Teacher Education The Continuum - INTO

Transcription

INTO Consultative
Conference on Education
2006
Teacher Education
The Continuum
Irish National Teachers’ Organisation
35 Parnell Square
Dublin 1
Cumann Múinteoirí Éireann
35 Cearnóg Pharnell
Baile Atha Cliath 1
Telephone: 01 8047700
Fax: 01 872 2462
Email: [email protected]
Web: http://www.into.ie
Guthán: 01 8047700
Fax: 01 872 2462
Ríomhphost: [email protected]
Gréasán: http://www.into.ie
General Secretary: John Carr
Árd Rúnaí: John Carr
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Foreword
1
Acknowledgements
3
Part One
Teacher Education – the Continuum: Discussion Document
5
TEACHING IN THE 21ST CENTURY
7
ISSUES IN TEACHER EDUCATION
17
INTERNATIONAL PRACTICE
43
APPENDIX 1 – NORTHERN IRELAND
45
APPENDIX 2 – SCOTLAND
51
ENGLAND
53
AUSTRALIA
54
DENMARK
56
FRANCE
57
APPENDIX 3 – CPD IN OTHER PROFESSIONS
59
APPENDIX 4 – INTO PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT NEEDS ANALYSIS
67
Part Two
Proceedings of the Consultative Conference on Education
85
INTRODUCTION
87
Deirbhile Nic Craith, Senior Official
THE CONTINUUM OF TEACHER EDUCATION: DES POLICY
91
Paul Ryan,Teacher Education Section, Department of Education & Science
ROLE OF THE TEACHING COUNCIL IN TEACHER EDUCATION
99
Áine Lawlor, Director of theTeaching Council
THE TEACHER IN THE 21ST CENTURY
Eddie McArdle, General Teaching Council of Northern Ireland
109
Teacher Education –The Continuum
INTO EDUCATION COMMITTEE PRESENTATIONS
119
Patrick Dorrian, District 1
Róisín NicTighearnáin, District 7
Dympna Mulkerrins, District 14
Siobhán Lynskey, District 6
119
122
125
128
E-LEARNING IN THE CONTINUUM OF TEACHER EDUCATION
133
Nicholas Breakwell, Hibernia College
CHALLENGES FOR TEACHER EDUCATION
PauricTravers, St Patrick’s College
Peadar Cremin, Mary Immaculate College
Brian Tubbert, Froebel College
Panel Discussion
139
139
145
151
159
QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSIONS (FRIDAY AND SATURDAY)
159
Collated Rapporteur Report from Discussion Groups
165
Bibliography
173
Foreword
eacher education is undergoing profound change, not only in Ireland, but also
worldwide. Teachers and education professionals must be at the core of the
debate surrounding such change and seek to influence the direction of forthcoming
developments. It is the purpose of this report to consider some of the changes likely to
occur and to contribute to the profession’s capacity to influence future developments
in this field.
Developments at international level include a major OECD project on Attracting,
Developing and Retaining Effective Teachers, a recent OECD Thematic Review of Early
Years Education and Care Policy in Ireland, the European Union’s 2010 Lisbon Agenda
and the Bologna Process. These developments and the recent emphasis on lifelong
learning are likely to have an impact on teacher education at primary level over the
next few years. The influence of the OECD cannot be ignored in that its recommendations over the years have had a major impact on policy development in Ireland,
including
education policy.
In Ireland, reviews of initial teacher education were recently carried out at both
primary and post-primary level. The Primary Review Report Preparing Teachers for the
21st Century was published in 2002 (Kellaghan, 2002 ). Teacher education in
Northern Ireland has also undergone substantial review in recent years. The recent
shortage of teachers at primary level led to new developments such as the introduction
of
an
on-line initial teacher education course for graduates provided by Hibernia College.
Whereas Colleges of Education have made adjustments to their current teacher
education programmes arising from the recommendations of the Kellaghan report,
which called for a reconceptualisation of teacher education, there does not seem to be
any major policy development in the area of teacher education emanating from the
Department of Education and Science, as of yet.
Also relevant in the Irish context is the recent establishment of the Teaching
Council, which has a role in teacher education, including initial teacher education,
induction and incareer development. At a time when teacher induction is still a pilot
project, and the professional development programme associated with the introduction of the revised primary curriculum of 1999 has almost been completed, it is
opportune to reflect on where future developments in the continuum of teacher
education are likely to lead us. Any reconceptualisation of teacher education in Ireland
T
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is likely to be influenced by broader developments in teacher education at European
and international level. It is timely, therefore, to consider policy and practice concerning the continuum of teacher education in Ireland.
The Consultative Conference on Education in November 2006 provided us with
an opportunity to hear the voices of the various stakeholders in teacher education –
the Department of Education and Science, the Teaching Council, the Colleges of
Education and ourselves. The place of e-learning, induction and probation and continuous professional development were considered in the context of the teacher education continuum. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our guest speakers
to the conference, and it is our pleasure to bring their views to a wider audience. I
would also like to thank the Education Committee for preparing the discussion
document and for their presentations at the conference and to put on record our
appreciation of the head office team who prepared this report for publication. In
particular, I would like to acknowledge the contribution of Deirbhile Nic Craith,
Senior Official, who had overall responsibility for the compilation and editing of this
report. I hope it will contribute to the debate on the future development of teacher
education in Ireland.
John Carr, General Secretary
October 2007
–2–
Acknowledgements
Guest Presenters
Paul Ryan, Department of Education and Science
Áine Lawlor, Teaching Council
Eddie McArdle, General Teaching Council,
Northern Ireland
Pauric Travers, St Patrick’s College of Education
Peadar Cremins, Mary Immaculate College of
Education
Brian Tubbert, Froebel College of Education
Education Committee
Mary Cawley, Cathaoirleach
Milo Walsh, LeasChathaoirleach
Patrick Dorrian
Charles Glenn
Michael Weed
Rosena Jordan
Siobhán Lynskey
Róisín Nic Tighearnáin
Frank Roche
Nuala Uí Dhrisceoil
Aidan Gaughran
Ger Stack
Gerry O’Sullivan
Dympna Mulkerrins
Pat Scanlan
Alice O’Connell
INTO Publications Team
Lori Kealy
Sarah Brady
INTO Education Team
Claire Garvey
Ann McConnell
Compilation and Editing
Deirbhile Nic Craith
–3–
–4–
Part One
The Continuum of Teacher
Education
DISCUSSION PAPER
–5–
–6–
Teaching in the 21st Century
INTRODUCTION
ducationliesattheheartof bothsocialandeconomicprogress.Itempowersandcelebrates;
itshapessocietyandeffectivelysecuresfuturewell-being…”(McArdle,2004). The new
millennium heralds an era of change for education. The Education Act 1998, The
Education Welfare Act 2000, The Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs
Act 2004, The Teaching Council Act 2001 along with the introduction of the revised
Primary School Curriculum (1999) and Whole School Evaluation present teachers with
many professional and personal challenges. The effects of the increasing globalisation of
culture, the increasing centrality of knowledge-based industry and the decreasing influence of social and religious institutions are experienced first hand by teachers in schools.
Increasingly society tends to look to schools and teachers to address social problems.
Schools are expected to replace the family as the primary agent of socialisation. Society
often appears eager to extend the role of the school and duties of the teacher but reluctant
to supply the necessary support structures for teachers to carry out their increasingly
complex duties. Teachers are expected to become the guardians of society’s heritage with
a duty to ensure that young people behave in accordance with acceptable social values and
norms. The OECD, in its report on Irish education outlined the numerous challenges
faced by teachers’ and described teachers roles in the following terms:
“E
Teacher’s roles… must encompass not only the instructional, the custodial, the
inspirational and the disciplinary but to extend into practically all spheres of life with
teachers acting as agents of physical, moral and spiritual development, emotional, and
mental health, and social welfare. Among the qualities called for – in addition to the
academic and the pedagogical – are political and negotiating competence, accountancy
and fundraising abilities, a repertoire of skills to assume extra curricular responsibilities and to communicate with widely diverse groups, planning and management skills,
and an up to date knowledge of developments in technology and working life …
(OECD 1991:91)
–7–
In recent years the terrain of the school organisation has undergone a dramatic
metamorphosis. The work of the school takes place in an increasingly pressured
milieu where change is the rule rather than the exception where “the only certainty
about the future is its uncertainty,” (Handy and Aitkin, 1986 ). This has implications
for teachers and teacher education.
SOCIETY’S EXPECTATIONS OF TEACHERS
Globalisation and the advent of a knowledge economy have had an impact on
Governments’ expectations of education systems. Many European governments
perceive a causal relationship between the quality and level of their education and
training provision and the efficiency of their economies (Lowe, 1992 ). This is due to
the necessity of trying to compete in the global market, to try, not only to maintain a
position of economic strength in the world economy but also to change the way in
which society is structured to move people away from a dependency on welfare or
being caught in the ‘Poverty Trap’. Governments have sought to emphasise the high
value service sector industries, such as tourism, banking and insurance, which depend
on the production of knowledge and information to be sold on the world market. In
order to dominate this sector of industry, Governments sought to increase the skill
levels of employees and the future workforce. The life long learning agenda has been
driven by enhancing access to training, the development of new skills, the acquisition
of recognised qualifications and progression to higher level qualifications. Learning
opportunities for adults have been targeted particularly at vulnerable groups and
those in disadvantaged communities with low levels of educational attainment.
The European Commission (1995 ) has considered a mastery of basic knowledge,
skills of a technological and social nature, the ability to develop and act in a complex
and highly technological environment, characterised by the importance of information technologies, and the ability to communicate, make contacts and organise as
some of the basic skills which are essential for integration into society and working
life. The European Commission also emphasised the fundamental ability to acquire
new knowledge and skills, and to learn how to learn throughout one’s life. There has
also been an increased emphasis on accountability measures in education, as governments in some countries, such as the UK and Australia, have sought to control the
work of teachers in terms of curriculum, assessment and pedagogy.
Schools have long been perceived as a great place for governments to solve the ills
of society, hence the introduction of subjects as Social, Personal and Health Education
(SPHE)/Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE), child abuse prevention
programmes and in the case of Northern Ireland, programmes such as Cultural
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Heritage and Education for Mutual Understanding. However, their success also depends
on the support of the broader school community. Programmes such as Learning for Life
and Work which is taught in Northern Ireland, is less about content and more focused
on developing ‘employment friendly’ skills such as team working, research using ICT
(Information and Communication Technology) and communication skills. Much of
the ‘content’ of the course is knowledge that used to be transmitted at home, for
example preparation and serving of meals, exploring personal health and considering
the importance of pupils taking responsibilities for themselves, forming relationships
with others and building self-esteem. Children are also being encouraged to be active
agents in their own learning and to engage in collaborative active learning. Technical
and vocational dimensions of the curriculum and the embedding of key skills such as
learning to learn and ICT, the development of higher order thinking skills, diversifying and strengthening language learning, modernising technology subjects, and
increasing the take up of the physical sciences at senior levels have also featured on
governments’ agendas concerning education. Citizenship education with a concentration on human rights has been introduced as a curricular subject in many countries.
Schools are also seen as tools for racial integration, through the promotion of
multi/inter-cultural education as a means to develop strategies to include ethnic
minority pupils into society as productive citizens. These initiatives which are and have
been thrust on to schools have the effect of removing the responsibility for success or
failure in these areas from the politicians to the schools and teachers.
Governments have invested in programmes seeking to combat educational
disadvantage with a view to enhancing the educational opportunities of children in
areas designated as disadvantaged. Investment has focused on literacy and numeracy
programmes, home-school-community liaison and early childhood education. In
particular, investment in early childhood education is considered a powerful intervention yielding lifelong educational benefits, particularly for children in disadvantaged
communities. However, governments have also invested in childcare, as a support for
working parents, as it is in their interests to retain a skilled workforce. In this context,
the introduction of the Extended Service School concept, in both Britain and the USA,
where schools open from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m., provide breakfast clubs and after school
activities in addition to the normal school provision, is an interesting development
(Smith, 2004 , 2005 ). However, as Mortimore and Whitty reminded us, “it was
unrealistic to expect teachers alone to overcome the effects of social disadvantage”
(1997 , p. 1).
Expectations that governments have of schools and teachers appear to be for the
most part fluid and likely to change as politicians transfer responsibility for coping
with society’s needs to schools. The changes to education in European countries as
individual governments struggle to cope with changes in the world economy have led
Halls to comment in the context of the UK, that “today the institutions of secondary
–9–
education function in an ethical void” (1994 , p. 29). Changes tend to have come
about for materialistic and pragmatic, rather than sound educational reasons, as
Governments and politicians tend to think mostly in four or five year turn around
cycles (the space between elections) and one is tempted to think of the term ‘fire fighting’ as reforms chase problems. All reforms have their limitations (Whitty, 2006 ),
therefore, expectations of what schools can achieve need to be realistic.
Industry and governments are usually closely linked in their views of what is good
for the economy or for the country. Industry in developed countries has largely passed
through the manufacturing phase into Service (Tertiary) or Information Processing
(Quaternary) stages. New industries require workers with a different set of skills, such
as information processing, team-working, ICT literacy, oral and written communication and flexibility. In order to meet changing needs, all social partners, including
governments, employers and trade unions support the concept of lifelong learning.
Lifelong learning is also necessary for the teaching profession, a factor recognised by
the OECD in Teachers Matter (2005 ).
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND CHANGE
The INTO, as professional representatives of teachers, cannot ignore or remain
peripheral to the changing context in which teachers work, and allow solutions to be
prescribed by those outside of the profession, leading to increased stress and disaffection. Teachers may well question the rationale of the proposed changes because they
do not have ownership of them nor will they have had sufficient consultation in developing new practices and in questioning them – they will be accused of being stupid,
ignorant and prejudiced (Marris 1975 , p. 166). Policy makers need to understand
the amount of change that teachers can manage and learn at any given time. Brown
and Moffett (1999 ) quote Bennett who describes the chaos present in schools as “the
multitude of variables that can affect quality implementation of a sound educational
innovation, chaos is doing too much too fast so that nothing is done well or connected
to anything else. Chaos is the lack of sustained focus”. If there is one clear message
resounding from the literature on implementing and sustaining educational reform it
is the necessity to provide appropriate levels and types of staff development, (Fullan,
cited in Moffett 2000 , p. 37). Professional development must motivate teachers to
become freely engaged with each other, with parents and community bodies, with
various curricular and educational materials, and with the students they teach. It is
incumbent on all those involved in education to recognise that the ongoing professional development of teachers is no longer an optional extra but an essential and integral element of school life.
–10–
Teachers need to become change agents. Current forms of staff development in the
majority of schools are not designed to provide the ongoing, interactive, cumulative
learning necessary for developing the new knowledge, skills and attitudes that are the
prerequisites to implementing and sustaining change. Lessons can be learned from
many third world aid initiatives, which demonstrate that funding alone is only a shortterm crisis management solution. Whereas self-help educational initiatives that
empower communities to help themselves are long lasting and effective. The same
holds true in the context of educational innovation.
Successful education change is contingent on the provision of staff development
both at the initial stages of implementation and during the change process. Moffett
notes that “when teachers and principals balance the pressure of coherent reform with
the support of high quality staff development, they are more willing to accept rather
than resist change” (2000 , p. 37). The importance of continued investment in
human resources in education cannot be underestimated. While schools can become
collaborative cultures without the assistance of the Department of Education and
Science, they cannot sustain collaborative cultures without its support in terms of
financial commitment and the allocation of time for teachers to learn. In the UK
context, the Report of the National Commission on Time and Learning (1994 ) noted that
“over and over again we attempt to implement new instructional innovations yet fail
to provide teachers with the time to study, reflect on and apply the new research and
to learn new skills” (cited in Moffett, 2000 , p. 3). A study by Ball and Cohen (1999 )
in the American context, has indicated that professional development that relies on
courses has not always been successful, and that staff development is “often intellectually superficial, disconnected from deep issues of curriculum and learning, fragmented and non-cumulative… Teacher learning… is something that just happens as a
matter of course from experience”. Ball and Cohen further argued that the nature of
professional
development has been “somewhat restricted, characterised by reactivity and driven by
systemic priorities”, (1999 , p. 6). Sugrue et al (2001 ) have also criticised current
professional development arrangements in Ireland, as being insufficient and
inadequate in terms of teacher learning.
According to Fullan (1991 ) participation in curriculum development can act as a
potential energiser for teachers, empowering them to engage in the process of
education, and to become change agents. Changes such as the introduction of the
revised primary curriculum in 1999 can be used as a catalyst to re-examine existing
priorities and objects in a school. Meaningful change cannot be mandated, and the
more one tries to specify change the narrower the goals and possibilities become.
Almost all educational changes of value necessitate the learning of new skills,
behaviour, beliefs or understanding. Moffett (2000 ) notes a number of studies that
have found that external and internal change agents or facilitators are essential for
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supporting schools as they ‘navigate the labyrinth of change’ and point toward the fact
that the presence of a facilitator contributed to increased confidence, personal
mastery and ownership of the change process in a school staff (Huberman and Miles
1984 ; Miles, Saxl and Lieberman 1988 , 1989 ). Cuiditheoirí, as part of the
Regional Curriculum Support Service, have acted as support agents providing clarification and technical assistance when necessary for schools and teachers in relation to
the Revised Primary School Curriculum. Both the Regional Curriculum Support
Service and the School Development Planning Support Service work to empower
teachers to harness their own expertise at school level and thus avoid the emergence
of a culture of dependency. Both pressure and support are required to enable change
to become a reality (Huberman and Miles, 1984 ; Louis and Miles, 1990 ). The challenge for policy makers in relation to implementing change is to finely tune educational innovation to achieve an appropriate balance between pressure and support so
that the change will be positive and create new learning and greater commitment.
This will equip teachers to deal with the uncertainties and stresses that accompany all
change. In a post- modern society, change is central to life as we know it, whereas
growth is an option. In order to ensure that change is translated into improved practice, change must be confronted rather than avoided. As Fullan stated; “The new mind
set is to exploit change before it victimises us. Change is more likely to be an ally rather
than
an
adversary, if it is confronted.” (Fullan, 1991 , p. 345)
Principal teachers and class teachers in Ireland have experienced many changes in
roles and responsibilities and in the content, processes or context of their job, in the
last 20 years. More often than not, teachers found themselves in a reactive position
coping with changes in an ad-hoc unplanned manner. Their struggles to adapt to
changes in working conditions were well documented but many teachers would hold
that such struggles went unrewarded and unrecognised by society. Recent developments, such as the establishment of the Teaching Council, the introduction of
National Pilot Project on Teacher Induction, the School Development Planning
Initiative and the Primary Curriculum Support Programme all serve to extend, maintain and nurture the professional identity of teachers in a new context. The teacher of
the 21st century must be proactive and work in partnership with parents, pupils and
a myriad of external agencies in the broader community of the school.
THE SCHOOL IN THE COMMUNITY
Historically, education has had a central role in the development of society.
Accumulated valued knowledge was transmitted to the next generation, and society
–12–
could build on previous knowledge in developing philosophies on social democracy to
give every citizen a stake in their society and in the development and maintenance of
wealth. Education was always considered essential in establishing social order and
control and, in this respect, it had many tiers; within the family, within the community
and within one’s church, and was both formal and informal. While the foundations of
society were still the family and the church, people knew their roles in the education
of the next generation and schools had a particular place in the dissemination of
knowledge and culture. According to Durkheim, “the socialisation… of individuals
into the social structure is an important function of education because it helps them
develop common perceptions about the world and how to act in it,” (cited in Vonk,
1997 ). Education was seen as completing the person and giving those who were able
to make use of it a passport to a better life. However, the family, religion and schools
no longer have the authority they once had, and the reducing impact of these former
authorities has, consequentially, led to pupils having to develop their own values,
standards and perspectives on life. Schools and teachers are confronted with these
phenomena and are expected to deal with them. Increasingly schools, at all levels, have
to take over tasks which formerly belonged to the area of family education. While, at
the same time, education is still seen as being important in helping to procure a better
life, knowledge is seen to no longer reside solely with teachers and schools, as the
internet allows those able to use it to access knowledge worldwide.
Therefore, schools can no longer assume the role of introspective institutions
whose sole responsibility is to impart academic knowledge to pupils. Section 22 (2)
(c) of the Education Act 1998 extends the functions of the school into the wider
community when it states “the principal and teachers shall collectively promote cooperation between the school and the community it serves”. Schools are challenged to
become dynamic communities engaged with parents as partners in the process of
education and concerned with the holistic development of pupils. Teachers must
work in partnership with each other, with parents and with pupils in order to plan for
and provide the best possible school for young people.
Curriculum development and implementation is clearly a professional matter and
the responsibility of teachers. However, in some areas of curriculum, particularly in
relation to health and sex education matters, there is a necessity to involve parents
closely in the planning process. There is also a professional obligation to enlighten and
inform parents and to seek to maximise their involvement in their children’s education. Hargreaves and Fullan recommend that teachers, when communicating with
parents, should be “authoritative about expertise, but open about uncertainties”
(1998 , p. 103). They also recommend that a teacher should empathise with parents
and listen to their concerns. Trust is a key element in the teacher-parent relationship.
Such trust stems from interaction with parents, at parent evenings, school social events
and informal chats. Attempting to minimise opportunities for conflict is also impor–13–
tant for teacher-parent relationships. The success of parental involvement cannot be
the responsibility of teachers and parents alone either at school or national level. The
Department of Education and Science (DES) must support parental involvement by
providing genuine leadership and professional support for teachers. Given that some
teachers may feel threatened, and perhaps frustrated by parental involvement in
education, the Department must assist in developing clear policies that are accompanied
by professional development so that teachers are in no doubt about their professional
roles when working with parents. Across the developed world, many communities are
presently in a state of crisis and schools provide one of the last and greatest hopes for
resolving it. Teachers cannot take on this onerous task alone and succeed – they must
look to the outside world and learn externally as well as internally and thus redefine their
role and the role of society in relation to education. It is through co-operation and partnership that learning will occur, that a more able society will emerge, one where
individuals and organisations are “better equipped to manage multiple changes as
normal fare” (Fullan (1992:113) and where the focus is on pupil learning.
PUPIL LEARNING
Schools are about learning. A school can be classed as effective if it succeeds in teaching its children how to learn. Students are central to the process of schooling and the
nature and quality of their relationship with each other, with teachers and with their
parents directly impinges upon and often determines the prevailing climate within a
school. Too often school systems promote docility and passivity among its students,
who, for the most part, receive rather than create ideas. Students need to be given
experience with decisions to enable them to become effective decision-makers and
thus improve the quality of their education. There is some evidence that students are
critical of their education and would like more involvement in decisions that affect
them (Dorrian, 2006 ; McNearney, 2006 ; Democracy in Schools Conference,
NICCY 23rd March 2006 ). Student councils as legislated for in the Education Act
1998 and in the Education and Libraries Order of 2003 have resulted in a greater
degree of student involvement in school life, as schools seek to consult with students
on matters that effect them. School councils can also work at primary level (see
McLoughlin in INTO, 2006 ). Schools need to be proactive in promoting democracy,
encouraged to promote students’ councils and should aim to improve the citizenship
status of all pupils. The ‘Learning for Life and Work’ syllabus in Northern Ireland has
been one attempt to respond to the criticisms expressed by students about the relevance of school to their lives after school. Vonk (1997 ) suggests that neither pupils
nor their parents regard school as the place where the new generation is prepared for
–14–
its place in future life, rather they see schools as a social environment and a place to
meet their peers. Whether this would be the case in Ireland is open to debate.
Schools can no longer shut their gates and leave the troubles of the outside world
on the doorstep. Nor can schools be indifferent to the working lives that await students
when they move into the adult world where change, doubt and uncertainty have
replaced stability and security. The perception of the world conveyed to students is of
equal importance with the endowment of a rich cultural heritage. Prime Minister of
Singapore, Goh Chok Tong stated:
What is critical is that we fire in our students a passion for learning, instead of
studying for the sake of getting good grades in their examinations. Their knowledge
will be fragile no matter how many As they get…. It is the capacity to learn that will
define excellence in the future not simply what young people achieve in school.
(cited in Macbeath, 1999 , p. 18)
Teaching is both emotional and cognitive work and teachers rely heavily on empathy. Empathy calls for a teacher to accept the state of mind of his/her students.
Emotional intelligence requires one to channel or focus ones emotions. Teachers
should use their emotional intelligence with a view to improving both the teaching
and learning process within the school. Goleman (1995 ) stated; “In the day-to-day
world, no intelligence is more important than the interpersonal,” (cited in Hargreaves
and Fullan 1998 , p. 109). Teachers, need to heed their ‘gut instincts’ and combine
them with logic during teaching. Reconciling the respective powers of emotion and
cognition increases one’s individual and collective capacity for professional growth.
CONCLUSION
The Teaching Council, established in 2005 , is currently preparing a professional code
of conduct for teachers.1 Teachers’ collective expectations of their profession are articulated in the core values of the General Teaching Council of Northern Ireland which
underpin professional practice. These are trust, honesty, commitment, respect, fairness, equality, integrity, tolerance and service (GTCNI, 2004 , p. 2). In keeping with
the spirit of professional service and commitment, teachers are expected at all times to
be conscious of their responsibilities to learners, colleagues, parents and the profession itself. Increasingly, professionalism is less a matter of how closely an occupation
mirrors the established professions and more a matter of public trust.
1
Published in April 2007
–15–
In the 21st century teachers must ensure that they have the moral courage to
become concerned citizens. They should become political beings and must realise that
what happens outside a classroom directly affects their work. It may be necessary for
teachers and schools alike to redefine their business to address those external forces
that can assist, impede or at worst prevent success.
The information age and the economic impacts of globalisation have led to a
concomitant change on the expectations of schools, education and teachers.
Education is now seen as being different from the old ideal of producing a wellrounded individual who was knowledgeable, to producing rounded individuals who
have basic skills to allow them to communicate, work as a team member and who
know how to look for information. Schools are no longer seen as the places where
knowledge is ‘stored’ and imparted but as being child-holding institutions open from
‘eight ‘til late’ to allow parents to work. Schools have also been charged with transmitting those attitudes and mores once associated with family and religion. This
reflects the changes in society as regards the demise of the influence of the extended
family and the decline in the popularity and authority of religion. The expectations of
schools and teachers are often such that they can change society for the better. This is
perhaps a laudable expectation, perhaps a little optimistic or unrealistic, but one which
teacher educators must take account of in preparing and supporting teachers for a
career of teaching in the 21st century.
It is essential that teachers, during pre-service and throughout their professional
lives are equipped to deal with such challenges. Teacher education in the twenty first
century must be multifaceted – it must address the many elements of a teachers working life both inside and outside the classroom.
–16–
Issues inTeacher Education
rimary teaching in Ireland continues to attract high calibre students, which is a
source of national pride and international envy (OECD, 2005 ). In order to
continue to meet the needs of these students and to meet the needs of the education
system, teacher education needs to be continuously reviewed to ensure it remains of
high quality. This section outlines some of the key areas that need to be addressed in
the context of the future development of teacher education. The Colleges of
Education have been quite proactive in recent years in responding to the challenges
arising from changes in Irish society, such as the increased mainstreaming of special
education pupils and the increasing number of pupils of different nationalities. The
Development and Intercultural Education Project (DICE) and the increasing number
of post-graduate opportunities in intercultural education, special education and early
childhood education are examples of where colleges have been proactive in meeting
the changing needs of primary schools in Ireland. However, professional knowledge
pertaining to teaching is continuously expanding making it impossible to address all
issues during the initial teacher education process. The emphasis, therefore, must be
on the continuum of teacher education, with both the colleges and the profession
involved at all stages. There must also be a focus on the development of teacher knowledge at all stages. Initial teacher education programmes need to ensure that student
teachers acquire the knowledge and skills required to begin teaching. However, initial
teacher education is only the beginning of a process of lifelong learning as members
of the teaching profession.
P
STRUCTURAL ISSUES
In its report Educating Teachers: Reform and Renewal (1995 ) the INTO supported the
retention of a concurrent model for teaching, particularly as a four year course, while
also exploring the consecutive model of teacher education for primary level. The
concurrent model of three years is very highly demanding of students. Kelleghan in
Preparing Teachers for the 21st Century (2001 ) also recommended an extension of the
–17–
three year degree course to four years, given the overloaded nature of the current
programme. However, Kellaghan highlighted the need to reconceptualise teacher
education to allow students to take more responsibility for their own learning and to
engage in reflective practice. Since 2001 , there has been no further progress towards
an extension of the B.Ed course.
In considering changes to teacher education, developments at European level
pertaining to higher education cannot be ignored. Thirty European countries have
signed the Bologna declaration (1999 ) which involves six actions relating to:
1. a system of academic grades which are easy to read and compare, including the
introduction of the diploma supplement (designed to improve international ‘transparency’ and facilitate academic and professional recognition of qualifications);
2. a system essentially based on two cycles: a first cycle geared to the employment
market and lasting at least three years and a second cycle (Master) conditional
upon the completion of the first cycle;
3. a system of accumulation and transfer of credits (ECTS);
4. mobility of students, teachers and researchers;
5. cooperation with regard to quality assurance;
6. the European dimension of higher education.
The aim of the process is thus to make the higher education systems in Europe
converge towards a more transparent system whereby the different national systems
would use a common framework based on three cycles – Degree/Bachelor, Master
and Doctorate. All countries are encouraged to operate a two-cycle system of degrees
and post-graduate degrees.
The establishment of a Qualifications Authority in Ireland is also significant, and
there is ongoing work at European level regarding the establishment of a European
framework for qualifications, also with a view to standardising qualification levels. The
National Qualifications Framework in Ireland places ordinary degrees at level seven,
honours degrees at level eight, Masters Degrees at level nine and a Doctorate at level
10.
Entry to primary teaching in Ireland follows a three year concurrent degree in
education (B.Ed) or an 18 month post-graduate Diploma qualification in primary
teaching. In the context of the qualifications framework, graduates from the Colleges
of Education associated with Trinity College, enter the profession with a level seven
qualification. Graduates from St Patrick’s College and Mary Immaculate College enter
the profession with a level eight qualification. Those who enter the profession with a
Graduate Diploma in primary teaching may be considered as entering the profession
with a level 9 qualification, though this issue is still under consideration by the
Qualifications Authority and the Universities. The extension of the B.Ed degree to a
–18–
Issues in Teacher Education
four year programme should be considered in the context of these developments.
A FourYear Degree
Four year degree programmes are common in Ireland for graduates entering professions such as nursing, engineering and post-primary teaching. A degree in Early
Childhood Care and Education and a degree in Psychology and Primary Teaching,
which were recently introduced by Mary Immaculate College of Education are both
four year degrees. The degrees of the University of Limerick (UL) are generally of
four years duration, with students spending the third year of their undergraduate
course either working in industry or on an Erasmus programme in a European university. This type of model could be considered for primary teaching where one year,
possibly the third year, could be spent in a school. In this model, students would spend
the first two years in a college of education studying to become primary teachers.
Their study would involve observation in schools and short-term teaching practice. In
year three student teachers would enter primary schools and take responsibility for a
class working under the direction of an experienced primary teacher who would operate as guide and mentor and work alongside the student teacher. Primary teachers
undertaking this role should be trained for this purpose. During this year the student
teachers could spend up to six weeks in attending lectures/seminars/workshops in the
Colleges of Education. Experienced teachers could also spend some time attending
colleges to further their own professional development, during this period. For their
fourth year student teachers would return to college to complete their educational
studies course. During year four, opportunities could also be provided to engage in
observation/co-teaching, perhaps in environments not experienced during year three.
Following graduation after year four, teachers would participate in an induction
programme and be probated during their first year teaching, thereby receiving full
recognition as a primary teacher at the end of year five.
The advantages of this option would include:
Opportunities for experienced primary teachers to engage in supporting student
teachers at a professional level.
Opportunities for experienced primary teachers to return to college for short
periods in order to enhance their own professional development.
The option to return to college for short-term or block release courses need not
be confined to the teacher in whose class the student teacher is teaching.
The learning of students in year four of the degree programme would be
enhanced by their experience of teaching in a classroom. Student teachers would
have an opportunity to experience the rhythm of a school year such as long-term
planning, short-term planning, relationships with parents, staff meetings, report–19–
ing to parents, parent teacher meetings without having the full responsibility
which in turn would ease their introduction to the profession as fully qualified
teachers.
However, there may also be some disadvantages to such an option:
It would be necessary for Colleges of Education to ensure that after two years in
college student teachers would be sufficiently prepared to take responsibility for
whole class teaching on a full-time basis, under the guidance of an experienced
teacher.
Parents may have difficulty with the concept of an ‘apprentice’ teacher, taking
responsibility for teaching their children (though they will be working alongside
an experienced teacher).
Student teachers may be reluctant to return to college having spent a year in
schools, though this does not appear to be an issue for students on current four
year degrees in UL. Spending the fourth year of a degree programme in schools,
rather than the third, could also be considered.
An alternative option would be to consider the preparation of teachers as a five year
programme leading to full recognition as primary teachers. Using the two-cycle model
of a three years bachelor degree followed by a two years masters degree, students
would graduate with a B.Ed after three years, and enter a two year induction and early
professional development cycle, as full-time probationary teachers. During this
period, NQTs would be supported by school-based mentors, who are experienced
teachers trained for this particular role, in addition to attending college on a block
release basis. During years four and five the teachers would engage in action research
projects to enhance their teaching and their professional knowledge. Following an
action research project, which would be accredited by the colleges, teachers would
graduate with a Masters in Teaching at the end of year five and be granted full recognition as primary teachers.
Some of the possible advantages to such a model include:
A three year degree followed by a two years Master programme is in line with the
recommendations in the Bologna Declaration which seeks to co-ordinate the
structure of third level education in member states of the European Union.
The workload in the current three year degree course could be reduced given
that there would be continuous college support during years four and five, allowing more time for reflection and self-directed learning.
If all teachers were to receive a Masters allowance after year five the issue of the
smaller colleges under Trinity College not granting an honours degree after
three years may no longer be an issue.
–20–
The profession would have an opportunity to have a structured and supported
role in the professional education of newly qualified teachers.
The status of teaching should be enhanced with entry level becoming Masters
Level.
Some of the possible disadvantages of this model:
If all teachers were to have a Masters in Teaching after two years and obtain the
Masters allowance there would no longer be a financial incentive to engage in
Masters in Educational studies at a later date. Opportunities would need to be
provided for teachers to engage in graduate diplomas in education for which
allowances would be payable.
Teachers may be of the view that two years as an NQT/probationary teacher
would be too long, even though the total length of time between initiating a
degree and gaining full recognition would be the same as a four year degree
followed by a one year induction and probationary period.
Postgraduate Entry toTeaching
The INTO continues to support graduate entry into the teaching profession. Postgraduate Diplomas in Primary Teaching are currently of 18 months duration and
focus on professional and practical studies. Given that students on such courses are
graduates, there is less need for a liberal education dimension in the Initial Teacher
Education course, as currently exists on undergraduate programmes. Reconciling the
postgraduate courses with a revised structure of the B.Ed, as outlined above, would be
a challenge. Enabling postgraduate students to spend a year in schools before completing initial teacher education programmes would be more problematic. Possible models
could include a two year post graduate course, with two terms of the second year spent
in schools, working under the guidance of a mentor teacher, and returning to college
for the final term, or alternatively, a three year model, the first year of which would be
college based, and the second and third year, in schools following an induction and early
professional development programme involving block release periods in college.
A more recent development in terms of initial teacher education in Ireland has been
the establishment of a postgraduate Diploma in Primary Teaching by Hibernia
College, and accredited by HETAC. Approximately 500 graduates of the Hibernia
College course have entered primary teaching in the last two years. This course is
provided primarily online, though in reality, it is a blended approach, also involving
interactive contact time. The approach taken by Hibernia College was welcomed by
many graduates who wished to become primary teachers, but for whom a fulltime 18
month postgraduate course was not suitable, in that it offered flexibility. The success
of e-learning in initial teacher education remains to be seen, but it is clear that a flexi–21–
ble approach to initial teacher education, incorporating an online or distance learning
dimension, is welcomed by graduates wishing to pursue primary teaching, and may
well become an established route into primary teaching. However, the establishment
of this course has been criticised by teacher educators for ignoring the importance of
the social dimension of learning to become a teacher, and who fear that such a model
would diminish the status and quality of the primary teaching profession. This is a
challenge for the Teaching Council who has a role in ensuring that programmes in
initial teacher education are of high quality.
Montessori Graduates
A number of graduates from the Montessori Colleges seek employment in the primary
school system. Such graduates must hold the three year Diploma in Montessori
Education from AMI or the BA in Montessori Education from St Nicholas College in
order to be granted restricted recognition to teach in the special education sector. Some
Montessori teachers currently employed in primary schools, wish to transfer to mainstream class teaching, but there are no mechanisms available at present to enable such
teachers to add to their qualifications in order to gain full recognition as a primary
teacher. Some may pursue the postgraduate Diploma in Primary Teaching, but those
who are not in a position to take this route are requesting a more flexible route. Perhaps
this is also an issue which should be considered by the Teaching Council.
Primary and Post PrimaryTeaching
At present, initial teacher education for primary and post-primary teaching are separate processes with no formal arrangements to enable teachers to transfer from one
sector to another. Some qualified post-primary teachers opt to pursue the post-graduate Diploma in Primary Teaching and are therefore qualified to teach in both sectors.
However, there is no similar route for primary teachers who wish to teach in the postprimary sector, as they are not eligible to pursue the Higher Diploma in Education in
the Universities, even in cases where they have subjects to degree level as part of their
B.Ed degree. It could be argued that an opportunity was lost to consider this issue,
when two separate committees were established to review teacher education in
1999 . The introduction of modules in both primary teaching and post-primary
teaching should be introduced to enable practicing teachers, who wish to transfer
from primary to post-primary education, or vice versa, to add to their qualifications.
–22–
CONTENT AND OTHER ISSUES
The Academic Component
Students in the two large Colleges of Education, as part of their B. Ed degree, study an
academic subject to degree level. Both the large colleges offer academic subjects linked
to areas of the primary curriculum. The orientation of the B.Ed programme in the
smaller colleges, linked to Trinity College, is primarily professional and practical. One
of the reasons given for the inclusion of an academic subject in addition to education
and professional studies is that it contributes to the academic and personal education
of the individual in the tradition of liberal education. In addition, it is argued that the
study of the academic subjects contributes to subject expertise within the primary
system. The ever increasing workload of students in the Colleges of Education has led
to calls for the abolition or a reconsideration of the place of the academic subject in
initial teacher education, a fact acknowledged by the Teacher Education Review
Committee (Kellaghan 2001 ). The Review Committee recommended a rebalancing
of time between the academic and professional components, particularly in the
context of an extension of the B.Ed programme to four years. There is scope for development of the academic component, however, as it has remained largely unchanged
since the B.Ed was first introduced in the 1970 s. The INTO would favour a broader
choice of academic subjects, to include subjects of relevance to primary teaching, but
currently offered as minor subjects as part of education. Such options could include
psychology, sociology, philosophy, early childhood education, language/linguistics,
information and communication technologies. The Colleges of Education associated
with Trinity College, take a different approach to academic studies, in that no individual subject is studied to degree level, though a core number of subjects are studied in
depth. However, the place of an academic component needs to be reassessed, and
decisions made in relation to whether subjects are studied to degree level or other
equivalences such as first Arts. Should teachers wish to pursue further studies in the
area of their academic subject, the transferability of the credits attained need to be
clear and recognised within the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS). The retention of an academic component, in some form, is considered vital to ensuring that
student teachers graduate as highly educated individuals, competent as beginning
teachers and prepared for a career involving lifelong learning.
Gender Imbalance in PrimaryTeaching
The continuing decline in the number of male entrants to primary teaching has been
of concern to the INTO for some time. This trend is not unique to Ireland. For reasons
of balance in the work environment, of providing children with role models of both
–23–
sexes, and of protecting the status and conditions associated with primary teaching,
the INTO has continuously supported the participation of both men and women in
the primary teaching profession. It is of concern, therefore, that the current percentage of male undergraduates on B.Ed programmes is about 10%. The need for male
role models in the early years of a child’s education and development is often cited as
a reason for ensuring a gender balance in teaching, though this is a contested area
(INTO, 2004 ). The roots of the imbalance may lie in stereotyped patterns of roles
and responsibilities in society in general. Teaching is seen as a caring profession and
caring is generally perceived as a role for women. There is a challenge, therefore, to
address the image of teaching.
Suggestions previously made by the INTO include positive discrimination in entry
to Colleges of Education, with a minimum of 20% of places reserved for both males
and females with the remaining 60% open to all (INTO, 2004 ). Positive discrimination currently applies in relation to entrants from Gaeltacht areas and entrants to the
Church of Ireland College of Education. The legality of such positive discrimination
in the case of gender is open to question.
The profession of primary teaching needs to be promoted more publicly. The
INTO welcomed the recent campaign launched by the Minister of Education and
Science, which aimed to attract more males into primary teaching. Support materials
of use to school guidance counsellors would also be useful. However, it may also be
necessary to consider the nature of the B.Ed degree itself. Perhaps, the fact that
entrants to primary teaching are entering a course which leads to one specific qualification may be unattractive to males in particular.
Riachtanais na hEarnála LánGhaeilge
D’aithin an Coiste Athbhreithnithe ar Oideachas Múinteoirí (Kellaghan, 2001 ) an gá
a bhí ann múinteoirí a ullmhú le múineadh sa Ghaeltacht agus sna scoileanna
lánGhaeilge. Toisc an brú mór ar na coláistí ní éiríonn leo mórán soláthair a dhéanamh
ar riachtanais na hearnála lánGhaeilge ina gcuid cúrsaí. Is beag a dhéanann na coláistí
ar shealbhú teanga, an tumoideachas nó an dátheangachas i gcomhthéacs na
Gaeltachta nó na scoileanna lánGhaeilge. Mar sin féin, cuireann na coláistí deiseanna
ar fáil do mhicléinn ar mian leo a gcuid cleachtadh múinteoireachta a dhéanamh i
scoileanna Gaeltachta nó i scoileanna lánGhaeilge. Mhol an Coiste Athbhreithnithe go
gcuirfí módúl roghnach ar fáil do mhicléinn ar mian leo tabhairt faoin oideachas
lánGhaeilge. Faoi láthair tá 7.5% de dhaltaí bunscoile na tíre ag fáil a gcuid oideachais
trí mheán na Gaeilge.
Ach seans go bhfuil an cheist níos casta ná sin. Léirigh An Chomhairle um
Oideaachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta (COGG) sa taighde Staid Reatha na
Scoileanna Gaeltachta (Mac Donncha et al, 2005 ) go raibh deacrachtaí ag na
–24–
scoileanna Gaeltachta teacht ar mhúinteoirí cáilithe chun na folúntais a bhíonn acu a
líonadh. I dtaighde a rinne Máirtín do COGG (2006 ) is léir go bhfuil an fhadhb
chéanna ag na scoileanna lánGhaeilge teacht ar mhúinteoirí a bhfuil an cháilíocht, an
spéis agus an cumas teanga acu obair sna gaelscoileanna. Bíonn deacrachtaí ach go
háirithe teacht ar ionadaithe. Dúirt sí chomh maith nach raibh aon taithí ag 60% de
mhúinteoirí na ngaelscoileanna ar an bhfoghlaim trí mheán na Gaeilge.
Faoi láthair, is i mBéal Feirste amháin atá teacht ar chúrsa réamhsheirbhíse do
mhúinteoirí atá go hiomlán trí mheán na Gaeilge. Cúrsa iarchéime trí Ghaeilge le
freastal ar riachtanais na ngaelscoileanna sa Tuaisceart atá ann. Is mó iarrthóir ná áit ar
an gcúrsa, agus níl sé d’acmhainn ag an gcúrsa freastal ar riachtanais na hearnála
lánGhaeilge sa Deisceart. Níl aon choláiste sa Deisceart ag soláthar cúrsa go hiomlán
trí Ghaeilge, cé go bhfuil méid áirithe á dhéanamh ag Coláiste Mhuire Marino trí
Ghaeilge. Meastar gur thart ar 120 macléinn in aon bhliain réamhsheirbhíse a
thagann ón Ghaeltacht nó ó na scoileanna lánGhaeilge (COGG, 2006 ) agus téann
roinnt mhaith acu seo ag múineadh sa Ghaeltacht nó sna scoileanna lánGhaeilge. Ní
dhéantar aon phleanáil straitéiseach a thugann go fadthréimhseach faoin bhfreastal is
gá chun riachtanais i soláthar múinteoirí don earnáil lánGhaeilge a shásamh. Molann
Máirtín (COGG, 2006 ) mar chéad chéim gur ceart iniúchadh a dhéanamh ar na
féidearthachtaí a bhainfeadh le cúrsa iomlán iarchéime don bhunmhúinteoireacht a
sholáthar trí mheán na Gaeilge agus an t-oideachas lánGhaeilge mar chuid de, agus
ansin go bhféachfaí le cúrsa céime trí Ghaeilge a chur ar fáil. Chomh maith leis sin tá
gá freastal ar riachtanais inghairme na hearnála lánGhaeilge agus b’fhéidir dioplóma
agus/nó máistreacht sa réimse seo a fhorbairt, moltaí a dtacaíonnn Ó Duibhir leo.
Tugann Ó Duibhir (2006 ) tacaíocht don mholadh go ndéanfaí cúram ar leith d’oiliúint mhúinteoirí don earnáil lánGhaeilge agus go gcuirfí oideachas orthu i dtimpeallacht lánGhaeilge chomh maith. Tá gá machnamh a dhéanamh ar an gcur chuige is
éifeachtaí lena chinntiú go gcuirtear oiliúint ar mhúinteoirí, idir réamhsheirbhís agus
forbairt inghairme, maidir leis an dátheangachas agus an tumoideachas.
Múineadh na Gaeilge
Rinne an Coiste Athbhreithnithe (Kellaghan, 2001 ) tagairt do chaighdeán Gaeilge na
macléinn sna Coláistí Oideachais i gcoitinne, ag cur in iúl nach bhfuil na Coláistí
Oideachais sásta le caighdeán na macléinn ag teacht chucu, agus nach bhfuil an Roinn
Oideachais nó na scoileanna sásta le caighdeán na múinteoirí nua-cháilithe. Mar sin
féin tá na céimithe féin sásta leis an gcaighdeán atá acu. Níor deineadh aon mholadh
maidir leis an riachtanas Grád C3 nó os a chionn a bheith ag micléinn mar chaighdeán
iontrála. Is léir ó thaighde a rinneadh An Roinn Oideachais agus Eolaíochta gur lú an
lion buachaillí a leanann an cúrsa onórach sa Ghaeilge agus go gcuireann seo bac orthu
gairm na múinteoireachta a roghnú. Cé go bhféadfaí eolas treoirghairme a bheith ar
–25–
fáil do mhicléinn iarbhunscoile a mhíníonn na riachtanais iontrála don bhunmhúinteoireacht, a leigheasfadh roinnt den scéal, seans go bhfuil gá rogha eile a bheith ann,
do mhicléinn aibí ach go háirithe. Mura mbíonn Grád C nó os a chionn ag micléinn sa
Ghaeilge Ardteisteistiméireachta ag an ardleibhéal, seans gur ceart go mbeadh scrúdú
iontrála sa Ghaeilge ar fáil, a chinnteodh go mbeadh bunchaighdeán ag micléinn a
chuirfeadh ar a gcumas plé leis an gcúrsa Gaeilge sna coláistí. D’fhéadfadh go mbeadh
rogha mar seo níos áisiúla ná tabhairt faoi chúrsa na hArdteistiméireachta arís.
Moladh sa tuarascáil athbhreithnithe (Kellaghan, 2001 ) go ndéanfaí leasuithe ar
na cúrsaí Gaeltachta chun go mbeidís ag teacht leis an gcúrsa a bhíonn á dhéanamh ag
na micléinn sna coláistí. Chuaigh Máirtín (2006 ) níos faide ná seo ag moladh go
gcaithfeadh micléinn tréimhse níos faide sa Ghaeltacht, agus go bhforbrófaí scéim, ar
nós scéim Erasmus, chun go gcaithfeadh micléinn cuid dá dtréimhse fochéime sa
Ghaeltacht. Moladh é seo a rinne Conradh na Gaeilge (2005 ) chomh maith. Seans
nach mbeadh se réadúil go gcaithfeadh micléinn bliain iomlán dá gcúrsa sa Ghaeltacht,
ach is fiú na féidearthachtaí a bhaineann le tréimhse sínithe a chaitheamh sa
Ghaeltacht a fhiosrú, mar shampla, agus go ndéanfadh micléinn roinnt dá gcúrsa agus
cleachtadh múinteoireachta sa Ghaeltacht.
Le blianta beaga anuas tá ardú suntasach tagtha ar líon na múinteoirí atá ag teagasc
i mbunscoileanna na tíre a mbíonn a gcuid oiliúna faighte acu lasmuigh den Stát.
Saoránaigh na hÉireann is ea cuid acu agus eachtrannaigh is ea cuid eile. Tugtar
aitheantas sealadach do mhúínteoirí a bhfuil a gcuid cáilíochtaí múinteoireachta inghlactha ag an Stát agus tugtar cúig bliana dóibh an Cháilíocht sa Ghaeilge a bhaint
amach. Deineadh athbhreithniú ar an Scrúdú le haghaidh Cáilíochta sa Ghaeilge
(SCG) sa bhliain 2004 , agus cé go bhfuil feabhas ar an siollabas, ar an gcur chuige
measúnaithe agus ar sholáthar cúrsaí, níl an scéal sásúil go hiomlán fós. Is iomaí gearán
a rinne Cumann Múinteoirí Éireann leis an Roinn Oideachais nach raibh an siollabas,
an cur chuige measúnaithe nó an soláthar cúrsaí oiriúnach nó ag teacht leis na riachtanais a bhain le múineadh na Gaeilge sa bhunscoil. D’éiligh Cumann Muinteoirí Éireann freisin go dtabharfaí an cúram d’institiúid amháin gach gné den SCG a stiúradh
agus tá an cúram seo tugtha anois do Choláiste Mhuire Marino. Conradh trí bliana atá
ag Coláiste Mhuire Marino agus déanfar athbhreithniú ar an gcur chuige arís ag
deireadh na tréimhse seo. Is ar an gComhairle Múinteoireachta a bheas an cúram
amach anseo plé le haitheantas Múinteoirí a oiltear lasmuigh den stát, agus tá ceist na
cáilíochta Gaeilge faoi chaibidil acu faoi láthair.
Early Childhood Education
Provision for early childhood eucation is undergoing major change in Ireland. The
Centre for Early Childhood Development and Education (CECDE) was established in
2002 to develop early education quality standards in relation to all aspects of early
–26–
childhood education including equipment and material, staff qualifications, training,
learning objectives, teaching methodologies, curriculum and related areas; to develop
a support framework to encourage compliance with quality standards by early education providers; to co-ordinate and enhance early education provision, including
parental involvement, with a particular focus on disadvantage and special needs
groups; and to undertake and/or commission research and development through
which best practice in curriculum, teaching methodology and parent involvement
may be implemented and evaluated. The Centre has recently published Síolta, a
national framework for quality in early childhood care and education. The NCCA is
also currently working on a curriculum framework for early learning for children
from birth to six. Such developments encompass the infant section of primary schools
in addition to providers of services such as crèches, playschools, naíonraí, childminders and so on. Approximately 20% of primary teachers teach infant classes or Early
Start. There would be an additional percentage of teachers who teach infants alongside older children. Preparing teachers for teaching the early years has traditionally
been insufficiently resourced in the Colleges of Education, and though additional
resources have been provided in recent years, there is a view that it is still insufficient.
Due to a number of constraints, such as large classes and a lack of space, resources and
materials, didactic teaching tends to dominate in infant classes (OECD, 2004 ). The
preparation of teachers, through initial teacher education and through the provision
of post-graduate professional development programmes, needs to ensure that teachers are equipped to implement activity and play-based approaches to learning as envisaged in the Primary School Curriculum (1999 ).
Recent years have also seen a significant growth in degree programmes in early
childhood care and education. Graduates of these courses are not eligible to teach in
primary schools, though some graduates have pursued the postgraduate Diploma in
Primary Teaching and have subsequently become primary teachers. However, the
post-graduate Diploma in Primary Teaching is not appropriate for graduates of
degrees in early childhood education, as much of the content pertaining to child development and early learning has been addressed in the undergraduate degrees. A modular approach to the post graduate programmes may allow graduates of early
childhood degrees to be exempted from the relevant modules. A number of
Montessori qualified teachers, who have restricted recognition to teach in the special
education sector, have also expressed an interest in furthering their qualifications in
order to teach in mainstream education.
Specialisms
Many student teachers have the option of choosing elective subjects which provides an
opportunity to study a particular area of education in more depth. The choice of
–27–
optional or elective subjects varies from college to college. The idea of providing
student teachers with opportunities to study aspects of primary education in more
depth is laudable. Expanding such opportunities could also be considered in the
context of the B.Ed becoming a four year programme, enabling student teachers to
specialise in a dimension of primary education, such as special education, early years
education, Irish-medium education, the Arts, intercultural education, language/ literacy and more.
Teaching Practice
Teaching Practice is an essential component of initial teacher education programmes.
Under current arrangements student teachers undertake approximately 15-18
weeks of teaching during their initial teacher education. During teaching practice,
student teachers are visited and evaluated by personnel from the Colleges of
Education. In recent years it has also become practice to employ retired teachers or
teachers on career break as supervisors of teaching practice, mainly due to the huge
increase in student teacher numbers. The benefits of such a practice is worth further
exploration as such teachers, whose knowledge is rooted in practice and experience,
have a lot to offer if sufficiently supported by professional development for their role
as teaching practice supervisors. Working in collaboration with school-based mentor
teachers, the teaching practice experience of student teachers can only be enhanced.
Schools for teaching practice are selected on the basis of their willingness to accept
student teachers. Within schools themselves, teachers voluntarily accept the student
teachers into their classrooms. Traditionally, there is little communication between
the college and the schools other than to make arrangements. However, there are pilot
projects within some of the Colleges of Education, seeking to involve schools and
class teachers more constructively in the process of teaching practice. Teachers participating in the project have been quite receptive to the idea of being involved more
constructively and as partners in the teaching practice process. The role of co-operating teacher is deemed to be crucial to student teachers (Katz and Raths, 1999 ), yet in
Ireland, the role of the cooperating teacher has been very much an ad hoc one depending on the individuals concerned. From a professional perspective, the INTO is of the
view that teachers should have a structured role as mentors to student teachers during
teaching practice. However, such a role would need to be recognised and acknowledged, with teachers being prepared for the role, supported and rewarded. The
success of the pilot project in UL, ‘The Lucent Science Teacher Initiative’, has demonstrated the possibilities and scope for the professional development of experienced
practitioners involved in the mentoring of student teachers (Kiely, 2005 ).
However, NQTs have commented that teaching practice is quite a false experience
(DES, 2005). It is common for NQTs in their first few years teaching to express a desire
–28–
to have had more practicum experience (Vasconcelos, Loizou, Sivropoulou, 2006). The
falseness of the experience may relate to the fact that the student teachers don’t have full
responsibility, and are expected to teach a number of prepared lessons to a particular class,
with no involvement with the rest of the school. Whereas NQTs are quite happy, in
general, with their preparation to teach the curriculum, they feel inadequately prepared
to address the practical issues of teaching, classroom management, relating to parents
and teaching children with special needs, which they face for the first time as qualified
teachers. An extended teaching practice, such as a term, or full year, in a school, working
under the direction and guidance of an experienced mentor teacher may go some way
towards addressing some of the shortcomings of the current teaching practice model.
The relationship between the mentor teacher and the student teacher would allow for
prolonged interactions about teaching and learning and allow for the development of
professional conversations. Developing the role of a mentor gives formal recognition to
classroom expertise. It values the contribution of teacher knowledge, rooted in practice
and experience and recognises that such knowledge has as much to contribute as the
more theoretically grounded knowledge of teacher educators in Colleges of Education.
INDUCTION AND PROBATION
Induction can be defined as ‘formal introduction to a new job’. In the context of newly
qualified teachers (NQTs), it is seen as the phase starting in the first year of teaching
and often extending into the following few years. It brings with it unique challenges,
requirements and needs. This is a period of great personal and professional change for
young teachers. The term ‘reality shock’ recurs. It has been widely found that experiences in the first years have an impact on future careers, especially with regard to attrition rates. In general, teachers can feel very isolated in their profession, and get little in
the way of positive feedback from adults or peers. This is especially true in the initial
years and holds true for both the primary and post-primary sectors. Induction is
viewed as a transition period from student-teacher to fulltime professional (INTO,
1995 ). It is a period in which NQTs develop an identification with and commitment
to their chosen profession. It is an important period in the professional development of
young teachers. It is at this stage that the realities of work in the classroom are experienced as teachers adjust to the professional responsibilities that attach to fulltime, selfdirected practice. For the first time the challenges posed by a variety of problematic
situations are confronted and it is at this point that the difficulties of bridging theory
and practice begin to emerge and when ‘survival skills’ may take precedence over
theory. It is a career phase that should be characterised by the professional guidance of
more experienced colleagues and the support of school structures and administration.
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According to the INTO an occupation that calls itself a profession has a moral
obligation to demand and participate in the provision of such a service (INTO,
1995 ). It is clearly stated in the Teaching Council Act, that both induction and probation will become the responsibility of the Teaching Council – in effect the responsibility of the teaching profession.
The OECD Review of National Policies for Education (1991 ) found Ireland’s
approach to teacher induction and professional development to be both “ad hoc and
incomplete”. The INTO has long called for a programme of induction to be available
to all NQTs (INTO, 1995 ). It is also government policy that such a programme
should exist as outlined in the White Paper on Education Charting our Education Future
(1995 ). The pilot project on induction, which commenced September 2002 , was
first mooted by the teacher unions in the mid-nineties, when the unions in conjunction with the Education Departments in the Universities and Colleges of Education
organised a joint seminar on the topic of induction. In his presentation to that conference John Carr, now General Secretary of the INTO, proposed the establishment of a
pilot
project on induction as a way forward, and as a learning experience, with the purpose
of informing proposals for a national programme of induction.
The Pilot Project in Induction
The pilot project, established in 2002 , comprises two pillars – primary and postprimary. The main objective of the project is towards supporting the professional
development of NQTs by way of systematic support in their first year of teaching,
thus laying the foundations for subsequent professional growth and development.
A key feature of the induction programme is the promotion of a whole school
approach to supporting NQTs. To date 530 NQTs have participated at primary level,
involving approximately 150 mentors and 200 schools, in the greater Dublin area,
Cork, Limerick, the Southeast and Donegal. The national project (primary and postprimary pillars) is managed by a National Steering Committee, consisting of representatives from DES, teacher unions, educational institutions (St Patrick’s College and
UCD) and the Education Centre network and each sectoral pillar is managed by a
smaller project team. All Colleges of Education participate on the primary project
committee since 2005 .
International research indicated that NQTs adopt coping strategies aimed at getting
through the day, rather than the reflective approaches which might lead to best
practice. Characteristics of effective induction, as identified by international research,
were used to inform and scaffold the pilot project (Report of the Pilot Project, unpublished). For the purposes of the project, NQTs are defined as newly qualified teachers
in their first year of teaching, though there has been some flexibility given the differ–30–
ent contexts of beginning teachers. As part of the project NQTs are offered support at
school level by experienced teachers, referred to as mentors. Mentors are experienced
colleagues who take a particular responsibility for providing professional guidance to
new members of the profession. In general, teachers have traditionally been supportive of their new colleagues, but such support has been ad hoc given that there were no
formal structures in place. A needs analysis carried out as part of the project indicated
that the priority areas for professional development for NQTs were classroom
management, planning and preparation, differentiation (special needs) and working
with parents. Online training involving moodle has also been provided to NQTs in
latter years.
A significant feature of the project is the release time with substitute cover, allocated to NQTs, mentors and principals. Eight days were allocated per NQT at the
beginning of the project, and the best use and organisation of such release time is
being explored as part of the project. The release time is designed to provide necessary
and ongoing support to the participants. The purposes of release time for NQTs are to
enable planning, observation of experienced teachers teaching, to be observed by the
mentor, reflective practice and professional development. Release time has been available to the mentors to enable them to meet with NQTs and facilitate professional
dialogue in a variety of areas including policies and procedures, preparation and planning, classroom management and organisation, differentiation, parent teacher
communication, curriculum planning at different class levels, resource provisions in
addition to professional development. Release time for principals, with substitute
cover provided for teaching principals, involved two days professional development
associated with the management of the project at school level. In summary, the core
tenets of the prevailing models of teacher induction are: mentoring, release time,
observation, reflective practice and action research.
Mentoring
Effective teacher induction is characterised by an approach that is comprehensive, coordinated, sequenced and closely connected to the culture of the school (Report of the
Pilot Project). It comprises mentoring, observation, reflective practice and professional
development, and ensures that teaching responsibilities are allocated which are
commensurate with beginning teachers’ skills and experiences. A key element appears
to be both the presence and effectiveness of a mentor.
Mentoring can be defined as “Professional practice that occurs in the context of
teaching whenever an experienced teacher supports, challenges and guides novice
teachers in their teaching practice” (Odell and Huling (2000 , p. xv). While a whole
school approach to the induction of NQTs is generally advocated, the role of the
mentor within the whole school context is crucial to the support of the newly qualified
–31–
teacher. NQTs value and acknowledge the importance of having ‘someone there for
them’ in their first year of teaching. The mentor is someone the NQT can turn to for
personal, professional and pedagogical support throughout that crucial first year.
NQTs describe the mentor as someone who is a good listener, approachable,
empathic, trusting, open, and willing to guide, challenge and give advice. Mentors also
frequently refer to the benefits which they gain as a result of working in close collaboration with NQTs. Mentor teachers frequently characterise working closely with
beginning teachers as a source of new ideas about curriculum and teaching, motivating them to reflect upon their experiences and beliefs with regard to teaching and
learning (Ganser, 1997 , cited in Teachers Matter, OECD, 2005 , P. 121). It is widely
acknowledged that building strong professional learning communities through
programmes such as the induction programme will benefit schools as learning organisations in the long-term.
Creating a structure that allows experienced teachers to work with novice teachers
and that acknowledges their expertise will ultimately strengthen the overall organisation, including retaining good practitioners in the classroom.
(Teachers Matter, OECD, 2005, p.121)
In the National Induction Project, the role of mentor involved:
Providing ongoing support for the NQT throughout his/her first year teaching.
Organising and facilitating planning and observation sessions for the NQT.
Providing opportunities for peer learning, for sharing knowledge and practice,
for reflection on practice.
Promoting the involvement of the whole school in the induction of NQTs in the
school.
Attendance at professional development days.
The project team considered it essential that mentors participate in professional
development for the role. Therefore, professional development for mentors formed a
core part of the National Pilot Project on Induction – Primary, and consisted of training
in the areas of:
Understanding of Induction programme – theoretical perspectives including
international and national backgrounds.
Understanding the stages of Teacher Development – particularly the Induction
Stage.
Understanding of Induction programme – practical approaches and plans for the
mentor.
Mentor qualities, relationships and the role of the mentor within the school.
Key skills of mentoring e.g. listening and communication skills, peer learning,
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observation and feedback, reflective practice and other related skills.
Whole school approach to induction.
Planning for the NQT in the first year.
Classroom management and organisation.
Participating mentors in Dublin and Cork had the additional option of undertaking a
mentoring course leading to the award of a Certificate in Education (Mentoring). This
course is co-ordinated by the Inservice Department in St. Patrick’s College. Mary
Immaculate College also intends providing accredited courses in mentoring in the future.
In general, the mentor teacher was a member of staff in the NQTs’ school. Some
mentors provided support for up to six NQTs in their own school. This was the case in
large urban schools in particular. In some schools, one mentor served 2/3 schools in
a cluster arrangement – a more common arrangement in rural areas. Different models
of providing mentoring support continue to be explored by the Pilot Project.
It is clear from both initial and subsequent evaluations that participation in the
National Pilot Project on Induction has brought huge benefits to schools. The provision of release days, ongoing professional development and incentives for mentors are
essential in order to enable schools provide a supportive induction programme for
NQTs. Whereas induction and probation will be the responsibility of the Teaching
Council, the experience of project participants has indicated that the induction
process should be seen as a separate process to probation, which is essentially an evaluative process, a distinction supported by the Inspectorate (DES, 2005 ).
Needs of Newly QualifiedTeachers
The Evaluation, Support and Research Unit (ESRU) of the Inspectorate in the
Department of Education and Science (DES) carried out a survey involving beginning
/newly qualified teachers during the school year 2003 -2004 (DES, 2005 ). The
purposes of the survey were to obtain new teachers’ views on their first year’s teaching, to report on the challenges they faced, and the extent to which the supports available enabled them to develop as professionals. ESRU also sought to collate evidence
from inspectors’ reports on a sample of beginning teachers’ work to identify strengths
and areas for development. A further objective was to provide feedback to those
involved in the professional development of teachers, to identify areas of professional
development that may need to be addressed and to inform future policy initiatives.
Postal questionnaires were issued to 354 newly qualified teachers to which 54%
responded. In drawing up their report Beginning to Teach (DES, 2005 ) the inspectors
included the findings of their survey and also drew on an analysis of inspectors’
reports and recommendations.
On the whole, NQTs rated the support they received at school level from the prin–33–
cipal teacher and their colleagues very positively. They also rated the support received
from the inspectors as positive with only a minority indicating a negative experience.
Negative comments referred mostly to the artificiality of general inspection visits,
infrequent visits, uncertainty about planning requirements and inconsistencies among
inspectors.
As outlined in the Department’ report Beginning to Teach (DES, 2005 ), in relation to
their initial teacher education, NQTs generally felt prepared to teach, had a good
knowledge of the curriculum and were confident in their teaching skills. However, they
referred negatively to their lack of preparation in relation to practical school matters
and planning. They also lacked confidence in relation to classroom management,
multi-grade teaching and coping with the learning and behavioural needs of certain
categories of pupils. One-quarter felt ill-equipped to monitor pupils’ progress and
achievement. These are the very same areas identified by NQTs who participated in the
early phases of the National Induction Project. Regarding specific areas of the curriculum, NQTs felt well prepared to teach PE, English, SESE and Irish, and less well
prepared to teach SPHE, visual arts, mathematics and drama. They felt least prepared
to teach music. Several newly qualified teachers stated they felt ill-prepared to teach the
infant classes and it is of note that 19% of NQTs were allocated to infant classes. The
inspectors found that the vast majority of new teachers were teaching successfully.
Specific recommendations were made and advice given in the areas of variety and suitability of teaching methods, structure and pace of lessons, assessment procedures,
matching of work to pupils’ ability, communication skills, and regard for continuity and
progression.
Evidence from NQTs and from the inspectors who evaluated their work suggests
that teacher education courses need to be further developed so that teachers develop
the competences required for contemporary primary teaching. These include familiarisation with the curriculum, facility with a wide range of teaching approaches, the
ability to manage a range of individual differences and to provide individual
programmes for pupils with special educational needs. The inspectors also indicated
that there was scope for school principals and teacher colleagues to provide more inschool support to help new teachers develop their competence and skills in teaching
the full curriculum. They recommended that boards of management should discuss
an induction plan with NQTs and that an experienced teacher should be assigned as a
mentor to support progress, to demonstrate good practice, to review teaching
approaches and to offer advice and support. Specifically in relation to induction the
inspectors recommended the expansion of the project and stated that induction
courses should attend to such matters as planning and preparation, pedagogical skills,
knowledge of the curricular areas, parent and teacher interaction, stress, time
management and teachers’ health and voice care. They also suggested that regular
focused workshops and support groups should be facilitated by Education Centres
–34–
and recommended the setting up of an integrated website specifically for NQTs,
something which is under consideration by the National Induction Project. Feedback
from the Induction Project Professional Development days, suggest that differentiation, working with parents, assessment, time management, aspects of literacy and
numeracy and handling specific behavioural difficulties are to the fore among the
NQTs’ professional development needs.
Probation
The quality of teaching is the central professional indicator that is evaluated by the
inspectors. It is a highly influential contributor to the quality of pupils’ learning and to
the general effectiveness of the school as a teaching and learning organisation.
Therefore, the probation process is a valuable aspect of the support available to
schools and NQTs.
The probationary period is acknowledged to be a critical phase in every primary
teacher’s professional development. All NQTs, whether they graduate from Colleges
of Education in Ireland or outside the State, must undergo probation. In order to be
probated, NQTs must give a minimum period of service and have their teaching
inspected by the Inspectorate of the Department of Education and Science. When
primary teachers successfully complete their probation, they become eligible for full
recognition to teach in Irish primary schools. However, it is also possible to undergo
probation in special education, leading to restricted recognition to teach in certain
categories of special schools, special classes and as resource teachers for children with
low-incidence special needs.
There has been an unprecedented growth in the number of probationary teachers
in recent years. It is expected that there are more than 2,000probationary teachers
in the system during the current school year (2006 -2007 ). Inspectors visit teachers
during the probationary period to monitor their progress, to provide advice and guidance and to report on their performance. The average time spent with an individual is
2.5days (DES, 2005 ). An interim report (beagthuairisc) is given during the first half
of the probationary year, in which the teacher’s performance is evaluated in the areas
of planning, preparation and recording of progress, classroom management and
organisation, quality of teaching throughout the curriculum, and the quality of
pupils’ learning in curriculum areas. A four point scale is used: optimal performance,
competent practice, scope for development, and experiencing significant difficulty.
The report is discussed fully with the teacher before being submitted. The general
inspection report (mórthuairisc) is normally given in the second half of the year. It
provides detailed evaluative commentary. It also identifies strengths and aspects for
further development, and provides an overall rating of the teacher’s work – satisfactory or not satisfactory. A copy is issued to the teacher and to the board of manage–35–
ment. School principals have a responsibility to avail of regular opportunities to visit
new teachers’ classrooms, to monitor their work practice, to offer advice and recommendations, to provide or arrange demonstrations of best practice and to ensure that
an NQT is familiar with the policies and procedures of the school.
Given that it is Government policy that all NQTs will be entitled to participate in an
induction programme (Government of Ireland, 1995 ), the nature of probation may
change. At present probation at primary level involves the Inspectorate. At postprimary level, teachers are probated by the principal teacher of the school, though no
formal procedures exist. This would be more problematic in primary schools, given
the more intimate nature of small schools. The current workload of principal
teachers would not facilitate their involvement in the probationary process at present,
even if such a proposal were professionally desirable. What is clear, however, is that
mentor teachers do not wish to have an evaluative role, as they believe this would
impact on their relationship with the NQTs, which is based on a supportive model.
This view is supported by Kiely (2005 ) who evaluated a mentoring project involving
student teachers of science in post-primary schools. The induction and probationary
processes should therefore, remain two separate processes.
Responsibility for both induction and probation in the future will lie with the
Teaching Council – the profession. Therefore, other possible models for probation of
primary teachers involving the profession may need to be explored. Models could
include the secondment of experienced teachers specifically for the purposes of
probation, or the appointment by the Teaching Council of a panel of inspectors/evaluators to carry out probation, though the relationship between such panels
and the current Departmental Inspectorate would need to be clarified. The current
model could also continue, as all primary inspectors are qualified primary teachers. It
must be borne in mind, however, that whereas responsibility for probation of NQTs in
relation to their suitability to become members of the teaching profession lies with the
profession itself, the State may wish to retain a function in relation to quality assurance, on behalf of society, a function which also pertains to the whole school evaluation process. Periodic evaluations of NQTs and of teachers in their second and third
year teaching, as recommended in Beginning to Teach (DES, 2005 ), may be considered
as an appropriate mechanism for such quality assurance. This is an issue that warrants
further consideration. The inspectors themselves have indicated a possible alteration
of their role following the recent establishment of the Teaching Council (DES,
2005 ).
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CONTINUOUS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT (CPD)
In 1994 , the Department of Education, secured a budget for teacher professional
development under the National Development Plan 1994 -2000 . An incareer development unit was established within the Department of Education to administer the funding and to devise policy. Though an advisory committee was established at
post-primary level, it ceased to meet regularly after a number of years. No such
committee was established at primary level. Additional funding was made available to
the Education Centres, of which there are 21 fulltime centres throughout the country.
Education Centres became more pro-active in providing professional development
opportunities for teachers. Funding was also made available to other bodies, including
the INTO, who developed a very successful summer course programme for primary
teachers, through its Professional Development Unit. During the 1990 s, a number of
national initiatives were established to support teacher development. Two major initiatives, the School Development Planning Initiative, both primary and post-primary, and
the Primary Curriculum Support programme were established in 1999 and administered by the Incareer Development Unit, which became the Teacher Education Section
in 2002 .
The Primary Curriculum Support Programme (PCSP), which was established in
1999 to support the implementation of the revised Primary School Curriculum
(1999 ), is in the final year of its original implementation phase. By summer 2007 ,
all subject areas of the primary curriculum will have been addressed through inservice
seminars for teachers and in-school curriculum planning days. The PCSP has also
developed a regional support service involving cuiditheoirí, who are seconded teachers, providing in-school support in curriculum planning and implementation. A
professional development programme to succeed the PCSP is therefore being
discussed by the relevant parties, with a view to continuing support for the implementation of the curriculum, addressing additional curricular issues such as special
education
and
assessment,
and devising a framework for teacher professional development. Issues being considered as part of this process are the roles of the Colleges of Education/Universities,
incentives for teachers, timing, content and models. A recent report published by the
Department of Education and Science advocated that schools and teachers should
assume responsibility for their professional development (DES 2005 ).
The INTO is of the view that all CPD in relation to curriculum implementation
post 2007 should be planned and provided within a National Framework of CPD for
teachers, which would encompass all dimensions of professional development. Such a
framework should include CPD to meet system, school and individual needs and
address the issues of funding, time and accreditation. A variety of approaches to CPD
need to be facilitated in a National Framework – in-school days, off-site seminars,
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summer courses, evening courses, certificate, diploma, masters and doctoral courses,
online courses, sabbatical leave and study leave. The pending introduction of
sabbaticals for teachers in schools involved in the DEIS programme is very much
welcomed.
The content of future CPD will be determined by a number of factors such as:
Continuous Curriculum Development by the NCCA (e.g. special education,
assessment).
Issues emerging from current curriculum evaluations/reviews and national
surveys (e.g. differentiation, teaching methodologies).
Issues identified by schools and teachers themselves.
There may also be a need for CPD arising from policy determined by the DES (e.g. child protection), and in response to specific sectoral needs such as early childhood
education and immersion education. All existing support services should be part of a
new CPD framework (PCSP, SDPS, SESS, CAPP, SMPP). Consideration should be
given to the suggestion that there should be one CPD facilitator/support person allocated to each school, to work with schools, assisting them with CPD at school level.
Where additional expertise is required, the school’s CPD support person/facilitator
should be able to draw on a panel of people with different expertise within a region (e.g.
child protection, substance misuse, curriculum areas, planning and organisational
areas). Teacher networking should also be encouraged and facilitated as an integral part
of CPD. A consultative/advisory committee should be set up, representative of the
partners in education, and including the Colleges of Education and Universities.
Any model of CPD should allow a fixed number of CPD days for each school per
annum, with schools having discretion regarding how such days are used. During the
current school year schools have a total of seven days, of which four are in-school
(3 PCSP + 1 SDP) and the remaining are off-site seminar days. Schools have found the
support provided by both cuiditheoirí and SDP facilitators, who have been available
to work with school staffs on site, as extremely valuable. Access to facilitators or
cuiditheoirí should also be part of a CPD model. Schools would contact their facilitator/support person who would be responsible for providing direct support to a school
and/or sourcing more specialised support. Consideration needs to be given to how
such a support service would be structured on a national, regional and local basis.
Schools would also benefit from having an allocated number of substitute days
(depending on size of school) per annum, to enable individual teachers to participate
in seminars/networking activities/projects, with a view to reporting back to whole
staff at staff meetings/in-school days. Schools also need an annual budget for CPD, to
facilitate teachers attending courses and seminars (to pay fees, travelling expenses,
remuneration and other associated costs).
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During 2005 , the INTO Education Committee, in collaboration with the INTO
Professional Development Unit, circulated a Professional Development Needs Analysis
questionnaire to approximately 1,500 members. The aim was to establish the needs
of members in relation to professional development, to inform policy, and to provide
the Organisation with information to develop a framework for the future direction of
the INTO Professional Development Programme. Almost 60% of the respondents
focused on their need to enhance their skills and “becoming a better teacher”. Teachers
were of the view that professional development was beneficial not only to the individual teacher, but also to the school, the children and fellow teachers. One fifth (21%) of
the respondents felt the benefits were those of personal satisfaction and increased confidence and motivation. Only 5% saw the benefits as financial or career enhancing. The
report also found that a high percentage of teachers regularly undertake professional
development voluntarily through a system that has developed in an ad hoc fashion. This
underlines the commitment of primary teachers – despite the absence of a national
comprehensive framework of professional development – to professional upskilling
and life-long learning. The full report is outlined in Appendix IV.
Access to accreditation for engaging in professional development is becoming more
important for teachers. The Colleges of Education have responded to this challenge by
offering a range of Certificate, Diploma, Masters and Doctoral degree courses. Some
accredited courses are available through the Education Centre network, thus increasing accessibility for teachers. However, there is still a need to address the issue of
allowances for additional qualifications, as the current system does not reflect the
change and development in accredited courses available to teachers in the last decade.
The notion of blended courses – blend of online and face to face learning – which also
lead to qualifications is becoming more attractive to teachers as they upskill in the area
of information and communication technologies. The Institution of Child Education
and Psychology (formerly Profexcel) and Hibernia College currently offer web-based
/online professional development courses for teachers, and the number of providers
of online courses is increasing. The INTO Professional Development Unit has
provided an online induction course for newly appointed resource/learning support
teachers, and provided three online summer courses in 2006 . The response of teachers to such courses indicates that there is room for further development of e-learning
and blended professional development and learning opportunities.
As evident from the INTO Professional Development Needs Analysis (see Appendix
IV), teachers are willing to explore professional development opportunities involving
networking, collaboration within and across schools and teaching-related research.
An analysis of current international literature on professional development highlights
the concepts of collaboration, networking, practice-based research and learning
communities as effective approaches to teacher learning and professional development. Professional development is therefore much broader than course provision and
–39–
requires a partnership between the profession, colleges of education and the
Department. However, both formal and informal learning needs to be facilitated
through the provision of time and space for teachers to collaborate, share and engage
with each other, and to participate in practice-based research. In addition to the provision of courses, professional development must encompass all dimensions of teacher
professional knowledge, and should include opportunities to undertake higher degree
qualifications, to become involved in educational research projects, to network with
colleagues across a range of schools, to participate in exchange programmes both
national and international, and to engage in school-based learning.
Recommendations
Concerning Initial Teacher Education the INTO recommends that:
The B.Ed degree be extended to four years, or an alternative model of extension
to a Masters Level qualification be considered.
The expertise of experience practitioners be recognised, through enabling practicing teachers become more formally involved in teaching practice as mentor
teachers, and be given the necessary training, support and reward.
The feasibility of providing initial teacher education programmes wholly
through the medium of Irish, at both graduate and undergraduate level, be
explored.
Resources to the Colleges of Education for early childhood education be further
increased.
A strengthened focus on teachers as reflective practitioners and researchers.
Increased opportunities be provided to student teachers to enhance their competency in Irish, including the exploration of extended courses in the Gaeltacht as a
core part of the initial teacher education course.
Concerning Induction and Probation the INTO recommends that:
The Induction Project be established on a permanent basis and rolled out nationally.
Release days for both mentors and NQTs be maintained as an integral part of
induction.
The importance of a whole school approach to induction be promoted
and professional development opportunities provided to principal teachers in
relation to induction.
Mentor teachers be offered regular professional development in relation to their
role, with the option of engaging in accreditation.
Probation and induction remain separate processes.
A number of models for the probation of NQTs by members of the profession be
explored.
–40–
–41–
Concerning Continuous Professional Development the INTO recommends that:
A national framework for CPD be established.
All current support initiatives become part of a National Framework.
Support persons/facilitators be appointed to support schools with development
planning and CPD.
Provision be made for teacher sabbaticals and study leave as part of the National
Framework.
Teachers be facilitated to network and engage in collaborative learning activities,
including research projects, through the provision of time and space.
The provision of e-learning and web-based learning be further explored.
The allowance structure to be renegotiated to allow for a range of allowances for
accredited courses.
All schools be allocated a multi-annual CPD budget.
All schools be allocated a number of CPD days per annum.
All schools be allocated a number of substitute days to enable teachers to attend
CPD as a representative of their staff.
Incentives such as Extra Personal Vacation (EPV) days, with substitute cover, to
be available to teachers who engage in CPD in their own time.
–42–
–43–
International Practice
Appendices
–44–
–45–
Appendix 1
Teacher Education in Northern
Ireland
n the case of Northern Ireland, a review of teacher education has been on-going
since 2003 . Currently, Initial Teacher Education (ITE) in Northern Ireland is
provided by Queen’s University Belfast (QUB), The University of Ulster (UU), The
Open University (OU), through associated colleges, St. Mary’s and Stranmillis or via a
PGCE following the award of a primary degree. These providers have been designated
as the ITE Estate by the Department of Education Northern Ireland (DENI). There
has also been a move away from probation to induction for Newly Qualified Teachers
(NQTs) which is followed by a three year Early Professional Development (EPD)
programme. Continuous Professional Development (CPD) has many facets, from
teachers upgrading voluntarily by taking diploma and/or masters degrees, by attending twilight courses or by schools providing inservice during Directed Time sessions
or on InService Training Days.
In Northern Ireland there have been a series of conferences designated ‘Teacher
Education in a Climate of Change’ (TECC) in order to review the suitability of current
provision, which was launched jointly by the Department of Education and the
Department of Employment and Learning. The 2003 conference identified six areas
for further study:
I
An examination of the ITE Estate, the cost of training new teachers and the
effects on ITE of the provision of other first degree courses.
The implications of the new curriculum and the Post Primary Review on ITE
and CPD courses.
The current teacher competency model of ITE and the balance of time spent
between the HEI (Higher Education Institutions) and the school for teaching
practice.
EPD including the induction year.
CPD.
–46–
Teacher Education in Northern Ireland
The implications of ICT as a feature of teaching and learning.
As is the case in most of the developed world, Northern Ireland has the further
complication of a continuing demographic downturn with regard to birth rate.
Current forecasts suggest this will continue to 2017 before there is a slight increase –
a factor which will have implications for the numbers being admitted to the HEI for
ITE. Although a case could be made for taking the opportunity to reduce class sizes by
keeping the same number of teachers in the system.
As for current teachers, the implementation of the new curriculum will mean
extensive professional development through CPD courses. The General Teaching
Council of Northern Ireland (GTCNI, 2005 ) proposed a transformation of CPD.
… for this new vision to be realised, CPD must be transformed. It should begin with
reflection on practice, be nurtured by professional dialogue, and be sustained
through the active support of communities of practice. Support and investment in
CPD activity must reflect individual and school priorities as well as systemic ones…
(p6).
To this end they have proposed the following recommendations:
the current teacher competences should be replaced by new competence
statements and these should underpin lifelong professional learning;
the establishment of a new Professional Development Framework;
a move from systemic to more school-based and personalised CPD; and
the assumption by the profession, through its regulatory body, of a strategic
co-ordinating role in respect of teacher education and professional development.
The GTCNI has also moved to encourage teachers and schools to develop CPD
relevant to their schools but which may also be transferable to other schools by
offering bursaries to cover expenses, such as substitute cover, to allow individual
teachers or departments to carry out research in their schools. The second session of
this scheme commenced in September 2006 .
However, Northern Ireland is at a nexus in time when, not only teaching professionals in the Colleges of Education but also governments, are questioning the status quo
regarding the delivery of, and who delivers, teacher education and whether it is fit for
purpose with regard to Initial Teacher Education (ITE), Induction/Probation, Early
Professional Development (EPD) and Continuing Professional Development (CPD).
Following criticisms of teacher education by many in the teaching profession, an
intensive consultation process was initiated in the 1990 s, culminating in the current
model of teacher education. The Partnership model, which is to be found across the
UK, consists of three related phases; Initial Teacher Training, Induction and Early
Professional Development. The partners referred to are the users i.e. the Higher
–47–
Educational Institutes (HEIs), the schools, the Education and Library Boards (ELBs),
the student teachers and the teachers. The main aim of the current model is to develop
a professional teaching body consisting of teachers who have achieved, over the three
phases, all the skills and attributes consistent with a modern, reflective, professional
teacher, as outlined on following page.
ProfessionalValues
Professional Values (a person who is enthusiastic about children).
Professional Development (a person who engages in self-appraisal).
Personal Development (a person who is still learning).
Communication and Relationships (a person who is able to communicate easily
and effectively).
Synthesis and Application (a person who is able to integrate a wide range of
knowledge and skills).
In addition to the professional characteristics, the working group produced a list of
92 competences, since reduced to 25, sub-divided as follows:
Professional Knowledge
Knowledge and understanding of children and their learning.
Subject knowledge.
Knowledge of the curriculum.
Knowledge of the teacher’s role.
Professional skills
Subject application.
Class management.
Assessment and recording.
The wider role.
It was envisaged that this model would provide a continuum of training, previously
absent, from college, through teachers’ first year teaching to the final year of EPD. The
structure of the model is as follows:
–48–
Teacher Education in Northern Ireland
PHASE 1: INITIAL TEACHER EDUCATION
The partners in this phase are the Higher Education Institutions (HEI), the recipient
school and the student teacher. Students may follow either a four-year Bachelor of
Education (B.Ed) degree or a one-year Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE)
course. The B.Ed student will be school based for 32 weeks during the four year
period. The PGCE student is school based for 19 weeks out of a total of 38 weeks
(for primary level). The rest of the time is spent in their HEI. During their non-school
period HEI staff would mostly provide the courses with some small input from advisors from the Education and Library Boards (ELB). However, the main role of the
ELBs is to act as a link between phases 1 and 11 such as helping the student, along
with HEI staff, to draw up their Career Entry Plan (CEP).
Whilst in school the students liaise with the school’s teacher tutor who in turn
would be in contact with the HEI. This part of the model, like the next two phases, is
heavily dependant on the competence of the teacher acting as the co-operating
teacher, who acts as a guide, an advisor and an appraiser to the student, with regard to
problems with classes or pupils.
Unlike the rest of the UK, however, during the Initial Teacher Education phase, the
schools do not receive any funding and give of their time and resources voluntarily.
PHASE 2: INDUCTION
The partners in the induction phase are the Beginning Teacher (BT), the school and
the HEI. The beginning teacher’s career entry plan (CEP) will form the basis of the
induction plan that will be followed in the first year of employment. To support this
work the local ELB will provide courses in its area and the BTs will be given day release
to attend. These courses will be subject based for those in the post-primary sector. As
well as day release, BTs can expect to have a lighter teaching load to help them adjust.
The school based teacher tutor is involved in helping the BT adjust to the school and
have many of the same functions as for the student teacher, including periods of classroom observation.
PHASE 3: EARLY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Early Professional Development (EPD), which follows induction, is scheduled to last
two years. The partners in this phase are the same as for phase 2. During this phase the
–49–
teacher will have to submit two Professional Development Activities (PDAs), one in
each year, that focus on one aspect of their teaching. These PDAs are submitted to the
teacher tutor at the end of each year and are then validated by the HEI.
Originally it was hoped that the PDAs would be admissible as part of a further
degree/qualification award but the HEIs have raised objections to this on the grounds
of “quality assurance”. This new system has removed about £1000 per head from the
budgets of the HEIs and transferred it to the ELBs and to the schools that have taken
on some of the teacher professional development responsibilities. It is claimed that the
transfer of payments to schools from the HEIs has caused the demise of some university education departments and the loss of staff jobs.
The number of NQTs taking post graduate qualifications has also been affected.
According to the HEIs, funding previously provided by the Department of Education
for pursuing post graduate qualifications, is now being diverted to the ELBs and to the
schools, leaving NQTs paying for their professional development on a voluntary basis.
It is also surmised that extended EPD and in-school professional development has left
NQTs with little desire to return to college.
Schools also have some concerns regarding the new system. In a time of increased
curricular development, they have had to divert senior staff into teacher tutor roles.
The teacher tutor role is a key one in the current model of teacher education, therefore the selection process for choosing the teacher tutor is critical since the career of
many NQTs/BTs depends on the ability of the teacher tutor to assist, advise and
supervise the work of the new teacher in a school.
CONCLUSION
The three-phase model chosen for Northern Ireland appears to work well because the
geographical area is discrete and possibly more easily managed than a larger population or political unit. Also, in Northern Ireland, unlike the rest of the UK, the teacher
tutor fulfils all aspects of the role from ITE to EPD whereas in the other systems of the
UK these roles are separate roles in each phase.
–50–
–51–
Appendix 2
Teacher Education in Other
Jurisdictions
he overview of the structure of initial teacher education, induction, probation
and continuous professional development in a number of different countries –
Scotland, England, Australia, Denmark and France – is outlined in this appendix.
T
SCOTLAND
InitialTeacher Education
The main routes into primary teaching include a four-year undergraduate B.Ed
programme or a one year postgraduate diploma in education (PGCE) for those who
already hold an undergraduate degree. Initial Teacher Education programmes (ITE)
have to be accredited by the General Teaching Council of Scotland (GTCS).
Probation
All newly qualified teachers in Scotland are required to complete a period of probation. Probationer teachers are normally required to complete four school terms of
successful probationary service i.e. 270 days. During this period, teaching is monitored to ensure that support necessary is offered.
Induction
Induction is completed in one of two ways. In 2004 , the Teacher Induction Scheme
(TIS) was implemented, which provides a guaranteed one-year training placement to
every eligible student graduating with a teaching qualification from a Scottish university. The scheme is not compulsory but allows for newly qualified teachers to be
–52–
Teacher Education in Other Jurisdictions
considered for full registration within one school year (190 teaching days).
The TIS includes:
A guaranteed one year training post.
A maximum class commitment of 0.7full time equivalent.
Dedicated time set aside for professional development.
Access to an experienced teacher as a nominated mentor.
The alternative route requires at least 270 teaching days. The alternative route
involves accumulating supply days or temporary short term service or completing the
probationary period outside of Scotland. Teachers undertaking the alternative route
must maintain a record which shows:
A record of the support provided.
The periods of observed teaching.
The continuing professional development experiences undertaken.
They then have to submit interim and final Reports plus a record of teaching
service and a recommendation from their principal teacher to the Probation
Department of the Teaching Council.
WEEKLY TIMETABLE (IN HOURS) PRIMARY
Maximum Class Contact Time (CCT)
Non-Contact Time (1/3 of CCT)
Professional Development
Collegiate Time
0.7 of 25 hours = 17.5 hours
1/3 of 17.5 hours =5.8 hours
0.3 of 25 hours =7.5 hours
4.2 hours
Continuing Professional Development
Following the adoption of the teachers’ pay and conditions agreement A Teaching
Profession for the 21st Century, Scottish teachers have a contractual commitment to
undertake 35 hours of CPD per year. They are required to agree an annual CPD Plan
with their immediate managers and maintain a record of the CPD activities they have
undertaken.
CPD opportunities include:
The Chartered Teacher, a qualification-based grade aimed at experienced teachers.
The Standard for Headship, a training programme aimed at aspiring principals
Professional Recognition – a framework to gain professional recognition for sharing and enhancing knowledge and experience.
–53–
Professional Registration – a framework to gain professional registration in
different sectors or subject areas.
Teacher Researcher Programme – an opportunity for teachers to carry out
detailed research for the Teaching Council.
There is a national register of providers of CPD and funding is allocated by the
Scottish Executive to the local authorities who are responsible for ensuring access by
teachers to appropriate CPD.
ENGLAND
There are currently a number of different routes into teaching at primary level in
England. All teachers have to hold Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) which involves
some form of Initial Teacher Training (ITT). The traditional three or four year B.Ed
course and the Postgraduate Diploma have been supplemented by an employmentbased option and a QTS assessment only option. These latter courses are aimed at
those who want to achieve their QTS while working in the classroom and those who
already have significant experience in the classroom, respectively.
Induction
In 1999 , a compulsory period of induction was introduced for NQTs. This formal
induction period must last a minimum of three full school terms. Teachers cannot
begin their induction until they have been awarded their QTS and have registered with
the Teaching Council. During their induction year NQTs have an individualised
programme of support from a designated induction tutor who is appointed by the
principal teacher. This programme includes watching more experienced teachers in
different settings, observation of the NQT’s teaching and a professional review of
progress at least every half term. Responsibility for ensuring that a NQT does not
teach more than 90% of a normal timetable during this initial year lies with the school
principal. At the end of the induction period, the principal teacher together with the
local authority of the Independent Schools Council Teacher Induction Panel, makes a
final recommendation as to whether the NQT has passed or failed. There is a right of
appeal to the GTCE.
–54–
An Early Professional Development (EPD) scheme was piloted between 2001 and
2004 , to follow the initial period of induction, but was not continued. This coincided
with the general move away from centrally-funded continuous professional development (CPD) opportunities. Since 2004 , funding is made available directly to schools
through the main Local Government finance system, to enable schools to make decisions about what professional development is most appropriate for them. The
Training and Development Agency for schools (TDA) co-ordinates and promotes
CPD opportunities, which includes:
school workforce advisors;
the Learning and Skills Council (LSC);
Investors in People (IiP); and
the National Qualifications Framework.
The Teachers' Standards Framework helps teachers to identify their professional
learning and development needs. Leadership skills, team teaching, coaching and
mentoring and new teaching developments, as well as personal development, are
taken into account.
AUSTRALIA
Initial Teacher Education
The initial teacher education programme is a four year graduate programme. The
many different pathways into teaching fall mainly into either four year education
degrees, four year double degrees or degrees in other subjects followed by one or two
years of professional training.
Induction
In Australia, formal induction is mandatory in the vast majority of states though in
some it is at the discretion of individual schools. The typical length of induction is one
year. Induction is the employer’s responsibility and in practice falls under the responsibility of the school principal (Skilbeck and Connell 2003 , p. 50). Training is provided
for mentors who are usually experienced teachers. Many questions have been asked
about the quality of the mentoring experience, including support and guidance
provided and assessment practices; these largely depend on procedures of the individ–55–
ual school. Features of induction programmes include orientation, mentoring, teamwork, introduction to personnel and to the community and leads to probation.
Teaching methods, curriculum content, classroom management, advice to students
and school policies are all focussed on during induction. Mentors do not receive a
salary allowance (Teacher Induction Policy and Practice among APEC Members, 1997 ).
There is no collaboration between schools and the teacher training institutions for
mentoring programmes. Satisfactory performance during the induction period is a
condition of full registration. The judgement of the individual school principal, drawing upon the advice and appraisal of whichever members of staff have played a role in
the induction process provide the basis for full registration by the relevant Board or
Authority (Skilbeck and Connell 2003 , p.54).
Since inspectorial systems of quality assurance no longer operate in Australian
schools and central or regional support and advisory services are now largely of a
strategic and mentoring kind there is an onus on individual schools to develop appropriate leadership and support, with key roles in mentoring, monitoring and evaluating
(Skilbeck and Connell, 2003 ).
CPD
It is strongly felt by educationalists in Australia that there is a need to view teachers as
professional learners on a continuum of professional development. Generally there is
no professional development requirement for teachers in a school year. Teachers and
school management decide on the professional development an individual teacher
undertakes – such decisions usually concur with system priorities. Schools are generally allocated a budget to determine their involvement in professional development
priorities and professional development activities are planned in the context of individual school development priorities though not exclusively so. A vast array of generally short non-award courses and programmes is offered by schools and by a variety of
professional bodies as well as universities often under contract. Some jurisdictions
require the completion of professional development activities for promotion to senior
teacher classification. The majority of teachers participate in some form of professional development or activities annually but CPD is very largely a matter of choice by
schools and/or individuals (Skilbeck and Connell 2003 , p. iii). Leave of absence and
research grants are sometimes available for teachers. If professional development is
personally initiated teachers make a financial contribution e.g. to attend a national or
international conference.
Professional development is a mixture of award-bearing and non-award-bearing
courses and other learning experiences. Universities offer a variety of award-bearing
courses including a recently introduced professional doctorate. However, teachers
currently gain no formal credit in promotion terms from higher degree studies.
–56–
DENMARK
The length of initial teacher education is four years with no post degree requirement
for teacher employment.
Induction
Formal induction is at the discretion of the individual school and is typically of one
year duration. Beginning teachers have reduced teaching hours as part of induction
programmes and mentor teachers are generally the only personnel involved in such
programmes though no formal training is required or available for mentors. Neither
time allowance nor monetary allowances are provided for mentors. Teacher education institutions are not involved in Danish induction programmes and completion of
induction programmes is not necessary for full teacher certification.
CPD
There is no minimum professional development requirement for teachers in a school
year. Individual teachers, school management and the local education authority (LEA)
decide the professional development activities individual teachers undertake.
Professional development programmes are planned in the context of individual
school development priorities though not exclusively so. Schools are allocated budgets
to support involvement in professional development. Participation in professional
development is not a requirement for teacher promotion or recertification. Both leave
of absence and research grants are available for teachers to undertake study or
research activities. Sometimes teachers make a financial contribution to cover cost of
professional development (transport/course fee/course materials).
The accreditation of teacher professional development is provided by higher education institutions and institutions for initial teacher education with regulations in place
to govern this. While teacher unions and teacher education centres provide professional development for teachers, there are no regulations regarding evaluation or
accreditation of such inservice (Eurydice, 2006 , p. 51). There are no regulations in
relation to accrediting or evaluating inservice teacher education by way of external
evaluation procedures such as site visits, analysis of written plan, analysis of self evaluation reports or by way of internal evaluation in Denmark. There are two external
bodies that accredit or evaluate in-service teacher education i.e. the Ministry for
Education and an independent body working on behalf of the public authority. The
only aspects of provision of teacher CPD governed by regulations is the Content of
–57–
Activity – teaching methods, competencies of trainers, participants’ opinions on the
training they receive and infra-structure (ICT, materials etc). In Denmark, accreditation of a new programme focuses on issues such as duration and organisation of study
(part-time or full-time), admission requirements, the target group (their educational
background and work experience) and a description of future quality assurance methods.
FRANCE
Duration of initial teacher education is five years and includes a post graduate examination necessary for employment.
Induction
Typical length of formal teacher induction in France is one year as part of the final
year of initial teacher education. Beginning teachers have their teaching load reduced
by 30% and staff from teacher education institutions act as mentors. At primary level
formal training is required for teacher mentors but this is not necessary at second level.
At primary level, neither time nor a salary allowance is granted to mentors but a salary
allowance is granted at second level. Induction in France is collaboratively presented
between the school and the teacher education institution and completion of induction
is required for full teacher certification.
CPD
There is no professional development requirement for teachers. Teachers and the
Inspectorate decide on the professional development needs of individual teachers and
planning for professional development is in the context of individual school development priorities. Budgets are not allocated to schools for professional development nor
is there any professional development requirement for the promotion and/or recertification of teachers. Both leave of absence and research grants are available to undertake study or research activities. Generally teachers do not contribute financially to the
cost of professional development except where it is personally initiated.
There are no official regulations in relation to external or internal procedures for
evaluation or accreditation of teacher professional development or for professional
development providers in France.
–58–
–59–
Appendix 3
Continuous Professional
Development in Other Professions
in Ireland
commitment to lifelong learning, the need for continuous improvement in
teaching and learning in addition to updating and upskilling to keep abreast of
changes in curriculum, assessment and legislation are all factors that have been
highlighted as key dimensions of Continuous Professional Development (CPD) in the
teaching profession. It is the purpose of this section to consider how CPD is managed,
organised and developed in some other professions in Ireland.
A
THE NURSING PROFESSION
The nursing profession is regulated by An Bord Altranais. The nursing profession has
statutory responsibilities laid out in the Nurses’ Act 1985 , Nurses’ Rules 1988 and
Amendments, and European Union Directives. The aims of the CPD programme, as
operated in the nursing profession are:
To protect the public.
To ensure the quality of services.
To foster the development of the profession.
To confer accountability, identity and status upon the nurse.
The dual approach is:
To establish and maintain a national framework of qualifications.
To promote and facilitate access, transfer and progression within the profession.
–60–
Continuous Professional Development in Other Professions in Ireland
Currently, An Bord Altranais and the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland
are working together to develop and pilot descriptors for nursing and midwifery and
to develop a framework for nursing and midwifery within the NQAI framework.
Future framework for demonstrating continued competence will include the
following;
Peer review.
Competency examinations.
Continuing education – of which there are two categories:
– Post-registration Category 1 approval, which consists of Seminars,
study days, and refresher courses.
– Post-registration Category 2 approval – specialist courses, of mini
mum 6 months duration, reference to a specific body of knowledge
and experience in an area of nursing e.g. ICU or CCU.
Periodic refresher courses.
Client review.
Minimum practice requirements (licence, portfolio development, self-declaration, recency, peer review, board verification/audit).
Current structures that are in place to support continued competence in nursing
are:
Commission on Nursing (1998 ), two days study leave, career pathway.
Centres of Nurse Education (18).
Department of Health and Children funding – National Council for the
Professional Development of Nursing and Midwifery and new Nurses’ Act.
An Bord Altranais – standards, regulation.
According to An Bord Altranais, CPD is an essential component of clinical governance and a process of lifelong learning that meets the needs of patients, delivers the
health outcomes of the health strategy and enables professionals to expand and fulfill
their potential. The need to link evaluation and improvement in standards of care with
lifelong learning through regulation requirements and practice developments is
emphasised.
–61–
THE ENGINEERING PROFESSION
The Institute of Engineers of Ireland (IEI) define CPD as “the planned acquisition of
knowledge, experience and skills and the development of personal qualities necessary
for the execution of professional and technical duties throughout an engineer’s professional life.”
Obligation
While CPD is ultimately the individual’s personal responsibility, the IEI has a very
positive and progressive attitude to CPD, considering it vital to professional expertise
and competitive success.
Structures to Support CPD
Having considered CPD practice in other European countries, the IEI found that that
there was less than 40% compliance with individual CPD schemes, and therefore
decided to opt for an Employers’ Scheme. This consists of a formal company CPD
policy, an appraisal system, a mentoring system with individual plans, and a management and validation system.
The IEI recommends a minimum of five days of formal, targeted CPD activity per
annum per engineer, or 25 days of CPD in a five year period. The aim of the IEI is to
stimulate lifelong learning, by:
Having an accreditation system.
Holding CPD events and training.
Maintaining a register of training providers.
Promoting best practice sharing – keeping a log of companies that have best
practice arrangements.
Funding/Time
The courses are funded, in the main, by the employer, although individuals may also
participate. This also applies to the time commitment required, with many courses
held at weekends or in the evenings.
The IEI’s CPD programme is supported by the Department of Enterprise, Trade
and Employment, under the National Training Fund.
–62–
THE LEGAL PROFESSION
Obligation
Since July 2003 , all solicitors holding a practising certificate are obliged to undertake
relevant education and study to develop his or her professional knowledge, skills and
abilities. This means training in specific legal areas, management and organisation.
Solicitors are obliged to undertake 20 hours CPD during a two year cycle. A minimum of 15 hours are required to be in group study and up to five hours can be by
private study. The Law Society does not award accreditation to any courses or course
providers – solicitors should exercise their own ‘reasonable judgement’ on what training is relevant to their particular practice requirements. Proof of attendance is required
– e.g. certificate of attendance or appropriate letter from the course provider. At least
five hours must be spent on training in management and professional development
skills. Teaching, lecturing and training are seen as particularly effective means of learning.
Funding
According to the Law Society, there is no provision in the scheme that delineates how
the courses should be funded. How members pay for courses usually varies. Some
firms fund the attendance of solicitors at courses while others fund their own attendance at courses. In general, it depends on the size of the law firm and the relevance of
the course to the firm’s legal specialisation.
Time
Private study is undertaken in the solicitor’s own time. Those working with a legal
firm will generally get release to attend day seminars. The Law Society offers diploma
courses that are run on Saturdays, entailing the investment of a large amount of
personal time.
Monitoring
All solicitors hold a CPD record card which has to be completed and submitted at the
end of each CPD cycle to the Law Society. While no certificates have to be attached, a
random sample will be checked by the Law Society to verify CPD attendance.
–63–
THE MEDICAL PROFESSION
Obligation
There is no current legal requirement for medical practitioners to engage in continuous professional development. Engagement in CPD is seen as a question of moral and
professional obligation. However, according to the Irish Medical Council, it is envisaged that engaging in CPD will become obligatory within the next few years.
Structure
It is proposed to have competence/assurance structures, a process which is voluntary
at present. It is also envisaged that medical practitioners will have to engage in 250
hours of CPD in every five year cycle. There will be a process to deal with the 1 – 2 %
of medical practitioners who may be under-performing and there will be activities
(Level 1) available for these. There will be a system of clinical audit which will be
measured against a benchmark. Courses will be made available which members will
be encouraged to do. There will be a peer review process where senior people will
review the work of others. There will be a legal protection for confidentiality. CPD
will be promoted on the basis that it has to be integrated into the working week. At
present, doctors pay for professional development training themselves. Those who are
not self-employed may receive funding from their employer for CPD.
Certification
The Irish Medical Council doesn’t directly certify courses, rather there are 12 postgraduate training bodies, e.g. psychiatry, paediatrics and others and responsibility is
delegated to these training bodies who are in turn accountable to the Medical Council.
–64–
THE TEACHING PROFESSION (PRIMARY)
Obligation
The impetus for CPD for teachers is currently based on a professional and moral
obligation. Whether the Teaching Council will introduce a system of obligatory
participation in CPD remains to be seen.
Funding
The funding of a CPD scheme for teachers is contentious, as, unlike some other
professions, schools are not currently in a position to fund courses for their staff. The
issue of funding for teachers’ CPD needs to be considered in the context of developing a National Framework for CPD. Current funding arrangements include:
National Initiatives.
Courses funded by the DES.
Refund of fees scheme.
Allowances for awards.
Boards of management (though boards are not given any specific funding for this
purpose).
Time
Currently over 50% of primary teachers participate voluntarily on DES approved
summer courses, which entail a week of a teacher’s own vacation time. In the context
of a National CPD Framework, the issue of when courses should be held would
become more central. Possible options at present include:
Summer courses.
Afternoon/evening seminars/courses.
On-line courses.
Whole school days within the school year.
Sabbaticals/paid release.
Engagement in research projects.
Masters, Diplomas and other accredited courses.
Teacher exchanges.
Networking.
Participation in National Initiatives.
Participation in professional organisations.
–65–
Incentives
Current incentives for teachers include extra personal vacation (EPV), accreditation,
allowances for certain qualifications, allocated time within school day/year to meet
system needs (e.g. PCSP) and study leave. Study leave is currently under review and it
is planned to make sabbatical leave available to teachers in designated disadvantaged
schools in the coming year.
–66–
–67–
Appendix 4
INTO Professional Development
NeedsAnalysis Questionnaire
2005
Administrative Principal
12%
Teaching Principal
15%
Class Teacher
44%
Special Needs Resource Teacher
11%
Learning Support Teacher
9%
HSCL/Language Support/Other
9%
INTRODUCTION
uring 2005, the INTO entered into discussions with the Department of
Education and Science regarding the provision of inservice for teachers. As part
of Sustaining Progress, agreement had been reached that negotiations on inservice
would commence within the terms of the agreement. Given this backdrop, plus the
fact that it had been 10 years since a professional development needs analysis was last
carried out, the Education Committee, in collaboration with the INTO Professional
Development Unit, circulated a Professional Development Needs Analysis questionnaire to approximately 1,000 members. The sample selected was a stratified sample
based on the size of the school. Over 700 questionnaires were returned for analysis.
The aims of the questionnaire were to establish the needs of members in relation to
D
>10 pupils
7%
11-15 pupils
11%
16-20 pupils
20%
21-25 pupils
27%
26-30 pupils
27%
<31 pupils
9%
professional development and to provide the Organisation with the information
necessary to develop a framework for the future direction of the INTO professional
–68–
INTO Professional Development Needs Analysis Questionnaire 2005
development programme.
The headings under which members were asked to consider issues relating to
professional development included:
Funding.
Support Structures.
Preferred models of Professional Development.
Topics of Interest.
Perceived Benefits.
Incentives.
–69–
PROFILE OF RESPONDENTS
The gender profile of respondents was 21% male and 79% female. Over a quarter
(27%) of those who filled out the questionnaire were principal teachers – 45% of
whom were administrative principals and 55% were teaching principals – 44% were
class teachers, 11% were special needs resource teachers and 9% were learning
support teachers. The balance included HSCL teachers, language support teachers
and those that did not specify.
Table 1. Teaching position
School Admin
Teaching Methods
Assessment
Personal Dev
Special Needs
ICT
Curriculum
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
Almost one quarter (24%) of respondents had been teaching for over 30 years; 33%
had been teaching for between 21 – 30 years; 18% had been teaching for 11 and 20
years; 10% had been teaching for between 6 – 10 years, 14% were teachers with five
years experience or less.
In relation to the number of pupils in their class, a high percentage recorded no
response (40%) which reflects the number of administrative principals, special needs
resource teachers and other non-mainstream class teachers who completed these
questionnaires. Of those that replied, 7% had classes of 10 pupils or less; 11% taught
classes with 11 – 15 pupils; 20% taught classes of 16 – 20 pupils; 27% taught
classes with 21 – 25; 27% taught classes of 26 – 30 and 9% taught classes of 30+
pupils.
Table 2. Number of pupils in the class
In terms of the size of the school, 10% of respondents were in a two teacher school;
–70–
22% taught in a 3 – 5 teacher school; 18% taught in a 6 – 8 teacher school; 15% in
Reason
Ranking
To improve my practice as a teacher
1
To broaden my knowledge of educational issues
2
Personal interest and satisfaction
3
For EPV days
4
To share views with other teachers
5
For an additional salary allowance
6
For accreditation
7
With a view to a change in career path
8
With a view to inschool promotion
9
a 9 – 12 teacher school; 14% in a 13 – 16 teacher school and 15% in a 17 – 24
teacher school. Only 6% of respondents taught in a school with 24 teachers or more.
Almost one quarter (24%) of the schools were designated disadvantaged, 6% were
Gaelscoileanna, 2% were Gaeltacht schools and 3% were special schools.
Courses already undertaken
Respondents were asked whether they had undertaken professional development in
recent years. Of the 706 respondents, a total of 75% had undertaken professional
development, other than professional development related to the primary school
curriculum, in the last three years, 24% had not, and 1% gave no response. When
these results were cross tabulated with number of years teaching, the results showed
that newly qualified teachers were less likely to have undertaken professional development than more experienced teachers. Only 58% of those who were teaching for five
years or less had taken courses in the last three years, compared with 81 – 83% of
teachers who had between six and 30 years teaching experience. This high percentage
tapered off slightly after 30 years teaching, with 72% of those teachers with over 30
years
teaching experience having undertaken professional development in the previous
three years.
This illustrates the high level of interest in and commitment to professional
development among primary teachers.
However, it is noteworthy, that 87% of special needs resource teachers and learning support teachers had undertaken professional development in the last three years,
in comparison to 80% of administrative principals, 78% of teaching principals and
70% of mainstream class teachers.
–71–
In addition to those attending courses, 13% of respondents had previously been
involved in the provision of professional development, either as a course designer,
tutor, presenter or coordinator.
Structure
Of those respondents that had already undertaken professional development, 57% had
completed summer courses, 33% had attended evening courses and 26% had attended
one-day or weekend seminars. Other courses undertaken included Masters degrees
(5%), diploma courses (9%) and certificate courses (7%). In addition, 3% had taken
courses not specified, and these included HSCL, On-line, ILSA, LDS and Misneach
courses.
Content
In relation to professional development already undertaken, 45% of respondents
reported that they attended courses in curricular areas, 35% had attended courses in
ICT, 33% had completed courses relating to special needs and 26% of respondents
had undertaken courses in personal/professional development. Approximately 10%
had taken courses in each of the following areas: assessment, teaching methodologies
and school administration.
Many other areas of study were noted under ‘other’, these included: music, drama,
counselling, First Aid, foreign language, law, psychology, leadership, IEP development,
science and the role of the principal.
Table 3. Topics of Prof Development already undertaken
Reasons for Undertaking Professional Development
Respondents were invited to rank a number of statements in the order which most
reflected their reasons for engaging in professional development. Teachers stated that
the main reason they engaged in professional development was to improve their practice as a teacher, to broaden their knowledge of educational issues and for personal
interest and satisfaction.
–72–
Table 4. Reasons for Undertaking Professional Development
There
was
a
90
slight
80
difference
70
between
60
those
50
teachers
40
who were
30
recently
20
qualified
and those
10
with
0
DES 100%
DES
BoM
Individual
Individual
greater
Contribution Contribution Contribution
100%
experiNational Programme
School Needs
Individual Needs ence. For
example,
teachers who had recently qualified, did not rate ‘need to learn new skills’ as highly as
teachers who had 20+ years experience. In general, respondents felt that undertaking
professional development would lead to an improvement in their practice as a teacher
and a broadening of their knowledge of educational issues. These reasons far
outweighed the motivation of personal gain for teachers, either in terms of improving
promotion prospects or possible financial gain.
100
XX
XX
XX
XX
XX
XX
XX
XX
XX
XX
XX
XX
XX
XX
XX
XX
XX
XX
XX
XX
XX
XX
XX
XX
XX
XX
XX
XX
XX
XX
XX
XX
XX
XX
XX
XX
XX
XX
FUNDING
Funding of National Programmes
In relation to National Programmes, over 90% of respondents felt that the
Department of Education and Science should cover 100% of the costs associated
with professional development. Others suggested there should be a contribution from
the DES or that the board of management should fund such courses. When asked to
suggest alternative sources of funding, suggestions put forward included the
Department of Health, the INTO and the National Lottery.
Funding of Professional Development to meet School Needs
–73–
The majority of respondents (73%) felt that the DES should cover 100% of costs
associated with school needs-related professional development. However, a significant
number were of the view that the boards of management should have responsibility
Individual Teacher
National
Programme
School
Needs
Individual
Needs
Course leading to
an allowance
Willing to fully fund
8% Yes
24% Yes
75% Yes
43% Yes
83% No
67% No
21% No
40% No
-
-
-
71% Yes
Willing to partly fund
14% No
for funding such courses.
Funding of Professional Development to meet Individual Needs
In relation to professional development to meet individual needs, a small majority of
respondents (54%) were of the view that the DES should cover 100% of costs. As
respondents were requested to tick all suggestions that might apply, 42% also felt that
the DES should contribute to the costs, while 39% felt that the board of management
should contribute. The number of respondents who felt, in this case, that the individ-
Pay Fees
Pay Expenses
Paid study leave
Sub cover
ual teacher should contribute, rose to 37% but only 5% agreed that the individual
teacher should foot all the costs involved.
Boards of Management Contribution
Respondents were asked whether their board of management would be willing to
fund fees for their professional development courses, both in terms of meeting school
–74–
needs and personal needs. A large proportion (44%) of respondents didn’t know
whether their board would be willing to fund professional development fees to meet
school needs. However, 23% felt that the full fee would be met and 20% felt that part
of the fee would be met. Only 10% felt that their board of management would not
fund professional development fees for school related needs. Not surprisingly, when
asked about the board of management’s possible contribution to professional development fees to meet personal needs, the reply was not quite so positive. A small majority (55%) of respondents said they didn’t know, only 7% felt that the full fee would be
covered, 15% felt that part of the fee would be covered and 19% felt that their board
of management would not fund professional development in relation to their personal
needs.
When asked whether their board of management had a policy on staff professional
development, 13% stated that their boards had such a policy, 46% said that their
boards did not have such a policy while 38% said they didn’t know.
There was a high incidence of ‘don’t knows’ in the responses in relation to questions
regarding the involvement of boards of management involvement or regarding the
areas of policies. This may reflect the fact that boards of management do not have a
budget for the professional development of teachers.
–75–
Table 5. Who should fund Professional Development?
Funding of Professional Development by IndividualTeachers
Respondents were asked whether they would be willing to fully fund professional
development in relation to National Programmes if no funds were available from the
DES, their board of management or any other body. The overwhelming response was
negative, with 83% indicating strongly that the Department of Education and
Science was responsible for funding professional development in relation to national
programmes. This was also respondents’ views in relation to school needs, with 67%
indicating that they would not be willing to fully fund a course that related to school
needs, although 25% indicated that they would do so.
Not surprisingly, responses changed significantly when the question was applied to
professional development to meet individual needs, where 75% of respondents were
willing to fully fund a course, and only 21% were not willing. There was no response
from 4% of respondents.
Respondents were also asked whether they would be willing to fund courses that led
to qualifications, such as a Masters, for which an allowance was payable. In this case
44% of respondents said they would be willing to fund their own professional
development, while 40% would not. However, when respondents were asked whether
they would be willing to partly fund professional development that would lead to a
qualification where an allowance was payable, the numbers willing to do so rose to
–76–
71%. Only 14% were not willing to do so and 16% gave no response.
Table 6. Individual teachers funding professional development
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
School
time
3pm – 6pm 3pm – 6pm Saturdays Weekends
National Programme
School Needs
On-line
Holidays
Individual Needs
Support Structures
Respondents were asked to rank in order of importance the type of support structures
that were needed for teachers undertaking professional development. Ranked first was
payment of course fees; this was followed by paid sabbatical/study leave and then
substitute cover for course attendance where applicable. Payment of expenses ranked
fourth and tax credits/relief on fees ranked fifth. Under ‘other’, suggestions included
time-in-lieu, paid leave, mixture of all suggestions, and ‘any help is welcome!’
Table 7: Type of support needed for professional development
In relation to recognition given to teachers for undertaking professional development in their own time, reimbursement of fees where the individual teacher had
already paid fees, ranked highest. This was followed by salary allowance, then time-inlieu or personal leave days with substitute cover and finally credits towards accredited
qualifications.
Respondents were also asked if, having completed a course, they would formally
share information with other staff, and the vast majority (94%) said they would.
CURRENT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Content
About three fifths (61%) of respondents were satisfied with the content of current
–77–
professional development, 31% were not and 8% gave no response. When asked for
Networking
Professional collaboration
Teaching-related research
Distance learning
Web-based learning
Not interested
No response
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
comments in this section, the need for a wider variety of courses was noted, as was the
need for new curriculum topics and practical course ideas.
Access
Accessibility of current professional development courses was not considered an issue
by 42% of respondents, however it was considered unsatisfactory for 50%.
Regarding access, suggestions for improvement included: courses to be held at more
suitable times; an increase in the number of courses and workshops/seminars that
were held, and the cost of courses.
Rewards
A majority of respondents (76%) were dissatisfied with the current system for rewarding professional development. Only 13% of respondents expressed satisfaction.
Suggestions for improvement included more accreditation, EPV days and financial
support.
PREFERRED MODELS OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Respondents were given a number of options to rank in order of importance
regarding location, duration and timing of professional development.
–78–
Location
Proximity was the most important factor influencing responses regarding the location
of professional development. Respondents were more likely to attend a professional
development course if it was held in their school or in a school in their area. This was
followed in order of popularity, by courses run in a local education centre or a local
hotel. On-line or distance learning was ranked fourth. It is probably not surprising that
Colleges of Education were ranked fifth, given that they’re only accessible to teachers
in particular urban areas.
Duration
In general, respondents were of the view that the amount of time they would be willing to devote to a course would depend on the professional development subject/
topic area. In general, respondents had a preference for courses of short duration i.e.
up to 10 hours. Modular-type courses of up to 30 hours which would lead to accreditation such as a certificate or diploma over of a school year were ranked in second
place. Courses of medium duration i.e. 10 – 20 hours over the course of a term were
Topic
Promoting collaboration among
school staff
Planning in teaching and learning
Facilitating professional
dialogue in schools
Conflict management
Special education needs
Assessment and record keeping
Home school liaison
Very
Interested
Somewhat
Not
Interested Interested
No
Response
48%
63%
33%
25%
7%
11%
12%
1%
33%
44%
69%
57%
29%
40%
35%
20%
25%
44%
11%
9%
2%
6%
12%
16%
12%
8%
12%
85%
ranked fourth, and in fifth place were Masters courses.
Distance
The maximum amount of time, at their own expense, respondents would be willing
to travel to a professional development course, was 30 minutes for 46% of respondents, 60 minutes for 35% of respondents, 90 minutes for 5% of respondents and
120 minutes for 3% of respondents. Only 1% would be willing to travel over two
hours to attend a course, while 8% said that they would overnight if necessary.
–79–
Time of Year
Teachers indicated a preference for attending professional development in the
Topic
Voice Protection
Managing Stress
Self-Esteem
Financial Issues
Very
Interested
51%
51%
50%
44%
Somewhat
Not
27%
12%
27%
12%
31%
9%
43%
9%
No
Response
10%
10%
10%
13%
Autumn term. Their second choice was the Spring term and their third choice was
during the summer holidays. The least popular time to attend professional development courses was the Summer term, between Easter and June.
Time Held
Regarding the timing of professional development respondents’ first preference was
Topic
Differentation
Collaborative Learning
Discipline and Classroom
Management
ICTs as pedagogical tools
Special Educational Needs
Multi-Class teaching
Very
Interested
47%
52%
65%
46%
68%
52%
Somewhat
Not
32%
5%
32%
3%
22%
35%
20%
23%
3%
6%
2%
12%
No
Response
17%
13%
10%
12%
10%
15%
for such professional development to take place during school time. After school
(3 p.m. – 6 p.m.) and evenings (7 p.m. – 9 p.m.) were in second and third place respectively. On-line courses were ranked fourth. The least popular time for professional
development was during holidays and at weekends.
Topic
Mediation
Counselling
Legislation
Very
Interested
39%
44%
44%
–80–
Somewhat
Not
39%
12%
35%
12%
36%
10%
No
Response
10%
9%
10%
Table 8. Preferred time for attending professional development courses;
8=most popular, 1=least popular
Topic
Presentation skills
Report-writing skills
Mentoring skills
Reflective practice
Research skills
Action research
Very
Interested
50%
43%
33%
33%
27%
24%
Somewhat
Not
30%
36%
40%
41%
43%
45%
No
Response
DIFFERENT FORMS OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Professional development is not, of course, limited to the format of formal courses
delivered in a classroom-like setting. With this in mind, a number of different forms of
professional development were outlined in the survey and respondents were asked to
register their interest in each of these forms. Opportunities to network with other
teachers and schools rated highly, with 78% saying they would be interested. Of even
more interest was time for professional collaboration with other teachers with 86%
of respondents indicating that they would be interested in this option. More than half
(57%) indicated that they would be interested in engaging in teaching-related
research and 42% were interested in distance learning. Only 38% indicated an interest in web-based learning. There was a high ‘no response’ rate of 32%.
Other suggestions made by respondents included educational research skills,
short-term exchange, international models, day/weekend seminars and interactive
learning.
–81–
Table 9 Interest in different forms of Professional Development
Obligation to Participate in Professional Development
In relation to national programmes, 66% of respondents felt that it should be
obligatory to participate in professional development. The same percentage felt that
courses that related to identified school needs should also be obligatory. However,
courses that related to personal/individual needs were only seen as having to be
obligatory by 38% of respondents. In total, 45% of respondents felt that professional
development should not be obligatory, and 10% were undecided.
An open-ended section for comments provided respondents with an opportunity
to add their opinions. A significant proportion felt that professional development
was vital in order to keep up with changes in education. Some felt that professional
development should be obligatory, but only once the necessary supports in terms
of time and recognition were put in place. Others felt that courses could only
........
...................
...................
................
.............
.........
.......
...
Programme Development and
Tutor Provision
Lobby the DES
.........
.........
.........
......... Identifying needs
Promotion and advice
No Role
Joint Role with DES
Fund Courses with Subscriptions
be obligatory if they were held within school hours. One respondent argued that obligatory professional development would ensure uniformity of knowledge among staffs.
Ideal Model
An open-ended question gave respondents an opportunity to outline characteristics
of the ideal model of professional development. This allowed for more than 42
different suggestions. The most frequently occurring suggestions were as follows:
within school hours with substitute cover; increased access; paid leave; practical/hands-on courses; payment of fees by DES; time off; whole staff approach; consultation with individual schools; reward with pay/accreditation; ongoing
professional development; one week courses; cuiditheoirí visits to schools; teacher-toteacher learning; modular courses; evening and summer courses.
–82–
TOPICS OF INTEREST
Since 1994 , the INTO Professional Development Unit has provided a wide ranging
programme of professional development courses for teachers in areas relating to the
curriculum, school and classroom management issues, heritage, intercultural studies
and personal development in addition to trade union training. In order to ascertain the
level of interest in professional development in various topics, respondents were given
lists of topics under general headings and asked to register their interest.
Whole School Issues
Seven areas of possible interest under ‘Whole School Issues’ were listed for respondents to register their level of interest should such a course be provided by the INTO.
They were as follows:
Table 10. Whole School topics
Personal/Individual Issues
Under this heading, four possible topics for professional development were listed and
respondents were asked to note their level of interest.
–83–
Table 11. Personal/Individual Issues
Classroom Issues
In relation to professional development on classroom related issues that might be of
interest, the following six topics were listed, and respondents indicated their level of
interest as follows:
Table 12. Classroom topics
Leadership/Management
Under the heading of Leadership and Management, respondents were asked to
indicate their level of interest in attending courses on three different topics, if they
were provided by the INTO.
Table 13. Leadership/Management topics
Skills
A number of skills were listed, and teachers indicated their interest as follows:
Table 14. Skills topics
Curriculum
This question sought to determine in what curriculum area respondents would be
most interested in receiving professional development. This question was structured
in an open-ended fashion in order to facilitate the widest possible response.
Respondents did not confine their responses to the 11 subject areas of the curriculum
as there was a total of 55 different aspects of the curriculum listed as being of interest. Below are listed the most frequently mentioned topics:
English, (12%), which included spelling, phonics, creative writing and oral skills.
Music
Special Needs
Maths
ICT
PE
Drama
–84–
Science
Gaeilge
Art
–85–
GENERAL COMMENTS
What role (if any) should the INTO have in Professional Development?
Many comments were received in relation to the INTO’s role in professional development. Only 6% of respondents were of the view that the INTO should have no role in
professional development, and that professional development should be the responsibility of the DES or the Teaching Council. The most frequently noted comment
(45%) related to the view that the INTO’s primary role in professional development
should be that of programme development and provision of expert tutors. This
reflects the view of the INTO that one of the most successful models of professional
development is that of teachers teaching teachers.
Table 15. Perceived Role of the INTO in Professional Development:
A number of respondents (16%) felt the INTO’s role was to lobby the DES for funding, substitute cover, accreditation, promotion and pay increases. Another 11% of
respondents felt the INTO had a role in identifying the needs of teachers and schools
throughout Ireland and 10% of respondents were of the view that the Organisation
should only have a promotional and advisory role. A small number of respondents (3%)
thought the INTO should have a joint role with the DES in organising professional development, and 2% felt the INTO’s role was to fund courses using members’ subscriptions.
Perceived benefits of Professional Development
Almost 60% of respondents referred to the enhancement of their skills and ‘becoming
a better teacher’ as the most important benefits of professional development. Other
comments included the broadening of knowledge, keeping up with new ideas, trends
and curriculum and life-long learning. Respondents also commented that professional
development was beneficial not only to the individual teacher, but also to the school,
the children and fellow teachers. Increased confidence and motivation was mentioned
by 21% of respondents as a benefit of professional development which ultimately led
to personal satisfaction. Only 5% saw the main benefits as financial or career enhancing.
CONCLUSION
–86–
It is apparent from this survey that a high percentage of Irish primary school teachers
regularly undertake professional development voluntarily, in their own time and at their
own expense. They do so through a system of courses that has grown and developed in
an ad-hoc fashion. It is a credit to teachers that in the absence of a national comprehensive framework of professional development, they have demonstrated a strong commitment to professional upskilling and life-long learning. However, it is now time to place
continuous professional development more formally on the agenda and to establish a
comprehensive national framework for teacher professional development in order to
address system, school and teachers’ own professional and personal needs.
–87–
–88–
Part Two
Proceedings of the Consultative
Conference on Education
17-18 NOVEMBER 2006
ENNIS
–89–
–90–
Teacher Education –The
Continuum
INTRODUCTION
Deirbhile Nic Craith, Senior Official
e’ve had some very interesting presentations earlier this afternoon on the
primary curriculum and how it’s being implemented in our schools.
In general, teachers are happy, but during the discussions a number of issues of
relevance to our next topic emerged.
I think we’re all agreed that no curriculum, however well designed, will be effective
without well-qualified and well-prepared teachers. So discussion on the continuum of
teacher education is very timely.
What I propose to do this evening is to outline the INTO’s approach to the topic of
teacher education, highlight some of the challenges facing us as teachers, set current
developments in context and reaffirm our role in the continuum of teacher education.
First of all let’s take the changing nature of teaching. As we’re all too well aware,
there have been many changes in society which have impacted on education and
teaching in recent years. We are now living in a more affluent society,
W
where lifestyles have changed;
where qualifications are important;
where the influence of the church has declined; and
where both parents and pupils are more assertive and demanding.
We must also keep in mind the technological revolution and the increasing diversity
in our classrooms – which presents a challenge in its own right. The relationship
between teachers, schools, pupils and their parents could very well be quite different
as we progress through this century. We can see this changing context of our work as
–91–
an opportunity to redefine our understanding of teacher professionalism.
The idea of ‘open professionalism’ put forward by Vonk (1998 ) and by
Hargreaves (2002 ) requires teachers to open themselves up to engage in dialogue
with the public and with fellow professionals, and to perceive initial and inservice
education as part of lifelong professional development and learning.
The idea of ‘transformative professionalism’ (Sachs, 2003 ) also attracts me –
where teachers work collaboratively, not only with other teachers but also with
parents and other stakeholders in education; where teachers are inclusive, collegial,
activist oriented, flexible, progressive and enquiry-oriented; where they are responsive
to change, self-regulating, policy-active and knowledge-building. I like to think that
this is a description of the teaching profession in Ireland – or at least an ideal we can
aspire to.
Now, what kind of context does all this fit into? For a start, take a look at policy
development in the last ten years: there has been a lot of activity nationally and internationally since the INTO last discussed teacher education in 1995 and professional
development in 1994 . These include:
A major OECD report on Attracting, Developing and Retaining Effective Teachers,
reflecting a concern across developing countries regarding the need for a high
quality teaching profession. We’re lucky that we continue to attract good calibre
individuals to the teaching profession. Retention does not appear to be a problem,
but then again, we’re not sure, as it’s not an issue that has been monitored here.
The OECD Thematic Review of Early Years Education and Care Policy in Ireland is
likely to impact on teacher education, given that it raised certain criticisms of
current provision.
For the first time also the EU is becoming involved in education policy. The
2010 Lisbon Agenda, in its efforts to ensure that Europe becomes the most
dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world, is focussing on improving
teacher education. It is probably not surprising that ICTs feature strongly in this
agenda too.
There is also the Bologna process, which aims to create convergence in higher
level education – including teacher education.
At national level we have had:
A review of teacher education (2001 ) which was reported five years ago.
The Pilot Project on Induction established in 2002 and now in its fifth year.
Primary Curriculum Support Programme, (PCSP) set up in 1999 to support
the implementation of the primary curriculum, and now in the final year of its
initial phase.
There have also been many other support initiatives.
We have a number of partners in the whole policy process. A major player is
–92–
obviously the DES: we have invited Paul Ryan from the Teacher Education Section in
the Department of Education and Science to update us on where we are and where
we’re going in relation to these recent developments. A second major policy player is
the Teaching Council. We have invited Áine Lawlor, its first Director, to outline for us
the Council’s role in relation to the continuum of teacher education. This is the first
opportunity for the Teaching Council to speak directly to teachers at an INTO
Education conference. Following both these presentations, we will have a brief question and answer session, when you can comment or pose questions – an opportunity
for mutual listening.
Let me touch for a few minutes on the challenges facing teacher education
currently and into the future. Preparing and developing teachers in a world that is
constantly changing creates enormous challenges for teacher education. We need
teachers that are committed to the practice of teaching, who collaborate and engage
in professional dialogue, who are willing to share responsibility with other members
of the education community and who, most importantly, perhaps, are lifelong learners. Professional knowledge relevant to teaching is continuously expanding making it
impossible to address all issues during initial teacher education, hence the need for
comprehensive and structured induction and continuous professional development.
Given the changing nature of teaching, and the focus on lifelong learning throughout
a teacher’s career, the Colleges of Education, have been invited to give their perspective on the challenges facing teacher education, now and into the future. This session
takes place tomorrow morning.
But, we as teachers also have a key role in all stages of the continuum of teacher
education.
Let me start with CPD, where the INTO has a good track record in involving
teachers centrally in the process, since we first set up the Professional Development
Unit in 1994 . Teachers like the idea of colleagues as tutors and facilitators because
they are grounded in the reality of life and work in classrooms, but also bring new
knowledge. Of course, colleges and others also have an important role to play, and we
have broadened our involvement in recent years to include collaborative projects.
The Pilot Project on Induction is a collaboration between the colleges and the
profession. It is an excellent example of a coming together of theories learnt in college
and practitioner knowledge to support teacher learning. The project is described in
the background paper and you will have an opportunity to consider it further in the
discussion groups tomorrow.
Mentoring need not be confined to induction. Student teachers are also being
mentored by experienced teachers during teaching practice as part of pilot projects in
St Pat’s and in UL. Early indications are that such projects are a success.
I believe that there is scope to develop a more formal and structured role for
experienced practising teachers in initial teacher education and induction, but not
–93–
without recognition and reward.
You will have an opportunity in your discussion groups to explore these issues and to
consider a variety of approaches or models of teacher learning. As teachers, we must be
more than recipients of new knowledge about teaching – we must be active in its creation.
CONCLUSION
We have the potential for great partnerships at all stages of the teacher education
continuum. And as you can see we have an interesting gathering of presenters on the
topic of teacher education – the DES, Teaching Council, colleges.
In the morning, the Education Committee, who prepared the background paper,
will present some of the key issues in teacher education from an INTO perspective.
This session will include an overview of teacher education in Northern Ireland, the
challenges of teaching today, the main findings of our survey on professional development and some key demands in relation to teacher education.
We have also included in this session a presentation on e-learning, a fairly recent
approach to teacher learning, but one which is an exciting development and which will
really push out the boundaries.
I mentioned the challenges facing us as a profession in my opening remarks. Eddie
McArdle of the General Teaching Council in Northern Ireland is no stranger to facing
and overcoming challenges in an education setting and he will be talking to us about
his insights to the challenges of teaching based on his experiences in the North facing
into the 21st century. I have no doubt that he will inspire us and give us plenty of food
for thought.
What we hope to do throughout this conference in bringing together this variety of
voices in teacher education, is to stimulate a lively discussion, not just during the
conference, but back in your schools where they will eventually be put into practice.
Tá súil agam go mbaineann sibh sult as.
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THE CONTINUUM OF
TEACHER EDUCATION:
DES POLICY
Paul Ryan,Teacher Education Section, Department of Education and Science
will give a brief overview of the Department’s role in relation to teacher education
and development. I will then talk about the continuing number of developments of
note to date, and the DES approach. I will refer to some key principles that we have
identified, the three elements of the continuum and then talk about next steps.
I work in the Teacher Education Section in the Department of Education and
Science, which is responsible for the education and development of teachers at both
levels – primary and post-primary. It was established in May 2003 . Its establishment
was important because it recognised the importance of teacher education and development in the context of life-long learning. The rationale for its establishment was to
bring coherence and synergy to interventions right across the continuum, the purpose
essentially to support teaching and learning and to improve student outcomes.
The Department is responsible for the Colleges of Education, induction of newly
qualified teachers, the inservice programmes, continuing professional development,
Education Centres Network, and we have a role with Áine Lawlor in the Teaching
Council. There are a number of other issues such as the Scrúdú Cáilíochta sa Ghaeilge
(SCG), related international issues, OECD and TALIS and early literacy and social
inclusion. We also work very closely with the Inspectorate. My presentation today
reflects both our work and the inspectors’ work.
I
There are three main key definitions and they are:
1. Initial, pre-entry/pre-service education (Colleges of Education and other
pathways).
2. Induction (Probation).
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3. Continuous professional development (in-school, out of
formal/informal).
school and
We deal with primary and post-primary education, though the focus of my presentation here today is primary.
There have been a number of developments to date, many you would be very familiar with. There is the Kelleghan Report (2002 ), the establishment of the Teacher
Education Section, the OECD Report Teachers Matter (2005 ), the Minister’s launch of
Teachers Matter and some work that we have done across the continuum. Some of the
more notable projects have been the pilot project for induction and concerning inservice for yourselves – PCSP. PCSP completes its work this coming June 2007 , and we
have done some work on a new model of inservice. There are a number of other
factors that are very important:
The Teaching Council – and Áine will refer to that later on.
An expenditure review of teacher education development – this is going on at the
moment which is essentially a look at the amount of money we spend on teacher
education and development and seeing what are the key inputs and outputs.
Towards 2016 – where there is a number of key paragraphs that relates to
continuous professional development.
The National Development Plan for 2007 /2013 – where there is significant
investment in relation to teacher education and development.
In relation to the Department’s approach to the continuum there is a number of key
points. The first one seems a very obvious point but I think it is a very important one
– it recognises the continuum and it recognises that there are three stages in the continuum. The second point is that we want a consistent and coherent approach right
across the continuum. We don’t want to highlight one particular part as more important than another part. The third point is that a reduction to single issues is unhelpful
and must stop. In the past there has almost been a rush to deal with a particular issue
– one day it might be induction, the next day it might be Colleges of Education, the
next day inservice and so on and so forth. We are trying to bring a basic strategy to
working with the continuum. There are a number of characteristics for the continuum that make our work quite difficult and indeed your own work and the Teaching
Council’s work.
First of all it is very complex. It is diverse and interconnected. We are trying to take
the big picture approach to teacher education and development that will underpin our
actions across the continuum. We need a high level and long-term commitment,
which is critical. By that I mean the commitment of the Minister and the Government.
We also need a prolonged engagement with change because it is so complex and
diverse. This isn’t something that you can do over two months or a year or two years.
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You need prolonged engagement with change. We have a number of timescales –
short, medium and long – so we have a number of different actions across the continuum. There is a focus on primary and post-primary, both sides must move together at
the same time. Though we want to work consistently and coherently we have to
recognise those three stages, treat them separately but in an overall framework. So we
might have different phases and priorities but they would all move together towards
some changes.
The DES approach has a key thought that propels us – teacher education and developments leads to improvement in teaching and learning and that is what we want. We
also want improved student outcomes and to improve the inclusiveness of schools.
The approach that we have used so far is firstly to assess and analyse the current situation, secondly to develop some options to address the shortfall and then to consider
potential improvements to the current situation.
We have a number of key principles. The first is that we want stated outcomes for
each of the three stages. These relate to the knowledge, skills and competency
required from teachers and we want this to be evidence based. Essentially the characteristics we would like to see in teachers (and I think Deirbhile touched on that), are
people that are adaptive, team orientated, pedagogically versatile, expert in core
competencies, reflective and committed to ongoing learning and development. We
want people to be masters of content and involved in ongoing development of pedagogical and content knowledge throughout their career. We also want to address a
number of needs in the system – the Department, the education system, the Teaching
Council, school needs and then the needs of the individual teacher. We want teacher
education and development to be delivered in an efficient and effective manner and
then we want to link it to school improvement and school development. There are a
number of other points but I think the key one is that of a partnership approach. We
have worked very closely with the INTO to date and we see that continuing. We
would also like to work closely with schools as partners.
INITIAL TEACHER EDUCATION
One of the points just emerging is that we have primary initial teacher education and
post-primary initial teacher education, and though we’re not setting it down in stone,
we want to see it remaining sectoral. At this current stage we want to retain the
present course durations. Secondly, instead of just an input approach – how many
students going in, how many coming out – we want to look at inputs, processes and
outcomes, that fits in with the work of the National Qualifications Authority and
indeed the Council as well. We want to make sure that all elements of the courses are
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integrated – theory, content and pedagogical. We particularly want to emphasise
teaching methodologies and issues such as assessment, ICT and classroom management. We want theory and practice to work together far more. Sometimes there is a
bit of a gap or they’re slightly divorced, so we need to make them work together.
We also want more varied and challenging teacher practice. We want student
teacher under-performance addressed at an early stage. We want to formalise the partnerships that we have at the moment, between the Higher Education Institutions,
teachers and schools. Lastly, we want to try to credit the training of mentors who are
involved in teaching practice.
Current and Future
We are looking at a number of potential options. The first issue that we have identified
regarding the current situation is that there is no generic statement of expected
programme outcomes. We are trying to develop a common profile of teacher knowledge,
skills and competencies. This goes to the heart of the work of the Teaching Council.
Secondly, there has been a piecemeal development of programmes. That is not a
criticism of the Colleges – it is simply just a fact of life. It has developed over time. The
curriculum and programmes are over crowded and sometimes there is difficulty
responding to emerging issues. We want to try and address that.
Thirdly, we see that graduates lack competencies in some areas. We want them to
deliver the primary curriculum. We want them to respond to emerging challenges and
issues, working beyond the classroom as a team, reflective practice, differentiation, to
name just a few.
Fourthly, we want to review the programmes. We have to increase time spent developing knowledge, skills and competencies. We are looking at the moment – and this is
with the Colleges, we’re not imposing our views – to reduce the academic study and
increase education, improve co-ordination and integration of academic education and
practice elements and then to try and reduce the formal workloads and review the
lecture formats.
The next issue is teaching practice. We are concerned about teaching practice at the
moment. We want to increase the time spent on teaching practice. We want it closer
to reality, closer to what students do when they are qualified, what they are actually
going to expect. We also want to increase the experience of working with special
needs, multi-grade, disadvantaged, and in the Irish-medium context. We want a more
formal role for schools and classroom teachers in monitoring teacher performance.
We want supervisors who have recent experience of teaching as opposed to the
current situation.
The last issue is the selection methods of the Colleges. We are looking at the
moment to see if there is a problem with the basic entry standards. Do we have to
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improve them? We’re considering interviews, access routes, Gaeltacht students etc.
We want to continue the post-graduate entry – we think it is very valuable as it brings
in quite a mix of students.
INDUCTION
Regarding induction, we have the current pilot project. It is working quite well at the
moment. We want to extend it nationwide over the next couple of years so that all
newly qualified teachers (NQTs) are included by a certain date. We want to make it
mandatory for everyone who comes out of college. We are also going to talk to the
Council about linking it in with the Teaching Council registration. Initially NQTs
would have conditional registration but then they will have to pass induction to
become a proper registered teacher. We also see induction as a key bridge between
initial teacher education and CPD. It is seen as a doss year or pretend year but it is a
very important year. We want to make sure that it is centrally planned as we do at the
moment, but also that it is locally delivered. It is delivered within the schools and there
is a partnership with the INTO, the Colleges and the teachers in the schools.
We have a number of questions relating to the current probationary requirements.
What is going to happen to those requirements? Is it going to be an inspectorate role
as it is at the moment? Will it continue?
Another key feature is that the mentors we have in the current pilot programme are
very important. We see these as the lynchpin of any potential model. We want to
accredit the mentors’ training and try to allocate mentor duties within the school
staffing complement – for substitute cover for down time for the student teachers and
the mentors.
A number of other issues include: teachers coming from outside the jurisdiction –
how will they be covered? Teachers returning to work from career breaks; mainstream
classes versus special schools; small schools and clustering of induction and mentors;
disruption of schools and classes; and the role of Inspectorate.
CONTINUOUS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT (CPD)
We have a number of critiques regarding current CPD provision. This is not a criticism
of any of the programmes but relates to overall inservice/CPD. Firstly, we have an
over emphasis on nationally driven activities and there seems to be an under emphasis
on activity for meeting school improvement needs. Another critique is that it tends to
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be inservice rather than CPD and we are trying to emphasise continuous professional
development rather than inservice. We are trying to get away from the idea of once off
provision and link into life-long learning for teachers, where people are under going
professional development throughout their career. We have a lot of support services at
the moment and a certain degree of overlap and duplication. It is also a top down
model with the Department pushing our ideas on to teachers on the ground rather
than ideas coming from the teachers in schools. There is a concern as well that some
of the CPD delivered doesn’t fully reflect the needs of the system, schools or teachers.
We have a number of issues with secondments – disruption to schools, secondments on a year-to-year basis and no commitment over a teacher’s career. There is a
problem in terms of lack of flexibility with delivery. There is also a problem in that
there is no overall strategy. Maybe content is emphasised over pedagogical issues?
There is a problem with a lack of accreditation and pathways into further development. People get the inservice and that’s it after the six days per annum. We should try
and look at that for the future.
A number of key principles are that:
we want to move from inservice to continuous professional development;
we want to recognise that teachers do an awful lot of CPD in their own time and
at their own cost;
we want to see that CPD is a right for teachers but also that there is a number of
related responsibilities for teachers;
we want CPD that impacts on teacher practice.
In particular, we want to build upon success and innovations of programmes like
the PCSP, School Development Planning, LDS, and SESS, which have been very
successful. We want to recognise that and move forward. We also want to say that
CPD doesn’t end with the end of the PCSP. The work will continue in some other
guise but there be will some kind of service provided to teachers. It will be planned
centrally but delivered locally through Education Centres. We want to build capacity
within schools near the Education Centres. We want to balance needs – national priorities, school needs and teacher needs. We want CPD that is designed and delivered in
response to the needs of schools and teachers and to have accreditation, opportunities
and pathways to further study. I have listed a few more points, which relate to school
development and they are:
school annual professional development plan – SDP process;
professional development portfolio for each teacher;
flexible delivery: in and out of school time, efficiency and effectiveness: Towards
2016 .
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In a new model of CPD – PCSP, School Development Planning, LDS, SESS – will
continue but in a restructured format. There will always be a need for curriculum and
syllabus related CPD but we also want to cover methodological issues, pedagogical
support, generic support, classroom management and behaviour management. We
want CPD that is proactive and strategic rather than reactive or ad-hoc which is decided
in a very short period. We want a three or five year plan. We want CPD to work on a
number of levels – national, regional and local. What we mean by local that it is in
towns or within smaller regions. We have a needs analysis balancing various needs. We
are looking at system priority needs, school needs coming from SDP and staff development plans and teachers’ needs, Inspectoral reports and issues like underperformance, Teaching Council and Towards 2016 .
We want to build upon the ‘cuiditheoirí’ system, which is extremely good and working
very well. They want to cover things like accreditation and pathways to further study. We
are looking at a single point of contact for schools. I think, at the moment, there is a bit of
confusion out there. There is a number of people coming into schools and principals and
teachers are confused about who to ring. We want a single point of contact. We are looking at either in-school or out-of-school provision. We’re looking at summer courses, EPV
days, on-line etc. Then there are other issues. These are just questions, as they have to be
discussed with the INTO. For example, looking at the teacher’s contract, do we build in
time-out for CPD, time-out for reflection? We also need to look at CPD requirements and
Teaching Council registration, which is a couple of years down the line.
SUMMARY
In summary, the basic premise of the continuum has been recognised by the
Department and life-long learning as well when people come out of colleges. Learning
just doesn’t finish after three or four years – it occurs right through a teacher’s career.
The issues in relation to the continuum are very diverse and complex. Essentially,
when we are developing policy we want something that is strategic – a big picture
rather than tinkering with small little bits. It is long term. We don’t want something
that is piecemeal or ad-hoc. This will have to be phased in over time. There will be huge
resource implications for the Department in putting these things into place. There are
structural implications for the Colleges of Education that relate to teacher education.
There are also implications for schools and teachers. But underlying all of this development is the partnership approach which will continue and we will be working
closely with the Colleges, the INTO and the Teaching Council.
The final point is to build upon the successes to date. We are very successful in relation to teacher education and development. We have done an awful lot in the colleges.
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A lot has been done through induction and in particular, a lot has been done through
the PCSP and such programmes. We need to build upon that success but also to realise
that changes must occur. We want to prepare teachers to meet with emerging challenges – newcomers coming in, challenges in classroom behaviour, ICT and special
needs. We want to continue having our teachers in the school providing quality education to the students. And lastly, we want to improve student outcomes, which I think
is the reason that we are all here.
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ROLE OFTHETEACHING
COUNCIL INTEACHER
EDUCATION
Áine Lawlor, Director of the Teaching Council
Mary Hanafin, TD, Minister for Education and Science, launched the Teaching
Council on 28 February 2005 and established it on a statutory basis on 28 March
2006 , under the Teaching Council Acts, 2001 and 2006 . The Teaching Council is
the self-regulating, professional body for teachers, the equivalent of An Bord Altranais
for nurses or the Medical Council for doctors. It has been welcomed by the partners in
education, many of whom advocated its introduction over a number of decades and,
more particularly, in recent years. The focus of the Teaching Council is on teaching
and the establishment of the Council marks the beginning of an exciting and challenging journey for teaching as a profession. For teachers, the establishment of the
Council affords the profession a considerable degree of control over a range of professional issues. The Council is also of significance to the partners in education and to the
wider public as its establishment brings with it the twin responsibilities of professional
accountability and public accountability.
MEMBERSHIP OF THE TEACHING COUNCIL
There are 37 members of Council, of whom 22 are teachers, all serving in a voluntary capacity. It is interesting to note that a number of the non-teacher nominees and
appointees are also currently teaching or were teachers at one time. The composition
of the Council is:
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11 primary teachers of whom nine were elected and two were nominated by the
INTO;
11 post-primary teachers of whom seven were elected, and two each were
nominated by the ASTI and the TUI;
two nominated by the five Colleges of Education at primary level;
two nominated by the Universities and specified third level colleges;
four nominated by school management organisations (two primary and two
post-primary);
two nominees from national associations of parents (one primary and one postprimary);
five appointed by the Minister for Education and Science, including one from
IBEC and one from ICTU.
ROLE OF THE TEACHING COUNCIL
Joan Ward is Chairperson and Susie Hall is Deputy Chairperson of the Council. Under
the Acts, the whole Council must meet at least three times a year but it is currently
meeting more frequently as a lot of foundational work has be undertaken in these
early years. To date there have been ten general meetings of the Council and these
have been held in Education Centres around the country. Members in committees,
supported by the executive staff, undertake the main body of work through the
committee structures. The Acts provide for three statutory committees, the Executive
Committee, the Investigating Committee and the Disciplinary Committee and there
are also three standing committees, the Finance Committee, the Registration
Committee and the Education Committee.
The Council’s role as set out in the Acts is: to promote teaching as a profession; to
establish and maintain a register of teachers; to develop codes of professional practice
and conduct for teachers; to establish procedures in relation to the induction and
probation of teachers; to advise the Minister in relation to minimum standards of
educational qualifications for entry into programmes of teacher education and training, the professional development of teachers and teacher supply; to conduct or
commission research on relevant matters and to conduct enquiries and, where appropriate, impose sanctions in relation to fitness to teach.
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THE REGISTER OF TEACHERS
Establishing a Register of Teachers was one of the first tasks facing the Teaching
Council and this is now well in hand. Being registered will be akin to being licensed to
teach. In late May, the Council wrote to all primary teachers whose details were
received from the Department of Education and Science. The purpose of the letter
was to verify the information which was transferred and obtain additional information
so that the Council can ensure their registration details are correct. Over the summer
months, Council staff will be busy inputting data as part of the registration process, to
ensure the Register of Teachers is accurate and up-to-date. Post-primary teachers who
were teaching in recognised schools on Establishment Day, will receive a similar verification letter at the beginning of the new school year, 2006 -2007 .
Newly-qualified teachers and qualified teachers not currently in service are also
eligible to be included in the Register. Notices to this effect recently appeared in the
national newspapers. As part of its information programme, the Council completed a
nationwide series of presentations in Universities and Colleges of Education advising
final year teacher education students of the registration and vetting processes.
The Teaching Council is the ‘designated authority’ for the recognition of qualifications under EU directives and it is the ‘competent authority’ for the recognition of
qualifications obtained in a state other than a member state of the EU. Prior to the
establishment of the Council, this work was undertaken by the Department of
Education and Science and by the Registration Council which ceased to exist when the
Teaching Council was established.
Registration Regulations have been drafted by the Council and are currently being
legally proofed in preparation for presentation to the Minister for Education and
Science for approval. In the meantime, the Council has adopted the existing registration regulations as an interim measure. Applications on hand at the time of establishment, together with new applications are now being processed by Council staff.
CODES OF PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE AND CONDUCT
Through the deliberations of the Education Committee, the Teaching Council has
undertaken substantial work on drafting Professional Codes as required by the Acts
which charges it to:
establish, publish, review and maintain codes of professional conduct for teachers
which shall include standards of teaching, knowledge, skill and competence.
The Teaching Council Acts, 2001 and 2006 - 7.-(2) (b)
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The codes will make explicit the values which underpin teaching in this country and
the beliefs, values and attitudes that constitute teacher professionalism. While the
Council is responsible for drafting the codes, it will rest with the teaching profession,
supported by the wider education community, to take ownership of them. For that
reason, it is the intention of the Council to initiate a comprehensive consultation process
on the draft codes in the coming months. Using a number of communications strategies, the Council will actively seek the views of teachers, the education community and
the public on these draft documents. Feedback will be collated and used to review and
revise the draft codes before publishing and disseminating them later in the year.
GARDA VETTING PROCESS FOR NEWLY QUALIFIED
TEACHERS
From the beginning of the new school year, 2006 -2007 , Garda vetting will be a
condition of employment for new teachers and other appointees who have unsupervised access to children. ‘New teachers’ are defined as those who are newly qualified
or are re-entering the service after a period of three years. All 55,000 teachers
currently in the system will be vetted on a phased basis over the coming years. The
Teaching Council has agreed to be the authorised body to seek the vet for teachers.
Final year teacher education students have been asked to complete a standard Garda
Vetting Application Form which allows the Council to apply to the Garda Central
Vetting Unit (GCVU) to conduct the vet on each applicant. Following the vet, the form
is completed by the GCVU and returned to the Council with the relevant information,
i.e. either there is no evidence of a conviction or a conviction is recorded. The result of
the vet, a Vetting Letter, will be sent to each applicant by the Council. The Vetting
Letter will be requested by employing authorities when a teaching post is being
offered. At this point, it will be a matter for the employing authority to decide on the
relevance of a conviction to the teacher’s suitability for the post.
The Teaching Council, in the context of registration when it is fully operational,
will have to decide on the relevance of a conviction to the teacher’s suitability for registration. The Council has established a Vetting Group to assess the information
returned by the GCVU. The Committee is currently drafting guiding principles to
assist in its consideration of convictions.
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NEIGHBOURING TEACHING COUNCILS
There are General Teaching Councils in Northern Ireland (GTCNI), England (GTCE),
Wales and Scotland (GTCS), the latter being one of the oldest in the world having
been set up on 1965 . GTCS celebrated its fortieth anniversary by hosting the first
World Conference of Teaching Councils at Clerwood House, its offices in Edinburgh,
in June 2005 at which our Council was represented. There were representatives also
from the British Isles, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The Teaching
Council in Ireland is part of a group representing the five neighbouring Teaching
Councils that meets to discuss matters of common interest such as teacher education,
continuing professional development, recognition of qualifications and registration.
CHALLENGES AHEAD
As outlined above, the Council has done much work drafting Codes of Professional
Practice and Conduct and also Registration Regulations for the profession.
Maintaining the Register of Teachers will prove challenging as the Council manages
the logistics of verifying data for all current teachers and processing applications from
Irish and overseas graduates.
Other key areas to be addressed are Induction, Probation and Continuing
Professional Development and these will be prioritised for attention over the coming
months. Teacher education is a continuum in which pre-service education and induction are followed by well-designed in-career programmes, available throughout a
teacher’s career. Continuing professional development is the key to creating a supportive environment in which teachers and students can benefit. One of the Teaching
Council’s functions is to advise the Minister in relation to the professional development of teachers so as to maintain high standards of practice and promote continuing
competence among members.
Perhaps the most fundamental challenge facing the Council will be to prove that
it is capable of self-regulating in an environment where self regulation is under
scrutiny. The section of the Acts which deals with fitness to teach has not yet been
commenced in order to provide more time for the Council to develop procedures
which will ensure that both due process and the constitutional rights of all are
protected. It is worth noting that this function of the Teaching Council relates only to
professional matters rather than conditions of service. It has no remit in day-to-day
contractual or disciplinary matters, or in hearing complaints which can be more
appropriately dealt with at local level. The Council’s role will be limited to issues of
serious professional misconduct.
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The Teaching Council’s establishment on a statutory basis on 28 March, 2006
was clearly a significant milestone for the teaching profession and for education in a
more general sense. As Director, I am confident that the Council, through the collective experience and wisdom of its members, is well equipped to meet the challenges
that lie ahead and fulfill the requirements of the Teaching Council Acts, 2001 and
2006 . The Council’s staff are based in a purpose-designed office in Maynooth
Business Campus and we are making significant progress in achieving a very challenging and ambitious programme of work. We look forward to developing excellent relations with teachers and the wider education community in the work that lies ahead.
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Question andAnswer Session
INTRODUCTION
elegates were invited to put questions to the Department of Education and
Science representative, Paul Ryan, and to the Director of the Teaching Council,
Áine Lawlor. The questions are outlined in italics with responses below.
D
Could I ask Paul and Áine to distinguish between what they both expect to do because it
seems to me that there is a considerable overlap in what your section of the Department is
doing and what is being devolved to the Teaching Council.
PAUL RYAN RESPONSE
There is an overlap. Áine set out the functions under Section 7 of the Act and a lot of
the functions of the Teaching Council are being carried by the Department at the
moment. There is a considerable degree of overlap and I think it is quite deliberate
because the Department and the Council will work together very closely. Over time
most of the work that the Department does at the moment will be under the remit of
the Teaching Council in terms of initial teacher education, induction and CPD.
ÁINE LAWLOR RESPONSE
As I said at the beginning, the role of the Teaching Council is very much underpinned
by legislation so the Council won’t have a choice in any of these matters. It will be
dependant, I am sure, to a certain extent on the Department for funding and
resources. But I think it is very clearly laid out the Council has a legal role and it has a
duty and obligation to look after all of these areas. It is a partnership process but the
Council may wish to do some things that it won’t get support for, there could be
tensions at times and there may be negotiations. But the Council will still have to
pursue its remit as laid out in legislation. It would be reneging on its responsibilities if
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we didn’t do that. It is very important to say that we have very good relations with all
the partners.
I just want to enquire, what is the status of registration with the Teaching Council at the
moment? Are incoming teachers to register? What is the procedure? And with regards to new
regulations on teacher vetting and Garda clearance, are you going to take over that function? It
seems to be in a big legal limbo at the moment with regards to where you are supposed to go to
register a teacher, or when getting a special needs assistant or a new teacher. There seems to be
a big hole in the middle of where principals are supposed to go for information. So are those
teachers who are currently on your rolls with that very peculiar form that you sent out with all
those details, is that all sorted now and will we know our correct details? Will you send them
back to us and let us know that you have the right details now?
ÁINE LAWLOR RESPONSE
As regards registration Section 30 of the Act says that to be paid by Oireachtas funds
working in a State school, in a recognised school, teachers have to be registered with
the Teaching Council. That part of the Act has not been commenced yet. So at the
moment registration is not compulsory as such for newly qualified teachers. Those
teachers that are already in the system on establishment day of 28 March 2006 are
deemed to be registered on verification of their data. The verification process is ongoing. When we have it completed we will reflect out back to you that we have entered
the data and that it is correct. There were two particular fields namely, commencement date of service and probation date which were incorrect in many cases. If we
have any doubts about those – some people did correct them and some didn’t and
some people were probated years before they ever commenced teaching – we are not
going to verify information that we know is obviously inaccurate. We are going to
have to try some other means to get that information if the teacher hasn’t filled it in for
us. So yes, you will be able to see your date in due course. I can’t say exactly when as it
has been slower than we anticipated entering all of the data but you will be able to
access your own data on the website to verify that your own data is correct. We will be
writing to all teachers before Christmas to say that we have received their form and
entered the data, but those two fields may not be verified because if we have any doubt
we won’t do it.
With regards to vetting, this year the Implementation Group, which is an inter
department group, asked the Teaching Council would it be the body to seek the vet for
newly qualified teachers. The Garda Central Vetting Unit in Thurles doesn’t want to
deal with all 4,000plus schools in the country. For security purposes and for administrative convenience reasons it wants one group to look after teachers. The Council
agreed to be the body that would seek the vet. We were only doing it this year for
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newly qualified teachers. We cleared about 2,500 application forms which were
filled by the applicant teachers, sent to us, forwarded to Thurles by us, returned to us
and then we subsequently issued a vetting letter to the teacher telling them the result
of the vet.
At the same time a circular went to all schools, I think it was 0094 /06, telling
schools that newly qualified teachers would have to be vetted before they would be
employable. I think some principals didn’t get that circular before the returns in
September, some only got it in September, and I am not sure that all newly qualified
teachers were asked for the vetting letter. But it was a requirement that the teachers
would produce the vetting letter at the point that they were being offered the job or
the decision had been made to offer them the job. As regards all other teachers in the
system, it is envisaged, we have been told, that all teachers will be vetted on a phased
basis over the coming years. The Garda Central Vetting unit have about 30 people
working on this. They have a huge body of work especially from the Health Service
Executive and from a lot of other bodies who want people vetted. But it is the intention that anybody working with young children or vulnerable adults will be vetted in
the future. At the moment we are dealing with newly qualified teachers and those
teachers who have been out of service for three years. There was some misunderstanding about that because at the same time the Diocesan bodies and patrons of the
schools became authorised bodies to vet ancillary staff and some bodies thought they
were to vet the teachers who were out of the system for three years as well. We had
been vetting those who had applied to us.
This is a question for Paul Ryan. In relation to induction you said the National Project on
Induction was started in 2002 and almost five years later it is still a pilot project. You talked
about a target date. Could you give us a firm time line on that? Is there any date set as to when
this would be rolled out nationwide?
PAUL RYAN RESPONSE
We have no firm date at this stage. We are putting together a proposal to the Minister
and the Government. We’re hoping to do something in the guise of the NDP but it is
actually quite a costly programme and there are nearly 2,500newly qualified teachers every year. But it is something that we will be negotiating with the Colleges and
yourselves and the other unions over the next couple of months. Hopefully we will
come up with something in the next six months in terms of a firm target date. But
when we get a date we want to make sure that we achieve it. We don’t want any slippage so it could be five or six years in the future, then we will work towards that and
increase the numbers over time. Even though we have a pilot and a target date that
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might be five years in the future, we are increasing the number of teachers all the time
and hopefully for next year we will have an increase of maybe 10 to 15%. So even
while it is a pilot process the numbers are still increasing over time. On that basis we
will reach all teachers at one particular time.
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THETEACHER INTHE 21st
CENTURY
Eddie McArdle, General Teaching Council of Northern Ireland
don’t think I have ever been asked to speak on a Friday afternoon and certainly not
at 6 p.m. I am conscious of the time and I will just issue a little warning to you. It is
the story of a young cleric who leaves college. He goes along to the Bishop and the
Bishop says to him, “I would like you to get a little bit of experience around different
parishes.” So he sends him off to the first parish. He gets up and he is offering his first
sermon. After 20 minutes a voice at the back shouts “halleluiah” and the young priest
realises that he is really doing something good and that it is his true vocation. So there
is another cry of “halleluiah” after 20 minutes and he is totally enthused. He speaks
for another 20 minutes and there is a heartfelt cry of “halleluiah” but he had nothing
else to say. As he is chatting to all the young people going out the door he spots the
young man who had been calling out. He says, “you are the man who was shouting
halleluiah”, and the young man says, “no, I was shouting that will do you”. You will
notice that I took one of my hearing aids out before I got up here so if you’re going to
shout “that will do you”, you are going to have to be clear and very loud.
What I want to talk about today is teaching and teachers in the 21st century and
some of the issues that impact on the 21st century experience. But I always start with
representative groups like this by reflecting on something such as this quote;
I
A dominant force may legitimise itself by promoting beliefs and values congenial to
it; naturalising and universalising such beliefs to render them self evident and
apparently inevitable, denigrating ideas which might challenge it, excluding rivals
forms of thought.
(Maria Eagleton, 1991 )
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It is a very important point for those of us who are passionate about things and who
wish fact to be able to shape policy and make things understood to remember that there
are other forces out there that will seek to dictate agendas and to mute other voices.
What I am actually saying is that bodies or groupings like this one are
important. We seek to make our voices heard and that’s important. The voice of the
practitioner should be heard in the corridors of power. Your new Teaching Council will
be important for you as professionals and will provide a powerful and independent voice
for the profession. It is important that we recognise that other forces will make their
voice heard. If we are quiet and acquiescent – then in a sense we deserve what we get.
However, what I really want to do, this evening is to talk to you about who teachers
are, the knowledge society and knowledge economy and the challenges and the impact
of that. What is the role of teachers in the knowledge society or knowledge economy?
They are facilitators of young people, effectively preparing them to live and prosper in
that world. I think also in a sense they are an antidote to some of the worse aspects of
the knowledge economy and also in some senses they may actually be casualties. In
reflecting on these realities it is important to remember that teachers are special people.
Jonathan Sachs, the chief Rabbi of England, was recently discussing the role of teachers, at a conference run by the General Teaching Council for England; he made the
point that when the Jewish people choose to give a title to Moses – they might have
called him leader, they might have called him prophet, they might have called him
warrior – but what they actually called him was teacher. Because what he did was to
show people their potential, where they should go and how they should get there. And
in many senses that is what teachers do. We are the makers of meaning. We give children the capacity to use the word ‘I’ with confidence. We give them an understanding
as to the values that we think are important and significant in their lives. We allow them
to discuss and reflect on those. We start this at an early age in primary school when we
live out the values, or perhaps in some exceptional cases, don’t live out the values that
are real and important. We are The Keepers of Tomorrow in that the children of today
will be those who will make our future and they will live in a world that we can’t even
begin to understand. The truth is that we live in a world where some 80% of the jobs
that will be undertaken in the 21st century don’t exist at this moment in time. In light
of the challenges facing us as a profession we need to remember again who we are and
what we are and how important our work is.
KNOWLEDGE SOCIETY: GLOBAL ECONOMY
There is a new world order out there. You are very proud of your Celtic tiger and indeed
we in the North look with a great degree of envy at your economic success. There is a
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great deal of discussion going on at the moment in Northern Ireland as to how we might
begin to compete with your tiger economy. But I wonder, if perhaps, the whole of
Europe is overly complacent about the future. We need to aware of the emergence of
what has been called the ‘Chindia Syndrome’ i.e. the emergence of China and India as
major world economies. China is now the world’s fourth largest economy, indeed they
overtook the United Kingdom last year. The Chinese economy will be second to the
USA in the next 15 years or so and they are likely to become the world’s largest economy in 20 or 35 years. What that means is that they will move from a position where
they generate some four per cent of the world’s trade to around ten per cent within the
next seven years. The emergence of China and India has significant implications in areas
such as energy policy. One of the European Commissioners recently made the point
that India’s demand for energy will increase by 300% in the next 10 years. China is
currently the second most profligate user of oil in the world. For us the implications are
obvious – the days when we might have had cheap energy are long gone.
The potential impact of the ‘Chindia Syndrome’ should not be underestimated. Here
are some simple figures – one in seven of all shoes worn anywhere in the world are made
in China; 70% of clothes fasteners, that is zips and buttons are not only made in China but
indeed are made primarily within four cities in China. Some 60% of the microwaves
bought last year in Great Britain were sourced in China. In 2004, China overtook the USA
as the world’s leading exporter of information technology goods. They did not develop
them, they are not involved in chip manufacture, and they are not involved in the cutting
edge of that technology. What they are involved in is assembly and development. We in
Ireland have a significant industry in the assembling of computers so what are the implications of this for our economy? Will our jobs be outsourced? Some additional statistics:
there were 2.8million science degrees awarded last year but 1.2million of them were in
Pacific rim countries and the interesting thing is that they have increased their science
degree output by 300% in a decade. India’s graduate population exceeds the population
of the United Kingdom and Ireland. Interesting! A fascinating fact I discovered the other
day – if you are prepared to spend £50 per month there are people in India who will tutor
your child for 12 subjects on-line. Fibre optics will transmit 48 terabytes of data in
minutes. The world is getting very much smaller. There are entire communities and
nations out there growing and developing who will impact on, indeed, begin to threaten
our lifestyles and our way of living in this 21st century.
If you outsource work to developing countries there is a potential 75% reduction in
wages and often a 100% rise in productivity. How is this possible? Quite simply workers in these growing economies work longer for lower pay and they often have few
rights. The reality, as Alan Blinder of Princeton University points out is that almost all
the tasks and working processes of modern living can effectively be outsourced to
Third World countries; one could be cynical and say that bus drivers and taxi drivers
are probably the only safe occupations in today’s world. Why shouldn’t you have your
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accounts done in India? Why shouldn’t you have your computer programming done
or your computer network maintenance undertaken remotely? Indeed the network
and software maintenance for the General Teaching Council of Northern Ireland is
done from Edinburgh but equally there is no reason why it shouldn’t be done from
India. Bombardier, one of the larger employers in Northern Ireland, outsourced some
500 jobs to India and Mexico in 2005 and recently they outsourced another 600
out to Mexico. Whilst I have mentioned China and India as emerging and competing
economies we must equally be aware of the emergence of Brazil, Mexico and Russia
as potential rivals to traditional economies. So maybe the Chindia syndrome is
outdated already and we should be thinking of other potential challenges. It might be
said that we in Northern Ireland are moving to a post-industrial age, as indeed is the
rest of Europe, in response to the emergence of the global or knowledge economy.
FACILITATION
If we as teachers are to act as facilitators in respect of the pressures emerging from globalisation then it is essential that we reflect on those issues. Whilst we are all conscious
of the impact of globalisation and the emergence of the knowledge economy some
more prescient individuals have been warning for years of the need to address the
emerging pressures in a post-industrial society. One such individual is David Bell who
in 1976 was writing of the need for us to recognise that knowledge would be our
most valuable resource and that innovation and ingenuity are the attributes that will
ensure future prosperity and well being. Bell also noted that knowledge grows exponentially in networks. In short if we are to prosper in this new world we need to understand that knowledge needs to be shared. If we are to prosper in the knowledge society
and
economy then no longer can we develop and grow simply as individuals. The really
successful companies, the really successful societies, will be those that share
knowledge and actually grow knowledge in learning communities. Our job is to build
such learning communities. Equally important is the need to remind both ourselves
and those we seek to empower in order that they might prosper of the need to
embrace a culture of life-long learning. We need also to recognise that success will
depend on a range of what might be called soft skills: cooperative working, problem
solving, communication and so on. What are the implications for us as professionals?
It should have implications for the way we work; Teachers who actually work collegially – in concert with others – are the individuals who will effectively grow and
develop quickly. We need to recognise that networks and networking helps to build
‘soft’ skills and, as I have said, these skills are increasingly important.
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It has been said that in the post-industrial age it is the entrepreneur who will prosper.
If this is so what are the implications for the education system? Quite simply if we want
to make people into entrepreneurs or develop individuals who are able and prepared
to innovate, then we need to develop individuals able to relate to others who will also
be able to understand that risk and failure are something that goes hand in hand with
innovation. Some of you may remember the Sinclair C5 electric car, it was a commercial disaster, but Sinclair was also heavily involved in the development of the pocket
calculator and small computers. So we always have to recognise that part and parcel of
this new world that we are going to inhabit is a one in which we will have to have risk,
failure and show ingenuity, entrepreneurship and energy. In this new world what is
going to be important is knowing how to know more, rather than simply having a body of
knowledge. Those days are gone. And our assessment regimes are going to have to
reflect this notion. Should we simply continue to test what people know or should we
begin to test skills that indicate how people might begin to develop an understanding?
PROFITABILITY AND SPIRALLING AND CAPRICIOUS
CONSUMER CHOICE
This heading is an attempt to capture another element of what ‘today’ is concerned
with. We’re consumers, we’re choosy, we’re capricious and quite simply we want the
best. The companies that survive and societies and economies that thrive will be those
who create new products and offer services more quickly than their rivals. Those who
readily identify trends and recognise desires will be those who prosper. They will operate
virtuous circles of sharing, they will share data and knowledge across different disciplines
and most importantly they will risk failure. As teachers we must prepare children to
live in that world. But equally we have to recognise that children themselves are
impacted upon by new and developing technologies. I have six children. They range in
age from 32 down to 15; the last two are different in that they live their world in
terms of digital immediacy. The only thing that they will interact with in regards to
any form of literature has to be delivered to them in a digital format, whether it is an
iPod broadcast, mobile phone or laptops. They are not readers in the traditional sense,
nor will they be. Their language is restricted in that sense. My exhortations will not
make them readers; in recognition of that reality I no longer actively encourage them
(not that the blandishments of parents have ever worked with teenagers) because that
is no longer the world that they actually want and enjoy. So we have to recognise
change has and will impact on those we seek to serve namely the young people placed
in our care.
To sum up then what are the requirements of this brave new world of the 21st
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century? To live and prosper will require:– creativity, flexibility, problem solving,
ingenuity, collective intelligence, risk-taking, continuous improvement – you’ve heard
all this before, indeed it’s like a modern mantra. But these are the attributes that
schooling must develop in our young people if they are to survive and prosper. It is
interesting to look at the curriculum change that has taken place in the North of
Ireland where we have moved from a very rigid prescription to a much more skills
based curriculum. The attributes or qualities listed above are those that underpin our
new curriculum. If we are going to develop these attributes or skills then we are going
to have to promote deeper cognitive learning, it is not a question of just simply
learning facts. We need to produce students who understand concepts and who will
work and learn in teams – because that is the world that they are going to live in. We
have to enable them to be prepared to take risks. One of the biggest sins we can
commit as regards young people is to deny them the right to be uncertain, or to fail.
Where there is fear of failure there can be no real learning. Children must not fear
failure, indeed they must be encouraged to accept and expect failure as part of the
learning and creative process. All of this requires significant cultural change with less
emphasis on subject bounded teaching, a greater emphasis on meta-cognition and
individual and small group working. Teachers will increasingly act as facilitators and
leaders. No longer will we have all of the knowledge; via enhanced connectivity our
children will have access to considerable resources that we as teachers will not have the
time to explore. We need to recognise this reality. Our pupils/students will live in an
increasingly data rich environment. One of the key skills that we are going to have to
give them is the capacity to understand, to critique all of the material available in order
for them to make a value judgement and not simply develop a mindset that says ‘it is
on the web so it must be true’. In essence we need to develop a digital literacy. In some
senses, I think, that maybe we as teachers are a little afraid of this new challenge.
As I have said you will change from being a disseminator of knowledge to being a
manager of knowledge. You will be: a guide, coach, a mentor, an enabler, a facilitator. You
will have to become experts not just in teaching as an activity but in ascertaining how children learn. To return to my own experience, effectively I have two families with an older
group and after a gap a younger set. The reality is that I can’t help my younger children the
way I helped the older ones because they are ‘different’ children. Whilst there may only be
15 or so years between the youngest and the oldest they inhabit very different realities
with the younger embracing the digital world in a way that their older siblings have not
done.
How then might we sum up the situation regarding our teaching? Essentially we
need to create autonomous life long learning.
Teaching and supporting learning, will be most effectively provided by people who
are themselves highly effective learners, who are actually learning and who under-
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stand what it means to be unsure, to experience failure and success, to learn from
others and to be engaged in a systematic process of long-term development.
(West-Burnham, 1999 )
In this quote, West Burnham tells us that teaching and supporting learning is best
done by those who themselves are highly effective learners. We need to understand
that as teachers we must not only develop learning communities but indeed we must
create communities of professionals who share their understandings, reflect on their
experiences and grow collectively in their understandings.
ANTIDOTE?
Thus far we have reflected on how best we can meet the needs engendered by the
knowledge society and the global economy through a new approach to education and
learning. What then of education as ‘antidote’? All change brings pressures but the
emergence of an increasingly globalised economy brings, I believe, unique pressures.
I also believe that education has an important role to play in ameliorating some of the
difficulties that arise as a result of the relentless pace of change and globalisation. We
must be mindful that in today’s world society expects that education contributes to
what might be called the ‘common good’. In a sense it doesn’t really matter whether
we wish to embrace such responsibility and I think it is important that I stress the
reality as to society’s expectations from a publicly funded education service.
In addressing these new expectations there are major implications in terms of
workload and the stress involved for teachers and those are issues that will have to be
reflected on. What then is the impact or implications of globalisation and of the
knowledge society? In some senses we might say that globalisation results in
homogenisation. If we travel to other places – we get a sense of ‘sameness’, the
entrepreneurs have been there before us, the same outlets are there, the same styles
are there. But there is also fluidity in this new homogenous world. We find things
changing with rapidity. It can be quite breathtaking. In this world of change we find
people who are cash rich and time poor. Interestingly, the Sunday Times recently
reflected on the time pressures facing families in Ireland and the increase in dysfunctional families. In modern terms we like to talk of a decline in ‘social capital’. There is
an interesting book by Robert Putnam called Bowling Alone. Can you think of anything
sadder in your life than going to a bowling alley to bowl alone? What Putnam reflects
on is the reality that established patterns of what might be deemed communal
behaviour are beginning to break down as the pressure of work and time begins to eat
into people’s lives. I think we will begin to find that this will increasingly be the
situation here in Ireland.
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I suppose the real question for those concerned about the well-being of society is – what
about those who don’t benefit from this new global economy and knowledge society?
What about those who do not find that there is a place for them in this brave new world?
Andy Hargreaves talks about them turning towards culture, ethnicity and religion as a way
of finding purpose and identity in this turbulent world. However, he also notes that if they
don’t find a reward there then they may turn to what has been called ‘escapist disengagement’. Certainly in the North of Ireland we have witnessed the impact of disillusionment
and disengagement. The worst manifestation of this is to be found in the suicide of young
men in North and West Belfast, which is reaching crisis proportions. I understand that the
problem of suicide amongst the young is increasingly a problem here in the Republic. In
reflecting on the issue of disillusionment it is interesting to note that the Parisian riots of
two years ago occurred in areas of poverty, where people did not feel that the Republic
lived for them. They felt that the notions of egalité and fraternité were not reflected in their
circumstances. In regard to the downside of globalisation it is worth noting the comments
of Alain Michel the Inspector General of France on the issue:
“Globalisation because of the risks it brings of soulless standardisation can lead to
fragmentation and a reduced sense of belonging to a wider society. The excesses of
unbridled markets, in which prices and the market are more important than social
or cultural relationships, are being met with a reaction of narrow nationalism,
regionalism and parochialism.”
(Alain Michel, 2001 )
Note he was speaking in 2001 several years before the riots which swept Paris.
Some would suggest that Michel was simply echoing the views encapsulated in the
1996 UNESCO report Learning the Treasure Within (1996 ) which noted:
“People today have a dizzying feeling of being torn between a globalisation whose
manifestations they can see and sometimes have to endure, and their search for
roots, reference points and a sense of belonging.”
(Delors et al, 1996 )
We must recognise that for the individual who sees his or her employment opportunities outsourced, and perhaps has suffered long term unemployment, globalisation
has no positive outcomes. It is important that we in education recognise the difficulties
and work to ensure that we develop in our young people a sense of their innate worth.
The philosopher/sociologist Habermas talks of the importance of values, beliefs
and dreams and some 20 years ago was warning that increasingly the ‘life-world’ of
values and beliefs was being dominated by economic concerns and bureaucracy. This
goes some way to explaining the increasingly utilitarian view of education adopted by
government. However, as a teacher I like to think that I was involved in the life world.
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My work was about, giving children self belief. Letting children grow in light of their
own dreams by creating horizons for them. Lifting their heads so to speak that they
might see these new horizons and possibilities.
Basically what we are living in are ‘disconnected times’. We can’t any longer
comfortably say that we foresee a clear pattern of what is going to happen and what
the world will be like for the children that we are teaching. When you consider this
reality, what will the child have that will allow him to create ‘meaning’? What s/he will
have is a sense of him/herself, the values that you have brought to them, and the relationship that you developed with them. You can see now why Jonathan Sachs talks of
Moses as a teacher.
We might say so what? What do you want me to do about it? If they don’t care why
should I? Get real, we don’t matter that much. That’s the sort of approach that you can
hear from some. I think that’s in fact wrong. Michael Fullan talks about teachers
having to have a moral purpose. McGettrick talks about service in the common good.
Andy Hargreaves, of Boston College, makes the point that educators like us very often
speak about the importance of having a moral purpose. But he makes the point that
sometimes beyond a few clichés we don’t say what it is. He would suggest that a failure
to articulate our moral purpose shows a lack of courage and a loss of nerve. What he is
actually saying is we should be prepared to recognise and be quite clear that when we
stand in front of a class, when we relate to children, when we seek to develop children,
there is a moral purpose in what we do and a very clear set of values. They may or may
not have a religious base. But how you relate to people, how you share with people,
how you act with people, those are your values made real and practical.
The question is do we need a formal statement of values? I feel that we do.
Hargreaves would suggest that in this modern world of ours we need to make teaching into a moral, visionary profession, once more. A profession where teachers not
just know about their world, but they care about it as an intrinsic part of their work. It
means teachers recapturing their status and dignity as society’s leading intellectuals.
This should not be construed as an elitist point of view. Hargreaves makes the point
that if we only focus on teaching techniques and curriculum standards and if we don’t
engage in social and moral issues, then effectively, it is a style of professionalism that
has no place in a sophisticated knowledge society.
We should not fear being identified as idealists. Sockett reminds us that holding
ideals is not exhibiting warm fuzzy feelings, having ideals is not something that you
should be ashamed off. We should be engaged in the intensive debate on the purposes
of education and if we don’t actively engage in such discussions then we are undermining our own sense of professionalism.
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CASUALTIES?
Can we as a profession be casualties in this new world? The answer is most certainly. If
we do not create a new agenda, and endorse an assertive new professionalism, if we
allow others to dictate the purposes of our endeavours then we become like Sisyphus
engaged in repetitive unproductive labour. Equally, if we are lazy in disposition or
allow ourselves to be snared in the immediate demands of our work or take refuge in
what some have called the Julie Andrews approach to curriculum i.e. “these are a few
of my favourite things”, we will go nowhere and we will be casualties. Our responsibility is to discover or rediscover the passion that fires our endeavours that allows us to
overcome obstacles as we help our young people to create new meanings as they
prepare to become our future citizens.
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INTO EDUCATION
COMMITTEE PRESENTATIONS
TEACHER EDUCATION IN NORTHERN IRELAND
Patrick Dorrian, Education Committee
It is the purpose of my presentation to give an overview of the continuum of teacher
education in Northern Ireland.
Our current model of teacher education has its roots in a review instigated by Dr
Brian Mawhinney, who was Minister for Education in 1990 . This review was a reaction to criticism of teacher education as it was then. For example, many felt that the
probation period did not adequately prepare students for a career in teaching and after
probation teachers were on their own when it came to continuously developing their
professionalism. It was doubtful that this ad hoc arrangement would adequately
prepare a teaching cadre for the new century.
Following the Mawhinney review and consultation period, we arrive at ‘The
Partnership Model’ – similar to that operated in the rest of the UK. It was seen as the
paradigm to take care of all aspects of teacher education from Initial, through
Induction to Early Professional Development. The partners in the model are the
Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), the schools, the Education and Library Boards
(ELBs), the students and the teachers who mentor both the students and the newly
qualified teachers (NQTs).
Where the NI model differs from the rest of the UK is that schools in NI don’t
benefit financially from mentoring student teachers. In the rest of the UK money
follows students to the schools, whereas the money in NI stays with the HEIs.
Currently teachers in NI can follow either a four year B.Ed course or, following
graduation with a primary degree, take a one year PGCE – Post Graduate Certificate
in Education. Upon qualification and once appointed to a school, the NQT follows a
one year induction course under the mentorship of a senior teacher, who will have
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been trained as a mentor by the ELB. During this year the teaching load for the NQT
is reduced and they attend a programme of one day courses organised by the local
ELB. The mentor, meanwhile, is available daily to lend advice, particularly after
Classroom Observation, which may occur several times in each term. When
probation is completed successfully, the mentor and the principal sign off the NQT’s
Final Report.
During the next Phase, EPD (Early Professional Development), which lasts two
years, the mentor, working closely with the HEI, sets the NQT a series of tasks each
year relating to pedagogy. This is meant to help the teacher develop the practice of
reflecting on what they have taught and how this may be improved. The projects are
validated by the relevant HEI.
In this model Professional Development becomes less rigorous after EPD. Schools
have the facility, within a school year of 1265 hours, of setting aside some time each
week to draw in experts from the Curriculum Advisory Support Service (CASS) to
address various matters, for example, such as discipline, and School Development
Planning. Sometimes a member of staff who has been on an externally run course is
asked to ‘cascade’ the substance of what was delivered during the session to the rest of
the staff.
In the past, teachers who wanted career development attended twilight courses run
by the HEIs and took formal post-graduate degrees. Up until relatively recently these
courses were funded by the DENI – (the Department of Education); now the courses
have to be funded by the teachers. This has left those teachers who wish to improve
their qualifications with the prospect of extending what was a two year part-time
course (M.Ed.) into four or even five years. There is also a specific qualification for
those who wish to become principal teachers.
In addition, the GTCNI (General Teaching Council Northern Ireland) has initiated a
bursary scheme that acknowledges the role of the teacher as a primary researcher. The
scheme allows a successful applicant about £1,000with which to purchase substitute
cover while they conduct research that will enhance their own and their school’s pedagogy.
The Ostler Review 2005
A further review was necessary in 2003/4. As a result of the reducing birth rate, meaning
fewer school children, there were now empty places in schools – and a need for fewer teachers. This demographic trend is set to continue and currently in Northern Ireland we are
qualifying too many teachers, many of whom move to the UK or to the South to find jobs.
Ostler, who led this review, suggested that in the modern world a teacher is never
trained but is in training from initial teacher education until retirement. It was
recommended therefore, that teacher education be seen as a continuum of closely
linked phases; ITE, Induction, EPD and CPD. Since the teacher as an individual is the
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only continual presence in each of these phases, they should have responsibility for
their own CPD and for recording it. The record of this CPD would be called the
Teacher Career Profile and a copy of it would be held by the GTCNI.
Ostler recommends the continuation of the Partnership Model involving different
organisations in providing courses and validation. CPD would not be possible without
the support of the HEIs or the ELBs CASS system. It is important to ensure that CPD
resources are targeted fairly and efficiently so that they meet the needs of the pupils,
teachers and the education system more widely.
There were other suggestions which I won’t go into here.
To conclude, it is noticeable that the contributors to the Teacher Education Review
seem to be mostly non-practitioners. Apart from the comment forms that we are
asked to fill out at the end of a session, are we ever asked if what we have been
provided with has been of some use later on? Do we, and should we, as a collective
body, have a view on whether CPD should be compulsory? And if so how should it be
resourced in terms of time and cost?
I will leave you with the question – if we don’t embrace the challenge of Teacher
Education as a Continuum, does this undermine us as a profession?
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TEACHERS IN THE 21ST CENTURY
Róisín Nic Tighearnáin, Education Committee
Maxine Green, a student of John Dewey, speaking about teachers and teaching, said:
“If curriculum is a set of stories one generation chooses to tell the next, the choosing
is important, but so too is the telling, and most crucial of all is the storyteller.”
Now more than ever we need to shift our focus from the story to the storyteller and
the telling. We need to examine the skills, attributes and perceptions that teachers
must possess in order to fulfil their role as educators in this new millennium.
What is teaching? What exactly is it about?
Levine and Ornstein (2000 ) describe teaching as a “skill so complex that no single
factor can fully explain or describe the qualities of an effective teacher”. Teaching is
about relationships – it is about intellectual and emotional engagement with pupils,
with parents and with colleagues both in and out of the classroom. It is apparent that
teaching and learning are fused together. Think of the dancer and the dance, they are
inseparable. The same holds for teaching and learning. In the classroom context each
one is all the other has got.
The terrain of the Irish primary class has dramatically changed in the past ten years.
Our classrooms have become multicultural, inclusive communities. Of necessity the
teacher has become:
TOWARDS AN IDEAL MODEL OF TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Within school hours with sub cover
Outside of school hours
Accessibility
Ongoing Teacher PD
Paid Leave
One week courses
Practical/hands on courses
Cuiditheoiri visit schools
Fees paid by DES
Teacher collaboration
Time off
Modular-type courses
Whole staff approach
Evening courses
Individual schools consulted re their needs
Summer courses
A critical thinker.
A problem solver.
–126–
A coach who observes, evaluates and continually changes teaching direction to
meet the needs of all pupils.
A facilitator – helping students make connections with familiar ideas, prior
experiences and relevant problems.
A communicator establishing and nurturing meaningful relationships with
pupils, parents, psychologists, speech and language therapists and a myriad of
other professionals.
Too often teachers, driven by altruism, strive to improve education standards,
practices, and policies by focusing their time and energy solely on the needs of the
pupils and on pupil learning. Fullan and Hargreaves (1996 ) remind us “for our
schools to do better than they do we have to give up the belief that it is possible to
create the conditions for productive learning when those conditions do not exist for
educational personnel. Inquiring classrooms, for example are not likely to flourish
where inquiry among teachers is discouraged”.
It is only through reflection and review that teachers can make sense of experience,
assess and evaluate it. Reflection on teaching creates new ideas and insights. Teachers
often reflect on practice. However such reflection is usually isolated reflection. The
problem with isolation is twofold. “Whatever great things individual teachers do or
could do go unnoticed and whatever bad things they do go uncorrected,” (Hargreaves
and Fullan 1996 ).
Self understanding and reflection are the cornerstone for reflective renewal,
however, teachers must learn to learn together. Access to other teachers would mean
that teachers could become even better teachers by pooling their expertise. Through
reflective teaching and shared practice, our schools can become true learning
organisations. In the day to day world, no intelligence is more important than the
interpersonal (Goleman, 1995 ).
Success as an educator is more dependent on the teacher’s ability to develop and
sustain positive, caring and trustworthy relationships with pupils, parents and
colleagues rather than on any skill, idea or tip you learnt in college. Seeds of
development will not grow if they are cast on stony ground (Hargreaves and Fullan
1996 ). Nor will they blossom in a static environment.
The content of preservice education has addressed the changing social context
of the Irish primary classroom in terms of the some of the challenges presented to
teachers. The Development and Intercultural Education project (DICE) and the
increasing number of elective studies in intercultural education, special education and
early childhood education are examples of where colleges have been proactive in
meeting the changing needs of primary schools in Ireland. However preservice education now needs to address the changing types of schools such as Gaelscoileanna and
Educate Together schools. Teachers at preservice level need to be educated in the ethi–127–
cal curriculum and surely there is a need for a Bun Chéim Múinteoireachta go hiomlán trí mheán na Gaeilge.
Professional knowledge pertaining to teaching is continuously expanding making it
impossible to address all issues during the initial teacher education process. The
emphasis, therefore, must be on the continuum of teacher education, with both the
colleges and the profession involved at all stages. Initial teacher education
programmes need to ensure that student teachers acquire the knowledge and skills
required to begin teaching.
In Preparing Teachers for the 21st Century (2001 ) Kelleghan recommended an
extension of the current three year degree course to four years – a recommendation
previously made by the INTO in its report Educating Teachers: Reform and Renewal
(1995 ). However, since 2001 , there has been no further progress towards an extension of the B.Ed course. Kellaghan also highlighted the need to reconceptualise
teacher education to allow students to take more responsibility for their own learning
and to engage in reflective practice.
Perhaps preservice now needs to focus on the ever changing context of the school
community i.e. where teachers teach. Neither classroom nor school can be replicated
in a college. The only place a student teacher can experience reflective practice and
collegiality is in a school. In order to equip teachers for life in the classroom, it may be
necessary for colleges of education to address the external factors that can assist in the
formation of a successful teacher.
Teachers themselves need to be confident, capable learners who love to learn and
who have fair, unlimited and enriched access to learning. They need to be reflective
practitioners who believe that they have a positive, significant and lasting impact on
the way the world learns.
It is time for all concerned in teacher education to stand back, take a deep breath and
re-think what it means to be a teacher, and to focus on how the storyteller is to impart
the story.
–128–
INTO PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT NEEDS ANALYSIS
2005
Dympna Mulkerrins, Education Committee
I will outline briefly some of the feedback from INTO members regarding the
professional development needs analysis carried out in 2005 by the Education
Committee in conjunction with the PDU.
Purpose
The research was carried out in order to establish the needs of members in relation to
professional development and to signal the future direction for the development of a
framework for professional development within the INTO.
Participants in Study
In relation to the level of participation in professional development – 75% of the 706
INTO respondents had undertaken professional development in the last three years,
other than professional development related to the Revised Curriculum. Newly
qualified teachers, however, were less likely to undertake professional development
than more experienced teachers. Only 58% of those who were teaching for five years
or less had taken courses in the last three years; compared with 81 – 83% of teachers
with experience of between 6 – 30 years teaching. A slight decrease followed with
72% of those teachers with over 30 years teaching experience having undertaken
professional development in the last three years.
Benefits of Professional Development
Almost 60% of respondents referred to the enhancement of their skills and “becoming a better teacher” as the most important benefits of professional development.
Respondents also commented that professional development was beneficial not only
to the individual teacher but also to the school, the children and fellow teachers.
Increased confidence and motivation was stated by 21% of respondents as a benefit of
professional development. Only 5% saw the main benefits as financial or career
enhancing.
–129–
Current Professional Development Provision
About 61% of respondents were satisfied with the content of current professional
development, 31% were not and 8% gave no response. The need for a wider variety
of courses, more revised curriculum topics and more practical hands-on ideas were
given by way of suggestions for improvement on the current situation.
Other Forms of Professional Development
A number of different forms of professional development were outlined in the survey.
When asked to register their interest 78% of respondents prioritised networking with
other teachers and schools; while 86% indicated interest in professional collaboration
with other teachers. More than half (57%) indicated that they would be interested in
engaging in teaching related research and 42% displayed interest in distance learning.
Only 38% indicated interest in web-based learning. Almost a third (32%) did not
respond.
Towards an Ideal Model of Professional Development
Respondents were given the opportunity to outline the characteristics of the ideal
model of professional development. The most frequently occurring suggestions have
been grouped together and are listed below. I won’t go into any detail but it’s interesting to note that the most common form of current teacher professional development
appears at the bottom of the priority list and perhaps John Carr should take note of the
No 1 preferred model by teachers – in school time and with sub cover.
The Role of the INTO in Professional Development
Only 6% of respondents were of the view that the INTO should have no role in
professional development and that professional development should be the responsibility of the Teaching Council and the DES. A total of 45% of respondents stated that
INTO’s primary role should be that of programme development and provision of
expert tutors – reflecting the view that one of the most successful models of professional development is that of teachers facilitating the professional development of
other teachers.
–130–
Some respondents (16%) thought the INTO’s role was to lobby the DES for funding, substitute cover, accreditation, promotion and pay increases while 11% felt the
INTO had a role in identifying the needs of teachers and schools throughout Ireland
and 10% felt INTO should only have a promotional and advisory role. Only 3%
thought the INTO should have a joint role with the DES in organising professional
development and 2% felt the INTO’s role was to fund courses using members’
subscriptions.
Conclusion
The survey highlights the fact that a high percentage of primary teachers regularly
undertake professional development voluntarily, in their own time and at their own
expense. This has been done through a system of courses that have grown and developed in an ad-hoc fashion with no national professional development framework in
place. A strong commitment to professional up-skilling and life-long learning has been
demonstrated by teachers. However, teachers are now calling for new models of
professional development so it is perhaps time to place CPD more formally on the
agenda in order to address system, school and teachers’ own professional and personal
needs in a structured and professional manner.
–131–
THE CONTINUUM OF TEACHER EDUCATION
Siobhán Lynskey, Education Committee
Following on from my colleagues, it is my intention in this presentation to outline a
few issues and some of our key demands in relation to some aspects of the Teacher
Education Continuum. If we are to meet the needs of teachers now and in the future,
we need to ensure that our teacher education system is the best it can be.
According to the Inspectors’ Report on Beginning Teachers, NQTs generally feel prepared
to teach, have a good knowledge of the curriculum and are confident in their teaching
skills. In their first year teaching, however, they don’t feel as well prepared in relation
to practical school matters, planning and classroom management. They also found
difficulties handling multi-grade situations and coping with the learning and
behavioural needs of certain categories of pupils. But, perhaps these are areas that are
better learnt in schools, as part of an induction programme.
Induction:What is induction?
In the broadest possible terms induction can be defined as a “formal introduction to a
new job”. This can take many forms, depending on the context. Induction is a transition period from student teacher to fulltime professional. It’s a period of great
personal and professional change for young teachers, where they experience a kind of
‘reality shock’. NQTs’ experiences in the first years can have a huge impact on their
future careers, especially with regard to attrition rates. During their first year, teachers
develop an identification with and commitment to their profession. The realities of
work in the classroom are experienced as teachers adjust to the professional responsibilities that attach to fulltime, self-directed practice. Theory must become practice. It
is a time when the support of an experienced colleague is welcomed – a support
always given, albeit in an ad-hoc manner, as pointed out by the OECD in 1991 .
The INTO takes the view that any organisation which calls itself a profession has a
moral obligation to demand and participate in the provision of an induction service. It
is also clearly stated in the Teaching Council Act that both induction and probation
will become the responsibility of the Teaching Council. A pilot project on induction
was first mooted by the teacher unions in 1995 , and finally became a reality in
2002 . However, it is still a pilot four years later!
–132–
The Pilot Programme on Induction
The Pilot Project on Induction aims to support NQTs during their first year teaching.
A total of 533 NQTs have participated to date, involving over 200 schools and
approximately 143 mentors. The project involves mentoring, observation, reflective
practice and professional development. It’s a very valuable part of the project that
NQTs are given release days with substitute cover in order to work with other experienced teachers, to plan and to engage in professional development.
A key element of the project is mentoring. Experienced teachers who become
mentors are given time and professional development in relation to their role.
Mentoring can be defined as “Professional practice that occurs in the context of teaching whenever an experienced teacher supports, challenges and guides novice teachers
in their teaching practice.” (Odell and Hulling 2000 ).
NQTs value and acknowledge the importance of having “someone there for them”
in their first year of teaching. The mentor is someone the NQT can turn to for
personal, professional and pedagogical support throughout that crucial first year.
NQTs describe the mentor as someone who is a good listener, approachable,
empathic, trusting, open, and willing to guide, challenge and give advice.
The role of the mentors in the Induction Project involved:
providing ongoing support for the NQT throughout his/her first year;
organising and facilitating planning and observation sessions for the NQT;
providing opportunities for peer learning, for sharing knowledge and practice,
for reflection on practice;
promoting the involvement of the whole school in the induction of NQTs in the
school;
attendance at professional development days.
The INTO is calling for an immediate rollout of an Induction Programme for all
NQTs, over a phased period, which would involve a whole school approach, mentoring, release time for NQTs and mentors and professional development for NQTs,
mentors and principal teachers.
Probation
During their first year teachers also undergo a process of probation – I remember it
well! Given that the Teaching Council will have responsibility for probation in the
future, perhaps we should be considering some possible models. It makes sense for the
profession to take responsibility for probation, and of course, the inspectors, are all
members of the profession. At second level teachers are probated by the principal
teacher, but, I think this would be more problematic at primary level. We’re not
–133–
proposing any particular model today, but it is an issue which we need to tease out
further in our discussion groups.
Since 1999 , we have had a very comprehensive programme of inservice in relation
to the revised curriculum. This was quite a new departure for those of us who are
teaching a while, as prior to that there was little, if any, inservice available as a formal
part of our work. Nevertheless, primary teachers demonstrated their commitment to
professional development through their participation in summer courses or evening
courses in Education Centres. Since 1994 , the INTO itself became a major player in
the provision of professional development for teachers when funding became available through the NDP. In more recent years we have embraced on-line learning.
We are now entering a new phase as the initial phase of the PCSP is in its final year.
So, it is an opportunity for us to consider how we would like go to from here in relation to professional development.
The INTO is calling for a National Framework of CPD, which would encompass all
dimensions of professional development. Such a framework should include CPD to
meet system, school and individual needs and address the issues of funding, time and
accreditation. A variety of approaches to CPD needs to be facilitated in a National
Framework – in-school days, off-site seminars, summer courses, evening courses, certificate, diploma and master courses, online courses, sabbatical leave and study leave.
Any model of Continuous Professional Development should allow a fixed number
of CPD days for each school per annum, with schools having discretion regarding how
such days are used. Schools have appreciated having time in school to work together.
Schools would also benefit from having an allocated number of substitute days per
annum, to enable individual teachers to participate in seminars or networking
activities or projects. They can then feed back to their colleagues at in-school days or
staff
–134–
meetings. Schools also need an annual budget for CPD, to pay fees, travelling
expenses, remuneration and other costs.
There are a range of support services available to schools – all providing an
excellent service, which have been well received by schools. However, we need to
move away from a model that is ‘from the outside in’ – where a number of different
support services are offering support, but where there is no overall co-ordination. In
order to enable schools and teachers to take responsibility for their own professional
development, as recommended by the DES in some of its recent reports, we need to
resource schools to take on this responsibility. Moving the locus of control of their
own professional development to schools and teachers is attractive, but, can only
work, if resourced through the provision of time and money and a comprehensive
infrastructure for professional development.
Perhaps we should consider the allocation of one CDP facilitator/support person
to each school, to work with schools, assisting them with CPD at school level. Where
additional expertise is required, the school’s CPD support person/facilitator should be
able to draw on a panel of people with different expertise within a region. Such
expertise could include child protection, substance misuse, curriculum areas, planning
and organisational areas. However, structured access to facilitators or cuiditheoiri
should be part of a CPD model. The idea of teacher networking should also be
SUPPORTED LEARNING
A course is made up of discrete learning events. By mapping each kind of learning event we can build
targeted online facilitation and learner support
Types of Event
Motivational Event
Concept Learning Event
Observation Event
Concept Application Event
Problem Posting Event
Problem Solving Event
Experimental Event
Research Event
Project Management Event
Innovation Event
Brainstorming Event
*
Learning Events – Raised Alerts
(* means student needs help)
Time
Quiz Event
Homework Event
Learning events are not tied to particular
physical locations
explored as teachers learn a lot from dialogue and collaboration with each other.
–135–
Conclusion
In conclusion, I would like to reiterate teachers’ commitment to professional development as demonstrated over the years. We look forward to engaging in a process that
will lead to enhanced opportunities for teacher development at all stages of our
careers. Borrowing from our Northern colleagues, we should start on a road to
lifelong learning from the day we enter college to become teachers, to the day we
retire. I’m sure that that you will have many more ideas and we look forward to
discussing some of these issues in our discussion groups.
–136–
Subject
Subject
Subject
Professional
School
Booster
Specialism
Pedagogy
Studies
Experience
Subject
Expert
Graduate
HLTA
Existing non
subject teacher
–137–
E-LEARNING INTHE
CONTINUUM OFTEACHER
EDUCATION
May I first take the opportunity of thanking the INTO for inviting me here today. It is
an honour to be here with all levels of the profession and with the INTO. May I also
take the opportunity on behalf of our course Director of the Higher Diploma in
Primary Education, Maureen Fitzpatrick, to thank all of the principals and teachers
who are here today who supported our students who have gone out to schools across
the breadth of Ireland. Without your support and encouragement to our students it
wouldn’t be possible to do what we are doing.
We’ve heard a lot yesterday and today about the continuum of teacher education
and we’ve heard about the desire to create a framework for CPD. Later this morning
we will hear about the plans for teacher training from the Colleges of Education. All
of these plans are going to require a huge increase in capacity for teacher training and
I would like to argue today that the main way that we are going to meet this demand
is through web enabled or e-learning. I think at the moment the teacher training
demand in Ireland stands at a crossroads between two paradigms and if we are going
to meet that demand we are going to need to take a step at that crossroads of teacher
education.
The existing paradigm, which is the norm in universities and colleges of education
across Europe, is that the university or college is the locus and focus of the student
teachers’ learning. Pretty much all of the students’ learning takes place on campus, in
classrooms and in campus based tutor groups. Research takes place on a campus based
library and the only external resource that is called upon is the schools where the
teaching practice takes place. In terms of the share of the learning and resources
which are required to take a teacher to qualified teacher status or to take a qualified
–138–
inservice teacher through the CPD path, the consequence is that the lion’s share of the
teaching resources are held within the higher education institution. And other
resources, the school based resource and what I call ‘learning networks’ are not used
to full capacity. A learning network is a generic or global term for describing any
widely available and distributed body of knowledge which can be accessed by students
and teachers. This could be an online resource or could be a physical resource. For
example, the network of teacher education centres around the country can be seen as
a learning network.
If we are to meet the huge demand that we now face in teacher education I think we
need to shift to a new paradigm. The school based resource and the learning networks
move to the top of the share of the learning resources so that we make better use of the
huge resources that we have in schools which are not currently being accessed to their
full potential. Many of you are highly experienced teachers but how often is that experience put to proper use in the training of teachers and in the peer to peer training of
your colleagues? Not very often. We have heard yesterday and today about the pilot
study to train mentors which is a very welcome addition to the teacher training environment and I would concur with the speaker from the INTO that this should become
a national initiative as soon as possible. Regarding the element of learning networks,
we need to develop distributed learning networks which are reviewed by academics
and which are of high quality if we are to meet this demand in a distributed way, so that
students, anywhere in the country, can call on resources which they know are of high
academic quality. The role of the Higher Education Institution (HEI) has to change as
well away from a knowledge distribution centre and towards facilitation and moderation of the individual student’s learning path. If we can make the shift to this new paradigm, learning becomes accessible anytime, anywhere with the learner the core of
their own multilevel, flexible, transitory and expedient series of dynamic networks.
Global Learning Networks – Paradigm 2
Learning is accessible anytime, anywhere with the learner the core of their own
multilevel, flexible, transitory and expedientn series of dynamic networks.
You can see from this slide above some of the learning events and some of the
networks that this new kind of student might be able to call upon. For communication
and community building they can call upon on-line forum, on email or instant chat, on
a daily mentoring service from mentors and on an online virtual learning environment.
They can access on demand content, whenever and wherever they like, and what’s
more the best teachers can produce that content and deliver it to the widest possible
audience. They can listen to podcasts on their ipods or in their cars or on the bus, wherever. They can attend live virtual classes. They can communicate with fellow students
and with tutors. They can access e-libraries where hundreds and hundreds of full text ejournals and articles are accessible at the touch of a button. And they can access peer
–139–
reviewed, high quality, distributed learning networks. Of course, there will still be a
need for on site activities and face to face education to complement these learning
networks. The school must become a greater focus of teacher training and CPD.
We can then translate this into a view of a course built on a learning networks
model of teacher education. In this model a course or a programme of study is made
up of a number of discrete learning events. You can see the types of events that I am
talking about illustrated below:
These events are plugged into a programme of study in such a way that the facilitator, advisor or moderator, who typically is a member of a faculty in an education institution, models those learning events and checks in with the students on regular
occasions as illustrated by the white arrows and ensures that the student is completing
the appropriate sequence and number of learning events to reach their education goal
– on this occasion a newly qualified teacher. This could equally be a CPD goal or a
masters level qualification. The broken line on this slide illustrates the fact that on this
model there isn’t a single path to your academic goal, there are multiple paths and as a
student or a learner you are involved in the selection of that path. Are there any examples of this type of distributed learning out there in the teacher education area? Yes
there are. I am just going to describe very briefly a couple of these to you. These are
both examples from England and they are part of the employment based training
routes to QTS or qualified teacher status.
The first one is the ‘Teach First initiative’, which is an initiative which takes the very
best students from the very best universities, Oxford, Cambridge and from Imperial
College and places those students in a school setting, typically in a deprived inner city
area and provides the type of learning network which I have spoken about and a high
level mentor support which I have also previously spoken about. This programme has
been incredibly successful – 600 top level graduates have gone through this
programme already. The second example is the School Centred Initial Teacher
Training (SCITT) initiative. The Birmingham Primary Training Partnership was one I
visited last year. In this case a number of schools have partnered together in the
Edgbaston area of Birmingham which is a relatively deprived area with a high ethnic
diversity. The aim of these initiatives is to try and reduce drop out rates of newly qualified teachers. In England, 50% of all newly qualified teachers leave the profession
within three years which is an astounding statistic and you can imagine the cost of that
to the UK Department of Education. These SCITTs are an effort to reduce that by
recruiting people who are already based in the community and to provide training
within that community with the aim of helping them stay within that community
thereafter. SCITTs usually partner with a Higher Education Institution to provide the
academic quality which is required. In some cases this hasn’t happened and the education has suffered. There is a lesson for us here. The role of the Higher Education
Institution is still paramount and they must be there to assure quality, to accredit courses
–140–
and to deliver and develop courses in partnership with these other learning partners.
There are examples of on-line learning networks which are available. One such
resource is The Teacher Training Resource Bank which contains journal articles, newspaper articles, multi-media facilities which are all free. You can access this website at any
time but the key ethic is written on the screen. These materials are quality assured
through a rigorous process of academic scrutiny and monitoring undertaken by a
team of experts of teacher educators from all over the UK. This is a national initiative
funded by the Department of Education and Skills to produce a distributed high quality learning network which can be accessed by anybody, anywhere, anytime
(www.ttrb.ac.uk).
The second example is teachers’ TV which many of you may be familiar with. If
you are not, you can access this website at www.teachers.tv. This also broadcasts on
freeview in the UK and you can access this material on the web. I typed in the word
primary and it has returned 584 television programmes, again which can be accessed
by anybody, anywhere, anytime. It covers the whole primary school curriculum and
this really is a tremendous resource too, which all of us can use right now, today.
Finally, another initiative which we are ourselves involved with. At our most recent
graduation, we announced a partnership with Canterbury Christchurch University
which, by any measure, is the UK’s leading provider of teacher training both in terms
of quality and quantity. With Canterbury Christchurch, we have been funded by the
Training and Development Agency for schools to train on-line secondary schools
teachers for Maths, Physics and Chemistry which, as you know, are shortage areas,
difficult to recruit to areas in the curriculum in the UK. This course will be similar in
many ways to our existing Higher Diploma in Primary Education course. Students
will do a lot of work on-line but will also meet periodically and do their teaching practice in school. The aim of this course – because it is so difficult to recruit students to
these science disciplines – is to widen access to attract a wider range of people into the
teaching profession. The course is designed in such a way that a wider range of people
with a wider variety of entry level skills can access the content and create their own
learning path to QTS. In the diagram below, you can see the five main areas which are
involved in the programme. There are two levels of subject knowledge, subject pedagogy, professional studies (classroom management etc) and school experience.
Example – iTeach
Just to take two examples. If you were a subject expert, you already have an
undergraduate degree in Physics, so you are not going to require the subject specialism knowledge. You should already have that but you will require the knowledge of
how to teach that knowledge to students in the classroom and you will require the
school experience and so on. At the other end of the spectrum, you may be a teacher
already who teaches a related subject, for example Biology or Environment Science,
–141–
and your principal has told you that the school will now be teaching Physics and you
are going to be the person responsible to do it. You don’t need the professional studies
or the school experience as you are a highly experienced teacher already but you do
need the subject boosters and the subject specialist knowledge. So a wide variety of
people can enter this course and we hope it will prove to be attractive across the whole
of England.
In conclusion, there is an enormous demand for both initial teacher training and
CPD. The INTO recently brought our attention to the OECD report. The INTO has
calculated that a minimum of 5,000additional primary school teachers are going to
be required in the next few years. As we have heard the need for CPD is growing. It is
my view that if we are going to meet this demand we must embrace a paradigm shift
of how teacher training is delivered so that training teachers can access a learning
experience wherever they feel comfortable, unrestricted by location, by time, and by
cost. To enable this, learning networks have to be enhanced and professionals in
schools, that is you, must be integrated more fully into the training process. And as
providers of teacher training, we must have the courage to embrace these new opportunities that this new digital world presents to us and its associated risk. I say to everybody here, let’s take that step forward towards a new paradigm and let’s deliver this
new teacher training.
–142–
Challenges forTeacher Education
PRESENTATIONS FROM THE COLLEGES OF EDUCATION
Pauric Travers, St Patrick’s College
The theme of this conference is timely and appropriate. The landscape in teacher
education is dynamic and changing. If anything, the pace of change is likely to
increase in the period ahead. In thanking the INTO for the invitation to address the
subject of challenges in teacher education, I warmly welcome the discussion
document Teacher Education – the Continuum as a valuable contribution which
addresses most of the key issues. In general terms, I endorse its main recommendations.
In this short presentation, I will, as requested, address the current challenges facing
teacher education. In doing so, I will make a number of points regarding the context;
some current concerns in initial teacher education and some implications of the
concept of a teacher education continuum. However, I would like to begin with a
general point about continuity and change.
An Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern recently launched a history of St Patrick’s College, from
its establishment in 1875 down to 1999 . Reading that history, it is striking how many
of the key issues recur regularly – issues about duration and content of the programme,
the proper relationship with schools, the balance of personal and professional development and the implications of changes in the wider society which we serve. These questions are not new and as we address them, as we must, we should be aware of what we
might call the progress fallacy: that is the assumption that there is something necessarily wrong with all past or current practice and that there is a quick fix out there – which,
if only we would embrace it, would resolve all problems. If we have a proper appreciation of what it is we have done well, we will be better placed to respond to the changing demands of the future in an effective and appropriate manner.
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Context
There is growing evidence internationally of teacher education once more becoming
a significant agenda item. This is reflected in the OECD report Teachers Matter:
Attracting, Developing and Retaining Effective Teachers (2005 ) and the EU initiative on
Improving Education of Teachers and Trainers. Teachers and teacher educators must
engage energetically and constructively in this debate. Too often, the voice of teacher
education as a sector has been muted.
The needs of Irish schools have changed in nature and magnitude. Societal change,
immigration and multi-culturalism, curriculum reform, advent of ICTs and digital
media, and increased awareness of special needs have all increased the demands on
schools and teachers and, in turn, teacher education.
Teachers Matter and the companion country background report for Ireland by John
Coolahan emphasise yet again how fortunate we have been in this country in attracting the best and brightest into teaching. The experience elsewhere shows that this
cannot be taken for granted and that we ignore it at our peril. If we invest in teaching
and teachers and teacher education, our children and our society will reap rich
dividends. If we don’t, we will pay a significant price.
Men as Teachers and Educators, the promotional campaign launched earlier this year by
the Minister for Education and Science, Mary Hanafin, is an attempt to address one aspect
of this issue. It needs to be followed by a wider campaign to promote teaching as a career
for both males and females. We also need to address the other aspects of the composition
of the student teacher population including its social and ethnic composition.
There is widespread concern to protect and promote quality of which the two
Reviews of Teacher Education are part. Everyone involved in education at any level is or
should be involved in a constant process of self-appraisal and external review: that is
necessary and healthy. Teacher education is no exception: those involved in teacher
education welcome and embrace that process and in particular the current debate.
Indeed we are disappointed that the opportunities presented for engagement with this
issue presented by the two Reviews of Teacher Education were allowed pass.
In that process, however, it is essential that underlying assumptions are clarified,
particularly in relation to the aims and purpose of the exercise. To take an example –
it is difficult to have any meaningful discussion about the content of initial teacher
education programmes without first addressing the underlying aims of initial teacher
education, particularly in relation to what Fullan calls ‘moral purpose’. Do these aims
embrace formation rather than simply information? Do they include the personal as
well as the professional development of the teacher? How these questions are
answered impacts directly on how and what we teach and when we teach it.
The purpose of teacher education is to produce teachers who are skilled, knowledgeable and competent but also creative and imaginative. We must beware of the
temptation to produce ‘the generic teacher’ or ‘half educated mechanical teachers’.
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To echo some of the themes raised in earlier sessions, teachers should not be “mere
technicians, instruments and deliverers of other people’s agendas” (Andy Hargreaves);
as well or instead they should occupy Habermas’s life world of values, beliefs, dreams
and myths.
The Continuum
The ‘when’ question – i.e. at what stage particular elements in teacher education
belong – raises the issue of the continuum. The concept of continuum in teacher
education which stretches across the teaching career has been around for a long time
but its implications have not been grasped or followed through. This continuum
embraces initial (pre-service) teacher education, induction, and early and continuing
professional development. What is needed at each stage will vary but it is vital that the
different parts of this continuum should not function in total isolation from each
other. That is a challenge for us all.
As is eloquently argued in the INTO discussion paper, there is a need for a coherent
framework which spans this spectrum – this has been long identified but slow in
coming. It would provide clarity in relation to the role of different partners and
providers. At certain points, some partners may have a lead role and at others a
supporting one. Such a framework would ensure the most effective use of resources
and facilitate meeting the growing demand for accredited continuing professional
development courses. The Colleges of Education aspire to and do play a role across
the spectrum: sometime as lead, sometime as support. St Patrick’s College, for
instance, currently offers eighteen different programmes which span the continuum
of teacher education. These include Ireland’s first on-line M.Ed and Ireland’s first
Ed.D. We work with Education Centres, schools, teachers and the INTO and support
networks and initiatives in digital learning, early childhood, special education and
education disadvantage to name but a few.
There are also other continuums which are relevant: the continuum between early
childhood and primary and between primary and secondary teacher education.
Primary and secondary teacher education, in particular, continue to operate as if they
are in different worlds – I would suggest that that may be to the detriment of teacher
education and ultimately of teachers and pupils.
Three of the key challenges presenting in initial education are the duration and
content of the programme and the proper relationship with schools. All three are
related. A decade of unprecedented modernisation and reform of curriculum and of
the legislative framework culminated in the significant reviews of teacher education at
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first and second level. These reviews pose significant challenges in relation to the structure, content and duration of programmes.
The B.Ed programme in the two larger colleges is three years duration and the
Postgraduate diploma is 18 months; in the TCD linked colleges, the B.Ed is four
years. The programme has grown significantly in recent years and is now overcrowded. In an extensive survey of recent graduates of my own College, students
responded overwhelmingly positively to the individual components of the
programme but complained of overload and consequence loss of coherence.
As graphically illustrated in your discussion paper, duration of initial teacher education is significantly less than most of our OECD partners. In Northern Ireland, the
B.Ed programme is four years. An even more interesting example is Finland. It consistently comes top or near top in the international comparative studies, particularly
PISA, which compares attainment among fifteen year olds in reading, maths and
science. The outstanding performance of Finland has generated a phenomenon which
the Finns humorously call ‘PISA tourism’ – as educational experts journey there in
search of the secret formula. Finland is like Ireland in terms of size, population,
history of external domination, language issues, and economic depression followed by
recent prosperity associated with EU membership and hi-tech industry. Like Ireland,
too, the values of an open, market economy have been superimposed on a strong
communitarian tradition.
There is no simple explanation for their success but certain features of the Finnish
system are striking: they don’t start school particularly early (seven) but they have a
good preschool provision; all education, including university, is free; class size is small
– well below Ireland; membership rate of public libraries is the highest of any OECD
country; and the status of teaching as a profession is high. Most pertinently of all,
professional qualification as a teacher takes five years and all teachers are required to
have a Master’s degree.
Unfortunately there has been no clear response to the key recommendation of the
Kellaghan report for a fourth year on the B.Ed degree as a means of improving quality
and dealing with curriculum overload. We accept that that any extension of the
programme can only be in the context of a qualitative change in approach and a significant emphasis on school-based practice. But we strenuously call for a positive
response from the DES on this matter.
In the relatively short period since the publication of the Review of Teacher
Education, new issues in relation to content have arisen or presented in sharper focus
which need to be addressed including school leadership and ethos; increased emphasis
on assessment and outcomes in literacy and numeracy; significant developments in
special education needs and early childhood education; values, citizenship and human
*
Weaver, Reg, Letter to the Editor of the Wall Street Journal, published on 10 November 2006.
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rights education; greater recognition of rights of children and parents; inter-cultural
and multi-cultural education; language acquisition and national policy on language;
internationalisation; and e-learning. The content of the B.Ed and postgraduate
programmes have changed and developed significantly in response, in some areas
more so than others.
Inevitably because of curriculum overload, some attention has focussed on the role
of academic subjects in the B.Ed – although in some cases it is not always clear
whether what is being referred to includes the disciplines of education including sociology, philosophy, psychology and history of education, all of which are crucial to an
understanding of the theoretical underpinnings of the curriculum and are part of the
proper balance of theory and practice in an initial teacher education programme.
In relation to academics subjects, it is reasonable to expect that in content and
approach they should reflect the fact that the students who take them are student
teachers. I would endorse the discussion paper and the Kellaghan report’s recommendation in favour of extending the range of subjects offered – we might differ on which
ones in particular: I would be inclined to start with science education and early childhood education. However, I would reject the narrow instrumentalist view which
would question the role of academic subjects per se: initial teacher education is about
personal and professional development and about teacher formation. Our greatest
resource in schools has been well rounded, creative and flexible teachers – if that is
what we aim to produce then we should shape our programme accordingly. To do
otherwise, would be to impoverish teacher education.
The addition of a fourth year would facilitate progress in another significant area –
relationship with schools. As a professional degree, it is axiomatic that initial teacher
education should be closely related (although not exclusively) to classrooms and schools.
All of the Colleges of Education have been seeking to make progress in this area. In St
Patrick’s College, a schools partnership project has been underway involving final year
B.Eds, teachers, mentors and schools aimed at building a closer partnership model.
It is clear that extension of this partnership will require resources – it is worth
noting in passing that the financing of teaching practice is a significant challenge for
colleges and that this is an area in which we have been conspicuously unsuccessful in
securing additional support.
Induction
The success of the National Pilot Project on Induction of Newly Qualified Teachers
has once again emphasised the need for a formal system of induction. The first years
in a teacher’s career are critical and formative. Beginning teachers are both vulnerable
and receptive. Their needs were highlighted recently in Beginning to Teach (2005 ), a
report from the Department of Education and Science.
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Established in 2002 , the pilot project was a partnership initiative between the
DES, the teacher unions, St Patrick’s College (primary strand), UCD (second level
strand) and the participating schools and teachers. It now involves most Colleges of
Education and several education centres. Newly qualified teachers are supported in a
structured way by specially trained mentors. Participating mentors can now receive an
accredited certificate or diploma. The project has demonstrated the enormous potential of mentoring in initial teacher education and early professional development and
the value of partnerships between Colleges and schools. The report of the project has
now been presented to the Minister. If it is not to be another endless pilot, it now needs
to be mainstreamed for all NQTs.
Early/Continuing Professional Development
In the area of early and continuing professional development, as argued above, we
need a clear framework. That does not mean that we need a system which is uniform
or monolithic. The professional development of teachers and of schools range across
a spectrum from short summer courses to extensive postgraduate diplomas and
degrees; from focused school-based programmes to preparation for leadership roles.
St Patrick’s College aims to meet these needs through certificate, diploma, masters
and doctoral programmes offered in an increasingly flexible and modular structure.
Responses to all of these issues should be informed by the evidence of educational
research. The past decade has seen an unprecedented growth in investment in
research at third level. However investment in educational research and capacity building has fallen behind.
The proposed expansion of the so-called ‘fourth level’ offers an opportunity to
redress this. The period ahead will see a significant growth in numbers of doctoral
students in response to a skills shortage highlighted in the OECD Review of Higher
Education in Ireland (2005 ). It is vital for our education system that teacher education plays its full part in this as in other developments.
There are other significant challenges – for example relating to better planning to
ensure adequate supply of teachers; investment in infrastructure; the balance of
concurrent and consecutive routes into teaching (B.Ed and postgraduate) an area
where there may be room for some rebalancing; and the advent of the Teaching
Council which will have a significant impact on teacher education in the years ahead.
If we approach these challenges in a spirit of partnership, teacher education and those
we serve will prosper.
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Peadar Cremin, Mary Immaculate College
Ar dtús ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas a ghabháil libh as ucht cuireadh a thabhairt dom
labhairt libh anseo inniu. Cuirim fáilte roimh an chomhdháil seo agus roimh an téama
atá á phlé agaibh anseo. Tá tabhacht nach beag ag baint le téama na comhdhála agus
guím gach rath ar bhur machnamh agus ar na moltaí a thagann as an machnamh san.
At the outset, I would like to point out that I will make every effort to avoid repeating themes and topics already covered by my colleague, Dr. Travers, in the previous
contribution. That said, I would like to express my agreement and support for the views
which he has expressed. Rather than cover similar ground, I have fundamentally revised
my paper so that I can offer some response to the views and arguments expressed by
those members of the INTO who addressed the first session of Conference this morning. The broad areas that I wish to cover in the next fifteen minutes relate to:
The Status of Teachers and of Teaching in Ireland and overseas.
The Complexity of Teaching.
The teaching learning continuum and the various levels of teacher education.
Initial Teacher Education (ITE).
Induction.
Continuing Professional Development (CPD) in a context of lifelong learning.
The Challenge of Change and some emerging issues.
The Status ofTeachers and ofTeaching in Ireland and Overseas
In May 2005 , the OECD report Teachers Matter: Attracting Developing and Retaining
Teachers was presented to the Minister for Education and Science. This report clearly
indicated the contrast between Ireland and much of the rest of the world, most especially the English-speaking world in regard to the status of teachers. Globally, there is
a great teacher shortage (it is estimated that there is a global requirement for an additional 15 million teachers by 2015 ). Throughout much of the English-speaking
world, teaching is poorly regarded and there are great difficulties in attracting quality
candidates to teaching as well as in retaining those who take up teaching as a profession.
In contrast, in Ireland, we continue to attract candidates of the highest calibre. This
year, candidates for teaching at Mary Immaculate College required 460 points, or a
minimum of 545 for those seeking entry to the B.Ed in Education and Psychology,
with some candidates on both of these programmes having the perfect score of 600.
The high points requirements (not that these in themselves act as any guarantee of
good quality teachers) together with the high levels of retention are indicative of the
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high status of teachers in Irish society. The influence of reasonable salaries and conditions should not be underestimated in this context, as this is a factor, internationally,
which helps to underpin status in teaching. While there have been shortages of teachers in Ireland during recent years, it is reasonable to argue that this has happened as a
consequence of a mis-match between supply and requirement, rather than seeing it as
evidence of a drop-off in interest in the profession.
This is an occasion in which it might be appropriate for me to pay tribute to the work
of the INTO in protecting the profession and particularly in ensuring that salary levels
and working conditions within the profession continue to be such as attract high calibre
entrants. In the words of the President of the National Education Association of the USA:
The strongest incentives for teachers and all working people are competitive salaries and
good working conditions. Connecticut adopted this view some years ago when its
schools were in serious trouble. Today Connecticut consistently ranks above the national
average in math and reading, a turnaround made possible by higher salaries for qualified faculty, increased licensing standards and mentoring for all new teachers.*
There is a need for all of us to act in partnership in attempting to ensure that the
status of teaching (and of teachers) continues to be kept in high regard in this country.
Once lost, it is extremely difficult to retain such status.
The Complexity ofTeaching
There was a time when it was thought that anyone could teach. Indeed, it appears that
some people still think so. Many of the SCITT–type courses (referred to by earlier
speakers) are based on the notion that anyone can walk into a classroom and begin to
teach, while at the same time being slowly infused with some pedagogical tricks of
survival. I would like to make two crucial comments on this:
1. In my view, no respected profession (Medicine, Engineering or Nursing) would
permit such a model. For decades, teachers struggled to ensure that entry to the
profession would be raised to a degree level qualification (while allowing the
alternative of a Post-graduate programme for degree holders). Various interests
will suggest all sorts of creative ways of reducing these standards. I hope that
teachers will be quick to recognise the risks of such alternatives. There is a sizeable literature in education which shows at a time of teacher shortages, there are
always those who will reach for and recommend quick fixes, many of which lead
to serious ‘dumbing down’ of professional standards.
2. I also ask you all to be alert to the language being increasingly used, especially in some
neighbouring jurisdictions where the term ‘teacher training’ has been resuscitated
and is now habitually used by some speakers even at this conference, a term which
seemed to have been superseded by ‘Teacher Education’ thirty or more years ago.
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If we acknowledge the complexity of teaching, it is likely that we are ready to recognise the complexity of teacher education and most especially to recognise why teacher
education is genuinely a lifelong and unending process. If we make this transition,
then we are ready to move beyond the expectation that all of teacher education can be
packed into a pre-service programme and begin to explore what is appropriate at the
different stages of a teaching career. For this, we can be helped by the development of
appropriate National Frameworks accompanied by and mirrored in the individual
teacher’s Personal Career Framework or Portfolio.
In this context, I welcome the recognition, in Siobhan Lynskey’s presentation to this
conference, that all cannot be done in the colleges and that there is much that can be
better learned on the job, with mentor support (aspects of classroom management,
planning for multi-grade settings, relationships with parents) through comprehensive
induction. There is a real need for a balance across the three phases of teacher education and professional development in a lifelong context.
The Continuum ofTeacher Education:
(A) INITIAL TEACHER EDUCATION
In 2002 , the Minister for Education was presented with the Report of the Review of
Teacher Education: Preparing Teachers for the 21st Century. A carefully-crafted consensus
of all the education partners was presented in this report. A key recommendation was
that the B.Ed. should become a four year degree. Of four undergraduate degrees on
offer at Mary Immaculate, the B.Ed. is the only one which is a three year programme.
Within the University of Limerick, the B.Ed at Mary Immaculate College is alone
among more than sixty undergraduate programmes in being a three-year degree. This
compares poorly with other undergraduate programmes such as those in nursing,
woodwork teaching, and metalwork teaching, all of which are four-year programmes.
I have previously raised at an INTO Conference the possibility that, in the light of
the Bologna declaration, it might be worth considering whether the proposed fourth
year might not be considered as the first year of a two-year programme with the
second year including induction, the probationary (Diploma) examination and a
period of school-based research leading to the award of a Masters qualification. Such
a model would ensure that all entrants to the profession would be at Masters level.
This would have minimal cost implications for the DES but could do much to improve
teacher preparation as well as enhancing the status of all primary teachers in the eyes
of the public. It is also desirable if teachers are to keep pace with the other professions,
a number of which seem to be moving towards such a (3+2) model. Lastly, it can be
predicted that those emerging from such a programme would be more likely to
progress to Doctoral-level programmes, which would also do much to enhance the
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view of the profession over time.
Before finishing this short overview of primary teacher preparation, I think it is
essential to acknowledge the very real challenges facing the Colleges of Education.
These relate to
An overcrowded programme.
Lack of investment in the colleges.
Lack of dedicated learning laboratories (science, maths etc).
Despite the difficulties, I think it is fair to say that the colleges have made quite remarkable progress and have been extraordinarily productive in recent years, meeting many
emerging challenges in a speedy manner – this list does not purport to be exhaustive:
Rapid expansion in provision of post-graduate programmes to Masters and
Doctoral levels as well as programmes of Continuing Professional Development.
Expansion in early childhood education.
Significant expansion in provision for special educational needs.
Commitment to multiculturism, interculturalism, development education (e.g.
students taking final teaching practice in Africa).
Development of tools for assessment and evaluation (MicraT, SigmaT,
Yr.4:ALL IN TRINITY
(Evening Time)
Compulsory
Special Project (usually Action Research)
-Research Methods
Induction
Choice of 2 Modules From
Special Education
An Leann Eireannach and an tOideachas
Film and Media Studies
Applied Psychology
Arts in Education
Contempory Issues in Education
Development Education
Primary Science
Education Administration
Poetry in the Primary Classroom
The World of Story
Language and Literacy – A New Approach
History and Historiography
Teaching and Learning with ICT
Responding Positively to Child Aggression – the Self Esteem Approach
Drumcondra Tests, etc).
Europeanisation (Comenius, Erasmus, etc).
Initiatives in educational disadvantage.
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Diversifying entry (socio-economic track and ethnic diversity tracks for entry to
colleges).
While there has been no progress on allowing the fourth year which would do
much to allow more thorough treatment of all of these topics, there has also been an
increased emphasis on the importance of other aspects of the teacher education
continuum within the College of Education sector.
(B) INDUCTION
Firstly, I welcome the fact, highlighted in an earlier presentation, that 530 individuals
have had access to the Pilot Programme. It is ten years since we first piloted an induction programme to support our new graduates. I welcome the Department of
Education and Science initiative in this area. I must however, point out that as many as
1800 probationary teachers do not have the benefit of such support. Induction is, as
was pointed out yesterday, expensive. The failure to provide an adequate system of
induction is likewise expensive in opportunity lost.
(C) CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Having attracted wonderful people in the first instance into the Colleges of Education,
I am satisfied that we all, in our different ways, enable our teacher education students
to achieve remarkably high standards at the point of exit from the colleges. We need
to reinforce and build on this through their lifelong career, both by way of induction
and through continuing professional development, fitting these within a lifelong
career framework.
I wish to raise something of concern in regard to our definitions of Continuing
Professional Development. For me, professional development covers a spectrum ranging from the training end of the spectrum to the education end of the spectrum. At the
training end of this spectrum, we can think of advice and training that might enable
teachers to do mundane tasks more effectively. On the other hand, professional development also has the potential to seriously engage teachers in a challenging way, in
deeply reflective learning which might be the product of both personal and professional research. It is at this end of the continuum that people will (or should) reap the
deepest rewards as they achieve their full potential as teachers and we need to have a
structured system of rewards which covers the breadth of the spectrum that I have
described. When teachers go on to the deeper end of this continuum through research
and study, I would expect the educators in the Colleges of Education to be an active
part of that learning community – we want to learn along with you. Those who have
done Masters and PhDs in the colleges in recent years will appreciate the extent to
which we do this.
In this context, I suggest that there is much that teachers do in their reflection, in
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their innovation, in their practice and in their research that, in my perspective, merits
academic award, but which is not currently recognised or rewarded. In the future, I
hope we will all be more innovative in the structures we find for enabling such award
and reward. There will be a unique opportunity to do so as the revised curriculum is
bedded down. Furthermore, in light of our Government’s commitment to the development and funding of a fourth level education sector, it is important that the teaching profession be represented at that level also.
The Challenge of Change
We are about to enter (again) a period of considerable debate about our changing society, change in teaching, changing curriculum and the implications which all of this
change has for teacher education. It is good that, at this time, we have seen the inauguration of the Teaching Council, which no doubt will be a key actor in the emerging
scenario. Specifically, the Council will have the responsibility to:
Determine education, training and qualifications required for registration.
Review and accredit programmes of teacher education for purposes of registration.
Act as the designated authority for recognition or qualification ( EU and
Non-EU).
Advise the Minister in relation to
– standards for entry to teacher education;
– continuing professional development;
– teacher supply.
Establish procedures in relation to induction.
Establish procedures and criteria for probation.
I hope that the Teaching Council will help to elaborate a National Framework of
Professional Development within which every teacher will be encouraged to achieve
his/her personal and professional learning potential through an Individual Career
Framework.
Finally, I think that before finishing, it might be helpful to introduce a cautionary
note. Surveying the international scene, it seems to me to be very important that we
in Ireland avoid the risk of following the example of others who have lowered standards and who might wish us to follow them to the lowest common denominator.
As we all move to meet the challenge of change, let us recognise the strengths of
what we have. Let us have confidence in our collective capacity to maintain and
enhance the status of our teachers. Let us seek out the examples of best practice internationally and let us aspire to ensuring that Ireland will set the global standard for quality teacher education and professional development in the years and decades ahead.
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Brian Tubbert, Froebel College
Thank you to the Education Committee and to all of you for giving us the opportunity
to speak here today, even though for me and some of you out there, it is tainted with a
little bit of sadness because the last time I was in this hall, I have great memories of a
speech made by a very good friend of mine, Mick Crowe (RIP). Unfortunately I don’t
have his oratorical skills to entertain you. I know his brother is here in the audience. I
was just thinking of him this morning and I am sure others of you are too.
There is not a lot more to be said. What I want to do is hone in on something that
some of you don’t know a lot about, because many of you are graduates of Mary
Immaculate College and St Patrick’s College. The Trinity model is a four year model
and I think it is significant that all degrees in Trinity at honours level have to be over
four years. The make up of students in each of the three colleges associated with
Trinity, is as follows:
Church of Ireland College of Education
Froebel College of Education
Coláiste Mhuire, Marino
90
300
500
We have a common programme across the three colleges and with Trinity. We have
a B.Ed review group, which sits permanently, looking at all these courses and ensuring
their co-ordination. We also have the Higher Diploma in Education (Primary), which
in colloquial terms we refer to as, ‘the grads’ course’. There is also induction and
continuing professional development.
The three year B.Ed programme is divided, with 85% taking place in the colleges
and 15% in Trinity. All courses relating to methodologies, professional development,
special education, early childhood education, disadvantage, intercultural education,
ICT, electives, professional and academic Irish, English, Maths, and RE take place in
the colleges. You are talking about curriculum overload – we have a lot to grapple
with. A note on the professional end – academic Irish is not taken to the same level as
the academic subjects in the other two colleges.
I think it was interesting that a number of speakers have supported the idea, apart
from teaching practice, of getting students into schools. It is one of the thoughts
behind the elective courses, which are done in blocks, usually at the end of second year
or in third year. For instance, we would offer an elective on educational disadvantage
where students go out to the schools and work for a day with the home school
community liaison teacher. On different elective courses, students work with learning
support teachers for a day, or they go into a gaelscoil for a day. The students really
enjoy that experience and we are very appreciative of the schools and the teachers for
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giving us the time. I think it is important that students have an opportunity to go in to
schools under different circumstances to teaching practice.
We did an internal review because we weren’t sure what was going to happen
arising from the Kellaghan Report. We are still not sure. We reviewed from 1997 to
2001 and the Committee conducting the review was so successful that we felt we
would continue it as a permanent Committee. It was introduced in 2001 . It had been
20 years since the cycle had been reviewed and it was an opportunity to review again,
with the introduction of the 1999 curriculum and the Kellaghan Report coming on
stream. We were also advised by our external examiners in 1996 – 1999 to have a
look at issues such as the amount of contact time. So despite taking on new subjects,
such as SPHE, Drama, Special Education, Educational Disadvantage, Intercultural
Education, Early Childhood Education, ICT and elective courses, we actually
managed to reduce our contact time. The idea was that students would have time to
read and reflect on what they are doing – words that have been used throughout this
conference. It’s not just ‘throwing stuff at them’ but rather allowing them some time
to absorb, read and reflect about it. So we reduced the number of hours spent on Irish,
English, RE, PE and SESE and we introduced these as compulsory subjects in line with
the 1999 curriculum and also to address issues that were arising for teachers in
schools.
The fourth year is done completely in Trinity. There is a choice of modules as
follows:
The two interesting modules from the perspective of the continuum of education
are the compulsory modules.
There are problems with the fourth year, there’s no doubt about it. It is too much
altogether. We are asking students to begin teaching, to do their probation and to do
this fourth year all at the same time. They are advised not to do that but issues of
money, incremental credit, moving back down the country – all of these things come
in to play. I do worry for them. And are they getting the most out of it? The original
idea was that you would leave it a few years and come back as a reflective practitioner
and do your fourth year – which is what I did though I probably made it too long. In
reality, people are voting with their feet and they are doing the fourth year immediately.
However, the two interesting things are that the students are doing action research
even in their first year. They do a research methods module and then they go in to their
classrooms and they take some piece of action research. It is very interesting the work
that they do. You would be amazed at the quality of the work even in their first year
with all the pressures they are under. Interestingly, one student that I supervised
myself was looking at behaviour management with a child with extremely challenging behaviour. She said she had tried a whole lot of strategies – some worked and some
didn’t – and it was February before she saw any light at the end of the tunnel. But inter–156–
estingly when she finished she said to me “I don’t think, Brian, I’d have persisted with
different ways of trying to reach this child if I hadn’t been doing this action research.”
I think it is significant that a young teacher even in her first year would see that.
Graduate Diploma
The Graduate Diploma mirrors the B.Ed programme in all subjects. Students were
complaining to me recently that we are trying to fit in everything into a very short
space of time. It is crammed! We are talking about a four year B.Ed. We also have to
look at a two year Graduate Diploma. The reality is that they are ‘hanging around’ for
six months waiting to come into the colleges in February. They are looking for positions in schools and they are looking for experience with children. Why can’t they be
in the colleges working on a clear programme and we’ll give them targeted work in
schools?
Induction
Induction is necessary and it is probably the greatest weakness in the system. We
survived in a less complex world. It is more complex now; it is more demanding and
more accountable. We can’t just say “it was good enough for us”. We have to support
young teachers. There is evidence there that the more they are supported the more
innovative, the more imaginative, the more creative and confident they become.
There is no doubt that the pilot project has been very successful and not only for
NQTs. We would all have expected that, but it is highly significant from the mentor’s
perspective. The NQTs get time to observe, plan and review which we would expect,
and to exchange experiences and good practice. We have talked about that over the two
days. But the interesting one for me is the mentors. I have worked with mentors and not
just on this project but also others. The significant thing for them is that they begin to
reflect on their own practice. They grow through the processes as well and it invigorates them. They really enjoy working with young teachers as we all do in the colleges.
Time has been mentioned as a major issue. Regarding induction and probation, I
think they have to be separate – the relationships, the conditions. I would be very
strong on that. It changes relationships when there is an assessment dimension and I
don’t think teachers want to go there. I don’t think the mentors want to go there. I
think it is bad for schools – the collegiality and the egalitarianism of schools could be
breached by mixing induction and probation. The nationwide rollout is significant and
is going to be very demanding. For instance, the teacher in North Donegal in a two
teacher school is just as entitled as the teacher down the road from the major colleges.
I think we have to look at the roles of all the deliverers of teacher education and
combine them. The network of education centres is an obvious regional base. So
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where is the role of the colleges in induction?
I see the NQTs leaving college and moving on. They want to do that. They need to
do that. Their major relationship in their induction time should be with these agencies
or whatever new agencies come through in the continuum of professional development that was alluded to yesterday. I think it’s the mentors and principals of the
schools that we should be engaging with in the colleges mainly, so we get more of the
two way process. There is too much going out of the colleges. We want more teachers coming back in and the two previous speakers have alluded to improvements in
this area in the last ten years. But it should be a partnership approach, a collaborative
approach. We are all in it for quality improvement.
Early TeachingYears
The one area that I do fear for is the early teaching years. I feel it is a much neglected
area. The statistics this morning showed that there is a drop in their take-up of professional development, but maybe they need a bit of space after the intensity of college,
induction, and probation. But I don’t like the ‘nothing’ part of it. I think there should
be something for them and we must look at that in the continuum.
The Colleges, the DES, the INTO Professional Development Unit, PCSP, SDPS and
SESS have all been contributing over the last ten to fifteen years. If we took a step back
and looked back 15 years ago and said that we would have done as much as we have
done in the last 15 years – I don’t think we would have believed it. Even though we are
looking for more – we are always looking forward to development and improvement
– I think we have to acknowledge that a lot has been achieved. Accreditation is very
important and I think all of you want it and demand it. I think it is only right. The idea
that all the courses that people are doing is not being acknowledged either through
accreditation or through remuneration, is not right. They are all very important but
there is pathway for people now. I think the teacher as a researcher is hugely important
in this continuum and the teacher as a reflective practitioner has to be acknowledged
and recognised.
Modular Graduate Diploma
The modular graduate diploma has fallen off the agenda a bit but I would like to put it
back on in the context of the continuum. I think there are a lot of people out there
looking at teaching, wanting to get into teaching – high quality people. We have a lot
of people in Ireland wanting to come to teaching from different avenues. The demand
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for the graduate course is huge. Some people can’t access it due to issues of family,
finances and location. I think we have to look again at the issue. It doesn’t have to mean
any lowering of standards or any diminution of the existing courses. We can do the
same course – just in a different way. We offered to do it and there was a silence. There
is still silence.
On-line Learning
To me, initial teacher education should not be on-line. I have friends here in the hall
that I met in college. I value that friendship greatly and I am sure you are all the same.
I can’t see how I would have got that on-line. There are things that we talked about, the
morals, the values, the interpersonal skills, the communication skills that we need to
build in our young people going out as teachers because it is such a personal profession, as Peadar said. It is not about building bridges. It’s not that simple. It is very
complex. It is about the person, the person as a teacher and the person as the child.
Maybe I don’t get it, but I don’t see how you do that on-line.
I think elements of post-graduate studies are suitable for on-line delivery and they
are being delivered. No-one is against on-line learning per se. But I think we have to be
cautious. It is here to stay but we need to be careful about the percentage of courses
on-line. I think it is critically important – the value we all put on our inservice courses,
where you meet other teachers and exchange good practice. As someone said, the
coffee break was as important as the course itself. The networks that are set up among
teachers who are doing courses together – they keep contact with each other. I think
some of that is lost. I think the contact time is absolutely essential. There is pedagogy
that is specific and needs to be addressed – it is not about putting notes up on a board.
And just because everybody is doing it doesn’t mean that we can’t be critical of it.
Where are the sheep, I must follow them. I don’t think we should be adopting that sort
of attitude.
MA-SEN
I am not plugging our own MA – but I am! We have a partnership with the only other
Froebel College in the world in Roehampton. There are taught modules and dissertations but I think the interesting thing about it for you, and in the context of what we
are talking about, is the APEL (Accreditation of Previous Educational Learning) or as
some people call it, the accreditation of previous experiential learning. It is so apt for
teachers who spend a lot of their time up-skilling – short courses, reading up, developing themselves. As Pauric Travers said, there is a difference between the needs of a
teacher five years out of college and a teacher twenty five years out. But what about
tracking that pathway for themselves, that experience, the courses they have done,
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how they have changed as a teacher – wrap that in a package and present it for 25 per
cent of your Masters or some per cent of your Masters. It is an acknowledgement of a
teacher’s learning on the ground, of learning in their schools, and of learning with
their colleagues.
Challenges in a Changing Society
I think, out of all this, we have to look at what we need. It came up in that marvellous
presentation yesterday evening. We need teachers who are initiated by change, stimulated by change, invigorated by change and refreshed by change. Teachers are central
to that process. But teachers need time. We have to think outside the box. A team
approach, I think, is the way to go with induction or continuing professional development, whatever. Something that has fallen off the agenda is the substitute supply panel.
This is something I would see as a practical way to provide substitute cover, where a
large school might have a teacher on the supply panel or a cluster of schools may have
a teacher. That teacher is known in the school, s/he is part of the staff and it allows
people time and space to work together and to develop within the school. Teachers
need conditions where they are supported. I know of teachers who have to beg boards
of management to get off maybe an hour a couple of times a year in order to access
courses that may be of benefit to them and obviously to the school and children. That
shouldn’t be. Boards of management should be supportive of these. I know some of
them are but it is important that support is put in place. Other suggestions include
opportunities to work with other educators, professional learning communities that
are school based but with external inputs to them, people coming out of the school
and into colleges and education centres, differential leadership and advancement
prospects. I think, unfortunately, up to now most of the leadership and advancement
opportunities have taken people out of the classroom. We have to find ways for
rewards and recognition for the mainstream teacher in the classroom. The mainstream teacher is becoming an endangered species. I think induction and professional
development is the way to recognise, credit and reward those teachers who love being
in the classroom and, as in all these things, good pay for what they do.
Lastly, what do we need? We have your support all the time and we really do appreciate it. Teaching practice cannot exist without you and without your colleagues. We
really do appreciate it. We mightn’t be able to thank you often enough but we really do
appreciate it. The students really appreciate the welcome they get in schools and it
means a huge amount to them. What I would say is that we have to be careful. When
I look at some of what we heard from the DES yesterday, we have to be careful that we
are not divided on this. We are colleagues. We are allies. We are on the same side and
we need your support. We don’t want people driving wedges between us. The DES
presentation frightened me a little. I think the inclusivity that we have had since the
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Quinlan Committee in the late 1980 s is being breached. Decisions are seemingly
being made about initial teacher education and other elements of the continuum
without the consultation process that has been the strength of the continuum or the
development of the continuum including the current induction committees. They are
inclusive committees. Kellaghan was inclusive. The Curriculum Review was inclusive.
Let’s be careful that it doesn’t just become an imposition.
The other thing to appeal to you is to say that we, the colleges, are stage one in the
continuum. We can’t do everything. The induction and early years professional development is an acknowledgement of this. We talk about reading readiness and numeracy readiness. There is also student readiness – they are not ready for some of the
things when they arrive out in schools. We continually get calls from the principals
saying “what are you doing about parents?” “what are you doing about this?” We can’t
do everything. We introduce a lot of these things but the students aren’t ready for
them. When they arrive in schools they’re not ready for them and this again strengthens the case for induction.
We are stage one. Like yourselves, all of these changes we are trying to put into
place and that have been put in place – we are doing them without the resource recognition, just like you are.
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–162–
Question andAnswer Session
INTRODUCTION
Delegates were invited to put questions or to make comments to the speakers from
the Colleges of Education. The questions are outlined in italics with the response of
each of the panel members below.
The first thing I would like to say is that all colleges delivering teacher education need to listen very
carefully to the profession and in that context I think it is most welcome now that finally the
Teaching Council will have a direct input in terms of accreditation to all college courses. I can’t
wait for that day to come. I think it is extremely important. One point that I would like to make
to all colleges is in relation to teaching practice. I believe that teaching practice should be very
much related to reality, no student should be under such intense pressure during their time in
college that they are up till 2 o’clock in the morning preparing nótaí to the point of absolute perfection. They need to relate much more to the reality of the classroom experience, to be much less pressurised and what they undergo, I agree with Peadar, should be far more related to the experience
of teacher education and to the dignity of teacher education rather than to teacher preparation.
I would like to agree with Declan. I also want to make the point that it was interesting to hear
Peadar saying that some of the final teaching practices were done in Africa. There are very few
final teaching practices done in two teacher or three teacher schools. I would say it is discouraged. Part of the problem is that whatever the difficulty in doing lesson notes for one class, well
it is impossible to do it for three classes. But the reality is that hundreds of these teachers come
out of the colleges and are getting jobs in two and three teacher schools and in my opinion they
are not adequately prepared for it. So that needs to be taken on board.
I feel the Colleges of Education are not enough to prepare teachers for teaching children with
special needs.
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Correct me if I’m wrong but regarding the on-line course I know that you have to go for an interview. I feel that this is some way to deciphering who gets in to these courses. Often the high
achievers point wise may not be the best teachers. I would also say that within the schools
system I have come in touch with a lot of the on-line students. More often than not that they are
learning on the ground, maybe from being SNAs or substitutes, and I feel that they have the
theory and the practice with far less pressure than the others have.
I just have a comment about the on-line course as well. We have to remember when people come
from Colleges of Education they have an agenda – perhaps to get students into their Colleges.
Obviously if people are doing courses on-line there are less people going to their Colleges and
both Brian from Froebel and Dr Cremin took a little swipe at e-learning saying that you couldn’t learn to be a teacher in front of a computer and while I would have some reservations about
e-learning I can say that our school appointed an excellent teacher who came from Hibernia
College last year. I think they do have their place in teacher education.
I just want to say that I am a very proud graduate of Hibernia College and very proud of the
fact that Sean Rowland had the vision and foresight to put together such a programme. As you
can see I am not exactly a spring chicken and I have lost some of my feathers on the way.
However, as a nurse and a midwife, I have always wanted to teach but I think my mother really
had the idea that I should be a nurse. So having taught and returned from another country I
wondered what to do. I went and did a couple of Masters while I was trying to decide. I considered Mary I, I considered Strawberry Hill, and as I was about to choose, Hibernia came along.
I was so grateful for that because it gave me an opportunity to do what I always knew that I
wanted to do and what I enjoy very much. I also have a wealth of experience behind me and I
know that I can bring that to the classroom. I found the experience with Hibernia very demanding and very disciplined. It’s not a course for the faint hearted. I worked and one of the questions I was asked at interview was how much experience did I have in teaching before they
would accept me. I had a letter from some principals of schools to say that I had the two years
of substitute teaching so at least I wasn’t coming in just off the street. If anyone has any questions on Hibernia you can ask me because I have gone through it and I can tell you very honestly
the pros and cons and everything else.
I have come in contact with quite a number of Hibernia students and I would laud them for
their dedication to the course. Any teaching course is very demanding whether it be Hibernia,
St Patrick’s College which I went to myself, Mary I or any of the others. Any teaching course is
extremely demanding, a lot is expected of all the students. I would also like to say that the one
thing that I find is missing from the Hibernia course, through no fault of its own, is the cama–164–
raderie of the students on the course. The students I have come across due to the substitutions
in the schools that I have travelled to, they are constantly learning, constantly wanting to know
more and constantly looking for more information from the more experienced teachers on the
various staffs. They don’t have enough contact with their peers and the other students on the online course. I understand that it is not all on-line but they still don’t have enough contact with
them when it comes to experience and teaching practice and other matters.
RESPONSES
PAURIC TRAVERS
There were several points made about the time spent by students preparing for teaching
practice. Believe me, I agree absolutely with the person who spoke about that. The issue
about special education and inclusion has created a huge challenge for classrooms and
also for teacher education. All students in the colleges have courses on special education
and all our students on the graduate course have a placement in a special education
setting. To say that nothing is being done is not right. Perhaps more can be done better
but it is certainly being done. In relation to Hibernia, people have fixed views in relation
to this. One of the pities about the Hibernia debate is that a lot of the discussion about
on-line education has been set back, it seems to me, by the controversy. The Colleges
took a position and I took a position which I still have. My view is that on-line education
is fine for continuing professional development and that it is not appropriate for initial
teacher education. The one thing, however, that I would like to say about it, just from
personal experience, I know that there are outstanding teachers who have come through
the Hibernia course. A lot of those people were going to be outstanding teachers wherever they went, so nothing I say in relation to Hibernia anyway reflects on anybody who
takes the course. That’s my view. I didn’t make any reference to Hibernia as I felt it was
important in terms of development that I don’t get diverted down what is now a sterile
argument.
PEADAR CREMIN
There were several comments made, four of them and I would reiterate what Pauric
said and support what he has said. I don’t think I have anything additional to add. As he
said, I think some people have very fixed views on Hibernia. Of the other three
comments which were made I think we should take them up a little bit more as they
address the colleges specifically. I whole heartedly agree that there are students who
stay up till 2am in the morning preparing for teaching practice and I share with you my
own experiences about why I think that is a real problem. Over the years when I super–165–
vised teaching practice I actually found myself asking more students to please reduce
the amount of preparation they were doing, then I found myself pressuring the
students for more. An enormous amount of that comes out of the fact I think, that in
the teaching practice setting people want to achieve their highest standard. People are
very competitive, they look at the file that somebody else has done and they feel the
need to have a bigger file, or whatever, or don’t feel that unless they have that, that they
are better prepared. I personally disagree. I think the important preparation goes on in
here (head) and not by stacking up pages. So I absolutely accept what Declan and his
colleague said with regard to that.
The second issue which was raised, that not enough students do their final teaching
practice in two teacher schools, I accept that point. The problem is that we allow the
students a free choice and in some ways by allowing them a free choice in where they
want to go on their on their final teaching practice, many students do make the choice
because they do think it is more manageable to go into a school where they will have
a straight class. Where we have students in a two teacher school setting, we are always
at pains to point out how successful they are and to give them the support that people
asked. Some of you will know that we have worked on projects. Both of the larger
colleges actually work on projects around the multi-grade classes. Many of our staff
are experienced teachers who have come from those type of schools and have experience in those schools, so I don’t think it should be assumed that there isn’t an expertise
to meet and support the students.
The final issue that was raised is about not enough preparation for special needs
classes. I suppose the reality is that the diversity and the challenges of special needs
which we become more and more aware of in recent years, with the focus on autism,
dyslexia, ADHD and so on, has helped to create an awareness for all teachers of the
extensive need for ongoing training in that area. The reality is that in initial teacher
education, as has been said repeatedly, we are very squashed for time. Everyone of the
three speakers agreed that the curriculum is very crowded. The expectations of what
the initial teacher education programme will deliver are sometimes unreal and that’s
why I thought many of today’s earlier comments about the extent to which some of
these things are best placed either in a separate programme or done through induction
or through continued professional development. The Colleges of Education must not
pretend that their initial teacher education programme delivers everything. If we do
that you will all see through it, because it will be a falsehood. We cannot, with the
complexity of teaching, deliver everything to the level that is appropriate for a professional within the three year BEd programme. That is why we are so anxious to have a
serious discussion about the possibility of a four year BEd which was agreed by all the
education partners and it is quite a shame that we have gone backwards from that
discussion. It seems the Department of Education has set its face against seriously
engaging in a discussion about that fourth year as it would help enormously to address
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the kind of issues that you have raised there.
BRIAN TUBBERT
I would just agree generally with the comments made so I am not going to delay any
longer. Just to finish, to say to all of you, that we are all very worried about the intensity that comes into teaching practice. We spend half our time trying to calm students
down but that competitive streak is there in lots of ways. They are successful at everything that they have done so far and they want to be successful at this. But I have a sign
up on my wall saying that teaching files are assessed not weighed.
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–168–
Report from Discussion Groups
INTRODUCTION
Delegates were invited to participate in discussion groups and were allocated a
number of questions relating to initial teacher education, induction and continuing
professional development, to discuss. Members of the INTO Education Committee
acted as facilitators and rapporteurs. Reports from all the discussion groups, outlining
the views of participants were collated under thematic headings, and are outlined
below.
INITIAL TEACHER EDUCATION
Many delegates agreed that the period of initial teacher education should be extended
but that it should be school-based with less emphasis on academics. However a
substantial number of teachers felt strongly that three years was adequate. On-site
mentoring was recommended. One delegate commented that newly qualified teachers were not interested in spending another year in college. It was felt that teachers
leaving college were unprepared for a range of issues facing them in their new
appointments such as – multi-grade teaching, dealing with parents, behaviour
management, special needs, outside agencies. One delegate wondered why Irish is still
compulsory for entry to colleges of education stating that there are a lot of people
who might make brilliant teachers but who do not have Irish. She also mentioned that
it was a contributory factor in boys not entering the profession. There were others
who disagreed with this view, emphasising the importance of Irish in education.
Teaching Practice
Teachers are generally open to providing structured support to student teachers
during teaching practice but delegates argued that there should be more two-way link–169–
ages between the colleges and the schools in which their students are placed. Class
teachers would be willing to take on the role of mentor but there should also be inbuilt rewards for teachers (e.g. EPV days with substitute cover, payment, new qualification) who would become involved in mentoring as they would be sharing expertise,
skills and knowledge. It was felt by some delegates, however, that giving responsibility
for such functions to one teacher in a school could be problematic in that such a
teacher could be set apart from colleagues. It was widely felt that this approach to
mentoring involving the class teacher would be much more practical and that student
teachers would be better equipped entering the profession because they would have
more realistic expectations of real life in classrooms and in schools. However, it was
equally felt that class teachers would need some training and close liaising with the
colleges to ensure maximum benefit for the student teachers. Some felt that some of
the current college supervisors were somewhat out of touch with the modern classroom and that some spent a very short time in the classroom in the first place.
It was strongly felt that teachers should also be involved with students in the
colleges giving input on the reality of classroom and school life.
Other delegates were of the view that teaching practice should be more varied with
all students experiencing reality in all types of school settings – rural, urban, designated disadvantaged, multi-class and Irish-medium as well as with all class levels.
There should be some emphasis on developing opportunities for student teachers to
observe best practice by practitioners especially in relation to behaviour management,
group teaching involving curriculum differentiation and working with parents.
Colleges should place more emphasis on students developing good teaching practices
rather than on the production of an enormous amounts of notes and paperwork.
Delegates were of the view that teaching practice was too intense, that student teachers should do more teaching practice and that it needed to be linked to a four year
course with experienced teachers assigned to work with student teachers. It was also
recommended that student teachers should spend should some time with learning
support and special needs resource teachers in order to give a broad spectrum to their
experience do much according to a number of delegates. The present teaching practice model was not linked to the reality of the classroom. It was widely agreed that
September was not a good month for teaching practice, as it caused too much disruption to classes at this time.
Many delegates felt that there were inadequate opportunities in Colleges of
Education for student teachers to become skilled in the use of ICT as a resource for all
elements of the curriculum – this reality was considered to be appalling in this day and
age especially when full integration of children with special needs in mainstream
classes is mandatory. There was some concern over on-line initial teacher training and
the approach taken by one college regarding Honours Degree Awards.
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INDUCTION
Many delegates were unfamiliar with the Pilot Project on Induction and asked for
more information about the initiative. This information was provided in groups where
teachers familiar with the project were participants. Delegates engaged very much
with the topic.
The term ‘professional friend’ was used to describe the role of the mentor working
with NQTs. The absence of any evaluative function for the mentor was felt to be of
utmost importance in establishing a professional and supportive relationship.
It was recommended that mentors should have more access to continuing professional development. It was suggested that networks of mentors could be established
in local areas as support for each other as well as for the NQTs. Some delegates felt that
mentors’ class contact time should be reduced or that mentors should be seconded to
allow more time with NQTs but most of the group believed that removing the mentor
from the classroom carried a danger of the mentor losing touch with everyday school
life and this in turn would diminish his/her effectiveness.
Delegates felt very strongly that release time and training were needed in order to
develop a proper induction programme. Provision for in-school mentoring support for
NQTs is not always possible. One delegate said that there were problems with it in small
schools in Donegal where other teachers were not willing to take it on. It was suggested
that this problem could be overcome by clustering schools. Teachers being inducted
would still need substitute cover. There was general agreement that the best solution in
order to provide coverage to all schools was to create clusters of schools to work with one
or more mentors as available. The issue of disruption to the mentor’s own class work was
raised as a concern. Delegates felt very strongly that a dedicated panel of supply teachers
should be established but were generally pessimistic about the possibility of this becoming reality any time soon. This project has been a pilot for five years and the group felt that
its longterm success depended on qualified substitute cover being available. The current
fragmented supply of substitute teachers is a big difficulty – an adequate supply panel of
teachers is necessary in order to implement an efficient mentoring scheme.
The idea of full-time mentors received much support. These could be recruited
from serving teachers who would be seconded and/or retired teachers. One delegate
wondered however, if retired teachers would be up to speed with the revised curriculum. The feedback from mentors currently in the system is very positive.
Delegates felt that the mentor programme was an excellent one; however they
wanted each school to have a trained mentor. There should be published guidelines for
mentors, and mentors or teachers who wish to act as a mentor should have release days.
There should be nationwide supports for mentors linked to the education centres.
Regional mentoring programmes could be arranged through the education centres.
It was recommended that there should be beginning teachers’ folder compiled for
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NQTs incorporating school policies, templates for short, medium, and long-term
planning, guidelines for best practice in relation to working with parents and for
suggestions for effective/efficient parent/teacher meetings.
It was felt that the only way to avoid disruption for schools during successful induction
programmes was to provide a supply panel of teachers on school cluster basis; this would
ensure uniformity and continuity of service provision for schools and for children.
PROBATION
Given that the Teaching Council had responsibility for both induction and probation a
discussion took place on possible changes that could be made to current arrangements
for probation. The immediate and seemingly unanimous response from delegates was
that principals would not be willing to be involved in probation. It was suggested that
newly qualified teachers might prefer if the principal was not involved and that a
neutral person might be more suitable. However, it was agreed by many teachers that
principals should have a role – some input in to the process.
Some delegates were of the view that there was a danger that mentors would be
asked to undertake the role but it was strongly felt that this would undermine the
mentoring process itself.
One comment which resonated with the entire group was that, if inspectors were
released from supervising probation, they would have more time for WSEs, which was
not viewed as a positive development.
With regard to the Teaching Council undertaking probation, delegates wondered
how this would be funded and if there would be a considerable increase in registration
fees to cover the costs.
The question was asked why the current system could not be continued. One delegate commented that the inspectors had opted out of inservice and asked were they
now opting out of probation? Some delegates suggested that probation should remain
the same as it is but that there should be standardisation and conformity in what
inspectors are looking for – that it should be a bit more regulated and that the Teaching
Council or other outsider should monitor the process. Other delegates felt very
strongly that the Inspectorate needed to revamp the probationary system as it was old
fashioned.
Newly qualified teachers and mentors need to know what is expected by inspectors.
Probation was considered a very intense experience for the NQT and the period of
inspection could be spread out. It was suggested that there could be more emphasis on
classroom management, and practical issues experienced by NQTs. The final report
should be in English as well as Irish.
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The importance of developing relationships with the Teaching Council and with
the Inspectorate in a friendly professional manner was highlighted in that schools
should have good relationships with all the partners in education.
Any new model or models of probation would need to include parallel supply
panels, training days, colleges of education, teaching council and teacher unions.
CONTINUOUS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Introduction
A general discussion took place on continuing professional development for teachers.
Delegates were of the views that a broad co-ordinated approach was required. It was
recommended that CPD should be practical and respond to the needs of individual
teachers and schools and that the present system of inservice courses needed to
change dramatically. It was suggested that someone should go around to schools to
discover what exactly teachers need, and what models would suit. Many felt that there
should be one teacher in every school whose post of responsibility would be to
identify and monitor staff/school professional development needs.
Delegates wondered if there was scope for a combined approach between the DES
(Education Centres), boards of management and the INTO, as the service was seen by
many to be very disjointed. Some delegates suggested that PCSP and SDPS should be
linked in order to develop a comprehensive CPD programme.
Funding
The allocation of funds to boards could be problematic as a capitation system would
favour larger schools while a general grant would favour smaller schools. A small
number of delegates reported that their boards of management provide financial
support to teachers for CPD but this was a very uncommon practice generally. Many
teachers argued that resources are needed in schools in order that boards of management become involved in CPD.
Cuiditheoireacht
Delegates felt that the system of the cuiditheoirí working with the staff of a school or
a cluster of schools would be most effective for professional development in areas like
assessment. Teachers felt that it may be acceptable to accede to the Minister’s request
regarding national testing provided all INTO major requests are achieved – i.e. class
–173–
size, administrative principals for schools with 150 pupils, substitute cover for EPV
days.
It was recommended that there should be a panel of cuiditheoirí available to
schools. These would be invited to schools when they were needed e.g. one delegate
cited an example of a cuiditheoir who taught a PE lesson for the teacher which was
very beneficial. Schools would have control over how, when and where cuiditheoirí
would be involved.
Networking
Delegates stressed the importance of networks and clusters to exchange ideas. It was
also suggested that teacher visits to other schools and institutions to observe good
practice and/or to participate in projects in classrooms, collaborative class work with
other colleagues (even in own school) could be very beneficial. Partnering with other
schools (sharing good practice, exchanging experiences, ideas) was a suggestion that
many felt was worth considering.
Incentives
There was general agreement that effective incentives should be in place to encourage
teachers to engage with CPD these might include:
Modular courses
Accreditation
Credits
Increased allowances
Many teachers thought that CPD should be obligatory though this was not a unanimous view. CPD was considered as important as teaching and should be mandatory
within school time and should be rewarded through payment if undertaken during
school holidays. It was suggested that all resource teachers did not avail of the course
available to them on-line with some suggesting it should have been mandatory.
The need for substitute cover was emphasised. It was suggested that there should be
a supply panel of substitutes to facilitate teachers in leaving their classes to participate
in CPD outside the classroom where necessary. Substitute cover is available for teachers doing Masters in Special Education. This was perceived to be preferential treatment. It was suggested that teachers should be provided with substitute cover to
pursue Masters in any subject area across the board.
Some delegates felt that teachers should be entitled to a year out of teaching for
furthering their professional development or that some form of block-release time
–174–
Bibliography
should be available. They could then share what they have learned with the rest of the
staff on returning to school. Teachers felt that the cost of undertaking post graduate
courses such as a Masters’ Course was prohibitive and that it should be repaid to teachers on completion of course. It was recommended that the INTO should negotiate
this. It was also considered unfair that teachers with Masters Degrees get a paltry extra
allowance if they already hold an honours degree, which was not enticing financially
and there was a call for INTO action to redress this anomaly. In general, allowances for
qualifications were considered inadequate and discrepancies existed. It was stated that
the INTO proposed a number of years ago that all courses should be accredited, and
that this had not yet been achieved. No credit had been given for all courses done in IT.
Assuming they would be paid – most teachers would be willing to participate in any
classroom/school related projects during a sabbatical – perhaps some research based
on school community needs at the request of the school staff, parents and/or board of
management. It was suggested that a credit system should be put in place and that
eventually every teacher would have a masters. More promotional opportunities for
teachers were required according to delegates.
Summer Courses
In a discussion on summer courses many delegates were not in favour of abandoning
the summer course entirely as they felt the interaction and social elements of such
courses were as important as the content. Some delegates believed that the content of
many summer courses was duplicating that of the PCSP provision for the Revised
Curriculum. One delegate said that the summer courses should be scrapped and that
young teachers are not participating in them. But another delegate stated that an EPV
day is still needed in order to attend the Confirmation of a son/daughter!
On-line Learning
The validity and integrity of online courses was questioned as they can be completed
in a matter of hours, although the convenience of these was welcome. Many teachers
felt that e-learning could be developed. There was a general view that on-line teacher
professional development was very accessible to everybody and very manageable for
teachers and therefore could be a good way forward. Many summer courses were run
successfully on-line last summer.
Generally, delegates were of the view that a variety of models should be provided.
–175–
–176–

Teacher Education The Continuum - INTO

Transcription

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