Strengthening initial teacher education programs to deliver confident, effective, classroom-ready graduates: A feasibility study

Abstract

Purpose TransformEd is an evidence-based program that targets initial teacher education to equip future teachers with innovative strategies that increase the health, wellbeing and education outcomes of school children. Feasibility, effectiveness and implementation research demonstrate that TransformEd significantly enhances pre-service teachers’ confidence and competence to deliver such strategies. However, to date, the program has only been tested in undergraduate teaching degrees. It is important to gather more evidence for the feasibility and efficacy of the program at all levels of initial teacher education, including at postgraduate level. Methods A pilot feasibility study was conducted to examine the feasibility of embedding TransformEd in a Master of Teaching degree at one Australian university. Preliminary efficacy was measured by pre- and post-program surveys completed by Master of Teaching pre-service teachers who received the 12-week TransformEd program. Implementation was measured by adherence checklists completed by lecturers who delivered TransformEd. Post-program focus groups and interviews with senior academics and lecturers, respectively, explored perceptions of all eight domains of feasibility. Results Survey results demonstrated that the TransformEd program was positively received by pre-service teachers (n=21), resulting in improvements in several measures of teaching confidence and competence in regard to delivering strategies to improve school children’s health, wellbeing and learning. The TransformEd strategies were well adopted by lecturers (n=3) and implementation increased over time. Both lecturers and senior academics (n=2) had positive perceptions of the program, highlighting its feasibility in postgraduate initial teacher education. Conclusion This pilot study provides support for the feasibility TransformEd program in the context of postgraduate initial teacher education. The findings have direct implications for the progression of TransformEd from pilot feasibility to a future definitive trial in postgraduate initial teacher education, which may provide a population –level impact on the health, wellbeing and education outcomes of all Australian children.