Analysing Dr Pajares article.

I find this premise very interesting, being a teacher myself. Teaching in India, may be vastly different to teaching here in the US, but when it boils down to the basics of the class and the students, nothing really seems to have changed. Dr Pajares says that in these circumstances teachers unable and unwilling to affect an educational system in need for reform become "apologists or at least preservers of the status quo". Harsh words these, especially as I believe that as a teacher educator, it is not rational of me to expect my students to show a change in their belief systems almost overnight. Yet I do see the logic in his words, as if I, as a teacher educator don't do something to change my pre service teacher's beliefs.... I might be contributing to the preservation of the existing status quo as well.

He also mentions that several teacher education programs, though aware of the challenges in hand go on with the narrow prescriptive training that is disguised with high ideals and that teacher educators are unable to create holistic learning environments. I don't quiet agree with this statement. I find it a trifle dated, as I see just the contrary in out teacher education program at UGA. But at the same time, considering the teacher education program that I went through, it seems to resonate with Dr Pajares when he talks about the preoccupation with performance measures, and the hidden agenda of educational programs.

The next section of the article talks about changing student's beliefs. The author defines pre service teacher beliefs as the attitudes and values about teaching, students and the education process that student's bring to teacher education programs. This is perhaps the weakest section of the article. The author mentions strategies like making beliefs important as features of pre-professional programs. There is no mention however of how this can be done. Another strategy mentioned is that teacher educators must not only challenge beliefs to search and destroy but also to encourage self exploration , clarity etc. Teacher educators should help students identify their beliefs and then provide a curriculum focusing on belief exploration and alteration. Again these are all very lofty ideals, easy to state, but very difficult to implement. And in his defense, the author rightly points out that one teacher one course or semester is insufficient to meet this challenge and that it must become a focal point of the program. No mention is made of how this can be achieved; no supportive literature is provided to boost this argument.

The next section titled strategies to affect beliefs is more of the same. The author states that teacher educators need to redefine curricular objectives and that attention should be given to the way that students filter new information. A second strategy is mentioned with regard to providing new information from "significant others' that is incompatible with student's beliefs. He suggests that teacher educators might be perceived as significant others, I do not agree with this categorization, and feel it is too narrow. Good suggestions are provided as to ho to develop belief inquiry like using fast writes, use of narratives, thought cards and journals. These are practically the only real implementable suggestions given. The others are merely statements that look good on paper, but are very difficult to achieve.

I particularly liked the section on teacher educators. I liked the roles the author defines out for a teacher educator, not only as a clarifier of ideas and presenter of information, but also as an adversary to help individuals arrive at the truth that is already withing htem. I believe this is the approach required especially when talking about belief changes. The third role being, teachers becoming models of thinking they seek to encourage. I like this role too, and try to incorporate it in my class. I like the quote " I have to model mirror gazing for my students , letting them watch me watch myself".

Several good questions are put forward by the author worthy of further research , in the next section titled research emphasis and direction such as the following: are there gender differences in the acquirement of entering perspectives? How do beliefs of students choosing high, middle or elementary programs differ? Do beliefs of pre service teachers differ from those of non education majors? Or from established teachers? Or from teacher educators?.

These are all great questions but I believe that the basic question still remains unanswered however. Do we , as teacher educators really know what we want to do with pre service student's beliefs? Moreover how does one really go about changing teacher's beliefs? Is it as easy as it sounds? Can deeply entrenched beliefs really be changed? Do we as teacher educators actually have the expertise to go about this?

I have a thousand questions whirling in my head right now, and that is why I like this paper, while it lets me wonder, it also grounds me from building castles in the air. It thus allows me to present to myself both sides of the picture and decide what to do. The author ends by saying teacher educators must be painfully aware that once closed. Doors seldom open again. My response to this is as a teacher educator, it is my ndeavour to always keep the door open. But as an eternal optimist I also believe that when a door closes, another window( of opportunity maybe) always swings open.