Changing the Lens: Mapping the Development of Research Dispositions in Programmes of Initial Teacher Education (ITE)

Abstract

The vision for ITE in Wales requires that NQTs understand how to conduct 'close-to-practice' research and are able to articulate evidence-informed approaches to pedagogy (Furlong, 2016; Welsh Government 2018). This paper describes the processes by which one HEI-school partnership (the APLP) developed programmes of ITE to respond to this vision, specifically focussing on the journey of the student-teacher through the development of four research dispositions. The programmes seek to ensure that ITE students develop an 'inquiry stance', where this reflects the understandings of Cochran-Smith (2011) who uses the term inquiry to refer to teachers' questioning, and the metaphor of stance to allude orientation and position. In order to support the research skills needed to adopt an inquiry stance, the work of Orchard and Winch (2015) has been adapted and distilled into four dispositions for the student?teacher and progression steps have been identified for differing levels of study. The research dispositions and associated knowledge, skills, understandings and behaviours have been mapped through the content of the modules in each ITE programme on offer. We include a consideration of the tensions apparent in the development of detailed module content and conjecture that these may be an inevitable result of the professional habit of performativity that results from education systems historically driven by structures of accountability.