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This article explores the ways in which lived experiences informed literacy teacher educators' (LTEs) pedagogies and practices of social justice. In particular, three case studies were conducted to examine why the LTEs chose to address social justice, as well as how their life experiences influenced their views and pedagogies in their literacy courses to address social justice, race, and race related issues. Each of the LTEs recalled transformative experiences that shaped their views not only of literacy, but the interconnections between schooling, social justice, and race.

Given the intense politicisation of education, many teacher educators are caught in the cross-hairs of government's reform agendas, university expectations and student teacher needs. This paper reports on a study of 28 literacy teacher educators in four countries (Canada, US, Australia and England). This paper reports on the broad question: How is politics affecting literacy teacher educators? Three specific aspects are considered: their pedagogies, identity and well-being. It describes how their pedagogy (goals and teaching strategies) has narrowed because of mandated curriculum and exit exams. It shows how their identity as academics is being complicated because they often do not have time for their research. And their well-being is compromised because of excessive external inspections and as their community in the university splinters.

Teacher educators are an occupational group who appear to suffer from an identity crisis. They do not seem to be able to agree on what their role or professional learning needs are. This situation has dire consequences for the next generation of teacher educators who enter the field in the same rather haphazard and ad hoc way as the ones before. This phenomenon might further explain why it has been called the hidden profession with reports of a general lack of professional induction, mentoring and advice. To explore this issue, a study of twenty "accomplished" university-based teacher educators were posed questions, one in particular asked, "what advice would you give beginning teacher educators"? A key finding is the important role a teacher educator plays as a public intellectual and the new skills and knowledges required to fulfil this role in an increasingly complex, multifaceted and digital world.

In contrast to curriculum standards initiatives, the teaching standards movement advocates a broad teaching approach that includes teaching for understanding, skills development in context, collaborative activities, and diversity of content and method. Using this conceptualization to analyze teachers' responses to a survey, we found that their practices reflected the teaching standards approach. In discussing our findings, we note that an awareness of teachers' current achievements might reduce negative views of the profession, and that teachers need support to continue to develop in the teaching standards direction.

Much has been written in recent decades about the importance of community in education. According to some of the literature, a solution to the lack of community in preservice education might lie in the creation of "cohort programs," in which a relatively small number of student teachers engage in their coursework and (insofar as possible) their fieldwork "together," under the guidance of a small faculty team. The authors' elementary preservice cohort program at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto (OISE/UT)--the Mid-Town Option--is similar to many of the cohort-based programs described in the literature. And they have experienced many of the same successes and challenges. Their program is somewhat distinctive, however, in its unusually heavy emphasis on class community. They devote a great deal of attention to community building, viewing the experience of community as perhaps the single most important feature of their program. In this paper, the authors concentrate on only one aspect of the topic of community in preservice education, namely, the role of "faculty" in building community. Further, they focus just on "student" perceptions of this role. Their data source for this study was six randomly selected students in the class of 1998-99, each of whom they interviewed on four occasions. In reporting the findings, they present in turn a series of themes that emerged in the interviews, each one corresponding to a contribution most or all of the students felt the faculty had made to building community in the program. In each section, the authors first report the students' views of the faculty role, and their assessment of its importance for the life of the community and their personal and professional development. They then briefly discuss the theme in general terms, showing how, in their view, the contribution fits into the structure of class community.

This paper presents findings from the large-scale study "Literacy Teacher Educators: Their Backgrounds, Visions, and Practices" that includes 28 literacy/English teacher educators (LTEs) from four countries. The participants were interviewed three times and shared their course outlines. Six pre-service LTEs who use a constructivist approach are presented. The six LTEs speak English as their mother tongue. Three aspects of constructivism are discussed: knowledge is constructed by learners; knowledge is experience based; and a strong class community is essential. They have adopted a constructivist approach because they conceptualised the teaching/learning process as a partnership. Constructivism is a flexible and fluid framework so individual LTEs can shape their work for their context and draw on their strengths; however, it is demanding because courses have to be somewhat organic in order to create space for discussion of issues as they arise.

This research examined the ways in which pre-service primary teachers' experiences of physical education during the practicum influenced the development of their identities as teachers of physical education. Guided by a social constructivist view of identity, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 pre-service teachers over one academic year, which involved two four-week practicum placements. Participants' observations and experiences of teaching physical education during the practicum led them to interpret ways in which they considered themselves similar or different to those teachers responsible for teaching physical education in their placement schools. In this way, participants articulated the extent to which they identified as teachers of physical education following two practicum placements. Recommendations are offered for improving the ways in which pre-service programmes support the development of primary teachers' identities across subject areas.

This paper reports on a research study of 28 literacy teacher educators (LTE) in four countries: Canada, the USA, England and Australia. It identifies three main forms of professional development: informal, formal and communities of practice and four spheres of knowledge: research; pedagogy of higher education; literacy and literacy teaching; and current school district and government initiatives. The study reveals the sheer scale of knowledge required to be an effective LTE and demonstrates how participants used the three forms of professional development to enhance their knowledge in each sphere. It concludes that the professional development of teacher educators is not conducted systematically; rather, it is quite ad hoc with much of it occurring through learning while doing. All had to construct their own programmes for professional development, which added yet another layer to their responsibilities.

This article reports on a study of 21 mid-career and senior literacy/English teacher educators in four countries: Canada, the United States (US), the United Kingdom (UK), and Australia. Three main themes are discussed: identity (re) construction; knowledge development (e.g. of pedagogy; current literacy practices); and reconceptualisation of their work (courses and research). The literacy/English teacher educators had moved beyond the struggles of novice teacher educators; however, they still experienced a number of tensions. They had moved beyond identifying with and as a classroom teacher but felt that they needed to remain connected to teachers because their research is conducted in schools. They still felt less valued by their colleagues who were not actively involved in teacher education, not because they were novices, but because of their close involvement in schools. They found communities of literacy/English teacher educators beyond their university. All argued that they must continue to expand their knowledge in a number of areas but they see their continuous growth as a strength not a short-coming. By mid-career many created a synergy among their research, teaching, and service.

Becoming a teacher educator involves more than a job title. One becomes a teacher educator as soon as one does teacher education, but one's professional identity as a teacher educator is constructed over time. Developing an identity and practices in teacher education is best understood as a process of becoming. Though the work of teaching shares much in common with the work of teacher education, the two positions are significantly divergent in important ways.

This study involved 28 literacy/English teachers in four countries: Canada, the USA, the UK and Australia. The goal of the study was to examine their backgrounds, knowledge, research activities, identity and support within the university. The teacher educators had a range of classroom teaching experience which they drew on in many ways. Most went far beyond simply telling stories about their previous work. All were heavily influenced by their own childhood experiences, which continue to affect their current work. Many felt that they needed to hold dual identities, teacher and academic, because they were still heavily involved in schools through their research and in-service activities. Several felt that there was a hierarchy in their department with those most removed from schooling at the highest tier. Most saw themselves in the field of literacy not teacher education and gravitate towards literacy-focused conferences and journals rather than those in teacher education.

Background: In many contexts, elementary physical education (PE) classes are taught by the classroom teacher rather than by a PE specialist. Elementary classroom teachers often cite negative attitudes resulting from experiences as school pupils and inadequate pre-service PE teacher education as barriers to teaching a quality PE programme. Purpose: This research considers the extent to which changes in student teachers' (a) identity as teachers of PE and (b) self-efficacy to overcome barriers to teaching PE occurred during pre-service teacher education. Participants and Setting: Participants (n?=?308) were elementary classroom teachers who were drawn from a one-year, post-baccalaureate teacher education programme located in a North American urban centre. Data collection: Scales from a survey developed by Faulkner, Reeves, and Chedzoy were administered to participants before (n?=?308) and after (n?=?285) they attended a mandatory 12-hour PE methods course and two practice teaching placements. The scales used measured two constructs: identity as teachers of PE and self-efficacy to overcome barriers to teaching PE. Following the initial survey, 10 student teachers were invited to participate in three semi-structured interviews conducted before they attended the PE course; after the completion of the PE course, and following the second of two practice teaching placements. Data analysis: Survey data were analysed using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. Descriptive statistics provided mean scores for the two constructs measured at pre- and post-test stages; inferential statistics (repeated measures t-tests) were used to identify significant changes in pre- and post-test data. Interview data were analysed using the principles of constant comparison as outlined in grounded theory approaches. Findings: Quantitative analysis suggested that there was a positive and significant change in survey respondents' identities as teachers of PE. Interview participants felt that the pre-service PE course and practice teaching placements provided them with useful examples of how to promote inclusive practice and collaborative opportunities for learning. It also allayed several participants' anxieties that they would be expected to teach PE the same way that they were taught as school pupils. No significant difference was found in self-efficacy for overcoming barriers to teaching PE. Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that it may be worthwhile for PE teacher educators to focus coursework for elementary student teachers on developing their identities as teachers of PE. While in one brief course, the steps that student teachers can make towards forming an identity as a teacher of PE may be small, they are essential given the importance of professional identity development in the processes of learning to teach.

This paper describes an initiative, Becoming Teacher Educators (BTE), which is a group for doctoral students who want to become teacher educators. The group is composed of two professors and 12 doctoral students. The various activities in which the group has engaged over the past three years are described. This article brings to light a few key elements of the BTE group, namely, its strengths as a community, the importance of shared leadership, the opportunity to develop knowledge of teacher education, the improvement of research skills, the influence on identity, and improvement in practices as beginning teacher educators.

As pre-service instructors, we turned to longitudinal study of our graduates as a primary means of finding out how our courses could better prepare student teachers for the challenging early years of teaching. In addition, we used other self-study methods, notably regular feedback from student teachers during the program. The study of 22 graduates over their first three years of teaching revealed that program planning and vision for teaching were two especially important areas that were not adequately addressed in pre-service. In this paper we discuss how we changed our courses to be more effective in these areas.

This article reports a study of literacy instruction in our own elementary preservice program. It examines the views and practices of both the preservice faculty who teach literacy and a sample of graduates of the program during their first three years of teaching. The new teachers reported learning many things from their preservice program, including the importance of engaging learners, strategies for developing an inclusive class community, the names of high-quality works of children's literature, and a variety of general teaching strategies. However, there were gaps between what was taught and what the new teachers wanted to learn. The new teachers struggled with program planning, desired more direct instruction on developing a literacy program, and wanted closer links between theory and practice. The teacher educators tried to cover so much material that the new teachers were unable to develop a focused, coherent pedagogy. The authors describe how they are revising their courses in light of these findings, modifying their approach to preservice instruction, and giving priority to certain key aspects of teaching.

Teacher education for literacy teaching is often fairly narrow in focus. New approaches are needed that are sociocultural in orientation and take due account of the diversity of language forms, both traditional and contemporary, formal and informal, literary and non-literary. We believe this need can be met by largely adopting a "multiliteracies" approach as articulated by the New London Group. This research examined the ideas and practices of 10 literacy faculty in a large school of education and 22 first year literacy teachers from the same institution. It found that despite some important advances in a multiliteracies direction, many shortcomings remained. Part of the difficulty was lack of clarity about the nature and purpose of multiliteracies pedagogy. This paper has two main purposes: first, to attempt to clarify the nature and importance of a multiliteracies approach; and second, to report on the successes achieved and challenges encountered in moving in this direction in one school of education.

This article looks at the non-tenure-line instructors in a teacher education programme. Although they play a crucial role in teacher education, they largely toil in the shadows. They have limited voice in programme decisions, are offered little or no induction, and often work in isolation. The high turnover in staff and their heavy teaching and supervision loads make it difficult to begin to develop a pedagogy of teacher education. We offer suggestions about how these instructors might be provided with induction, professional development, and other forms of support. These include supporting them with funds for professional development, including them on research teams, and providing opportunities for tenure-line and non-tenure-line faculty to socialise and work together. (Contains 5 notes.)

In this study we asked beginning elementary teachers about their needs as first-year teachers and the adequacy of their preservice program in helping to meet them. The new teachers varied in satisfaction with their preparation but showed considerable consensus on their needs. They felt the study of both theory and practice should be conducted in depth and focused on certain key areas. The main areas mentioned included comprehensive planning for the whole year, how to set up the program, assessment and evaluation, and implementation of effective group work.

This paper begins with a description of my work in a Canadian school of education, where I now realize that I was well insulated from the US context, where many are highly critical of teacher education. My recent move to Stanford University immediately immersed me in the highly controversial practices being imposed on schools and schools of education through the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation. I suggest that it was almost impossible for me to fully appreciate the impact of NCLB while working in Canada. I argue here that teacher educators must maintain their integrity yet be mindful of the political agendas or risk being completely marginalized. I suggest that, while the development of self-study has been affected by the discourse and legislation, self-study can play a key role in restoring balance to discussions of the importance of teacher education. In order to achieve this influence, we must continue to expand our research methods to enable us to participate in the language of evidence-based research.

Using qualitative and quantitative methods, we studied a large sample of our 2002-2003 preservice students to see how they were selected and how they fared in the program. Our research suggested that a key component of a preservice admissions process is to look for evidence that applicants possess qualities important for strong teaching; in our sample, this approach tended to reduce the proportion of student teachers who struggled or failed in the program. However, we discovered that a considerable number of candidates apparently not suited to teaching were still being admitted. We believe admissions could be enhanced by more explicit reference to teacher qualities in assessor training sessions and during the admissions process itself. Further, we believe such qualities should be referred to more systematically throughout the program. (Contains 7 tables and 2 endnotes.)

Examined a model of practicum supervision adopted at one university that involved intensive supervision by all faculty members. Data from observations, interviews, journals, and conversations found that the model strengthened the school-university partnership, enhanced the practicum and campus program, and helped faculty gain knowledge and understanding of schooling. However, the approach was time-consuming and presented additional challenges. (SM)

Investigated student teachers' beliefs about components of good practicum placements. Data from interviews and observations highlighted seven components (e.g., emotional support from, peer relationship with, and collaboration with the associate teacher; flexibility in teaching content and method; feedback from the associate teacher; and heavy but not excessive workload during the practicum). (SM)