An article examined what teachers thought about professionalism. Teachers' thinking might be construed as consisting of an inner core of strong, shared beliefs and commitments; an intermediate set of coherent but contested components of professionalism; and an outer layer of disparate elements that were generally highly disputed and that remained unintegrated into broader ways of thinking.
Source: Mandy Swann, Donald McIntyre, Tony Pell, Linda Hargreaves and Mark Cunningham, 'Teachers' conceptions of teacher professionalism in England in 2003 and 2006', British Educational Research Journal, Volume 36 Number 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2010-Aug
The new Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government announced plans to scrap the General Teaching Council for England, on the grounds that the organization 'did little to raise teaching standards or professionalism'.
Source: Debate 2 June 2010, column 463-464, House of Commons Hansard/TSO
Links: Hansard | GTC press release | NUT press release | NASUWT press release | ATL press release | Voice press release | Children & Young People Now report | Guardian report | BBC report | Times Education Supplement report
Date: 2010-Jun
The inspectorate for education and children's services said that the best schools were excellent at developing their staff and were highly effective in using continuing professional development as a way to help bring about improved standards at their school.
Source: Good Professional Development in Schools, HMI 080254, Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills
Links: Report | OFSTED press release | Children & Young People Now report
Date: 2010-Mar
A report said that increasing the number of teaching assistants in schools improved student attainment.
Source: John Brown and Alma Harris, Increased Expenditure on Associate Staff in Schools and Changes in Student Attainment, Training and Development Agency for Schools/Specialist Schools and Academies Trust
Links: BBC report
Notes: The original links to the report have since been removed from the TDA website without explanation.
Date: 2010-Mar
An article examined the role of teachers in England. There had been considerable specialization and subsequent fragmentation of roles within the teaching profession, as part of workforce remodelling initiatives. However, there was still further scope for developing a greater sense of professional cohesion through social activism initiatives. This might produce more stable professional identities in the future.
Source: Sandra Leaton Gray and Geoff Whitty, 'Social trajectories or disrupted identities? Changing and competing models of teacher professionalism under New Labour', Cambridge Journal of Education, Volume 40 Issue 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2010-Mar
A report said that increasing numbers of young people were acting out 'attachment difficulties' that neither their families nor the school system knew how to address, and that teachers were inadequately trained and resourced to deal with. Teacher training should be redesigned to focus less on core subjects and classroom management and more on child development.
Source: James Wetz, Is Initial Teacher Training Failing to Meet the Needs of All Our Young People?, CfBT Education Trust
Links: Report | NAHT press release | Children & Young People Now report
Date: 2010-Mar
A report by a committee of MPs said that radical changes were needed in the way teachers were trained in England. No candidate should be recruited to a graduate teaching course without at least a lower-second-class degree. All potential teachers should be required to take tests in literacy, numeracy, and information technology before they entered training, rather than afterwards.
Source: Training of Teachers, Fourth Report (Session 2009-10), HC 275, House of Commons Children, Schools and Families Select Committee/TSO
Links: Report | ATL press release | GuildHE press release | Times Higher Education report | Guardian report | BBC report | Personnel Today report | Children & Young People Now report
Date: 2010-Feb
The inspectorate for education and children's services said that some schools were making much better use of their wider workforce, including teaching assistants and learning mentors.
Source: Workforce Reform in Schools: Has It Made a Difference?, HMI 080263, Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills
Links: Report | OFSTED press release | NUT press release | NASUWT press release | Children & Young People Now report
Date: 2010-Jan
