From our journals: The relaunch of Current Issues in Education
Relaunching in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the journal Current Issues in Education returns this month with a special issue on Shaping the Futures of Learning in the Digital Age.
CIE is an open access, peer-reviewed academic education journal produced by doctoral students at Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College. The journal publishes articles on education topics that are timely and have relevance in the field of education both nationally and internationally. CIE was on hiatus due to a comprehensive restructuring, which included an upgrade to the electronic publishing platform. The next full issue of CIE will appear in fall 2020.
Articles in this month’s special issue include:
By: Karee Dunn, The University of Tennessee; Denise T. Airola, University of Arkansas; Takuya Hayakawa, University of Tennessee
Published in: Current Issues in Education, April 30, 2020
This sample of preservice teachers reported concerns (thoughts, preoccupations and feelings) indicating they’re not interested in engaging in data-driven decision-making. The researchers found a low sense of efficacy for DDDM and high levels of anxiety for DDDM, suggesting the teachers are unlikely to adopt DDDM practices. In addition to explaining the results, the researchers propose a new way of talking about data that may mitigate some of these concerns.
By: Laura Bower-Phipps, Southern Connecticut State University
Published in: Current Issues in Education, April 30, 2020
In this article, Bower-Phipps explores how preservice teachers have experienced the normalization of heterosexuality and the ways in which these experiences will shape their professional practices. She organized a focus group and did follow-up interviews with lesbian, gay, bisexual and asexual preservice teachers. The results were analyzed using a constant comparison method. Bower-Phipps’ findings suggest that participants’ professional vision was largely a response to heteronormativity. They wanted to be out, be role models and create safe spaces; yet felt unable to achieve this in what they perceived as heteronormative school climates.
By: Audra Parker, George Mason University; Lori Rakes, Florida Southern College
Published in: Current Issues in Education, April 30, 2020
In this study, Parker and Rakes explore elementary teacher candidates’ perceptions of K–6 grade level organization (departmentalized or self-contained) during their teacher preparation experiences at two universities in the southeastern region of the U.S. Their findings indicate that teacher candidates' views towards grade level organizational structures and how their preparation affected their professional development vary. Because field experiences occur at critical developmental junctures for teacher candidates, teacher educators must understand the impact of grade level organizational structures on teacher candidates’ professional development in order to appropriately scaffold and guide these experiences.
By: Chin-Wen Chien, National Hsinchu University of Education
Published in: Current Issues in Education, April 30, 2020
In this study, Chien explored 45 Taiwanese undergraduates learning about elementary school English education — through problem-based learning — in scenario analysis in a teacher education program in northwestern Taiwan. This study supported current empirical studies on the importance of PBL in scenario analysis for preservice teachers’ knowledge construction. Chien found that what participants gained the most from the PBL in scenario analysis was “teamwork” and “developing interests in elementary school English education.” To effectively integrate scenario analysis into the language teacher education program, Chien’s findings suggest three essential elements be taken into consideration: peer learning, authentic scenarios, and bridging the theories and practice.
Meet the new CIE student leadership team:
Editors
Lead editor: Marina Basu
Consulting lead editor: Neelakshi Tewari
Section editors
Educational Policy and Evaluation: Ivonne Lujano Vilchis
Leadership and Innovation: Renee Bhatti-Klug
Learning, Literacies and Technologies: Ananí Vasquez
Reviewer Board
Monical Kessel
Sarah Salinas
Helene Shapiro
Blair Stampler
Melissa Warr
About our journals
MLFTC sponsors three innovative, open-access journals on education scholarship. EPAA is a peer-reviewed, international, multilingual and multidisciplinary journal designed for researchers, practitioners, policymakers and development analysts concerned with education policies. Education Review publishes reviews of books on education topics and Acquired Wisdom essays by esteemed educational researchers, and CIE is a peer-reviewed journal led by MLFTC graduate students.
Contact Stephanie McBride-Schreiner to learn more about our journals.