Steven Hutchinson

Boundaries and Bricolage: Examining the Roles of Universities and Schools in Student Teacher Learning.

The literature shows that an active exploration of difference between university‐ and school‐based perspectives can provide important opportunities for student teacher learning in initial teacher education. This paper presents a study that looks at the learning opportunities presented to student teachers as they talk about teaching and learning with their school‐based mentor and part‐time university‐based tutor on a distance education course in initial teacher education in the UK. The study adopts an activity theoretical approach complemented by a broader social learning theory perspective. Content analysis is used in four separate cases to examine and report on conversations that centre around one taught lesson. The study reveals understandings about the way that learning opportunities are presented to student teachers and argues that it can be enhanced by looking at student teacher learning systemically, with a focus on dissonant perspectives.

Establishing Relationships Between Students, Mentors and Specialist Tutors in Practice Settings

I don’t get around to see other people. Now that’s probably not very good but I’m getting rather old now and I’m rather set in my ways. I feel what I do works, certainly as far as discipline’s concerned which is the main thing… And I’m happy with what I do. [The University Tutor] supplements what I do… to check on what I do as well. On the odd occasions she is here to check on how [the student] is doing… [The University course] is paperwork isn’t it? That sounds awful. But I think there’s nothing like the practice. I’m not clear what she’s doing [with her college work] but there’s nothing like the practice, you know what I mean? I’m not a great one for paperwork.