Creativity or compliance: Should teacher educators do more to support aspiring teachers’ emergent professional voices?

Abstract

This paper argues that ‘creativity’ in education must be supported by the communicative approaches adopted by tutors within Initial Teacher Education.

Two case studies are described which examine the interactions between English university tutors and post graduate students on a year‐long course which confers Qualified Teacher Status. The studies take place in the context of the taught elements of the students’‘Primary English’ module. Findings raise questions about the levels of independent thinking that can and should be encouraged within a climate of compliance with stringent government requirements both for Teacher Education and for primary school provision.

Key words:

• Teacher Education
• dialogic teaching
• independent professional thinking in Teacher Education
• student voice
• creativity
• compliance