Topics in Teacher Education Research: What Do We Publish?

In previous editorials, we have described how criticism of the rigor and relevance of teacher education has influenced our vision for the journal. As a result, we have shared our criteria for determining the quality of manuscripts submitted to Journal of Teacher Education (JTE) and described how certain published articles exemplified these criteria (see Issues 63:1 and 64:2). However, our examples have primarily focused on improving methodology, creating the theoretical and conceptual frameworks that enable readers to see linkages in findings within and across studies, and providing explanations of how the findings from a study add to the existing knowledge base. Recently, in discussions at conferences and through email exchanges, potential authors have asked about specific topics of interest to the editorial team and to readers of the journal. In other words, what do we publish? Given the diversity of our readership, as well as our editorial team, the range of topics is broad and diverse. Nevertheless, we tend to see some topics as more relevant given identified needs of researchers, practitioners, and policy makers. Many of these preferences appear as themed calls for proposals or as special issues and include the following: research on features of teacher education programs as opposed to pathways (Issue 63:3), diversity and disability in teacher education (Issue 63:4), assessment and accountability in teacher education (Issue 63:5), inservice and preservice professional development related to the Common Core and other standards (Issue 64:3), interdisciplinary teacher education collaboration (Issue 64:5), professional development and practices of teacher educators (Issue 65:4), and implications of preservice and inservice teacher performance assessment for teacher education (Issue 65:5). As the ultimate intent of the themed calls is to advance research and discussion in these specific areas, the themes remain topics of special interest long past the particular target issue. Other important topics, although not specified as themes, emerge in editorial team discussions and through communication with reviewers and readers. Topics of interest include uses and impacts of technology in preservice and inservice professional development, diversity and multicultural teacher education, issues of teacher quality and retention related to teacher education, practice-based teacher education, professional development communities of practice, coaching and mentoring in both preservice and inservice contexts, processes and outcomes in various cognitive and affective areas (e.g., pedagogical content knowledge, professional identity, self-efficacy), and teacher education within specific content areas. This list is not in any particular order and is not exhaustive. Often we receive manuscripts on topics not on the list whose authors make a compelling case for relevance and importance to teacher educators (e.g., body pedagogy, bullying, community-based placements) and are published in JTE as a result. The argument for the relevance and importance of the topic, coupled with how the particular study advances our understanding and knowledge in the area, influences reviewers' and editors' decisions about inclusion. The articles that comprise this issue provide good examples of the diversity of topics included in JTE and the rationales for importance and relevance that influenced reviewers and editors. The topics include exploration of race and multicultural teacher education, professional development using collaborative web technologies, teacher recruitment and preparation in relation to various outcomes, teacher preparation and induction support in relation to career intentions and decisions, and alignment of teacher education assessment course curricula with standards and policies. One of the five articles is a theoretical/conceptual discussion while the remaining four represent both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. …