Dr Elizabeth White & Dr Claire Dickerson

School of Education, University of Hertfordshire

IPDA Annual Conference, Birmingham29 Nov 2014

Exploring perspectives of those involved in school-based

teacher education

Funded by SSAHRI, University of Hertfordshire

Teacher Educators

Institute-based teacher educator

(IBTE)

Institute-based teacher educator

(IBTE)

School-based teacher educator

(SBTE)

School-based teacher educator

(SBTE)

Who are School Based Teacher Educators?

• Shift to schools-led ITT

• Experienced teachers taking on more responsibility

• School Direct Programme

• Primary and Secondary

• Leading groups and one to one sessions

• Developing subject and professional knowledge

• Mentoring, coaching and tutoring

• Working within school and working across schools

Research Approach

• Interpretive perspective

• Listening to meanings and purposes of participants

• Conversational Partners

Methods

Part 1•Questionnaire (8 responses out of 13 SBTEs)•Focus Group (4 out of 8 students)

Part 2•Semi-structured interviews

(2 out of 5 SBTEs; and 2 out of 2 IBTEs)

Areas of questioning

• Multiple roles held by teacher educators in their workplace• Role as a teacher tutor (or supporting a teacher tutor)• Professional development/support needed as SBTE• Benefit of role as SBTE• Conflicts of interest/complementarity of roles held• Sense of professional identity as a teacher educator• Views on preparing teachers

Findings: SBTEs’ perspective – what is your role?

the wider community like the Governors have been quite

receptive to what’s going on

Not sure [SBTE] gets recognition

… school definitely appreciated the role

and gave SBTE time to do it

They [NQTs and students] see you as

a ‘trainer’

Findings: How do others view them?

SBTE ASBTE B

IBTE D IBTE C

The profile of the school has been raised – looked at as a more supportive school, a school that is embracing

change and the new curriculum

I get all the new ideas hot off the press

Developing my subject knowledge and preparing for the 2014 curriculum

The students in my school – because they are learning using means that I’ve not used in the

past

Findings: SBTEs’ perspective – who benefits?

SBTE A

SBTE BSBTE B

SBTE B

They can learn bad practice. Bad practice is modelled and is

learnt, and not just bad practice but poor attitudes can

be learnt

[The student teachers] don’t get the academic

underpinning and the rationale [in school]

You’ve got to have someone able and willing and up-to-

date to deliver it and anyone in school is so busy

Planning has had to take place in my own

time

Findings: What are the challenges?

IBTE D

IBTE DIBTE C

SBTE B

Focus on the learning needs of student teachers

Focus on the learning needs of student teachers

What are the implications? Next steps for the development of school-based initial teacher

education

Partnership/ community

development

Partnership/ community

development

Quality assurance across the

programme

Quality assurance across the

programme

Recognition of the roles of teacher educators

Recognition of the roles of teacher educators

SustainabilitySustainability

Teacher Educators

Institute-based

teacher educator

(IBTE)

Institute-based

teacher educator

(IBTE)

School-based

teacher educator

(SBTE)

School-based

teacher educator

(SBTE)

School-based Teacher TrainingA handbook for tutors and mentorsEdited by E White and J Jarvis. Sage 2012

Developing outstanding practice in school-based teacher education. A critical guide for teacher educators.Edited by Kim Jones and Liz WhiteCritical Publishing 2014

BooksBooks

References

JACKSON, A. 2011. How do school-based mentors support student teachers' learning in school? An investigative survey into the perceptions of teacher educators in England. TEAN: University of Cumbria.MURRAY, J. & MALE, T. (2005) Becoming a teacher educator: evidence from the field. Teaching and Teacher Education 21, 125-142.REYNOLDS, R., FERGUSON-PATRICK, K. & MCCORMACK, A. 2013. Dancing in the ditches: reflecting on the capacity of a university/school partnership to clarify the role of a teacher educator. European Journal of Teacher Education, 36, 307-319.RUBIN, H. & RUBIN, I. (2005) Qualitative Interviewing, The Art of Hearing Data, London, Sage.SWENNEN, A., JONES, K. & VOLMAN, M. (2010) Teacher educators: their identities, sub-identities and implications for professional development. Professional Development in Education, 36, 131-148WHITE, E. (2014) "Being a Teacher and a Teacher Educator - Developing a New Identity?". Professional Development in Education 40 (3) 436-49WESTRUP, R. & JACKSON, A. 2009. The Professional Development Needs of Teacher Educators in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and School-based Mentors in Schools. ESCalate: University of Cumbria