Teaching on insecure foundations? Pre-service teachers in England’s perceptions of the wider curriculum subjects in primary schools

Abstract

Subject marginalisation is an ongoing concern across the primary education sector, particularly for the arts and humanities. This poses issues for pre-service teacher partnerships and for higher education institutions (HEIs) evaluating the role of subjects within their teacher training courses as they reform their curricula to prepare students to teach across diverse educational contexts. Through the interpretation of student voice, we disseminate a case study with primary initial teacher education (ITE) students that investigates learner perceptions of their training in under-represented foundation subjects. Emerging themes include tensions between university and school-based practices, and between curriculum models, together with the need to develop student adaptability and self-direction. The authors propose that if ITE students explore and take on the dispositions of changemakers, they will become equipped with the self-efficacy and adaptability needed to develop secure bases for teaching foundation subjects as they begin their careers.

Rethinking curriculum: A pandemic opportunity for re-engagement with the Arts?

“…Writing from an English perspective, Heaton and Hickman ( 2020 ) agree that their cognitive value is also disregarded. In spite of such obstructions, research of and support for the Arts in education has persisted internationally (Caldwell et al, 2021 ; Caldwell & Vaughan, 2012 ; Catterall, 2012 ; Dewey, 1934 ; Eisner, 2002 ; Fiske, 1999 ; Kisida & Bowen, 2019 ; Lum & Wagner, 2019 ; Winner & Hetland, 2008 ) and nationally (Ewing, 2020 ; Fleming et al, 2016 ; Gibson & Ewing, 2020 ). Separately, a variety of inquiries has investigated the place and state of the Arts in education across the nation.…”

The Mediating Effect of Leadership Trust on the Relationship Between Organizational Commitment and Willingness to Remain in the Profession of Public Elementary School Teachers

“…In most contexts, the retention of workers, driven by the employees' desire to remain in their companies, has been and will continue to be a significant problem for organizations across all sectors (Aben, 2020). Organizations search for solutions to this problem by developing strategies to increase job satisfaction (Caldwell, Whewell, Bracey, Heaton, Crawford & Shelley, 2021) and enhance the quality of working surroundings (Flowers & Hughes, 2018). However, in the context of the teaching profession, the fundamental reason teachers remain in it is based on the desire to motivate others and bring about good changes in the lives of their students (Ni & Rorrer, 2018).…”

Cognition in art education

“…Cognition needs reinstatement in art education to decolonise and resist international subject marginalisation in policy, practice and research (Chapman et al, 2018;Payne & Hall, 2018;Caldwell et al, 2020). As mentioned, study and mobilisation of cognition's concepts and contributions to art education should help raise subject integrity whilst offering insightful ways to consider and practise art education, such as revealing knowledge formations involved in teaching and learning.…”

“…In policy which implicates practice, such as the UK Ofsted (2019) Education Inspection Framework, there is often no mention of cognition or art education explicitly, but in this example, intent is seen for learners to have access to a broad and full curriculum and to be supported by teachers with good subject knowledge. However, as communicated in research by Caldwell et al, (2020), art education, the training of art teachers and their access to subject provision (in schools and through training providers in the UK) are all being reduced. So, opportunities to study art education, prior to considering cognition within art education, are limited and such limitations have, do and will continue to implicate practice and make the reinstatement of cognition in our subject challenging.…”

“…If this endeavour is actioned, perceptions of art education's value may be revised and reinstatement of subject integrity may resume. This would be of major benefit to a subject which has seen training bursaries removed (DfE, 2020), practices overturned through the pandemic and its worth downgraded (Gregory, 2017;Payne & Hall, 2018;Caldwell et al, 2020) in recent times.…”