“No Heart. All Hollow”: Teacher

Education and Professional Teaching

Standards

ECER 2014 :The Past, Present and Future of Educational Research in Europe

2 - 5 September, 2014, Porto, PortugalDr. Yvonne MASTERS

University of New England (UNE)Armidale, NSW, Australia

Where Do I Come From?

AUSTRALIA

NEW SOUTH WALES

ARMIDALE

SydneySCHOOL OF EDUCATION, UNIVERSITY OF NEW ENGLAND

A Global Phenomenon

• Standards (or competences) are common across the globe.• OECD

“Develop a clear and concise statement or profile of what

Teachers are expected to know and be able to do. Use these

teacher profiles as a framework to guide initial teacher education,

Teacher certification, teachers’ ongoing professional development

and career advancement”. (OECD, 2011, p. 11).• Fullan

What is missing is “the purpose and passion that drives the

best teachers” (Fullan, 2003, p.10).

Frameworks“ Theories, models and conceptual frameworks are tools to structure thinking and action about a problem. … These tools may be used … to: - provide a guide for evidence-based practice” (IIott, Gerrish, Laker &

Bray, 2013, p. 1).

“Use the conceptual framework as a tool, not a rule, so it remains ‘fit for purpose.’ Apply the frameworks flexibly. …

Adaptability offers a mechanism for coping with the uncertainty of system and organisational change” (IIott, Gerrish, Laker & Bray, 2013, p. 3).

Teacher education in Australia uses the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers as a mandated framework for pre-service teacher education.

Standards/Competences?

?

Australian Standards: The Discourse 1

• Straitjacket?

The Australian Professional Standards for

Teachers are a public statement of what

constitutes teacher quality. They define the work

of teachers .... The Standards do this by

providing a framework which makes clear the

knowledge, practice and professional

engagement required across teachers’ careers.

Australian Standards: The Discourse 2

• Performative?

The Australian Professional Standards for Teachers .are

organised into four career stages. The Graduate Standards

will underpin the accreditation of initial teacher education

programs. Graduates from accredited programs qualify for

registration in each state and territory. The Proficient

standards will be used to underpin processes for full

registration as a teacher and to support the requirements

of nationally consistent teacher registration.

Australian Standards: The Discourse 3

• Non-relational?

In the Graduate standards the most frequently

occurring word (other than ‘the’, ‘and’ and ‘of’)

is demonstrate, which has evaluative overtones.

In contrast relationship does not occur at all, and

only occurs twice in the entire document.

Communication only appears once in the

graduate standards and collaborate not at all. There

is also no reference to values, which is value-laden

in itself.

Where to from here?

Bourgonje and Tromp (2011) claim that “the

understanding of ‘competence’ is shifting however

from a narrow focus on what a person can do

towards a more holistic focus on the possession and

development of a complex combination of

integrated skills, knowledge, attitudes and values”

(p.9). The question to be asked is how can we work

together to truly institute the more holistic focus.

The use of more humanistic language is a start.

ReferencesAustralian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership [AITSL]. (2011). Australian

Professional Standards for Teachers. Canberra: Education Services Australia. http://www.aitsl.edu.au/australian-professional-standards-for-teachers/standards/list .

Bourgonje, P., & Tromp, R. (2011). Quality educators: An international study of teacher competences and standards.

Fullan, M. (2003). Change forces with a vengeance. London: Routledge Falmer.

Ilott, I., Gerrish, K., Laker, S. & Bray, K., (2013). Naming and framing the problem: using theories, models and conceptual frameworks. In Bridging the gap between knowledge and practice, Your starter for 10: No.2 CLAHRC for South Yorkshire. http://clahrc-sy.nihr.ac.uk/images/TK2A/TK2A%20briefing%20papers/Starter%20for%2010%20No%202%20Final%2008-03-2013.pdf.

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2011). Teachers Matter: Attracting, Developing and Retaining Effective Teachers: Pointers for Policy Development. France: OECD Publishing.

Front graphic: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tin_Woodman.png.