1 professional development of teacher educators in pakistan: challenges and opportunities presented...
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Professional Development of Teacher Educators
in Pakistan: Challenges and Opportunities Presented in: 4th Teacher Education Advancement Network Conference
Sponsored by Higher Education Academy , UKConference Aston, Birmingham May 17, 2013
Presented by: Naima Qureshi Research Supervisors: Mary Briggs & Dr. Janet Goodall
Overview of the Presentation
Preliminary Findings
Research Methods &Sample
Research Questions
Brief Literature Review
Background of the Study
Issues for Teacher Educators in the field
•No comprehensive criteria for enter into the profession
•Fewer opportunities for formal professional development
•Lack of policy support
•No standards and curriculum for educating teacher
educators
•Lack of research and publications in the field
Recent Reforms in Teacher Education
•National Accreditation of Teacher Education •National Professional Teaching Standards•Four-year BEd. Programme
Teacher Education as a Professional Field
•The existence of an independent body of knowledge
•Its own structure, knowledge bases, terms and concepts
•Practitioners being professionals
Murray, J., Swennen, A. & Shagrir, L. (2009) Understanding teacher educators’ work and identities, in: A. Sweennen & M. van der Klinks (Eds) Becoming a teacher educator; theory and practice for teacher educators (Dordrecht, Springer), 29-43
Position of Teacher Educators
Based on : Shagrir Leah (2010) Development of novice teacher educators: Professional Self, interpersonal
relations and teaching skills: Professional Development in Education 36:1-2, pp 45-60
Teacher Educators : Who they are?
Someone who contributes in a formal way to the learning and development of teachers (Snoek et al. 2011)
Murray et al. (2009) define teacher education as broad, heterogeneous and differentiated field (or area) within which teacher educators undertake many different types of work.
Marco Snoek, Anja Swennen & Marcel van der Klink (2011) : The quality of teacher educators in the European policy debate : actions and measures to improve the professionalism of teacher educators, Professional Development in Education, 37:5 , 651-664
Roles & Expectations from Teacher Educators
Based on: Murray, J.; Swennen,A. &Shagrir L. (2009) Understanding teacher educators’ work and identities: A. Swennen & M. van der Klink (Eds) Becoming a teacher educator: theory and practice for teacher educators (New York, Springer ), 29-44
Challenges and problems faced by Teacher Educators
•Dual nature of their work in schools and university departments
•Shift to more expansive academic and professional expectations as
teacher educator
•Transition from teacher to teacher educator (move from ‘expert to
novice’)
•Teaching load and other administrative duties
•Lack of time leads to the limited opportunities for learning
•Institutional constraints (lack of facilities, resources etc)
•Contextual and cultural constraints (lack of support, acceptance,
lack of collaborative culture etc)
Why Professional Development of Teacher Educators?
• To improve the profession• To maintain interest in the profession• To grow personally and professionally • To advance within the profession (Smith, 2010)
Kari Smith (2010): So: What about the professional Development of Teacher Educators?. European Journal of Teacher Education, 26:2, 201-215
Formal Trainings, Seminars,
Workshops etc
Discussion with Colleague, feedback, observation
Working with other
professional bodies/
network etc
Reflection & Self Assessment, Self
Study
How teacher educators
learn?
Focus of the Study
Professional development of teacher educators ,their experiences, challenges and opportunities for learning at University of Education, Lahore, Pakistan.
Teacher educators are those faculty members who are involved in teaching pre-service teachers and are called lecturer, assistant professors, associate professor and professors according to their grade.
Research Questions
1- How does the professional development of tertiary level teacher
educators teaching at BEd. & MEd. level at the University of
Education, Lahore takes place?
2-What are the different roles teachers educators have to perform?
3- What are the experiences of teacher educators with various
academic backgrounds and experiences in performing their various
roles?
(i)What are the challenges do they face?
(ii)What are the opportunities for their professional development
(iii)How do they learn through formal and in-formal professional
learning opportunities at their workplace?
Methodology
•Sequential explanatory mixed–method design and few elements of case study.
•Quantitative Qualitative design
•Questionnaires, document analysis & semi-structured interviews.
Sample of the Study
Level Main Actor and Sample for study
What they do ? How I will get data?
Macro Higher Education Commission
Major reforms in teacher education
Interview with representative of Director of Quality Assurance Agency
Meso Vice Chancellor of University Head of department and college principal
Decision on availability of professional development opportunities
Interviews
Micro Teacher Educators What they experience? Challenges and opportunities
Semi-structured interviews and questionnaires
Pilot Study Findings: Major categories(5 semi-structure interviews from teacher
educators of 3 different campuses)
Roles Challenges and problems Learning (formal & informal)
Teaching No provision of orientation programme and professional development
Sharing with colleagues
Research Lack of institutional support Self-learning
Teaching Practicum Feel challenged to mix up with senior colleagues
Use of internet
Administrative duties Problems in teaching Discussion and feed back from students
Lack of physical facilities No formal learning opportunities
Lack of research culture
Analysis and Comparison
Pilot study has confirmed that age, experience, and gender would be worth exploring while making analysis and or comparison
Contribution
• General relevance to contemporary issues in the field of teacher education in Pakistan
• Deeper understanding of teachers’ educators work & the way in which their learning can be supported
• Contribute for designing the professional development programme for teacher educators
• Further awareness and contribution in international literature regarding the work of teacher educators
References
• Khan, H. (2011): Becoming teacher educators in Pakistan: voices from the government colleges of education,
Journal of Education for Teaching International research and pedagogy, 37:3, 325-335
• Kari Smith (2010): So: What about the professional Development of Teacher Educators?. European Journal of
Teacher Education, 26:2, 201-215
• Murray, J.; Swennen,A. &Shagrir L. (2009) Understanding teacher educators’ work and identities: A. Swennen & M.
van der Klink (Eds) Becoming a teacher educator: theory and practice for teacher educators (New York, Springer ),
29-44
• Murray, J.; Swennen,A. &Shagrir L. (2009) Understanding teacher educators’ work and identities: A. Swennen & M. van der
Klink (Eds) Becoming a teacher educator: theory and practice for teacher educators (New York, Springer ), 29-44
• Marco Snoek, Anja Swennen & Marcel van der Klink (2011) : The quality of teacher educators in the European
policy debate : actions and measures to improve the professionalism of teacher educators, Professional
Development in Education, 37:5 , 651-664
• Shagrir Leah (2010) Development of novice teacher educators: Professional Self, interpersonal relations and
teaching skills: Professional Development in Education 36:1-2, pp 45-60
Thank [email protected]