Decolonising Teacher Education (Teacher Education Research – Shaping Practice, Policy and Theory, 1)

This book makes a deliberate attempt to explore the complexity of decolonising theories in teacher education. It draws attention to the historical and emerging impacts of colonialism on educational institutions and practices, challenging educators to expand their understanding of diverse trajectories of decolonial research both theoretically and practically. It adds to the discussions and dialogues between different disciplinary traditions, such as postcolonial and decolonial studies, as well as critical Indigenous and critical race studies. As an international compilation, it offers educators a unique opportunity to envision teacher education through alternative lenses―rethinking the relationship between ontology-epistemology-ethics, that is, what constitutes knowledge, how it is produced, and what material worlds are constructed in and through knowledge / research systems. Through compelling examples, this book illustrates how educators have navigated epistemic injustices within the field of teacher education amidst the rising global demands for standardisation. It encourages teacher educators to explore alternative theories within their own contexts, crafting new teacher education practices in universities and schools.

Parlo Singh is a Professor of Education (Sociology) in the School of Education and Professional Studies at Griffith University and a member of the Griffith Institute for Educational Research, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Her research work, over the past thirty years, has focused on issues of educational equity and social justice. Parlo's specialisation is in the area of primary school pedagogies, curriculum and evaluation, specifically working with public schools situated in high poverty communities. She has held numerous leadership positions in the university sector, including Research Centre Director, Head of School, and Dean of Graduate Research Studies. She is the recipient of numerous excellence in teaching awards, specifically in the field of higher degree research education and training.

Deborah Heck is Dean of School of Education and Tertiary Access at the University of Sunshine Coast, Australia. As a leader, Deborah is noted for her strong commitment to social justice and equity, and her steadfast interest in creating pathways to higher education that span from enabling programs to PhD work. Her academic research focuses on education theory, curriculum, policy reform, evaluation and method across multiple theories of discourse. Her work contributes to understanding professional practices, academic innovations, teacher identity, higher education assessment methods, dialogic teaching, cogenerative inquiry and theoretical themes relevant to decolonisation.

Stephen Heimans writes and teaches about education policy/ leadership enactment, education research methodology and schooling in underserved communities. He is interested in the post-critical possibilities of Jacques Rancière's thinking and the philosophy of science of Isabelle Stengers- especially experimental constructivism. Stephen contributes to the International Teacher Education Research Collective (ITERC), a recently established group collaboratingaround research on teacher education in several countries. The Collective is currently exploring three interrelated research themes: how professionalism is 'claimed'; the ethics and politics of teachers' knowledge; and the knowledge base of teacher education.

Angelina Ambrosetti is an Associate Professor in the School of Education and the Arts at Central Queensland University, Australia. Angelina is Head of Course for the Bachelor of Education (Primary) and is coordinator for several of the in-school practical experience units. Angelina is also a researcher. Her main research interests focus on mentoring, professional experience, learning to teach and regional education. She has published extensively both nationally and internationally.