The Role of Higher Education in the Initial Training of Secondary School Teachers: The views of the key participants

This paper discusses the role of higher education (HE) in postgraduate secondary initial teacher training in England. Views about the role of higher education were sought from student teachers, school-based mentors and HE tutors through a postal questionnaire and telephone interviews. The main reasons advanced for the continued involvement of HE fell into three categories. One suggested that it is easier for schools if HE takes responsibility for administrative arrangements. The second related to the breadth of perspective which enabled HE to take an overview ensuring greater consistency of quality and standards. The third identified a distinctive expertise within HE, particularly related to research and familiarity with the latest thinking. We suggest that, while the first two do not constitute particularly strong grounds for the retention of a role for HE, the third does, especially in the context of the current drive towards teaching as a research-based profession.