Currently, our membership is approximately 245 scholars and practitioners from around the world! We are eager to expand our membership and welcome teacher educators, teachers, and other practitioners who are interested in studying their own practice in order to contribute to professional learning, ways of knowing, and knowledge generation.
At the 2023 in-person conference in Chicago, Illinois, April 13-16, we hosted numerous paper and round table sessions, along with a symposium related to the conference theme Interrogating Consequential Education Research in Pursuit of Truth. We also enjoyed high attendance and participation at our business meeting and reception. On May 4-5, we hosted additional paper sessions online that were well received. Below we celebrate the AERA S-STEP award winners from 2023!
Congratulations to the AERA S-STEP Early Career Scholar Award Recipient!
Lizhen Chen: Since this AERA, I have felt a sense of belonging to the self-study of teacher education for the first time, seriously.” I told my colleague Dr. Signe Kastberg after attending several self-study presentations and the self-study business meeting at the 2023 AERA. I did not attend AERA in person for three years during the pandemic. This year, I heard researchers talking about narratives, debriefing conversations, reflective thinking, teacher vulnerabilities, professional development, etc. in the self-study. Their friendly, sharp-witted personalities impressed me. As Wenger (1998) said, identity is affected by the experiential process of membership in a community of practice. Thanks to the social interaction with members in the self-study group, the identity piece as a self-study researcher becomes solidified and begins flourishing in me.
Congratulations to the AERA S-STEP Graduate Travel Award Recipients!
Kevin Cadataldo: I had an unforgettable experience presenting my research at AERA 2023 in Chicago as a Graduate Student Registration Award winner for the Self-Study of Teacher Education Practices. As a second-year Teacher Education and Teacher Development doctoral student from Montclair State University, it was an honor to share my work on my culturally relevant teacher-leader identity. My presentation was titled: “We Are Culturally Relevant Teacher Leaders: A Self-Study.” I was initially nervous, but once I began speaking, I felt confident and excited. It was a great opportunity to connect with others who are passionate about improving teacher education practices. I left feeling inspired and motivated to continue my work in teacher education and self-study teacher research. I am grateful for the support of my advisors and colleagues, specifically Dr. Charity Dacey and Samantha Harrienger, who provided valuable encouragement and feedback to refine my research and presentation skills.
Jessica Crawford: I want to thank the S-STEP community for the warm welcome at AERA and for sponsoring my conference fee! This was so helpful, as I was filled with excitement and nerves as I presented in person for the first time. Astrid Sierra Mejia, Elizabeth Reynolds, and I shared about beginning a PhD program, navigating our new roles as teacher educators. Attending AERA reminded me why I want to contribute to education research which centers multilingual students. I also want to give a shout out to my advisor, Megan Madigan Peercy, for introducing me to S-STEP and guiding my team in the self-study process. I would love to collaborate with other researchers who are passionate about advocating for equitable literacy instruction for multilingual learners. Please reach out to me at jcraw1@umd.edu if you would like to connect. I am truly grateful for the support of this community as an emerging scholar!
Megumi Nishida: This year’s AERA annual meeting was full of “FIRST” for me. It was the FIRST in-person AERA meeting for me after the pandemic. I did my FIRST paper presentations (both in-person and virtual) at S-STEP SIG. I was invited to read my Japanese Haiku poem to the audience for the FIRST time at the roundtable session. I spent some time in Chicago during my high school exchange year in the United States in 1993, but the FIRST time to go there as a researcher. Finally, I chaired a session for the FIRST time in my life. A lot of firsts, but this AERA 2023 should be the LAST one for me to join as a doctoral student. Thank you everyone for your support and encouragement!
(The Castle Conference)
On August 6 - 10, 2023, the 14th International Conference on Self-Study of Teacher Education Practices was held at Herstmonceux Castle in East Sussex, England, around the theme Pausing at the Threshold: Opportunity Through, With, and For Self-Study of Teacher Education Practices. Abby Cameron-Standerford, Bethney Bergh, and Christi U. Edge from the University of Northern Michigan served as editors for the accompanying open-access book containing 68 chapters that were selected and refined through a double-blind peer-review process. You can access the book at Pausing at the Threshold. For the books and proceedings of previous Castle Conferences, please see our archives.
Warmest regards,
Valerie A. Allison, S-STEP SIG Chair
(allisonv@susqu.edu)
Professor of Education, Susquehanna University