A Companion to Research in Teacher Education

Canada) had the writing process as their priority. Rachel’s (Australia) broad view of
literacy influenced her course goals:

I want them to understand that Literacy is not a single, global skill that once you have it,

you have it forever. I want them to understand that it’s...increasingly complex and is a

whole lot of different literacies. I want them to understand that they need to develop an

integrated program with literature and other real texts at the centre of what they are

programming and learning and implementing. I want them to develop a passion for chil-

dren’s literature.

Regardless of their particular interpretation of literacy (e.g. critical literacy, mul-
tiliteracies) there was a common belief among the LTEs that they needed to prepare
student teachers to teachall children. Bob (Australia) elaborated“One would be
wanting to support the student teachers in such a way that they would develop a
growing capacity to be responsive to the students in their care. And that’s not an
easy thing to do”. Carolina told her student teachers that“teaching is not about you,
it’s actually about the students and the contexts and all of those sorts of things”.
Many of the participants conceptualized teaching beyond a mechanistic task.
Justin’s (England) aims were broad, not simply preparing student teachers to teach
the current mandated curriculum.

What do You Hold Dear to

Your Heart?

Number who

identified this element

Relationship with your

student teachers

26

Focusing on children 25

Literature 23

Social Justice 12

Writing process 11

Fig. 9.4 Hold dear to your
heart

Goals for course Number who identified

this goal

Build knowledge of literacy 28

Build knowledge of pedagogy 25

Student teachers adopt a professional

role

18

Student teachers develop a critical

stance

16

Build knowledge of government

initiatives

13

Build knowledge of digital technology 11

Focus on student teacher growth 10

Fig. 9.5 Goals for literacy
courses

144 C. Kosnik et al.