Rationality and Rationalisation in Teacher Education Policy Discourse in New Zealand

Autor/in	O'Neill, John
Titel	Rationality and Rationalisation in Teacher Education Policy Discourse in New Zealand
Quelle	In: Educational Research, 54 (2012) 2, S.225-237 (13 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0013-1881
DOI	10.1080/00131881.2012.680046
Schlagwörter	Teacher Education; Educational Change; Foreign Countries; Public Service; Public Education; Educational Policy; Political Attitudes; Natural Disasters; Economic Climate; Ideology; Statistical Data; Policy Formation; Trend Analysis; Educational Trends; Educational History; Discourse Analysis; Public Officials; Economic Factors; New Zealand + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Lehrerausbildung; Lehrerbildung; Bildungsreform; Ausland; Public services; Öffentlicher Sozialdienst; Öffentliche Erziehung; Politics of education; Bildungspolitik; Political attitude; Politische Einstellung; Natural disaster; Naturkatastrophe; Wirtschaftslage; Ideologie; Politische Betätigung; Trendanalyse; Bildungsentwicklung; History of education; Bildungsgeschichte; Diskursanalyse; Ökonomischer Faktor; Neuseeland
Abstract	Background: A newly elected centre-right coalition government in New Zealand was forced to deal with the cumulative fiscal consequences of two unforeseen challenges: a global financial crisis in September 2008 and two major seismic events in the country's second largest city in 2009 and 2010. This paper examines the way in which policies for initial and continuing teacher education were reshaped thereafter and the justifications provided by government for these changes. Purpose: The paper examines the plausibility of the government's contemporary "crisis" discourse and aims to show how "rational" education policy changes also carry broader ideological and political agendas for teacher education. Thus, current changes to teacher education policy are located in the historical context of trends over the last two decades. Sources of Evidence: The paper uses official statements by government and officials to show how they justified the policy changes as the only possible responses to an external economic crisis. Secondary sources of statistical economic data and policy texts are used to demonstrate that equally plausible alternative responses were overlooked, rejected or ignored. Main argument: The paper construes teacher education policy as both text and discourse. It is argued that the media statements of politicians and officials are intended to secure popular approval for public education austerity measures, while at the same time masking an underlying political and ideological project and ignoring the informed policy rebuttals of some educationists. Conclusions: The steps taken in New Zealand to respond to a short- to medium-term national fiscal crisis have major long-term consequences for teacher education. Most apparent is the continued failure to acknowledge the major incremental reductions in public subsidies for initial teacher education that have occurred year on year since the early 1990s and, instead, to reiterate the new public management ideology of further public service efficiencies. (Contains 3 tables.) (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10