New Graduate Schools of Education (nGSEs) as Institutions: Power, People, and Places

• In Event: 43.029 - Teacher Preparation at New Graduate Schools of Education: Capturing a Changing Field

Abstract

Theoretical Framework/Literature
This paper examines conceptions of equity and social justice at nGSEs, informed by the literature on social justice education and teacher education. Creating equitable schools and enacting social justice values is one of today’s most persistent educational challenges (Bell, 2016). Recently, reform initiatives have expanded the entry of non-university teacher preparation providers (Author, 2018b; Zeichner & Pena-Sandoval, 2015), referred to as “innovative business models” (Arnett, 2016; Fraser, J., 2014; Wilson, 2014), into the field, including those specifically designed to address educational inequity (High Tech High, n.d.; Sposato Graduate School of Education, n.d.). This paper examines the underlying notions of equity and social justice at nGSEs, based on the assumption that in order to create more equitable conditions in schools, teacher education must prepare teachers consistent with the mission of social justice education (Cochran-Smith, 2010; McDonald & Zeichner, 2009; Zygmunt & Clark, 2016) including distributive and redistributive justice (Bell, 1997, 2016; Fraser, N., 1995) and the ideals of democracy (Author, 2017; Author, 2018a; Zeichner, Payne, & Brayko, 2015; Sleeter, 2008).

Data Sources/Analysis
Data were derived from three case studies at nGSEs, including observations, participant interviews and internal/external program artifacts. Using equity, social justice and equality as initial codes, thematic coding was employed for cross-case analysis in order to draw conclusions about underlying notions of equity and justice and how they are actualized at nGSEs.

Findings/Interpretations
Analysis indicated that, across the nGSEs, conceptions and underlying notions of equity varied considerably. Underlying teacher preparation programs at some nGSEs was a “thin equity” approach, which assumes that equity has to do with “individuals’ equal (or the same) access to ‘high-quality’ teachers, curriculum, and school opportunities” (Author, 2018a, p. 30). Findings suggested that explicit attention to equity and justice ranged from minimal at TEACH-NOW, where these ideas were not visibly embedded within the approach to preparation; conservative at Sposato GSE, where equity and justice were linked to individuals’ equal access to educational opportunity; and progressive at HTH, where emerging notions of equity and justice were articulated both horizontally (across classes and assignments) and vertically (throughout the duration of candidates’ experience). The goals of social justice education call for active engagement of individuals to “connect analysis to action” (Bell, 2016), including recognition of how inequity is challenged (or perpetuated) within the models themselves. Findings suggest that these goals were variably addressed/enacted at each of the three sites.

Significance
Although educational equity is essential to a healthy democracy (Author, 2018b), it has not been realized through many education and teacher education reform movements that claim to address it. Very little research has been conducted to determine how conceptions of equity and justice are inherent in nGSEs or about the extent to which these models address the educational inequities that they aim to solve. This analysis raises questions about how teacher preparation at nGSEs serves the larger field of education and whether such approaches can be impactful in improving educational inequities and therefore educational outcomes for students.

Author

• Elizabeth Stringer Keefe, Stonehill College