Reflecting on 'classroom readiness' in initial teacher education in a time of global pandemic from the perspectives of eight university providers from across England, UK

• Published in: Journal of education for teaching : JET Vol. 49; no. 4; pp. 551 - 568
• Main Authors: Rushton, Elizabeth A.C., Murtagh, Lisa, Ball-Smith, Claire, Black, Bryony, Dunlop, Lynda, Gibbons, Simon, Ireland, Kate, Morse, Rachele, Reading, Catherine, Scott, Carole
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Abingdon Routledge 08.08.2023; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Access to Education; Changes; classroom readiness; Classrooms; Collaboration; College School Cooperation; Colleges & universities; Communities of Practice; Context; COVID-19; Education; Education policy; Educational Change; Educational Supply; Educational Technology; Electronic Learning; Foreign Countries; Group Discussion; Initial teacher education (ITE); Learning; online teaching and learning; Pandemics; Partnerships in Education; policy; Policy making; Preservice Teacher Education; Professional Training; Readiness; school placements; Specialists; Student teachers; Teacher Attitudes; Teacher education; Teacher Educators; Teacher Improvement; Teachers; Technology; Technology Uses in Education; United Kingdom (England); United Kingdom > UK; England
• ISSN: 0260-7476; 1360-0540
• DOI: 10.1080/02607476.2022.2150840

In the context of a decade of change and reform in Initial Teacher Education (ITE) policy making, we assess the impact of the substantial changes caused by Covid-19 affecting ITE from the perspectives of eight university providers in England. Whilst previous research has documented the impact of the first period of lockdown in the UK, initiated in March 2020, we draw on the conceptual framework of classroom readiness to consider the continued and variable disruption caused by Covid-19 on ITE programmes in England during the period September 2020 - June 2021. Through a participatory workshop, which included identifying key questions, group discussion and written reflections with teacher educators working across eight institutions, we assess the changes to pre-service teacher education provision over this period, with a focus on postgraduate programmes. We identify that the nature and implementation of school visits and the role of technology and digital pedagogies are key areas of change during the pandemic period, whilst continuity in the value and strength of school and university partnerships remain. We consider the ways in which ideas of developing 'classroom readiness' have been informed and shaped through changes to teacher education brought about during the pandemic period. We argue that conceptualisations of classroom readiness need to be grounded in reflective professional learning in the context of collaborative professional communities so to enable pre-service teachers to become adaptable pastorally engaged subject specialists. We reflect on how learning from this period might be incorporated into future international ITE programmes and policy.