Promotion of evidence-based improvements to ITE policy and practice

This project is to facilitate the use of the findings from our QR-funded literature review on effective forms of professional learning and development for teacher mentors, to inform policymakers in this context. It is designed to increase our influence on policy relevant to our School-based Teacher Education research. It will involve both informing policymakers who design Initial Teacher Education (ITE) and Early Career Teacher (ECT) education provision in England and Europe and developing collaborations with colleagues leading ITE in Australia aimed at supporting evidence-based policymaking in school-university partnerships. Our work is well-timed as 2021-22 was the first year of the extended induction period for ECTs in England, providing all ECTs with a mentor and a training programme for two years following ITE. Changes in induction have put a high demand on schools to provide more mentors leading to the need for more advocacy for mentors and high-quality mentor development. Initial findings suggest that only 12.5% of school leaders felt that the ECT programme was better than its predecessor for host schools, with concerns about the workload, and lack of flexibility for ECT needs. Although the changes give mentors higher status and recognition, the associated training focuses on the Early Career Framework rather than on developing mentoring skills and identity, recommendations identified from our QR-funded literature review.