International Handbook of Teacher Education by John Loughran & Mary Lynn Hamilton

Author:John Loughran & Mary Lynn Hamilton
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Springer Singapore, Singapore

Theory-Practice Connection

As discussed in Part 1, closer links between theory and practice are needed in teacher education, both within campus courses and between the campus and the practicum. To make campus courses more practical, we must apply some of the measures discussed earlier: strengthening our theory base; ensuring that teacher educators model in their own teaching the approach to practice they advocate; and creating a system for connecting theory, research, and practice. However, there are dangers in some of the ways the theory-practice connection is being pursued in the so-called “reforms.” For example, reducing university involvement in teacher education can lead to loss of status for teaching and reduction in the important research component. Also, increasing the amount of time teacher candidates are in practice teaching is not a solution in itself; it can result simply in reinforcing traditional pedagogy.

Again, increasing the presence of university faculty in the practicum may not be feasible, given their extensive university obligations. Conroy, Hulme, and Menter (2013) have shown how demanding such involvement can be; and Goodlad (1994) has argued that a full professional development school (PDS) model is often not possible. Additional ways must be found to strengthen the university-school relationship. Experiments at Stanford and Teachers College Columbia have shown how it is possible to combine a division of labor between university faculty and school-based mentors with close school-university links (Beck & Kosnik, 2006).

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