Teaching and Teacher Education 17 (2001) 567–582 The perpetuation of a (semi-)profession: challenges in the governance of teacher education Jennifer M. Gore*, Kellie Morrison Faculty of Education, The University of Newcastle, University Drive, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia Received 16 November 1999; received in revised form 31 August 2000; accepted 13 September 2000 Abstract In this paper, we analyse the Adey Report on National Standards and Guidelines for Initial Teacher Education for its potential contribution to teacher education reform in Australia and beyond. We examine (1) narratives constructed within the report in order to identify the logic of its argument and the context in which it places itself and (2) how the report constructs graduates. In so doing, we explore the document’s aim of ‘‘preparing a profession’’ and identify internal aspects of the document as well as external factors that pose challenges to the goal of professionalisation. # 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Teacher education; Educational governance; Professionalisation During the past two decades, public and government interest in teacher education in Australia has been evident in several major commissioned reports on teacher education. Gen- erated at both national and state levels, some of these reports have been conceived as ‘‘reviews’’ of teacher education, others identify key competen- cies or attributes of beginning teachers (e.g., AEC, 1990; Auchmuty, 1980; Correy, 1980; MACTEQT, 1994; NPQTL, 1996). The most recent major report of this kind was released in 1998 under the title Preparing a Profession (ACDE, 1998). This report was the product of a commonwealth- funded project designed to develop national Standards and Guidelines for initial teacher education (ITE) and was managed by the Aus- tralian Council of Deans of Education 1 (ACDE). Headed by Professor Kym Adey, the document is also known as the Adey Report. Our primary aim, in this paper, is to analyse the Adey Report for its potential contribution to teacher education reform. We address its aim of *Corresponding author. Tel.: +61-2-49216709; fax: +61-2- 49216987. E-mail address: vejmg@alinga.newcastle.edu.au (J.M. Gore). 1 The ACDE is the peak representative organisation of deans and heads of schools of education in Australia. Formed in 1991, it is a national body that has representatives in each state and territory. Like other peak organisations it interacts with the government in an advisory capacity, particularly through the federal government’s Ministerial Council for Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs. Although its power is limited, the ACDE currently wields more influence than any other group within the teacher education sector (Chadbourne, 1997). 0742-051X/01/$-see front matter # 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. PII:S0742-051X(01)00014-2