Section archive - Theories & Approaches

The current article reports on the experiences of student teachers who undertook a community placement in order to interact with children and families outside their normal range of teaching practice experience. The article argues that the change in placement setting prompted student reflection in relation to these themes and shifts in beliefs, towards more authentic and complex understandings of partnership.

The present review examines academic and policy research in search of explanations, emphasizing what is known about challenges stemming from three levels of influence: the macro-level opportunity structure; institutional practices; and the social, economic, and academic attributes students bring to college. The paper also discusses potential and ongoing reforms that could increase rates of community college success by addressing one or more areas of influence. It is concluded that increasing success in the open-access, public 2-year sector requires reforms directed at multiple levels and cannot be achieved with either student- or institution-focused incentives alone.

In a self-study, five Dutch teacher educators carried out their individual studies, while supported by the group of colleagues and by the three facilitators. These facilitators also conducted a self-study of the whole project, particularly focusing on helping and hindering aspects of the facilitation process. In this article, the authors report two of the teacher educators' self-studies, one in the context of foreign language teaching and the other in the context of deepening student teacher reflection. In addition, the authors describe the design and outcomes of the self-study carried out by the facilitators.

Many self-studies are derived from the issues, problems and concerns that emerge out of a teacher educator's practice. The author claims that a good story can carry important messages and information about teaching, so that other teachers might be able to implement a similar approach in their own classrooms. However the author would suggest that in terms of development of knowledge, thestories alone are not enough. The author concludes that the stories of these teacher educators' work are helpful, but the learning derived from their researching of their practice that leads to the production of new knowledge of teacher education practices.