Teacher Education in England ― A Critical Interrogation of School-led Training

Models of teacher education in England have undergone major upheaval in recent years. Teacher Education in England draws on the experiences of some of the people directly involved in these changes and explores the implications that they have had on their professional lives. The book also explores the challenges faced by universities in responding to the ascendance of school-led teacher training and the ways in which this impacts on conceptions of teacher education more generally, in England and beyond.

Drawing on 150 interviews with teacher educators and trainees, this book documents how the systemic changes to teacher education have been implemented and explores the impact of these changes on the people directly affected by them. Presenting insider accounts, the book shows that the structural adjustments have impacted on many dimensions of teacher education that had characterised university input and that they have also unsettled more familiar understandings of professional identity and staffing composition. Demonstrating that the redistribution of teacher education across new apparatuses bolsters market forces, whilst maintaining the option of creating new forms of training that transcend established boundaries, Brown also explores the opportunities that are opened up by the new models.

Teacher Education in England is the first substantial study to focus on School Direct since its implementation in 2013. As such, the book should be of great interest to academics, researchers and postgraduate students engaged in the study of teacher education and educational policy. It should also be essential reading for teacher educators, as well as teachers and trainee teachers.

Tony Brown is Professor of Mathematics Education at Manchester Metropolitan University.