Seminar Series On Teacher Education For The Changing Demographics of Schooling: Policy, Practice and Research

December 2015 Briefing Paper
Seminar Series on Teacher Education for the Changing

Demographics of Schooling: policy, practice and research
Calls for reform in teacher education are increasingly made in response to

dissatisfaction with student performance and poor learning outcomes, particularly
relating to the long tail of underachievement of specific groups such as students from
ethnic minorities, those living in poverty, or those who may have additional needs
associated with disability or language. This ESRC seminar series brings together key
stakeholders to consider the implications of the research evidence underpinning
teacher education for diversity and to articulate a framework for further research in
the field. The seminars are designed to address a set of integrated themes to allow for
the development of evidence-informed ideas on how to prepare teachers for the
changing demographics of schooling.
This briefing paper summarises presentations and discussions of the final seminar held
on 1 December 2015. The paper aims to stimulate further discussion with colleagues
in teacher education.
Seminar 6 – Teacher education cultures and environments
This seminar explored key issues around creating a shared research agenda for the
study of inclusive teacher education, and the implications for developing critical
teacher education and reflective educators. The papers in this seminar considered the
following themes:
 A dynamic model of research on inclusive teacher education 

 Student-teachers’ attitudes towards culturally diverse classrooms,
and perceptions of their readiness to teach in such contexts.
 Listening to EAL student voices in Scotland and England
Presentations
Linda Blanton (Florida International University) and Marleen Pugach (University of

Southern California) addressed the problem of research on inclusive teacher
education being fragmented and imbalanced, and the need for developing a shared
research agenda among teacher education researchers. The paper presented a model
for research that takes into account the structures and content of what they termed
1
‘inclusive teacher education’ as well as the complexity and context in which inclusive
teacher education is practiced within and across nations. The model is based on
shifting conceptions in the discourse of inclusive teacher education around
understandings of diversity and disability/difference, meanings of inclusive education,
communities for pre-service learning and conceptions of practice. They suggested that
the model might serve as a filter for designing research, and also as a scaffold to
reframe discourses and practices of inclusive teacher education.
Ninetta Santoro (University of Strathclyde) presented her mixed methods research

on the attitudes of a cohort of Scottish student-teachers towards culturally diverse
classrooms, and their perceptions of their readiness to teach in such contexts. The
results revealed a number of key challenges the student-teachers experienced in
understanding their students: the lack of confidence in culturally diverse social
contexts (including lack of contact with culturally diverse others, fear of language
barriers, fear of different cultural mores), lack of confidence in culturally diverse
classrooms (including inadequate teacher education, lack of experience in such
classrooms) and the lack of knowledge about their own enculturation. She argued that
in order to overcome these barriers, developing critical teacher education as well as
the cultural diversification of teachers and teacher educators is essential.
Charles Anderson, Yvonne Foley and Pauline Sangster (University of Edinburgh)

presented research on the perceptions of EAL learners of their language learning
experiences in secondary schools in Scotland and England. Among the many findings
reported, some included students having contrasting views about the value attached
to a first language, positive views of having more than one language, linguistic and
social isolation and their emotional impact, the differentiated help from teachers, and
the importance of teachers’ supportive attitudes and recognition of the emotional
challenges faced by EAL learners. They outlined recommendations and implications
for teacher development; responsive school policies, structures and processes;
development of inclusive environments; instructional practices; curriculum and
assessment; and representations of EAL students.
Implications for teacher education
The following questions were raised in the discussion after the presentations:
1. Who is our community and how do we establish it? Who are teacher educators
in university-based pre-service teacher education and school-led teacher
education for inclusion? How do teacher educators who do not associate with
markers of diversity (race, culture, language, disability) fit in the model?
The authors of the model suggested that community is whoever is involved in the
conversation; they are not necessarily fixed but it is important that colleagues who
ordinarily do not work together begin the conversation about how to break down the
silos that divide the broader teacher education community.
2
2. Is the model to map out what we know about inclusion or how we can build
more inclusive practices? Student teachers come out of teacher education
programmes with good ideas but in practice they feel it’s so difficult to
implement these ideas. How can the model help? Could the authors highlight
what the model is and what it is not?
The model is more about where we need to go in addition to where we are. It can be
used to improve teacher education while developing inclusive practice. Student
teachers bring different experiences of diversity. We need to acknowledge different
starting points of students and colleagues. The big challenge is to ask teacher
educators to teach students in ways that they didn't teach themselves. Local, regional
and national contexts also matter.
3. Methodological silos exist in addition to substantive ones so how can the

model address those? Does the model inform not just design but analysis?
The authors do not take a methodological stance but lean towards the use of rigorous
mixed methods.
4. How does discourse of egalitarianism in Scotland affect student teachers’

attitudes towards culturally diverse classrooms? How helpful are teacher
standards around cultural diversity?
It was suggested that egalitarian discourse means that students think they don't need
to engage with the issues around diversity. Standards can be a form of professional
gatekeeping that prevent people who trained as teachers in different countries from
entering the profession.
5. How can we change the profile of teaching profession? When we think of

cultural diversity it is about the other and not ourselves. What assumptions do
we make about the other when we think we are ‘normal’? Is reflection on our
own diversity an essential point for dialogue? What are the challenges and
possibilities?
Teacher education needs to be broadened, for example, by providing students with

international experience and preparing them, e.g. by reading postcolonial texts and
on whiteness. Another example is getting students to reflect on their practice – why
they engage with students in particular ways; and/or by challenging assumptions
about difference.
6. Notion of EAL learners as resource is very important. What disallows teacher

educators at local level from giving messages to student teachers that their
pupils are resources? Where do we intervene?
3
Often interventions target individual rather than classroom environment and
pedagogy. Enabling students to activate their agency to draw on linguistic resources
is about a sense of belonging, participation in the life of the school community where
everyone is recognised, and not whether you can articulate six sentences in English.
School can sometimes be a place that kills the spirit of students.
7. How comfortable are we as teacher educators to respond to comments like “I

have an Ethiopian student who knows nothing”? How do we create cognitive
dissonance?
A recent PISA report showed that the presence of migrant students did not lower
achievement – it is how students are included that is important– how education is
organised. The notion of resource is very important.
8. How would we as teacher educators support student teachers to develop the

knowledge and skill to teach linguistically diverse students? What language
and concepts do we give them to talk about these issues? For example, the
notion of pupils as resources is helpful.
It is interesting to think about the lessons from seminar presentations. On the one
hand there are teachers who do not feel qualified to teach linguistically diverse
students yet they are a resource to the classroom community. Perhaps teachers need
to learn to suspend judgement, to let go of feeling they need to be in control. Teachers
are uncomfortable with not knowing, because of concerns that they might be judged
incompetent.
Implications for future research
1. How can questions around teachers responding to diversity within a larger

framework become a foundational part of teacher education?
2. How do we keep the balance between general concerns with everybody, and
remain specific enough to meet different needs, both in our research agenda
and work as teacher educators?
3. How can we use research and insights from colleagues in our own institutions
who are focusing on teachers responding to particular kinds of diversity?
4. The knowledge base around these issues remains scant and fragmented, and
so it is important to have conversations across the silos that divide teacher
education communities.

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December 2015 Briefing Paper

Seminar Series on Teacher Education for the Changing

Calls for reform in teacher education are increasingly made in response to

Seminar 6 – Teacher education cultures and environments

 A dynamic model of research on inclusive teacher education

Linda Blanton (Florida International University) and Marleen Pugach (University of

Ninetta Santoro (University of Strathclyde) presented her mixed methods research

Charles Anderson, Yvonne Foley and Pauline Sangster (University of Edinburgh)

Implications for teacher education

3. Methodological silos exist in addition to substantive ones so how can the

4. How does discourse of egalitarianism in Scotland affect student teachers’

5. How can we change the profile of teaching profession? When we think of

Teacher education needs to be broadened, for example, by providing students with

6. Notion of EAL learners as resource is very important. What disallows teacher

7. How comfortable are we as teacher educators to respond to comments like “I

8. How would we as teacher educators support student teachers to develop the

Implications for future research

1. How can questions around teachers responding to diversity within a larger

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 A dynamic model of research on inclusive teacher education 