Initial Teacher Education Partnership Research Articles

Reviewing Scottish Teacher Education for the 21st Century: Let Collaborative Partnership Flourish

At the time of writing, the Donaldson Review of Teacher Education in Scotland is being undertaken for the Scottish Government, covering the continuum from Initial Teacher Education (ITE) through Induction onto Continuing Professional Development (CPD). This paper focuses on ITE, but considers some possible implications for CPD. The paper argues the current Review must take a broader and deeper approach than recent national reviews of ITE, avoiding recommendations which narrow long-term possibilities. The future development of ITE should be based upon a fuller partnership between universities and the teaching profession than currently exists, with a collaborative ’inquiry as stance’ approach to the knowledge-practice relationship within teacher learning, and with collaborative models of ITE partnership replacing outdated duplication models. The paper considers issues to be addressed, including within universities, if such partnership is to be developed. The potential for creative innovation within this partnership is illustrated through the importance of breadth in any new framework of ITE qualifications as these relate to professional development. Challenges are highlighted in achieving support for innovation from other stakeholders involved in the governance of Scottish ITE. However, the paper concludes that stimulating possibilities may follow for CPD, as well as ITE, if the type of ITE envisaged creates the basis for a truly activist teaching profession.

The difficulties of inclusive pedagogy for initial teacher education and some thoughts on the way forward

In most western countries, the problems of effective university-controlled and largely university-based initial teacher education (ITE) have been apparent for many decades: whatever is achieved in the university, the teaching practices and attitudes that student–teachers usually learn to adopt are those currently dominant in the schools. So it is difficult to introduce innovations such as inclusive pedagogy through conventional ITE programmes. The solution to this problem is widely recognised to be the much stronger involvement of schools in ITE partnerships (e.g. the Holmes Group's Professional Development Schools in the USA, the Oxford internship scheme in England, the long-forgotten Learning to Teach (1978) Sneddon Report in Scotland); but research and experience have suggested that real barriers stand in the way of the kind of partnership that is needed. Nonetheless, given the opportunity, the resources and most of all the necessary respect, the teaching profession has much more to offer than twentieth century teacher educators were generally willing to accept; and if an open and exploratory approach is adopted, there is every reason for optimism.

Why do some student teachers make very good use of ICT? An exploratory case study

This paper reports the findings from a study of student teachers at a university–school initial teacher education partnership in England. Forty student teachers, on primary and secondary teacher education programmes, were identified through tutor and mentor reports as making very good use of information and communication technologies (ICT). These student teachers were interviewed, and in many cases observed, teaching a lesson using ICT. Interviews covered their use of ICT in a particular lesson; their past experience of using ICT; factors encouraging or discouraging their use of ICT in school; and their beliefs about teaching and learning. Observations recorded their uses of hardware and software. Findings indicate that access, support for, and modelling of, ICT use in the classroom were key issues in developing this very good use of ICT. Equally important, however, seemed to be the belief that ICT could make a positive difference to teaching and learning and a willingness to ‘learn by doing’. These findings are reported in the context of the wider literature.

Professional knowledge and identity in a contested discipline: challenges for student teachers and teacher educators

This paper focuses on the challenges to their professional identity encountered by both experienced and beginning teachers in the course of research and development work intended to develop student teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge. It reports findings from a collaborative action research project within a well‐established initial teacher education partnership that was intended to develop more effective ways of supporting student teachers’ learning in relation to two controversial aspects of the secondary school history curriculum: historical enquiry and historical interpretation. The tight focus on procedural concepts at the heart of the discipline made it possible to explore the challenges presented to the student teachers’ identity as subject specialists as they sought to develop new forms of professional knowledge as subject teachers. Simultaneously the research and development process itself also revealed profound challenges to the school‐based teacher educators’ sense of identity—both as teachers and as mentors—that highlighting such contested concepts could pose. In seeking to address these challenges two apparently contradictory, but essentially complementary, approaches seem to be called for. The first is a proper acknowledgement of existing knowledge and expertise—that of the beginning teachers as well as that of their mentors. The second is the forging of a new form of professional identity for mentors: an identity which depends not merely on existing knowledge, but on the capacity to generate new professional knowledge; an identity which includes a role as learner, not merely one as an ‘expert’ teacher.

Partnership in Initial Teacher Education in Scotland 1990–2005: Unresolved Tensions

The Second Stage Review of Initial Teacher Education (ITE) in Scotland leaves unresolved fundamental issues about ‘partnership’ within ITE. These have been sources of tension facing Scottish Higher Education (HE) providers attempting to develop models of partnership with schools and education authorities. This paper seeks to demonstrate a significant body of opinion among Scottish HE providers from the early 1990s wishing to progress innovation on partnership. It is suggested that the main barriers to innovation were the resistance of Scottish schoolteachers to accepting formalised, enhanced roles and responsibilities within partnership, and the failure of Scottish Ministers and administrations to place sustained discussion of underlying issues of partnership sufficiently high on the political agenda. The paper concludes that it will be essential to return to more fundamental discussion of the respective roles and responsibilities of HE staff and school staff within ITE partnership, and that the perspectives of research must be applied in such discussion.

Rose-tinted reflection? the benefits for teachers of initial teacher education in secondary schools

Initial Teacher Education (ITE) of secondary school teachers in Britain is now largely based on schools forming partnerships with higher education institutions. Postgraduate trainee teachers spend two-thirds of their 36-week course in schools. Given the slim financial rewards and the high cost in terms of teachers' time, schools have taken part primarily due to the widely claimed professional development for teachers. This article is based on a single school case study with data collection by self-completed questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews 1 and 5 years after the commencement of the ITE partnership. Through analysing the perceptions of teachers, with particular focus on the professional development outcomes and possible changes in professional culture, a clearer picture of the reality of their work with trainees is unravelled. Weaknesses were apparent both in the work between teacher and trainee, and in the lack of collaboration between teachers. Despite the continuing enthusiasm of teachers, this article challenges the view that the professional development outcomes and the effects on professional culture are sufficient or coherent enough to justify the school's continued involvement in the ITE partnership in its current form

Mentors’ Use of Dialogue within a Secondary Initial Teacher Education Partnership

ABSTRACT This paper analyses conversations between mentors and students, recorded during a major placement on a 1 year secondary Postgraduate Certificate in Education course. Analysis of dialogue between eight mentors and 15 students confirms the complexity of the mentor role which others have described. The importance attached to particular roles seems to vary from one mentor to another and this may lead to a mismatch between the needs of individual students and what the mentor offers. Scrutiny of the nature of the interactions, based on discourse analysis, indicates significant differences between mentors. An extension of the range of roles which mentors are able to play together with the capacity to vary style of interaction may help to maximise the potential for student learning within the mentoring context.

Subject Knowledge and Subject Application in an Initial Teacher Education Partnership

Abstract Initial Teacher Education in England and Wales is currently undergoing substantial change. In particular, the government has insisted on increased time for school‐based work, on the development of training partnerships between schools and higher education providers, including the transfer of training funds from universities to schools, and on a competence model of assessment. This article focuses on one of the new partnership training courses. Using two of the areas of competence, Subject Knowledge and Subject Application, it explores the reality of partnership from the perspectives of students, school mentors and university tutors as they work through the first year of the new course. Finally, the writers present a series of questions for all those involved as the basis for developing such courses and for ensuring the quality of teacher education.