A social realist challenge to the structuring of professional practice knowledge for initial teacher education in England

Swift, Diane

Abstract

Professional practice knowledge for beginning teachers involves grappling with the extent to which ‘theory’ and ‘practice’ should be evident during initial teacher education courses. The end point assessment tool for such programmes in England is that of the Teachers’ Standards (DfE, 2011). Successful achievement in relation to these, results in the award of Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). Of concern is the number of teachers who successfully secure QTS and subsequently leave the profession early. This thesis contributes an analysis of the particular way that the theory/practice relationship has been structured within the Teachers’ Standards and the impact that this form has had on professional agency.

The prioritisation of the observable is contrasted with manifestations that recognise that within a moment of practice, invisible yet durable knowledge structuring mechanisms are also present. In order to accord these mechanisms due agency, the concept of diffraction (the physical phenomenon of wave interference), (Barad 2007) was drawn upon to enrich Bernstein’s (2000) social realist analysis of discourse. The data was gathered from a School Centered Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) provider in the West Midlands. The knowledge structuring dialogues from eight pairs of Teacher Educators and Beginning Teachers were analysed using Legitimation Code Theory (Maton, 2014) to reveal the extent to which practice was time and space bound.

The findings suggest that when context-transcending forms of knowledge specialise observable practices relationally, there is increased potential for coherent professional knowledges to result. Structuring professional practice knowledge in this way, contrasts with forms of knowledge particularisation evident within the Teachers’ Standards and the knowledge dualisms that are often conspicuous in the literature. Therefore a challenge is offered to existing forms of professional practice knowledge structuring by drawing on quantum (entangling materials and minds) rather than Cartesian (separation of mind and matter) conceptions of time and space.

Citation

Swift, D. (2023). A social realist challenge to the structuring of professional practice knowledge for initial teacher education in England. (Thesis). Keele University

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Jul 19, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Jul 19, 2023
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13636820.2023.2246328
• Keywords: Craft, concepts, context, diffraction, discourse, initial teacher education, intelligent know-how, knowledge-structures, knowledge-structuring, material, navigational gaze, pedagogy, practice, professional, realism, systematic-knowledge, tacit knowledge,
• Award Date: 2023-06