Throughout the 1980s increasing attention was paid to the quality of teacher education by the government, culminating in the publication of Circular 9/92 (DFE 1992). It decreed that schools were to play a larger and much more active role than before, as the practical side of the training was to be enhanced at the expense of the educational theory provided by the HEIs. The government believed that encouraging more practical training through a partnership of equals between the HEIs and the schools would improve the professional competence of the NQTs and eventually raise standards in the classroom. An aura of co-operation and consensus pervades the notion of partnership, but this research suggests that the concept is imprecise and open to many different interpretations. It also supports the view that there is a significant difference between the image of partnership projected by the government and the intentions, values and practices of those immediately involved in initial teacher education. The resulting disparity between the rhetoric of policy and the reality of partnership is pinpointed and explained by a critique of the Universities of Sussex and Brighton and twelve of their respective partner secondary schools. This investigation adopts a case study approach. Evidence collected through surveys, interviews and observation of participants within the partnership - such as university tutors, trainees, mentors and professional tutors, together with a review of the contextual literature, are used to illuminate the problems experienced by the practitioners. The evidence presented shows that the success of the partnership and its continued existence in its present form is dependent upon a variety of factors: adequate communication, effective mentorships, clearly-defined assessment and standardisation procedures and the development of a professional ethos to avoid undue reliance on good-will. Major restrictions are also placed upon the delivery of effective initial teacher education by inadequate funds and the shortage of time. More importantly however, the straightforward perception of partnership promoted by the government is in itself seen to be flawed, because there are inherent tensions between the HEIs and the schools. This results in conflicting expectations over key issues, which if unresolved will continue to jeopardise the development of partnership and affect the quality of initial teacher education.

This is a formative evaluation study of the "Class-Teacher" pre-service teacher education programme at the University of Jordan. The aim was to identify and evaluate the programme as perceived by the programme's participants. The choice of the topic was inspired by the researcher's perception that there were negative faculty and students' attitudes toward the programme. The programme's evaluation was intended to be responsive to its participants' needs and concerns. It was also planned and implemented within the interpretive paradigm of research. Stake's countenance model of evaluation was used mainly to guide the process of data collection. Both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection including questionnaires, formal and informal interviews and document analysis were used. The fieldwork took place in two different contexts, the university where the theoretical (on-campus) part of the programme has been implemented and the cooperating schools where the student's teaching practice took place. The target groups were student teachers, university faculty members and supervisors, co-operating teachers and headteachers at the co-operating schools. The findings of the study indicate that there is a lack of clarity regarding the objectives of the programme among the majority of its participants. Concerning the programme's curriculum, the findings show that the student teachers welcome the variety of its content. However, the students criticised certain aspects of the programme's content, particularly the professional sequence, of lack of relevance to the school curriculum and therefore to their needs as student teachers. The findings also show that there is a need to increase the weight of the school-based component of the programme since there is a perceived lack of balance in the content. Although there is a perceived lack of communication between The University and the cooperating schools that has an effect on the training process, student teachers seem most satisfied with their school-based training. The final chapter further discusses the above as well as many other main findings, reports the problems raised and posits a set of recommendations intended to resolve the identified problems.

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This thesis seeks to: 1) establish reasons for the introduction of Competenceand Standards-based Initial Teacher Training (ITT) in England and Wales; 2) assess the impact ofCompetences and Standards on Secondary RE ITT; 3) offer proposals for a new 'multidimensional' RE ITT paradigm. The thesis is structured around four research questions. The first research question: Why were Competences and Standards introduced into the lIT process? informs a historical inquiry into the origins of Competences and Standards in Part 1. The second and third research questions: To what extent do documents such as 9/92 and 4/98 represent idealized models of teacher training and assessment? and How do Ofsted inspectors interpret ITT Competences and Standards in practice?, are considered in Part 2, where DfEE Circulars 9/92, 4/98 and other ITT inspection-related materials are analyzed and critiqued. The fourth research question: Can Standards be successfully integrated into ITT structures that seek to develop personal and professional qualities that lie far beyond the mechanical acquisition of depersonalized and decontextualized skills, behaviours and knowledge? leads in Part 3 to the presentation of proposals for new Secondary RE ITT structures. After outlining the salient features of these proposed ITT structures, possible barriers to their successful implementation are considered.

The aim of this research was to investigate stakeholder attitudes towards people, with dyslexia, training to be primary classroom practitioners. The study examined stakeholder awareness and understanding of the term dyslexia; their perceived strengths and challenges, of those training to be teachers, with dyslexia. The study explored the impact of attitudes on disclosure of dyslexia and the potential of their employability as primary teachers in light of inclusive legislation and whether attitudes, held by a range of stakeholders, were on a neutral to positive or neutral to negative spectrum. The research entailed the implementation of an online questionnaire completed by 214 current stakeholders (including Initial teacher Education lecturers, school staff, Initial Teacher Education students and parents) and 11 semi-structured interviews. Findings suggest that there is uncertainty and confusion about the term dyslexia, its associated characteristics and its causes. Many stakeholders perceive dyslexia negatively with key characteristics being linked, predominantly, to deficits in reading, writing and spelling. This research has found that stakeholders identify a number of strengths that those with dyslexia bring to the teaching profession. These key strengths include empathy, inclusive practice and ease of identification of children with dyslexia. The main challenges/concerns identified by stakeholders, of those entering the profession, with dyslexia, were - the demands of the profession; the inability to teach particular age groups/subjects and the level of support needed to ensure success and retention following qualification. This latter concern constitutes a key finding of this research, as the level of support afforded by universities is perceived as being unrealistic in the workplace. The ethical responsibility that universities have, in preparing students for the demands and reality of the workplace, has emerged. The notion of what constitutes ‘reasonable adjustments’ is questioned by many stakeholders. This research concludes that a number of ‘reasonable adjustments’ are perceived as being unreasonable within the teaching profession due to the professional roles, responsibilities and requirements of being a teaching professional. Furthermore, uncertainty about legislation exists with regard to reasonable adjustments, whose responsibility it is to enforce reasonable adjustments and how schools can actually support those with dyslexia, in light of professional standards. Overall, this research has found that 16.1% more stakeholders display attitudes on the neutral to positive spectrum than neutral to negative with regard to those with dyslexia training to be primary classroom teachers. However, this masks major differences between stakeholders and between responses to particular statements/questions. A significant majority of stakeholders demonstrated a negative attitude towards the notion of people with dyslexia entering the teaching profession, believing that parents should be concerned if their child is being taught by someone with dyslexia. Both of these findings could have serious implications on the future disclosure of those with dyslexia. This research has found that a fear of stigmatisation and potential discrimination, which deter those with dyslexia from disclosing on course and job applications are justified and real. This research concludes that employability chances are lessened upon disclosure of dyslexia.

University-based initial teacher education aims at instilling in teacher candidates the idea of the interconnectedness of content, pedagogical and educational research knowledge by allowing meaningful interaction between teacher candidates and teacher educators. The theory-practice divide is presented in the literature as barrier to achieving this goal. This mixed methods research study re-conceptualizes the theory-practice divide from a problem into an opportunity. Secondary school teacher candidates can use contradictions and tensions, surrounding the theory-practice divide, for synthesizing diverse perspectives on content, pedagogical and educational research knowledge. They can integrate this perspective in their practice teaching. The study examined secondary school teacher candidates’ perspectives on the interaction of their content, pedagogical and educational research knowledge in practice teaching as well as factors contributing to these perspectives. The study found that participants’ different perspectives on their research pedagogical and content knowledge (RPACK) were associated with the different levels of their reform-mindedness in mathematics education as measured by a survey. The low, medium and high reform minded participants placed as the first priority pedagogical knowledge, content knowledge and educational research knowledge, respectively.

University-based initial teacher education aims at instilling in teacher candidates the idea of the interconnectedness of content, pedagogical and educational research knowledge by allowing meaningful interaction between teacher candidates and teacher educators. The theory-practice divide is presented in the literature as barrier to achieving this goal. This mixed methods research study re-conceptualizes the theory-practice divide from a problem into an opportunity. Secondary school teacher candidates can use contradictions and tensions, surrounding the theory-practice divide, for synthesizing diverse perspectives on content, pedagogical and educational research knowledge. They can integrate this perspective in their practice teaching. The study examined secondary school teacher candidates’ perspectives on the interaction of their content, pedagogical and educational research knowledge in practice teaching as well as factors contributing to these perspectives. The study found that participants’ different perspectives on their research pedagogical and content knowledge (RPACK) were associated with the different levels of their reform-mindedness in mathematics education as measured by a survey. The low, medium and high reform minded participants placed as the first priority pedagogical knowledge, content knowledge and educational research knowledge, respectively.

In Initial Teacher Training (ITT), one of the technologies rapidly being adopted to support the development of trainee teachers is the e-portfolio. Research into successful use of e-portfolios beyond their function as a repository has been scanty to date. The purpose of the current study was to extend the boundaries of understanding of e-portfolios beyond this function. This was undertaken through two in-depth case studies where e-portfolios were used as a pedagogical tool intended to support the development of reflective practice on a one year postgraduate ITT course, during two years of investigation in one university A mixed-methods approach was adopted to capture the richness of participants’ self reports of their experiences, statistical data regarding interactions on the e-portfolios and analysis of reflective writing. Data were collected and analysed from questionnaires, student and tutor interviews and interactions with the e-portfolio together with analysis of the content of reflective e-journals, with a special emphasis on the place and depth of reflection. What emerged was a rich contextual understanding of e-portfolio use by trainee teachers and tutors and the problematic nature of conceptualising and assessing reflective thinking, together with the extent to which the development and depth of their reflective thinking had been supported by e-portfolio use. The results confirm previous concerns related to the training requirements of users and also the time needed for students and tutors to engage in interactions. Further they imply that the prerequisites of successful use of e-portfolios, as a pedagogical tool, to support the development of reflective thinking include common agreement about what constitutes reflection and reflective thinking embedded within a strong, rigorous and well theorised conceptualisation of course structure and content. Implied also is the need for a well understood and transparent framework to assess the depth of reflective thinking that should complement the competencies that underpin Standards, and support the professional development of teachers.

The need to empower student teachers with positive teacher-student relationships (TSRs) competencies resonates with the fact that students are not merely cognitive but also emotional and social beings. Indeed, the interactions of the cognitive, emotional and social dimensions work to impact on their learning and performance. The benefits for positive teacher-student relationships within and outside class contexts cannot be overemphasised. Students are hard-wired with the need to connect in relationships with their teachers. Teacher-student relationships determine students’ school engagement, their adaptation to developmental changes and their motivation to learn. Also, TSRs influence students’ discipline, stability to social adjustments, value orientation and their identity formation and development. Undeniably, the building of positive TSRs and teaching and learning processes are essentially mutually inclusive. To be able to form and sustain positive TSRs, student teachers need well-developed knowledge, beliefs, and self efficacy attributes. This comparative study of Tanzania and Germany argues that positive teacher student relationships form a critical requirement for effective teaching, learning, and holistic development of students in schools. To this end, the initial teacher education has a duty to nurture the TSRs attributes alongside other teacher competencies. Despite the acknowledgement of the necessity for positive TSRs by researchers, educators, and administrative authorities, literature provides no evidence of the contribution of the initial teacher education to the positive TSRs abilities. The existing studies on TSRs have focused mainly on TSRs in schools and on the problems related to unhealthy TSRs (Giles, 2008; Jones, 2009; Knoell, 2012; Raufelder et al., 2013; Sands, 2011; Wubbel et al., 1993) and others. This disjuncture between the reported problems faced by teachers in forming and sustaining positive TSRs and the opportunity for initial teacher education to empower student teachers for positive relational exchange frames this study. The study employed a combination of the conceptual change, self-efficacy, and goal contents theories. The utilisation of the theories was justified by the study assumptions that in order to produce teachers who are capable of handling positive TSRs in schools, the initial teacher education has to transform, orient, and reorient student teachers on the relational exchange knowledge. Secondly, apart from the pro-relational knowledge, student teachers ought to demonstrate improved self-efficacy as a yardstick of their preparedness and commitment to positive TSRs. Lastly, the study examined the implication of student teachers’ motivational reasons for joining teaching on their TSRs self efficacy. Motivational dynamics have been proven to influence teachers’ occupational satisfaction and their behaviours (Weiss & Kiel, 2013; Vansteenkiste & Ryan, 2013). Hence, the motivational reasons held by student teachers to join the teaching profession were viewed as an important construct which also may influence the student teachers’ self-efficacy for positive TSRs. This study sought to answer the following question: Does the university¬¬ based initial teacher education contribute to positive TSRs (competencies) among student teachers? To ascertain for this role, the study investigated and compared student teachers’ knowledge, beliefs, perceived self efficacy, as well as the approaches employed in this regard. The study was anchored on the Pragmatism epistemology and ontology. The study used qualitative and quantitative techniques to study two typical cases, namely; the Universities of Leipzig and Dar es Salaam, in Germany and Tanzania respectively. The study deployed both probabilistic and non-probabilistic sampling techniques to arrive at the sample size N=721 for student teachers; both final-year (n=548) and beginners (n=173) and eight (8) university teacher educators. Findings of the study show the presence of significant changes in the student teachers\' knowledge, beliefs, and perceived self-efficacy for positive TSRs. Comparatively, student teachers in Germany revealed higher levels of the TSRs knowledge and perceived self-efficacy than their Tanzanian counterparts. However, the qualitative findings revealed inadequacies in TSRs knowledge among the final-year student teachers in both countries. The beginner student teachers in Germany demonstrated higher command in positive TSRs knowledge and self efficacy than their Tanzanian counterparts. It was further unveiled that the student teachers’ knowledge had a significant association with their self-efficacy for positive TSRs. The approaches employed in promoting positive TSRs competencies include the teaching practice, educational courses and role modelling. However, these approaches were constrained by the strict focus given on academic performance, lack of clear orientation on the nature of positive TSRs, and overlook of important and potential aspects of initial teacher education. Despite having approaches to promoting positive TSRs abilities, teacher educators demonstrated varied and contradicting perspectives of what constitutes the nature and character of positive TSRs. The study considered contradicting perspectives among the hurdles to the effective orientation of the positive TSRs. Moreover, findings indicated that student teachers in Germany and Tanzania joined the teaching profession as a result of intrinsic and extrinsic motivational reasons. It was found out that the intrinsic motivation reasons were more important among German student teachers. Conversely, extrinsic motivational reasons were relatively more important among student teachers in Tanzania. The analysis of motivational reasons indicated a strong positive association (Cramer’s V .175) between intrinsic motivational reasons and perceived self-efficacy for positive TSRs. The study concludes that although positive TSRs feature in the initial teacher education, its implementation has suffered inconsistency, underrepresentation, and misinterpretation by teacher educators and student teachers. The study recommends for an integration of a compulsory positive TSRs content or module to address for depth, breadth and evaluative treatment of the competencies (the proposed framework of integration has been suggested). Moreover, the study recommends for the redefinition and reaffirmation of the positive TSRs phenomenon in the theoretical and practical aspects of the university based initial teacher education.

As teaching is a highly complex activity, so too is learning to teach. One pedagogy which has been shown to promote teacher learning is the use of small group discussion. This thesis examines the experiences of seven preservice secondary teachers at a New Zealand university who met weekly during their second practicum to discuss their experiences at their placement schools. Individual interviews conducted with five of the participants revealed that students felt positively about the weekly meetings. The preservice teachers appreciated 1) being able to hear about the experiences of other preservice teachers 2) tell others about their teaching 3) being able to seek advice and potential solutions to problems 4) the sense of personal connection and emotional support they gained during the weekly sessions. The students reported that the weekly meetings allowed them to think about their teaching from the perspective of others, and gave them time to reflect about their experiences while on practicum. This study situates these findings within the literature on initial teacher education and offers suggestions for future research using this pedagogy.