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A Universal Teaching Qualification: Challenging the

Dichotomy in Teaching Status in England.

Dr Tanya Ovenden-Hope

Plymouth Institute of EducationPlymouth University

© Tanya Ovenden-Hope

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“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)

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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

Teaching qualifications in England

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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.

Government legislation in England on teaching 2010-2011: potential for professional convergence by teaching qualification

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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.

Government legislation in England on teaching 2012 onwards: removal of mandatory teaching

qualifications

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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.

Do we need a teaching qualification in England? Could a Universal Teaching Qualification (UTQ)

provide the answer?

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AimsThe 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.

MethodsPrimary 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.

A Universal Teaching Qualification: the research project

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Teacher Educators perceptions of a Universal Teaching Qualification (UTQ) for England

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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.

Findings

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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)

Teacher Educators’ Voice

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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

Benefits and challenges to introducing professional convergence in teaching in England

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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

Benefits and challenges to introducing professional convergence in teaching in England

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“...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

Current perceptions of teacher education on in England…

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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)

What next for teaching as a profession in England? A return to a qualified profession?

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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.

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Contact details:Please contact me if you have any questions or would like to collaborate.

Dr Tanya Ovenden-Hope [email protected] [email protected] @unieducator Linked In: Tanya Ovenden-Hope


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