Exploring Preparedness with Pre-Service Teachers

Little, C., Evans, D., Alves, I. and Boath, L. (2023) Exploring Preparedness with Pre-Service Teachers. European Conference on Research in Education: The Value of Diversity in Education and Educational Research, Glasgow, UK, 22-25 August 2023.

Abstract

Teaching has been recognised as a stressful profession and is plagued by significant turnover (Flook et al., 2013). International research has shown that many teachers, especially in their early career years, feel underprepared to handle academic and behavioural issues among their students (e.g., Aflakseir & Nemati, 2018; Dias-Lacy & Guirguis, 2017; Whitaker et al., 2015). This may lead to teachers suffering from anxiety, depression, burnout, and deciding to leave the profession (Buchanan et al., 2013). Preparing classroom-ready teachers has become a persistent theme around the world (Mansfield et al., 2016). For example, the apprenticeship-style teacher preparation program, Teach For All, requires graduating teachers to complete a six to eight week training course prior to teaching “in a disadvantaged setting” (Rice et al., 2015, p. 498). The Teach For All program has expanded significantly since 1990 and recognised 46 countries as network partners, including China, India, New Zealand, and Australia (Rowe & Skourdoumbis, 2019). However, there is little agreement about what might a classroom-ready teacher look like across the profession. Early career teachers believe that a classroom-ready teacher should be prepared for understanding the curriculum, assessing students, engaging in professional dialogue with colleagues and parents, as well as managing classroom behaviours. Experienced teachers perceive that a classroom-ready teacher should be able to control their classes, communicate explicitly to their students, and deliver well-structured and student-focused lessons (Hickey, 2015). School principals point out that teaching is a demanding and complex profession so a classroom-ready teacher should be someone who experienced full responsibility for student wellbeing issues, class loads, parent communication and complaints management (Hickey, 2015). Recent studies suggested that classroom readiness refers to a process of becoming, committing, and re-committing throughout a teaching career, rather than a simple standard to be achieved upon graduation (Buchanan & Schuck, 2016; Mockler, 2017). In this sense, a classroom-ready teacher cannot be identified as a product of a teacher education program (Buchanan & Schuck, 2016). Ingersoll (2007) compared the preparation of elementary and secondary teachers in seven education jurisdictions (i.e., China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, and the United Stated). Prior to entering the profession, all the education jurisdictions required both content knowledge (i.e., knowing what to teach), pedagogical knowledge (i.e., knowing how to teach), and supervised practice (Ingersoll, 2007). Schuck et al. (2012) claimed that teaching is a multifaced enterprise, including communicating with colleagues, parents, communities, and students, demonstrating sound content and pedagogical knowledges, as well as keeping deep reserves of professional and personal resilience. This paper explores the concept of 'preparedness' through the voices of pre-service teachers in Sydney, New South Wales (Australia), and Glasgow, Scotland. Preparedness and class-ready have been concepts posed by differing reviews of pre-service teacher education in New South Wales and Scotland; little information is provided in these reports about how preparedness is defined or operationalised. This paper will report initial findings from interviews with pre-service teachers about their understandings of 'preparedness'. Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources Used: This paper reports on one aspect of a proposed larger multi-national, longitudinal study exploring preparedness of teachers to craft an identity in their classrooms and careers. The project will utilise a range of research methods to help better understand what it is to be an educator. Further, the project will involve a larger set of pre-service teachers, as well as early career teacher, experienced teachers, and school administrators.

• Item Type: Conference or Workshop Item
• Keywords: Preparedness, pre-service, classroom ready, teacher education.
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Alves, Dr Ines and Boath, Dr Lauren
• Authors: Little, C., Evans, D., Alves, I., and Boath, L.
• Subjects: L Education > LB Theory and practice of education > LB2300 Higher Education; L Education > LB Theory and practice of education > LB2361 Curriculum
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Education > Culture, Literacies, Inclusion & Pedagogy; College of Social Sciences > School of Education