Cohort group membership and individual agency in teacher education: Implications for addressing issues of race, gender and *class.

摘要

The education of teacher candidates in Ontario is a field that has undergone significant redesign and restructuring within the last two decades. One change initiative that has emerged out of the restructuring of the teacher education reform of the late 80's and early 90's has been the inclusion of the cohort model, which was introduced primarily as a way of moving the education of teachers away from its individualistic moorings to provide greater opportunities for peer and communal learning and practice. In spite of its growing dominance, there has been limited examination of the efficacy of the cohort model in teacher education, particularly with regard to addressing issues of diversity and equity.;This study examined the implications of the cohort model in teacher education in facilitating or constraining teacher candidates understanding and application of diversity and equity initiatives in their teaching practices. The study was conducted at an urban university in Ontario, Canada and utilized an ethnographic case-study methodological approach. The specific aspects of diversity and equity issues that were explored included race, gender, and class, with some reference to the area of sexuality. I examined the factors in the structure of the cohort model itself that either promoted or challenged the inclusion of those diversity and equity initiatives in the teacher education program. Further to this, I also explored the impact of the individual agency of the teacher candidates in the application of diversity and equity initiatives in their practices.;The results of the study indicate that the cohort can be an effective model for promoting the inclusion of diversity and equity initiatives in teacher education, although there is a continued marginalization of those issues. There were several factors that directly influenced the efficacy of the cohort model in promoting equity and diversity initiatives. These include the degree of consistency between the objectives of the cohort and the faculty of education; the practices of the instructional staff, and the importance of redefining the concept, overall goals and objectives of the cohort model of education.;Further to this, the results of the study highlighted the manner in which peer learning facilitates the transfer of theory to practice within the cohort and the ways in which peer interactions can also limit discussions of equity and diversity. The study also identified the ways in which notions of community and safety impacted upon the experiences of the teacher candidates in the cohort. The preliminary results of this research project highlight the importance of continued research on the application and development of cohorts in the field of teacher education.