A growing trend in primary schools in recent times has been to outsource Physical Education (PE) to external sport and activity providers. The impact of this has not yet been examined on new teachers entering the profession. Drawing upon Critical Theory, this paper aims to explore and understand pre-service teachers' (PSTs) school-based experience…

This paper examines the potential causes of dissonance amongst primary trainee teachers while undertaking teacher training placements in faith settings. The positioning of this research extends beyond teacher education indicating a significant need to unravel the tensions that exist in a multicultural yet fragmented society. Faith, identity and…

Purpose: The aim of this paper is to use the lens of figurational sociology to analyse the learning networks of physical education (PE) associate teachers (ATs) in England. More specifically, it aims to develop a more adequate understanding of who is involved in the learning networks and how they influence ATs during their one-year postgraduate…

The shutdown of universities and schools in England, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, came just as many pre-service students began their final practicum. This research focuses on the challenges this posed for teacher educators. Using qualitative research methods and concepts from spatial geography, the article explores how pedagogies adapted as the…

Physical education (PE) research focusing on initial teacher education (ITE) and continuing professional development (CPD) have been preoccupied with practitioners in mainstream (regular) schools. This article used situated learning theory to explore special school PE teachers' perspectives of their ITE and CPD in England. A number of key themes…

This study compares interview data from four pre-service teachers who took part in an ethnographic study in 2006 whilst on their teacher education course and then were interviewed again in 2015 about their subsequent careers. Their conceptualisations of knowing and of becoming a teacher are explored in order to comment on the process of learning…

Textbooks on dyslexia ascertain that writing strategies designed for dyslexic students are effective, some suggesting their suitability for all students. However, there is a lack of empirical evidence to substantiate these claims (Glazzard, 2011). This paper examines these claims, by presenting the findings from research into writing strategies…

This article offers a critical examination of the use of teachers' standards for student-teachers in teacher education in England. Using an illustrative data example of student-teachers working in a school department setting, benefits of a cultural historical activity theory analysis are forwarded. The example highlights shortcomings in the…

Recent migration combined with strategies to diversify the teacher workforce has led to complexities in teacher diversity identified by the term 'superdiversity' (Vertovec, 2006). This article builds on recent work on the processes of convergence and superdiversity (Wessendorf, 2011) by focusing on meaningful encounters in the mathematics…

At a time when teacher training is being moved to school-based programmes it is important to engage in a research-informed dialogue about creating more distinctive, and cost-effective 21st century models of teacher training. Three years ago I began feasibility field testing the Lesson Observation On-line (Evidence Portfolio) Platform [LOOP]…

This paper takes up ideas from previous research projects which advocate student teachers undertaking research activity as part of their teacher education course. The aim is to strengthen the call for maintaining university input into teacher education preparation, which is currently being marginalised by new policies increasingly promoting…

In recent years there have been significant changes in education across the globe, largely as a result of changing demographics, technological developments, and increased globalization. Relatedly, the changing needs of societies and families, along with new research findings, provide new directions in early childhood education. Consequently, early…

"It was the funnest week in the whole history of funnest weeks": our case study, the second phase in a three-phase research project, evaluates the successes and limitations of creative teaching and learning during the "The Creative and Effective Curriculum" module for PGCE primary student teachers which includes a one-week…

In this article five trainee teachers specialising in science at the University of Winchester describe their experience teaching science for three consecutive Fridays within a 2 year class (ages 6-7). They were given the task of teaching food and nutrition through the class topic of "turrets and tiaras," a medieval history focus. Their…

As globalization lessens the distance between peoples and diversifies the common classroom, teacher education programs lag behind in producing globally-minded educators. One approach used by some teacher education programs to remedy this issue is to offer international student teaching experiences. While the literature related to these programs is…