Re-imagining Initial Teacher Education Conference

Re-imagining Initial Teacher Education: Perspectives on Transformation, a conference on the future of initial teacher education, was held in St Patrick’s College from June 30th to July 2nd, 2011.

More than 180 delegates from Ireland, the UK, Europe, Canada, the United States, New Zealand and Zambia heard eighty papers presented across a range of themes relating to initial teacher education (ITE) for the primary and second level sectors. The event was rightly deemed timely and prescient at a juncture of critical reform in teacher education systems – not least in Ireland. The lasting legacy may be the provision of a collaborative space within which to think and reflect on current and future transformations. Keynotes and papers across the conference themes - pedagogy and practice; policy; language and citizenship; schools, partnership and mentoring – offered diverse and challenging perspectives sparking lively debate and discussion.

The conference was opened by Dr Pauric Travers, President of St Patrick’s College. Keynotes were by Professor Marilyn Cochran-Smith, Boston College (Trends and Challenges in Teacher Education: National and international perspectives), Professor Fred Korthagen, Utrecht University (Linking practice, theory and person in teacher education), Professor John Furlong, Green Templeton College, Oxford,  (The Universities and Teacher Education: Where are we now and where should we be?), Professor Jim Deegan, Mary Immaculate College Limerick (Imagining Complexity Thresholds in Initial Teacher Education in Ireland) and Dr Fionnuala Waldron, St. Patrick’s College, Drumcondra, (Re-imagining Initial Teacher Education: purpose, passion and possibility). The keynote addresses were chaired by Dr Pauric Travers, Dr Anne O’Gara (Coláiste Mhuire, Marino), Dr Peadar Cremin (Mary Immaculate College, Limerick), Marie McLoughlin (Froebel College) and Dr Anne Lodge (Church of Ireland College of Education).

The conference was brought to a close by a panel discussion chaired by Professor John Coolahan. The members of the panel were Professor Teresa O’Doherty (MIC), Professor Kathy Hall (UCC), Dr Alan Wall (Department of Education and Skills) and Áine Lawlor (Teaching Council of Ireland). In a rare assemblage of the wider teacher education community the audience and panel exchanged views on many of the current issues within Irish teacher education policy and practice.

The conference keynotes and a selection of papers will be published as a book in 2012.

Full details of the programme can be viewed on the conference website at www.iteconference.org.

 

 

 

 

Last Updated: Monday July 11 2011