Research on the Education of Teachers

3 credits · Graduate

The course focuses on research on the education of prospective and practicing teachers, and on the institutional, organizational and policy contexts in which that research has been pursued. It is designed for students who are interested in doing research in this field or in becoming teacher educators, and is built on several organizing questions. What is the work (and workplace) for which teachers are being prepared? What is the occupational conception of teaching that underpins practice, policy, and research? What is the significance of teacher education's fluctuating fortunes and shifting institutional forms? What is the field's capacity for research on teacher education? By comparison with research on teaching and learning, research on the education of teachers has been under-developed both conceptually and methodologically. Throughout the course, we will be judging the accomplishments and limitations of this field of practice and study, and locating opportunities for future research and development.