This study took place within an environment of educational change in teaching and assessment in the UK, where the National Curriculum (N.C.) and National External Examination syllabi undertook significant revision. Science education specifically, has seen aspiration raised to allow pupils to achieve a greater depth of understanding at Key Stage 4 and hence facilitate advanced study. Central to the development of effective scientific understanding is teacher preparation. This study examined the factors that impacted on the experiences of primary teachers during their training. Questionnaires completed by a sample of one hundred and sixteen trainee teachers followed by semi-structured interviews of sixteen trainees were used as a means of interpreting Post-Graduate Certification in Education (PGCE) trainee teachers' experiences during taught university sessions and school based training. The findings showed that the majority of the trainees rated their training highly, and perceived themselves to be confident primary science pedagogues. They felt, however that the very limited opportunities to observe and teach science during their training negatively influenced their overall development.
The nature of leadership and management in a school are key to achieving high-quality education for all pupils. Leadership theories and empirical research have sought to identify characteristics of leaders, aspects of the context in which they work and their relationships with others to identify features of successful school leadership. This article reports on findings from a study into outstanding leadership in primary education using Q-methodology. The perceptions of head teachers, deputy head teachers, governors and academics with personal experience of leadership in English primary schools were gathered using Q-sort and analysed with PQ software. Overall, the analysis identified very strong agreement over six statements from a Q-set of 23 statements of outstanding leadership. There were subtle differences between urban and rural school settings.
Leadership and management in schools have sought to produce high quality education for all pupils. To inform and support school leaders’ educationalists have developed theories and undertaken research studies identifying the relationships, contexts and characteristics that enable effective leadership. However, recent times of turbulence in primary schools have had an inevitable impact upon the key drivers for successful leadership and management. This study builds upon our previous research into outstanding leadership in primary education to examine the impact that such change has had upon the leadership of serving head teachers. It utilises an adapted Q-sort methodology to identify the views of serving head teachers to gain insights into the impact that such change has had upon their leadership. Overall, the analysis identified a need for aspirational characteristics of leadership, underpinned by personal values to guide schools in such times, as they strive to produce high quality education.
The need for outstanding leadership in education and professional practice has been brought into sharper focus during the COVID-19 pandemic. Crises, such as this global pandemic, often place additional burdens on leaders and other professionals who are seeking to achieve high-quality education for all pupils. We offer a tool for leaders and managers to use with their teams to develop outstanding leadership in their organisations. The tool, a Q-sort on characteristics of outstanding leadership, has been developed using Q-methodology with leadership teams working in primary, secondary and post-compulsory education. This article outlines strategies for using the Q-sort to promote discussion and reflection in relation to participants' own experiences of leadership, management and governance in different contexts. Our participants found that discussion around the characteristics of outstanding leadership was a non-threatening process for developing their own leadership practice and guiding them in future actions.
He has been involved in primary education in Herefordshire for over 24 years, of which 16 years has been as a successful head teacher in both small village and large primary school settings. He has a strong research interest in teachers' professional identity, school leadership teacher's working lives. Words 2708 Abtract The pandemic of Coronavirus in 2020-21 (COVID-19) has impacted upon the lives of many university-based school mentors and teacher trainees. The strong commitment and partnership between mentors, trainees and training settings has, despite such challenges, allowed teacher training to continue and flourish. This has been achieved through relentless innovation and change so that schools, mentors, course leaders and training institutions can continue to support their trainees. Using virtual support for trainees in schools, coupled with a strong school training partnership which is staffed by committed mentors this has meant that trainees continue to progress towards their goal of achieving qualified teacher status. Personal relationships between mentors and trainees have underpinned trainees' emotional, personal and professional wellbeing. This reflective paper, written by a university-based teacher training mentor, outlines how change has been managed, and the factors that have secured success in these most turbulent of times.
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