Initial Teacher Training Programmes Research Articles

Creating an articulate classroom: examining pre-service teachers’ experiences of talk

This paper examines the continuing ‘issue’ of developing classrooms where talk is used as means of building concepts and understanding. As curriculum guidance increasingly refers to ‘exploratory talk’ and ‘dialogic talk’, it questions why practice seems resistant to change, despite the promotion of social constructivist approaches to learning in university. Research has suggested that at the heart of the matter are the ‘inflexible’ values and beliefs that primary postgraduate trainees bring to initial teacher training programmes and a tendency to default to observed practice. Drawing on data from the first phase of a small-scale study of one cohort of 75 trainees, the paper suggests that the difficulty some students experience in engaging in exploratory dialogue, and promoting it in the classroom, is not wholly driven by these factors. It argues that we also need to consider the tension between negative memories of classrooms characterised by ‘all listening and no communication’, which is the resultant legacy of low self-confidence in answering and raising questions, and the emergent understanding that there might be a better way to give children a voice. Students suffering from such cognitive dissonance are unlikely to develop sufficient confidence to create articulate classrooms.

An evaluation of the out-segment component of the initial teacher training programme in Ghana

The study examined the out-segment component of the 3-Year Teacher Training College Programme with the intent of identifying its prospects and challenges The survey method involving the use of questionnaire and interviews were used to collect data on views on the out-segment as perceived by some stakeholders namely; teacher trainees, headteachers, Principals, of Teacher Training Colleges, mentors, link coordinators and community members. A sample of 510 stakeholders comprising 56 link coordinators, 56 mentors, 42 Principals, 100 headteachers, 168 mentees, 84 community members and 10 Regional Education officers were selected through purposive and random sampling techniques. The study concluded that in spite of challenges facing the out-segment programme(namel:y accommodation/financial problems, poor community relations, absence of textbooks/late supply of Distance Learning Materials etc) majority of stakeholders perceived it as a more effective approach to the training of teachers in the initial teacher training colleges.Keywords: initial teacher training, teacher trainees, internship, mentoring

An Anthology of Voices: an Analysis of Trainee Drama Teachers’ Monologues

ABSTRACT This paper reports on research undertaken into the processes through which student teachers begin to formulate an identity as a professional teacher. Using Fuller's investigations into the attitudes of trainee teachers towards their courses (1969) as a baseline, a discussion is established on the place of the student voice in contemporary initial teacher training programmes. In order to further investigate the potential importance of affording student teachers the opportunity to reflect on and express their thinking and feeling as they embark on their chosen career path, the concerns of a group of student drama teachers were recorded and interpreted. The vehicle for this exercise involved writing and subsequently performing reflective monologues. These were analysed by using The Listening Guide as composed by Gilligan et al. (2003). This paper illustrates how the methodology revealed distinct yet generally harmonious voices at work in the group in the first few weeks of their training year. Subsequent analysis suggests a model for the initial formation of a teaching identity built on aspects of self, role and character. Recognising the relative values and relationships between these factors for student teachers may, it is argued, provide greater security for them while affording their tutors insights which could help them to re‐shape initial teacher training programmes.

Study on Initial Teacher Training Programmes for Science Teachers in England : Roehampton University, England

Study on Initial Teacher Training Programmes for Science Teachers in England : Roehampton University, England

CSCL in teacher training: what learning tasks lead to collaboration?

Professional teacher communities appear to be positively related to student learning, teacher learning, teacher practice and school culture. Teacher collaboration is a significant element of these communities. In initial teacher training as well as in‐service training and other initiatives for teacher learning, collaborative skills should be addressed in, for example, collaborative learning tasks, supported with technology. In this study, eight learning tasks of three initial teacher training programmes were investigated concerning the collaboration of 41 student teachers. Various task elements (structure, learning goal and content) affected the participation of student teachers in the tasks, their interaction, and the nature of their communication. The results indicate that reflection‐oriented tasks stimulated participation, and in combination with task structure also interaction. Structured tasks which required critical reflection on personal experiences and perspectives triggered task‐related communication and a deep level of information exchange.

Developing an Online Community to Promote Engagement and Professional Learning for Pre-Service Teachers Using Social Software Tools

To support students undertaking an initial teacher training program, a communities of practice model (Wenger, 1998) was implemented, supported by a social software-based technology framework, to enable mutual engagement, joint enterprise, and a shared repertoire. Participants formed peer-to-peer mentoring relationships, creating and sharing web log (blog) entries and voice recordings of critical incidents while on their practicum. Data from the students’ discourse was analyzed to explore issues and patterns that were indicators of a learning community. This data, together with data collected from post-practicum focus group discussions in which students reflected on the benefits of these media for peer mentoring and support, attests to the relevance and effectiveness of the adopted approach to developing a socio-professional community to support the development of pre-service teachers. The authors believe that best outcomes are achieved when activities are structured, when students are adequately trained in using the technologies, and when instructors or experts are available to scaffold reflection processes as the need arises.

The pursuit of ‘excellence’: mentoring in further education initial teacher training in England

Mentoring has become established as a central feature of initial teacher training programmes in English further education (FE) yet there remains a lack of clarity within the sector about what mentoring should mean. The direction of government reforms has been to make mentoring part of the formal assessment of trainee teachers against national standards, and the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted) inspection reports emphasise an approach to mentoring that is target‐driven and judgemental. Official rhetoric uses the language of ‘excellence’ or ‘best practice’. However, mentoring literature reveals a range of possible models, and research into mentoring practices within colleges suggests there is a diversity of ideas and approaches, many of which emphasise the developmental character of good mentoring. In this paper we analyse some of the tensions and uncertainty that surround mentoring and reflect on their significance for teachers and managers in the development of initial teacher training in the sector.

Pre‐service teacher training and special educational needs in England 1970–2008: is government learning the lessons of the past or is it experiencing a groundhog day?

The paper outlines the findings from a literature review of the English government’s response to the issue of training pre‐service teachers in the delivery of effective special educational needs support. The review’s findings detail that although educational practice in mainstream classrooms has changed considerably since the 1970s the training of pre‐service teachers with regards to special educational needs has seemingly changed very little. The paper argues that the government needs to re‐think radically its policy of inclusion to ensure that a coherent plan is formulated which enables higher education institutions’ initial teacher training programmes to train students who are competent and confident in their abilities to work with children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Learning Space Mashups: Combining Web 2.0 Tools to Create Collaborative and Reflective Learning Spaces

In this paper, Web 2.0 open content mashups or combinations are explored. Two case studies of recent initial teacher training programmes are reviewed where blogs and wikis were blended to create new virtual learning spaces. In two separate studies, students offer their views about using these tools, and reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of this approach. There is also discussion about aggregation of content and a theorization of how community and personal spaces can create tension and conflict. A new ‘learning spaces’ model will be presented which aids visualization of the processes, domains and territories that are brought into play when content and Web 2.0 tools are mashed up within the same space.

Evaluation of e‐safety materials for initial teacher training: can ‘Jenny’s Story’ make a difference?

E‐safety issues have come to the fore of thinking about young people’s use of the internet because of their vulnerable position with regard to contact with people who may take advantage of them. The Byron Review in the UK makes explicit the steps that need to be taken to protect internet users. Based upon research across four United Kingdom higher education institutions, recommendations are made regarding the support for e‐safety provision in initial teacher education. The data collection includes: the expert evaluation of a number of e‐safety resources; development of an online form for evaluation of resources; presenting e‐safety sessions to 400 trainee teachers; presenting further resources online and capturing over 73,000 words of comments. Some trainee teachers expressed degrees of naivety with regard to e‐safety, both positive and negative comments were made and a range of trainee attitudes were expressed. The report concludes that there is a need for e‐safety training within teacher training programmes. The DVD ‘Jenny’s Story’ proved to be a most stimulating resource and some revisions to make the narrative focus upon trainee teachers’ needs are recommended. It is recommended that e‐safety tuition in initial teacher training programmes is designed: to be delivered face to face in small groups; with resources to remediate absenteeism; to include direct reference to authoritative and statutory requirements and to be fully integrated into and considerate of the other pressures of training.

‘When they first come in what do you do?’ English as an additional language and newly qualified teachers

The Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA), responsible for teacher training in England, requires all trainees to be prepared for the teaching of English as an additional language (EAL). This study investigated newly qualified teachers' (NQTs) continuing training needs in relation to the standards set by the TDA. One hundred and thirty nine new teachers participated in surveys over three years, and seventeen were interviewed. Findings suggest that initial teacher training programmes give variable attention to EAL. While there are strengths (placements, training sessions, speakers, awareness raising) there are also gaps in the training, for example in learning how to manage the integration of new arrivals and assessing EAL learners. With regard to further training, the most commonly identified professional development needs related to practical teaching methods and the development of appropriate resources for EAL pupils, followed by linguistic and cultural awareness, inclusion and differentiation. How to assess pupils with EAL was also a source of concern, with only limited awareness of current national expectations. There are implications from our findings for new teachers, training institutions, schools and local authorities.

Differentiation, context and teacher education: the changing profile of trainees on in-service initial teacher training programmes in the lifelong learning sector

Analysis of initial teacher training (ITT) student data relating to the University of Huddersfield part-time in-service Cert Ed/PGCE over a three-year period has revealed significant change in the make-up of trainee cohorts. There has been an increase in younger trainees and in trainees very new to teaching, although more experienced and older trainees do continue to enrol. There has also been a considerable shift in the balance of trainees away from further education (FE) college staff. These changes have implications for those who manage and deliver teacher education for the sector. It remains of key importance that the curriculum is not experienced as overly ‘FE-college centric’ and that mentoring arrangements acknowledge the needs of trainees from diverse contexts. It is clear that in the delivery of ITT for the lifelong learning sector, increasingly, one size will not comfortably fit all. Within teacher education much emphasis is placed upon the role of differentiation in regard to trainee practice. The changing trainee profile identified requires that teacher education itself unambiguously models a differentiated approach – and, in relation to teacher education for the lifelong learning sector, differentiation must address workplace context.

“It’s Just Like Being a Student”: Making Space for Teachers to Think

This paper looks at creating legitimate thinking spaces for teachers to explore their pedagogical beliefs and practices through collaborative writing. Based upon a project from a post compulsory Initial Teacher Training programme in the UK it will describe the process of working with teacher educators towards writing as part of a critical professional development process. Writing collaborativley for publication, a companion to a student research journal, has become significant not just for producing a useful resource but as a highly valued space for thinking and discussing teaching and learning. Teacher educators teach others to reflect, to be critical and to value their professional independence, yet there is little space for them to do this themselves. One participant in a recent writing day exclaimed it was the first space he had to think for years, whilst another said it was a vital space to reconnect with educational beliefs and pedagogical practices with others. This paper will explore using writing as a framework to support critical thinking, reflection and collaboration for professional development. It provides a case study to explore if using this method supports relevant, contextual and authentic professionial developmnent both for self development and and as a site for resistance to the overwork and deprofessionalised culture in post-compulsory teaching.

Challenges faced by modern foreign language teacher trainees in using handheld pocket PCs (Personal Digital Assistants) to support their teaching and learning

AbstractThis study addresses the challenges faced by Modern Foreign Language teacher trainees when asked to investigate the potential of a Personal Digital Assistant to support them both in their learning and in their teaching during their training year. Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) such as the Windows Pocket PCs used in this study have previously been found supportive by trainees in other professions with a large information content. Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) was chosen as the subject for this investigation as a particularly wide range of potential opportunities specific to MFL was foreseen. These opportunities ranged from supporting student teachers' learning by enabling access to email and other internet resources wherever they were based to enabling ‘on the spot’ audio or video recordingto support their teaching. For this investigation, seven student teachers from an MFL initial teacher training programme were loaned PDAs for the duration of their course. This paper reports on interviews conducted at the end of the training year with six of the student teachers in order to elicit their views on the PDAs they were loaned. They were all experienced information technology users and willing to explore the devices but there had always seemed to be a preferred alternative technology available either at home or in the classroom. Their reports shed much light on the current climate in schools and subject culture pressures as interpreted by student teachers in MFL departments but told us only a little about the functionality of a PDA and how it can support mobile assisted language learning. The socio-cultural context within the MFL departments where the trainees were placed meant that they did not feel comfortable about exploring the PDA functionality. They were not yet confident in their pedagogical identities and mostly felt they could not disrupt the established practice with the novel technology. However, when the devices were used, applications that appeared most effective in supporting learning to teach MFL with PDAs were those that enabled the capture of on-the-spot events and reflections. This could be either through the inbuilt recording functions, especially video, or by making notes using either the on-screen keyboard or by handwriting recognition.

Bridging the Gap Between Tourism Teaching and Industry: A Review of the First Year of the Tourism and Leisure Post Graduate Teaching Certificate at Liverpool John Moores University, UK

ABSTRACT This paper reports findings from an evaluative case study of the implementation of The Postgraduate Certificate in Education in Leisure and Tourism 14–19 teacher-training program in England. 2002 saw tourism and leisure enter the mainstream school curriculum at a time when vocational education was increasingly being recognized as having parity of esteem with traditional academic subjects. This first level of formal leisure and tourism studies was crucial to perceptions of the industry and the development of industry-aware school graduates. However, qualified teacher status was only available within the canon of traditional subjects until 2005, when Liverpool John Moores University introduced an initial teacher-training program for Tourism graduates. The aim of this paper is to review the implementation of the program by identifying the successes and barriers encountered and to evaluate its success against concerns raised about allowing vocational graduates to become teachers, thereby enhancing the status of the subject.

Understanding how a case-based assessment instrument influences student teachers’ learning approaches

In order to stimulate student teachers to thoroughly comprehend the main variables influencing their work, teaching and assessment strategies in teacher education have changed significantly. One of the changes in the assessment of student teachers in teacher education programs is the use of case-based assessment instruments. Such instruments evaluate the extent to which student teachers are able to handle authentic problems. It is expected that implementing this mode of assessment will stimulate student teachers to adopt a deep approach to learning. In this study we examine student teachers’ learning approaches in the context of case-based assessment. Hereto, we investigated the direct effects of the student teachers’ general beliefs on the cognitive demands of assessment on their learning approaches. Also the student teachers’ perceptions of the cognitive demands of the case-based assessment instrument were considered as a mediating variable. The present study is conducted in the Netherlands, in the third year of a 4-year initial teacher training program for primary education. A case-based assessment instrument, called the OverAll Test, was implemented as the major determinate of the third-year final examination grade of the student teachers. The results of the correlation analyses and the path analyses indicate a strong influence of student teachers’ general beliefs on the cognitive demands of assessment on their perceptions of the cognitive demands of the OverAll Test. The student teachers’ perception of the deep-level demands of the OverAll Test mediates the effect of their beliefs on the adoption of deep approaches to learning.

イングランドにおけるインスペクション(査察)の教員養成への影響 : ローハンプトン大学のモニタリングシステムとスタッフ研修会を中心に

The aim of the research is to identify the way initial teacher training (ITT) program in England guarantees quality through OFSTED inspection. Our primary concern is to recommend a system for quality control in the Japanese ITT system where no agreed standard for qualified teacher status (QTS) or monitoring and evaluation system is currently implemented.

The development of student teachers' views on pupil misbehaviour during an initial teacher training programme in England and Norway

A group of postgraduate (secondary school) student teachers attending a teacher training course in York (England) and Stavanger (Norway) completed a questionnaire at the start (N = 174) and at the end (N = 128) of their course which explored their views regarding the factors accounting for pupil misbehaviour, the frequency of pupil misbehaviour, the strategies for dealing with pupil misbehaviour, and their confidence that as a full‐time teacher they will have the skills needed to keep pupils engaged in their work and to deal with pupil misbehaviour that occurs. Overall, the major factor accounting for pupil misbehaviour was reported to be ‘parents who do not instil pro‐school values in their children’; the most frequent pupil misbehaviour reported was ‘talking out of turn (e.g. calling out, interrupting, inappropriate remarks or distracting chatter during the lesson)’; and the strategy rated most positively was ‘establish clear and consistent school and classroom rules about the behaviours that are acceptable and that are unacceptable’. Both the York and Stavanger students grew in confidence over the year. The study also highlights areas where there appear to be shifts in students' views over the course of their training year and differences between the students across the two settings (York and Stavanger).

Crossing the threshold from description to deconstruction and reconstruction: using self‐assessment to deepen reflection

Research has shown that when students are learning to reflect, their reflection is mainly descriptive. The literature describes a variety of ways to help students start reflective thinking and writing, however there are fewer suggestions for supporting them to progress from descriptive to analytical levels of reflection. This small‐scale action research study examines the use of a structured self‐assessment tool to deepen reflection. Data are drawn from a group of student teachers who kept reflective journals during an initial teacher training programme over one academic year. They used the tool, which provided a framework of questions about their reflective process, to assess and develop their reflective writing. In this article we discuss the effectiveness of the approach and how it promoted deeper reflection. The results indicate that the change seemed to happen through four mechanisms: revisiting reflections, using structure, taking responsibility and metacognition.

The creation of virtual communities in a primary initial teacher training programme

This paper discusses some of the conditions that have facilitated the use of a customised virtual learning environment as part of a blended learning approach on a part‐time postgraduate initial teacher training programme for prospective primary school teachers. It is based on data gathered as part of a study of the impact of e‐learning on students following a part‐time flexible postgraduate route to Qualified Teacher Status. It concludes that the success of these particular virtual communities can be attributed to the balance, on the programme, between face‐to‐face and e‐learning together with the nature and structuring of the e‐learning tasks; the focus on professional learning with the immediacy of its application in the work‐place; its focus on independent and student‐led interaction; and the motivation and personal circumstances of the students involved.