Janet S. Stuart

Designs for initial teacher preparation programs: an international view

Abstract The process of designing Initial Teacher Preparation Programmes is discussed using five examples of recent innovations in this field, two from the ‘North’ and three from the ‘South’. After briefly describing the case studies, the analysis stresses the importance of understanding the historical, socio-economic and cultural contexts in which such programmes emerge, and the political and epistemological tensions which many exist. It then reviews the structural and institutional parameters, such as length, location, time and organisation of the courses, and raises the issues of what the trainees bring with them. Finally curricular strategies are examined, by looking at the aims and objectives, the content and teaching/learning processes, and comparing how these are dealt with in the different countries. The conclusions point to some emerging trends, but emphasise the contextual nature of such programmes.

‘Do you ride on elephants’ and ‘never tell them you're German’: the experiences of British Asian and black, and overseas student teachers in South‐east England

In this article we report on part of a small-scale study into the experiences of 28 British-born Asian and black, and overseas student teachers, who were following both Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) and school-based routes to qualified teacher status (QTS), in Sussex and Kent. The results indicate worrying degrees of racism, xenophobia and general ignorance in schools in South-east England, a finding underscored by some recent interviews undertaken by a local council in the same region. The authors conclude that, in order to challenge this racism, xenophobia and ignorance, there is an urgent need to be proactive in undermining racism. This should include the full implementation of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act in all educational institutions and the endorsement of the Stephen Lawrence Enquiry (Macpherson) Reports recommendation for the amendment of the National Curriculum to provide an education which deals with racism awareness.

College Tutors: A Fulcrum for Change?.

Abstract The paper summarises information gathered through MUSTER 1 on the characteristics and career patterns of college tutors in Ghana, Lesotho, Malawi and Trinidad and Tobago. The findings confirm that teachers become trainers in haphazard ways, that their induction and professional development is neglected, and that consequently many “train as they were trained”. Exploring some of their perspectives on their work, the study concludes that although few have an explicit theory of teacher education, most work within a ‘technical rationality’ model, in which knowledge and skills are transmitted to trainees to be applied unproblematically in the schools. This discussion focuses on how colleges can be enabled to lead rather than follow the paradigm shifts in education.

Supporting untrained teachers in Malawi

Abstract In the aftermath of the introduction of free primary education in Malawi, 17 000 untrained teachers were recruited to meet the new demand for schooling. This article reports a study carried out to investigate how the new recruits were coping and how far the schools were able to provide informal on-the-job training. It also describes how action research was introduced to help heads and both qualified and unqualified teachers to improve their own practice. Conclusions are drawn about the feasibility of school-based training in Malawi.

Action research in developing African education systems: is the glass half full or half empty?

Abstract Action research is being introduced to Africa, where it has to adapt to very different professional contexts and to resource-constrained schools. The study reports how heads, qualified and untrained teachers in six Malawi schools responded to an action research intervention over a 6-month period. It concludes that most teachers found the process useful, but that much support is needed from the facilitators, particularly where basic resources, professional background training and a critical approach are lacking.