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Despite the divisions within Northern Ireland's education system along religious and academic lines, it has managed to maintain relative stability, or at least a functional inertia, over the past four decades. The full potential, however, of this system and in particular, the Northern Ireland Curriculum (NIC), has yet to be realised. This paper presents a comprehensive exploration of the intricate interplay between the NIC and Initial Teacher Education (ITE), bringing to the fore the footprint of Lawrence Stenhouse. It critically examines the salient features of the NIC, particularly its alignment with Stenhouse's pedagogical tenets, and its subsequent ramifications on ITE, for both its content and pedagogical strategies. The ambitions are, however, not without their challenges. The overarching shadow of an exam‐centric system stymies the NIC's full realisation, presenting a dichotomy between curriculum goals and pragmatic educational realities. The absence of a coherent Teacher Professional Learning framework also inhibited curriculum development. The Learning Leaders strategy, although yet to be implemented due to the collapse of the Northern Ireland Assembly and consequently lack of financial support, has the potential to pick up the baton of reform and help teachers and school leaders move closer to implementing the NIC in the way it was intended. The paper concludes by identifying the probable, possible, plausible and preferred ways forward for NI's education system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Finnish education has received worldwide attention due to the country's performances in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Research investigating Finland's positive outcomes in the assessment has highlighted not only the strength of teachers, but also the rigour of Finnish teacher education. Finnish student teachers must undertake research-based teacher education culminating in a master's degree. The study of educational science, underpinned by empirical research, creates teacher-researchers. A Nordic/Continental view of educational governance allows for input control in terms of a national core curriculum in Finland, without surveillance of outcomes. The structure of the Finnish education system, characterised by decentralisation and the national core curriculum, entrusts teachers to make their own pedagogical decisions. This leads to autonomous and agentic teachers in terms of decision-making on the classroom, school, and professional levels, both individually and collectively. Finnish education, underpinned by social democratic values, views education as an agent of social change. Therefore, teachers enact social transformation through the agency enabled by research-informed teacher education. Finland's political consensus regarding education and societal trust in teachers further reinforces teacher autonomy and agency. This article argues that the rigorous research focus of Finnish teacher education cultivates autonomous and agentic teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Finnish education has received worldwide attention due to the country’s performances in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Research investigating Finland’s positive outcomes in the assessment has highlighted not only the strength of teachers, but also the rigour of Finnish teacher education. Finnish student teachers must undertake research-based teacher education culminating in a master’s degree. The study of educational science, underpinned by empirical research, creates teacher-researchers. A Nordic/Continental view of educational governance allows for input control in terms of a national core curriculum in Finland, without surveillance of outcomes. The structure of the Finnish education system, characterised by decentralisation and the national core curriculum, entrusts teachers to make their own pedagogical decisions. This leads to autonomous and agentic teachers in terms of decision-making on the classroom, school, and professional levels, both individually and collectively. Finnish education, underpinned by social democratic values, views education as an agent of social change. Therefore, teachers enact social transformation through the agency enabled by research-informed teacher education. Finland’s political consensus regarding education and societal trust in teachers further reinforces teacher autonomy and agency. This article argues that the rigorous research focus of Finnish teacher education cultivates autonomous and agentic teachers.

Finnish education has received worldwide attention due to the country's performances in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Research investigating Finland's positive outcomes in the assessment has highlighted not only the strength of teachers, but also the rigour of Finnish teacher education. Finnish student teachers must undertake research-based teacher education culminating in a master's degree. The study of educational science, underpinned by empirical research, creates teacher-researchers. A Nordic/Continental view of educational governance allows for input control in terms of a national core curriculum in Finland, without surveillance of outcomes. The structure of the Finnish education system, characterised by decentralisation and the national core curriculum, entrusts teachers to make their own pedagogical decisions. This leads to autonomous and agentic teachers in terms of decision-making on the classroom, school, and professional levels, both individually and collectively. Finnish education, underpinned by social democratic values, views education as an agent of social change. Therefore, teachers enact social transformation through the agency enabled by research-informed teacher education. Finland's political consensus regarding education and societal trust in teachers further reinforces teacher autonomy and agency. This article argues that the rigorous research focus of Finnish teacher education cultivates autonomous and agentic teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teacher autonomy refers to a teacher's empowerment in the classroom, school, and community, leading to instructional efficacy and professionalism. Despite its proven contribution to pedagogical decision-making, studies reveal that many teachers lack sufficient autonomy mainly owing to institutional constraints. It is suggested that teachers embrace such restraints and become autonomous by initiating dialogic reflections with their colleagues and reaching contextualized decisions within a community of practice. So far, no study has explored how dialogic reflections can be performed among EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teachers. To fill the gap, the researcher investigated the process of dialogic reflections and explored whether it would affect the autonomy levels of Turkish EFL teachers. The data were collected through a teacher autonomy scale and by investigating the participants' dialogic reflections. The results indicated that teacher autonomy levels increased thanks to social interdependence through collaborative decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Case pedagogy is advocated in teacher education for autonomy as a teacher development strategy which can empower (student) teachers to understand and explore the implementation of pedagogy for autonomy. In an initial teacher education module implemented at the University of Granada (Spain), cases have become a crucial tool for promoting student teachers' professional development towards teacher and learner autonomy. One of the strategies used in the module engages student teachers in exploring the implementation of pedagogy for autonomy during their internship and writing a case narrative on their pedagogical intervention. The present paper analyses six cases developed by student teachers during their internship to examine the dimensions of professional competence towards teacher and learner autonomy identified by Jiménez Raya et al. (2017) that they developed during case construction. These dimensions include 1) developing a critical view of (language) education, 2) centring teaching on learning, 3) managing local constraints to open up spaces for manoeuvre, and 4) interacting with others in the professional community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Educacao e Pesquisa is the property of Faculdade de Educacao da Universidade de Sao Paulo and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Despite their experience, teachers continuously need to develop themselves professionally as the recency of the knowledge they acquire in teacher education programmes wears off in time – which means they need to be autonomous enough take responsibility for their own professional learning. This study, therefore, defines 'teachers' professional autonomy' as teachers' capability, motives, and time to develop themselves professionally in collaboration with their colleagues; and it proposes Teachers' Professional Autonomy Questionnaire (TEPAQ) to measure the construct. First, two focus group interviews were conducted with 15 novice and experienced teachers, and an item pool was written. This initial version of TEPAQ was subjected to expert feedback sessions and piloting. The main data were gathered from 375 EFL (English as a foreign language) teachers working at state and foundation universities in 36 cities and 7 regions of Turkey. Following exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses and reliability analyses, TEPAQ was finalised with 5 factors and 23 items. TEPAQ can be used individually by teachers or institutionally by teacher educators or administrators with an aim to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses regarding teachers' or teacher trainees' professional autonomy and the areas they need support and assistance to take responsibility for their professional learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This concept paper describes the changes made to Singapore's initial teacher preparation (ITP) programmes with a specific focus on its thinking teacher model (NIE, 2009) - a model of teacher agency and an approach to ITP that requires self-reflection on roles and practice, understanding theories and research, and adapting to changing learner needs (Tan & Liu, 2015). An important component of this model is a 'meta' course which all pre-service teachers are required to undergo. This 'meta' course called Professional Practice and Inquiry (PPI) initiative - which was introduced to develop reflective professionals - cuts through the entire ITP programme providing them with both a framework and a platform to curate their understandings across all their courses, reflect deeply about teaching and learning and highlight their best work. This paper demonstrates, by the use of vignettes from their reflective pieces, how the goals and various components made possible by the PPI initiative provided the impetus for English pre-service teachers to develop into autonomous thinking teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of REICE. Ibero-American Journal on Quality, Effectiveness & Change in Education / REICE. Revista Iberoamericana Sobre Calidad, Eficacia y Cambio en Educación is the property of Red Iberoamericana de Investigacion sobre Cambio y Eficacia en Educacion and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of English Teaching & Learning is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Teacher autonomy and teacher agency are positively related to teachers' motivation and engagement in teaching. This paper combines the concepts of teacher autonomy and teacher agency to study how Brazilian and Norwegian lower secondary teachers respond to an accountability system marked by a centralised outcomes‐based curriculum and testing. Teacher autonomy concerns the relations between teachers' scope of action and the state's role in providing resources and regulations that extend or constrain this scope of action. Teacher agency refers to teachers' professional action based on their perceptions and experiences of their scope of action as they navigate accountability to respond to educational dilemmas at hand. The findings show that teachers navigate policies in a variety of forms to fit their needs and beliefs and those of their students. Brazilian teachers have a constrained scope of action and possibilities for achieving agency in comparison with their Norwegian counterparts. Norwegian teachers also have their individual autonomy constrained by extended state control over the curriculum and testing. However, the practice of collective work opens up for the exercise of agency because of the possibility of reflection and collective construction of teaching plans and strategies that frame and legitimise teaching work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is limited research investigating models of partnering between University and Schools in initial teacher education (ITE). This project investigated, over a 10 year period, how student teachers in an English University on a one year course, draw on theoretical models, introduced in university sessions, when planning for a 'creative week' placement in schools. Working within an interpretivist paradigm drawing on data from 52 student teachers, 10 teachers and 50 children this case study explored a model of teacher education provision. Findings illuminated factors that inhibited student teachers from planning engaging lessons, which challenged their learners, including poor relationships between stakeholders, misunderstandings of the purpose of the placement and under developed knowledge and understandings of how to successfully draw on theoretical models to enhance learning, together with the challenges of limited time during a one year course. Findings also uncovered the extent to which student teachers were 'allowed' by some teachers, but not by others, to take risks in their practice, and the impact this has on student teachers' sense of autonomy and confidence. Implications of the research demonstrate how findings can impact on ITE course design and partnering models between University and schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aristotle took practical wisdom to include cleverness, and something more. The hard question, that he does not explicitly answer, is what this something more is. On my interpretation, the practically wise are not merely more knowledgeable about what is good for people. They are also better able to discern all the values at stake, in whatever circumstances they find themselves. This is an ability that good people develop, typically rather late in life, provided they are masters of their own affairs. According to Aristotle, this development is stunted by wickedness and also by wretchedness. It follows from his account that attempts to teach this virtue are not likely to succeed unless teachers have opportunities for developing practical wisdom through their work. Aristotle's arguments give us reasons to doubt that teachers can help their students to become virtuous and wise, if their own way to earn a living is not conductive to human flourishing. If we take his message to heart, we should, first and foremost, think about how to steer clear of wretched work conditions, where teachers' moral agency is narrowly circumscribed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study highlights the need to promote more personal and informal processes in Teacher Autonomy and focuses on university Language Teachers' processes in reading Teacher Research (TR) in order to understand how this impacts their autonomy development processes. In particular, it addresses teachers' interactions with TR articles during the reading process, and aims to gain insights into autonomy development from the teachers' reflection during the process. This study uses two well-known research tools, Think Aloud Protocol (TAP) and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) for an innovative purpose: to fulfil both research and teacher education purposes, thus exemplifying a particular way to promote and investigate critical reading in teacher education. The analysis of the TAPs, and follow-up focus group discussions reveal the key theme of autonomy. Three autonomy-related sub-themes emerged: gaining agency, developing motivation and gaining awareness of a more democratic form of teacher development. 11 participants undertook a task that allowed a highly personalized interpretation of all aspects of the text. It is argued that conditions for autonomy development were created by offering freedom to choose and interpret a text that is comprehensible and relevant. Teachers were entirely free to interpret their texts, and responsible for their learning from it. Teachers interpreted the articles in a variety of ways, and differed according to their emphasis on the particular aspects: motivation, agency and identity. The study concludes that the task provided an opportunity for autonomy to emerge according to the developmental needs of the individual. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Educational Forum / Forum Oswiatowe is the property of University of Lower Silesia / Dolnoslaska Szkola Wyzsza and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract This study elaborates the theoretical framework of PTs. The interviews with five teachers were analysed through the concepts of choice, reasoning, and disposition. The results indicated that choices in PTs mainly related to the division of instructional responsibility. PTs containing higher degrees of complex reasoning included a broad range instructional reasons and also weighed both the affordances and constraints of a teaching approach. PTs revealed two major teacher dispositions: instructional intention and instructional attention. Intention-oriented dispositions linked with curricular substance, whereas attention-oriented dispositions addressed personal and contextual factors in teaching. The results help to facilitate balanced instruction during teacher education. Highlights • The conceptual framework of practical theories of teaching (PTs) was revised. • The major choice in PTs concerned the division of instructional responsibility. • Instructional reasons focused on students and substance in the instructional core. • PTs differed in terms of their reasoning complexity and teacher dispositions. • The model of PTs can be used to support teachers' learning of balanced instruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of autonomy is acknowledged as a prominent educational goal in discussions of language education, but it is hardly a reality in many schools. One of the reasons for this discrepancy is the lack of teacher education programmes addressing teacher and learner autonomy as valid educational concerns. Because teacher education is vital for the enactment of autonomy in classroom practice, this paper reviews previous work on the development of language teacher education initiatives for teacher and learner autonomy. It analyses different aspects of these initiatives (e.g. conceptual framework, teacher development strategies, outcomes, etc.) to draw relevant conclusions for future action in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper examines the construction of the professional role of teachers as reflected in the teacher autonomy and control discourses in teachers' newspapers during 1991–2010 in three national contexts: Estonia, Finland and Bavaria (Germany). Despite similar global pressures to increase the efficiency of education through output standardization and marketization, the local teaching traditions and policies have shaped different cultures of teacher professionalism. Throughout the national experiments with decentralization and recentralization of education, Estonian and Bavarian teachers have maintained restricted professionalism while Finnish teachers achieved extended professionalism in terms of the desired amount of teacher autonomy. Highlights • Events in the social and political environment influence the autonomy discourse. • The political response to PISA has been a stronger evaluation and control discourse. • The Finnish newspaper advocates an extended concept of teacher professionalism. • Restricted professionalism can be preferable if sufficient resources are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This pilot study was meant to discover middle and high school teachers' views of teacher autonomy in making curricular decisions regarding literacy, assessment, and use of technology within their school districts. From the 100 teachers surveyed, we discovered low levels of autonomy in choice of classroom curricular materials and assessments, but individual teachers had more freedom to determine instructional use of technology. Yet only a quarter of the respondents had computers available in their classrooms. We concluded that the current atmosphere privileges curriculum over students, but that teachers need the flexibility to consider the needs, abilities, and prior knowledge of their students. Our pilot survey was only a first step toward addressing teacher autonomy regarding best practices in literacy and technology at the middle and secondary level. A future survey and focus group interview will examine the effects of perceived autonomy on teacher satisfaction, professionalism, and commitment to the profession. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Language & Linguistics Studies is the property of Journal of Language & Linguistics Studies and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

As professional development is essential for teacher quality, many countries have made investments in designing teacher education programs. The study explores the efficacy of in-service courses in Iran from the perspective of English language teachers. Interviews were conducted to examine teachers' beliefs about the efficacy of in-service courses, their involvement in program development, the application of program material by teachers, and their preferences about teacher education programs. The findings showed that program designers adopted a traditional transmissive model to transfer pre-determined knowledge to the teachers without involving teachers in the decision making process. Teachers, in turn, did not apply the program materials in their teaching practices because they believed program materials were idealistic, impractical, generalized, and decontextualized. Moreover, what teachers considered beneficial for their development was different from what was presented to them in the in-service courses. The reason for such inconsistencies is a lack of communication and effective feedback channel between teachers and planners. The findings suggest that as teachers are the final decision makers based on the realities of their teaching situation, involving them in planning and program development process can decrease the existing gap and make program materials more realistic and consequently applicable. Implications for language planning and teacher education programs are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years there has been an increased appreciation of the interrelationship between learner autonomy and teacher autonomy, both in the classroom and in the self-access centre. One obvious impact on learners’ autonomy is their teachers’ understanding of what autonomy means, and their ability to implement it in the classroom. Especially for beginning teachers, knowledge of learner autonomy is likely to be shaped in large part by the professional training they receive and the amount of attention given to the topic during their teacher education. It is therefore important to ask to what extent teacher training courses prepare teachers for fostering autonomy, including those teachers working in self-access centres. This study attempts to answer that question by critically investigating a range of popular teacher training course materials widely used in professional programmes worldwide. We apply an evaluative framework to identify 1) what information teachers are given about learner autonomy, and 2) the extent to which the materials cover the teaching of different skills for independent learning. Perhaps surprisingly, despite the growing interest in autonomy, it was found that the selected books included almost no information about learner autonomy at all and did not, with one or two minor exceptions, focus on the development of skills for supporting autonomous learning.

In this paper we describe the process of updating a course syllabus designed to foster the development of language teacher autonomy for course planning and materials preparation. Three main factors were taken into account: participants' reactions and evaluations concerning the first version of the course, the new context, and the developments in the literature related to learner and teacher autonomy. We draw on literature concerning learner and teacher autonomy (Little 2000; Lamb 2000; Benson 1997a, 1997b, 2001; Dam 1995; Aoki 2002), on Critical Pedagogy (Freire 1970, 1973, 1980, 1996) and on studies that deal with learner and teacher narratives (Benson et al. 2003; Benson 2005; Murphey et al. 2005; Karlsson & Kjisik 2007; Liberalli et al. 2003; Telles 2002, 2004). We conclude by raising some questions concerning the theoretical and practical decisions made in the second version of the course and their implications.Neste artigo descrevemos o processo de reformulação de um plano de curso que tem como objetivo o desenvolvimento da autonomia de professores de línguas para planejamento de curso e preparação de materiais didáticos. Foram levados em conta as reações e avaliações dos participantes com relação à primeira versão do curso, o novo contexto e o desenvolvimento da literatura relacionada à autonomia do professor e do aluno. A fundamentação teórica do trabalho baseia-se na literatura sobre autonomia do professor e do aluno (Little 2000; Lamb 2000; Benson 1997a, 1997b, 2001; Dam 1995; Aoki 2002), na Pedagogia Crítica (Freire 1970, 1973, 1980, 1996) e em estudos sobre narrativas do professor e do aluno (Benson et al. 2003; Benson 2005; Murphey et al. 2005; Karlsson & Kjisik 2007; Liberalli et al. 2003; Telles 2002, 2004). Concluímos com alguns questionamentos sobre as decisões teóricas e práticas tomadas na segunda versão do curso e sobre suas implicações.

‘Unconferences’ are a non-traditional form of professional activity defined by the absence of many conventional conference structures. One example of the unconference model is the ‘Edcamp,’ a voluntary, participant-driven form of grassroots educator professional learning. More than 600 of these events have been held worldwide since the first in 2010. This exploratory study situates Edcamps in relationship to the literature on educator professional development and teacher collaboration, and reports on data gathered from 95 participants in an Edcamp in the United States. Respondents indicated diverse motivations for their Edcamp participation, including colleagues’ recommendations, anticipated learning and the desire to network and collaborate. Respondents generally rated their Edcamp experiences highly, and overwhelmingly reported intentions to attend future Edcamps. The positive environment, participant autonomy and integration of technology were highlighted. Most participants, however, also identified ways in which their experiences could have been improved. The nature and topics of discussion, as well as challenges associated with Edcamp novices and technology, presented barriers to full participation. Implications of this research for educators, researchers and educational institutions are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper reports on a 3-year case study of four novice EFL teachers in China that examined the impact of collaborative lesson preparation on the development of their teacher autonomy, and the joint impact of collaboration and autonomy on their professional development. Data analysis of 48 individual interviews, 47 journal entries, and 26 classroom observation sessions has revealed: (1) the collaboration takes two forms: the product-oriented collaboration dedicated to producing a complete, ready-to-use set of teaching resources as a visible product, and the problem-based collaboration featuring discussions on certain teaching issues, which does not provide concrete help in physical forms but inspires insights and facilitates exchange of teaching experience; and (2) the two types of collaborative lesson preparation have different impacts on the development of novice teachers’ autonomy which is mediated by the level of teacher anxiety provoked by the circumstances of collaboration. Suggestions based on the findings are proposed as to joining collaboration and autonomy for synergy to promote teacher development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Theory suggests that effective teachers should possess a vision for teaching, but the reality of teaching within the current educational policy climate raises questions about teachers’ autonomy of their instructional decisions and ultimately their personal convictions for teaching. This exploratory study examines 11 teachers’ visions of teaching and the extent to which their reported visions aligned with instructional goals for their students. Findings suggest that teachers’ reported visions aimed to develop dispositional qualities in students despite great concern over the pressures of standardized testing and district mandates. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

2007 saw the publication of the European Portfolio for Student Teachers of Languages (EPOSTL), a tool for reflection and self-assessment to be used in initial teacher education. Whilst innovative in nature, its effectiveness depends on how it can be used to supplement existing teacher education programmes and thus to foster good practice. A follow-up EPOSTL project focused on trialling the EPOSTL in a number of teacher education institutions across Europe. In this paper, drawing on the experiences of users of the EPOSTL, both teacher educators and students, I illustrate what ‘good practice’ might mean and indicate seven ways in which the EPOSTL can play this supportive role. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In recent years there has been an increased appreciation of the interrelationship between learner autonomy and teacher autonomy, both in the classroom and in the self-access centre. One obvious impact on learners' autonomy is their teachers' understanding of what autonomy means, and their ability to implement it in the classroom. Especially for beginning teachers, knowledge of learner autonomy is likely to be shaped in large part by the professional training they receive and the amount of attention given to the topic during their teacher education. It is therefore important to ask to what extent teacher training courses prepare teachers for fostering autonomy, including those teachers working in self-access centres. This study attempts to answer that question by critically investigating a range of popular teacher training course materials widely used in professional programmes worldwide. We apply an evaluative framework to identify 1) what information teachers are given about learner autonomy, and 2) the extent to which the materials cover the teaching of different skills for independent learning. Perhaps surprisingly, despite the growing interest in autonomy, it was found that the selected books included almost no information about learner autonomy at all and did not, with one or two minor exceptions, focus on the development of skills for supporting autonomous learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Movements to reform teacher education are underway in many parts of the world, including Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and the US. These attempts at reform are motivated by various forces, but appear to reflect an international convergence toward uniformity, conformity, and compliance. Our purpose here is to analyze the forces and contradictions that currently shape the education of teachers and the nature of their work in the US. Given the scarcity of debate and research in the face of the sweeping implementation of reform mandates, we raise here critical questions about their political, philosophical, and intellectual integrity and their intended and unintended consequences for teaching and for teachers’ autonomy. In this article we analyze teacher education reforms in the US in three steps. First, we examine the policies that have shaped the implementation of standards-based reform in teacher education, the assumptions that underlie them, and the means by which they are promoted (e.g., standards, assessment, increased regulations). Second, we analyze these reform policies and practices in the context of globalization and the global economy, forces that seem to define the ideological stances of the reform. Finally, we conclude by considering the implications for teaching, teacher knowledge, and teacher education. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]