Evaluating the impact of the new National Award for SENCos: Transforming landscapes or gardening in a gale?

This study, authored by Dominic Griffiths and Rachel Dubsky, both of Manchester Metropolitan University, considers the impact of the new National Award for Special Educational Needs Coordinators (NASENCo) in one English local authority. Data on the impacts upon both SENCos' personal professional development and upon their schools are drawn from semi-structured interviews with six SENCOs, their headteachers and one colleague from each of their schools. Factors that appear to have enhanced or modified the impact of the training are identified. The article discussed, firstly, the emerging theme of SENCos' own perceptions of their role, and then the implications of the study's findings for future NASENCo course design

Learning to Teach About Ideas and Evidence in Science : The Student Teacher as Change Agent

A collaborative curriculum development project was set up to address the lack of good examples of teaching about ideas and evidence and the nature of science encountered by student teachers training to teach in the age range 11-16 in schools in England. Student and teacher-mentor pairs devised, taught and evaluated novel lessons and approaches. The project design required increasing levels of critique through cycles of teaching, evaluation and revision of lessons. Data were gathered from interviews and students' reports to assess the impact of the project on student teachers and to what extent any influences survived when they gained their first teaching posts. A significant outcome was the perception of teaching shifting from the delivery of standard lessons in prescribed ways to endeavours demanding creativity and decision-making. Although school-based factors limited newly qualified teachers' chances to use new lessons and approaches and therefore act as change-agents in schools, the ability to critique curriculum materials and the recognition of the need to create space for professional dialogue were durable gains

An exploration of higher level teaching assistants’ perceptions of their training and development in the context of school workforce reform

This paper reports on teaching assistants’ perceptions of the Phase 1 Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA) training programme and the match to their changing role in classroom support, and suggests resulting issues for the design and delivery of HLTA training programmes. It explores what impact undertaking the training and gaining HLTA professional status has had upon the school activities undertaken by the teaching assistants and their relationships with other members of staff within the school. Finally, it suggests emerging issues for the involvement of staff with HLTA professional status in classrooms in the context of the Schools’ Workforce Reform in England

Trainee teachers' views on what helps them to use information and communication technology effectively in their subject teaching

This study explored the views of initial teacher trainees on various components of their training in the use of new technology to teach their subject. The research focused on trainees' reflections on their experiences of trying to ‘get better’ at information and communication technology (ICT) in the course of their training. Data collection involved baseline and follow-up questionnaire surveys of trainees' attitudes to the use of ICT in subject teaching and the factors that they felt had hindered or promoted their development in the use of ICT, and focus group interviews with small groups of trainees. In spite of the importance attached to this facet of initial training, and significant investment in terms of time and training materials and resources, there is evidence to suggest that much of this investment is not found to be helpful by trainees. In particular, there appears to be a danger that they have simply been overwhelmed with information about the use of ICT to such an extent that they do not feel that they can realistically be expected to engage with many of the materials that have been produced. In addition to ascertaining trainees' views on strategies and interventions that they did not find helpful, the data identify some key factors and moments that trainees felt had a major impact on their progress in the use of ICT. The outcomes of the enquiry reveal clear preferences among trainees for modes of working with ICT, and in terms of the experiences that they felt had impacted on their ability to use ICT in their subject teaching. The concluding section of the paper considers the ways in which trainees' induction into the use of new technology might be made more effective