Legitimacy and Identity in Teacher Education: A Micro-Political Struggle Constrained by Macro-Political Pressures

Source: Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, Volume 37, Issue 1, February 2009 , pages 5 - 26.

To gain a clear sense of teacher educators at work, the authors need to look closely at the context in which they practice. Any attempt to address the questions of what works and the nature of evidence must be situated in the macro-political context that constrains the work of teacher educators struggling for legitimacy and identity within both the university and the professional field of teaching. The authors characterize the macro-political context as a set of neo-liberalist forces that works to undermine the central role universities have played in the development of the nation state. As the university's role has become focused on supporting economic development and global competitiveness, this context is at odds with longstanding agendas of professional responsibility and self-governance in teacher education. In this policy context, the authors argue that teacher educators need to engage in rigorous practice-based inquiry that addresses issues of policy and governance, particularly those that tend toward direct government intervention or professional governance.