As settler teacher educators, the authors have embarked on a journey of self-reflection regarding their teaching practices. Teaching foundational courses in literacies and educational law, we reflect on fostering decolonizing pedagogies. McGregor (2012) defines decolonizing pedagogies as “teaching and learning approaches that both acknowledge and deconstruct structures of power associated with colonization in an effort to create space for, and give legitimacy to, Indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing” (p. 13). Making connections between quality teaching and equity in socially just classrooms mirrors our responsibilities as settler educators to pursue our commitment to decolonization practices (Battiste, 2013; Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, 2015). Our guiding question is: How can decolonizing pedagogies in teacher education amplify social justice in classrooms?

As allies in education (Morcom & Freeman, 2018), we challenge ourselves to integrate “relational accountability” (Wilson, 2008) while designing our curriculum. We are informed by culturally responsive pedagogies (Alim & Paris, 2017; Battiste, 2013; Brayboy & Maughan, 2009) and Indigenous education (Nardozi & Restoule, 2020; Nardozi et al., 2014; Toulouse, 2018). Madden (2015) suggests when teacher educators are exposed to an Indigenous worldview, it “opens up space within the academy and schools to conceptualize education differently” (p. 4).

This study is grounded in action research (Gravett, 2004; Ross, 2020) to improve our practices in a teacher education program. This reflective self-study brings the authors together as dialogic partners (Bakhtin, 1991; Gravett, 2005) towards transformative action to improve our own teaching, the curriculum we design, and as a model for settler teacher educators. Transdisciplinary journals (Marshall, 2014) will act as catalysts for our conversations.

Our work will illuminate Madden’s (2015) “pedagogical pathways” as deep learning and understanding occur. Findings, both action-oriented and reflective, will be presented during our session.

This proposal meets the sub-themes of Curriculum design for equitable teaching and Equity and inclusion in teacher education.

Research Aim

Quality teaching and learning is predicated upon teachers' skills, knowledge, and dispositions like adaptability and self-reflection. The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in higher education has been markedly increasing and will lead to significant transformations in the teaching and learning processes. In this study, as educators/researchers we explored AIs transformative impact on teaching practices in our classrooms while maintaining skepticism about AI’s ability to support critical thinking, given the complexities and ethical tensions.

Theoretical Framework

This self-study leverages posthuman perspectives (Barad, 2007; Braidotti, 2013) to examine and reflect upon teaching/learning complexities, thereby providing a lens to better understand how AI can be ethically harnessed to impact classroom environments, students’ knowledge, and teachers’ pedagogical practices (Paris, 2012; Muhammad & Mosley, 2021).

Methods

We engaged in self-study (LaBoskey, 2004; Pinnegar & Hamilton, 2009) to examine our teaching pedagogies using AI in our courses. Our data sources included reflective journals, course artifacts, and transcribed recordings of self-study meetings. Providing constructive feedback and support, these data sources reflect our perspectives as critical friends.

Findings

Our findings suggest that AI can increase students' awareness of the importance of using critical thinking and reflexivity. For this, first, the instructor/mentor must have an understanding of AI and self awareness of one’s capabilities for successful incorporation into the classroom. Second, engaging in AI learning activities prompted and engaged students critically. Third, educators’ self-mentoring practices guided proactive student application and learning. Distinct stages of self-mentoring emerged: (Level1/Reflection; Level2/Practice; Level 3/Guiding others).

Conclusion & Relevance

Engaging in self-study transformed unfamiliarity and challenges into opportunities for growth and empowerment and reduced anxiety of AI usage. Collaborative mentoring with critical friends created a space to explore ethical tensions while incorporating new technologies that enhanced practices, fostered students to think critically, develop resilience, and encouraged continuous learning.

Aim

This study explores why early childhood education (ECE) faculty at different institutions joined and sustained their involvement in a Self-Study Community of Practice (SSCoP). The aim is to understand the conditions that promote long-term engagement in an innovative form of online professional development.

Theoretical Framework:

The study is grounded in the self-study of teaching, a research methodology that fosters professional development by combining reflective practice with scholarly inquiry. Self-study is characterized by five key elements: it is self-initiated, improvement-focused, interactive, employs qualitative methods, and relies on trustworthiness for validity. This methodology provides a space for educators to critically examine their teaching practices, offering a structured yet flexible approach to professional growth and collaboration.

Methods:
Four ECE faculty members from various institutions participated in the SSCoP. Collaborative qualitative data analysis of personal journals and reflective discussions was conducted to identify the factors that influenced participants' sustained engagement in the SSCoP. These reflective data points were thematically coded and analyzed.

Findings:
The study identified key factors driving sustained engagement in the SSCoP, including strong interpersonal relationships, a desire to improve teaching practices, shared goals and expectations, and opportunities for professional advancement. The SSCoP served not only as a platform for individual growth but also as a supportive, collaborative network that fostered a sense of belonging and accountability among members.

Relevance to Conference Theme and Specific Strand:

This study is highly relevant to the conference self-study theme, added to the ISATT conference in place of the Castle Conference in 2024. Specifically, the presentation addresses faculty reasons for participating in a SSCoP and for sustaining their engagement. The findings demonstrate how cross-institutional SSCoPs can support ECE faculty in higher education, addressing both their unique challenges and the broader need for effective, ongoing professional development.

Teachers and teacher educators report uncertainties about the ‘how’ of integrating social justice content into (physical education) teacher education [(PE)TE]. As one possibility for addressing this challenge, Scanlon et al. (2022) re-imagined the existing Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility (TPSR) model through a social justice lens and implemented the teaching and learning of social justice matters in (PE)TE. The purpose of this research was to understand and improve our PETE practice enacting the SJ-TPSR approach across diverse modules in three countries (Ireland, Australia, and Canada). There were 8 PETEs involved in this exploration, organised into 3 micro collaborative self-studies (Ireland [3], Australia [2], and Canada [2]) within one macro collaborative self-study with a macro critical friend.

Collaborative self-study methodology informed by LaBoskey’s characteristics of quality self-study guided this research. Members from each community enacted the approach, while the other member(s) acted as micro critical friends. Self-study occurred within the micro learning communities and across the macro learning community: emphasising a layered notion of self-study. Data included: teacher educator reflections; whole group interrogations of reflections with teacher educator responses; recorded weekly or fortnightly micro critical friend meetings; and recorded monthly macro meetings. Results from this research share the realities of translating a theoretically informed vision into practice in ways that support the next generation of teachers’ learning about and through innovative pedagogy.

We suggest that colleagues from the (PE)TE community may consider these findings in their endeavour to reconsider existing pedagogical models through a social justice lens, and as they strive to work toward social justice. This presentation will also show how a layered approach to self-study can encourage deep interrogation of teacher education practice.