Catherine McPartland
cmcpartland@cleveland.ac.uk
a)To examine vocational trainees’ (In – Service tutors)
views of themselves as teachers and how this is
affected by their experiences on the training
programme attended.
b)To examine the Certificate in Education/Professional
Graduate Certificate in Education as an environment for
identity construction of vocational tutors.
c) To what extent are individual trainees’ personal and
professional development supported by their peers,
work colleagues, mentors, their work organisation and
their teacher education experiences?
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I was new to teacher education
Idealistic
Concerned about whether I was experienced
and knowledgeable enough to meet the demands
of the teacher educator role
Concerned that I was providing a relevant and
rewarding experience which would enable the
trainees to develop as teachers
Had a bad case of the ‘Imposter Complex’.
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90% of FE teachers begin their teaching career
without a teaching qualification (University Council
for the Education of Teachers, 2009)
Most enter the profession as a ‘second career’ or
continue to practise their vocational carer in
addition to teaching.
Most of the training is part time ‘in – service’.
Most have to take on a full teaching load and
additional course responsibilities during training.
This is in contrast to school teaching in which most
teachers train on a pre – service’ basis.
Group A
Group B
14 students
8 female
6 male
12 from a vocational
background
12 students
7 female
5 male
All from a vocational
background
Vocational Areas
 Heath and Care (1)
 Early Years
(2)
 Construction
(5)
 Fitness
(1)
 Hair and Beauty (1)
 Skills for Life
(2)
Vocational Areas
 Health and Care
 Early Years
 Engineering
 Skills for Life
 Construction
 Uniformed Services
(3)
(3)
(2)
(2)
(1)
(1)
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Interviews with trainees – narrative accounts
of their experiences
Focus groups
Observations of classroom practice
Field notes and a reflective journal maintained
by the researcher.
Trainees autobiographical accounts of their
experiences during the course .
Trainees’ reflective diaries
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Many had ‘drifted’ into teaching
A strong identification with their vocation area
of expertise (Robson 1998, Le Gallais, 2009)
Traditional views of the teacher’s role – they
were not teachers
Initial fears often arising from their own
educational experiences
Varied expectations of what FE would be like.
‘The Transition Shock’!
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Identity defines individuals to themselves and others and
gives a sense of belonging and value to what we do
To enable them to develop as practitioners
To enable the transition from vocational expert to
teacher
To secure their commitment to their teaching role
(Hammerness et al, 2005).
According to Blair, there is no clear understanding of professional
identity and no clear models of practice, with colleagues working in
diverse settings with different examination structures and
expectations of success-a divided model of practice” (Blair,2011,
251)
◦ Yet there is frequently a resistance in accepting and
acknowledging a teacher identity.
“I think because I’m from the construction
industry, my background, it’s a bit different. I
don’t feel like a teacher, or look like a teacher
if you look at it that way”.
“…you know, who am I, I’m only a
(pause); I thought I wasn’t good
enough to be a teacher. I
thought it was for different
types of people and I shouldn’t or
I don’t belong there”.
“It was something ... I
never considered doing, I
was the last person who
would have thought, oh I’ll
go into teaching and I’ll
stand in front of a class
because the thought of it
terrified me”.
All my life I’d been told I was
thick, no good at anything so I
didn’t really want to come…
I didn’t think I’d learn anything
that’s relevant to my particular
job…
“There’s a lot ... that say I had to
do my Cert. Ed., I didn’t like it. It
was a waste of two years and all
that, but to me it’s one of the best
things I’ve ever done”.
I was thinking eeh I’m just in
the deep end here, I don’t
really know what’s going on cos
putting pen to paper I hadn’t
done that for years, I just
thought this is like going back
to school again and I was a bit
nervous and scared.
Transmissive - technical aspects of the job, usually relying on teacher
development through externally delivered ‘expert’ tuition.
“My lesson plans changed, my aims and objectives. You were using
the right words because although I’d been doing the lesson plans
I’d never had the correct training to write the aims and
objective, so I now was able to”.
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A ‘Growing Stage
Development and
consolidation of skills
Growing confidence
Support and guidance
are necessary to
navigate this stage, take
control and move to the
Transformative Phase.
Many trainees become
trapped in this phase.
Transitional
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Clear links between theory and
practice, the internalisation of
concepts and construction of new
knowledge, through processes of
deep reflection (Mezirow, 1991).
This involves cognitive, emotional
and social questioning of the self
to enable development of
awareness and new understanding
cannot, and should not be done, be
undertaken in isolation, if it is to
be effective.
In the majority of cases scant
attention is devoted to this stage,
hence its superficiality; trainees
becoming trapped in the
Transitional Phase.
Transformative
Professional Learning vs
Professional Development
0 Acquiring skills and
gaining competence,
leading to competence.
0 Teaching as a craft.
0 Intuitive.
0 Restricted
Professionalism (Hoyle
& Johns, 1995).
0 An on-going process,
self directed and
autonomous.
0 A realisation that
teaching is more than a
repertoire of skills –
more a rational, thought
out process linking
theory and practice.
0 Involves collaborative
work and values being
placed on the broader
context of education.
Workplace Influences
(Organisational/colleagues)
Early Educational
Experiences
Reflective
Practice
Workplace
Mentors
Dual role –
student/employee
Peers
Teacher
Educators
Observation of
Teaching
As a catalyst of
growth
Engage in the coconstruction of
meaning through
dialogue
Role of
the
Teacher
Educator
Encouraging trainees
to make sense of
their experiences
Enable learners to
link theory to
practice in a
meaningful way
Sotto stated (2007: 153)
“I have discovered a fact. It is that next to
nothing my students discuss or study in my
classes affects the way they actually teach
(even when they say the material is apt and
interesting) until two things happen: They
strongly feel its relevance to their personal
needs and they repeatedly act on those felt
needs”.
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The development of critical thinking is seen as a collaborative
rather than individualistic activity (Bruner, 1985; Vygotsky,
1978)
“...one of the main effects of personal experience is to
corroborate for us what we expect to experience. In other
words it looks as if, once we have got used to doing something a
certain way, our experience often has the effect of reinforcing
the way we are already doing it” (Sotto, 2007: 10)
Marcos, Miguel and Tilema’s findings (2009) argue, rather than
enhancing future practice, reflection habitually leads to a
justification of current practice, with little questioning of the
individual’s assumption concerning the nature of learning,
teaching and student teacher relationships.
“I don’t really like to take my work home, but I sit in
reflection in the bath and I think how can I improve…
and I always ask myself if I had to do that lesson again
what would I change, why and how and in a lot of cases I’m left
banging my head against a wall, but in some cases I think, they
didn’t get that for a particular reason , that reason is this and I
wouldn’t have known that if I hadn’t done it like that”.
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“... through reflection on observed sessions I’ve changed my
language to students, try not to give opinions, try to sit on the
fence, let them have a say”.
“I was stuck in the first domain of
Absolute Knowing… the dominant
culture in the organisation … did not
encourage the questioning by
lecturers of ‘official’ opinions and
orthodoxies. I now understand
what I did not at that point, which
is that there are gaps between
rhetoric and reality” (Summative
Reflective account).
The Observations:
Yes, I think that they did, initially when you
got the early ones over with, you saw them
more as a help, you know, rather than the
other type of thing. … and I think it did help
because of action planning and I did take on
board the weaknesses and strengths and it
gave me a bit of a boost particularly just
coming into teaching and not particularly
knowing what I was doing. It made me feel I
did know some stuff and I knew my subject,
but someone just saying to you it was OK,
cos you didn’t get a lot of that.
observations and
feedback “brought
a focus to the next
lesson, not just for
the next
observation, but in
future sessions”
“... so lovely to get feedback, because it’s nice to know
something like the things you picked up on ... nice to get areas
for development. How can you develop if you don’t really
know”?
‘The disparate nature of working in further
education colleges in England, where staff
within a college identify themselves as
different from one another rather than sharing
a common experience, as Hodkinson et al
(2002) have found adds to the complexity of
identity formation’ (Bathmaker & Avis,
2007:511)
I do think that you learn from
your peers, just like the talking,
what they do and what you do,
things like that.
“...brought ideas to the table,
the discussions made you sort
of look at things in different,
different lights really from
different angles,”
I think that is one of the best
classes I’ve ever, ever in my
entire life worked with. Even
as assessors and I worked
with some good assessors,
when it comes to that class it
was just a unique experience,
everybody knew everybody
and you just clicked from the
moment you walked in, I
looked forward to coming in…
Yes, I really enjoyed the Cert
Ed”
“I don’t think I had a lesser experience
because I didn’t interact with other group
members because I had, like I say, my
immediate colleagues that I did gain from”
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A continuum of support was discovered, which
Lucas and Unwin (2009) labelled the ‘expansiverestrictive framework. They also emphasised that
FE colleges are primarily workplaces whose primary
function was to provide a service; workforce
development was not their foremost concern.
Bearing this in mind it is concerning that Lingfield’s
(2012) recommendations to deregulate teaching
qualifications have been accepted and there will be
“A move to a new approach that will not be
dependent on government regulation, but where the
sector will decide for itself the best way to raise
and maintain standards” (LSIS, 2013: 4-5).
In nursing you work as a team,
you’ve got people with you, but
when you come into here, into
education, you’re completely on
your own and that’s what I found
when I came. I was going into
classrooms, I didn’t have a clue…
you don’t know the boundaries and
what all those things are.
“I don’t think I did
manage. When I look
back I think that’s one of
the failings of the
college. … those first few
months I don’t remember
much about them, really I
think it was just a blur”.
...always a massive
support ...they were
all so brilliant and
when I was thinking
how you could link
that to that, they
really did help... with
our team everyone
sort of pulls together
and helps you”
“...many trainee teachers in FE colleges, pre-service
and in-service encounter isolation, poor support
and little guidance, however well they manage
these conditions. What trainees learn from this
early experience of teaching in FE is limited,
because their experience, even at best, is limited”
(Orr 2012: 63),
“I’m really, really passionate about it,
I love it and I’m really glad I did
stick with it when I was working a
couple of hours a week here. I’m
really, really glad I did and I think
I’ve hit the vocation I want”
“As the course developed I was able
to begin to identify the role of the
teacher in further education as an
actual profession...I felt I was
developing an identity within
education... something I felt I had
lost when leaving the NHS to enter
the field of education”.
“Yes, yes and no, I do. I
love the idea of having a
badge on, coming to college
and being part of a team
and actually being a
teacher. I’m not
pretending to be something
I’m not”
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Most enjoyed the course, but for many it was a
skills enhancing experience – SOWs/Lesson
plans/strategies/dealing with behavioural
issues.
Most felt pressured – not all work & assignment
tasks had been helpful and trainees felt they
were largely irrelevant.
Wanted more on practical skills and behaviour
management
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Reported a growth in confidence, self esteem ‘now
I can call myself a teacher’.
Felt they had credibility and could relate to others
e.g. one trainee stated she felt part of the ‘in
crowd’ and knew what people were talking about –
could ‘talk the talk’.
The ‘R’ word – still technical rationality and some
practical action (Van Manen, 1977) Patchy Support
– mentors and organisation.
Support from colleagues
Mixed attitudes towards the qualification –
management, colleagues.
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extensive, almost revolutionary, change in the last ten years from the
introduction of regulation of training in 2002, to deregulation of training in
2013.
Intense scrutiny “the most highly regulated and centrally directed
education system in Europe (Orr and Simmons, 2010: 78)
The sector is extremely diverse and complex, including a broad range of
courses, at a range of levels. This breadth is both a strength and a
weakness, making unity difficult to achieve, whilst additionally meaning that
staff who work within the sector may have very different concepts of
where they fit into the scope of the sector (Crawley ibid).
Individual’s progress towards a teacher identity therefore progresses at
different rates as they are subject to the vagaries of the sector, the
organisations and teams they work within and the contacts they make as
they progress through their teacher training.
Trainees do not start at the same point, nor do they end at the same point,
their progress is idiosyncratic.
What does emerge from the research is the value these trainees attached
to their Certificate in Education/PgCE experiences, the majority valued the
experience and were committed to teaching.
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What effect will deregulation have on the status of teachers
in the sector?
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Will it undermine the status of what is already regarded as a
“Cinderella Service” (Foster, 2005)?
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Will employers be happy for staff to have the minimum
teaching qualification?
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Will employees consider the Certificate in Further Education
to be unnecessary additional work?
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Will lack of engagement with tertiary education inhibit the
professional development of those transferring from
industry to education?
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Bathmaker, A.-M. and Avis, J. (2007) 'How do I cope with that?' The challenge of
'schooling' cultures in FE for trainee FE lecturers. British Educational Research Journal
33(4), pp. 509-532.
Foster, Sir A. (2005) Realising the potential: a review of the future role of further
education colleges, Annesley: DfES publications
Further Education Development Agency (1999) FENTO Standards for teaching and
supporting learning, London: FEDA
Hodkinson, P., Colley, H. & Scaife, T. (2002) Transforming Learning Cultures in Further
Education Project, Interim progress report, May 2002, Leeds: Lifelong Learning Institute
Keep, E. (2006) State control of the English education and training system- playing with the
biggest train set in the world, Journal of Vocational Education and Training, Vol. 58 (1) pp.
47-64
Learning and Skills Improvement Service (2013) Teaching and Training Qualifications for
the Further Education and Skills Sector in England 2013: Guidance for employers and
practitioners, Coventry: LSIS
Le Gallais, T. (2009) Are you still who you were? A tale of construction lecturers, changing
technologies and conflicting perspectives, Ethnography and Education, Vol. 4 (1), pp. 37-50
Lingfield, R. (2012) Professionalism in Further Education Interim Report of the Independent
Review Panel, London: DBIS
Lucas, N. (2004) The ‘FENTO Fandango’: national standards, compulsory teaching
qualifications and the growing regulation of FE college teachers, Journal of Further and
Higher Education, Vol. 28 (1) pp. 35-51
References
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Lucas, N. & Unwin, L. (2009) Developing teacher expertise at work: inservice trainee teachers in colleges of further education in England,
Journal of Further and Higher Education Vol. 33 (4), pp. 423-433
Noel, P. (2009) Differentiation, Context and Teacher Education: the
changing profile of trainees in in –service initial teacher training
programmes in the lifelong learning sector. Teaching in Lifelong
Learning, Vol.1 No 1 pp17 – 27
Office for Standards in Education (2003) The initial training of further
education teachers: A survey, HMI 1762, London: Ofsted
Orr, K. and Simmons, R. (2009) Dual identities: Enhancing the in –
service training experience in the lifelong learning sector: A guide for
employers, Escalate
Orr K. & Simmons, R. (2010) Dual identities: the in-service teacher
trainee experience in the English further education sector, Journal of
Vocational Education and Training, Vol. 62 (1) pp. 75-88
Randle, K. & Brady, N. (1997) Managerialism and professionalism in the
Cinderella Service. Journal of Vocational Education and Training. 49 (1)
pp. 121 – 139
Van Manen, M. (1977). Linking ways of knowing with ways of being
practical. Curriculum Inquiry, 6, 205-228
Thank you for listening
cmcpartland@cleveland.ac.uk