A role for practising teachers in initial teacher education

Citation

Cope P & Stephen C (2001) A role for practising teachers in initial teacher education. Teaching and Teacher Education, 17 (8), pp. 913-924. http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?partnerID=yv4JPVwI&eid=2-s2.0-0035604601&md5=402fad205069a3ad3013e8582e496cee; https://doi.org/10.1016/S0742-051X%2801%2900040-3

Abstract
This paper discusses the problems which can arise from the location of initial teacher education in two contexts, namely higher education and schools. An attempt to reduce the resulting dissonance by deploying practising teachers on an initial teacher education programme within higher education is described and the views of those teachers are presented. It is suggested that the use of practising teachers in higher education has a number of advantages, such as the presentation to students of situated and practical knowledge of teaching and the opportunity for more consistent quality assurance of professional inputs to the programme. But questions are raised about access to the craft knowledge of the teachers and the relationship between theoretical and practical components of the course. It is concluded that bringing practising teachers into the higher education contexts could act as a basis for the development of a more effective initial teacher education and for professional development of both teachers and lecturers working on initial teacher education programmes.

Keywords
Initial teacher education; Craft knowledge; Theory–practice gap; Classroom practitioners innovation

Journal
Teaching and Teacher Education: Volume 17, Issue 8

People

Dr Christine Stephen

Honorary Research Fellow, Faculty of Social Sciences