Project summary

Many new routes into teaching are being developed by government policy, particularly in England via school-based training. The project will investigate these new routes and identify, describe and analyse the problems and possibilities for effective teacher education provision.

Project aims and objectives

Many new routes into teaching are being developed by government policy, particularly via school-based training. These policy developments raise many issues for the quality and quantity of teacher supply: do schools wish to take on responsibility for national training provision? How equipped are they to do so? What role is there for established teacher education departments/faculties in universities and how is this role negotiated/secured in practice? How will sufficient numbers of trained teachers be secured across potentially very fragmented and diverse provision? How well-equipped do novice teachers feel when they graduate from different training routes? How are issues of theory and practice addressed and resolved in what may become a very parochial ‘apprentice’ style training? The project will investigate these and related questions and identify, describe and analyse the problems and possibilities for effective teacher education provision.

Specific requirements of the project

Applicants should have a good first degree in a relevant social science discipline; a postgraduate qualification in Education (PGCE) and/or Masters level qualifications in social/educational research (MRes) is desirable. Ideally applicants will have experience of working in schools and be able to conduct research with students, teachers and senior policy developers.

Informal enquiries can be made to Professor Moira Hulme, m.hulme@mmu.ac.uk or Professor Harry Torrance, H.Torrance@mmu.ac.uk  Education and Social Research Institute (ESRI), Manchester Metropolitan University.

All applicants are required to contact the named academic on the advert to facilitate early and detailed discussions and help produce a strong application. The closing date for applications is 21 March 2016 (9am).

http://www2.mmu.ac.uk/research/research-study/scholarships/2016/investigating-new-forms-of-teacher-education.php