What ‘training’ do teachers need? Universities as indispensable partnerships in teachers’ learning Janet Orchard PESGB for UCET

Carter Review (2015)  Current provision basically good  Room for improvement: subject knowledge; research evidence; behaviour management  Provision increasingly to be schools-led  WHY change the paradigm? 1. If the current provision broadly works? 2. When schools have a new curriculum, unclear assessment + children to teach? 3. If, in principle, universities should lead this?

What makes a good teacher?  Theoretical understanding (of subject, of pedagogy i.e. learning and of education)  Technical skill (classroom craft/ ‘mastery’) underpinned by nuanced situational understanding exercised autonomously  Practical wisdom (ethical sensibility) See Paper 3, BERA RSA Inquiry (Winch et al 2014)

What makes a good teacher?  Prior learning and experience  Prior educational attainment  Knowledge and understanding of educational theory and research  On the job training  Attitudes, dispositions and values attuned to the context in which they are teaching

What makes a good teacher?  Robust selection procedures  Positive practical experience  Positive and productive engagement with educational theory and research  This has to be on-going; 36 weeks at the start of a career is insufficient (Demos, 2006)

Why theory? 1. Provides a conceptual map of the educational landscape; which 2. Informs teachers’ situated understanding, enabling them to exercise professional judgement autonomously Theory in relation to practice (‘practical theorising’, MacInytre 1993, 1995?)

Why universities? In principle  Expertise in teaching adults  Subject expertise  Educational expertise  Access to specialist resources  Environment conducive to reflection  Academic freedom N.B. Does rely on a particular conception of the university to support this argument

Why universities: in practice?  Not enough vacant jobs in the right places to support fully employment-led teacher ‘training’ across a system  Access to best mentors may not follow jobs  School-led ITT not obviously attracting new teachers  Teach First model can’t be extended indefinitely: cost, compromising prestige

Internship or Apprenticeship?  Apprentices (Teach First, SD salaried) salaried but unqualified members of teaching staff  May also be part time university  Gain real experience of teaching  Limited pedagogical development (Muijs et al 2014)  Quality of teaching? Experience for pupils?

Internship or Apprenticeship?  Interns supernumerary members of staff in school  Registered full time students at a university  Not ultimately responsible for teaching and learning  Quality of teaching experience for pupils should not be adversely affected  Opportunities for extended pedagogical development

Way forward  ITE should be extended  36 week PGCE/ BA + QTS should lead to initial licensure  Minimum of 2 further years as Higher Grade Apprentice Teacher (Level 7) in which to gain full licensure  Technical competence assessed against standards + Masters, for which time off work and financial support have been offered

Thank you for listening! Janet Orchard and Christopher Winch ‘What training do teachers need? Why theory is necessary to good teaching’ PESGB (2015)