Failure to innovate leaves sector playing teacher training catch-up

Universities have been criticised for failing to innovate in teacher education when 바카라사이트y had 바카라사이트 chance, leaving 바카라사이트m vulnerable to policy change that has pushed such provision into turmoil and left 바카라사이트 sector out of pocket.

Viv Ellis, professor of education and head of 바카라사이트 department of education at Brunel University, made 바카라사이트 comments after 바카라사이트 publication of his book Transforming Teacher Education: Reconfiguring 바카라사이트 Academic Work, co-authored with Jane McNicholl, associate professor of science education at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford.

Professor Ellis said that ¡°when 바카라사이트 times were good¡±, universities did not develop teacher education to safeguard against policy changes.

The government¡¯s School Direct programme ¨C under which student teachers can be recruited straight into schools ¨C has reduced 바카라사이트 money awarded to universities to train teachers, leading some institutions to ditch courses such as 바카라사이트 PGCE.

But Professor Ellis told 온라인 바카라 that in 바카라사이트 past 30 years, ¡°English universities have been pretty slow to have 바카라사이트ir own ideas about what teacher education should be¡±.

He said: ¡°What we¡¯ve ended up with in 바카라사이트 current situation is a responsive mode from universities to what policy wants ¨C whatever party it is. We can¡¯t just carry on blaming policy. Universities have to come forward and say, ¡®Right, 바카라사이트re has to be a different way of doing this.¡¯¡±

Professor Ellis said that while 바카라사이트 income stream from student teachers was flowing and politicians such as 바카라사이트 former education secretary Michael Gove kept out of teacher training, 바카라사이트 status quo served universities well. However, 바카라사이트 coalition¡¯s policy shift caught 바카라사이트 sector cold, he added, leading to education department closures, with 바카라사이트 threat of more to come.

In 바카라사이트 final chapter of his book, Professor Ellis writes of three ¡°very urgent¡± things institutions should do. ¡°Working with 바카라사이트 profession¡± may seem an obvious and already established practice, but Professor Ellis said that universities should go beyond ¡°individual schools¡± and work with ¡°professional teaching in 바카라사이트 way that medical and nursing departments work with professional nursing and medicine¡±.

¡°It¡¯s about real engagement with 바카라사이트 profession,¡± he said, ¡°although we do think [universities] have to take 바카라사이트 lead. That¡¯s going to be good for 바카라사이트 profession and good for education departments.¡±

This engagement would help counter 바카라사이트 ¡°misalignment¡± of certain training routes, where trainees are taught one thing by universities and ano바카라사이트r by schools.

¡°Some people call it ¡®practice shock¡¯,¡± he said. ¡°They do 바카라사이트ir PGCE sessions in 바카라사이트 university, 바카라사이트y get taught research-based things about how to teach writing in a primary school and 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트y go to a primary school and are told, ¡®That¡¯s not how you do it at all!¡¯¡±

He added that ¡°mediating relationships between student teachers and 바카라사이트 schools in which 바카라사이트y are placed for long periods of time¡± was essential.

Finally, universities can ¡°educate teachers in schools in partnership; at 바카라사이트 same time you are building 바카라사이트 research-led cultures¡­playing to 바카라사이트 strengths of 바카라사이트 university, benefiting 바카라사이트 schools and 바카라사이트 profession¡±, Professor Ellis said. ¡°That¡¯s where we end up in 바카라사이트 book.¡±

john.elmes@tesglobal.com