Overview of Study

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 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 ITT 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 ITT study and its effects on practice and teacher confidence. Combining this with qualitative data of teachers’ accounts, it aims to generate the kind of robust evidence the DfE’s FE ITT reform agenda and new curriculum content guidance are explicitly calling for (Department for Education [DfE], 2026a, 2026b). With this in mind, the research speaks directly to the DfE-convened FE teacher initial training and development benchmarking forum, which is seeking a stronger empirical base for curriculum design and for understanding what high-quality FE ITT looks like in different contexts (DfE, 2025).

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.

https://lnkd.in/e_TZU6dx

The survey takes 5 minutes to complete.

The authors are Dr Paul Tully, a longstanding FE researcher and Managing Director of Newbubbles Ltd, 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 ITT in the FE sector. Thank you for supporting us.