AERA DIVISION K –

Teaching and Teacher Education Awards

2014-2015 Call for Nominations

As teacher education undergoes increased scrutiny and is pressed to demonstrate its contributions to teacher and student learning, Division K’s awards take on added importance as a means by which to elevate exemplary scholarship in our field.

The AERA Division K awards aim to recognize the teacher education scholarship of division members who are addressing persistent issues of urgent concern to the field. While the six individual awards committees will focus, as intended, on their respective areas of emphasis, each will also take into account the Division’s overarching call for attention to issues of profession-wide concern. To this end, each committee will give special consideration to award submissions that hold promise for improving teacher education policy and practice in the following areas: strengthening, deepening and further developing the knowledge and research base for teaching and teacher education; providing rigorous and educative clinical experiences; preparing teachers to serve students with diverse cultural and experiential backgrounds; supporting teachers to understand and apply theoretical and empirical perspectives on teaching and learning; articulating well-designed, evidence-based pedagogical practices in teacher education; and/or developing and implementing new approaches for assessing and evaluating teachers’ practices in preservice and inservice settings. In particular, committees will weigh the potential of nominees’ work to advance the profession of teaching and the practice of teacher education.

Please consider submitting nominations so that we, as a Division, can showcase members’ excellent works, thereby building a stronger knowledge base and making our colleagues’ valuable contributions more widely known among educators and policymakers. 

All nominees and nominators must be current members of AERA’s Division K. Self-nominations ARE NOT accepted. Letters of nomination should be sent via email to each award committee chair, referenced below.  Particular requirements associated with each award and materials needed for the nominations are described in detail below. Please note that all nomination letters must be submitted by November 1, 2014.

Outstanding Dissertation Award 
Chair: Maritza Macdonald, American Museum of Natural History 
This award recognizes a dissertation of exemplary conceptual, methodological, and literary quality on an important topic in teaching and teacher education.  For this year’s award, dissertations completed between August 1, 2013 and August 1, 2014 may be nominated. A dissertation may be submitted for consideration only once and can be nominated for an award within only one division of AERA. The committee uses a blind review process; only the committee chair will know the identity of the nominator and nominee.

Dissertations employing any theoretical and methodological orientation may be nominated as long as they make an important contribution to teaching and teacher education.  In addition to reflecting the highest of standards of methodological rigor, nominated dissertations should focus on issues that are currently crucial to the field, including teacher and teaching quality and innovative means for documenting and assessing the processes and outcomes of teaching, teacher education, induction, and/or professional development. Special consideration will be given to dissertations that generate insights which hold promise for advancing educational equity; the committee will also consider the strength of a dissertation as it relates to the overarching Division K call for focused attention on persistent issues of urgent concern to the field. (See the overarching call above.)

Nomination for the dissertation award comes in the form of a one-page letter and overview from a member of the dissertation committee. Upon receipt of nominations, the Dissertation Award committee chair will solicit additional materials directly from nominees. Additional nomination materials include: (1) a title sheet showing the dissertation title, awarding institution, members of the dissertation committee, date of completion of the degree, and nominee’s current contact information; (2) the table of contents of the dissertation; and (3) a summary of the dissertation written in an accepted publication format (such as APA) not exceeding 7500 words in 12-point font, exclusive of title page, references, and appendices and without author identification. Nominations must be received no later than November 1, 2014. All nominations should be sent electronically with the subject line “Division K Outstanding Dissertation Award Submission” to the chair, Dr. Maritza Macdonald, Senior Director of Education and Policy, American Museum of Natural History, mmacdonald@amnh.org

Early Career Award
Chair: Kathy Schultz, Mills College 
This award, made to a researcher in the first stages of the research career (degrees awarded during or after 2007 and up to two years post-tenure), recognizes a significant program of research on important problems of theory and/or practice that focus on teachers, teaching, or teacher education. Recipients of this award must be engaged in inquiry that extends a significant line of research, addresses an issue that has been neglected in the field, fills a gap in current knowledge, or raises significant questions about extant knowledge. In addition, awardees should be engaged in studying problems or questions that are timely and that contribute to current policy debates or dilemmas of practice. The scholar’s body of work must be characterized by methodological rigor, momentum and coherence, and must show potential to contribute significantly to scholarship in the field. In addition to criteria outlined here, the Early Career Award committee will also consider the strength of nominees’ submitted works as they relate to the overarching Division K call for focused attention on persistent issues of urgent concern to the field. (See the overarching call above.)

To nominate a Division K member for the Early Career Award, please submit a one-page letter describing the nominee’s qualifications and fit for the award. Upon receipt of nominations, the Early Career Award committee chair will solicit additional materials directly from nominees. These additional materials include: (1) the nominee’s most recent curriculum vitae, (2) two representative scholarly publications, and (3) one additional letter of support from an individual familiar with the nominee’s contributions to scholarship in teaching or teacher education. Letters of support should address how the research demonstrates qualities detailed in the paragraph above as well as in the overarching call for Division K award nominations. Nominations must be received no later than November 1, 2014. All nominations should be sent electronically with the subject line “Division K Early Career Award Submission” to the chair, Dr. Kathy Schultz, Professor and Dean, Mills College, kschultz@mills.edu

Mid-Career Award
Chair: Guofang Wan, Virginia Commonwealth University 

This award honors an outstanding researcher in the second stage of his or her research career, i.e., between 10 and 15 years beyond receiving the doctoral degree. It is designed to recognize a significant program of research on important issues in teaching or teacher education.

Examples of work that will be considered for selection include research and scholarship that illustrate how students learn a concept in a particular content area; generate insights into the role of culture, socioeconomic status, language background, religion, and/or sexual orientation in the learning and/or teaching process; capture the role of various factors or experiences in the careers of teachers such as mentoring, collaborating with others, conducting action research or participating in an inquiry group; advance equity in schooling or teacher education practices; show innovation and rigor in methodology; and/or illustrate how families/communities can become partners with teachers in educating their children. Work submitted will be evaluated according to how the researcher’s trajectory demonstrates beneficial aims and outcomes; how the body of work advances knowledge about teaching or teacher education; how the researcher’s corpus demonstrates contribution to the well-being of students, teacher candidates, teachers, teacher educators, or families/communities; and the scholarly robustness of the work.

The noted contribution may be the result of a single research project or the accumulation of projects that have shaped thinking and/or practices in teaching and teacher education. In addition to criteria outlined here, the committee will also consider the strength of nominees’ submitted works as they relate to the overarching Division K call for focused attention on persistent issues of urgent concern to the field. (See the overarching call above.)

To nominate a Division K member for the Mid-Career Award, please submit a one-page letter describing the nominee’s qualifications and fit for the award. Upon receipt of nominations, the Mid-Career Award committee chair will solicit additional materials directly from nominees. These additional materials include: (1) the nominee’s most recent curriculum vitae, (2) two representative scholarly publications, and (3) two additional letters of support from individuals familiar with the nominee’s contributions to scholarship in teaching or teacher education. Letters of support should address how the research demonstrates qualities detailed in the paragraph above as well as in the overarching call for Division K award nominations. Nominations must be received no later than November 1, 2014. All nominations should be sent electronically with the subject line “Division K Mid-Career Award Submission” to the chair, Dr. Guofang Wan, Professor and Director of Graduate Studies, Virginia Commonwealth University, gwan@vcu.edu 


Innovations in Research on Diversity in Teacher Education
Chair: Lee Bell, Barnard College
The Division K Innovations in Research On Diversity in Teacher Education Award recognizes research that demonstrates innovation in addressing issues of diversity in teaching and/or teacher education.  Nominees may be individuals (junior, mid-career, or senior scholars) or a small collaborative group whose innovative research: explores and/or demonstrates powerful new ways to think about diversity in teaching and teacher education, giving direction to the field and to policy makers; offers an expanded vision of a theoretical framework, research methodologies, or practices regarding diversity in teaching and teacher education; or provides new models of research that give direction to the field concerning diversity in teaching and teacher education.  The innovative contribution may be the result of a single research project or the accumulation of projects that have directly shaped thinking and/or practices regarding diversity in teaching and teacher education and must have been published as a peer-reviewed publication, such as a journal article or scholarly book.

Nomination materials are rated in a two-phase process.  The innovation under consideration is the premiere criterion and should be clearly evident. After rating the value and importance of the innovation, additional criteria are examined regarding how the innovation: (1) focuses on diversity; (2) contributes to teacher education; (3) is significant/has made an impact; and (4) contributes to policy and practice.

In addition to criteria outlined here, the committee will also consider the strength of nominees’ submitted works as they relate to the overarching Division K call for focused attention on persistent issues of urgent concern to the field. (See the overarching call above.)

To nominate a Division K member for the Innovations in Research On Diversity in Teacher Education Award, please submit a one-page letter explaining how the nominee qualifies to be recognized for the award, clearly specifying the innovation under consideration and its value in addressing issues of diversity in teacher education. Upon receipt of the nominating letter, the award committee chair will solicit additional materials directly from each nominee. These additional materials include: 1) the nominee’s most recent curriculum vitae; 2) two representative scholarly publications; and 3) two additional letters of support from individuals familiar with the nominee’s contributions to scholarship in diversity in teaching or teacher education. Letters of support should address how the research demonstrates qualities detailed in the paragraph above as well as in the overarching call for Division K award nominations. Nominations must be received no later than November 1, 2014. All nominations should be sent electronically with the subject line “Division K Innovations in Research on Diversity Award Submission” to the chair, Dr. Lee Bell, Professor and Barbara Silver Horowitz Director of Education, Barnard College, leebell@barnard.edu

Exemplary Research in Teaching and Teacher Education
Chair: Jon Snyder, Stanford University
This award recognizes the significant contribution to teaching and teacher education scholarship represented by a journal article or book published between January 2013 and July 2014. Special consideration will be given to nominated articles or books that: advance equity; generate insights that hold promise for ensuring the preparation of teachers who are equipped to serve all students; bring new methods to bear on the study of teacher education; reflect the highest standards of methodological rigor; and/or capture in ground-breaking ways the processes and outcomes of teacher education practice. In addition to criteria outlined here, the Exemplary Research in Teaching and Teacher Education Award committee will also consider the strength of nominees’ submitted works as they relate to the overarching Division K call for focused attention on persistent issues of urgent concern to the field. (See the overarching call above.)

To nominate a Division K member for the Exemplary Research in Teaching and Teacher Education Award, please submit a one-page letter describing the merits of the research publication, together with a copy of the nominated article. If a book is nominated, please ask the publisher to mail 6 copies of the nominated book to the award committee chair. Upon receipt of the nomination and written publication that is under consideration, the award committee chair will request a current curriculum vitae from each nominee. Nominations must be received no later than November 1, 2014. All nominations should be sent electronically with the subject line “Division K Exemplary Research in Teaching and Teacher Education Award Submission” to the chair, Dr. Jon Snyder, Executive Director, Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education, jdsnyder@stanford.edu 

Legacy Award
Chair: Celia Oyler, Teachers College, Columbia University 
The Division K Legacy Award recognizes senior members of Division K who have made significant and exemplary contributions through their research, teaching and professional service in the field of teaching and teacher education. Special consideration will be given to contributions that reflect the purposes and goals of Division K: (1) to advance knowledge about teaching and teacher education; (2) to encourage scholarly inquiry related to teaching and teacher education, and; (3) to promote the use of research to improve teaching and teacher education to serve the public good. Recipients will be recognized in a profile in the newsletter and in the proceedings of the annual Division K Business meeting. In addition, a donation will be given to the recipient's university to support graduate student travel to present at an AERA Annual Meeting. The recipient will also be featured on the Legacy Award Hall of Fame page of the Division's website. Priority will be given to emeriti and newly deceased members so that their contributions can be honored in a timely and worthy fashion.

Any nominee must meet at least three of the following seven criteria: (1) has played an active and long-standing role in the work of Division K; (2) is highly respected and has been recognized by others (nationally and internationally) as a leader in the field of teaching and teacher education who has contributed to the public debate on critical issues related to teaching and teacher education; (3) has actively promoted the use of research to improve teaching and teacher education serving the public good; (4) has conducted original, and innovative research that has been widely accessible to other researchers and practitioners and has had a major impact on teaching and teacher education; (5) has a distinguished record of teaching in the field of teaching and teacher education, as evidenced by the receipt of teaching awards, and commendations from students, or the equivalent; (6) has played an active role in the preparation of high-quality and innovative materials for teaching and teacher education; (7) has supported others—in particular new and younger scholars—to further their research and teaching in the field through mentoring, collaborative research and professional development opportunities, and other similar activities, both in Division K and in other similar professional/academic venues.  In addition to these seven criteria, the Legacy Award Committee will also consider the strength of nominees’ submitted works as they relate to the overarching Division K call for focused attention on persistent issues of urgent concern to the field. (See the overarching call above.) 

To nominate a Division K member for the Legacy Award, please submit a one-page letter describing how the nominee exemplifies the criteria described above.  The chair will also collect additional supporting documentation including: (1) curriculum vitae, (2) sample publications, and (3) personal website information. Nominations must be received no later than November 1, 2014. All nominations should be sent electronically with the subject line “Division K Legacy Award Submission” to the chair, Dr. Celia Oyler, Professor of Education, Teachers College, Columbia University, co74@tc.columbia.edu