PETER - Political Economy of Teacher Education Research

Project summary

Purpose of PETER

PETER (Political Economy of Teacher Education Research) combines substantive interests in the urgent, concrete questions driving teacher education at the level of practice and policy with critical theoretical resources derived from the study of political economy, pedagogical philosophy and policy studies. PETER applies innovative, mixed methodologies from social and educational research, including intervention studies and practice-developing approaches. The principle goal of PETER is to become a global hub for innovative research activity that brings together the key educational themes and questions of teacher preparation with the concepts of resources of political and economic analysis that will both provide critical insights into the structures of the system and some tools for changing them for the public good.

Background,

In the discourse of the ‘knowledge society’, education is the core technology for seeking to improve a wide range of public services within a global, economically competitive climate. Education becomes the most important instrument to address the challenges of international economic competitiveness and key aspects of human and societal development such as innovation, social justice and democracy, equality, sustainable development, migration, and the transfer of culturally important knowledge. 

Because teachers are recognized as the most important factors in improving the quality of education, reforming teacher education is at present at the core of educational policy-making in most countries around the world. Non-governmental as well as governmental policy-makers look at teacher education as the key lever for raising achievement, improving schools and elevating the standard of education systems.

Thus, reforming how student teachers are educated, rearranging their work, identities and knowledge constructs, also represents a strategic effort to shape the identity and work of teachers and the teaching profession in general in a further attempt to change schools and what counts as learning.

Key research areas

Against this background, teacher education has become one of the preeminent global challenges in terms of policy, governance and reform. Questions of quality and effectiveness, competence and professionality, utility and impact, research-driven or practice-driven teacher education are derived from such overarching political narratives. The relationship between higher education and schools under the heading of partnership or collaboration is one of the key dynamics of this form of professional education yet research in the area has not previously engaged on a systematic basis with concepts such as division of labour or the contradictions between use value and exchange value that are at the heart of a political economy perspective. Constructions of the public and leadership, the way education is conceptualized as a public service; the costs and benefits of different forms or models of teacher education and what these mean; definitions of quality and effectiveness – of what and for whom. The use of the tools of political economy, along with those from related disciplines, to address educational questions about the professional preparation of teachers is highly original and distinctive.

Method

Methodological approaches

These themes are addressed using a range of research tools including rhetorical and discourse analysis; CHAT analysis; ethnography; intervention research; surveys and quantitative designs; and participatory approaches that involve both participants and research-users.

Organization

PETER is organized around key issues in and around teacher education, critical political economy perspectives and mixed methods. The project is structured as a cooperative global research group put together from distinct national research groups in a satellite organization around these key issues and theoretical resources. There will be a core governance group of research leaders from the different institutions/nations. Each satellite research group may be organized differently in accordance with different institutional logics, regards to integration with teaching at different levels institutionally, funding, cooperative arrangements and sub research groups. In its initial phase the project, relies on internal resources from the institutions that cooperate. Each satellite research group, funds their own research time, travel and hotel expenses. . The project will seek external funding in cooperation with partners for joint PhDs, postdocs, conferences and seminars in their different national settings and invite each other.   The project also has a long term purpose of creating joint PhD and master’s level courses at each institution.