Political Transformations and Teacher Education Programs

Political transformations have a decisive power to shape education systems in general and teacher education programs in particular. How these processes unfold is especially interesting in educational systems which are not generally known to Anglo-Saxon educators, like Germany, Russia, or China. Several chapters in this volume discuss the impact of statewide political transformation on teacher education programs. Political transformation is one of the important features of societies in the second half of the 20th century. Political transformations and changing ideologies are part of the history of teaching and teacher education. It is important to be aware of this process in order to keep the accumulated experience of the teaching profession alive and contribute to present day education policy and practice. Bringing ideological-political perspectives to bear on teacher education can deepen our understanding of the relation between society and teacher education. Moreover, it highlights the pivotal role that teachers play in any society. This volume presents different ways of analyzing teacher education programs through the lens of different ideologies and the influence of societal transformations.

Table of Contents:
Acknowledgements Introduction Chapter 1: Axel Bernd Kunze – “Democracy Educational Models in Teacher Training in Germany” Chapter 2: Ayman Agbaria - “Multiculturalism and Self Government Rights in Teacher Education: Implications for the Palestinian Minority in Israel” Chapter 3: Salman Ilaiyan, Randa Abbas and Zehava Toren – “Teacher Training in the Arab Sector in Israel: The story of the Academic Arab College for Education in Israel, Haifa” Chapter 4: Di Wilmot – “Teacher Education in South Africa after the Political Transition to Democracy in 1994” Chapter 5: Alexandre Bermous and Olzan Goldstein – “Russian Teacher Education: the Transformation in a Loop of Time” Chapter 6: Qiong Li, Li Pei, and Danxingyang Gao – “Teacher Education since the Founding of New China” Chapter 7: Gary McCulloch – “Politics, Ideology, and the History of Teacher Education Reform in England”

About the Author :
Miriam Ben-Peretz is Professor Emerita of Education at the University of Haifa, former Dean of the School of Education, and recipient of the Israel Prize for Research in Education 2006. Her work is in curriculum teacher education and Jewish education. She also received the AERA, Division K Legacy Award, the AERA Divison B Lifetime Achievement Award and the EMET Israel Prime Minister Prize for Educational Research. She is also an Elected fellow of the AERA since 2014. Sharon Feiman-Nemser is the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Professor of Jewish Education at Brandeis University. An internationally recognized scholar of teacher education and teacher learning, she directed innovative teacher education programs at the University of Chicago, Michigan State University and Brandeis University.

Review :
The book Political Transformations and Teacher Education Programs, contributed by experienced and seasoned scholars and co-edited by two world-leading scholars, provides a cutting-edge discussion on development of teacher education programs under different political regimes and historical influences. It provides a platform for sharing experiences and offering profound insights for charting future pathways for worldwide teacher education. It is a readable and informative book strongly recommended for readers. This is a book taking us straight into some of the most conflicted contexts for educational work. The courageous and well-informed discussions of educational challenges teacher education and teacher educators face in contested political climates should be on the ‘must read’ list not only for all educators, but also for decision makers. Across the world, teacher education is increasingly under scrutiny. This well-structured and thoughtful collection of ideas, arguments and insights into teacher education helps to shed new light on what it means to think about teacher education as something more than training and to do so by moving outside of the more traditional Western approaches and practices. This is a timely book that broadens our understanding of teacher education at a time when moving beyond the status quo really matters.