The Changing Role of the University Tutor within School-based Initial Teacher Education: Issues of role contingency and complementarity within a secondary partnership scheme

Abstract

The growth of partnership in school-based initial teacher education has created the challenge of evolving new roles for university tutors and school teachers alike. This paper examines the changing role of the university tutor within one secondary partnership scheme. It explores the reality of evolving conceptions and practices wherein the nature of partnership, mentors' motives for involvement and their perceptions about policy on initial teacher education are fundamental. Questions are raised about the extent to which school mentors can be trained as teacher educators and university tutors as mentor trainers. The paper concludes by considering a case for university and school mentor roles to complement each other in pursuit of the wider professional development of teachers.