Exploring and Describing Marketable Skills in Teacher Education
Keywords:
marketable skills; teacher education; competencies; knowledge, skills, and abilitiesAbstract
Students and lawmakers are concerned: do marketable skills learned in teacher-preparation programs transfer to the teacher’s classroom? In order to diagnose the problem of marketable skills transfer, this study used an existing critical framework to analyze transcripts and field notes from interviews with three leaders in teacher preparation programs. Emergent theme supported prior research. For example, these leaders valued competency in researching and presenting, which are marketable skills in the current school climate. However, their emphasis on higher order thinking skills like critical thinking and metacognition may be a sign that these leaders are disinterested in basic skills like communication and teamwork, which are skills that prior research shows are necessary for the development of higher order thinking. A theme about teaching using pedagogical methods also emerged. We call this theme pedagogical literacy and assert that it is unique to teacher preparation programs. Future research should explore the demand for critical thinking as well as the presence of pedagogical literacy outside of departments that prepare educators.
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VanWynsberghe & Khan (2007). Redefining case study. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 6(2), 80-94.
Wason, P. (1968). Reasoning about a rule. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 20, 273-281.
Wickramasinghe, V., & Perera, L. (2010). Graduates', university lecturers' and employers' perceptions towards employability skills. Education Training, 52(3), 226-244. doi:10.1108/00400911011037355
Yoon, K. S., Duncan, T., Lee, S. W.-Y, Scarloss, B., & Shapley, K. (2007). Reviewing the evidence on how teacher professional development affects student achievement (Issues & Answers Report, REL 2007-No. 033). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Regional Educational Laboratory Southwest.
Anderson, A., & Marshall, V. (1996). Core versus occupation-specific skills. London: H.M.S.O.
Anderson, J. R., Reder, L. M., & Simon, H. A. (1996). Situated learning and education. Educational Researcher, 25(4), 5. doi:10.2307/1176775
Ausubel, D. P. (1963). The psychology of meaningful verbal learning. New York: Grune & Stratton.
Barnaby, B. (2016). From theory to practice: critical thinking as a multifaceted concept. Journal of perspectives in applied academic practice, 4(3), 40-47.
Bennett, N., Dunne, E., & Carré, C. (2000). Skills development in higher education and employment. Buckingham: Society for Research into Higher Education/Open University Press.
Black, M. (1952). Critical thinking: An introduction to logic and scientific method. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Centers for Disease Control. (2017). The Importance of KSA’s (Knowledge, Skills and Abilities) in the Federal Application Process. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/hrmo/ksahowto.htm
Charner, I. (1988). Employability credentials: A key to successful youth transition to work. Journal of Career Development, 15(1), 30-40. doi:10.1177/089484538801500104
Cheetham, G., & Chivers, G. (1996). Towards a holistic model of professional competence. Journal of European Industrial Training, 20(5), 20-30. doi:10.1108/03090599610119692
Donnelly, H. & Linn, J. (2014). Critical thinking skills fire up teacher learning. Journal of staff development, 35(2), 40-44.
Eco, U. (2009). The infinity of lists: An illustrated essay hardcover (A. McEwen, Trans.). New York: Rizzoli.
Ennis, R. H. (1987). A taxonomy of critical thinking dispositions and abilities. In J. B. Baron & R. J. Sternberg (Eds.) Teaching thinking skills: Theory and practice (pp. 9-26). New York: W. H. Freeman.
Grip, A., Loo, J., & Sanders, J. (2004). The industry employability index: Taking account of supply and demand characteristics. International Labour Review, 143(3), 211-233. doi:10.1111/j.1564-913x.2004.tb00269.x
Harvey, L., Geall, V., & Moon, S. (1998). Work experience: Expanding opportunities for undergraduates. Birmingham: The University of Central England, Centre for Research into Quality.
Harvey, L., Moon, S., & Geall, V. (1997). Graduates' work: Organisational change and students' attributes. Birmingham: The University of Central England, Centre for Research into Quality.
Holmes, N. G., Wieman, C. E., & Bonn, D. A. (2015). Teaching critical thinking. Proceedings of the national academy of sciences, 112(36), 11199-11204.
Hurley, P. J. (2008). Selections from a concise introduction to logic. Independence, KY: Cengage.
Kirst, M., Marshall, R., & Tucker, M. (1993). Thinking for a living: Education and the wealth of nations. Political Science Quarterly, 108(2), 345. doi:10.2307/2152024
Kroth, R. L., & Edge, D. (2007). Parent-teacher conferences. Focus on Exceptional Children, 40(2), 1-8.
Lamarck, J. P. (1830). Philosophie Zoologique. Retrieved September 13, 2017, from https://archive.org/details/philosophiezool02unkngoog
Martin, J. E., Van Dycke, J. L., Greene, B. A., Gardner, J. E., Christensen, W. R., Woods, L. L., Lovett, D. L. (2016). Direct observation of teacher-directed IEP meetings: Establishing the need for student IEP meeting instruction. Exceptional Children, 72(2), 187-200.
Marx, K. (1867). Capital, Volume I: The Process of Production of Capital.
Mayer, E. (1992). Employment related key competences for post compulsory education and training. Melbourne: The Meyer Committee, Australian Education Council.
Mayer, R. E. (1985). Implications of cognitive psychology for instruction in mathematical problem solving. In E. A. Silver (Ed.), Teaching and learning mathematical problem solving: Multiple research perspectives (pp. 123–138). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Meijers, F., Kuijpers, M., & Gundy, C. (2013). The relationship between career competencies, career identity, motivation and quality of choice. International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance, 13(1), 47-66. doi:10.1007/s10775-012-9237-4
Murdoch, D. (2016). Psychological literacy: proceed with caution, construction ahead. Psychology Research and Behavior Management, 9, 189-199. doi:10.2147/prbm.s88646
NAEYC (2016). Parent-teacher conferences: To share with families. YC Young Children, 71(4), 54-55.
National Center for Education Statistics. (2014). Total undergraduate fall enrollment in degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by attendance status, sex of student, and control and level of institution: Selected years, 1970 through 2025. Retrieved March 01, 2017, from https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d15/tables/dt15_303.70.asp
Office of Human Resources Management and Labor Relations. (2009, November 9). What Are KSAs? - VA JOBS. Retrieved from https://www.va.gov/jobs/hiring/apply/ksa.as
Office of Personnel Management (2010). President’s hiring reform memo. Retrieved from https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/assessment-and-selection/competencies/ksas-summary-sheet.pdf
Pedagogy. (2009). In S. Wallace (Ed.), A dictionary of education. Oxford University Press.
Perkins, D. N. & Salomon, G. (1989). Are cognitive skills context-bound? Educational Researcher, 18, 16-25.
Perkins, D. & Salomon, G. (1994) Transfer of Learning, in T. Husen & T. Postlethwaite (Eds.), The international encyclopedia of education (2nd ed.). Oxford: Elsevier/Pergamon.
Perna, L. W., & Finney, J. E. (2014). The attainment agenda: State policy leadership in higher education. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.
Robins, J. K. (2011). Problem solving, reasoning, and analytical thinking in a classroom environment. Behvaior analyst today, 12(1), 40-47.
Rosenberg, S., Heimler, R., & Morote, E. (2012). Basic employability skills: a triangular design approach. Education Training, 54(1), 7-20. doi:10.1108/00400911211198869
Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. (2015, July 23). 2015-2030 Texas higher education plan. Retrieved from www.thecb.state.tx.us
University of North Texas College of Education. (2017). Undergraduate programs. Retrieved from https://www.coe.unt.edu/educational-psychology/undergraduate-programs
University of North Texas College of Education. (2017). Health Promotion programs. Retrieved from https://www.coe.unt.edu/kinesiology-health-promotion-and-recreation/health-promotion-programs#undergraduate
University of North Texas College of Education. (2017). Kinesiology programs. Retrieved from https://www.coe.unt.edu/kinesiology-health-promotion-and-recreation/kinesiology-programs#undergraduat
University of North Texas College of Education. (2017). Recreation, Event and Sport Management programs. Retrieved from https://www.coe.unt.edu/kinesiology-health-promotion-and-recreation/recreation-event-and-sport-management-programs#undergraduate
University of North Texas College of Education. (2017). Undergraduate Programs. Retrieved from https://www.coe.unt.edu/teacher-education-and-administration/undergraduate-programs
VanWynsberghe & Khan (2007). Redefining case study. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 6(2), 80-94.
Wason, P. (1968). Reasoning about a rule. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 20, 273-281.
Wickramasinghe, V., & Perera, L. (2010). Graduates', university lecturers' and employers' perceptions towards employability skills. Education Training, 52(3), 226-244. doi:10.1108/00400911011037355
Yoon, K. S., Duncan, T., Lee, S. W.-Y, Scarloss, B., & Shapley, K. (2007). Reviewing the evidence on how teacher professional development affects student achievement (Issues & Answers Report, REL 2007-No. 033). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Regional Educational Laboratory Southwest.
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