Australian teacher educators responding to policy discourses of quality

Larsen, Ellen; Mockler, Nicole

doi:10.1080/00131911.2021.2007056

Cited by 5 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…In the context of power imbalance, it is unlikely that ECTs will attempt to contest the positioning of mentor as gatekeeper. According to previous work using Positioning Theory (Larsen & Mockler, 2023), a challenge to or rejection of positioning may be impeded where authority is involved. In the context of this study, there is a risk that technicist competencies that promote a standards‐centred discourse of mentoring focusing on product rather than affect (Lambert & Gray, 2020) will be perpetuated in the absence of any ‘positioning move’ (Harré et al., 2009).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To illustrate, a mentor charged with moving the ECT from provisional to full registration may feel that they do not have the time or space to assume the role of ‘parent’. Previous studies have demonstrated that policy, and the compliance inherent within may serve as an alternative discourse that affords some teachers, particularly those early in their careers, seemingly unavoidable positionings (Ball et al., 2011; Larsen & Mockler, 2023; Maguire et al., 2015). Where an ECT expects their mentor to demonstrate this type of care and concern, as a consequence of worry about their workload, their role as a teacher, teaching itself and managing the classroom environments (Aarts et al., 2020), positional tensions will be inevitable.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Our study takes a perceptual stance to positioning (Colahan et al., 2012; Larsen & Mockler, 2023) and thus focuses on ‘mapping the participants’ understandings’ (Colahan et al., 2012, p. 48) and subjective interpretations and beliefs about mentor positioning from their perspectives. In other words, we do not adopt a discourse analysis approach as other studies have done which draws directly on the spoken words or language structures located within interactions between mentors and ECTs to determine positioning (McIntyre et al., 2019).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The positioning tensions between early career teachers’ and mentors’ perceptions of the mentor role

Curtis,

Nguyen,

Larsen

et al. 2024

British Educational Res J

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Early career teacher (ECT) mentoring has never been so important with escalating levels of attrition reported in numerous countries, including Australia, the US and the UK. However, inconsistent understanding of what a mentor can or should do continues to compromise the ways in which early career teachers experience this support. While previous research has reported on mentors’ differing perspectives on their role, we take a unique approach to this issue. In this paper, we explore the ways in which both mentors and ECTs understand the mentor role. We argue that where mentor and ECT understandings are in tension, the productive outcomes of mentoring for both the mentor and ECT are undermined. Drawing on Positioning Theory we report findings from the thematic analysis of 31 online interviews with 16 mentors and 15 ECTs in Australia. We found that while ECTs and mentors hold some common positionings, some significant differences were noted. These findings highlight the need to extend opportunities to learn about the mentoring role to include ECTs.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The positioning tensions between early career teachers’ and mentors’ perceptions of the mentor role

Curtis,

Nguyen,

Larsen

et al. 2024

British Educational Res J

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…The plethora of Australian reviews into ITE, such as the Teacher Education Ministerial Advisory Group (TEMAG) Issues Paper (2014), Next Steps: Report of the Quality Initial Teacher Education Review (Australian Government, 2022), and most recently, the Teacher Education Expert Panel (Department of Education, Australia, 2023) lay testament to this assumption that teacher education is underperforming and while this assumption could be challenged as failing to consider the complex nature of schools, students, teaching, and teacher education (Nuttall & Brennan, 2016), the pressure continues to be applied. Political and media ongoing narration around teacher education's perceived failings has compounded a pressurised working context (Larsen & Mockler, 2021;Mockler & Redpath, 2022) in which TEs often feel de-valued and de-professionalised (Arnold, 2020;Cochran-Smith et al, 2018). Much less research has investigated the impact of these reform-based work pressures on Teacher Educator (TE) wellbeing, specifically those working in university contexts in ITE.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Much less research has investigated the impact of these reform-based work pressures on Teacher Educator (TE) wellbeing, specifically those working in university contexts in ITE. Much of the research undertaken to date has considered how TEs feel positioned by current workplace demands (Alexander et al, 2020;Buchannan, 2020;Larsen & Mockler, 2021), but these studies do not have a specific focus on TE wellbeing.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Enablers and constraints to teacher educator wellbeing amidst institutional accountability cultures: a PERMA perspective

Larsen,

Barton,

Turner

et al. 2024

Aust. Educ. Res.

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The work of contemporary teacher educators in university contexts is under increasing political and public scrutiny as the focus on Initial Teacher Education (ITE) reform intensifies. Consequently, there are growing concerns for teacher educators’ wellbeing amidst escalating expectations and pressures. While research has explored the wellbeing of university academics more generally, less is understood about teacher educators more specifically. This paper aims to deepen understanding of the perceived enablers and constraints influencing how teacher educators experience wellbeing within their everyday work as academics in higher education contexts. Using metalogue as method, nine teacher educators from two Australian universities collectively reflected on their wellbeing during an online focus group session guided by an arts-based activity. Framed by the key constructs of the PERMA wellbeing framework, the ensuing metalogue was analysed thematically. Findings highlighted the particular importance they place on feeling a sense of value, purpose, and meaning in their work as educators for their wellbeing. Findings further showed how the impact of current external reform-driven accountabilities on their work and that of educators in the profession more broadly constrain their wellbeing. These findings have implications for institutional leaders and teacher educators in Australia and internationally where academics are experiencing performative cultures.

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A critique of ‘Strong Beginnings’ initial teacher education reforms: mandating neuroscience as core curriculum within the ‘what works’ movement

Skourdoumbis,

Rowe

2024

Aust. Educ. Res.

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The paper studies the rise of neuroscience in initial teacher education, paying attention to the relatively recent Australian Government (2023) report titled ‘Strong Beginnings’. In taking up a critical policy sociology lens, we focus on the first priority within the reforms, which is mandating brain science and the ‘brain and learning’ as core curriculum within initial teacher education. The reforms will embed standardised curriculum into initial teacher education and tie this curriculum to graduate teacher standards, bracketed within prescribed texts, ideologies and agendas. The reforms are positioned within the ‘what works’ movement, increasing accreditation and certain types of evidence, and the role and authority of intermediary organisations, including the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL). It promotes research that has been paid for by the think tank Centre for Independent Studies and aligned with the Australian Education Research Organisation and Education Endowment Foundation. In this paper, we endeavour to highlight how the singular and narrow focus on brain-based approaches is not only reductionist, but also potentially generative of oppressive technologies. The mandating of standardised curriculum and brain science undermines educators, including initial teacher educators, and bolsters private interests in education. The standardisation of core curriculum, which will be tied to accreditation processes and graduate teacher standards, is underpinned by a punitive-accountability based approach. Furthermore, whilst it is less visible, these reforms contain brain science tropes redolent of eugenics and deficit framings of low socio-economic status students.

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Australian teacher educators responding to policy discourses of quality

Cited by 5 publications

References 45 publications

The positioning tensions between early career teachers’ and mentors’ perceptions of the mentor role

The positioning tensions between early career teachers’ and mentors’ perceptions of the mentor role

Enablers and constraints to teacher educator wellbeing amidst institutional accountability cultures: a PERMA perspective

A critique of ‘Strong Beginnings’ initial teacher education reforms: mandating neuroscience as core curriculum within the ‘what works’ movement

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