1. Changing Teacher Education in the UK
Tempus MASTS
23rd June 2014
Dr. Peter Jones
Dr. Snezana Lawrence

2. Overview Review of teacher education in the UK
Key dimensions of changes
Key debates

3. The Context
‘People are always wanting teachers to change. Rarely has this been more true than in recent years. These times of global competitiveness, like all moments of economic crisis, are producing immense moral panics about how we are preparing generations of the future in our respective nations…’ (Hargreaves, 1994, p. 5)

4. The Education Challenges
Efficiency and effectiveness
Changed political, economic, cultural and social conditions
Expectations of education
Expectations of teachers

5. Areas of Change From……Universities/Colleges Curriculum Assessment
Accreditation
Autonomy
To….central state and its agencies
‘Schools Direct’
Diversity of providers and provision
Fragmentation/diversity – national system?

6. Legacy Providers and Provision
Colleges of Education – undergraduate degrees – Bachelor of Education (4 years)
Universities – post-graduate certificate of education (PGCE) (1 year post-degree)
Schools
Who trains?
How to train?
What is a teacher?

7. National Curriculum and School-Based Curriculum
Subject knowledge
Subject application – strategies/techniques
Class management
Pupil learning
Assessment

8. University-led Curriculum
Time in schools – steady increase to two thirds of time on a PGCE
Serial/block teaching practice
Replacement of theory with subject studies, educational and professional studies
School-based assignments
A new model in the making…

9. Partnerships University/College….or schools?
Co-design, co-delivery, co-assessment
Teachers as mentors
Competences/skills
Collaborative partnership
Complementary partnership
Competitive partnership

10. Partnership Planning Assessment Documentation Content Mentoring
Contractual relationship
Budget
Location

11. Diversity Traditional University-led Model Integrated model
School-led Model
Strong University Weak school Strong School

12. School-led Model University role for accreditation
University role as outsourced provider
University role as resource (libraries etc).
In-house capacity built up in schools
Schools select students
Schools hold the budget
Schools competing for students

13. Does it matter?
What do students value about university-led teacher education?
What can/do universities offer?
Geography of provision
Equity/equality issues
Interests/needs of providers

14. Wrap Up Paradox - systematic fragmentation
Smaller (local state)/bigger central state
De-professionalisation/re-professionalisation
Suspicion of university provider capture – autonomy and control
Choice of providers
Competition within markets
External regulators
High-stakes inspection
Competences and standards
Practice not theory – ‘Minimum Competence Model’
Quick fixes – calibre of graduates; immersive experience in particular schools
‘Teach First’ – high-calibre graduates, six-week training, jobs in schools; no expectation of long teaching career

15. Thank you for your attention!
Diversity in Teacher Education (DiTE)
Three year research project
Topology of Teacher Education
Case studies of provision and student experience
Longitudinal study of students by mode of provision
Outcomes/impacts for learners