Internationalizing Rural Science Teacher Preparation

This edited volume discusses the need to increase quantity and enhance quality of science education focused on preparing rural students to thrive in an interconnected, interdependent, and complex world. It acknowledges that globally integrated education incorporates local knowledge and culture with global trends. Additionally it highlights globally competent science teaching is not included in most preparation programs, and teachers enter schools unprepared to address students’ needs. Rural schools lack opportunities to keep up with reform efforts and may have limited experiences with diversity, particularly at the global level. These chapters describe globalization in authors’ respective academic institutions by sharing global competence action research projects for preservice teachers. The studies presented were conducted in elementary and secondary science methods, and science content courses. The book’s research is unique as the contributors have carried out action research in science teacher preparation programs and participated in peer discussions that helped them fill gaps in global science teaching while advancing the field of teacher preparation programs.

This volume examines teacher preparation programs that have successfully used a co-teaching model to improve the clinical experience for teacher candidates and to instill a disposition for equitable practice. Co-teaching in K–12 classrooms is a well-established practice, especially in inclusive settings, but it is far less common in teacher education programs. Blending research and practitioner voices, this book presents co-teaching as a viable and valuable framework that provides support for teacher candidates, allowing them to grow and learn through reciprocal relationships. Offering their experiences and perspectives, chapter authors share promising practices for centering equity in co-teaching situations. Co-Teaching in Teacher Education challenges teacher preparation programs to prepare educators to work together to support all students in today’s diverse classrooms. Book Features: Utilizes an equity lens to examine how co-teaching can benefit both teacher education and practicing teachers.Describes how co-teaching is being used to elevate instruction in K–12 and higher education. Explores a wide variety of contexts in which co-teaching is being used to train teacher candidates and improve student learning, including traditional, alternative, and online programs and rural and urban settings. Provides an Equity Checklist to help educators examine equity considerations that arise throughout the co-teaching cycle (co-planning, co-instruction, co-assessment, and co-reflection).

It is clear that teacher educators have ongoing professional learning and development needs. Chief among these are continuing to learn about content developments and pedagogical practices useful for teaching a range of PK-12 students in varying contexts; developing reflective competencies and sets of practices useful for teaching teacher candidates about teaching; effectively balancing teaching commitments with institutional expectations for scholarship and service; and forging useful understandings of identity across the spectrum of teacher educator responsibility and development over time, including taking on managerial or administrative roles. Working in institutions largely devoid of formal support mechanisms, teacher educators are often left on their own to meet these needs and subsequently must create or seek out opportunities for their ongoing growth. This volume explores in greater depth how exactly teacher educators engage in professional learning and development across their career trajectories. University-based teacher educator learning occurs in a range of settings and across the career span. Contributors to this volume describe university-based teacher educator learning spaces focused on their ongoing professional learning. Such spaces include teacher educator communities of practice, critical friendships, self-study learning groups, faculty learning groups, co-mentoring, and institutionally sponsored professional learning spaces.

Struggling to navigate the complex landscape of agricultural teacher education, scholars face a daunting challenge: the need for a comprehensive research synthesis tailored to their specific needs. While valuable, existing resources often need to provide the focused guidance required to address this discipline's myriad issues. This gap leaves scholars needing a clear roadmap for advancing agricultural teacher education, hindering progress and innovation in the field. Emerging Research in Agricultural Teacher Education revolutionizes the field of education through agricultural research. Offering a comprehensive synthesis of current research and proposing crucial areas for future investigation, this book serves as the definitive solution to the challenges plaguing scholars in the field. Consolidating decades of research and expertise into a single accessible volume, it provides scholars with the tools they need to navigate the complexities of agricultural teacher education with confidence and clarity.

Analysis of past developments in teacher education in Pakistan has shown that substantial progress has been made in this field. It has, however, been pointed out that education of science teachers still needs much improvement. At the present, there is an emergent need to meet the shortage of qualified science teachers and at the same time to bring qualitative improvements in the courses offered in teacher education institutions. First, we recommend that the 1-year duration of teacher preparation is grossly inadequate for all teaching courses, and should be lengthened, and the qualifications for entrance be increased. We believe that teaching must be made a graduate profession. For example, the basic qualification of primary school teachers for admission to teacher education institution should be increased. We recommend that PTC should be made a 12 + 2 year program. Similarly, CT, 12 + 3; B. Ed. , 14 + 2; B. S. Ed. , 12 + 4; M. A. Ed. , 14 + 3; and M. Ed. one year after B. Ed. or B. S. Ed. Secondly, we think the quality of instruction in teacher preparation programs should be improved. Most teachers in the teacher preparation institutions use the lecture method most of the time. Prospective teachers behave like passive listeners to their teachers. They do not participate in the teaching/ learning process. Some instructors even dictate their notes to the preservice teachers. When the teachers join schools, they behave the same way.

This book aims to develop theoretical frameworks of the phenomena of internationalisation and globalisation and identify related ethical, moral, political and economic issues facing mathematics and science educators. It provides a wide representation of views some of which are not often represented in international publications. This is the first book to deal with issues of globalisation and internationalisation in mathematics and science education.