Search results

The current structure and content of higher pedagogical education in Russia is a unique interweaving of the traditions of the historical past with post-Soviet and modern reforms of the last 30 years. They reflect the complex process of development of the national teacher training system, each stage of which not only built on the previous one, but also brought something new and more perfect, without denying the previous experience. The current situation in teacher education in Russia is quite diverse and original. Teachers have the opportunity to study in specialised secondary, higher and professionally oriented postgraduate education programmes.

This chapter presents modern higher pedagogical education in Russia as a rather complex and multilevel system. This required a rather in-depth coverage of state policy, structure and content of Federal State Educational Standards. On this basis, the authors planned to achieve a full understanding of the phenomenon of the combination of centralisation and decentralisation of the teacher training process in Russia, where the existing legal and content frameworks nevertheless leave ample opportunities for variability and autonomy in the formation of educational programmes at universities and institutes.

Secondary professional teacher education (onwards – SPTE) in Russia has gone through many stages, from ups to downs. There have been periods when SPTE was in low demand and associated with poor student success. However, SPTE has been able to meet the socio-economic challenges of the time, take its place in the hierarchy of Russian education and become a competitive and effective system of practice-oriented teacher training.

The chapter is devoted to the subject description of the dynamic process of formation and development of modern SPTE as an educational system. The authors analyse scientific and pedagogical publications and methodological works of Russian scientists and summarise the results on the basis of their analysis. The proposed chapter ‘Secondary Professional Pedagogical Education in Russia’ will consider the development of the modern system of secondary professional teacher education in Russia. Particular emphasis is placed on the continuity of the theory and practice of teacher training, the peculiarities of a person-centred educational environment and the strong continuity of secondary professional and higher teacher education.

This chapter examines the University of Connecticut (UConn) Neag School of Education's efforts to improve the recruitment of students of colour through an Early College Experience (ECE) Programme. During the pandemic, the School of Education and the ECE Programme collaborated to train and certify high school teachers to instruct the UConn's lower level undergraduate courses. The programme exposed many students of colour to teaching as a career.

This study provides insight into the nature of peer-mentoring opportunities for teacher candidates, including common challenges and benefits that can be used to inform best practices for implementing peer-mentoring programs by higher education institutions.

Qualitative interviews were conducted to glean insights from program coordinators and researchers regarding programs at higher education institutions in Canada, Australia, and Vietnam.

Common challenges and benefits of peer mentoring for teacher candidate mentors and mentees are identified. The importance of embedding reflective practice in programs is discussed, highlighting strategies for improving reflection and engagement.

This exploratory study has limitations. Due to the small sample size, thematic saturation may not have been reached. There is a lack of prior research on the topic of peer mentoring in an undergraduate, pre-service education context. These factors indicate room for further exploration on this topic. This study reveals areas for further research. Research on best practices for the implementation of peer mentoring experiences for teacher candidates should be continued with larger sample sizes, and mixed methodologies. Differences in best practices in online and in-person peer mentoring programs for teacher candidates could be investigated. The value of mentoring as a reflective tool for professional growth should be further explored. The adequacy of structured and reflective peer mentoring as an adjunct or substitute for traditional mentoring by staff advisors may be of interest to provide more professional growth opportunities to teacher candidates at earlier stages and lower costs for institutions.

To overcome common challenges associated with low engagement from mentees, both the mentor and mentee positions should be framed as active roles in a partnership essential for professional growth. Ideally, facilitators should designate time within the curriculum, such as course or lab time, in which mentors and mentees can meet. To increase mutual engagement, preservice education programs should make both roles mandatory, or offer each role as a credit course with academic incentives for assignments that demonstrate quality self-reflection and engagement.

Rather than viewing themselves as passive recipients of mentoring services, mentees can take ownership through engaging in valued mentee responsibilities, such as identifying needs, and communicating proactively. How mentee and mentor roles are perceived, and enacted, may be influenced by whether programs are presented as supports by mentors for mentees, or reciprocal professional partnerships required for mutual growth.

The research offers insights into how peer-mentoring programs for teacher candidates can be structured to address pitfalls, enhance professional development, and support undergraduate teacher-learners. Practical recommendations for program coordinators and institutions are offered.

Pedagogical classes within the general secondary education system in Russia have been practised for almost two centuries. They have been recognised as an effective teacher training method in complicated stages of national history and as a part of the vocational guidance of school students. Modern pedagogical classes, on the one hand, can be a significant element of the system of continuous teacher education. On the other hand, they contribute to the understanding of the meaning and content of the teacher's profession, and solve the problems of vocational guidance and professional identity. The purpose of pedagogical classes of the late 20th to early 21st century is to have students prepared for choosing a teaching profession and further study in teacher training institutions and universities.

The purpose of this study was to examine how participants experienced and perceived an M.Ed. program that had a school-based design. In particular, the authors sought to understand: (1) how participants experienced being in a school-based cohort and (2) whether and how participants experienced the three designated tenets of the M.Ed. program: teacher inquiry, social justice and student engagement and motivation.

This qualitative study used semi-structured focus group interviews (n = 7) to examine teachers’ perceptions, using a constant comparative method (Corbin & Strauss, 2008) of open coding to analyze the data and determine emergent themes.

The findings indicate the design of this school-based M.Ed. program provided both social and academic benefits including strengthening teachers’ working relationships and their understanding of students outside their own classroom and a transfer from individual learning to organizational benefit. Teachers positively perceived the three tenets that guided the first year of the program, especially the ability to study social justice and student motivation in depth.

This study has implications for teacher education and retention as well as how boundary spanning roles in PDS schools can impact graduate students’ experiences in schools. Given the current teacher shortage concerns, it is important to understand how M.Ed. programs can be designed with teacher needs at the forefront so learning is relevant and rewarding, both to the individual and the school.

While there are many studies that examine the use of cohorts in education, particularly in doctoral programs, few, if any, studies examine a school-based cohort M.Ed. program for practicing teachers. This study also puts a unique spotlight on how boundary-spanning roles can benefit not only teacher candidates but also practicing teachers in their M.Ed. programs.

This paper aims to develop precise statements (standards) to describe the knowledge and skills that should be possessed by Islamic education (IE) teacher candidates who receive their initial preparation in various international higher-education institutions. These statements must be compatible with the requirements and guidelines for building specialized standards set by the Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), so that they can be used for accreditation and improving quality.

Two panels of IE experts participated in developing and validating the standards, using a combination of Delphi and content validity methods. Alongside this research activity, management activity ensured that the process ran smoothly, as the researcher coordinated panels, allocated resources and tracked progress during standard development.

Twenty-six components divided into five standards were developed into a final list based on the panels.

This study provides standards for the preparation of IE teachers in higher-education institutions that can be applied in different countries and geographical regions. Furthermore, it aims to make the subject of IE more comparable with other academic disciplines, and appropriate for CAEP accreditation.