Julian Kitchen - Böcker

The authors explore how individuals' identity and personal practical knowledge are being formed, shifted or interrupted through moments in teacher education which the authors have carefully and thoughtfully constructed. The particularity of the stories, expressed in this collection, provide us with multiple perspectives and multiple entry points into making deeper sense of the complexity of curriculum-making in teacher education. As the stories of experience resonate with our own or as they stand apart from them, they provoke us to re-imagine teacher education, and to retell and relive our own stories of teacher education with new possibility. Narrative inquiry offers teacher educators a way to move the telling of stories of curriculum-making in teacher education forward, to delve more deeply into stories in order to make sense of experience and to attend more closely to a curriculum of life that is educative for the self and others in teacher education.

As teaching is socially, culturally, and politically constructed, it is important that teacher educators committed to social justice attempt to create secure environment where all voices are heard and teacher candidates can inquire into personally and socially challenging topics within a safe and caring classroom culture. Relationships of trust are fundamental to teaching about social justice and to being receptive as learners in such classes. Mindfulness on the part of teacher educators and teacher candidates can go a long way in fostering respect, openness and acceptance in such classes. Together they can lead to teacher educators and candidates thinking deeply about themselves, schools and schooling as they move towards a vision of a more equitable and just society. The teacher educators who have contributed to this volume recognize the challenges of balancing respect for their students with the call to social justice. Their accounts and critical reflections convey how relational and mindful approaches might offer positive avenues to self and shared exploration by teacher candidates and teacher educators alike. Several chapters attend to the challenges for educators as they encounter culturally and linguistically diverse contexts. Others attend to these issues within the complexity of diverse university classrooms in order to guide teacher candidates towards dispositions and practices that help foster inclusion and engage diverse learners and communities. Together, these chapters offer thoughtful approaches to living alongside aspiring teachers as they develop deeper understanding of the concepts of race and diversity, and inclusive approaches to teaching and learning.

In Self-Study and Diversity III the authors examine the self-study of teacher education practices at a time when inclusion and diversity are being questioned. Authors of various backgrounds and identities draw on their own experiences to examine the challenges of preparing teachers. They address issues of identity, equity, diversity, inclusion, and social justice through experiential and pedagogical lenses as they navigate the complexities of teacher education in challenging times. Particular strengths are its explorations of intersectionality, attention to the present context, and the diversity of these collected voices.

In Self-Study and Diversity III the authors examine the self-study of teacher education practices at a time when inclusion and diversity are being questioned. Authors of various backgrounds and identities draw on their own experiences to examine the challenges of preparing teachers. They address issues of identity, equity, diversity, inclusion, and social justice through experiential and pedagogical lenses as they navigate the complexities of teacher education in challenging times. Particular strengths are its explorations of intersectionality, attention to the present context, and the diversity of these collected voices.

They are: (1) Foundations of Self-Study, (2) Self-Study Methods and Methodologies, (3) Self-Study and Teaching and Teacher Education for Social Justice, (4) Self-Study Across Subject Disciplines, (5) Self-Study in Teacher Education and Beyond, and (6) Self-Study across Cultures and Languages.

It addresses writing as an area in which teacher educators can develop their skills and represents how to write in ways that are compatible with self-study's orientations towards the inquiry, both personal and on practice.The book examines effective self-study writing with chapters written by experienced self-study practitioners.