Exploring the views of educators and students on privileged knowledge domains in a teacher education programme: a case study

Abstract

The reported case study solicited the views of teacher educators and students on the teacher knowledge taught and the way it was imparted in a teacher education programme that offered commercial subjects at the Bachelor of Education degree level. The objective was to establish the extent to which the knowledge domains were interconnected or whether some were prioritised. Data was collected from twenty students and seven educators using semistructured interviews, and analysed using deductive qualitative analysis method. The Minimum Requirements for Teacher Education Qualifications policy framework was used as a source of codes and the five domains of the framework were used as a priori codes under which analysed data was placed. The findings confirmed that some knowledge domains were prioritised. A disjuncture was discerned between teacher knowledge and practical experiences of students from disadvantaged backgrounds. The study concludes with a discussion which has implications for teacher education programmes.