In-service Initial Teacher Education in the Learning and Skills Sector in England: Integrating Course and Workplace Learning

Abstract

In-service initial teacher education in the learning and skills sector in England: integrating course and workplace learning AbstractThe aim of the paper is to advance understanding of in-service learning and skills sector trainee teachers' learning and propose ways of improving their learning. A conceptual framework is developed by extending Billett's (2008) conceptualisation of workplace learning, as a relationally interdependent process between the opportunities workplaces afford for activities and interactions, and how individuals engage with these, to a third base of participation, the affordances of the initial teacher education course. Hager and Hodkinson's (2009) metaphor of 'learning as becoming' is used to conceptualise the ways trainees reconstruct learning in a continuous transactional process of boundary crossing between course and workplace. The findings of six longitudinal case studies of trainees' development, and evidence from other studies, illustrate the complex interrelationships between LSS workplace affordances, course affordances and trainee characteristics and the ways in which trainees reconstruct learning in each setting. The experience of teaching and interacting with learners, interactions colleagues, and access to workplace resources and training are important workplace affordances for learning. However, some trainees have limited access to these affordances. Teaching observations, course activities, and experiences as a learner are significant course affordances. Trainees' beliefs, prior experiences and dispositions vary and significantly influence their engagement with course and workplace affordances. It is proposed that better integration of course and workplace learning, through guided participation in an intentional workplace curriculum and attention to the ways trainees choose to engage with this, together with the use of practical theorising has the potential to improve trainee learning.

From Learning Cultures to Educational Cultures: Values and Judgements in Educational Research and Educational Improvement

“…While we developed the cultural approach in the context of our research on the education of young people and adults, the approach has the potential to be useful in a much wider range of settings (for some examples of the use of the cultural approach in other settings see Ashwin 2009;Billett 2009;Maxwell 2010;Quennerstedt et al 2011). The other contributions to the special issue of which this article is a part focus on the differing ways in which a cultural approach can be useful for research on and improvement of learning in early childhood settings.…”

The three-axes model of planning in physical education (El modelo de planificación de tres ejes en Educación Física)

“…Consequently, providing beginners and pre-service teachers with this planning structure could help them to plan in a correct way, assuring the alignment of instruction with the aims of the centre, community, and national standards; adjusting the teaching to the complexity of the educational stage and students' capacities; and providing a progressive autonomy to the students regarding physical activity practices in their daily life. The support given by the experiences, innovations and supervision of experienced teachers is crucial in carrying out these contents in PE for the beginning and novel teacher training process (Maxwell, 2010;McPhail & Tannehill, 2012).…”

Learning To Teach In The NZ ITP Sector: Lessons From Literature

“…They also find that the "dominant norms, values and traditions" within the socio-cultural context influence what is learned (p. 1133). More specifically, Maxwell (2010) finds that learning is influenced by naturally occurring interactions with colleagues and suggests that novice teachers need to be given support to challenge any collegial interaction with the potential to inhibit learning. Harris (2011) suggests that to develop a more sophisticated repertoire of pedagogical practices, novice teachers need to broaden their experiences of teaching through observation of expert teachers outside of their everyday teaching contexts.…”

“…There is evidence that the socio-cultural context may influence the outcomes of informal learning and suppress emerging teaching identities, particularly when the dominant discourse is occupational rather than teaching knowledge. Research suggests that authentic, mediated learning experiences are facilitated in realworld work environments but that they need to be supported by mentorship (Grier and Johnson, 2009;Maxwell, 2010). The GDTE integrates authentic learning activities and subsequently facilitates collaborative discourse and reflection across contexts, within a more formal learning environment.…”