Theory and Practice
Initial teacher education has seen significant changes since the beginning of the 1990s. Until then the provision for teacher training courses mainly consisted of one-year PGCE courses. Student teachers used to spend over two thirds of their training time in HEIs while their time in schools consisted of one long placement in the spring term. This was to change
‘partly because of the government’s unease about the role of higher education institutes and its desire to emphasise the practical rather than what it perceived as the theoretical aspects of teacher training.’
(Thorogood, 1993, p.8)
In 1992, Kenneth Clarke, who was the Secretary of State for Education and Science at the time, outlined his intention to change initial teacher education courses and hand over most of the training time to schools. A two-year school-based course, the Articled Teacher Scheme, had just been piloted and it seems that Kenneth Clarke proposed for existing PGCEs to develop into similar school-based programmes (Gilroy, 1996).
The plans were not without criticisms however while existing PGCEs allowed for more input from universities, this system did not allow student teachers to sample a range of educational institutions and different ways of organising teaching and learning in modern languages departments, nor did it allow them to make mistakes and learn from them in a ‘second chance’ placement. Changing initial teacher education in such a manner would suppose changes in funding and altering roles within existing partnerships.
More than a decade on and both HEIs and schools have managed the changes well. England has seen the development of PGCEs with more time spent in schools - at least 24 weeks out of the 36 weeks of a conventional PGCE, Some other ITE courses are almost completely school-based.
Today the range of initial teacher education courses available for modern linguists mirrors and provides for a range of circumstances for people wanting to become teachers of modern languages in this country.
Some are concerned that teacher education should not be seen as focusing too narrowly on a limited view of the process of learning to teach. Lambert and Pachler report that:
‘ “Reflective practice” (Schön 1987) came to the rescue, in the sense that it enabled teacher educators to conceptualise the role of education in the in the field of teacher training in a new way. A disciplined mind was able to critically reflect on practice and experience, and through such processes, autonomous professionals would learn. Such was the context in which teacher training partnerships were established in England in the 1990s. No longer were the universities “in the lead”. Schools were to have real influence on the design of initial teacher education (see Furlong et al. 2000).’
(Lambert and Pachler, 2002, p.227)
In response to this some see in the introduction of PGCEs with M-credits or dual qualifications such as PGCE-Maîtrise FLE the opportunity to increase the theoretical content of a PGCE course and foster the ability of student teachers to make the link between theory and practice (Lawes, 2006). (See our area on developing work at Masters Level)
Lawes argues that
‘the transformation of subjective experience is the key role of theory in teacher education. It is only through theory that real professionalism is possible. Theoretical understanding may not offer much in the way of “tips for teachers”, but there is a more important outcome: a far deeper understanding of our practice.’
(Lawes, 2002, p.45)
This ‘transformation of subjective experience’ should be fostered among trainees by both tutors and mentors. Working in partnership either within the present model of tutor-mentor roles or within the new model of co-tutoring suggested by Pachler and Field (2001) has to help develop trainees into reflective professionals.
It may be healthier to make no such distinction between teacher education and teacher training believing that both schools and HEIs can provide well-balanced initial teacher development as long as they work hand in hand. Stone explains that
‘HE/school collaboration, together with more time spent in schools, will offer new opportunities for students to experience the interactive nature of theory and practice and to develop a conceptual framework for themselves.’
Stone V. (1993)
Ultimately there is no doubt that quality HEI-school partnerships are at the heart of quality initial teacher education, as well as good university tutor and school mentor training and development.
In conclusion what is a partnership in ITE?
‘ A partnership should evolve through a continuous process of monitoring, evaluation and revision by all concerned. It requires a constant dialogue where theory and practice can inform each other, and should be based on:
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Partners are people!
(Thorogood, 1993, p.7)
References
- Furlong J. et al. (2000) Teacher education in transition: re-forming professionalism? OUP
- Gilroy P. (1996) Forward to the past: the development of school-based Initial Teacher Education in England and Wales in Trafford J. (ed.) (1996) Learning to teach – Aspects of Initial Teacher Education University of Sheffield, Division of Education
- Lambert D. and Pachler N. (2002) Teacher Education in the United Kingdom Metodika, Vol.3, br.5, str.221-233
- Lawes S. (2002) Trends in modern foreign language initial teacher education – the role of higher education Language Learning Journal, no.25, pp.40-45
- Pachler N. and Field K. (2001) From mentor to co-tutor: reconceptualising secondary modern foreign languages initial teacher education Language Learning Journal, no.23, pp.15-25
- Schön D. (1987) Educating the reflective practitioner Jossey-Bass
- Stone V. (1993) Where? – Establishing the framework for partnership in Thorogood J. (ed.) (1993) Partners – a guide to school-based initial teacher training in modern languages CILT
- Thorogood J. (1993) Introduction in Thorogood J. (ed.) (1993) Partners – a guide to school-based initial teacher training in modern languages CILT
- Trafford J. (ed.) (1996) Learning to teach – Aspects of Initial Teacher Education University of Sheffield, Division of Education
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