Bridging the gap between theory and practice in teacher training: Insights from a study on the role of research in educator development
8 min read
REBECCA PETRONZI, SENIOR LECTURER IN PRIMARY ITT/E, UNIVERSITY OF DERBY, UK
JACK FROST, SENIOR LECTURER IN EDUCATION, UNIVERSITY OF DERBY, UK
DOMINIC PETRONZI, SENIOR LECTURER IN PSYCHOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF DERBY, UK
Introduction
Balancing practice and theory in initial teacher training/education (ITT/E) is a critical challenge (Bates, 2002; Smith, 2008). While the teachers’ standards (DfE, 2011) outline expectations for achieving qualified teacher status (QTS), there appears to be an absence of standards for underpinning theoretical knowledge. Despite this, teacher educators are expected to be effective practitioners engaged in scholarly activities (Murray and Male, 2005). Although teaching is recognised as a graduate profession, the Department for Education has not explicitly defined the role of research; however, recent developments within the initial teacher training and early careers framework (ITTECF) have outlined some suggested sources and research to prepare trainees
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