Factors Restricting the Early Professional Learning of Secondary Teachers in Scotland and how these might be tackled

Abstract

The initial teacher education (ITE) process for those who wish to become secondary teachers in Scotland has been remarkably static over the past two decades. By examining a variety of sources and particularly a recent study of some of those who are becoming Geography teachers, it is suggested that custom and pragmatism combine to sustain the one-year consecutive entry route (Professional Graduate Diploma in Education [PGDE]) as the dominant form of ITE for secondary teachers. Three key areas relating to the PGDE(Secondary) route are explored: the dominance of the one-year course; how fit for purpose the course is within the continuum of early professional learning; and the opinions of stakeholders. The source material is also critically interrogated to explore what might be a better preparation of secondary teachers and what roles ought to be played by the Teacher Education Institutions (TEIs) in that preparation.