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Memorandum submitted by the Field Studies Council (FSC)
Executive Summary
1) The Field Studies Council (FSC) submission focuses on some of the issues we feel are important in improving Initial Teacher Training (ITT) generally and supporting the next generation of teachers. With the FSC's extensive work in providing out- of-classroom learning we have used our previous experience to support our submission. The key messages are summarised briefly below:
· The FSC values the role of ITT in providing high quality teachers who can meet the modern day challenges of teaching the next generation of children and young people. · Our background in fieldwork has, however, made it clear to us that there are currently a number of significant barriers in ITT which are hindering the progress of new teachers. These include:
o Lack of quality data about what makes a good teacher. o The absence of non-statutory guidance encouraging the uptake of fieldwork training and development in ITT secondary science. o The poor quality of teaching resources which would help new teachers when taking part in ITT. o The limited support available for new teachers to ensure that out-of-school experiences are accessible to children with an SEN. o The lack of effective communication between ITT providers. o The inadequacy of training for ITT Tutors and mentors. o The low status within the inspection process of fieldwork. o The lack of focus in ITT courses for developing the way teachers interact with students, specifically when operating in challenging circumstances.
Introduction
2) The FSC, a pioneering educational charity committed to bringing
environmental understanding to all, welcomes the opportunity to contribute to
this inquiry into Teacher Training and recognises the crucial role that
teachers play in improving educational attainment for all students. Established in 1943, the FSC has become
internationally respected for its national network of 17 education centres with over 100,000
visitors attending day and residential courses. This makes us the
3) The FSC provides informative and enjoyable opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to discover, explore, be inspired by, and understand the natural environment. We believe that the more we know about the environment, the more we can appreciate its needs and protect its diversity and beauty for future generations. We feel that fieldwork should be a vital element of an imaginative and contemporary science education.
4) The FSC also run a programme of subsidised courses for postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE) student and newly qualified teachers (NQTs), providing effective and meaningful training to deliver learning outside the classroom. These courses provide training in basic fieldwork skills such as group management and site risk assessment. The courses are open to all PGCE Geography, Science and Biology students, and are partly subsidised by the FSC reducing the cost for the applicant.
5) There is evidence that good quality residential fieldwork and outdoor learning helps to improve education standards[1]. Despite this, fieldwork provision in science and biology is declining in British secondary schools. More than 96% of GCSE science pupils will not experience a residential field trip, while nearly half of all A-level biology students will do no field work, with the possible exception of half a day's experience near their school[2]. Similar trends at all key stages and extending to universities appear to be leading to a shortfall in people with the practical skills needed to support biodiversity- related careers and activities.
Measuring Quality
6) The FSC is concerned that currently there is a real lack of understanding about what makes a good quality teacher. We believe this lack of understanding is exacerbated by a lack of rigorous research data and we consider that this is having a negative effect on the quality of ITT. We would like to see greater efforts to commission research into 'what makes a good teacher'. Our diverse experience in fieldwork suggest that the key ingredients of good teaching should include providing diverse opportunities for 'active learning', the ability to encourage pupil engagement, the innovative use of ICT, making learning interesting, and explaining things clearly.
7) In fieldwork we have specifically identified that a lack of available data is a problem because the Government currently holds limited evidence on how best to prepare teachers for fieldwork. For example in a recent answer to a Parliamentary Question the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Schools and Learners, Sarah McCarthy-Fry MP, stated that: "the Department [for Children, Schools and Families] has made no assessment of whether the encouragement of fieldwork as a teaching method is adequately supported by teacher training courses[3]". We are concerned that the Government has not assessed the status of fieldwork within ITT and feel that without this assessment there is limited chance of positive changes being made. Recently published evidence, collected with the help of the FSC, has shown that a significant minority of secondary science ITT providers offer no training in fieldwork[4].
8) Failure to hold adequate evidence has also resulted in the overall potential impact of fieldwork not being fully recognised by institutions. This has led to teaching institutions not giving priority to such training and development compared to other demands on time and funds. We feel that more needs to be done to reinforce the perceived value of better training and development for teachers. We would specifically like to see the Training and Development Agency provide guidance and exemplification which highlights the full potential of teaching science outside the classroom.
Entry into the Teaching Profession
Outdoor Classroom: Standards for the Future
9) The FSC's has over the years become increasingly concerned about teacher training and this has led to the publication of Outdoor Classroom: Standards for the Future which we have included as an appendix to this submission. This report was published jointly by the FSC and the Association for Science Education (ASE) and is the result of a two day seminar held in 2007 which focused on PGCE courses for secondary science teachers. In the report it was highlighted that the quantity and quality of fieldwork training and development within ITT is highly variable and is weakened generally by the absence of any agreement of what constitutes the minimum fieldwork training and development requirement needed to train secondary science teachers.
10) The report, therefore, seeks to provide the framework for revitalising the teaching of science through fieldwork. It also aims to support the task of developing a new generation of secondary science teachers who have the confidence, competence and commitment to practice outdoor science teaching beyond their classroom. Nine recommendations are made in the report which should be achievable within existing constraints, including time and budgets.
Qualified Teacher Status
11) The FSC is concerned that although the Qualified Teacher Status introduced in September 2007 requires trainees to identify purposeful and safe opportunities for out-of-school learning there is no requirement to plan, organise, take part or lead outdoor learning activities. We believe that these standards will not alone adequately encourage the uptake of fieldwork training and development in ITT secondary science. We feel the standards need to be strengthened by clear non-statutory guidance on what is needed, preferably supported by examples of good practice.
12) For example, newly qualified biology teachers - many of who came from laboratory or desk-based disciplines - do not have sufficient training to support out-of-classroom teaching. Due to the retirement of teachers and the demise of local authority advisers with these skills teachers often do not have local support to develop these skills and confidence and, therefore, one of the vital delivery mechanisms fails. We feel it is crucial that the Qualified Teacher Status standards are strengthened to promote out-of-school learning. We would also like to see more done generally to ensure that newly qualified science teachers are sufficiently confident and proficient to deliver fieldwork.
Teaching Resources
13) We believe there is a lack of high quality resources which is hindering the quality of ITT fieldwork training. Resources can play a vital role in helping trainee teachers develop and all too often these resources are not available to new teachers. Even resources that have been used in the past are often unused and others which are currently available are limited by their scope of application, often focusing solely on very traditional approaches on teaching outside the classroom. We would like to see efforts made to improve the provision and quality of resources for new teachers so that in future they are able to make more progress.
Inspection Process
14) We feel that fieldwork currently has too low a status within the inspection process. There is no system of monitoring standards and progress of preparation for teaching in the outdoor classroom. There is also a lack of any requirement for the level, quality and administrative support of fieldwork training and development to be assessed during formal inspections of PGCE training and development providers by Ofsted. We would like to see Ofsted conduct spot inspections on quality as well as quantity, of fieldwork provision. We also feel Ofsted should include fieldwork provision and out-of-classroom activity in the self evaluation framework for schools. It is clear that if there was a more rigid inspection programme teachers would be encouraged to take pupils on more outside-the-classroom activities.
Geography
15) The FSC runs fieldwork programmes in geography which are available at primary, secondary, A-level and university level. We have been concerned by the declining numbers studying geography in recent years and welcome the commitment of the Government to the Action Plan for Geography which aims to reverse this decline. Specifically in the Action Plan the FSC is pleased to see that the Government indicated their support for fieldwork and introduced new resources for teachers which will be used to 'bring to life' fieldwork. We hope that these resources can be used to help new teachers explore outdoor learning with their pupils.
Special Educational Needs
16) The FSC recognises the importance of providing adequate support for new teachers working with pupils with special educational needs (SEN). For over sixty years the FSC has sought to provide enjoyable field trips for all students and we make special provisions at all our centres for children with SEN. This experience has demonstrated that newly qualified teachers need to be trained so they are confident in taking children with an SEN outside the classroom.
17) The FSC has been, as is currently, working with a number of charities to run courses for pupils with SEN. Most of our 17 education centres offer opportunities for children with SEN, some sponsored by our own 'Kids Fund' - a hardship fund initiated by FSC staff. A number of education centres have also developed facilities such as sensory gardens. We would like to see more done in ITT to support new teachers and ensure that out-of-school experiences are accessible to every child who wants to participate, irrespective of special educational or medical needs, or disability.
18) The FSC has also taken part in international collaboration between six European countries which aims to support young people with disabilities to have greater access to education for sustainable development. This alliance partnership has produced a variety of guidance documents including on how to engage young disabled people in sustainable development. Whilst the FSC recognises the importance of helping those children with the most severe SEN we feel there needs to be a focus on all children with an SEN to ensure that no child is left to fall behind. We also feel it is also important to recognise the positive impact that outdoor education can have in helping children overcome a restricted start in life like a SEN.
Challenging Circumstances
19) We were pleased that the Committee has taken
the opportunity to consider the support for new teachers based in schools
operating in more challenging circumstances. The FSC has provided residential
experiences to students in
20) The FSC is delighted that the Government have recognised the positive impact that fieldwork can have on helping children living in deprived areas by supporting fieldwork elements of the City Challenge. Evaluations have consistently shown that the field trips has lead to positive cognitive, affective, interpersonal and behavioral impacts and interviews with teachers have shown that the field trips have helped them increase co-operation and improved relationships between teachers and pupils. Our experience of the City Challenge has led us to believe that building a personal relationship between teachers and pupils is an important way to overcome barriers and make a real and lasting difference to school pupils in deprived areas. Whilst we recognise that these interpersonal skills are difficult to install in trainee teachers we feel that more could be done in ITT to improve the way teachers interact with students.
The Delivery of Initial Teacher Training
21) The FSC believes there is currently a lack of effective communication between ITT providers. In fieldwork, whilst, we acknowledge that there are many examples of good practice we have noticed that it is often relatively hidden and rarely shared across the people and bodies involved in ITT. We have even seen this problem across PGCE providers who recruit over 85% of all new science trainees and, therefore, have the greatest potential influence on fieldwork training. This problem is made worse by the large number of other training and development routes to becoming a qualified secondary science teacher, all of which offer different opportunities for fieldwork training and development. We feel, again, in this area good practice is not being shared by institutions.
22) We also believe that due to the variety of structures and processes adopted by ITT providers there are too many diverse responsibilities being spread across colleges and schools, and between ITT tutors, teacher tutors, teacher mentors and trainees. We are concerned that these diverse responsibilities result in too much bureaucracy and training and development weaknesses or inefficiencies often being overlooked. Our experience has shown that this results in there being no adequate way of ensuring that trainees have first-hand experience of fieldwork during school placements. The FSC would, therefore, like to see the overall structures of ITT providers reviewed and simplified significantly with the aim of encouraging the sharing of best practice guidance across ITT providers.
Continuing Professional Development
23) The FSC believes that there are a number of areas where the current provision of Continuing Professional Developments (CPD) training could be improved. The FSC would like to see changes made to the training of ITT Tutors and mentors. The quality of fieldwork training and development relies on the confidence, competence and commitment of the ITT tutors and teacher mentors themselves. Mentors can have an important impact on the quality of ITT and we feel it is important they have a number of attributes including having good communication skills, being approachable and having good subject knowledge. We would like to see more effort to give mentors these skills so that they can have a real impact on trainee teachers.
24) We also feel that ITT undervalues the importance of teachers being confident and willing to take on new responsibilities. In fieldwork we see at first hand how new teachers are not willing to take responsibility to teach outside the classroom and this probably weakens the likelihood that early- career science teachers would adopt these teaching approaches in the face of competition from other demands which might have a higher 'career' profile. A lack of confidence is a critical barrier in the decline of fieldwork and we have found that newly qualified teachers lack the training to develop skills to support fieldwork. We feel that ITT needs to make new teachers less risk averse and more willing to take on new responsibilities to aid their future professional development.
Recommendations
The FSC therefore proposes that:
· The Department for Children, Schools should carry out an assessment of fieldwork within ITT. · The Training and Development Agency provide guidance and exemplification which highlights the full potential of teaching science outside the classroom. · The Qualified Teacher Status standards are strengthened to promote out-of-school learning. · Greater efforts are made to ensure that newly qualified science teachers are sufficiently confident and proficient to deliver fieldwork. · There is an improvement in the provision and quality of resources for new teachers. · Ofsted conduct spot inspections on quality, as well as quantity, of fieldwork provision and includes fieldwork provision and out-of-classroom activity in the self evaluation framework for schools. · More assistance is offered to new teachers to ensure that out-of-school experiences are accessible to every child who wants to participate, irrespective of special educational or medical needs, or disability. · More support is given to help teachers build a relationship with pupils by developing out of school experiences, including in challenging environments.
February 2009
[1] National Foundation for Educational Research, 2004 [2] School Science Review, 2003 [3] House of Commons Hansard Written Answers, 22 January 2009 [4] School Science Review 2009 [5] Education Outside the Classroom, House of Commons Education Select Committee, February 2005 [6] Science Review [7] Unpublished
Research Evidence, |