Teaching, Learning, and Leading

Abstract

Within the current federal, state, and local contexts of educational reform, teachers must be recognized as central actors in policy work, but rarely do we explicitly consider preparing teachers to become policy actors. Understanding these implications for teacher education, we investigate teacher candidates’ learning of the complexity and dynamism of educational policy through a field-based teacher preparation program. Situated across four unique school contexts in the diverse neighborhoods of Chicago, Illinois, we qualitatively study the cases of eight teacher candidates as they explore policy in practice. We found that candidates developed enduring understandings about policy as complex, situated, and multilayered, as well as the central role of the teacher. This learning was mediated by multiple facets of the field-based module, including readings, panels, and observations. Implications center on the use of field-based teacher education to support policy-related learning and development.

Expanding the role of teacher leaders: Professional learning for policy advocacy

“…This study contributes to the limited knowledge base examining teacher professional learning for policy advocacy and adds to previous research findings describing the results of a policy fellowship for teacher leaders in the U.S. Department of Education (Eckert et al, 2016). This study also builds on training program concepts of the Teaching, Learning and Leading with Schools and Communities (TLLSC) designed to prepare teachers to become policy actors (Heineke et al, 2015).…”

“…Once policy is adopted, teachers are often charged with implementing policy in schools and classrooms (Coburn & Stein, 2006). However, there is little evidence that teachers, other than through organized unions, influence other policy stages such as policy design (Heineke, Ryan, & Tocci, 2015). Policy design, according to Good and colleagues (2017), refers to the stage in which policy agendas and discourses are shaped resulting in the creation of actual policy text.…”

A Journey Towards Equity and Diversity in the Educator Workforce

“…Heineke, Ryan, & Tocci (2015) studied eight teacher candidates to investigate educational policy in a field-based teacher preparation program in four culturally diverse Chicago schools. Five candidates were White, one was Muslim, one Latinx, and one Malaysian.…”

“…The term appropriate here refers to the practice of taking an idea or regulation and using it for an unintended purpose (e.g., to support the education of students). Furthermore, Heineke and colleagues (2015) found that (a) module readings, discussion, and reflections; (b) educational stakeholder panels and perspectives; and (c) educational policy engagement in classrooms and schools were all key to the candidates’ learning.…”

Interrelations between policymakers’ intentions and school agents’ interpretation of accountability policy in Israel

“…Even though the responsibilities and professional demands of principals and teachers differ, both groups face the same policy expectations; both must interpret policy intentions and expectations (Heineke, Ryan & Tocci, 2015;Singh-Pillay & Alant, 2015) and must respond by setting a course of action. Thus, in understanding the implementation of test-based accountability it is necessary to focus on these individuals, specifically paying attention to their perceptions of policy and resultant actions as well as their educational context.…”