科研成果详情

Globally, the number of in-service and pre-service teachers who seek in-service professional development qualifications in countries other than their own is on the rise. This is particularly true of the Australian education context. In an era of heightened ethical awareness, we are, more than ever, encouraged to critically consider the unintended outcomes and implications resulting from the provision of such educational experiences. However, there remains a silence in many of the discussions, consultations and policy papers about teacher education programmes (TEPs), specifically about their role, efficacy and ethical practice. Using post-training reflections of a practising teacher from Fiji who completed a TEP at an Australian university, as a case in point, we explore the development of reverse ethnocentric views, whereby this teacher's idealised conceptions of professional identity and best practice overshadowed the perception of educational settings in her home country. Indeed, as the data illustrated in this paper suggest, when overseas participants return to their home countries, there is a tendency for them to become dissatisfied with the socio-educational practices and principles of which they themselves are examples of successful outcomes. We contend that attempts to neglect the seriousness of this issue are an abrogation of responsibility and highlight the need for TEPs to develop ethically responsible pedagogical practices, which acknowledge the sensitive nature of these issues and, in so doing, promote the development of an emancipatory and transformative educational stance for all, domestic and overseas participants alike.