The Teacher Educator’s role in enabling vocational FE Teachers’ professional development and identity

formation through ITT

Catherine McPartlandcmcpartland@cleveland.ac.uk

a)To examine vocational trainees’ (In – Service tutors) views of themselves as teachers and how this is affected by their experiences on the training programme attended.

b)To examine the Certificate in Education/Professional Graduate Certificate in Education as an environment for identity construction of vocational tutors.

c) To what extent are individual trainees’ personal and professional development supported by their peers, work colleagues, mentors, their work organisation and their teacher education experiences?

The research aims included:

I was new to teacher education Idealistic Concerned about whether I was

experienced and knowledgeable enough to meet the demands of the teacher educator role

Concerned that I was providing a relevant and rewarding experience which would enable the trainees to develop as teachers

Had a bad case of the ‘Imposter Complex’.

On beginning the research…

Some background 90% of FE teachers begin their teaching career

without a teaching qualification (University Council for the Education of Teachers, 2009)

Most enter the profession as a ‘second career’ or continue to practise their vocational carer in addition to teaching.

Most of the training is part time ‘in – service’. Most have to take on a full teaching load and

additional course responsibilities during training. This is in contrast to school teaching in which

most teachers train on a pre – service’ basis.

Group A Group B

14 students8 female6 male12 from a vocational background

12 students7 female5 maleAll from a vocational background

Vocational Areas Heath and Care (1) Early Years (2) Construction (5) Fitness (1) Hair and Beauty (1) Skills for Life (2)

Vocational Areas Health and Care (3) Early Years (3) Engineering (2) Skills for Life (2) Construction (1) Uniformed Services (1)

Longitudinal Study

Data Collection Interviews with trainees – narrative

accounts of their experiences Focus groups Observations of classroom practice Field notes and a reflective journal

maintained by the researcher. Trainees autobiographical accounts of their

experiences during the course . Trainees’ reflective diaries

Key Elements Many had ‘drifted’ into teaching A strong identification with their vocation

area of expertise (Robson 1998, Le Gallais, 2009)

Traditional views of the teacher’s role – they were not teachers

Initial fears often arising from their own educational experiences

Varied expectations of what FE would be like.

‘The Transition Shock’!

Identity defines individuals to themselves and others and gives a sense of belonging and value to what we do

To enable them to develop as practitioners To enable the transition from vocational expert to teacher To secure their commitment to their teaching role

(Hammerness et al, 2005). According to Blair, there is no clear understanding of professional

identity and no clear models of practice, with colleagues working in diverse settings with different examination structures and expectations of success-a divided model of practice” (Blair,2011, 251)

◦ Yet there is frequently a resistance in accepting and acknowledging a teacher identity.

Why the concern with developing teacher identity?

“I think because I’m from the construction industry, my background, it’s a bit different.

I don’t feel like a teacher, or look like a teacher if you look at it that way”.

“…you know, who am I, I’m only a (pause); I thought I

wasn’t good enough to be a teacher. I thought it was for

different types of people and I shouldn’t or I don’t belong

there”.

“It was something ... I never considered doing, I was the last person who would have thought, oh I’ll go into teaching and I’ll stand in front of a class because the thought of it terrified me”.

All my life I’d been told I was thick, no good at

anything so I didn’t really want to come…

I didn’t think I’d learn anything that’s relevant to my particular

job…

I was thinking eeh I’m just in the deep end here, I don’t

really know what’s going on cos putting pen to paper I

hadn’t done that for years, I just thought this is like

going back to school again and I was a bit nervous and

scared.“There’s a lot ... that say I had to do my Cert. Ed., I didn’t like it. It was a waste of two years and all that, but to me it’s one of the best things I’ve ever done”.

Kennedy’s Framework (2005)

Transmissive

Transitional

Transformativ

e

Transmissive - technical aspects of the job, usually relying on teacher development through externally delivered ‘expert’ tuition.

“My lesson plans changed, my aims and objectives. You were using the right words because although I’d been doing the lesson plans I’d never had the correct training to write the aims and objective, so I now was able to”.

Transitional Transformative

A ‘Growing Stage Development and

consolidation of skills Growing confidence Support and guidance

are necessary to navigate this stage, take control and move to the Transformative Phase.

Many trainees become trapped in this phase.

Clear links between theory and practice, the internalisation of concepts and construction of new knowledge, through processes of deep reflection (Mezirow, 1991).

This involves cognitive, emotional and social questioning of the self to enable development of awareness and new understanding cannot, and should not be done, be undertaken in isolation, if it is to be effective.

In the majority of cases scant attention is devoted to this stage, hence its superficiality; trainees becoming trapped in the Transitional Phase.

Professional Learning vs Professional Development0Acquiring skills and

gaining competence, leading to competence.

0Teaching as a craft.0 Intuitive.0Restricted

Professionalism (Hoyle & Johns, 1995).

0 An on-going process, self directed and autonomous.

0 A realisation that teaching is more than a repertoire of skills – more a rational, thought out process linking theory and practice.

0 Involves collaborative work and values being placed on the broader context of education.

Workplace Influences

(Organisational/

colleagues)

PeersEarly

Educational Experiences

WorkplaceMentors

Teacher Educators

Reflective Practice

Dual role – student/em

ployee

Observation of Teaching

As a catalyst of growth

Enable learners to link

theory to practice in a meaningful

way

Encouraging trainees to

make sense of their

experiences

Engage in the co-

construction of meaning through

dialogue

Role of the

Teacher Educator

Sotto stated (2007: 153)

“I have discovered a fact. It is that next to nothing my students discuss or study in my classes affects the way they actually teach (even when they say the material is apt and interesting) until two things happen: They strongly feel its relevance to their personal needs and they repeatedly act on those felt needs”.

The development of critical thinking is seen as a collaborative rather than individualistic activity (Bruner, 1985; Vygotsky, 1978)

“...one of the main effects of personal experience is to corroborate for us what we expect to experience. In other words it looks as if, once we have got used to doing something a certain way, our experience often has the effect of reinforcing the way we are already doing it” (Sotto, 2007: 10)

Marcos, Miguel and Tilema’s findings (2009) argue, rather than enhancing future practice, reflection habitually leads to a justification of current practice, with little questioning of the individual’s assumption concerning the nature of learning, teaching and student teacher relationships.

Reflection

“I don’t really like to take my work home, but I sit in reflection in the bath and I think how can I improve… and I always ask myself if I had to do that lesson again what would I change, why and how and in a lot of cases I’m left banging my head against a wall, but in some cases I think, they didn’t get that for a particular reason , that reason is this and I wouldn’t have known that if I hadn’t done it like that”.

“... through reflection on observed sessions I’ve changed my language to students, try not to give opinions, try to sit on the fence, let them have a say”.

Trainees and Reflective Practice

“I was stuck in the first domain of Absolute Knowing… the dominant culture in the organisation … did not encourage the questioning by lecturers of ‘official’ opinions and orthodoxies. I now understand what I did not at that point, which is that there are gaps between rhetoric and reality” (Summative Reflective account).

The Observations:Yes, I think that they did, initially when you got the early ones over with, you saw them more as a help, you know, rather than the other type of thing. … and I think it did help because of action planning and I did take on board the weaknesses and strengths and it gave me a bit of a boost particularly just coming into teaching and not particularly knowing what I was doing. It made me feel I did know some stuff and I knew my subject, but someone just saying to you it was OK, cos you didn’t get a lot of that.

observations and feedback

“brought a focus to the next

lesson, not just for the next

observation, but in future

sessions”

“... so lovely to get feedback, because it’s nice to know something like the things you picked up on ... nice to get

areas for development. How can you develop if you don’t really know”?

Peers in the classroom

‘The disparate nature of working in further education colleges in England, where staff within a college identify themselves as different from one another rather than sharing a common experience, as Hodkinson et al (2002) have found adds to the complexity of identity formation’ (Bathmaker & Avis, 2007:511)

I do think that you learn from your peers, just like the

talking, what they do and what you do, things like that.

I think that is one of the best classes I’ve ever, ever

in my entire life worked with. Even as assessors and I worked with some good assessors, when it

comes to that class it was just a unique experience,

everybody knew everybody and you just clicked from

the moment you walked in, I looked forward to coming

in… Yes, I really enjoyed the Cert Ed”

“I don’t think I had a lesser experience because I didn’t interact with other group members because I had, like I

say, my immediate colleagues that I did gain from”

“...brought ideas to the table, the discussions made you sort of look at things in

different, different lights really from different

angles,”

Role of the Workplace A continuum of support was discovered, which Lucas

and Unwin (2009) labelled the ‘expansive- restrictive framework. They also emphasised that FE colleges are primarily workplaces whose primary function was to provide a service; workforce development was not their foremost concern.

Bearing this in mind it is concerning that Lingfield’s (2012) recommendations to deregulate teaching qualifications have been accepted and there will be

“A move to a new approach that will not be dependent on government regulation, but where the sector will decide for itself the best way to raise and maintain standards” (LSIS, 2013: 4-5).

In nursing you work as a team, you’ve got people with you, but when you come into here, into education, you’re completely on your own and that’s what I found when I came. I was going into classrooms, I didn’t have a clue… you don’t know the boundaries and what all those things are.

...always a massive support ...they were all so brilliant and when I was thinking how you could link that to that, they really did help... with our team everyone sort of pulls together and helps you” “...many trainee teachers in FE

colleges, pre-service and in-service encounter isolation, poor support and little guidance, however well they manage these conditions. What trainees learn from this early experience of teaching in FE is limited, because their experience, even at best, is limited” (Orr 2012: 63),

“I don’t think I did manage. When I look back I think that’s one of the failings of the college. … those first few months I don’t remember much about them, really I think it was just a blur”.

Embracing a Teacher Identity “I’m really, really passionate

about it, I love it and I’m really glad I did stick with it when I was working a couple of hours a week here. I’m really, really glad I did and I think I’ve hit the vocation I

want” “As the course developed I was able to begin to identify the role

of the teacher in further education as an actual

profession...I felt I was developing an identity within education...

something I felt I had lost when leaving the NHS to enter the field

of education”.

“Yes, yes and no, I do. I love the idea of having a

badge on, coming to college and being part of

a team and actually being a teacher. I’m not

pretending to be something I’m not”

Key findings (1) Most enjoyed the course, but for many it

was a skills enhancing experience – SOWs/Lesson plans/strategies/dealing with behavioural issues.

Most felt pressured – not all work & assignment tasks had been helpful and trainees felt they were largely irrelevant.

Wanted more on practical skills and behaviour management

Key findings (2) Reported a growth in confidence, self esteem

‘now I can call myself a teacher’. Felt they had credibility and could relate to others

e.g. one trainee stated she felt part of the ‘in crowd’ and knew what people were talking about – could ‘talk the talk’.

The ‘R’ word – still technical rationality and some practical action (Van Manen, 1977) Patchy Support – mentors and organisation.

Support from colleagues Mixed attitudes towards the qualification –

management, colleagues.

Key Findings (3) extensive, almost revolutionary, change in the last ten years from the

introduction of regulation of training in 2002, to deregulation of training in 2013.

Intense scrutiny “the most highly regulated and centrally directed education system in Europe (Orr and Simmons, 2010: 78)

The sector is extremely diverse and complex, including a broad range of courses, at a range of levels. This breadth is both a strength and a weakness, making unity difficult to achieve, whilst additionally meaning that staff who work within the sector may have very different concepts of where they fit into the scope of the sector (Crawley ibid).

Individual’s progress towards a teacher identity therefore progresses at different rates as they are subject to the vagaries of the sector, the organisations and teams they work within and the contacts they make as they progress through their teacher training.

Trainees do not start at the same point, nor do they end at the same point, their progress is idiosyncratic.

What does emerge from the research is the value these trainees attached to their Certificate in Education/PgCE experiences, the majority valued the experience and were committed to teaching.

Some Concerns What effect will deregulation have on the status of teachers in

the sector?

Will it undermine the status of what is already regarded as a “Cinderella Service” (Foster, 2005)?

Will employers be happy for staff to have the minimum teaching qualification?

Will employees consider the Certificate in Further Education to be unnecessary additional work?

Will lack of engagement with tertiary education inhibit the professional development of those transferring from industry to education?

References Bathmaker, A.-M. and Avis, J. (2007) 'How do I cope with that?' The challenge of 'schooling'

cultures in FE for trainee FE lecturers. British Educational Research Journal 33(4), pp. 509-532.

Foster, Sir A. (2005) Realising the potential: a review of the future role of further education colleges, Annesley: DfES publications

Further Education Development Agency (1999) FENTO Standards for teaching and supporting learning, London: FEDA

Hodkinson, P., Colley, H. & Scaife, T. (2002) Transforming Learning Cultures in Further Education Project, Interim progress report, May 2002, Leeds: Lifelong Learning Institute

Keep, E. (2006) State control of the English education and training system- playing with the biggest train set in the world, Journal of Vocational Education and Training, Vol. 58 (1) pp. 47-64

Learning and Skills Improvement Service (2013) Teaching and Training Qualifications for the Further Education and Skills Sector in England 2013: Guidance for employers and practitioners, Coventry: LSIS

Le Gallais, T. (2009) Are you still who you were? A tale of construction lecturers, changing technologies and conflicting perspectives, Ethnography and Education, Vol. 4 (1), pp. 37-50

Lingfield, R. (2012) Professionalism in Further Education Interim Report of the Independent Review Panel, London: DBIS

Lucas, N. (2004) The ‘FENTO Fandango’: national standards, compulsory teaching qualifications and the growing regulation of FE college teachers, Journal of Further and Higher Education, Vol. 28 (1) pp. 35-51

References• Lucas, N. & Unwin, L. (2009) Developing teacher expertise at work: in-

service trainee teachers in colleges of further education in England, Journal of Further and Higher Education Vol. 33 (4), pp. 423-433

• Noel, P. (2009) Differentiation, Context and Teacher Education: the changing profile of trainees in in –service initial teacher training programmes in the lifelong learning sector. Teaching in Lifelong Learning, Vol.1 No 1 pp17 – 27

• Office for Standards in Education (2003) The initial training of further education teachers: A survey, HMI 1762, London: Ofsted

• Orr, K. and Simmons, R. (2009) Dual identities: Enhancing the in – service training experience in the lifelong learning sector: A guide for employers, Escalate

• Orr K. & Simmons, R. (2010) Dual identities: the in-service teacher trainee experience in the English further education sector, Journal of Vocational Education and Training, Vol. 62 (1) pp. 75-88

• Randle, K. & Brady, N. (1997) Managerialism and professionalism in the Cinderella Service. Journal of Vocational Education and Training. 49 (1) pp. 121 – 139

• Van Manen, M. (1977). Linking ways of knowing with ways of being practical. Curriculum Inquiry, 6, 205-228

Thank you for listening

cmcpartland@cleveland.ac.uk