The Transformation of Initial Teacher Education: The Changing Nature of Teacher Training

Tracing the development of Initial Teacher Education (ITE) since the large scale expansion of the teaching professional after the Second World War to the present day, this book explores the changing nature of teacher education. It considers the growth of the ‘teaching industry’ and addresses key issues including the return to an apprentice model, the growing importance of schools in ITE and the continuing decline in the role played by Higher Education. The book sets these changes in the broader international context to consider the future of teacher education and the changing nature of teaching. The book examines the broader socio economic context of increased marketization and competition and considers the political factors driving the reform process. Drawing on interviews with prominent individuals who have been involved in the development of policy, it reveals the ideas and ideals that have permeated teacher education and how these have shaped the experiences of trainees on a variety of programmes. Offering an insight into the changing nature of teacher education and its impact on practice, this timely book will be of interest to postgraduate and undergraduate education students and academics in the field of teacher education.