Although argumentation is a critical historical component of scientific literacy, the recent coronavirus pandemic and associated issues have highlighted the importance of argumentation in science practice. Argumentation that aligns with functional scientific literacy requires gathering evidence and reasoning to support or refute claims related to…

Efforts to recruit and retain Teachers of Color are rarely accompanied by policy and programmatic changes that adequately address their unique learning needs. In this article, I propose a framework that draws on sociocultural learning theory and Critical Race Theory to examine how programmatic structures embedded in a racially structured society…

This report from the field presents a field-based program designed to prepare teachers to serve diverse children and families by emphasizing the "actual" practices that inform family-teacher partnerships. We argue that collaborative relationships across and among families and teachers can result in "mining gems" of knowledge…

In this essay, the author uses experiences as a teacher educator and learning from a historically significant activism movement to (a) compare values in activism-centered and education-centered organizations, (b) posit ways that the concept of neutrality weakens academic activism, and (c) call for teacher education curricula and practices that…

This paper has two interrelated goals. The first is to introduce a framework: oppositional democracy. The second is to use this framework to address what I see as a central problem that occurs when learning to teach: the moment when someone with power tells an aspiring teacher that something she hopes to accomplish is "unrealistic". The…

This article stems from our participation in the "Wild Pedagogies" colloquium on Tasmania's Franklin River in December 2017. The two authors embarked on the 10-day rafting trip with a group of nine other educators and academics from Australia, Canada and England, engaging in extensive conversations about wild pedagogy principles in…

Burnout is a significant problem that continues to plague the teaching profession. In this essay, I argue that the burnout of early-career teachers is not solely a function of personal factors (e.g., their knowledge, their beliefs, their pedagogical skills, their commitment to the teaching profession) but also a function of the organizational…

Discussions of Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programs have indicated prevailing concerns regarding the linking of theory and practice with ongoing student criticisms that the theoretical, academic content of their degrees was the least helpful in preparing them for classroom teaching (Ure 2009). While competency-based movements underscored by…

Neoliberalism has been increasing its impact on the educational policy landscapes in many nations in a way that leads to emphasize test-based accountability mandates. In the USA, the federal government has been gradually strengthening its accountability control by implementing high-stakes testing and using student performance data for teacher…

Classroom-based assessment (CBA) has been implemented globally at many levels of educational system such as in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, USA, Singapore, as well as in Africa. In Indonesia, CBA might effectively be implemented in all stages of education since this way of assessment offers improvement in the teaching and…

The work of the authors as teacher educators spans contexts (in the United States and Southern Africa) that share both similarities and differences. In both contexts, the authors, as a team of teacher educators, seek out ways to improve the experiences that they offer beginning teachers in programs. In this commentary, the authors review the…

This article analyzes and discusses the professional values of prospective mathematics teachers. Theoretical approaches to the understanding of teachers' professional values, such as critical mathematics education and relational perspectives, are well developed. Still, there are few empirical contributions to the field. Here, professional values…

In recent years, the United States and Western world experienced rises in nationalism, xenophobia, ethnocentrism, and anti-immigrant racism, with heightened awareness of these issues in the wake of the 2016 United States presidential election. In this article, I explore the impacts of the political climate on preservice music teachers' field…

During semester-long courses in inclusive methods and beginning reading instruction, pre-service teacher candidates participate in weekly tutoring sessions with elementary students in grades K-5. We outline principles identified for effective service-learning and describe how to embed them to integrate community service. We discuss…

Improving the quality of education for young people growing up in high poverty and culturally diverse communities is an escalating problem in affluent nations with increasing gaps between the wealthy and the poor. Improving the quality of teachers and improving the quality of teaching are amongst the prominent solutions offered to redress the…