A previous special issue of this journal (Vol 46, 4) demonstrated the significant challenges for programmes of initial teacher preparation unleashed by the COVID-19 pandemic. After forcing urgent changes, the pandemic also prompted some teacher-educators to reconsider fundamental principles underpinning their programmes, as they decided which…

This in-practice article reports a case study investigating the trajectory of teachers who engaged in a professional learning community (PLC) project that aimed to develop language assessment literacy. This case study attempted to examine the following key research question: what changes did the teachers experience in their assessment beliefs and…

Teachers' motivation to participate in professional learning is a significant factor in explaining the effectiveness of continuous professional development programmes. The present study investigated how factors at teachers' personal and school levels are related to their motivation to participate in professional learning activities. A…

Drawing on a larger ethnographic study, this article reports a case study investigating the impact of a blended professional learning community (PLC) on teacher educators' changes in professional identity situated in initial teacher education (ITE) curriculum reform. Out of 200 teacher educators involved in the project under the Indonesian…

The purpose of this paper is to examine the ways in which a school--university mentorship programme promotes a range of growth experiences, both negative and positive, for the participating mentor teachers. The paper presents a brief description of a school--university partnership, discusses the ways in which this partnership operates, summarises…

This article contains important messages for all those with an interest in enhancing the effectiveness of professional development supported by websites. It is informed by the findings of a Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) funded evaluation of the use and effectiveness of three websites whose development the TDA had supported.…

This study is an analysis of the impact on students of their experience of an alternative placement. The placement was run with Year 2 students on a three-year undergraduate initial teacher education degree programme (primary, 3-11) in England. The placement enabled students to have a practical teaching experience in any setting outside the age…

Learning to teach well is a complex task. Teacher-educators have a significant role to play in enabling students to reflect critically and analyse their own practice. However, there is a danger, as a result of funding pressures and other contrary factors, that many institutions that provide teacher education will become separated from their…

This study explores gender inequality in the occupational culture of Japanese high school teachers with special focus on women teachers' resistance to gender-biased practices. It examines the effectiveness of official and informal teacher training programmes in raising awareness of gender issues. Through an ethnographic case study conducted in…

This study set out to measure the perceptions of pre-primary and primary school teachers in Cyprus regarding the impact and efficiency of a particular ICT in-service training initiative. The research was carried out through telephone interviews with two groups of trained teachers. Teachers' responses indicated a significant impact of such training…