Developing Personal Vision in Initial Teacher Education (ITE): ‘We can see there is a future we want to achieve’

Topic: Our paper will begin by outlining the ‘Vision and Voices’ (V&V) project: a longitudinal study tracking the development of personal vision across a 4-year undergraduate ITE programme. This extensive period of time in ITE has enabled the teaching team to progressively thread vision-making through each year of the programme. Though productive, the vision-making journey with student teachers is challenging. The paper will go onto to report on a study, as part of the V&V project, that aimed to understand how student teachers are experiencing the vision-making process. Resultant findings were then used to inform a series of digital animations developed to support the vision-making process in the future.
Framework: The research draws on the concept of teacher vision, namely a personal image of what teachers hope to achieve in their classroom, school, community and society (Hammerness, 2006). As a device, personal vision can guide and motivate teachers in their negotiation of local and global challenges, and inform partnership working with stakeholders across and beyond education (Hara and Sherbine, 2018). Thus, creating a personal vision for the future, aligned with the ability to share this vision with others, is becoming an important attribute for practitioners as they engage in future-oriented discussions about the nature and purpose of their role and work (Shulman & Shulman, 2004).
Methodology: The study adopted a qualitative, interpretivist design, with data gathered using semi-structured, focus group interviews involving student teachers from each year of the ITE programme (n=32). The data were analysed inductively to generate themes, summarising the data, enabling the research aims to be addressed.
Findings: Analysis of the data resulted in the generation of four themes. Firstly, comprehending i.e., grasping the ‘what’ and ‘why’ of teacher vision. Secondly, the nature of the vision-making process i.e., ongoing, iterative and involves recurrent focusing, reflecting and negotiating of one’s vision. Thirdly, methods to support vision-making, with the act of vision-sharing, formally and informally, reported as invaluable. Fourthly, challenges and expectations, i.e., ongoing reassurance and encouragement required to ensure students develop distinct and unique visions. Findings from this study will support the vision-making process with students on our programmes, but also have potential to promote, encourage and support the process in ITE programmes beyond our own.
Relevance: We understand the importance NERA places on collaboration with the international research community and believe that personal vision and findings from our research, along with the digital resources we developed, could be used by Nordic scholars and practitioners, both in and pre-service, as a means to promote NERA’s aim of enhancing and strengthening the visibility of education as a discipline in Nordic societies.
References:
Hammerness, K. (2006) Seeing through teachers’ eyes: Professional ideals and classroom practices (New York, Teachers College Press).
Hara, M., & Sherbine, K. (2018) Be[com]ing a teacher in neoliberal times: The possibilities of visioning for resistance in teacher education. Policy Futures in Education, 16, 669 - 690.
Shulman, L. & Shulman, J. (2004) How and what teachers learn: A shifting perspective, Journal of Curriculum Studies, 36, 257–271.