Calling Education and Training colleagues for your support.
Research Study: An Empirical Investigation into the Initial Teacher Training Experiences of FE Teachers and Trainees
FEthink is at the forefront of research into teacher training in the further education sector. Researchers Dr Paul Tully of FEthink and Nathan Rogan, Head of Teacher Training at the Education and Training Foundation are seeking the views of FE teachers and trainees about studying for a teaching qualification in the post-16 sector. This research comes at a time when there is significant policy conversation about the efficacy of Initial Teacher Education and its impact on the quality of teaching.
New FE teachers can spend substantial time studying for a teaching qualification, yet we still know surprisingly little about how these programmes shape their practice, identity and staying power in the sector (McGowan, 2021; Orr, 2012). Recent work on professional identity in Initial Teacher Education (ITE) shows that becoming a teacher is not just about acquiring techniques; it is a long, emotional process of forming a new professional self through reflection, dialogue and participation in a community (Allison, 2023; Wright, Loughlin & Hall, 2018; Brown, 2018; McGowan, 2021; Edwards, 2015). But in FE, these journeys remain under-documented and rarely quantified.
This new study builds on this recent corpus with a sector-wide investigation into the longer-term impact of FE ITE on teachers’ day-to-day practice, career trajectories and sense of who they are as professionals. It departs from previous studies by quantifying these experiences and using these to construct a detailed picture of the benefits, issues, insights and interconnections of ITE study and its effects on practice and teacher confidence.
Understanding ITT classrooms is foundational to teacher development. These are the critical spaces where theoretical knowledge meets lived classroom reality – where novices first encounter the unpredictable dynamics of FE learners, master behaviour management under pressure, and internalise what it means to be a professional teacher.
Studying the effects of ITT on teacher and learner outcomes should be a routine activity by professional bodies and policymakers, but there is limited systematic evidence of how these effects are translated from study to the live classroom. By capturing the experiences of those who have been trained (whether Level 3, Level 4, Level 5 or higher), we aim to find out:
– what knowledge and skills trainees value
– how training develops a trainee’s outlook towards teaching
– the challenges of being a trainee teacher
– what impact ‘being trained’ has had on their career.
This research puts our understanding of ITE back in the hands of practitioners.
By taking part in the survey (see the QR code or click the link), qualified and trainee FE teachers can help make their experiences visible, inform the next generation of ITT curricula and contribute to a more evidence-informed, identity-aware approach to FE teacher education.
The survey takes 5 minutes to complete.
The authors are Dr Paul Tully, a longstanding FE researcher and Managing
Director of Newbubbles Ltd and FEthink, and Nathan Rogan, National Head for Teacher Training at the Education and Training Foundation. Responses will remain
anonymous and confidential.
Help us build a stronger advocacy for ITE in the FE sector.
Thank you for supporting us.
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