Taking a Fresh Look at Education (Framing Professional Learning in Education through Self-Study)

Taking a Fresh Look at Education: Framing Professional Learning in Education through Self-Study examines the use of self-study in professional learning through justice in education, collaboration, teacher education, and the concept of a Professional Working Theory. Justice in education includes research on pedagogy in inclusive practices, on social justice issues within a doctoral program through the lens of critical race theory, and on indigenous epistemologies and experiences. Collaboration can be seen across several chapters as an integral part of teacher education, and is discussed specifically in chapters addressing research on praxis inquiry within Active Group Practice (a collaborative dynamic)—and on collaboration as a critical aspect of self-study research by teachers addressing efficacy of practice for students with significant disabilities. Included in the discussion on teacher education is research on the beliefs and practices of mid- and later-career literacy/English teacher educators. Professional Working Theory (PWT) addresses the critical aspects of teacher knowledge, experience, and ethics. Specifically, this book includes research on examining the process involved in developing a PWT, on the development of teacher identity of preservice teachers through their engagement in creating PWTs, and on the process of and reflections on developing PWTs with teacher educators and U. A. E. and U. S. A. graduate students within the context of literacy and special education. This book brings to the fore the work of Mary C. Dalmau as a teacher educator whose career embodies the values of inclusion across educational settings, the empowerment of teachers, and the importance of ethics in educational decision making.