Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Investigating the effectiveness of teacher education for early career teachers in diverse settings: the longitudinal research we have to have

  • Published:
The Australian Educational Researcher Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

There have been more than 100 reports focusing on the effectiveness of teacher education in Australia over the last 35 years with many positioning teacher education as flawed and in need of reform. These frequent criticisms have drawn attention to the difficulty teacher educators can experience when trying to interrupt or contest this representation: a situation not unique to Australia. In the United States, for example, Pam Grossman has suggested that those in teacher education “seem ill prepared to respond to critics who question the value of professional education for teachers with evidence of our effectiveness” (Grossman in J Teach Educ 59(1):10–23, 2008). A key question facing teacher educators, therefore, concerns the kinds of research that will most effectively allow us to lead debates about teacher preparation. This paper outlines an approach to the conceptualization and conduct of research into the effectiveness of teacher education that seeks to move debates in new directions. Drawing upon the theoretical resources of Soja (Thirdspace: journeys to Los Angeles and other real-and-imagined places, 1996) and Lefebre (The production of space, 1991) we outline the ways in which a spatial approach to conceptualizing teacher education influenced the design and conduct of a large scale, longitudinal project that investigated the question of the effectiveness of teacher education in Australia. In exploring the design features of this ARC linkage grant the paper demonstrates how research changes when teacher education is conceptualised from a spatial point of view and illustrates the ways in which consideration of the conceived, perceived and lived spaces of teacher education can move research about effectiveness into new directions.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. The influence of the school setting: Employing authorities need to staff schools in a variety of communities, ranging from remote Indigenous settlements to metropolitan schools catering for an influx of young people from refugee communities.

References

  • ABC News. (2012). Aussie schools flatline in global education tests. Retrieved December 12, 2013, from http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-12-11/aussie-schools-flatline-in-international-education-tests/4422532.

  • Alton-Lee, A. (2003). Quality teaching for diverse students in schooling: Best evidence synthesis. Wellington: New Zealand Ministry of Education.

    Google Scholar 

  • Australian Education Union. (2009). New Educators Survey 2008: Results and Report. Retrieved October 2011, from http://www.aeufederal.org.au/Publications/2009/Nesurvey08res.pdf.

  • Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership. (2013). Initial teacher education: Data report. Melbourne: Education Services Australia.

  • Australian Institute of Teaching and School Leadership. (2011a). Accreditation of initial teacher education programs in Australia: Standards and procedures. Carlton, VIC: Ministerial Council for Education, Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs (MCEECDYA).

  • Australian Institute of Teaching and School Leadership. (2011b). National professional standards for teachers. Carlton, VIC: Ministerial Council for Education, Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs (MCEECDYA).

  • Ball, S., & Bowe, R. (1992). Subject departments and the ‘implementation’ of national curriculum policy: An overview of the issues. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 24(2), 97–115.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bates, R. (2007). Australian teacher education in the new millennium. In M. V. Zuljan (Ed.), Professional inductions of teachers in Europe and Elsewhere. Brussels: European Social Fund and Ljubljana, Faculty of Education, University of Ljubljana.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beijaard, D., Meijer, P., & Verloop, N. (2004). Reconsidering research on teachers’ professional identity. Teaching and Teacher Education, 20(2), 107–128.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boyd, D., Grossman, P., Lankford, H., Loeb, S., Michelli, N., & Wyckoff, J. (2006a). Complex by design: Investigating pathways into teaching in New York city schools. Journal of Teacher Education, 57(2), 155–166.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boyd, D., Grossman, P., Lankford, H., Loeb, S., & Wyckoff, J. (2006b). How changes in entry requirements alter the teacher workforce and affect student achievement. Education Finance and Policy, 1(2), 176–216.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boyd, D., Grossman, P., Lankford, H., Loeb, S., & Wyckoff, J. (2009). Teacher preparation and student achievement. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 31(4), 416–440.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brouwer, N., & Korthagen, F. (2005). Can teacher education make a difference? American Education Research Journal, 42(1), 153–224.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buckingham, J. (2008). Three keys to improving our schools. The Age. Retrieved October 20, 2014, from http://www.theage.com.au/news/education-news/three-keys-to-improving-our-schools/2008/04/05/1207249479267.html?page=fullpage.

  • Buckingham, J. (2013). Bad teaching kills reading skills. The Australian. Retrieved January 14, 2014, from http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/opinion/bad-teaching-kills-reading-skills/story-e6frgd0x-1226729534319.

  • Byrne, Ed. (2013). Entry standards for teachers are too low. The Age. Retrieved July 20, 2014, from http://www.theage.com.au/comment/entry-standards-for-teachers-are-too-low-20130723-2qhf5.html.

  • Caldwell, B., & Sutton, D. (2010). Review of teacher education and school induction. Brisbane: Department of Education and Training, Queensland Government.

    Google Scholar 

  • Centre for Education Policy and Analysis. (2012). Teacher pathway project. Teacher Policy Research. Retrieved October 14, 2014, from http://www.cepa.stanford.edu/tpr/teacher-pathway-project.

  • Cochran-Smith, M. (2008). The new teacher education in the United States: Directions forward. Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice, 14(4), 271–282.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cochran-Smith, M., Cannady, M., McEachern, K., Mitchell, K., Piazza, P., Power, C., & Ryan, A. (2012a). Teachers’ education outcomes: Mapping the research terrain. Teachers College Record, 114(10), 1–49.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cochran-Smith, M., McQuillan, P., Mitchell, K., Gahlsdorf Terrell, D., Barnatt, J., D’Souza, L., & Gleeson, A. M. (2012b). A longitudinal study of teaching practice and early career decisions: A cautionary tale. American Educational Research Journal, 49(5), 844–880.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cochran-Smith, M., & Zeichner, K. (Eds.). (2005). Studying teacher education: The report of the AERA panel on research and teacher education. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, D., & Ball, D. L. (2000). Instructional innovation: Reconsidering the story. Ann Arbor, MI: The University of Michigan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Collins, S.-J. (2011). Teacher training ‘failing’. The Age. Retrieved August 20, 2014, from http://www.theage.com.au/national/education/teacher-training-failing-20111005-1l9wy.html.

  • Committee for the Review of Teaching and Teacher Education. (2003). Australia’s teachers: Australia’s future. Advancing innovation, science, technology and mathematics. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia.

  • Creswell, J. W. (2003). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Darling-Hammond, L. (2006). Assessing teacher education: The usefulness of multiple measures for assessing teacher outcomes. Journal of Teacher Education, 57(2), 120–138.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Darling-Hammond, L., LaFors, J., & Snyder, J. (2001). Educating teachers for California’s future. Teacher Education Quarterly, 28(1), 9–55.

    Google Scholar 

  • Darling-Hammond, L., & Youngs, P. (2002). Defining “highly qualified teachers”: What does “scientifically-based research” actually tell us. Educational Researcher, 31(9), 13–25.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Day, C., Kingston, A., Stobart, G., & Sammons, P. (2006). The personal and professional selves of teachers: Stable and unstable identities. British Educational Research Journal, 32(4), 601–616.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Day, C., Sammons, P., Stobart, G., & Gu, Q. (2007). Teachers matter: Connecting work, life and effectiveness. Maidenhead: Open University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Department of Education, Science and Training. (2006). Survey of final year teacher education students. Retrieved October 25, 2014, from http://www.pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/61168/20060811-0000/www.dest.gov.au/NR/rdonlyres/F7E29F30-0EE6-43A5-A285-CE55ACA13155/12481/FinalYrTeachStudentsSurveyReport.pdf.

  • Dinham, S. (2013). Standards will slide while teacher education is used as a cash cow. The Conversation. Retrieved February 20, 2014, from http://www.theconversation.com/au/who-we-are.

  • Education and Training Committee. (2005). Step up, step in, step out: Report on the Inquiry into the suitability of pre-service teacher training in Victoria. Melbourne: Parliament of Victoria.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ferrari, J. (2013). Pyne puts focus on teaching standards. The Australian. Retrieved January 24, 2014, from http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/pyne-puts-focus-on-teaching-standards/story-fn59niix-1226728855464-sthash.fmQvmFUr.dpuf.

  • Florio-Ruane, S. (2002). More light: An argument for complexity in studies of teaching and teacher education. Journal of Teacher Education, 53(3), 205–215.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gee, J. (2000–2001). Identity as an analytic lens for research in education. Review of Research in Education, 25, 99–125.

  • Graduate Careers Australia. (2014). Australian Graduate Survey. Retrieved October 15, 2014, from http://www.graduatecareers.com.au/research/surveys/australiangraduatesurvey/.

  • Commission, P. (2012). Schools workforce. Canberra: Research Report.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grossman, P. (2008). Responding to our critics: From crisis to opprtunity in research on teacher education. Journal of Teacher Education, 59(1), 10–23.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hobson, A. J., Malderez, A., Tracey, L., Homer, M. S., Ashby, P., Mitchell, N., Tomlinson, P. D. (2009). Becoming a teacher: Teachers’ experiences of initial teacher training, induction and early professional development (Final report). Nottingham: Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF).

  • House of Representatives Standing Committee on Education and Vocational Training. (2007). Top of the class: Report on the inquiry into teacher education. Canberra: The Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia.

  • Ingvarson, L., Beavis, A., & Kleinhenz, E. (2004). Teacher education courses in Victoria: Perceptions of their effectiveness and factors affecting their impact. Victorian Institute of Teaching Future Teachers Project. Retrieved October 2011, from http://www.research.acer.edu.au/teacher_education/4.

  • Kelchtermans, G., & Ballet, K. (2002). The micropolitics of teacher induction. A narrative-biographical study on teacher socialisation. Teaching and Teacher Education, 18(1), 105–120.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kennedy, M. M., Ahn, S., & Choi, J. (2008). The value added by teacher education. In M. Cochran-Smith, S. Feiman-Nemser, & J. McIntyre (Eds.), Handbook of research on teacher education: Enduring issues in changing contexts (3rd ed., pp. 1247–1272). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lefebre, H. (1991). The production of space (D. Nicholson-Smith, Trans.). Oxford: Blackwell.

  • Louden, W. (2008). 101 Damnations: the persistence of criticism and the absence of evidence about teacher education in Australia. Teachers and Teaching: theory and practice, 14(4), 357–368. doi:10.1080/13540600802037777.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Louden, W., Heldsinger, S., House, H., Humphry, S., & Darryl Fitzgerald, D. (2010). Learning from teacher education: The impact of teacher education on knowledge of literacy and mathematics teaching. Study of effective teacher education: Progress report 2. Canberra: Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL).

  • McKenzie, P., Kos, J., Walker, M., Hong, J., & Owen, S. (2008). Staff in Australia’s Schools 2007. Melbourne: Australian Council for Educational Research.

    Google Scholar 

  • McKenzie, P., Rowley, G., Weldon, P. R., & Murphy, M. (2011). Staff in Australia’s schools 2010. Melbourne: Australian Council for Educational Research.

    Google Scholar 

  • Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD). (2005). Attracting, developing and retaining effective teachers. Final report—Teachers matter. Paris: OECD Publishing.

  • Patty, A. (2013). Push for higher teaching standards. The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved August 20, 2014, from http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/push-for-higher-teaching-standards-20130302-2fd33.html.

  • Pillen, M., Beijaard, D., & den Brok, P. (2013). Professional identity tensions of beginning teachers. Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice, 19(6), 660–678.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pyne, C. (2014). Teacher quality. Retrieved August 20, 2014, from http://www.studentsfirst.gov.au/teacher-quality.

  • Ramsey, G. (2000). Quality matters: Revitalising teaching, critical times, critical choices. Report of the Review of Teacher Education, New South Wales. Sydney: NSW Department of Education and Training.

  • Ryan, M. (2011). Spaces of possibility in pre-service teacher education. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 32(6), 881–900.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Soja, E. (1996). Thirdspace: Journeys to Los Angeles and other real-and-imagined places. Oxford: Blackwell.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tovey, J. (2013). New board designed to improve teacher quality, pupil results. The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved August 15, 2014, from http://www.smh.com.au/national/education/new-board-designed-to-improve-teacher-quality-pupil-results-20130923-2ua9f.html-ixzz2gbvg45I3.

  • Wilson, S. M., Floden, R. E., & Ferrini-Mundy, J. (2002). Teacher preparation research: An insider’s view from the outside. Journal of Teacher Education, 53(3), 190–204.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the support provided to the Project by the Australia Research Council (Linkage Project 110200309) and the Industry Partners Queensland College of Teachers (QCT); Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT); Queensland Department of Education Training and Employment (QDETE); Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD). Chief Investigators include: Diane Mayer (Victoria University) Andrea Allard (Deakin University); Richard Bates (Deakin University); Mary Dixon (Deakin University); Brenton Doecke (Deakin University); Alex Kostogriz (Deakin University); Leonie Rowan (Griffith University); Bernadette Walker-Gibbs (Deakin University); Simone White (Monash University). We acknowledge with thanks the contribution also made by Jodie Kline, Philippa Hodder, Michelle Ludecke and Julianne Moss.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Griffith Institute for Educational Research, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia

    Leonie Rowan

  2. Faculty of Education and Social Work, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia

    Diane Mayer

  3. Deakin University, Waurn Ponds Geelong, Australia

    Jodie Kline

  4. Deakin University, Warrnambool, Australia

    Bernadette Walker-Gibbs

  5. Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Australia

    Alex Kostogriz

Authors
  1. Leonie Rowan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Diane Mayer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jodie Kline
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Alex Kostogriz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Bernadette Walker-Gibbs
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Diane Mayer.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Rowan, L., Mayer, D., Kline, J. et al. Investigating the effectiveness of teacher education for early career teachers in diverse settings: the longitudinal research we have to have. Aust. Educ. Res. 42, 273–298 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13384-014-0163-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13384-014-0163-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation