Becoming a teacher: Influences of policy and professional issues on teacher development and identity
Introduction
Education , if well-structured promotes social justice in society by levelling the playing field so that one’s hard work and dedication counts for something more than their resources and connections.
An excellent education unlocks opportunity, enabling children from all backgrounds to shape their own destiny regardless of their location or background, ability or needs., Every child and young person in this country deserves a world class education that allows them to reach their full potential and prepares them to succeed in adult life. (Department for Education, 2016)
In his study of the history of initial teacher education Robinson (2006, p.19) argues that teacher education is fraught with tensions. These present themselves via a number of on-going debates about the skills and professional knowledge needed to become an effective teacher, the balance between theory and practice in both the training and teaching process; the diversity of routes into teaching and their associated training; and the increasing government control of teacher education.
In this paper I discuss some of those tensions and debates and how they impact on the teacher’s own professional practice, the curriculum and the shaping of the teachers own development and identity.
Review debates central to own professional context
Education is largely driven by government policy with the best of intentions
By nature, these policies and guidelines are subject to a range of competing influences such social , economic, political and teachers own expectations on a professional and personal level (Garratt & Forrester, 2012).
One major policy issue that influences my own professional practice is the funding model for colleges and universities
Some argue the current student finance funding model has put considerable pressure on further education institutions which are largely funded by student fees which students receive in form of loans and grants from government. This has led to many learning institutions changing courses offered to suit the demands of the learners (on demand courses). Some further argue that learning institutions are under pressure to produce good results, a measure that learners consider before spending their money on any course (Couldry & McRobbie, 2010)
Inevitably courses offered are those that appeal to learners and not necessarily those that help drive the economic agenda of policy makers as outlined above.
Recently when my daughter was applying for university places, some of the offers she was receiving were almost guaranteeing the qualification at the end of the course such is the competitiveness obtaining in the market for universities own income and sustenance.
Whilst proponents of this funding model argue that it puts choice and control in the hands of the learners, it does not help with institutions planning and maintenance of the quality of learning. In fact , it bears a certain amount of pressure on the management who in turn brings this pressure down on the teacher causing some of the variances mentioned above between teacher initial expectations when starting out and reality.
