Developing Knowledge and Leadership in Pre-Service Teacher Education Systems. (13th April 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ferreira, Jo-Anne; Ryan, Lisa; Davis, Julie
• Is Part Of: Australian journal of environmental education. Volume 31:Number 2(2015)
• Page Start: 194
• Page End: 207
• Publication Date: 2015-04-13
• Subjects: teacher education, -- system change, -- leadership, -- sustainability; Environmental education -- Periodicals; Environmental education -- Australia -- Periodicals; Conservation of natural resources -- Study and teaching -- Periodicals; Conservation of natural resources -- Study and teaching -- Australia -- Periodicals; Ecology -- Study and teaching -- Periodicals; 333.7071
• DOI: 10.1017/aee.2015.24
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1380-2038

Abstract

Abstract: Pre-service teacher education institutions are large and complex organisations that are notoriously difficult to change. One factor is that many change efforts focus largely on individual pre-service teacher educators altering their practice. We report here on our experience using a model for effecting change, which views pre-service teacher education institutions and educators as a part of a much broader system. We identified numerous possibilities for, and constraints on, embedding change, but focus only on two in this article: participants' knowledge of change strategies and their leadership capacities. As a result of our study findings and researcher reflections, we argue that being a leader in an academic area within pre-service teacher education does not equate to leadership knowledge or skills to initiate and enact systems-wide change. Furthermore, such leadership capacities must be explicitly developed if education for sustainability is to become embedded in pre-service teacher education.