Last among equals: perceptions and prospects of further education trained PGCE holders in the age of ‘parity’

ABSTRACT

This study explores how Further Education (FE) lecturers are perceived in secondary school settings and their professional prospects in the context of the UK parity status Act of 2012. Designed as a mixed method research, it sought the views of FE-trained teachers on their experience of working in secondary schools, the perceptions of recruitment agencies that work directly with FE-trained teachers and of mentors in secondary schools within a case study framework. It found that in spite of the widely acclaimed parity status, the prospects of FE-trained teachers of developing their career via the secondary school route were very limited. It also found that secondary school colleagues have a perception of their FE-trained counterparts as less professional than themselves for some reasons, thus raising a form of intra-professional group conflict. The study recommends policy and curriculum intervention in order for the parity condition to fulfil its full potentials.

KEYWORDS:

• Parity
• Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills (QTLS)
• perceptions
• teacher education
• further education

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

M. Best

M. Best, is a Senior Lecturer in Teacher Education at the University of Greenwich. Michelle teaches Further Education trainee teachers and develops practitioners as researchers in Secondary and Primary phases. Michelle’s research interests embrace a cross-phase approach and include teacher identity and improving teacher confidence in the scope of teacher professionalism.

G. O. Ade-Ojo

G. O. Ade-Ojo, is the Programme Director for Doctorates in Education at the University of Greenwich. Gordon’s teaching and research interests include Language and Literacy development particularly where these intersect with equity and social justice. Gordon lectures on the PGCE and MA Education degree programmes and supervises doctoral theses. He is a Research Fellow of the University of South Africa (UNISA).

C. McKelvey

C. McKelvey, worked as a Senior Lecturer in Teacher Education at University of Greenwich teaching on the PGCE Further Education programme. Cecilia has taught English in secondary schools, Further Education settings and University of Greenwich. Cecilia has research interests in Accreditation of Prior Learning and professional development.