Initial teacher education programs in Australia require all preservice teachers to complete a mandated teaching performance assessment. This places significant performative pressure on preservice teachers undertaking their final teaching placement. This paper reports on an action research project that aimed to co-construct a series of workshops…

In the current climate of empowerment models, critical research, and deconstructed theory, this discussion raises some questions regarding the concept of "empowerment" and its use as a rubric for course and program design in teacher education. From the review of literature several usages of the term empowerment emerge. Each one is…

This paper describes major characteristics of Australia and its education system, including changes in the structure of higher education as former Colleges of Advanced Education, where most teacher education in Australia had been conducted, amalgamated with existing universities or became new universities. Preservice teacher education models are…

This paper reports on the conceptualization and first year of implementation of a model of preservice teacher education and training established at the University of Notre Dame Australia to meet the specific needs of the Catholic education system. In setting up an appropriate model, the notion of the graduate teacher as one who is critically…