Issues and challenges in teacher education.Introduction and BackgroundFrom its origin, ACME has been about maximizing mathematics learning, focusing both on student learning and what teachers do to help or hinder hin·der 1 v. hin·dered, hin·der·ing, hin·ders v.tr. 1. To be or get in the way of. 2. To obstruct or delay the progress of. v.intr. student's mathematics learning. Thus, the preparation of teachers has been a significant theme for RCML--how to help students experiencing math problems and how to prevent such problems. This presentation focuses on teacher education as a general enterprise, especially issues and challenges that university-based teacher education is facing. While my comments are couched couch n. 1. a. A sofa. b. A sofa on which a patient lies while undergoing psychoanalysis or psychiatric treatment. 2. a. generally, they have specific application and implications for mathematics teacher education/educators. Sometimes it feels like America's favorite pastime is criticizing teacher education. Actually, America's favorite pastime seems to be criticizing public education, and teacher education gets dragged into the discussion. The logic seems to go something like this: If kids aren't learning, it is the fault of teachers and if teachers aren't helping kids learn, it must result from poor preparation. Actually, it is not the case that teacher education is poor. Indeed, for one thing children are learning more than ever. Others, like David Berliner David C. Berliner is an educational psychologist and professor of education at Arizona State University. Berliner received a Doctorate of Education from Stanford University. , have made the case that IQs and achievement are higher than ever. So, thanks to all of my colleague math educators who have done a great job and have made a difference in the lives of students. Yet, the rhetoric of criticism and blame continues for teacher education. Why? One can argue that it's all just politics and teacher education is an easy target for politicians. After all, what governor today is not an education governor and self proclaimed pro·claim tr.v. pro·claimed, pro·claim·ing, pro·claims 1. To announce officially and publicly; declare. See Synonyms at announce. 2. expert on teacher education-teachers just need more content. And teacher educators from a rather small voter constituency and pose a rather impotent im·po·tent adj. 1. Incapable of sexual intercourse, often because of an inability to achieve or sustain an erection. 2. Sterile. Used of males. group. Clearly, teacher educators (including math educators) must form alliances with natural allies--K-12 community, NEA/AFT, state boards state boards Examinations administered by a US state board of medical examiners to license a physician in a particular state; these examinations play an ever-decreasing role in state medical licensure, as these bodies now rely on standardized national examinations of education and some legislators. Issues and Challenges But what are the factors that contribute to this state of affairs? What are the big issues and challenges that contribute to the poor credibility of (mathematics) teacher education? I will identify four categories of issues/challenges: Category 1: Perceived low teacher quality * Students low scores on standards-based tests (teacher quality tied to kids' performance) * Teacher "drop out" rate in the profession * Quality of teacher education candidates from the general talent pool (SATs), GPAs) and non-subject majors. There is data to refute re·fute tr.v. re·fut·ed, re·fut·ing, re·futes 1. To prove to be false or erroneous; overthrow by argument or proof: refute testimony. 2. these claims, but somehow it's not gathered or shared. Category 2: Perceived ineffective preparation programs * lack of common agreement on a vision and outcomes for beginning (mathematics) teachers * reluctance to change teacher education programs by insiders that is perceived/presented as radical/innovative * lack of research on program effectiveness, especially in terms of student learning, teacher retention and performance * reluctance by teacher educators to be strong on accreditation accreditation, n a process of formal recognition of a school or institution attesting to the required ability and performance in an area of education, training, or practice. (we argue about the ten percent we don't agree on) * lack of acknowledgement of shifting paradigms in education: a) from time-constant and outcome-variable to time-variable and outcome-constant b) from educational opportunity for all to learning for all (of essential knowledge and skills) c) from teacher performance to student performance It should be noted that some of these result from barriers/impediments within higher education-like SCH SCH School SCH Schedule SCH Search SCH Semester Credit Hours SCH Santander Central Hispano (bank in Spain) SCH Socket Head SCH Synchronization Channel SCH Succinylcholine SCH Space Center Houston funding, semester hour Noun 1. semester hour - a unit of academic credit; one hour a week for an academic semester credit hour course credit, credit - recognition by a college or university that a course of studies has been successfully completed; typically measured in semester hours definitions, institutional date management systems and the curricular approval process. Category 3: Perceived poor connection to K-12 schools * little systematic education school involvement in the professional development of teachers, especially in on-going and relevant ways * lack of perceived involvement in the lives of schools in fundamental ways * lack of perceived public advocacy for teachers, schools, kids--and the teaching profession Category 4: Public policy * teacher education is not a player in policy on education-policy can/is created without consultation * teacher education has not established an acknowledge knowledge base--policy-maker view is that a warm heart for kids and strong content is sufficient. Point is not that these are true, but that teacher education is not sufficiently proactive on these fronts. What Can Be Done? * Be proactive, not reactive reactive /re·ac·tive/ (re-ak´tiv) characterized by reaction; readily responsive to a stimulus. re·ac·tive adj. 1. Tending to be responsive or to react to a stimulus. 2. * Produce data and share it --on candidates, impact of program completers on kids, PR/success stories, program outcomes * Be proud and advocate for the teaching career * Revise teacher ed programs-and do research on it * Take back professional development for inservice * Build strong connections to K-12 schools * Get liberal arts liberal arts, term originally used to designate the arts or studies suited to freemen. It was applied in the Middle Ages to seven branches of learning, the trivium of grammar, logic, and rhetoric, and the quadrivium of arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, and music. and sciences meaning fully involved, with responsibility, authority and equivalent voice/vote It should be recognized that addressing some of these issues well may be difficult under a very traditional university reward structure. It is a truism that an institution will only go where its reward structure permits. While the intention of my comments is to be provocative, they also are intended to provoke pro·voke tr.v. pro·voked, pro·vok·ing, pro·vokes 1. To incite to anger or resentment. 2. To stir to action or feeling. 3. To give rise to; evoke: provoke laughter. great thought and action by all (mathematics) teacher education faculty to address issues and challenges facing the preparation of today's mathematics teachers at all levels. John M. Engelhardt Wichita State University Wichita State University (WSU) is an American state-supported university located in the city of Wichita, Kansas. WSU is one of six state universities governed by the Kansas Board of Regents. The current President is Dr. Donald Beggs. |
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