Stuart Bevins

Teachers' Perceptions of Mentoring in a Collaborative Model of Initial Teacher Training.

Abstract United Kingdom government-led initiatives in initial teacher training in the 1990s have focused heavily on the skills required for good classroom performance per se . The apprenticeship model and a reduction in the contribution made by higher education to the theory of teaching and learning has characterised the paradigm, which is developing devotees in other countries beyond the United Kingdom. Whilst university academics have long shown concern that such a model might, in fact, devalue the professional skills of newly qualified teachers, this study provides evidence that these concerns are spreading to the teaching community itself. The experienced mentors interviewed in this study argue for increased reflection away from the immediate pragmatic demands of the classroom. Newly qualified teachers, it is argued, need training not only in their role as classroom managers, but also in their wider professional commitments. This includes an appreciation of the academic basis of their profession and t...

Collaboration between academics and teachers: a complex relationship

Collaboration between academics and teachers has become increasingly prevalent over recent years. Whether its aim is joint research or continuing professional development for teachers, collaboration seems to offer a realistic opportunity for reducing the perceived gap between theory and practice. However, collaboration is not merely academics and teachers working together on a common project. It is complex in nature and involves a range of requirements that must be satisfied in order to maximise the potential of the relationship. In this paper we will theorise on the nature of academics and teachers working together and suggest that a working relationship between academic researchers and teachers can be one of three models: client–supplier, a coercive relationship or a collaborative relationship. We identify and unpack specific factors that underpin collaboration and suggest a number of concrete actions to establish collaboration between academics and teachers. We draw heavily from existing literature and our own reflections on two collaborative projects with which we have recently been involved. We use data from these projects to provide a number of anecdotes from the teachers who participated to support our own reflections. Finally, we suggest that further research should investigate the different ways attempts to collaborate fail, to build a more complete sense of the problems and potential of this special relationship.

Reconceptualising Inquiry in Science Education.

ABSTRACT Decades of discussion and debate about how science is most effectively taught and learned have resulted in a number of similar but competing inquiry models. These aim to develop students learning of science through approaches which reflect the authenticity of science as practiced by professional scientists while being practical and manageable within the school context. This paper offers a collection of our current reflections and suggestions concerning inquiry and its place in science education. We suggest that many of the current models of inquiry are too limited in their vision concerning themselves, almost exclusively, with producing a scaffold which reduces the complex process of inquiry into an algorithmic approach based around a sequence of relatively simple steps. We argue that this restricts students’ experience of authentic inquiry to make classroom management and assessment procedures easier. We then speculate that a more integrated approach is required through an alternative inquiry model that depends on three dimensions (conceptual, procedural and personal) and we propose that it will be more likely to promote effective learning and a willingness to engage in inquiry across all facets of a students’ school career and beyond.

The views of five participating undergraduate students of the Student Associates Scheme in England

This paper reports findings from a study which explored undergraduate perceptions of the Student Associates Scheme in England (SAS). The scheme was established by the Training and Development Agency for Schools in an attempt to increase the number of graduates entering the teaching profession, particularly in shortage subjects such as the physical sciences and mathematics. The scheme places undergraduate students on short‐term placements in secondary schools throughout England to provide them with experiences that may encourage them to consider teaching as a career option. Findings show that the SAS school placements were a positive experience for the students participating in this study. However, a question emerged as to whether or not the scheme is targeting students who have yet to decide upon teaching as a career or just reinforcing the existing aspirations of students who have already decided to teach. As the scheme is attempting to increase the number of teachers entering the profession this question has important implications for this study and further work which will focus on undergraduates who think that their career ambitions would not be fulfilled by teaching.

Building capacity for professional development: the development of teachers as facilitators in Ghana

ABSTRACT In low- and middle-income countries, cascade models of teacher professional development are often used as routes to educational reform. In these models, external agents deliver professional development, which is then disseminated by in-country facilitators. However, little is known about how to support facilitators of professional development, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. In this study, we report on a model of capacity building for professional development in Ghana. In the context of a large-scale programme of science teacher professional development, a group of Ghanaian teachers gradually assumed responsibility for professional development facilitation, working alongside experienced facilitators from the UK. Using interviews focussed on a storyline technique, we explore the experiences of the Ghanaian teachers as they reflected on their roles. We found the teachers’ epistemological beliefs about teaching were coherent with those of the programme and suggest that this may be an important factor in the success of cascade models of professional development. The teachers gained self-confidence and improved their knowledge and skills of teaching and of professional development facilitation. We propose that this is useful learning for all facilitators and that the model described here is one which is potentially useful for capacity building in other contexts.

Secondary Science Student Teaching Assessment Model

We studied current practices in teacher preparation and student teaching assessment at two universities—Sheffield Hallam University in the United Kingdom and Oklahoma State University in the United States—and identified current practices through university documents and participant interviews in an effort to develop a recommended model for student teacher assessment. The recommended model is based on theory as identified through national standards, literature review, and interviews, and incorporates the practical through participant as well as professional organization recommendations.