Teacher Development – Three- Level Model 1.National Education Systems 2.Institutionally Intended Curricula and Competencies for Literacy Teachers Learning goals and content Literacy content knowledge Pedagogical content knowledge for literacy teaching General pedagogical knowledge 3.Teacher Educators’ Concepts and Beliefs about Key Aspects of Literacy Education

Teacher Development – Data Sources

Survey Outcomes Seven completed surveys returned (including UKLA which arrived after Braga) Feedback on draft paper on teacher development provided Basic issues about participation in Comenius projects raised.

Q. 1: Do you agree with the Rationale for the study?

Question 1 - Comments SCIRA - It’s interesting and covers the most important dimensions of the topic. however, I’m wondering about a political dimension as well. In Sweden we are expecting a government proposition for a new teacher education to be launched next year. We don’ t know yet what it will be like, although suggestions have been put forward by an investigation committee. It has been debated and evaluated at all universities, and the Ministry of Education will put their proposition before the Parliament in the autumn. UKLA – Rationale seems fine but content of teacher education in literacy could usefully be broadened, as indicated below.

Q2: Do you agree with the objectives of the study?

Q2 – Comments (Belgium Fr) Objective : This objective which is focused on educational systems is typically an objective that can be dealt by the Eurydice network. We should first have a look to Eurydice publications and database (Eurybase) before suggesting the EU Commission that an additional work would be useful and, why not, could be done by the Eurydice network (Anne Godenir). Objective 2.2.: This objective requires a comparative study with a content analysis which is a very hard job.

Comments (UKLA) Proposed objectives... What is there is fine, but omits many of our concerns in teacher education in the UK (see comments below)

Q3: How Many Proposals

Q3 - Comments Germany selected a common proposal, but.. Preferred separate proposals if enough people available to work on them (In many countries, there are institutional differences for Kindergarten and Pre- school children) Greece – different programmes for Kindergarten and K-6

Q4: Do you support the three-level framework? Bel-Fr

Comments on Framework (UK) In the Structure of the Study section, we would like to include a number of other concerns we consider important. Under 4.1 National Teacher Education System, we’d like to add questions such as: How closely do governmental agencies specify the content and pedagogy of school literacy teaching? Do courses of teacher education have to meet detailed requirements from governmental agencies?

UKLA comments on Sec 4.2 Under 4.2., to Literacy content knowledge we’d like to add: the social context of literacy learning, the different patterns of literacy and different expectations of literacy learning in different social groups; the nature of the orthography involved, since, for example, the complexity of English precludes a simple phonic entry to written language; reading on screen, both manipulation of text and also the changing relation of verbal text to images, both still and moving; children’s conceptions of themselves as readers, since this materially influences how they approach the task and how effective they become as readers; reading substantial whole texts, including attention to the structure of texts of different genres, differences between written and spoken language; critical literacy, since all those involved in literacy teaching should aim to help children towards becoming much more than consumers of written text.

UKLA Comments on Pedagogical Knowledge Pedagogical Content Knowledge, we’d like to add: classroom interaction in literacy learning both teacher-student interaction and also student-student interaction; children’s engagement in the act of constructing meaning from text, since this appears to be central to effective teaching; a wide approach to assessment that takes account of what and how children choose to read and write as well as Standardised Tests of their performance.

UKLA comments on Genereal Pedagogical Knowledge To General Pedagogical Knowledge, we’d like to add: classroom interaction in learning both teacher-student interaction and also student-student interaction, in particular, the development of ‘inter- thinking’.

Q5: Does your national association wish to participate in developing the project further? Nor

Q6 – If ‘yes’ to 5,... Colleagues who could review the proposal, once it has been more fully developed? 6/6

Q 7: If ‘yes’ to Q5, persons with national association who could be named as partners + perform specific tasks?

Q8 – Are you or your colleagues familiar with the literature that might be relevant to Section 3 (Theoretical background/literature)?

Q9 – Other possible FELA projects At long term: A project concerning the use of children/youth literature and libraries in literacy education could be able to rally a lot of members inside FELA. (Serge Terwagne) 2) At short term, I would like to discuss in Braga (in a group as well) of the project of special FELA “plenary” pre-Conference in Mons, on the theme “United in Diversity” (or an other one). (Serge)

Discussion Role of FELA in ‘European Projects’ Important source of advice (see questionnaire responses) Potential partner? Project lead institution? Other FELA activities (e.g., Literacy promotion) Where to with Teacher Development project?