Session Information
04 SES 09 A, Teachers and Teacher Education
Paper Session
Contribution
This study is located within the context of the English Initial Teacher Education system but seeks to consider ways in which the extension of practice within that system can accord with Common European Principles for Teacher Competence (EU, 2007). The paper resides in the work of the Faculty of Education of the University of Cumbria, which has a long tradition in the training and education of teachers.
The focus of the research derives from a perceived mismatch between current practice within the University of Cumbria Teacher Education Partnership and the principle to Work with and in Society, ‘to understand the factors that cause social cohesion and exclusion in society’ (EU, 2007). It is suggested that an agenda exists within the English context, and increasingly within the EU, that is premised on the notion that teacher competency can be reduced to a set of measurable standards for all children, but which experience suggests are met in a narrowed range of settings that do not include all children.
The Faculty of Education at the University of Cumbria is committed to the principle of Inclusion. The Faculty, within its Initial Teacher Education programme, has offered a specialism in SEN / Inclusion since 2003. In the same year, students on the programme began to be offered the option of an experiential placement in a Special School / Unit.
The rationale for this placement stated that students needed to experience the full range of provision for pupils, if they were to understand and embrace fully inclusive practice. This appears to accord with the extensive extant research evidence (Garner, 1996, 2000, Avrimidis et al., 2000, etc.) that suggests the biggest barrier to inclusive practice is teacher perceptions of, and attitudes towards, children with SEN, both of which are changed by exposure to best practice in settings working with these pupils.
As part of Quality Assurance procedures within the University of Cumbria, information has been gathered about the placement since its inception. This has included student evaluations and reflective accounts of the placement, Conference Days designed to evidence specific aspects of the experience, evaluative questionnaires circulated to all participants, and interviews of participating students and the class teachers from their settings.
Analysis of this evidential base produces a strong sense of how positive the experience is seen as being. The students talk about the transformational nature of the placement and how the child centred focus they experience in these settings has developed their skills in planning, differentiation, personalisation, and collaborative working. This is encapsulated in a move away from a compliance mentality, to a creative and empowered mindset.
It has been suggested, as a result of this positive feedback and in accord with the principles detailed above, that the scope of the placement should be extended, either by allowing more students to participate experientially, or by making it a required element of the programme. Some consideration has also been given to making the placement an assessed part of the programme.
Method
Expected Outcomes
References
Avramidis, E. Bayliss, P. & Burden, R. (2000) ‘Student teachers’ attitudes towards the inclusion of children with special educational needs in the ordinary school’ Teaching and Teacher Education, 16 pp. 277 – 293 European Commission (2007) Common European Principles for Teacher Competences and Qualifications..Bruxelles: Commission Européenne Garner, P. (1996a) ‘A Special Education? The experience of newly qualified teachers during initial training’ British Educational Research Journal 22(2) pp.155-163 Garner, P. (2000) ‘Pretzel Only Policy? Inclusion and the Real World of Initial Teacher Education’ British Journal of Special Education 27(3) pp.111-116 Robson, C (2002) Real World Research, 2nd edn. Oxford: Blackwell Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) (2007) Professional Standards for Teachers in England. London: TDA
Search the ECER Programme
- Search for keywords and phrases in "Text Search"
- Restrict in which part of the abstracts to search in "Where to search"
- Search for authors and in the respective field.
- For planning your conference attendance you may want to use the conference app, which will be issued some weeks before the conference
- If you are a session chair, best look up your chairing duties in the conference system (Conftool) or the app.