A Recursive Loop in Teacher Socialization - Extending and Improving Teacher Education Curriculum

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by McQueen

A teacher preparation program grounded in dialogic, relational pedagogy leverages strong alumni connections to strengthen and continuously revise teacher education curriculum. The paper presents an infinity-shaped recursive mentoring loop that sustains fluid collaboration between PK–12 schools and the university program, supporting preservice and inservice teacher development as well as teacher educators. Through three case studies, the work shows how alumni reimagine program time boundaries, enabling agency, collaborative problem-solving, and ongoing novice-mindset learning across contexts.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages18

Reading Time45 min

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Abstract

Introduction

Context

Recursive Loop Model

A Recursive Loop in Teacher Socialization: Extending and Improving Teacher Education Curriculum Michelle Rupenthal and Shelly Furuness Butler University College of Education Abstract This paper explores how a teacher preparation program in a liberal arts institution built upon the foundations of dialogic, relational pedagogy utilizes strong alumni connections to improve teacher education curriculum and support preservice, inservice, and teacher educators as they work to teach against the grain. Best visualized as an infinity symbol, we describe the ways our recursive mentoring loop supports ongoing, fluid collaborations between PK–12 schools and our teacher preparation program and discuss how maintaining and nurturing relationships with alumni experiencing new teacher socialization in many school contexts is mutually beneficial in supporting both preservice and inservice teacher development. We share three case studies of value-added experiences in which our alumni engaged as we reimagined the traditional temporal boundaries of teacher education. Therecursive mentoring process invites each party to see how one’s aspirational education philosophy can be maintained even when it might go against the grain in a given school context. These relational, dialogic spaces foster teacher agency and collaborative problem-solving in schools and spaces of higher education. Keywords: teacher socialization, mentoring, dialogic and relational pedagogy AILACTE Journal 49 Rupenthal and Furuness Introduction In the fall of 2019, our College of Education at Butler University welcomed the review team for our CAEP Accreditation visit. As we underwent the self-study process and worked to document and make visible our compilation of programmatic improvements to external reviewers for this cycle, we noticed a consistent theme. Nearly all of our teacher preparation programmatic improvements were directly connected to working closely and directly with recent program alumni as they navigated the early stages of their inservice teaching careers. This pattern did not arise serendipitously; rather, the pattern reflected the intentional development of a dialogic, relational ethos within our College of Education. Best visualized as an infinity symbol (Figure 1), our pedagogical approach to teaching and mentoring supports ongoing, fluid collaborations and conversations between PK–12 schools and our teacher education program. The loop is initiated in the teacher preparation program when faculty and preservice teachers establish strong relationships, and it crystallizes as we collectively maximize those existing relationships beyond graduation from the program. The recursive loop stands in contrast to unidirectional or transactional examples of teacher education programs asking graduates to give of their time or classroom space to host preservice teachers with little in return except perhaps a few professional growth points and a note of thanks. It also stands in contrast to the unidirectional, transactional examples of novice teachers participating in one-off professional development workshops hoping the experts might have a solution to a problem the teacher is trying to solve. The recursive, circular motion of a loop that holds teacher education faculty and alumni together allows for the ideas and tensions of one educational space to influence the other and vice versa. As we collaboratively explore possibilities within both spaces, we address the theory-practice gap by engaging in a process that allows theory to inform practice and practice to inform theory. Additionally, this approach invites all engaged in those relationships—preservice, inservice, and teacher educators—into personal and professional transformation as the continuous dialogue between educational spaces 50 AILACTE Volume XVII 2020 Recursive Loop in Teacher Socialization encourages all educators to maintain the mindset of a novice. This novice mindset is rooted in a view

FAQs

What is the central idea of the recursive mentoring loop described in the paper?

The loop connects faculty, preservice teachers, and alumni through ongoing relationships that extend beyond graduation, fostering continuous, fluid collaboration between PK–12 schools and the teacher education program.

How does the approach contrast with more transactional models of teacher education?

Rather than unidirectional demands for graduates’ time or one-off workshops, the recursive loop emphasizes mutual influence between educational spaces, where ideas and tensions flow both ways.

What benefits does the model claim for teacher development?

It supports teacher agency and collaborative problem-solving, and helps novice teachers, university faculty, and current preservice cohorts push against the grain while maintaining a novice mindset grounded in critical reflection.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by McQueen