The Double-Voiced Nature of Learning to Become a Teacher in the Neoliberal Era

• In Event: Creating Contexts for Change in Preservice Teacher Education

Abstract

As policymakers’ neoliberal reforms continue to impact teaching and teacher education, stakeholders across both fields seek out alternative practices that assist educators in fostering democratic learning experiences. However, many teachers continue to struggle with these reforms, and as such, there is need to understand better how to support preservice teachers in authoring themselves so that they can speak back to policymakers’ demands. The findings of the case study examined in this paper demonstrate that while preservice teachers seem willing to pursue alternative visions of schooling they still focus on individualized choices to avoid policymakers’ reforms. Thus, there appear to be opportunities for teacher educators to support preservice teachers in developing the skills required to speak back to policymakers’ reforms.

Authors

• Christopher P. Brown, The University of Texas at Austin

• Kate Puckett, Eastern Oregon University

• David Patrick Barry, West Chester University

• Da Hei Ku, The University of Texas at Austin