Co/Sense-making and Conflict: Lessons Learned from a Teacher Education Curriculum Revisioning

ABSTRACT

In this case study, we explored how one college of education went about revising curricula across several programs; thereby disentangling multiple perspectives in order to address the needs of various external drivers as well as meeting faculty-driven needs. Informed by a conceptual framework undergirded by sociocultural theory and co/sense-making, findings from our study present a complicated view of the curricular revisioning process––offering evidence of both success and areas for continued improvement. Specifically, findings illustrate how faculty chose to mediate curricular revisioning tools; how faculty and college administration negotiated the aims and processes of curricular revisioning; and how (mis)communication among various participants intersected the work and shaped the perceptions of faculty and administration. Themes generated from our study provide lessons for others seeking to revise their teacher education curricula.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed on the publisher’s website.

Notes

¹ For a copy of the task force protocol and a report of specific programmatic changes, please e-mail the lead author, [email protected]

² A breakdown of faculty is not provided to protect the anonymity of taskforce members.