Postgraduate Certificate In Education Research Articles

Knowledge and attitudes about school bullying in trainee teachers.

Recent research has highlighted the issue of bullying in schools. However, little attention has been paid to the knowledge and beliefs of trainee teachers, who will hold a key position in reducing the problem of bullying in schools. To determine (i) trainee teachers' beliefs about some aspects of school bullying; (ii) their recommended strategies for pupils to cope; (iii) their confidence in dealing with bullying issues as future teachers; (iv) the value of specific aspects of training; (v) the importance for these of sex, and primary/secondary training. This comprised 270 students enrolled on either a one-year postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) course (N =197) or a four-year degree in education (BEd) course (N =73). Age ranged from 18-51 years (mean=28 years). Questionnaire completed and returned within a 2-week period. Bullying was seen as an important issue. Some aspects of trainee teachers' knowledge of bullying were accurate, others less so. Telling teachers, and parents, were the strategies most highly recommended to pupils. The great majority were in favour of teacher training courses incorporating information regarding ways of combating bullying. However, they had less confidence about their ability to deal with bullying. Respondents expressed more confidence when dealing with victims rather than bullies and working with the parents of victims rather than the parents of bullies. It is important that teacher-training programmes incorporate information about school bullying, and are designed to take account of existing knowledge, and areas in which trainee teachers may feel less confident.

Using Computer Technology to Compare Student Teaching Behaviours

There are issues concerning the effectiveness of different types of lnital Teacher Training in Physical Education in England, thus there is a need to study the relative effectiveness of 4‐year undergraduate and Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) programmes. The purpose of this study was to compare student physical education teachers during school experience relative to a set of teaching behaviours. The participants were 10 first‐year undergraduates, 10 fourth‐year undergraduates and 10 PGCE student teachers from the same university in England. Each participant was videotaped teaching one lesson which met the requirements of the English National Curriculum in PE at Key Stage 3 (pupils aged 11‐14 yrs). Teaching behaviours were analysed by a team of researchers using a modified configuration of the Behavioral Evaluation Strategies and Taxonomy (BEST) software (Sharpe and Koperwas, 1999). Analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed no differences in the observed teaching behaviours between the fourth‐year undergraduates and the PGCE group. However, the first‐year undergraduates displayed significantly higher levels of behavioural management than both the fourth‐year and the PGCE group. Also, the first‐year undergraduates were found to have lower levels of positive skill feedback, but this was not statistically significant The results of this study suggest that there were no differences between the effectiveness of teaching produced by the fourth‐year undergraduate and the PGCE student teachers.

Students' perceptions of ICT‐related support in teaching placements

Abstract Recent research has shown that students' use of information and communications technology (ICT) on teaching practice is necessary for effective future use of ICT in the classroom. However, this paper reports that there are a number of factors affecting the use of ICT by student‐teachers in their school placements. All 110 student‐teachers attending one university's eight Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) courses completed a questionnaire on their attitudes to ICT in learning and teaching and their initial experiences of the application of ICT in schools. In‐depth interviews with the student‐teachers, as well as univer‐sity tutors and teachers, revealed a range of issues that reflected how student‐teachers perceive their school‐based ICT training and what they think could improve their experiences. Recommendations are offered for the improvement of the ICT school experiences for student‐teachers until teacher training is completed and improved ICT infrastructure is in place in schools. The overriding conclusion is that schools must be supported and resourced properly, and teachers must have effective ICT training, before improvements in school‐based ICT development for student‐teachers can be achieved.

Becoming An RE Teacher: A Life History Approach

This paper discusses why life history method was considered to be the most appropriate approach for investigating what it is like to become and be a teacher of religious education (RE) at the present time. The study in question followed a cohort of Secondary Post‐Graduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) in RE students through their training and into their first years of teaching. Within England and Wales, religion per se tends to evoke suspicion and even hostility and the stereotypes associated with religion‐related identities are often negative. We wanted to investigate both what it was like for particular individuals, each with his or her own unique history, to become and be RE teachers and also, how contemporary and dominant perceptions of and attitudes towards religion, together with the ways in which RE is positioned within schools and the curriculum, influence and impact upon that experience. Life history method has the ability to bestride the micro‐macro interface and to consider the dialectical relationship between the individual and society. In this paper, we make our case for using it.

TEACHING NOTES

The text of the article is available in the PDF.

TEACHING NOTES

The text of the article is available in the PDF.

The Validity and Reliability of OFSTED Judgements of the Quality of Secondary Mathematics Initial Teacher Education Courses

The inspection by OFSTED's Initial Teacher Education and Training (ITET) team of courses of initial teacher education is high stakes. An unsatisfactory report can lead to course closure. Even a satisfactory report can lead to reductions in quota resulting in a spiral of decline in course viability. The high stakes nature of the inspection means that there has to be complete confidence in the level of validity and reliability of the inspection process. This paper presents an analysis of the complete cohort of published inspection reports of providers of secondary mathematics initial teacher education Post-graduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) courses carried out by the OFSTED ITET team in the period 1996-1998. The analysis demonstrates that there is considerable variation in the reports in terms of word length, how particular criteria seem to be applied and how judgements are expressed. With the complexity of the framework for inspection it is impossible, given the current model of inspection report, to properly distinguish between consistency of application and the loading given to any particular criterion. Attention to the transparency of the inspection process and to matters of validity and reliability is crucial if there is to be confidence in the inspection system.

The Validity and Reliability of OFSTED Judgements of the Quality of Secondary Mathematics Initial Teacher Education Courses

The inspection by OFSTED's Initial Teacher Education and Training (ITET) team of courses of initial teacher education is high stakes. An unsatisfactory report can lead to course closure. Even a satisfactory report can lead to reductions in quota resulting in a spiral of decline in course viability. The high stakes nature of the inspection means that there has to be complete confidence in the level of validity and reliability of the inspection process. This paper presents an analysis of the complete cohort of published inspection reports of providers of secondary mathematics initial teacher education Post-graduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) courses carried out by the OFSTED ITET team in the period 1996-1998. The analysis demonstrates that there is considerable variation in the reports in terms of word length, how particular criteria seem to be applied and how judgements are expressed. With the complexity of the framework for inspection it is impossible, given the current model of inspection report, to properly distinguish between consistency of application and the loading given to any particular criterion. Attention to the transparency of the inspection process and to matters of validity and reliability is crucial if there is to be confidence in the inspection system.

REVIEWS

The text of the article is available in the PDF.

Secondary students' development as teachers over the course of a PGCE year

Research has suggested that students pass through different concerns or stages in their development as teachers. Although some authors have suggested that concerns or stages are sequential, other research does not support sequential concerns or stages of development. The major purpose of this study was to look at the concerns of students at different times during a one-year Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) course, particularly to identify any changes in concerns about school experience as they developed as teachers and whether the development of concernswas sequential. A second purpose was to look atwhether the Teacher Concerns Questionnaire (TCQ) is a useful instrument for measuring students' concerns. One cohort of students on a secondary PGCE course in Englandwas administered the TCQ on three occasions during the academic year 1996/97. Results showed that these students were moderately concerned about school experience at the three administrations of the questionnaire. Self and impact concerns were the highest causes of concern and task concerns the lowest causes of concern at all three administrations of the questionnaire. Results also showed that there was a significant difference in the amount of total concern between the first and second and first and third administrations of the questionnaire, but not between the second and third administrations. There were significant differences between scores on nine of the items on the TCQ. However, there were no significant differences between students learning to teach different subjects. The three categories of concern identified for the TCQ: self, task and impact concerns, were only partly supported by the results of this study. The results did not support work which has suggested that the development of concerns is sequential. The results are discussed in relation to the ongoing development of teachers and identifying concerns of individual students.

Online Professional Development for Academic Staff: Putting the Curriculum First

Developments in using learning technology in Higher Education can often be technology driven. The Learning Methods Unit (LMU) at University of Central England (UCE) in Birmingham has adopted a curriculum-based approach to incorporating learning technology into professional development courses for university staff. Using sound pedagogical principles, a variety of technologies have been implemented to add value to the Postgraduate Certificate in Education and Professional Development course based on a hybrid curriculum model. The 'Problems at Crumpton' website uses technology to implement a problem-centred curriculum, enabling experiential learning methods, and yet structuring an underpinning knowledge base more akin to an objectives based curriculum. The site was first demonstrated as an exemplar within the university in the summer of 1999, and will be used both on professional development programmes and on an open access basis by university staff from 2000.

TEACHING NOTES

TEACHING NOTES

Towards a More Inclusive Profession: Teacher recruitment and ethnicity

Since coming to office in May 1997, the British Labour Government, with its commitment to social inclusion, has undertaken various policy initiatives to broaden access to public sector occupations, including teaching. In this paper, we focus on the participation of ethnic minority students in the Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE). We present the findings of a national empirical study drawing on data from a questionnaire survey and interviews with PGCE staff and students. Particular consideration is given to the students' motives for entering teaching and their images of the profession; the factors influencing their choice of course and institution; their experiences during training and their perceptions of the constraints upon ethnic minority recruitment. We also consider the strategies employed by PGCE staff to attract and retain ethnic minority recruits to the PGCE, and examine the dilemmas that they face when responding to ethnic diversity. We conclude with a discussion of the policy implications of the research and a commentary on the methodology employed in the research. Dès son début en mai 1997, le gouvernement travailliste du Royaume-Uni a suivi des politiques favorisant l'accès des minorités aux carrières dans les services publics, y compris celles de l'enseignement. Dans cet exposé, nous nous concentrons sur la participation d'étudiants de minorités ethniques au Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE). Nous présentons les résultats d'une large étude empirique utilisant les données obtenues à partir d'une enquête nationale et d'entretiens avec les professeurs et les étudiants du PGCE. En particulier, nous examinons les motivations qui font que les e´tudiants choisissent une carrière d'enseignant et leur image de la profession; les influences sur leur choix de cours et d'université; leurs expériences pendant la formation et leur avis sur les contraintes qui empêchent le recrutement des minorités ethniques. Nous discutons aussi les stratégies suivies par les universités pour attirer et retenir les e´tudiants de minorités ethniques, et nous examinons les dilemmes qui se présentent. Finalement, nous discutons des portées de cette recherche sur la politique nationale, et de la méthodologie de l'étude. Desde la instauración del gobierno laborista Británico en Mayo de 1997, y dado su compromiso en materia de inclusión social, éste ha llevado a cabo varias iniciativas con el fin de ampliar el acceso a las ocupaciones del sector público, incluyendo la profesión de educador, a las minorías étnicas. En este artículo, los autores examinan la participación de estudiantes en los Programas de Post-Graduados en Educación (PGCE) en Inglaterra y Gales. Se presentan los resultados de un estudio de gran escala obtenido a través de la aplicación de un cuestionario nacional y de entrevistas con el personal y los estudiantes de los programas de PGCE. Se presta atención especial a la motivación de los estudiantes para ingresar a la profesión de educador y a la imagen que tienen de la profesión; los factores que influencian su elección tanto de programa como de institución; sus experiencias durante la formación; y sus percepciones sobre las dificultades del reclutamiento de minorías étnicas. Los autores también consideran las estrategias empleadas por el personal de los programas del PGCE para atraer y retener a alumnos de minorías étnicas y examinan los dilemas que se encuentran frente a la diversidad étnica. El artículo concluye con una discusión sobre las implicaciones de esta investigación en las políticas. Seit ihrem Antritt im Mai 1997 hat die neue Britische Regierung eine Politik der Erleichterung des Zuganges fuer Vertreter ethnischer Minderheiten in Berufe des öffentlichen Dienstes verfolgt. Diese Politik schliesst auch den Berufsstand der Lehrer ein. Der vorliegende Beitrag konzentriert sich auf Studenten ethnischer Minderheiten, die an PGCE Programmen in England und Wales teilnehmen. Es werden Ergebnisse einer grossangelegten Studie präsentiert, deren Daten aus einer landesweiten Umfrage (per Fragebogen) und Interviews von Lehrern und Studenten der PGCE Programme stammen. Besondere Aufmerksamkeit wurde auf folgende Aspekte gerichtet: Was ist die Motivation der Studenten das Lehrfach zu wählen? Welche Vorstellungen haben die Studenten von dem von ihnen gewählten Beruf? Welche Faktoren beeinflusste sie bei der Wahl ihrer Kurse und Ausbildungsstaette? Welche Eindrücke und Erfahrungen machten sie während der Ausbildung? Wie schätzen sie die Probleme und Hindernisse bei der Anwerbung von Vertretern ethnischer Minderheiten für den Lehrerberuf ein? Strategien von PGCE Lehrern eingeschriebene Studenten etnischer Minderheiten zu behalten und neue anzuwerben wurden ebenso bedacht, wie auch die Probleme die daraus entstehen können. Der Beitrag endet mit einer Diskussion von möglichen Auswirkungen der Studie auf die von der britischen Regierung verfolgten Politik.

Who Succeeds? A Case Study of Science Graduates Following Postgraduate Certificate in Education (Secondary) Courses

This paper provides an overview of a group of science graduates who applied for a secondary postgraduate certificate in education course in an Institute of Higher Education (IHE). The paper describes how applicants for initial teacher education are selected for the course and the ways in which graduates perceive and understand the criteria used in the selection processes. Graduates were tracked during their course by monitoring withdrawals and performance on the written and practical teaching elements of the course. The study focuses on the reliability of the selection process as measured by the number of candidates who complete the course successfully. The study compares the performance of the different ethnic groups represented in the cohort. The findings suggest that there are differences in performance between ethnic groups. We discuss possible reasons for these differences. Cet article donne un aperçu au sujet d'un groupe de diplômés en sciences qui se sont présentés pour un stage de formation professionelle de pédagogie (PGCE) dans un établishment d'enseignement supérieur (IHE). L'article décrit comment les candidats qui veulent s'inscrire au stage sont sélectionnés et les moyens par lesquels ils perçoivent et comprennent les critères employés dans la méthode de sélection. Les stagiaires ont étésuivis de près; en contrôlant ceux qui ont démissionéet aussi bien le progrès des autres dans les éle´ments écrits et pratiques du stage. L'étude se concentre sur l'efficacité de la méthode de sélection en tenant compte du nombre des candidats qui auront réussi à compléter le stage. L'étude fait aussi une comparaison entre les résultats des groupes éthniques différents représentés parmis les stagiaires et conclue que ces groupes fonctionnent différemment. Nous discutons des explications possibles pour ces différences. Este artículo ofrece una perspectiva general sobre un grupo de licenciados de ciencias que solicitaron para cursar estudios de pedagogía segundaria en un Instituto de Enseñanza Superior (IHE). El artículo describe como los candidatos son seleccionados para el dicho curso y como ven y entienden los criterios empleados para el proceso de selección. Se siguió a los estudiantes durante el curso, observandose el número de los que lo abandonaron y como llevaron los otros a cabo las partes prácticas de enseñanza y las teóricas. El estudio enfoca el proceso de selección y de fiabilidad, midiéndose según el número de estudiantes que terminaron el curso con éxito. El estudio compara la actuación de distintos grupos étnicos. Los resultados indican que existen diferencias de actuación que se pueden achacar al origen étnico. Discutimos las razones que pueden causar estas diferencias. Dieser Artikel bietet ein Überblick über eine Gruppe von HochschulabgängerInnen naturwissenschaftlicher Fächer, die sich für einen PGCE Kurs an einem universitären Institut bewarben. Der Artikel beschreibt wie Anwärter für die Lehrerausbildung ausgewählt werden und wie die Auswahlskriterien von den Bewerber verstanden werden. Hochschulabgänger wurden in bezug auf Ausscheidungs-und Erfolgsraten in schriftlichen und praktischen Kurselementen überprüft. Der Hauptpunkt der Studie liegt in der Zuverlässigkeit des Auswahlprozesses gemessen an der Zahl der Absolventen. Die Studie vergleicht das Abschneiden verschiedener ethnischer Gruppen eines Jahrgangs. Die Resultate deuten darauf hin, daß zwischen den verschiedenen ethnischen Gruppen Unterschiede bestehen. In diesem Artikel diskutieren wir mögliche Gründe für diese Unterschiede.

The Graduate Teacher Programme: just the job?

The article begins by examining the context in which the Graduate Teacher Programme (GTP) developed, particularly the trend towards locating more Initial Teacher Training (ITT) in schools, and the promotion of employment-based routes as an alternative to full-time courses such as the Postgraduate Certificate of Education (PGCE). The response of schools to the GTP and other employment-based routes has, to date, hardly been researched at all. This research project, although smallscale, presents some clear and important perspectives from schools. The findings suggest that most schools are not interested in taking full responsibility for training their own teachers. The GTP is supported as a suitable option where a flexible, individually-tailored scheme is needed, e.g. for someone who already has substantial teaching experience, but it is not seen as an appropriate model for training large numbers of beginning teachers.

The good, the bad and the ugly…

FIRST the good news. The government's decision to pay postgraduate certificate in education trainees £6,000 a year from September is to be welcomed, even though, unlike secondary schools, where recruitment of teachers is in crisis, the scheme is to be trialled in primaries for a year only.

The Recruitment of New Teachers from Minority Ethnic Groups

This article reports on part of a larger, ongoing two-year investigation supported by the Teacher Training Agency into the recruitment of new teachers from minority ethnic backgrounds via Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) courses in England. The authors focus here on interviews with admissions tutors, course directors and other senior staff at teacher training institutions. The interviews revealed differences between institutions in the measures taken to attract minority ethnic students. The research indicates a need for much clearer guidelines for admissions tutors on the issues surrounding the question of 'positive action' on the recruitment of new teachers from minority ethnic groups.

Secondary PGCE PE Studentsí Perceptions of Their Subject Knowledge

PE teachers in England are required to teach a wide range of physical activities in order tofulfil the requirements of the National Curriculum for Physical Education (NCPE). The content or subject knowledge necessary to teach all areas of activity in the NCPE is acknowledged as important, both in its own right and as giving students confidence and accuracy for subject application. Subject knowledge is identified as one of the standards for the award of qualified teacher status on completion of an initial teacher education course in England. However, students entering secondary Post-Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) PE courses bring with them a variety of experiences, qualifications and subject knowledge to teach the areas of activity in theNCPE. Most students have a sports-related degree. However, such degrees may not include subjectknowledge appropriate to teach all six areas of activity in the NCPE. Students, therefore, are required to gain subject knowledge on their one year PGCE course. The purpose of this study wasto look at secondary PGCE PE students’ perceptions of amount of subject knowledge in the six areas of activity that comprise the NCPE. At the beginning of each of the second and third terms of their course (January and April) 27 students completed a questionnaire. The questionnaire included a question about knowledge in the six areas of activity in the NCPE and in specific games taught in many schools in England. Results suggested that there were differences in students’ perceptions of amount of subject knowledge. The highest percentage of students perceived good subject knowledge in traditional team games. The highest percentage of students perceived little subject knowledge in outdoor and adventurous activities (OAA) and dance. There were significant differences between male and female students’ perceptions of knowledge in OAA, swimming, football, netball and rounders. There were also significant differences in students’ perceptions of knowledge in dance, gymnastics, OAA and volleyball between the beginning of the second and third terms. Implications of the results are considered in relation to: (i) experiences which students require on PGCE courses to develop subject knowledge; (ii) selection procedures for secondary PGCE PE courses; and (iii) preparation of students for secondary PGCE PE courses on sports-related degree courses.

Becoming a primary teacher in Scotland: comparing one-year and four-year courses

This study compared Scottish primary teachers trained by the one-year Bachelor of Education (BEd) and the four-year Post Graduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) routes. It was found that BEd graduates were younger, while the PGCEs were more diverse, containing a number embarking on teaching as a second career. It was also found that BEds complete probation slightly faster though this may be due to more favourable opportunities to complete the probationary requirements. The implications are discussed in relation to the changing nature of the teacher employment market and the policy implications for the balance of numbers of teachers trained through the two routes.

Developing strategies for delivering music technology in secondary PGCE courses

For some years, music technology has been incorporated into the secondary music Post-Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) course at Kingston University. Student evaluations of this work have been supportive in the main, but identified continuing challenges in relation to establishing a sense of ease with its application in education. A range of course developments were devised in response, and closely monitored in 1997. The first half of this article outlines the rationale behind them. It draws upon a range of texts that document the reception of IT in schools and colleges, and on an interpretative response (based on theories of cognition), which the writer feels holds much relevance for music educators. The second half outlines course developments, and includes feedback from students and partner schools. Eighteen months on, the fundamental strategy is still in place, and staff have found it consistent with the requirements for ICT outlined in circular 4/98 by the DfEE.