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PUBLICATION INFORMATION

TITLE OF PUBLICATION
POLICY PAPER ON THE CONTINUUM OF TEACHER EDUCATION
NAME OF AUTHOR(S)
Teaching Council of Ireland
NAME OF PUBLISHER
Teaching Council of Ireland
YEAR OF PUBLICATION
2011
LANGUAGE OF PUBLICATION
English
PUBLICATION TYPOLOGY
Legislative document
TARGET GROUP OF PUBLICATION
School Directors, Teachers, Policy Makers
SIZE OF THE PUBLICATION
Over 10 pages
DESCRIPTION OF CONTENTS
The Teaching Council is the regulatory body that sets teaching standards and establishes best practice at all stages on the continuum of teacher education.
In 2007, the Teaching Council of Ireland began the process of drafting its Policy on the Continuum of Teacher Education covering initial teacher education, induction and early and continuing professional development. The development of the policy was underpinned by two pieces of research. Firstly, a position paper entitled A Review Paper on Thinking and Policies Relating to Teacher Education in Ireland was prepared by Dr John Coolahan, Professor Emeritus, NUI Maynooth. This was followed by a detailed study entitled Learning to Teach: A Nine Country Cross National Study, undertaken by a team of researchers from University College Cork, led by Dr Paul Conway.
In parallel with the research outlined above, the Council embarked on a comprehensive consultation process. On 4 February 2008, the Council convened a meeting of the partners in education to initiate a national debate on the continuum of teacher education.
There was a high level of engagement with the consultation process on the draft document and more than 200 submissions were received from individuals and organisations. Each submission was read and considered and the policy was finalised and adopted by the Council at its meeting on 13 June 2011.
The publication of this document is a significant development as it provides the framework for the reconceptualisation of teacher education across the continuum.It is equally relevant for chemistry/science teachers as for all other subject teachers at all school levels.
The concept of Continuum of teacher education describes the formal and informal educational and developmental activities in which teachers engage, as life-long learners, during their teaching career. It encompasses initial teacher education, induction, early and continuing professional development and, indeed, late career support. In developing this policy document the Teaching Council acknowledges the emergence of new knowledge, understandings and insights into curriculum, pedagogy, assessment and teacher learning, together with the accelerating pace of societal, legislative and educational reform and the increasingly complex role of teachers, all of which provide an important context for the policy.
The document outlines the meaning of ‘continuum of teacher education’which it describes formal and informal educational and developmental activities in which teachers engage, as life-long learners, during their teaching career. It encompasses initial teacher education, induction, early and continuing professional development and, indeed, late career support, with each stage merging seamlessly into the next and interconnecting in a dynamic way with each of the others.
The continuum of teacher education has traditionally been referred to internationally as the “three ‘I’s” of initial teacher education, induction and in-career development. The Council is modifying to another set of “three ‘I’s”, namely, innovation, integration and improvement which should underpin all stages of the continuum. The document describes the context of each of these in some detail.
It goes on to outline the guiding principles that will allow the evolution of innovation, integration and improvement:
• be directed towards the learner, who is at the centre of all educational endeavour;
• be informed by the core values and professional commitments which are central to teaching
• be informed by the best available research and evidence;
• recognise teachers as life-long learners and teacher education as a continuum;
• develop those competences which facilitate quality learning, cater for educational priorities
• promote a love of learning and a sense of wonder and enquiry;
• foster reflective, critical and research-based learning;
• be based on a broad understanding of the practice of teaching as one involving complex relationships and requiring different types of professional knowledge, attitudes and dispositions;
• be supported by appropriate structures designed to achieve coherence across all stages of the continuum;
• be designed and provided using a partnership model involving teachers, schools and teacher educators;
• be adequately resourced to meet teacher, school and system needs;
• recognise that teachers, as professionals and as public servants, are accountable for the quality of the service that they provide;
• be subject to periodic review and on-going evaluation of needs and priorities.

The document goes on to summarise recommendations for initial teacher education and placement, including the issue of adequate resourcing for these in terms of staff and higher education institute facilities. It then addresses the need for formal induction into the career system for all newly qualified teachers, saying that its policy on induction is ‘based on an appreciation that teaching is an instance, par excellence, of life-long learning and that initial teacher education cannot furnish ‘finished products’.’ It recognises the significant changes in work practices that innovative induction programmes both require and promote. It states that there should be a multi-faceted national programme of induction, and all NQTs should be afforded a school placement opportunity to allow them to participate fully in the induction process and that it should make induction available to all newly qualified teachers in the first year after graduation. In addition satisfactory completion of a programme of induction should be a requirement for full registration.
The focus of the policy document shifts to Continuing professional development (CPD), which it says refers to life-long teacher learning and comprises the full range of educational experiences designed to enrich teachers’ professional knowledge, understanding and capabilities throughout their careers. CPD should be seen dually as both a Right and a Responsibility, as outlined in the following guiding principles:
• CPD is a right for all registered teachers. In that context, an allocation of significant time for individual and/or staff group CPD should be built into teachers’ scheduled non-teaching time.
• CPD should be based on teachers’ identified needs within the school as a learning community.
• CPD is a responsibility of all registered teachers. In that context, a registered teacher should take reasonable steps to maintain, develop and broaden the professional knowledge, skill and capabilities appropriate to his or her teaching.
The document concludes: This policy will guide the Council in the years ahead, as it works to develop criteria and guidelines for reconceptualised programmes of initial teacher education, induction and continuing professional development. It is a dynamic document which will be subject to review and revision as necessary, but it is key to ensuring that teachers will be competent to meet the challenges that they face and will be life-long learners, continually adapting over the course of their careers to enable them to support their students’ learning.
REVIEWER’S COMMENTS ON THE PUBLICATION
This is a highly significant document for all teachers in Ireland, at primary and post-primary levels - and also for the teacher educators at third level. The initial teacher training programmes across the third level sector are under review, and the support services for CPD have been rationalised due to cutbacks.
However, this is a clear and concise document which lays out the necessity for teachers to see themselves as lifelong learners, continuously updating their knowledge and skills to meet the demands of the modern classroom. This is particularly significant for science teachers, where the pace of scientific discovery is so fast that old concepts and ideals can become outdated, or at least jaded.
The document is underpinned by two other substantive pieces of work:

A Review Paper on Thinking and Policies Relating to Teacher Education in Ireland, Professor John Coolahan
and
Learning to Teach and its Implications for the Continuum of Teacher Education: A Nine-country Cross-national study, Conway et al
These can be accessed at:
http://www.teachingcouncil.ie/_fileupload/Teacher%20Education/Continuum_ppr_PositionPaperJohnCoolahan_18feb2009_ck_61560932.pdf
and
http://www.teachingcouncil.ie/_fileupload/Teacher%20Education/LearningToTeach-ConwayMurphyRathHall-2009_10344263.pdf

The responses to the document have been largely positive from all interest groups in the sector, although once again the question of adequate resourcing given the on-going fiscal situation was raised. Financial issues aside, the Teaching Council policy on registration and continuous professional development is clear. In the words of the Minister for Education, Rory Quinn, '“Every teacher now has to be registered with the Teaching Council in order to be paid,” he states. “So like the medical, legal or architectural professions, teaching will be a profession run by teachers themselves in terms of standards. In order to maintain your licence to teach, you will have to show evidence of having done continuous professional development (CPD). Some already do this but not all teachers do. In order to keep your job you have to be registered and in order to register you have to show you have done so many CPD courses.” (Irish Times, February 24th 2012, from an article on Innovation in edcuation, 'Primary teachers know how to teach children - secondary teachers know how to teach subjects')
NAME OF THE REVIEWING ORGANISATION
Limerick Institute of Technology

Comments about this Publication

Your comments are welcome


Date: 2014.09.16

Posted by Charo Cuart (Spain)

Message: According to the Teaching Council of Ireland analysis, continuing professional development (CPD) refers to life-long teacher learning and comprises the full range of educational experiences designed to enrich teachers’ professional knowledge, understanding and capabilities throughout their careers.
The Council has set its vision for teacher education under the banner of a new “three I’s”: innovation, integration and improvement and the Council’s generic principles of good teacher education.
This vision for teacher education is supported on the right and responsibility to reach a continuing professional development. In this context, an allocation of time for individual and/or staff group CPD should be built into teachers’ scheduled non-teaching time. This allocation of time should be significant and should reflect the importance of CPD for effective professional practice. It may sound logical but, sometimes it isn´t. Teachers have difficulties to coordinate it. Also, their professional development should be based on teachers’ identified needs within the school as a learning community. The Council´s Policy emphasises that because CPD is a responsibility of all registered teachers, a registered teacher should take reasonable steps to maintain, develop and broaden the professional knowledge, skill and capabilities appropriate to his or her teaching. Coherent National Framework is another fact to be considered Effective CPD provision requires the adoption of a coherent national framework that is informed by international and national research evidence and that caters for individual teacher, school and system needs. The national framework should identify ways in which professional development can be resourced and facilitated both within and outside school time, within a school and/or within a cluster of schools. I agree with the observation that a key challenge will be to take account of different categories of need and address current shortfalls while recognising the integrity of the school year and the need to minimise disruption to student learning. There should be a partnership approach to policy development and planning involving all the key stakeholders.
For that reason, the Council intends to work towards a position, following the adoption of a coherent national framework for CPD as outlined above, where renewal of registration with the Teaching Council will be subject to the receipt of satisfactory evidence in relation to engagement in CPD.
Regarding to the teachers formation, CPD should promote knowledge-for, knowledge-in and knowledge–of practice in a context where there is adequate time for feedback and follow-up support and , should encourage teachers to evaluate their pedagogical beliefs and practices, to critically reflect on their professional practice and working environments and to engage in professional collaboration.
I totally agree with the Teacher Council of Ireland, a well-defined policy will lead teacher education in the good direction to develop criteria and guidelines for reconceptualised programmes of initial teacher education, induction and continuing professional development. As it mentions also, it is key to ensuring that tomorrow’s teachers will be competent to meet the challenges that they face and will be life-long learners, continually adapting over the course of their careers to enable them to support their students’ learning.

Date: 2013.06.03

Posted by Sabine Jacquemin (Collège du Sartay) (Belgium)

Message: This publication of the Teaching Council of Ireland addresses the policy of this Council regarding all teachers’ continuing training, from the initial training to the end of the career, based on two pieces of research and a large consultation process. This policy document gives a framework to the continuing training of teachers who have to be life-long learners. The Council highlights the teachers’ increasingly complex role because of evolution in different areas (different pedagogy, changing curricula, assessment methods, accelerating pace of reforms…) and emphasizes the importance of continuing training, including initial training, integration, early and continuing professional development.
The Council transforms teachers’ continuing training, traditionally recognised internationally as the “three I” for Initial training, Integration and In-career development, into another series of “three I”, namely Innovation, Integration and Improvement, of which it describes the guiding principles.
It then gives a series of recommendations on initial training and placement with a participation in an integration process, which is necessary for full registration. The Council considers that continuing professional development as a Right and a Responsibility of teachers.
The Council signals that it is essential to make sure all teachers are able to meet the challenge they will face and will be life-long learners, continually adapting during their career to be able to support their pupils’ learning, continually updating their knowledge and skills in order to meet the demands of the modern classroom.
To keep their job and their licence to teach, teachers will have to show evidence of having done continuous professional development.

In Belgium, the framework is less strict, but establishing a personal project of continuing training, on the course of several years, is also compulsory. These imposed continuing trainings can indeed attract a greater number of teachers than if they are optional, but it depends on the offer. Moreover, some teachers enrol in trainings that do not interest them, because they “have to” do training, and go there reluctantly. Consequently, motivated teachers who participate are sometimes disappointed.

National Reports on successful experiences to promote lifelong learning for chemistry The national reports on chemistry successful experiences to promote lifelong learning for chemistry are now available on the related section of the project portal. The reports presents examples of successful experiences in the partner countries and the results of testing of ICT resources with science teachers.

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