Reconstructing the Work of Teacher Educators : Finding Spaces in Policy Through Agentic Approaches - Insights from a Research Collective

This book examines agentic approaches by which teacher educators navigate a highly regulated environment. It investigates how teacher educators are responding to such regulation by employing approaches such as exploratory and case study research designs. This book analyzes qualitative and quantitative data to understand the diverse, innovative and critical perspectives of teacher educators who are guided by state and federal level initiatives to enhance the quality Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programs. Prominent educational theoretical perspectives are also used in this book to inform data analysis and to illuminate the empirically based findings.

This book showcases research-informed insights for the global education community from leading researchers from across a number of teacher education institutions, locally and otherwise. By adopting an ‘activist’ approach, this book positions teacher educators’ research and contribution to the field as agentive and pro-active.

Theresa (Terri) Bourke has worked in the Faculty of Education at the Queensland University of Technology since 2009. In that time, Terri has held various coordination roles, including Undergraduate Research Pathways Coordinator, Course Coordinator (Bachelor of Education) and Academic Program Director. Her research focuses on three main areas: (1) professionalism, professional standards and quality in Initial Teacher Education (ITE); (2) assessment in geography education; and (3) teacher educators’ epistemic reflexivities for teaching about/to and for diversity for which she has an Australian Research Council (ARC) grant. Terri has an extensive history working with Queensland schools to improve quality, especially in how they use data to inform practice. She has been an invited advisor to both the Australian Curriculum and Reporting Authority (ACARA) and

Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) for geography. The quality of her research and teaching has been recognized with 11 prestigious awards at QUT, and she is the co-editor of Geographical Education. Terri has recently been elected to the Australian Teacher Educators’ Association Executive Committee.

Rebecca Spooner-Lane's research focuses on influencing the way in which teacher education programs prepare future teachers for the classroom. As Academic Program Director for Pre-service Teacher Education Programs and as a psychologist, Rebecca has been integral to the development and facilitation of Queensland University of Technology’s Teaching Performance Assessment for graduating teachers. Her research raises awareness of the complexities involved in designing and implementing a rigorous assessment tool to determine graduate teachers’ preparedness to enter the teaching profession. As an advocate for beginning teachers, Rebecca has also been integral to the development and facilitation of a research and pedagogically focused Mentoring Beginning Teachers (MBT) program in Queensland.

Deborah Henderson is Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education at Queensland University of Technology. Her transdisciplinary research interests and publications focus on politics and policy making for Asia literacy; fostering values, intercultural understanding, global perspectives and critical inquiry in the history and in civics and citizenship curricula in pre-service teacher education and the internationalization of teacher preparation. She has extensive experience as an advisor to education authorities and as a facilitator for teacher professional learning in Australia and overseas. Deborah was an adviser to the Australian Curriculum and Reporting Authority (ACARA) on the development of the Australian Curriculum for Civics and Citizenship and also served on the national advisory panel for the General Capabilities in the Australian Curriculum. The quality of her work as a pre-service teacher educator was recognized nationally by the Australian Learning and Teaching Council with an ALTC Teaching Citation for her contributions to student learning in 2009 and an ALTC Teaching Excellence Award in 2010. Deborah is the Editor-in-Chief of Curriculum Perspectives, the journal of the Australian Curriculum Studies Association (ACSA).

Simone White is Professor and Associate Dean (International and Engagement) in the Faculty of Education at Queensland University of Technology. Simone’s area of expertise is Teacher Education, and her publications, research and teaching are all focused on the key question of how to best prepare teachers and leaders for diverse communities (both local and global). Her current research areas focus on teacher education policy, teacher development, professional experience and building and maintaining university-school/community partnerships. Simone is the Past President of the Australian Teacher Education Association (ATEA). Simone recently launched an Australian government grant focused on improving the preparation of future teachers to work in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parents and caregivers. Through her collective work, Simone aims to connect research, policy and practice in ways that bring teachers and school and university-based teacher educators together and break down traditional borders between academics, policy makers, communities and practitioners.