The work of teacher educators: an English policy perspective

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This paper focuses on the Conservative–Liberal coalition government’s policy in teacher education in England and its implications for the work of teacher educators. It does this by considering, for example, policy documents and the speeches of key politicians responsible for policy formulation. It argues that policies influenced by the neoliberal and neoconservative policies of past governments from the late 1970s have been continued and even accelerated by the current coalition government, with the result of a much more significant and rapid shift to more school-based and school-led initial teacher education and continuing professional development. The implication of such a rapid shift of teacher education into schools is then discussed focusing on how this will both influence who the teacher educators are and the work they do in this rapidly changing policy environment.