Factors and Forces That Influence Middle-Level Teacher Preparation Across International Contexts

• In Event: Navigating the Complexities of Middle-Level Education

Abstract

The authors report findings from a qualitative metasynthesis of case studies of 15 academic programs that prepare teachers of young adolescents in 11 different countries. The analysis was informed by an eclectic theoretical framework constructed from critical sociocultural perspectives of education policy and teacher education and theories of global education reform. The authors employed a comparative case study approach using qualitative data analysis techniques to identify patterns, themes, and issues within and across contexts. The analysis yielded insights about local program characteristics; factors at multiple levels (e.g., local, national, regional) that are obstacles and affordances to program evaluation, implementation, and reform; and global forces and trends that both shape and are reflected in program design and implementation.

Authors

• Cheryl R. Ellerbrock, University of South Florida

• David C. Virtue, Western Carolina University

• Katherine Mary Main, Griffith University