Innovations in Teacher Education

A Social Constructivist Approach

Publication Year: 2006

This book offers a comprehensive, “social constructivist” approach to preservice education. Written in a clear, accessible style, it presents key principles of teacher education and concrete examples from eight successful programs in Australia, Canada, and the United States. It extends constructivism beyond Piaget and Vygotsky to more recent theorists such as Barthes and Derrida, indicating how such an approach can lead to engaging, effective education. Clive Beck and Clare Kosnik advocate an approach to teacher education that is highly original, linking integration, community components, and inquiry to a degree not commonly found in preservice programs, and they show in detail how to implement these elements.

Published by: State University of New York Press

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Developing this book has been an enjoyable collaborative venture, with assistance coming from many groups and individuals. We wish to thank the administrations and preservice faculty at Bank Street College, Edith Cowan University, Mills College, New York University, Stanford University, the University of Sydney, and Teachers College, Columbia University. We were ...

INTRODUCTION

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pp. 1-6

Preservice teacher education today is a site of contrasting trends. On the one hand, there are promising developments: theory–practice links, cohort groupings, teaching for understanding, reflective practice, school–university partnerships, and self-study research. On the other hand, however, we see cuts in funding, pressure to teach less theory, inadequate alternative certification, stifling ...

CHAPTER 1. Toward Social Constructivism in Preservice Education

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pp. 7-26

As stated in the introduction, we believe social constructivism can provide crucial direction for preservice education and we see evidence of it in the strong, innovative programs described in this book. But what exactly is meant by this term? As Richardson (1997) notes, constructivist teaching is not “a monolithic, agreed-upon concept” (p. 3). It is often barely understood, or ...

CHAPTER 2. Creating an Integrated Preservice Program

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pp. 27-52

In the previous chapter we identified integration, inquiry, and community as central themes of social constructivism. Here we will focus on the first theme, exploring in detail how to integrate a preservice program along social constructivist lines. Similar discussion of the other themes will follow in subsequent chapters. Among the integrative strategies we will consider here are: ...

CHAPTER 3. Fostering Inquiry in the Program

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pp. 53-72

Inquiry by student teachers is central to social constructivist teacher education. Students critically assess prevailing educational ideas and practices (including their own) and construct a distinctive approach to teaching in dialogue with instructors and peers. Rather than passively receiving “expert” wisdom, they take ownership of their development. Because teaching ...

CHAPTER 4. Building Community in the Program

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pp. 73-96

Constructivism today has a strong sociocultural emphasis. As discussed in chapter 1, constructivist educators are now more aware of how learning is influenced by the larger society in which we live and by our teachers and peers. The influence occurs both through unconscious absorption of ideas and practices from those around us and consciously as we dialogue with others. Communal ...

CHAPTER 5. Establishing an Inclusive Approach

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pp. 97-112

The discussion of community in the previous chapter provides a natural entry into the topic of inclusive preservice education.We believe that building community is the single most important means of fostering inclusive attitudes and practices among student teachers. However, there are other key elements as well, such as explicit inquiry into difference, equity, and inclusion; infusion of ...

CHAPTER 6. Having Influence and Gaining Support Beyond the Program

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pp. 113-130

So far in this book we have focused mainly on small cohort programs with enrollments between 40 and 80. While the University of Sydney’s MTeach program is relatively large,much of our attention has been on the small groupings within it. And in OISE/UT’s extensive elementary preservice enterprise, we have concentrated on the Mid-Town cohort program, which enrolls just 65 ...

CHAPTER 7. Researching the Program

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pp. 131-146

As noted in chapter 1, in his 1998 AERA vice presidential address, Ken Zeichner stated that “more and more of the research about teacher education is being conducted by those who actually do the work of teacher education.” Further, he described this as a very salutary trend; “the birth of the self-study in teacher education movement around 1990 has been probably the single ...

REFERENCES

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pp. 147-152

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

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pp. 153-154

INDEX

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pp. 155-157

E-ISBN-13: 9780791481844
Print-ISBN-13: 9780791467176
Print-ISBN-10: 0791467171

Page Count: 168
Publication Year: 2006

Series Title: SUNY series, Teacher Preparation and Development
Series Editor Byline: Alan R. Tom