Researchers from Oxford’s Department of Education have contributed to a major report that examines the professional development of teachers in UK classrooms.
Dr Katharine Burn and Trevor Mutton examined a number of innovative teacher trainee programmes, based in part on a medical model of ‘clinical practice’. They found that ‘clinical practice’ which combines classroom practice with research-based knowledge improves the learning and confidence of new teachers and prepares them better for their first teaching post. The researchers say the way programmes are structured rather than simply the amount of time spent in school is what matters. More…
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Report wants better training for teachers
Oxford Mail, 22/05/2014, p.8
Researchers from Oxford University’s Department of Education have contributed to a major report examining the professional development of teachers in UK classrooms. Dr Katharine Burn and Trevor Mutton examined a number of innovative teacher training programmes. They found that ‘clinical practice’, which combines classroom practice with research-based knowledge, improves the learning and confidence of new teachers and prepares them better for their first teaching post. Dr Burn said: ‘Substantial classroom experience and opportunities to learn from the observation of experienced teachers are essential components of effective courses, but they are not sufficient if we want our trainees to become more than clones. Professionals, capable of responding to new and different challenges, also need to understand and look critically at the grounds on which suggestions or demonstrations of what works are actually based.’