Is the world their oyster? The global imagination of pre-service teachers

Widegren, P. and Doherty, C. (2010) Is the world their oyster? The global imagination of pre-service teachers. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 38(1), pp. 5-22. (doi: 10.1080/13598660903474155)

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Abstract

This paper reports on a qualitative interview study with eleven pre-service primary teachers in Queensland about their career plans, exploring whether, and how, a global imagination motivates this next generation of teachers. The study is framed within sociological theory of globalisation, with regard to the growing possibilities for international mobility for work purposes, and the new life circumstances that make this imaginable. Teaching as a profession has changed and teachers are no longer as entangled with specific systems or geographical locations anymore. International recruitment campaigns are shown to pursue pre-service teachers during their university preparation. The analysis of the interview data reveals the kind of impact these possibilities make on how pre-service teachers imagine their career, and what other considerations enhance or limit their global imagination. The findings are used to reflect on the highly localised governance of pre-service teacher preparation and the limited State-bound imaginaries to which these pre-service teachers are unnecessarily confined in their preparation.

Item Type:Articles
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Doherty, Prof Catherine
Authors: Widegren, P., and Doherty, C.
College/School:College of Social Sciences > School of Education
Journal Name:Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education
Publisher:Taylor & Francis
ISSN:1359-866X
ISSN (Online):1469-2945
Published Online:14 January 2010

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