The contribution of Teacher education to universities: a case study for international teacher educators

TY - JOUR

T1 - The contribution of Teacher education to universities

T2 - a case study for international teacher educators

AU - Hoult, E. C.

AU - Durrant, Judy

AU - Holme, Richard

AU - Lewis, Christine

AU - Littlefair, David

AU - McCloskey-Martinez, Matthew

AU - Oberholzer, Lizana

N1 - Copyright: © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

PY - 2025/4/3

Y1 - 2025/4/3

N2 - This paper reports on the initial stage of a research project which aims to develop deeper understanding of the contribution teacher education, as a sub-discipline within Education, makes to Higher Education in England. The study is located in the intersection between the domains of teacher education and higher education scholarship, which in England represents a contested and ambiguous professional space. Tensions between competing accountability measures, pulling away from university-based to exclusively school-based teacher education, are exacerbated by proposed policy changes arising from the government's recent market review. Findings drawn from analysis of qualitative data from a national survey are discussed in the context of Elizabeth Povinelli's critique of late liberalism and previous scholarship on the nature of teacher educators’ work. Evidence from the study demonstrates numerous benefits to higher education of hosting teacher education departments, including contributions to standard metrics, regional development and knowledge exchange within a strategic social justice agenda. However, teacher educators themselves may find articulating these benefits difficult, because of marginalisation from the dominant ways of achieving and accounting for excellence in the modern university. These findings offer a cautionary tale to international colleagues whose governments may be embarking on equivalent paths of teacher education reform.

AB - This paper reports on the initial stage of a research project which aims to develop deeper understanding of the contribution teacher education, as a sub-discipline within Education, makes to Higher Education in England. The study is located in the intersection between the domains of teacher education and higher education scholarship, which in England represents a contested and ambiguous professional space. Tensions between competing accountability measures, pulling away from university-based to exclusively school-based teacher education, are exacerbated by proposed policy changes arising from the government's recent market review. Findings drawn from analysis of qualitative data from a national survey are discussed in the context of Elizabeth Povinelli's critique of late liberalism and previous scholarship on the nature of teacher educators’ work. Evidence from the study demonstrates numerous benefits to higher education of hosting teacher education departments, including contributions to standard metrics, regional development and knowledge exchange within a strategic social justice agenda. However, teacher educators themselves may find articulating these benefits difficult, because of marginalisation from the dominant ways of achieving and accounting for excellence in the modern university. These findings offer a cautionary tale to international colleagues whose governments may be embarking on equivalent paths of teacher education reform.

KW - Teacher education

KW - preservice teachers

KW - higher education

KW - university culture

KW - England

KW - United Kingdom.

KW - United Kingdom

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105002563950

U2 - 10.1080/13540602.2024.2320151

DO - 10.1080/13540602.2024.2320151

M3 - Article

SN - 1354-0602

VL - 31

SP - 487

EP - 505

JO - Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice

JF - Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice

IS - 3

ER -