Pagliano, Paul (2010) Care and teacher education for a sustainable future: a critical survey of the literature. In: Australian Teacher Education (ATEA) Conference 2010. pp. 1-9. From: ATEA 2010 Australian Teacher Education Association Conference, 4-7 July 2010, Townsville, QLD, Australia.

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Abstract

The research focus of this literature survey is to critically investigate the relationship of care to teacher education for a sustainable future. The challenge for teacher education for a sustainable future is to ensure graduating teachers are ecologically literate insofar as they understand the need for change to a sustainable way of living and teaching, have the will, capacity and knowhow to put it into action and are ready, willing and able to affirm sustainable actions in others, particularly their students. The goal therefore is to establish the conditions under which caring-for a sustainable future can flourish. According to Noddings (1992) care theory provides the infrastructure for ethical decision-making in education. Care is central to the cultivation of a caring society and a necessary pre-condition 'for' education as well as an essential ingredient 'in' education. This is because it bestows nourishment for a sustainable future. Care starts at home where we learn to 'care-about' through the experience of being 'cared-for' and continues into education. Care is most often identified by pre-service teachers as their principal reason for choosing to study education, their motivation to become teachers. Care in education involves receptive attention, motivational displacement and mutual gain. It has four components, namely: modelling, dialogue, practice and confirmation. For teacher educators to be able to model, dialogue, practice and confirm a pre-service teacher's "better-self", they too must feel like they work in a caring environment, one where their supervisors care about them, want the best for them and are invested in their success. This paper questions whether neoliberal instrumental forms of teacher education that use prescriptive standards, dominant accountability measures and micromanagement strategies risk over-focusing on education for the head but offer little more than benign neglect for the heart and soul, the homeland of education for a sustainable future.

Item ID:	16985
Item Type:	Conference Item (Research - E1)
ISBN:	978-0-9752324-5-3
Keywords:	teacher education, education for sustainability, care, care theory
Date Deposited:	10 May 2011 13:23
FoR Codes:	13 EDUCATION > 1303 Specialist Studies in Education > 130313 Teacher Education and Professional Development of Educators @ 100%
SEO Codes:	93 EDUCATION AND TRAINING > 9302 Teaching and Instruction > 930202 Teacher and Instructor Development @ 100%
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