Marilyn CochranSmith

1
Studying Teacher Education Public Knowledge,
Local Knowledge
Talk 1 C.J. Koh Distinguished
Professorship Centre for Research in Pedagogies
and Practices

• Marilyn Cochran-Smith
• John E. Cawthorne Millennium Professor of
  Education
• Boston College

2
Zao shang hao! Saya gembira awak datang hari
ini!
3
Okay lah
4
Studying Teacher Education Public Knowledge,
Local Knowledge

• The Report of the AERA Panel on
• Research and Teacher Education

• A Case Study Boston Colleges
• Teachers for a New Era Project

• Issues in Studying Teacher
• Education

5
AERA Panel on Research and Teacher Education
6
Panel Members
Marilyn Cochran-Smith and Ken Zeichner, Co-Chairs

• Renee Clift
• Mary Dilworth
• Dan Fallon
• Bob Floden
• Susan Fuhrman
• Drew Gitomer
• Pam Grossman

• Etta Hollins
• Jackie Jordan-Irvine
• Ann Lieberman
• Marleen Pugach
• Ana Maria Villegas
• Suzanne Wilson
• Karen Zumwalt

Kim Fries, Project Manager
7
Todays Session
Charge to the panel

• Analyze the weight of the evidence
• related to policy practice in TE
• Recommend a research agenda

8
Todays Session
Working Assumptions

• the role of components
• the importance of outcomes
• the value of research questions
• the relationship of research
• to practice policy

9
Todays Session
Key Topics and Guiding Questions

• demographic profile
• quality profile
• TP in the arts sciences and in
• foundations
• TP in teaching methods
• fieldwork
• pedagogical approaches in TP

10
Todays Session
Key Topics and Guiding Questions

• TP for underserved populations
• TP for pupils with disabilities
• Accountability processes
• TP programs, organizational
• structures, alternatives

11
Todays Session
Each Synthesis

• Frames the question
• Discusses selection criteria
• Analyzes what we know about
• the topic
• Analyzes what we know about
• the research
• Recommends needed research

12
Todays Session

• Why THESE questions?
• What the panel DID and DIDNT do

13
Todays Session

• Most teachers undergrad programs,
• public institutions
• Sec. TE grads comparable SATs
• No one superior pathway/program

14
Todays Session

• Certain program components and
• characteristics linked to pupil
• achievement teacher quality
• More research on math favors
• certification
• Little research on prep for diverse
• populations
• Little research on accountability processes

15

• For discussion and debate
• Building on promising lines of
• research
• Overcoming existing limits of
• research

16
Todays Session

• Definition of terms
• Full description of data collection/analysis
• methods and contexts
• Theoretical frameworks
• Programs of research
• Impact of TE on teacher learning/practice

17
Todays Session

• Portfolio of approaches
• Measures of teacher knowledge/performance
• Comparisons w/ matched samples, random
• trials in separate studies or linked to
• case studies
• In-depth multi-institutional case studies of TE
• programs

18
Todays Session

• Preparing teachers for diverse populations
• (ELL, special needs, urban context)
• Recruiting diverse teaching force
• Predictive validity of admissions standards
• Subject matter preparation beyond math
• Systematic comparisons of TE alternatives
• In-depth case studies of programs components

19
Todays Session
Infrastructure for TE Research

• Preparation of TE researchers
• Peer review process
• Research partnerships
• Up-to-date specific national databases

20
Todays Session
Comments on the Report

• Why dont we already have research on
• TE outcomes?
• What are they doing in other professions?
• Hows this compare to other recent TE
• research reports?
• What about research on TE outside
• the U.S.?
• How has the AERA report been
• received?

21
Studying Teacher Education Public Knowledge,
Local Knowledge

• The Report of the AERA Panel on
• Research and Teacher Education

• A Case Study Boston Colleges
• Teachers for a New Era Project

• Issues in Studying Teacher
• Education

22

• Respect for evidence
• Education/Arts Sciences collaboration
• Teaching as a clinically-taught profession

23
Track candidates/graduates over time
Collect/analyze quantitative/qualitative data
Document changes/progress/problems
Improve program/teacher quality
24
A Conceptual Framework for Assessing TEs Impact
TC Entry Charac- teristics
Teacher Learning (knowledge of
content, pedagogy, learning, schooling beliefs a
ttitudes) TL
Teaching Practices (in schools and
class- rooms) TP
K-12 School Outcomes O
Pupil Learning PL
TE Program (oppor- tunities to learn)
Social Justice SJ
Teacher Retention Ret
Pupil charac- teristics PC
Classroom, school, community, university,
accountability Contexts
Induction/mentoring, years 1-2 of teaching------gt
25
  Evidence Portfolio
A Conceptual Framework
             

 
                      Contexts
TC
PL
TE
TL
TP
O    
SJ
  Social Justice   TC?TE?SJ   TE?TP?SJ   TE?TL/SJ
  TE?TP/SJ    

  Surveys and Tracking TC   TC?TE?TL   TE?TP?Ret  
TC?TE ?TL ?TP?Ret      
12 Survey Items
I/M
Rett
PC
Entry
Vignettes
Exit
Analysis of Inquiries
Year-Out
Observation of Teaching Practice
  VAM/Cross-sectional     TC/TE ?PL     TC/TE
?PL  
Cohort Analyses
VAA
Cross-sectional Comparison  
Simulation
  Content Analysis of Inquiry Projects  
TP   TL
PL   SJ
     
  Comparison Study    
TE?TP?PL    
  Qualitative Case Studies   TC ?
TE ? TL ? TP ? O Contexts  
  Pupil Assessments
Social Justice
Math Ed.
  Inquiry
Mentoring/ Induction
  Retention
  Cross-case Analyses
26
Studying Teacher Education Public Knowledge,
Local Knowledge

• The Report of the AERA Panel on
• Research and Teacher Education

• A Case Study Boston Colleges
• Teachers for a New Era Project

• Issues in Studying Teacher
• Education

27
Studying Teacher Education Major Issues

• What count as outcomes?
• What are reliable measures of those outcomes?
• How to deal with context?
• How to deal with complexity?
• How to use evidence/research to improve
• practice?
• What kinds of evidence are persuasive and
• credible? To whom?
• Who decides?
• Funding?
• Local knowledge-public knowledge?