Strategic Board for Teacher Education: Meeting 29 Wednesday 15 May 2024: 10.00am – 11.30am

3.0 - The Framework: Teacher Education and Development

While the journey of an individual from being a teacher candidate through to becoming an established teacher is unique, it will include four key phases which we have identified as:

Phase 1 and Phase 2 are concerned with entry into the profession; achieving a teaching qualification, gaining provisional and then full registration. These two phases might be better described as the ‘teacher preparation phase’. Following on from this we move into consolidation and expansion. Phase 3 acknowledges the specific career needs of those early career teachers who are beginning to establish their practice and develop proficiency, what we might term as consolidating and enhancing professional expertise and actions. Phase 4 looks ahead to the multiple ways in which individuals will develop, sustain and expand that professional expertise. Phase 4 can be seen to map against a wide range of career pathways.

The Framework uses these four phases to outline the core expectations, opportunities and recognition for career-long education and development for the teaching profession.

Teacher’s perceptions and needs shift over different periods, or phases in their careers as their own professional experience, confidence and identity evolves. Therefore, it is essential to have a Framework that recognises these distinct phases and identifies the specific needs, expectations and entitlements that will both sustain and enrich as well as enable individuals to deepen and extend their contribution to and roles in education. In addition, it is envisaged that structured support may help to reduce early attrition and career dissatisfaction.

Teacher education and development is about developing professional expertise that continues to evolve over time. Professional expertise requires progressively developing professional actions, pedagogical, professional and/or subject knowledge through sustained and coherent learning and development. The learning needs to be situated and practice-focused, critically informed in its design and focus, appropriately flexible to meet needs of nature and purpose. The system supports and structures need to enable this. An individual’s criticality and expertise grows and the community within which they locate themselves shifts with each phase.

3.1 The Phases of Teacher Education and Development

Four phases of teacher education and development have been identified, the consistent features are highlighted above. The unique and nuanced features of each phase are outlined below while also detailing the requirements and the conditions for effectiveness. The development and enhancement of each phase has implications for a range of key organisations and agencies and as acknowledged in section 1.0 of this paper, further work is required to develop ‘how’ of this proposed framework.

Teacher Preparation Phases:

Phase 1: Student

Features

The study and professional practice related to becoming a teacher through a programme of education in Scotland is rooted in an academic qualification at a Higher Education Institute. This first formal Phase of teacher preparation sees the individual as a student undertaking an Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programme to gain a teaching qualification and achieve the Standard for Provisional Registration. Initial teacher education (ITE) programmes are selective, reflective of the fact that teachers are held in high regard as professionals.

There is evidence about the most effective teaching approaches, however, there is no one way of ‘what works’ for all learners in all contexts. In addition, research and evidence changes over time – knowledge about effective approaches evolves. Teachers require to be adaptive, critically analysing literature, research, and practice to teach in the best interests of learners. Effective teacher education balances both ‘content’ – which pedagogical approaches are effective in which circumstances for example – with critical thinking – what will work best for my learners in their context of now. At this stage individuals start to develop their professional identity as a teacher.

Effective teaching content (knowledge and understanding) cannot be fully developed during ITE. It is ‘front loaded’ at this stage of an individual’s development but access to ongoing high quality teacher education throughout a career is required.

Requirements

Initial teacher preparation through HEI based programmes of Initial Teacher Education provide the core foundational principles and practices to help develop the capacities, dispositions and critical knowledge base of student teachers. Crucially they interweave theories, research, policy, and professional practice, experience and experimentation through supported critical reflection and development. Embedded into the programme designed are structured school-based learning experiences alongside academic development of relevant professional, pedagogic and subject knowledge.

The GTCS has the statutory responsibility for determining what constitutes a teaching qualification.

Each programme leading to the award of a teaching qualification is accredited by GTC Scotland in line with requirements related to content, duration and nature of programmes.

The minimum entry requirements to ITE are set by GTC Scotland.

Teaching in Scotland is a degree level profession, either a teaching qualification forms part of a degree or follows on from a degree as a postgraduate qualification therefore ITE is rooted in academic study at a HEI.

For teachers of specific subjects, degree credits must match the subject taught. That there is both an academic education and teaching qualification requirement to becoming a teacher.

A programme of ITE can be completed as undergraduate or postgraduate study and must be as a minimum equivalent to one academic year of full-time study.

Necessary Conditions for Effectiveness

Student teachers are only placed in schools where there are qualified school-based teacher educators whose expertise includes a mentoring role.

Local authorities and schools ensure that student teachers are placed in schools with the relevant expertise and resource to support their development as partners in the teacher education and development process. There are clear expectations about the quality of HEI teacher educators.

Student teachers undertaking a four-year programme experience one sustained and extended school placement at a later stage in their programme.

Student teachers undertaking a postgraduate route are placed in one school for the duration of their teaching practice, acknowledging that for some contexts, partnership arrangements between schools may be necessary to ensure access to relevant development experience.

Consideration of a staffing model that bridges the HEI and local authority partnership, ensuring appropriate support and continuity for student teachers and working to develop effective joint teacher education approaches.

School placement for the teacher preparation phases (Phase 1 Student and Phase 2 Graduate) is set at the outset of ITE.

Key Actors

• HEIs
• Local authorities and schools
• GTC Scotland
• Scottish Government

Phase 2: Graduate

Features

The Graduate phase is the first year of teaching post ITE and is a supported period of practice which will enable Graduates to work towards achieving the Standard for Full Registration. The graduate teacher experience is designed to provide comprehensive support for new teachers as they begin their careers in education and to build on the foundations of their professional identity established during ITE.

Central to this is a core nationally funded and GTC Scotland accredited programme of learning and development in partnership with the employer, HEIs and the national education agency. This will ensure that through appropriate mentorship, professional development and a supportive environment new teachers will build the professional, pedagogic and subject knowledge, professional skills and confidence needed to thrive in the profession.

Requirements

The key components of the graduate teacher programme are:

Mentorship: one of the central components of the programme is the provision of mentorship for new teachers. Each new teacher is paired with an accomplished colleague who provides guidance, support, and advice throughout their first year in the profession. These School-Based Teacher Educators help new teachers navigate challenges, develop teaching strategies, and acclimate to the school environment.

Professional Development: the programme offers professional development opportunities tailored to the needs of new teachers. These opportunities build from ITE bringing greater depth to core areas such as additional support needs, literacy, numeracy, extend subject knowledge and enhance professional actions such as classroom management. In order to support this, graduate teachers have a maximum class contact of 18.5 hours of their contracted 35 hour week.

Collaborative Activities: The programme includes activities designed to facilitate networking and collaboration among new teachers to support the development of peer support.

Feedback and Assessment: Throughout the programme there are planned mechanisms for ongoing feedback and assessment of new teachers' progress. School based teacher educators conduct regular observations of new teachers' classroom practice and provide constructive feedback to help them improve their practice. The use of a profile system ensures the early identification of causes for concern and supported action plans that can lead to additional support as well as demonstrate when a graduate teacher has met the Standard for Full Registration.

Supportive Environment: Scotland’s graduate teacher programme aims to foster a supportive environment for new teachers within their schools and communities. Teacher employers are encouraged to provide encouragement, guidance, and assistance to new teachers as they navigate the challenges of their first year in the profession.

Continued Professional Learning: the programme emphasises the importance of continued professional learning. New teachers are encouraged to engage in reflective practice, seek out opportunities for growth.

Necessary Conditions for Effectiveness

• A funded national programme delivered in partnership between employers, HEIs and the national education agency with carefully planned activities that build and strengthen development from ITE.
• GTC Scotland accreditation of the programme to ensure it is underpinned by the Professional Standards.
• Reduced class contact time for graduate teachers.
• Qualified school-based teacher educators.
• Clear expectations about the quality of HEI teacher educators.
• Graduate teachers are only placed in schools where there are qualified school-based teacher educators which includes a mentoring role.
• Local authorities and schools ensure that graduate teachers are placed in schools with the relevant expertise and resource to support their development.
• Graduate teachers know their placement plan at the outset of ITE and the graduate teaching year takes place in the same school as their extended ITE placement.

Key Actors

• Local authorities and schools
• HEIs
• National Education Agency
• GTC Scotland
• Scottish Government
• Potentially the proposed Centre for Teaching Excellence (e.g. particular alignment with support for school-based teacher educators/mentors)
• Over the course of phases 1 and 2 the dynamic of the lead body evolves

Career Consolidation and Expansion Phases:

Phase 3: Early Career Phase

Features

Phase 3 (the early career phase) is normally within the first 4 years post graduate teaching experience. During this time teachers are further developing their professional identity, professional and pedagogical competence, their subject or topic knowledge and are applying and evaluating these in practice. Phase 3 is designed to support early career phase teachers build solid foundations from which their confidence, knowledge and identity can grow. Central to this is an appropriate balance between training (mandatory, policy, safeguarding etc), short and longer courses, national/local, informal/formal and certification towards future qualifications, and learning and reflecting on practice-based experience.

Within phase 3, teachers build on their learning in phases 1 and 2 to develop their confidence and knowledge around how they as teachers ‘impart not only skills and knowledge but also act as knowledge producers, facilitators and guides in the comprehension of complex realities’. Supported and encouraged by qualified mentors, phase 3 teachers identify their areas for professional development needs which will be related to the aspects of their practice most relevant to them in their current context.

These professional development needs will be met nationally, locally and in schools which may be supported by nationally curated resources. Professional learning and development may be practice focused which may include areas such as ASN, literacy, digital, numeracy etc. There will be a balance of approach within this professional development, with relevant mandatory elements depending on the sector.

Requirements

The key components for phase 3 are:

Mentorship: the continued provision of mentorship for all phase 3 teachers. These School-Based Teacher Educators continue to support phase 3 teachers navigate challenges, develop teaching strategies, and support them as they explore and develop their own professional identity.

Professional Development: The availability of flexible and critically informed professional development (underpinned by the national model of professional learning) which meets teachers’ needs. This may include a mix of university, national, local authority and school based learning. Opportunities for phase 3 teachers to engage in school based professional development (in addition to their own identified mandatory development) is an integral part of phase 3 teachers sustaining their own culture of ongoing professional learning and development. Professional Review and Development Process: An effective local PRD process.

Feedback: There are regular opportunities for feedback and review by school based teacher educators, line managers and peers to support phase 3 teachers’ development.

Supportive Environment: A professional learning and coaching culture is a key requirement to ensure the school based experience for phase 3 teachers is inclusive and equitable.

Effective leadership: Underpinned by leadership professional learning, to ensure leaders have a deep understanding of their role in creating the supportive environment required to support phase 3.

Continued Professional Learning: Phase 3 teachers are encouraged to continue to:

• undertake critical engagement with literature and research combined with lived experience and knowledge.
• self-reflect and engage in enquiry
• explore new teaching approaches
• undertake independent study
• collaborate with peers through network learning opportunities
• Consideration is given to the role of the developing Centre for Teaching Excellence in supporting engagement with literature and research.

Necessary Conditions for effectiveness

• Qualified school-based teacher educators to act as mentors.
• A culture where professional learning and development is valued across the education system.
• Time is provided to ensure teachers have opportunities to engage in ongoing professional learning and development. Nationally curated high quality professional learning and development and opportunities resources available equitably across Scotland to meet the needs of phase 3 teachers.
• A culture of critical thinking which supports schools, local authorities and individuals to identify relevant and high quality professional learning.
• Clarity around roles and responsibilities for all those involved in the support of phase 3 teachers.
• A deep understanding of and engagement with the National Model of Professional Learning.
• Nationally agreed effective process for Professional Review and Development.
• Implementation of an agreed National Coaching Strategy.
• A continued commitment to leadership professional learning.
• Effective promotion and use of nationally curated professional learning resources.
• Endorsement process to support the quality of provision of professional learning.
• Professional learning opportunities explicitly linked to underpinning GTC Scotland Professional Standards.

Key actors in phase 3

• Local authorities and schools
• HEIs
• National Education Agency
• Scottish Government
• Potentially the new Centre for Teaching Excellence
• Private Providers of professional learning
• GTC Scotland

Phase 4: Career Expansion

Features

Phase 4 is expansive and recognises the breadth of pathways, opportunities and career learning and development to sustain and enrich individuals and our system. Individuals will have opportunities to deepen their knowledge and understanding of who they are as a teacher, their areas of interest as well as in emerging aspects of education. They will have opportunities to contribute to system improvement through developing their own expertise, supporting the learning of others and contributing to and influencing educational policy.

Getting it right within this phase through appropriate resource, structures, opportunities, support and development will create the greatest chance for system wide capacity building and retention. It outlines the multi-directional routes for career enhancement and system contribution. This will include:

• Sustained development and expertise in classroom practice
• Developing specialism(s) and accomplishment within class-based contexts and/or in roles leading/developing others
• Growing and becoming leaders in formal positions within school, local authority, national bodies and agencies

Phase 4, usually becoming more focused from year 4 onwards, is non-linear, flexible and individualistic as it is determined by the individual and their capacities, needs and professional identity and actions. It spans formal and informal positions and development, and may include additional qualifications and accreditations, as well as the career-long expectation of broader self-directed, adaptive, ongoing planned and unplanned learning and development. Individuals will engage in multiple, iterative cycles of learning, development and progression and may develop in one or more areas of expertise or specialism through their professional lifespan. The Framework cannot capture all possible manifestations of this but rather seeks to set out some core expectations and opportunities.

This phase could be used to further develop the ambitions outlined in the Career Pathways report (2019) with the Framework supporting options for the Lead Teacher role, system level roles (for teachers at all levels), sabbaticals to extend knowledge, focused practice or research may be explored and are supported by the professional learning available.

Requirements:

• The key components of the career expansion phase include:
• Identified routes for career progression:
• Class based teachers and specialists (non-promoted)
• Leadership roles across schools and system (promoted)
• Teacher education; School-based teacher educators and university based teacher education
• Policy development (locally and nationally)
• Specialists in curriculum, assessment and/or pedagogy (aligned to school based and system-based roles/opportunities)
• Accredited Specialists in key priority areas:
• Additional Support Needs
• Mentor/school-based teacher educators

Teacher education and development designed and aligned to support career progression noted above:

Enhanced specialist qualification and accreditation: Funded opportunities to complete accredited qualifications aligned to roles, remits and/or areas of specialism.

National professional learning offer: professional learning and development supported through the national education agency encompassing varied opportunities for courses, workshops, seminars, networking, collaborative activity which supports the full spectrum of needs across curriculum, pedagogy and assessment. Supported by new National Agency, employers, other relevant professional bodies, HEIs, and professional/subject networks.

Additional credits: Availability of micro-credits/top-ups and other routes to enabling enhanced registration (e.g. Professional Registration in other categories)

Supporting structures: GTCS professional Standards, Professional Update and processes of PRD; National model of Professional Learning; opportunities for sabbaticals, secondments and shadowing.

Centre for Teaching Excellence/Expertise: focused space providing structure, support and opportunity to bring together school-based teachers, systems leaders, university-based teacher educators and researchers to develop expertise in key areas of curriculum, pedagogy, assessment, leadership and system priorities. Through balance of supported critical enquiry into practice, advanced study, collaboration and research for individual and system level development.

Protected time: through existing structures and expectations, collaborative time in school; supported non class contact time for development; supported time for enhanced study.

Necessary Conditions for Effectiveness:

Professional development: The availability of flexible and critically informed professional learning and development (underpinned by the national model of professional learning) for phase 4 teachers to support them as they identify and engage in deeper learning in areas of specialism. See section 2.1 on how teachers develop professional expertise.

Career guidance and support: which develops opportunities in the system for teachers to engage in a variety of career paths and in which learning from undertaking different roles is valued and utilised. Including national coaching strategy to equip educational leaders and managers have experience and knowledge of coaching which underpins a highly effective PRD process.

A culture of critical thinking which supports schools, local authorities and individuals to identify relevant and high quality professional learning. Endorsement process through the national education agency to support the quality of provision of professional learning.

Key actors in phase 4

• Local authorities and schools
• HEIs
• National Education Agency
• Scottish Government
• Centre for Teaching Excellence/Expertise
• Private Providers of professional learning
• GTCS
• Inspectorate

3.2 - Ecosystem: Roles, Responsibilities & Resource

Teachers and teaching exist within a complex and connected ecosystem of agencies, contexts, influences and policy.

Roles and Responsibilities

Teachers – individually responsible for meeting professional standards and the code of professionalism and conduct and planning, undertaking and evaluating professional learning to deepen knowledge and skills. Teachers evidence their ongoing commitment through GTC Scotland, the teaching profession’s independent registration and regulation body.

GTC Scotland – sets professional standards and provides the infrastructure to ensure they are upheld and deepened. It accredits any programme of teacher education leading to the award of a professional standard – Initial Teacher Education and Into Headship. Professional Standards transcend policy – they determine teachers’ professional status and standing.

Education Scotland – provides resources and support for curriculum development and enhancement of learning, teaching and leadership skills through a ‘national offer’. It endorses professional learning that enhance teacher learning.

Local Authorities /Schools - employ teachers and ensure that the relevant structures are implemented to support teachers to engage appropriately in teacher education and professional learning. They provide school, cluster and local authority learning and development related to statutory functions and local authority and school requirements.

Higher Education Institutes – provide accredited programmes of teacher education aligned to professional standards. They also offer programmes of study that deepen teacher knowledge. HEIs offer both award bearing courses as well as broader professional learning options, usually designed and delivered as part of partnerships between university and schools.

Scottish Government - structures

Centre of Teaching Excellence (Expertise) – informs the development of high-quality teaching, teacher education, research-practice collaborations and professional learning aligned to professional standards and masters level learning.

Context: Defining What We Mean

Clear and shared definitions of the multiple elements involved creates the foundation for a robust and coherent framework, enhancing its integrity, usability and effectiveness. The definitions below form the cornerstone of this framework.

Initial Teacher Education (ITE) – a programme of study that takes place in a higher education institute either as an undergraduate or postgraduate student that results in a teaching qualification. ITE programmes require to be accredited by GTC Scotland and teacher candidates are assessed for inclusion based on GTC Scotland entry requirements. ITE must include professional and pedagogical studies, subject studies and assessed professional placement. Successful completion of ITE leads to provisional registration with GTC Scotland.

Induction – provisionally registered teachers work towards full registration through a period of assessed practice. Requirements for this phase are outlined in GTC Scotland policy. There are currently two routes to achieving full registration – the Scottish Government’s teacher induction scheme or the flexible route. The Framework suggests a reframe of the current approach to ensure better alignment with ITE and employment through a graduate teaching experience.

Early Career – the first four years of teaching post-induction are described as the early career phase. In the early career phase teachers should be undertaking targeted learning and development relevant to their specific circumstances.

Professional Development – structured processes or activities teachers engage into develop their knowledge, skills and competencies in their profession. This often involves courses, conferences, workshops and seminars or other formal programmes. The focus of professional development is acquiring new knowledge, learning specific strategies or techniques, developing practical skills that can be applied in the classroom. Teacher education is professional development that leads to the award of a professional standard.

Professional Learning – a broader concept which encompasses professional development as well as informal learning and ongoing reflective practice. This happens across various contexts and through different means. This is a continuous and self-directed approach to professional growth and includes reflection, collaboration, engaging in enquiry, exploring new teaching approaches and undertaking independent study

Professional Review and Development – both an entitlement and a requirement, PRD is a process for teachers as individuals to reflect on their recent learning and development, reflect on the impact of this on themselves, their learners and their colleagues and in their current context consider their next step in learning and development.

Professional Update – a requirement of teacher registration with GTC Scotland and belonging to the profession of teaching, teachers self-evaluate their learning and development using the professional standards, engage in learning and development maintain a reflective record supported through engagement in PRD. This engagement is confirmed to GTC Scotland every five years.