Section archive - Trends in Teacher Education

In this article, we report on a 2-year ethnographic study designed to investigate how new teachers enacted a listening stance in teaching that was introduced in their preparation program. Taking a listening stance implies entering a classroom with questions as well as answers, knowledge as well as a clear sense of the limitations of that knowledge (e.g., Cochran-Smith & Lytle, 1999; Lytle & Cochran-Smith, 1992; Schultz, 2003).

The study explores the personal epistemologies and teaching goals of preservice science teachers. The teachers answered a series of essay questions, at the beginning of a science methods instruction course. The essays were then compared with lesson plans, video sessions and reflections to identify connections between the teachers' beliefs and practice of teaching. Data suggest a connection between teaching goals to personal epistemologies. Emerging teaching practices demonstrated sghifts in personal epistemologies and potential for further development in teaching practices.

The article describes the promises and pitfalls of three orientation to arts integration: making, analyzing, and balancing. While few preservice teachers create a balanced curriculum even fewer implement such lessons as student teachers. Authors recommend that teacher educators need to identify fieldwork placement supporting arts integration, and steps to be nurtured by continuing professional development.

The article describes research into the role of collaborations and partnerships between universities and schools. It encompasses 12 years studies into school-university collaborative. The study documented interviews, case studies and project reports, and concluded that the model of the exchanges between partners is fruitful in unraveling the relationship between theory and practice in the pursuit of knowledge about teaching and learning.