Conceptual Framework
Revised 2012
Revised Spring 2012
TEACHER AS LIFELONG LEARNER
Introduction
Almost 30 years have passed since the 1983 report by the National Commission on Excellence
in Education, A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform, was released and
touched off a wave of reform efforts. The reform efforts continue to be actively addressed
through legal reforms, mandates and laws (Casey, Bicard, Bicard, and Cooley-Nichols, 2008).
Darling-Hammond (2010) maintains that schools of education have made significant headway
by using standards to redesign their programs; creating stronger clinical practice; strengthening
coursework around critical areas and teaching of English language learners and special needs
students; and connecting this coursework directly to practice in much more extensive
practicum settings. However, Darling-Hammond (2010) and Levine (2010) indicate that teacher
preparation and certification still remain controversial and plague colleges of education.
Education and its reform remain at the forefront of the nation’s concerns; thereby requiring the
university role in teacher education be strengthened.
Given this state of affairs, the teacher education program at Kutztown University (KU) is
dedicated to having a positive impact on the lives of children and youth in the Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania through the preparation of highly qualified candidates. Our goal is to provide
preparation programs that blend a strong knowledge base in the content area, and
understanding of human development and grounding in pedagogy with frequent and
continuous field experiences. The candidates prepared in our programs will be willing and able
to effect change in an increasingly diverse and technologically integrated educational
environment. Our graduates will be committed to professional development throughout their
careers, thus supporting the College of Education model of lifelong learning. Through this
model, candidates acquire the essential knowledge, skills and dispositions that contribute to
the development of professionals who strive for continual excellence in the diverse and
changing school contexts in which teachers find themselves.
Domains and Candidate Proficiencies
I. Knowledge
Education of candidates includes general education courses that cultivate intellectual and
practical skills in written and oral communication, quantitative literacy, critical thinking and
wellness.
In addition to their general knowledge, candidates must be thoroughly versed in their subject
matter and have sufficient preparation in a major academic area related to the field of
specialization. Further, teachers must be able to demonstrate the ability to apply content,
pedagogical competencies and critical thinking in educational settings. Teachers additionally
must possess knowledge about the materials available for the teaching of their subject matter.
I.1. Communication
Knowledge and use of effective communication skills are at the heart of effective
teaching. An educator must be able to demonstrate appropriate written and verbal
communication skills including articulation, expressive language, voice quality, usage,
and grammar. A teacher must also be aware of the messages relayed via nonverbal
communication. Additionally, an educator must be able to select and utilize appropriate
communication media. Clarity in presentations, feedback, direction of learning and goal
setting contribute to the educator's ability to structure and reinforce learning.
Communication skills allow the educator to accomplish these goals and communicate
enthusiasm to learners, both about the subject and about learning. The teacher as a
lifelong learner is continually refining communication skills with students, parents, and
colleagues.
I.2. Critical Thinking
Teachers must practice critical thinking in all content areas; they must be able to ask
appropriate questions, gather relevant information, efficiently and creatively sort
through this information, reason logically from this information, and come to reliable
and trustworthy conclusions. Additionally, the teacher is able to model and teach the
process of critical thinking and inspire students to be responsible citizens who
contribute to society.
II. Skills
Professional knowledge is vast in scope, begins with the pre-service aspect of a teacher
preparation program, and expands commensurately with experience. Examples of
practical/experiential knowledge include an awareness of the climate, issues and politics that
affect the role of teaching, a passion for teaching, an ongoing curiosity about the world, the
confidence to become a risk-taker and change agent, and a belief that all students can learn.
The teacher as a lifelong learner is always extending practical/experiential knowledge.
II.1. Interpersonal Skills
Effective interpersonal skills are also essential in the act of teaching. The capacity for
empathy, a belief that every child can learn, attention to individual needs, sensitivity to
home and community issues, ability to be at ease in the presence of children or young
adults, and the ability to provide a positive, caring atmosphere for learning are examples
of these skills (Gideonse, 1989). The teacher also must possess interpersonal skills that
foster peer collaboration. In the continual process of learning, the teacher must be
willing to seek help, advice, or solace from peers. The teacher revises and expands
interpersonal skills on a continual basis.
II.2. Integration of Discipline
Knowing content is important for a teacher; however, broadening the context and
applicability of content through integration of disciplines provides students with a richer
academic experience. Integration fosters ongoing reinforcement of skills learned in one
area of study and utilized in other areas. This integration of discipline allows teachers
and students to view their content discipline with perspective and understanding of how
it all relates together.
II.3. Technology Integration
Integrating technology into classroom instruction means more than teaching basic
computer skills and software programs in a separate computer class. Rather, technology
should be used to engage students and facilitate their thinking and construction of
knowledge. Students learn to access, evaluate, and use information.
II.4. Organization and Classroom Management
Organizing and managing instructional settings are complex activities, requiring
effective skills and supportive affective relationships. The teacher adopts a proactive
organizational and managerial style that involves interventions and strategies designed
to include positive expectations, self-evaluation, and growth.
III. Dispositions
KU defines dispositions as internal values, beliefs, and attitudes that are manifested in patterns
of professional behaviors. The assessment does not focus on values, beliefs, and attitudes
directly; instead, dispositions are only assessed as they are manifested in patterns of behaviors
and candidate performances in their work with P-12 students and their families, peers, faculty,
and the community. Candidates demonstrate classroom behaviors that are consistent with the
ideal of fairness and the belief that all students can learn.
III.1. Scholarly Inquiry
Candidates must be well versed in their content and be aware of current trends and
issues. Toward that end, teacher candidates must have the ability to be collaborative
and conduct and use action research within their academic disciplines.
III.2. Reflective Wisdom
Through reflection, candidates gain a deeper understanding of their own teaching style
and ultimately, greater effectiveness as a teacher (Schon, 1983). It is essential that
teachers reflect in action - while doing something- and on action – after they have done
it. Thus, teachers are engaged in the process of continuous learning.
III.3. Cultural Awareness and Acceptance
The teacher candidate must be able to work with an ever-changing diverse student
population and have the perception to see diversity in people as a strength rather than
a deficit. Cultural awareness and acceptance includes those similarities and
commonalties found across cultural lines as well and is not merely a study of contrasts.
The teacher candidate must provide for educational opportunities that will strengthen
students' appreciation of the diversity that enriches our nation.
Conclusion
In KU’s College of Education, wherein all programs are guided by our Conceptual Framework,
we strive to prepare every learner to live a life characterized by high moral character, and to
experience a satisfying and rewarding career. Being true to the KU mission,
Kutztown University’s mission is to provide a high quality education at the
undergraduate and graduate levels in order to prepare students to meet lifelong
intellectual, ethical, social, and career challenges.
Reflective of the KU mission statement and through a committed, qualified, and diverse faculty
collaborating across organizational boundaries, we prepare educational professionals for
today’s schools and other educational agencies. These are diverse professionals who instill a
life-long responsibility for continued learning and accountability for their students’ capacity to
live, work, and participate fully in a globally networked world.
The knowledge, skills and dispositions learned during the preparation program at KU will lead
the way for increased student achievement in our schools and districts, as KU teacher
candidates will possess a thorough understanding of the skills and attributes needed to help all
students learn.
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