Teacher Education in Transition

The 1990s were a period of quite dramatic change for initial teacher education in England and Wales with wave of Government sponsored reforms. The changes introduced were highly controversial as those in higher education who were traditionally responsible for teacher education felt marginalized; many believed that what was at stake in these reforms was the nature of teacher professionalism itself. It was against this background of policy change and political ferment that the Economic and Social Research Council funded two successive research projects to evaluate the consequences of the reforms. The projects, known as MOTE (Modes of Teacher Education), included two national surveys as well as more detailed cases studies of particular courses. In this volume, the authors draw upon these two major studies as well as more contemporary policy analysis to give an overview of the impact of policy change throughout the 1990s. In doing so they consider whether a new form of professionalism was indeed created.

Table of Contents:
Introduction Teacher education, policy and professionalism The policy context of the early 1990s Continuity and change in course provision New populations, new professionalism? The policy context of the middle 1990s Partnership the changing role of schools Partnership the changing role of higher education The implications for student experience Policy and practice in the late 1990s Teacher education in new times References Index.

About the Author :
John Furlong is a Professor in the School of Social Sciences, University of Cardiff.Len Barton is a Professor in the Division of Education, University of Sheffield.Sheila Miles, formerly Senior Lecturer in Education, at Homerton College Cambridge, is currently an Honorary Research Associate in the Department of Sociological Studies, University of Sheffield.Caroline Whiting, formerly a Research Officer at the Institute of Education, University of London is currently a teacher at Moretonhampstead Primary School, Devon.Geoff Whitty is the Karl Mannheim Professor of Sociology of Education, at the Institute of Education, University of London.Between 1991 and 1997, all of the authors were members of the ESRC funded Modes of Teacher Education (MOTE) research team.

Review :
"In many ways this is an excellent book and will be of interest to those who work in teacher education and those whose focus is on wider themes of professionalism and the shifting boundaries between the academics and practitioners. It will also appeal to those working with trainees in school who want an accessible history of the recent past in initial teacher education and an even handed account of the strengths and weaknesses of recent reforms." - John Williams Escalate Learning and Teaching 20030501