DANIEL SUMNER, BECTON SCHOOL, UK Recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world. Universal Declaration of Human Rights, UN, 1948, preamble Teachers uphold public trust in the profession and maintain high standards […]
HAYLEY MURPHY, DIRECTOR OF TEACHING AND LEARNING, EVERSFIELD PREPARATORY SCHOOL, UK Teacher identities are shaped by the complex interplay between personal values, professional experiences and educational contexts. These identities are shaped as teachers interact with policies, colleagues, students and school cultures, influenced by accountability measures. Teachers navigate shifts in professionalism, adjusting their identities to accommodate changes […]
TOMMI CHARLISH, SPORTS DEPARTMENT, WEST SUFFOLK COLLEGE, UK Introduction The landscape of further education (FE) presents unique challenges for educators as they navigate the complexities of professionalism in their field. This article examines the multifaceted issues surrounding professionalism in FE settings, drawing on recent research and first-hand experiences. This piece aims not only to shed light […]
CRISTINA J ALVES MARTINS, HEAD OF CHEMISTRY AND HEAD OF SCIENCE FACULTY, ABBEY COLLEGE CAMBRIDGE, UK ANA ALVES, TEACHER LIBRARIAN, INSTITUTION SAINTE-MARIE ANTONY, FRANCE Teacher autonomy, defined here as ‘the freedom and internal ability for decision-making and action’ (Liu and Gao, 2023), is widely recognised as essential for fostering commitment (Collie et al., 2018), professional identity (Skinner […]
MATTHEW TRAGHEIM, LECTURER IN PRIMARY EDUCATION, OPEN UNIVERSITY, UK John Jerrim has previously explored whether teaching is bad for your health (Sims et al., 2021), the power of positive emotions on performance (Jerrim, 2022a) and patterns of relationships within test anxiety (Jerrim, 2022b). Each of these articles has sought to bring a more robust evidence base […]
ELÍAS VALDUEZA GARCÍA, DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGES, HARROW INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL HONG KONG, HONG KONG SAR Effective professional development (PD) plays a key role in developing teachers’ expertise, which is pivotal in improving the outcomes of our students (Sims et al., 2021). With this mantra in mind, I approach whole-school pedagogical PD events with optimism. While the ideas […]
AFSAN REDWAN, LEARNING EXCELLENCE COACH AND TEACHER EDUCATOR, THE BEDFORD COLLEGE GROUP, UK Reflecting on Inclusive Education for the 21st Century: Theory, Policy, and Practice (Graham, 2024), it became evident that while the Chartered College of Teaching’s (CCT) (2024) professional framework serves as a valuable guide for teacher professionalism, it does not fully encompass the unique […]
RACHELE NEWMAN, PRINCIPAL TEACHING FELLOW, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON, UK The profession There is no doubt that it is a tough time to be a teacher. It has been said that we are in the midst of a polycrisis (Mills, 2023), where seemingly unrelated crises in education – including challenging recruitment and retention, high workload, post-COVID recovery, […]
MEGAN GRIFFITHS, EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, OXFORD UNIVERSITY, UK Introduction Continuous professional development (CPD) is widely recognised as essential for improving classroom practice and student outcomes (McCormick, 2010; Cordingley, 2015; EEF, 2021) and is a statutory requirement (Kennedy, 2016). However, educators often undervalue CPD (Teacher Tapp, 2018). While research on student learning is well developed, less is understood […]
JULIA HOLLOWAY, UNIVERSITY OF WALES TRINITY SAINT DAVID, UK ALEX MORGAN, CARDIFF UNIVERSITY, UK EMMAJANE MILTON, CARDIFF UNIVERSITY, UK Introduction This small-scale, qualitative, longitudinal study explored NQTs’ experiences of being mentored by following nine individuals throughout their first year of teaching to understand the nature of the mentoring support that they received. Undertaken against the backdrop of the […]
DEBBIE BOGARD, JAMES COLLICOTT AND SAM HUGHES, CITY AND ISLINGTON SIXTH FORM COLLEGE, UK Centring research within communities of practice Professional networks are a collaborative endeavour of teaching and learning communities of practice to undertake professional and personal development. An effective network allows agency for teachers to focus on their own interests, with the community supporting […]
JEMIMA DAVEY, SUBJECT LEAD FOR EDUCATION PARTNERSHIPS, ST MARY’S UNIVERSITY, UK JANE CHAMBERS, HEAD OF THE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION, ST MARY’S UNIVERSITY, UK Role of a mentor Fulfilling the role of mentor to a beginner teacher, in either their training or their early career, is a significant responsibility, which can highly influence the development of the next […]
ELIZABETH MUNRO, DIRECTOR OF THE WINCHESTER INSTITUTE FOR CONTEMPLATIVE EDUCATION AND PRACTICE, UNIVERSITY OF WINCHESTER, UK Alongside subject-specific knowledge and pedagogical skill, the importance of reflection has long been established in both the discourses and approaches that surround teacher professional development. Reflection is embedded across all stages of a teacher’s developmental journey, spanning initial teacher education […]
EMILY GIUBERTONI, BISHOP CHALLONER CATHOLIC COLLEGE, UK This reflection articulates one school’s experience of the benefits of sustained engagement with Rosenshine’s principles of instruction (2012) over a decade of practice. There are a number of reasons why this piece of research became our school focus: it was credible; it focused on concrete strategies that teachers could […]
KAREN STEPHENS, SENIOR TEACHING FELLOW – PRIMARY EDUCATION, UNIVERSITY OF GREENWICH, UK Professionalism can be seen as the cornerstone of effective teaching, but as a concept it is questioned and convoluted by a discourse that has moulded and fashioned it over time (Evetts, 2009). It is not easily defined (Sachs, 2016; Goodwin, 2020), with a diverse […]
JESSICA BURGER, BEST PRACTICE NETWORK, UK LIN GORAM, NORFOLK TEACHER TRAINING CENTRE, UK Who are the teacher educators? The European Commission (2013, p. 8) defines teacher educators as ‘all those who actively facilitate the (formal) learning of student teachers and teachers’. This definition positions the work of teacher educators as active and deliberate, with an acknowledgement that […]
LIN GORAM, NORFOLK TEACHER TRAINING CENTRE, UK Teacher educators and professional learning Teacher educators working as tutors on initial teacher training (ITT) programmes have not always been given appropriate opportunities for formal professional learning; this is due to a presumption that ‘if you can teach young people in schools you can therefore teach adults how to […]
REBECCA PETRONZI, SENIOR LECTURER IN PRIMARY ITT/E, UNIVERSITY OF DERBY, UK JACK FROST, SENIOR LECTURER IN EDUCATION, UNIVERSITY OF DERBY, UK DOMINIC PETRONZI, SENIOR LECTURER IN PSYCHOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF DERBY, UK Introduction Balancing practice and theory in initial teacher training/education (ITT/E) is a critical challenge (Bates, 2002; Smith, 2008). While the teachers’ standards (DfE, 2011) outline expectations for […]
TRACY EDWARDS, LEEDS BECKETT UNIVERSITY, UK Introduction It has been noted that research into inclusive education has tended to overlook considerations around teaching students with severe learning difficulties and/or profound and multiple learning difficulties (SPMLD) (e.g. Colley, 2020). This paper outlines research findings that were obtained as part of a wider study involving the analysis of […]
STEVE FARNDON AND NICK POINTER, AMBITION INSTITUTE, UK Teacher educators (those leading the professional learning of new and existing teachers) face a number of challenging decisions. What theories and techniques should we share with teachers? How should we teach these? How should our sessions be tailored for different staff? Without a clear guide, these decisions can […]
