A pedagogy of collective action and reflection - Preparing teachers for collective school leadership

If teacher educators are to prepare teachers to become leaders who work together to toward reform in newly restructured schools, schools of education must change the curriculum and design of their teacher education programs. Drawing on a study of an experimental teacher education program, the authors recommend changes that prepare new teachers to assume greater leadership responsibility, particularly for collaborative curriculum design and implementation. Teacher educators must model these practices in teacher education coursework. A pedagogy of collective action beginning with a process tying educational theory to practice for teacher education students is suggested. This process of bridging theory and practice is the heart of a program that nurtures new teacher's inclination for joint work and capacity for collective school leadership. Grounding this discussion in a detailed analysis of an actual program, the authors highlight the complexity of this challenge and some of the dilemmas faced by those with this agenda.