Literary Imagination and Professional Knowledge Using Literature in Teacher Education

Jeff McLaughlin is Professor Emeritus at West Chester University of Pennsylvania. A former elementary school teacher, he received his B.S.Ed. at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and began his teaching career at Horace Mann Elementary School in Indiana, Pennsylvania. Later, Jeff earned his M.S. (Curriculum and Instruction) at The Pennsylvania State University and Ph.D. at Temple University (Psychological Studies in Education), as he also transitioned from teaching elementary school to higher education. Prior to West Chester University, Jeff taught at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, Temple University, and the State University of New York at Oneonta. His research interests have included teacher identity, teacher authority and autonomy, and unconventional teaching methods. Utilizing a mix of quantitative and qualitative methods, Jeff has published and presented research on the development of teacher identity over time. He has also published research on the attitudes of graduate students toward quantitative research methods and interpretation of quantitative research results. When straying from the pedagogical universe, Jeff plays guitar and enjoys many kinds of music. He also loves to wander in the natural world, dabble in junk art creations, and write fiction.