An Analysis of Political and Media Coverage of Alternative Teacher Preparation in New South Wales

• In Event: Politics of Teacher Preparation, Employment, and Retention

Abstract

Aligned to the conference theme of “remedy and repair,” this paper unpacks the political and media discourse surrounding Teach For Australia’s (TFAus) partnership with Australian Catholic University (ACU) and New South Wales (NSW) emerging after the 2022 teachers’ strike, the positioning of TFAus and non-TFAus teachers, and the partnership’s positioning aligned to the stated NSW teacher shortage. Critical discourse analysis (CDA) of media and policy material culture described the partnership, non/TFAus teachers, and the stated NSW teacher shortage. Findings illuminate positive partnership coverage as a shortage-mitigating necessity; while also demonstrating unclear TFAus-candidate support and widespread absence of outside-partnership voices, suggesting a destabilizing “remedial approac[h]” to teacher retention.

Author

• Angela Kraemer-Holland, Kansas State University