Face‐to‐face with children

Abstract

This paper investigates the motivational power of children to change teachers' beliefs about teaching. Weekly and summary reflections written by 18 preservice teachers served as data sources. Preservice teachers were learning from the children what they expect their teachers to know, to do, and to be, and in consequence of the face‐to‐face encounters with children, teachers were likely to establish and change their beliefs about children and how to teach. Teacher educators may encourage this learning by asking preservice teachers, during and after their work in classrooms, to respond to the questions: ‘As I related to the children, what did they require from me?’, and ‘How did I respond to these demands?’. The work of Emmanuel Levinas on the relationship in the face‐to‐face encounter between people provided an interpretive framework for evaluating responses to these questions.

Notes

Janet R. Young is an assistant professor in the Department of Elementary Education at Brigham Young University. She is interested in children's developing understanding of literacy within different contexts, classroom cultures and environments, teacher reflection, and teacher education. Her most recent papers have been published in the Journal of Teacher Education, Reading Research and Instruction, and the Utah Journal of Reading and Literacy.

Paul F. Cook is an associate professor in the Department of Elementary Education, David O. McKay School of Education, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA; e‐mail: [email protected]. He researches teacher reflection and human change processes as applied to becoming a teacher, education in developing countries, and collaborative, school‐based partnership programmes. His most recent papers have been published in T. Squazzin and M. van Graan (eds), Educational Reform and Innovation in Namibia: How Best Can Changes in Classroom Practice be Implemented and Supported? (Capetown, South Africa: Longman Namibia, 1999), Teaching and Teacher Education, The Professional Educator, The Clearing House, and the Teacher Education Quarterly.

Paul F. Cook is an associate professor in the Department of Elementary Education, David O. McKay School of Education, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA; e‐mail: [email protected]. He researches teacher reflection and human change processes as applied to becoming a teacher, education in developing countries, and collaborative, school‐based partnership programmes. His most recent papers have been published in T. Squazzin and M. van Graan (eds), Educational Reform and Innovation in Namibia: How Best Can Changes in Classroom Practice be Implemented and Supported? (Capetown, South Africa: Longman Namibia, 1999), Teaching and Teacher Education, The Professional Educator, The Clearing House, and the Teacher Education Quarterly.

Emmanuel Levinas is a compelling yet inaccessible philosopher whose prose is difficult for many. We have therefore drawn on interpretations of Levinas' work where we thought these interpretations would communicate more clearly. We have, however, referenced his original work as well for those who may desire to read him directly.

All names are pseudonyms. The one male in the study was given a non‐gender name.

QSR NUD*IST, a qualitative data analysis computer program (Qualitative Solutions & Research 1997), aided us in the analysis task.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

PAUL F. COOK

Janet R. Young is an assistant professor in the Department of Elementary Education at Brigham Young University. She is interested in children's developing understanding of literacy within different contexts, classroom cultures and environments, teacher reflection, and teacher education. Her most recent papers have been published in the Journal of Teacher Education, Reading Research and Instruction, and the Utah Journal of Reading and Literacy. Paul F. Cook is an associate professor in the Department of Elementary Education, David O. McKay School of Education, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA; e‐mail: [email protected]. He researches teacher reflection and human change processes as applied to becoming a teacher, education in developing countries, and collaborative, school‐based partnership programmes. His most recent papers have been published in T. Squazzin and M. van Graan (eds), Educational Reform and Innovation in Namibia: How Best Can Changes in Classroom Practice be Implemented and Supported? (Capetown, South Africa: Longman Namibia, 1999), Teaching and Teacher Education, The Professional Educator, The Clearing House, and the Teacher Education Quarterly.