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Teacher Education as a Complex Professional Practice: Reflecting on the Contributions and the Way Forward…

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Teacher Education as an Ongoing Professional Trajectory

Abstract

The international education literature illustrates both the importance of teacher education to National education systems and the complex, dynamic, and evolving nature of teacher education as a site of practice across the career trajectory of a teacher (Henry in J Teach Educ 67:291–305, 2016). The contribution that teacher educators make to the development of early career teachers is profound. However, the contribution that both university and school-based teacher educators make to the ongoing development of early, mid and experienced teachers is illustrated within the chapters in different ways. This concluding chapter reflects on the main themes that the contributors to this book discuss. The chapter draws together the key themes and reflects on where some of the theoretical and practical tensions exist within national and transnational policy by framing the discussion within Michael Eraut’s Learning Trajectories framework (Eraut in Stud Continuing Educ 26:247–273, 2004; Developing a broader approach to professional learning. Springer, Dordrecht, pp. 21–45, 2012; McKee & Eraut in Learning trajectories, innovation and identity for professional development (Vol. 7). Springer 2011).

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Notes

  1. 1.

    We suggest that reflexivity as a higher form of critical reflection which draws specifically on the complex array of factors to come to make meaning from any given situation and how these influences both what and how a person thinks and acts.

  2. 2.

    Professional Graduate Diploma in Education is a nine-month programme (18 weeks on University campus teaching sessions with 18 weeks on School on placement) undertaken by graduates wishing to enter either primary or secondary teaching.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of the West of Scotland, Ayr, UK

    Stephen P. Day

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  1. Stephen P. Day
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Correspondence to Stephen P. Day .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Education, University of Bath, Bath, UK

    Denise Mifsud

  2. Division of Education, University of the West of Scotland, Scotland, UK

    Stephen P. Day

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Day, S.P. (2023). Teacher Education as a Complex Professional Practice: Reflecting on the Contributions and the Way Forward…. In: Mifsud, D., Day, S.P. (eds) Teacher Education as an Ongoing Professional Trajectory. Teacher Education, Learning Innovation and Accountability. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-28620-9_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-28620-9_10

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