Teacher education and training vary across the world, yet research from diverse cultures supports the development of reflective teachers. Claiming that the complex dynamics of the 21st-century classroom can be managed best by reflective teachers. Through the reflective process, teachers are empowered as change agents to modify learning…

Canada is facing a nationwide shortage of teachers of French as a second language. The profession is experiencing significant retention issues, with many teachers leaving the field within the first five years. One of the solutions proposed to address the challenges of teacher retention is for post-secondary institutions to integrate the concept…

This article has two major goals. The first is to establish a distinction between the idea of critical reflection (as required today in many teacher education courses) and the concept of reflective practice (as set out by Schön in the context of active professional practice). The second is to present some of the important lessons a teacher…

In this creative and reflective inquiry, I explore the pedagogical significance of arts as a place-based praxis of social transformations in a Canadian teacher education program with a focus on my students' learning experience. The research features their "pedagogical becoming" (Gouzouasis, Irwin, Miles, & Gordon, 2013) which…

The field of teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) is similar to other fields in that we must not take it for granted that novice teachers will survive their first year without some kind of support. This paper outlines how three novice ESL teachers in Canada survived their first year without any support from the school they were…

What is social justice-informed co-teaching? Why is it important? How can social justice pedagogy deepen co-teaching practices? What are the key challenges and possibilities open to teachers and learners involved in a social-justice informed co-teaching experience? These questions are useful to ask as they begin to address new pedagogical…

This article examines the experiences of seven teacher educators who met monthly over one academic year to engage in a collaborative self-study focused on exploring the text, "Developing a Pedagogy of Teacher Education: Understanding Teaching and Learning about Teaching." Through reflective discussion focused on relating the text to our…

To investigate benefits and challenges to engage teacher candidates in Japanese lesson study, defined as a collaborative, reflective, and iterative teacher development process, we analyzed reflective papers submitted by 60 teacher candidates studying at an Ontario faculty of education, engaged 20 practicum associate teachers in a group discussion,…

Similar to faculty development offerings at other North American post-secondary institutions, the University of Alberta has delivered orientations and short programs that primarily focus on teaching techniques. While this type of professional development is an important element of enhancing teaching, the literature stresses the need for learning…

This study examines two Canadian teacher education programs in relation to reflection-based principles identified in the Association of Canadian Deans of Education's "Accord on Initial Teacher Education". In one program, data analysis indicated a strong link between the practice and beliefs of pre-service teachers: they became more…

Critical reflection is an essential element in teachers' efforts to address the social justice issues that are often part of their lived experiences and those of their students. When educators begin to examine how power, privilege, and widely accepted assumptions about their practice may be working against their goals, such as eliminating forms of…

This study explored secondary preservice science teachers' attempts to implement a constructivist approach to science teaching in a practicum setting. Described is the secondary science education program at St. Francis Xavier University. Interview excerpts are presented as data. Results indicated: (1) student teachers went through two…

Describes an instructional methodology course where preservice social studies teachers prepared various lesson plans on the same unit of study. Their presentations were then videotaped and evaluated by the instructor, their peers, and themselves. Journal writing assignments complemented the course work and excerpts from these are included. (MJP)

If we are to change the pedagogy of teacher education, then teacher educators need to listen carefully to the students they teach. Drawing on a longitudinal study where prospective teachers talk about their learning across a 2-year teacher education program, this article seeks to illustrate and to interpret interview comments from five prospective…