Adult numeracy teacher training programmes in England: A suggested typology

Nationally approved adult numeracy teacher training programmes were started in September 2002 following the introduction of subject specifications by the Department for Education and Skills and the Further Education National Training Organisation in England. These programmes delivered by higher education institutions and further education colleges were found to consist of a wide variation of course structure and delivery style. This article offers a conceptual typological framework to classify the diversity of these programmes. It uses examples of adult numeracy courses drawn from a research project, which investigates the diverse curriculum approaches to teaching the subject specifications, the issues around implementation, and the way that subject knowledge was translated into classroom skills. The typology uses Bernstein’s theories on curriculum knowledge, transmission and recontextualization pedagogic processes as a framework to classify and enhance our understanding of the raison d’etre of this subject area of teacher training courses i.e. teach trainees how to be teachers of adult numeracy. The article also offers an ‘ideal’ teacher training course where some of its elements are drawn from best practices identified in the project. Finally, this article might act as platform for practitioners to critically assess how adult numeracy teacher training courses might be structured and classifie

Learning to be teachers of adult numeracy.

This paper investigates how teacher education programmes provide adequate preparation for its prospective teachers. It uses adult numeracy teacher education in the post-compulsory education sector in England as exemplar. Using findings from two research projects on adult numeracy teacher education courses, the article investigates the applications of Bernstein’s theories to teacher education, the approaches in which the diversity of prospective teachers is catered for on the course, the ways in which the recontextualization process may be incorporated into the course, the strategies to enable prospective teachers to learn to be teachers and the perception of prospective teachers regarding the weaknesses of their courses. Finally, this article mentions additional areas for research in order to gain further insight into the complex process of learning to be a teacher

Theories of Bernstein and Shulman: their relevance to teacher training courses in England using adult numeracy courses as an example

Since 2002, adult numeracy specifications have been introduced for the first time in England. This article investigates the relevance of Bernstein and Shulman’s theoretical frameworks to teacher training using the new level four adult numeracy teacher training programmes as an example. The article discusses Bernstein’s theories relating to pedagogic methods of acquisition and transmission. It investigates the recontextualization process in which subject-content and teaching standards may be translated into teaching approaches, which can be used by trainee teachers. It also investigates Shulman’s model of pedagogical reasoning and action in relation to teacher training. The article bases its evidence on a research project, which evaluates teacher-training courses in adult numeracy and literacy, and English for speakers of other languages in England. The article suggests that the two educationists’ theories have significant relevance to the design and implementation of teacher training courses. It also suggests that they can be used alongside each other with each educationist’s theories having their particular strengths. Bernstein’s theories emphasises a rigorous approach to course structuring; Shulman’s theories offer an insightful approach to how a trainee transforms subject and teaching standards knowledge and skills into possible teaching methods to help her learners understand the subject