Transformations in learning and teaching through Initial Teacher Education

Abstract

In England, little research has been carried out into how pre‐service secondary English teachers transform what they know as they learn to teach. They are seldom asked to reflect explicitly on the connections between the pedagogy of their undergraduate studies and their pedagogical experiences as student teachers. The initial teacher education committee of the National Association for the Teaching of English decided to explore these connections by asking student teachers on English Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) courses in five different university departments of education to respond to a series of questions at the start and end of the academic year 2004–2005. The questions fall into four broad areas: student teachers' experiences as learners at undergraduate level and developing ideas about teaching; the nature of the subject English; tensions encountered during the PGCE course; new learning about teaching. The purpose of this article is to discuss some patterns emerging from the research. The most prominent of these is student teachers' realisation that good teaching comes from teachers seeing themselves as learners. We argue that ‘reflexivity’ (Moore, 2004) is a valuable way to help student teachers begin to understand this transformation from learner into learning teacher.

Gendered trends in student teachers’ professional aspirations

“…In a relatively short space of time student teachers have to learn to address complex and demanding aspects of classroom practice, including, for example, effective behaviour management (Bromfield, 2006) and inclusive practice (Pearson, 2007), ensuring they plan and teach to meet the needs of all pupils, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (Norwich and Nash, 2011). Moreover, in order to succeed on the PGCE programme, student teachers need to develop a capacity for reflective practice, which requires that they are able and willing to position themselves as learners in order to become reflexive, effective teachers (Stevens et al, 2006). Thus the PGCE year, and the transition to the relentlessly busy life of a schoolteacher, can be a steep climb for many students, as the demands made on them are considerably different from the expectations of them during their undergraduate studies.…”

The emergence of reading literacy in post-primary teacher education: from the background to the foreground

“…In spite of this, the necessity of all ITE programmes providing a broad and rigorous well-theorised intellectual programme in literacy education as well as providing post-primary student teachers with informed and appropriate literacy teaching strategies is regarded as essential if such teachers are to move beyond the role of educational technicians and into the role of educational professionals (Stevens et al 2006). This is especially vital in view of the accepted strong impact of teacher education on effective reading literacy instruction (Mullis 2007;Myrberg 2007 ity that facilitation of such changes in teachers' understandings and practices takes time (Harrison 2004;Medwell et al 1998;National Reading Panel 2000;Wright 2007) and needs to be organised beyond ITE.…”

The Use of Islamic Literature to Teach Ethical English

“…Pike (2011a) points out two main reasons for the development of professional ethics. First, abundant valuable works have been done recently related to the reflection of professional learning of English teachers, especially in the so-termed Initial Teacher Education (ITE) (Stevens, Hodges, Gibbons, Hunt, & Turvey, 2006;Stevens & Lowing, 2008). Not only is ethical English concerned with who the teacher is, but it also deals with what the teacher does (Pike, 2011a).…”