Transcript Implications of the professional compass for geography teacher

The implications
of a “professional
compass” for
geography initial
teacher
education
GTE Oxford
2015
Dr Clare Brooks
A Professional Compass
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Subject story
Helps them make sense
Informs decision making
Resistance and compliance
“North”
• Understand •
the world
• Place
• Social
Justice
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• Seeing
world
•
differently
May not
seem
geographical
at first
BUT full of
meaning
Articulates
purpose
• Developed early
in their
geographical
career (when it
became
meaningful to
them)
• Continues to
sustain them
Professional Compass
• A specialist body of knowledge is a key element of
being recognised as a profession
– Divorcing QTS from PGCE
• Adhering to an ethical code
• Geographical knowledge is “shot through” with
values (Slater): geo-ethics (Morgan, A.)
• But how do you get one?
Why now?
• Emphasis on a knowledge-led curriculum:
– to what extent is knowledge seen as problematic or
morally ambiguous?
• Change in routes into teaching:
– where is the space for interrogation of the moral?
• Accountability emphasis in schools:
– narrow interpretation of the moral?
• Degree and rate of change in schools:
– Questions and issues keep changing
• Explicit public criticism of Blob
Perception of
Blob
• Dogmatic adherence to progressive notions of
education
• Un-substantiated theories of teaching
• Poor quality research
• Direct instruction
• Focus on knowledge
• Robust scientific research into what works
So …
• What theories underpin our pedagogy in ITE?
• Where do those theories come from?
• What specialist knowledge should new teachers have and
develop?
– Curriculum?
– Pedagogy?
– Geography? – SKBC
• What is a geography specific pedagogy?
• Interrogation of geo-ethics?
Knowledge
within ITE
• Furlong (Education: An anatomy of a discipline)
• Key influence of Robbins Report 1963
• “The good society desires equality of opportunity for its
citizens to become not merely good producers but also
good men and women.”
• Personal education: “liberal in content and approach”
• Focus on the foundational disciplines
• View of teachers: “Rationally autonomous”
• “Well-rounded scholar who happened to want to be a
teacher”
• Origins of the theory-practice divide
Then v now
• Personal education – knowledge from foundational
disciplines, no explicit focus on practice
– Teacher as a scholar, a moral person
• Professional education – skills and understanding related
to practice
– Teacher as competent practitioner who adhers to ethical code
• ITE is really ITT
Lessons from Professional Compass
• Engagement with their “subject story” was key –
personal geography (education)
• Variety of values evident in different contexts –
adaptability and flexibility (professional training)
• Handling these complex situations required both
personal education and professional education
What sort of approach for ITE/ITT?
(after Alex Moore)
• ‘Made in heaven’ - Charismatic subjects
– Often seen as morally ambiguous
– C&P – idiosyncratic, maverick
– Personal rather than professional
• The training discourse – Apprenticeship model
– Seen as ethically neutral
– C&P – technical, conformity
– Professional over the personal
• Reflective Practice
– Was seen as liberating, transformative and progressive
– Now part of the neo-liberal toolkit, of “project of the self”:
subject that needs to be seen.
– Professional and personal made visible
Is it time for a new approach?
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Furlong’s questions:
How should the professional dimension be addressed?
How much time on theory and how much on practice?
How should the different elements be integrated?
Plus mine:
How to encourage geographical interrogation of both?
Things to consider?
• Society
– What role does education play in our society?
• Culture of Education
– What are the priorities set for schools?
• School culture
– How do schools respond to these priorities?
• Geography (discipline)
– What problems does the discipline concern
itself with?
• School geography (subject)
– How are these insights reflected in the
curriculum?
• Individual
– What are my motivations, inspirations and
concerns?