Supporting professional learning and development through international collaboration in the co-construction of an undergraduate teaching qualification

Abstract

This article explores one thread from a larger, longitudinal research project that investigated the views and experiences of teacher educators in Malaysia and from the United Kingdom who were involved in collaboration for the co-construction of a Bachelor of Education (Honours) in Primary Mathematics, with English and health and physical education as minor subjects. The article examines the impact of the approach taken to collaboration, which included the development and sharing of a pedagogical model for teacher education (ARM: action, reflection, modelling) and reflects on the value of this to professional learning and development. The research findings suggest that this co-constructive approach was effective in enabling senior managers and teacher educators involved in the project to critique their own practice and to further develop their understanding of effective teacher education. These findings have implications for developing the pedagogy of teacher educators in other contexts: the co-construction of a programme with colleagues who had different understandings of the nature of teacher education enabled new insight into participants’ own practice.