The implications of a “professional

compass” for geography initial

teacher education

GTE Oxford2015

Dr Clare Brooks

GTE Oxford2015

Dr Clare Brooks

A Professional Compass

• Subject story• Helps them make sense • Informs decision making• Resistance and compliance

“North”

• Understand the world

• Place• Social

Justice• 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?

• 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?