorrigantellthestoryofhowpre-serviceteachers andtheirteachereducatormentorscollaboratedinapartnershipwithaprofessional footballclub.Theirchapter,‘Beyondclassroomwalls:Howindustrypartnerships canstrengthenpre-serviceliteracyteachers’identities’,investigateshowthe‘Read likeaDemon’programprovidedthepre-serviceteachervolunteerswithexperiences thatstrengthenedtheirunderstandingandpracticesasteachersofliteracy.
SarahHopkinsandPennyRound’schapter,‘Buildingstrongerteacher-education programstoprepareinclusiveteachers’,describesaninnovativeprofessionalexperienceprogramwithaverydifferentindustrypartner.Theauthorspresentthree narrative-basedstudiesofpre-serviceteachers,whoweredifferentiatingtheirteachingofliteracytoyoungadultswithintellectualdisabilitiesatWallara(adisability serviceprovider),underthementorshipoftheteachereducatorauthors.
ThelastchapterinPart1seesJenniferRenniereportingonanewlydesigned IndigenousprofessionalexperienceplacementintheNorthernTerritoryofAustralia.
Shedrawsontheautobiographicalwritingoffourpre-serviceteachers,toshowthe importanceofbuildingpositiverespectfulrelationshipsateverylevelbetweenIndigenousandnon-Indigenousstakeholdersintheplacement.‘Goingremote:Narratives oflearningonanIndigenousprofessionalexperienceplacement’additionallyshows howthisIndigenousplacementwasdesignedandexperiencedaspartofthelarger reconciliationprojectinAustralia.
Part2.Professionalexperienceasrelationalwork
Thissectionofthebookconsistsofthreechapters.Itopenswith‘Mentoringpractices andrelationshipsduringtheEALpracticuminAustralia:Contrastingnarratives’, whichexploresthestoriesofpre-serviceteachersofEnglishasanAlternativeLanguagewhoexperiencedtheirpracticumsinverydifferentways.Teachereducators MinhNguyenandGrahamParrhighlightthecomplexityoftheintellectualandrelationalworkenactedbytwomentorswiththeirallocatedpre-serviceteachers.And theyarguefortheimportanceofmentorsvaluingtheexperiencesandknowledge thatpre-serviceteachersbringtotheirprofessionalexperience.
Next,JohnPardyandKristinReimerreportonaninnovativeinitialteachereducationprograminwhichretiredteachersmentoredpre-serviceteachers,notonlyabout teachingasapractice,butalsoasacareerandaprofession.‘Generationsoflearning: Aprofessionallearningexperience’showshowtheseintergenerationalmentoring conversationsandinteractionscanbemutuallybeneficiallearningformentorand pre-serviceteachersnowandintothefuture.
Finally,in‘Whatisfingerknitting?Chinesepre-serviceteachers’initialprofessionalexperienceinAustralianEarlyChildhoodEducation,’HaoranZhang,Anne KearyandJulieFaulknerexploreprofessionalexperiencefromtheperspectiveof aninternationalpre-serviceteacher.Inthisnarrative-basedchapter,Sue,astudent fromChinastudyingearlychildhoodeducation,comestoappreciatethecomplexity ofexperiencingtheclassroomasateacherforthefirsttimeinanentirelyunfamiliar socialandeducationalcontext.
Part3. Professionalexperienceasidentitywork
Thethirdpartofthecollectionbeginswith‘Bringingtheprofessionintouniversityclassrooms:Narrativesoflearningfromco-teachingprimarymathematics’, co-authoredbySharonLivy,JohnsonAlagappan,TraceyMuirandAnnDownton. Drawingonaseriesofwrittenandoralnarratives,andtheperspectivesoftwocritical friends,theauthorsexploretheco-teachingexperiencesofaMonash-basedteacher educatorandaschool-basedprimaryteacher.Theyunpackthebenefitsandchallengesofbringingpractitionersfromschoolclassroomsintouniversityclassrooms toco-teachinapre-serviceprogram.
AcompaniontoLivyetal.’sworkisGrahamParr,FleurDiamondandScott Bulfin’schapter,‘Co-teachingaspraxisinEnglishinitialteachereducation’.Inthis chapter,theauthorsuseextendedautobiographicalnarrativestoexploretheirinnovativeapproachtoschool-universitypartnerships.Theirteam-basedapproachpromotesanalternativeconceptionofprofessionalexperience,onethatchallengesthe
conventionalpositioningofasecondaryschoolteacherinaco-teachingprogram.One innovativefeatureoftheprogramwasitsresearchagenda,wheretheteaminquired intotheinfluenceofstandards-basededucationreformsontheirco-teaching.
In‘Backtothefuture:AjourneyofbecomingaProfessionalPracticeConsultant,’ OndineBradburyreflectsonherfirstyearinthenewlycreatedroleofProfessional PracticeConsultantforinitialteachereducationplacements.Usingminiaturepoems shewroteduringthatyear,Ondinetracesbacktoherearlierexperiencesasapreserviceteacherandthenamentorofpre-serviceteachers,toshowthecomplex dimensionsofherworkinthisnewroleandtheirshapingeffectsonheridentityas aprofessionalstaffmemberandeducator.
Roundingoffthecollection,AngeFitzgerald’sautobiographicalnarrative, ‘(Re)navigatingtheclassroomasateachereducator’,tracesthegrowthinherprofessionalidentityasshetransitionedfromaschoolteachertobecomeateachereducator, andthenreturnedtotheprimaryschoolclassroomasafacilitatorinapre-service teachingprogram.Ange’stransitionrevealsherchallengesinteachingascienceeducationunitinaschoolratherthanon-campusinauniversity.Shegoesontoexplain howthisexperiencehelpedhertoseeheridentityasascienceteachereducatorin newways.
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StoriesfromtheThirdSpace:Teacher Educators’ProfessionalLearning inaSchool/UniversityPartnership
JudyWilliams,SimoneWhite,RachelForgaszandHelenGrimmett
Abstract Inthischapter,theauthors,asteachereducators,presentanarrative accountoftheprofessionallearningtheygainedfromtheirinvolvementinaschooluniversitypartnership,whichfocusedontheprovisionoftheprofessionalexperience componentofanundergraduateinitialteachereducation(ITE)course.Theauthors outlinethecontextandaimsofthis‘thirdspace’partnership,thenrecallsignificant events/momentsthattriggereddeepreflectionandlearningaboutwhatitistobe ateachereducatorinvolvedincollaborativepartnershipswithschoolstoprovide innovativeprofessionalexperiencesforpre-serviceteachers.Theyfoundthatthe collaborativenatureofthepartnershiphelpedthemtoreassessthepurposesofprofessionalexperienceinITE,andtheirroleinitsprovision.Thecollaborationwas generativeintermsofthestructureandorganisationofthepracticum,thepedagogicalstrategiesdeveloped,andtheprofessionalrelationshipsthatwereestablished. Theauthorsarguethat,despitethechallenges,school-universitypartnershipsare essentialtothesuccessfulimplementationofproductiveandsustainedprofessional experienceforpre-serviceteachers.
Ihaveheardpeopletalkabout‘partnerships’asiftheyareeasy.‘Justbuildpartnerships’, theysay,asifitislikeputtingtwopiecesofasimplepuzzletogether.Inmyexperiencethey areanythingbut,andIcontinuetowonderandlearnaboutthefragile,powerful,messyand beautifulexistenceofpartnerships.(Simone)
J.Williams(B) · R.Forgasz · H.Grimmett
MonashUniversity,Melbourne,Australia e-mail:judy.williams@monash.edu
S.White
QueenslandUniversityofTechnology,Brisbane,Australia
©SpringerNatureSingaporePteLtd.2018
A.Fitzgeraldetal.(eds.), Re-imaginingProfessionalExperienceinInitial TeacherEducation,https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-0815-4_2
Introduction
Inthischapter,wepresentfirst-handnarrativeaccountsoftheprofessionallearning experiencesoffourteachereducatorswhoparticipatedinaschool/universitypartnership—theMonashCaseyTeachingAcademyofProfessionalPractice(TAPP).In thesenarratives,weexploreourlearningasindividualteachereducatorsinresponseto criticalmomentsoreventsthatoccurredduringour2-yearinvolvementintheTAPP, andtheimplicationsofourstoriesforteachereducationandprofessionalexperience morebroadly.TheTAPPprojectwaslocatedwithinawiderpolicyagenda,inwhich bothFederalandstategovernmentsinAustraliarequiredmoreformalandsustained partnershipsbetweenuniversityfacultiesofeducationandschoolstoaddresstheperceiveddividebetween‘theory’and‘practice’.TheAustralianGovernmentTEMAG report(2014), Actionnow:Classroomreadyteachers,statedthat
Highereducationprovidersandtheteachingprofessionmusttogetherembracetheopportunitytofullyparticipateinareformed,integratedsystemofinitialteachereducation…Providers,schoolsystemsandschoolsarenoteffectivelyworkingtogetherinthe developmentofnewteachers.Thisisparticularlyevidentintheprofessionalexperience componentofinitialteachereducation,whichiscriticalforthetranslationoftheoryinto practice.(pp.viii–ix)
Inaddition,theVictorianGovernmenthasbeenkeentoencouragestrongerpartnershipsbetweenuniversitiesandschoolsintheprovisionofprofessionalexperience, andtowidenstakeholderinvolvementinteacherpreparation.Forexample,inline withnationalstandardsdevelopedbytheAustralianInstituteforTeachingandSchool Leadership(AITSL),andaspartoftheaccreditationofinitialteachereducation coursesinVictoria,universitiesarenowrequiredtodevelopcoursesthatincorporate ‘theperspectivesofstakeholderssuchasemployers,professionalteacherbodies, practisingteachers,educationalresearchersandrelevantculturalandcommunity experts’and‘includestaffwhohaveongoingorrecentschool-basedexperienceand earlychildhoodexperiencewhererelevant’(AITSL, 2015,p.11).TheTAPPproject (seeForgasz, 2016;Grimmett,Forgasz,Williams,&White, 2018)wasaresponse tothisappealforgreatercooperationbetweenschoolsanduniversitiesinrelationto teachereducation.Itinvolvednineschools(threesecondaryandsixprimary)working withMonashuniversitytoimprovethepreparationofpre-serviceteachersthrougha developmentallearningmodel(seeWhite,Forgasz,Grimmett,&Williams, 2017a, http://www.partnershipprojects.info/).
Whilethepolicyimperativewasanincentiveforthecollaborativedevelopmentof thepedagogicalmodelscreatedwithintheTAPP,theresearchliteraturealsostrongly suggeststhatsuchpartnershipsarevaluableintheirownrightfortheprofessional learningofallparticipants—pre-serviceteachers,teachereducatorsandschool-based mentorsalike.Whilepolicyattentionisoftenpaidtothelearningofthepre-service teachersandthechangingroleofmentorsinschool-universitypartnerships,few studieshighlighttheprofessionallearningofuniversity-basedteachereducatorsas theynavigatethe‘thirdspace’(Zeichner, 2010)betweentheschoolanduniversity. Itistothisfocusthatwethereforeturnourgazeandinterrogateaseriesofcritical
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