Teacher education and teaching for diversity: a call to action

ABSTRACT

Teachers around the world report a lack of confidence about working with learners who are regarded as ‘diverse’. This paper draws on mixed-methods research to explore knowledge claims that underpin the pedagogical work of teacher educators. Using our theoretical framing of epistemic reflexivity, we show connections between knowledge claims made across the broad literature of teacher education/diversity and those made by teacher educators about their practices and programs. Findings identified challenges with respect to existing practice which point to different ways of knowing about our work. This paper is a call to action for teacher educators to reclaim their accountability for teaching diversity.

KEYWORDS:

• Diversity in schools
• epistemic reflexivity
• teacher education
• teacher educators
• teaching for diversity

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was funded by the Australian Research Council (ARC) DP180100160

Notes on contributors

Mary Ryan

Mary Ryan is Professor and Dean of Education at Macquarie University, Sydney. Her research is in the areas of teachers’ work in, and preparation for, diverse classrooms, reflexive learning and practice, writing pedagogy and assessment and reflective writing.

Leonie Rowan

Leonie Rowan is a Professor and Deputy Head of School (Research) in the School of Education and Professional Studies at Griffith University, Brisbane. Her research relates to gender in higher education, teacher education and schooling.

Jo Lunn Brownlee

Jo Lunn Brownlee is a Professor in the Faculty of Education, at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT). Over the last decade her research has explored how teachers and children’s beliefs about knowledge and knowing are connected to teaching and learning respectively.

Terri Bourke

Terri Bourke is an Associate Professor at the Queensland University of Technology. Her research interests include professional standards, professionalism, accreditation processes, assessment in geographical education and teaching about, to and for diversity.

Lyra L’Estrange

Dr Lyra L’Estrange is a Lecturer in the Faculty of Education, Queensland University of Technology. She teaches in a number of units in the School of Early Childhood and Inclusive Education and is a member of research projects which focus on impact and diversity in education.

Sue Walker

Sue Walker is a Professor in the Faculty of Education, at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT). Her research interests concern children’s developmental outcomes and the role of early intervention in early childhood.

Peter Churchward

Dr Peter Churchward is a research assistant at Queensland University of Technology. His research relates to the reflexive development of quality teaching.