The Delphi ITE Study: Russell Group teacher educators’ perspectives on high-quality initial teacher education

This Delphi study seeks consensus amongst teacher educators in Russell Group ITE partnerships on what constitutes high-quality ITE in England.

While the Russell Group universities that provide initial teacher education (ITE) in England have had concerns about the government reforms – especially their implications for teacher quality and supply – there has been little articulation of their alternative vision for ITE. In the aftermath of the 2021 Market Review and on the precipice of new Labour government policy on ITE, the need for a precise and profession-led definition of high-quality ITE is now critical. There is a need to recalibrate ITE policy and practice towards the moral, relational, and reflective dimensions championed in contemporary teacher education scholarship. As a proactive response, this Delphi study sought consensus amongst teacher educators in Russell Group (RG) partnerships on what constitutes high-quality ITE in England.

The study employed an adapted, two-round Delphi survey methodology to investigate university- and school-based teacher educators’ perspectives of the purpose, structure, and content of ITE. The findings contribute to an evidence-based understanding of ITE in England, with implications for the profession’s response to shifting sands of policy reform. Taken together, the Delphi project presents policymakers, institutional leaders, and teacher educators with an empirically grounded path to high-quality initial teacher education.