The nature of practice-based knowledge and understanding

The chapter situates teaching as a practice in which the knowledge and understanding required of expert practitioners is neither wholly practicol nor wholly theoretical. The chapter discusses the natuire of teacher knowledge and understanding and the importance of the development of practical judgement,which might characterised as a capacity to do the right thing at the right time, to respond flexibly and appropriately in the moment. Judgement is a fundamental capacity for teachers

School Based Induction Tutors: a challenging role

Since September 1999, all Newly Qualified Teachers (NQTs) in England who wish to teach in the maintained sector have to complete an induction period. In the light of the introduction of this statutory policy, this paper critically examines the key role of the school based induction tutor in managing the process. It draws upon an analysis of the government’s induction circulars (DfEE/S 1999;2000;2001) and uses empirical data from a large, national DfES-funded project which evaluated the implementation of the policy. We argue that, for the majority of schools the work of the induction tutor within the whole school context, including management by the headteacher, is the major factor in the success of the policy. Further, we argue that there remain some tensions in the policy between the professional development and the assessment agenda

Decolonizing the curriculum:Philosophical perspectives - an introduction

This Special Issue is focused on supporting the transformation of education called for in the decolonizing the curriculum movement by advancing discourse on the diverse philosophical ideas, concepts, and theories that can undergird practical efforts to decolonize curricula across education sectors. The special issue brings together voices from a range of backgrounds, who draw from a variety of theoretical positions within and beyond philosophies of education. The authors offer diverse forms of scholarly contributions, including philosophical articles, practice-focused reflections, and a reflection on ‘education’ in the public sphere. In this introduction, we consider the relevance of educational-philosophical thinking to the pressing issue of decolonizing the curriculum. The volume is divided into two parts, with the first covering issues of university and postcompulsory education, and the second discussing issues related to schools. We discuss three interconnected themes that permeate both sections: (i) whose knowledge and whose narratives are embodied in curricula? (ii) who is the curriculum for? Who is the learner? What does it mean to be human? (iii) what implications does decolonizing the curriculum have for pedagogy? With these themes, we indicate some of the ways that the articles contribute to a critical extension of the meaning of education itself

Teacher Development 3.0: How we can transform the professional education of teachers

We are a group of teachers, school leaders, teacher educators and researchers who want to promote the development of teaching as a profession in the best interests of children, young people and society as a whole. We are particularly interested in how universities can support a profession-led model of teacher development. We reject the terms of the polarised debates that are currently dominant: with regard to initial teacher education, ‘reform’ and ‘defend’ positions have become so entrenched that sustainable change for the good is ever more difficult to achieve. With reference to teaching, ‘traditional’ and ‘progressive’ have become meaningless terms flung around in the echo chambers of Twitter. In this pamphlet we promote 4 design principles that we believe are essential in transforming the professional education of teachers, both at the beginning and throughout their careers. We propose: * A long-life teaching profession; * Schools, universities and teachers at the heart of their communities; * Education as cultural and societal development as well as individual advantage; * A continuum of professional learning. We believe we need to take a long term view about the future of schools and teaching as a profession, responding to the significant societal challenges we face. We also offer 4 key design questions for teacher educators that might help them to enact the principles of Teacher Development 3.0

Wigs, disguises and child's play : solidarity in teacher education

It is generally acknowledged that much contemporary education takes place within a dominant audit culture, in which accountability becomes a powerful driver of educational practices. In this culture both pupils and teachers risk being configured as a means to an assessment and target-driven end: pupils are schooled within a particular paradigm of education. The article discusses some ethical issues raised by such schooling, particularly the tensions arising for teachers, and by implication, teacher educators who prepare and support teachers for work in situations where vocational aims and beliefs may be in in conflict with instrumentalist aims. The article offers De Certeau’s concept of ‘la perruque’ to suggest an opening to playful engagement for human ends in education, as a way of contending with and managing the tensions generated. I use the concept to recover a concept of solidarity for teacher educators and teachers to enable ethical teaching in difficult times