The professional formation of teachers: a case study in reconceptualising initial teacher education through an evolving model of partnership in training and learning

Abstract

The initial training and education of teachers in England has been subject to enormous political interest in recent years, resulting in radical change imposed from the centre. This article offers a case study of how one large postgraduate course in London has responded, although the authors also maintain that reform was already beginning to take place from within. External forces have changed structures, but what is perceived also to be happening is a fundamental change in the ways we (as educators) think and talk about teacher education. The authors identify six key ‘problematics’ within an evolving partnership model of training which, they argue, mark out a range of complex issues rich in implication both for educational practice and for future course development. They conclude by arguing that such a long overdue reconceptualisation of the Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) is an essential prerequisite of the more effective advocacy of a broad-based teacher education as opposed to a narrower view of training in operational competence.