2. “In many member states there is little systematic
coordination between different elements of teacher
education, leading to a lack of coherence and
continuity.” (European Commission, 2007:2)
“The separate traditions of training school, college and
HE teachers appear to be as strong as ever, as is a trend
of ever-greater and more complex forms of regulation.”
(Lucas and Nasta 2010:441)
“Professionalism in Further Education, was published in
2012; the report was critical of the confusing array of
teaching qualifications…Following the report most of
the 2007 regulations were revoked.” (UK Parliament,
2014)
3. Teaching qualifications in England
QTS (qualified teacher status): Early years, primary and
secondary state schools until July 2012, then not mandatory in
academies, free and studio schools.
Department for Education (DfE)
Graduate entry only (until 2013, then non-graduate members of
the armed forces exempt)
QTLS (Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills): FE professional
formation year, not qualification. Qualification was DTLLS (full
teaching role) and CTLLS (associate teaching role) until
September 2013, now Certificate in Education or Diploma in
Education, but not mandatory.
• Business Innovation and Skills (BIS)
• Non-graduate
4. Government legislation in England on teaching
2010-2011: potential for professional
convergence by teaching qualification
The Skills Commission Report Teacher Training in Vocational Education (2010)
recommended:
“The conclusion of this inquiry is the need to converge the two separate
teacher training regimes…The two regimes should be replaced by a
unified training system and a ‘universal teaching status”. (2010:9)
DfE The Importance of Teaching (2010) - No acknowledgement of Skills
Commission recommendation.
DfE Review of Vocational Education: Wolf Report (2011) - Minister for
Education accepted recommendation for immediate implementation of QTLS
holders being able to teach, with parity to QTS holders, in schools.
DfE Training Our Next Generation of Outstanding Teachers (2011) - No
acknowledgement of potential for professional convergence in teaching.
5. Government legislation in England on teaching
2012 onwards: removal of mandatory teaching
qualifications
Government legislation for schools and colleges in England since 2010
has progressively increased their autonomy and, in relation to
teaching, has effectively de-professionalised teaching through the
removal of mandatory teaching qualifications:
Paragraph 8 of the Deregulation Bill (2012) removed the Secretary
of State’s power under clauses in the Education Act 2002 to impose
qualification requirements in respect of staff and principals at
further education institutions in England.
Department for Education’s Increasing the number of academies
and free schools to create a better and more diverse school system
(2012) gives academies the same freedom to employ non-qualified
teachers as independent and free schools.
6. Do we need a teaching qualification in England?
Could a Universal Teaching Qualification (UTQ)
provide the answer?
Professional convergence in teaching:
Route 1: No mandatory teaching qualifications – current policy – train
teachers on the job in a single school by an outstanding
subject/phase teacher. Little standardisation in educational theory as
not required for QTS (if taken). Converge through non-qualified
outcome with focus on classroom practice.
Route 2: UTQ – potential policy for a new government – teachers
educated and trained in school, college, university partnership
through praxis (educational theory and practice). Simplify routes into
teaching and understanding of qualification to teach; with
opportunities to teach across sectors and employ most appropriate
staff and parity of esteem for all teachers. Converge through
professional qualification with focus on partnership and praxis.
7. A Universal Teaching Qualification:
the research project
Aims
The aim of this qualitative project (2011-2013) was to examine the
political and social context of teacher education and teacher status in
FE and compulsory education in England. Teacher Educators’
perceptions were used to suggest the challenges and opportunities
for professional convergence through a universal teaching
qualification and new systems of teacher education governance.
Methods
Primary research was undertaken through:
Questionnaires - secure on-line questionnaire to all Teacher
Educators in England. 127 responses across all phases.
Interviews – semi-structured interviews using a self selecting
population for a stratified random sample of 9 Teacher Educators
from Further, Secondary and Primary Education.
9. Findings
Findings suggest that there is support among teacher
educators in England for a Universal Teaching Qualification
(64.3%) and even greater support for the professional
convergence of government departments (82.5%), agencies
(84.9%) and funding bodies (86.5%) for all teacher education
in England.
In England responsibility for, and governance of, Education
(including funding) is located in different government
departments dependent on the Education sector.
Compulsory Education sits in the Department for Education
(DfE) and Post-Compulsory Education with the department
of Business Innovation and Skills (BIS), which has caused
disparity in policy and funding.
10. Teacher Educators’ Voice
36% of responding teacher educators had been in teacher education for more
than 16 years, while 75% had been teacher educators for more than 5 years. This
suggests the findings offer a significant and experienced commentary on
regulations for teacher education:
“From and administrative point of view it [professional convergence in teaching]
would be ever so helpful. If you could see how everything fitted together and if
people who were employed were able to go from one sector to another…it would
be very useful.” Teacher Educator (I2)
“ There is so much shared practise and the principles of learning are same
regardless of what age learner that your are working with that it’s almost
sectarian the way that people view different sector. And the folklore view that
certain areas of teaching being harder or more demanding than other areas I
think it’s ridiculous.” Teacher Educator (I8)
“Education should be managed outside of the political field as in other countries
i.e. Germany. There should be professional educators collaboration to improve
practice, not a dictatorial and fluctuating governmental department” Teacher
Educator (Q10:44)
11. Benefits and challenges to introducing
professional convergence in teaching in England
97 Teacher Educators offered qualitative responses that informed these findings
on the potential for professional convergence:
Benefits
‘A unified and vibrant pool of teachers with the flexibility to provide a high quality
supply of teachers for all learners.’
Parity between sectors (‘FE feels like the Cinderella sector, successive
governments have perpetuated this’), raising the status of FE teaching
A stronger and more collegiate teaching profession (‘possible merging of
unions’) with enhanced professional standards
Share best practice and teachers (resource) across sectors (‘The main benefit
would be a truly portable qualification allowing teachers to move across
sectors, which in itself would bring a richer contribution to teaching and
learning’)
Less bureaucracy (’simplification and streamlining’; ‘cheaper regulation through
single bodies’)
‘The main benefit would be that eventually everyone would know how to get a
teaching qualification that was transferable across sectors’
Overcome the vocational/academic divide, training v education
12. Benefits and challenges to introducing
professional convergence in teaching in England
Challenges
‘The main challenge is from the government who I think do not wish to see a
strong and coherent set of professionals expressing themselves.’
Different cultures/self perceptions of teachers in each sector (‘The other
phases would never consider LL [lifelong Learning or FE] their equal’; ‘The main
challenge will be the integration of two completely different cultures which are
apparent in schools and in teacher education and the production of one set of
universal standards’)
Recognising differences between sectors and phases e.g. curriculum, subject
specificity, pedagogical issues
Very different roles of some Post compulsory teaching e.g. prison, private
training
Cost of parity in salaries (traditionally pay in FE lower than compulsory
sector)(‘Getting agreement to convergence from those who hold the purse
strings, as it would undoubtedly lead to stronger calls for pay and conditions
parity for all teachers’)
Vested interests of different bodies/agencies in having different
Ensuring training and skills teachers/lecturers qualification are recognised as
equivalent to a degree
13. Current perceptions of teacher
education on in England…
“...the lofty aspirations expressed in government reforms to
improve FE teacher training and to achieve parity of esteem
between school and FE teachers have not been achieved.”
(Lucas et al, 2011:17)
It appears that parity has been met in an unexpected way,
through a professional convergence of non- mandatory
teaching qualifications.
“We’ve got this fragmentation of the compulsory sector
whereby Free Schools and Academies are not required to
employ people who are qualified as teachers…I think it’s a
mess…I’m not sure anybody has thought it through in a sensible
way.” Teacher Educator 2
14. What next for teaching as a profession
in England? A return to a qualified
profession?
Nick Clegg, Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the
Liberal Democrat Party 2015 Manifesto:
"There is no reason why a child attending an academy
or free school should not enjoy the same basic right to
be taught by a qualified teacher or to follow a core
curriculum as any other child.” (BBC News, 12/06/14)
15. References
Bailey, B and Robson, J (2002) Changing Teachers: a critical review of
recent policies affecting the professional training and qualifications of teachers
in schools, colleges and universities in England. Vocational Education and
Training, p. 325-442.
BIS (2012) Professionalism in Further Education. London, BIS
DfE (2011) A Review of Vocational Education: The Wolf Report. London: DfE.
DfE (2010) The Importance of Teaching. London: Department of Education.
DfE (2011a)Training our next generation of outstanding teachers: An
improvement strategy for discussion. London: Department for Education.
European Commission, (2007) Education: Communication on the quality of
teacher education, Memo 07/320. Brussels: EC
Lucas, N and Nasta, T. (2010). State regulation and the professionalisation of FE
teachers: a comparison with schools and HE. Vocational Education and
Training, 441-454.
Lucas, N., Nasta, T. And Rogers, L (2011) From fragmentation to chaos? The
regulation of initial teacher training in further education. British Educational
Research Journal pp1-19.
Skills Commission. (2010). Teacher Training in Vocational Education. London:
Skills Commission.
UK Parliament (2014) Deregulation Bill: Bill 162 of 2013-14. RESEARCH PAPER
14/06 30 January 2014.
16. Contact details:
Please contact me if you have any questions or would like
to collaborate.
Dr Tanya Ovenden-Hope
Tanya.ovenden-hope@plymouth.ac.uk
Tanya.ovendenhope@cornwall.ac.uk
@unieducator
Linked In: Tanya Ovenden-Hope
