Advocating for Teacher Inquiry: The Keystone of Clinically Based Teacher Education

• In Event: Innovative Approaches to Teaching Educational Psychology in Teacher Preparation Programs

Abstract

Purpose
This paper advocates for the intentional and systematic integration of inquiry practices into teacher preparation curriculum – specifically educational psychology classes – and aims to equip teacher educators with the knowledge necessary to advocate for change in their own programs. Teacher education programs can provide teacher candidates with the skills to become effective teachers and support their motivation to teach by implementing teacher inquiry, a signature pedagogy of teacher preparation curriculum in clinically based teacher education (Dana & Yendol-Hoppey, 2020). Teacher educators can incorporate research-based motivational strategies that may be transformative when consistently integrated into teacher inquiry.

Perspectives and Method
We conducted a literature review of teacher inquiry and how it can be supported using a motivational perspective. Teacher inquiry is defined as teachers’ abilities to systematically study their own practice (Cochran-Smith & Lytle, 1993; Dana & Yendol-Hoppey, 2020). Teacher inquiry can be a powerful vehicle for educators to advocate for instructional practices to meet students’ needs (Currin, 2019; Wolkenhauer & Hooser, 2017), including practices informed by educational psychology theory and research. Teacher candidates engaged in teacher inquiry are encouraged to identify a question about a problem of practice to generate a wondering based on one of their passions: a specific child, their own beliefs, a desire to improve curriculum, the wish to deepen content knowledge, or to advocate for equity or social justice (Dana & Yendol-Hoppey, 2020).
Teacher educators, including educational psychology instructors, can integrate teacher inquiry within teacher preparation curriculum to help prepare teacher candidates and support their motivation. We discuss three theoretical frameworks for understanding teacher motivation, including achievement goal orientation theory, expectancy-value theory, and self-determination theory. Teacher educators can explicitly connect teacher inquiry to the TARGETS instructional dimensions of achievement goal theory (task, autonomy, recognition, grouping, evaluation, time, social support; Ames, 1992a, 1992b; Emery et al., 2018; Lüftenegger et al., 2014) to promote a mastery-oriented learning environment and develop teacher candidates’ skills. Teacher educators can support the inquiry process and promote motivational resilience by integrating strategies informed by expectancy-value theory (Eccles et al., 1983), including addressing challenges and coping with adversity (framing interventions), emphasizing task relevance (value interventions), and reinforcing personal values and belonging to minimize perceived costs (cost interventions; Harackiewicz & Priniski, 2018; Hulleman et al., 2015). Teacher educators can promote teacher candidates’ intrinsic motivation to teach by integrating need-supportive practices (Stroet et al., 2013, 2015) into teacher inquiry in clinical and course experiences. Teacher inquiry can incorporate teacher candidates’ needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness (Ryan & Deci, 2000) as this informs the questions teachers ask about their practice. Within each motivational approach, we discuss specific ways teacher educators can use teacher inquiry to support teacher candidates’ motivation to teach (Table 1).

Conclusions and Significance
We conclude by discussing ways teacher educators can advocate for the intentional integration of teacher inquiry into teacher preparation programs, including contexts where teacher inquiry is marginalized or absent (Table 2), to provide teacher candidates with the skills to become effective teachers and support their motivation to teach.

Authors

• Sarah Kiefer, University of South Florida
  Presenting Author

• Rebecca West Burns, Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
  Presenting Author