The future of Alexander Technique teacher education : principles, practices and professionalism
- Publication Type:
- Thesis
- Issue Date:
- 2007
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The practices of Alexander Technique (AT) teacher education throughout the
world are still largely based on those initiated by F. Matthias Alexander in the
1930s and modified slightly by his successors. Through the lens of
contemporary educational theory and Alexander’s own holistic principles, this
study examines whether these practices should continue in an era when the
contingencies of professional education are very different from Alexander’s
time. No academically viable research has ever been conducted into the value of
these practices, despite debates about them becoming increasingly contentious.
Over 75 years ago, John Dewey praised Alexander for being in the forefront of
what scholars are now calling the emerging paradigm of learning. In line with
this paradigmatic perspective, I argue for a research methodology that is
consistent with both Dewey’s pragmatism and Alexander’s principles of body-mind
continuity and practical reasoning. This conceptual work also posits
exemplary US school teacher education as a cognate model for AT teacher
education.
Using critical pragmatism as a subsidiary methodology, I analyse the
mandatory time-specific, practices of AT teacher education and conclude that
these practices are not only anachronistic, they are also flawed to the extent they
are devoid of qualitative assessment standards. As well, I critique one of
Alexander’s most respected texts and produce alternative readings that more
clearly locate it in the emerging paradigm.
The empirical work then focusses on interview data gained by email from
twenty AT stakeholders world-wide who were asked about their desires for the
The future of Alexander Technique teacher education: Principles, practices and professionalism
future of the field. I conclude that most of the research participants would like
the following practices introduced into AT teacher education world-wide: (1)
flexibility of attendance, (2) qualitative standards for beginning teachers, and (3)
qualitative standards for teacher educators. While uncertainty still remains
about whether participants would completely give up the existing time-specific
regulations, I suggest an attendance structure which incorporates the first of
these findings.
Following a review of exemplary US scholarship in the field of school teacher
education and an analysis of three sets of AT teaching standards currently in
circulation, I propose a provisional set of beginning AT teaching standards
modelled on the holistic wording of the California Standards for school
teachers. These proposed standards incorporate the conclusions drawn from the
critical and empirical work done earlier. Subject to usage and further research,
they should meet expectations of stakeholders for teacher education practices
that honour Alexander’s principles and meet public demands for professional
accountability.
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