Many education systems, both across Europe and globally, have been significantly affected by the reforms characteristic of the post-1980s ‘New Public Management’ era (Apple 2005), with the work of schools and universities exposed to a centrally-regulated ‘audit culture’ within the context of a neo-liberal market environment (Ball 2003; Furlong 2005; Mansell 2007; Wilkins & Wood 2009).  Whilst this is a global trend, it has been a particularly notable feature of education policy under successive UK governments, with two related developments standing out; 1) the framework for assessing teacher competence (at all career stages), and 2) the shift of the locus of control of initial teacher education (ITE) from universities to schools.

The second of these areas is the focus of this study, and is particularly relevant because of the accelerated pace of reform in this area in the UK since the election of a Coalition Government in 2010 (Browne & Reid 2012; Furlong 2013).  Lying behind this policy is a perception that ITE is largely a process of craft learning best located in schools (Darling-Hammond 2006; Menter 2011; Furlong 2013). In this respect it is closely aligned to the increasingly performative model of assessing teacher competence, which also suggests a policy emphasis on training in the ‘craft skills’ of teaching, at the expense of more ‘theoretical’ aspects of teacher education.  Whilst this favouring of ‘practice’ over ‘theory’ is frequently cited by government as a justification for giving schools greater control over ITE, it can also be construed as contributing to a more ‘instrumental’ view of teaching (Leaton-Gray 2006) that does not align well with the notion of developing critically reflective professionalism.

Whilst government policy emphasises the valuable contribution to ITE of ‘outstanding practitioners’ from schools (DfE 2010/2011), it says little about the contribution of university-based teacher educators(UBTE).  This study takes as its starting point the wealth of literature and empirical evidence discussing the role of UBTEs (Loughran, 2006, Taylor 2008. Murray et al 2009).  Much of this work has focused on the complexity of UBTEs’ work, and the ‘added-value’ provided by their engagement with pedagogical research as well as teaching/training (Bullough 2007, Taylor 2008). Evidence shows that effective ITE is not only a matter of ‘cascading expertise’, but enabling beginning teachers to think critically, question existing practices and explore new principles (Taylor 2008).  A particular feature of previous research has been the importance of the role of UBTEs in supporting beginning teachers’ developing reflective practice, arguing that this role demands types of professional knowledge and understanding, and extended pedagogical skills which differ from those required of classroom teachers.  Research with ITE students suggests that their views of UBTEs focus on perceptions of expertise that is lost through leaving the classroom (Murray and Barber, 2012), but fail to recognise the new expertise gained.

This study examines the contribution to ITE (whether this is ‘school-led’ or ‘university-led’) by university-based teacher educators (UBTEs) at a time where UK government policy threatens to undermine universities’ capacity to engage in all forms of teacher education.

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