Bridging the gap : An investigation into Initial Teacher Education Partnerships using a “Teachers Teaching Teachers” model

The focus of this thesis is rethinking school-university partnerships in Initial Teacher Education (ITE) and the theory practice connection. It identifies a response from an Australian Higher Education Provider (HEP) to numerous national and international publications and government reports which had strongly advocated for changes in the way ITE is undertaken. At the centre of this investigation is an interstate campus established by the HEP which utilised an ITE delivery mode referred to as a ‘Teachers Teaching Teachers’ model (TTT) which employed lecturers with classroom teaching experience as teacher educators. The purpose of this thesis is two-fold: firstly, to present the results of an investigation into how this model dealt with the well-known challenges associated with developing school-university partnerships in ITE and secondly, to add insight into the ‘Teachers Teaching Teachers’ model from the participants’ perspectives. Semi-structured individual interviews with participants (school principals, mentor teachers, university lecturers and preservice teachers) were conducted in a period after the program was closed due to an interstate accreditation issue. This systematic study of participant perspectives was used to gain insight into how the model negotiated the university-school partnership and especially in the context of connecting theory with practice. Cultural-Historical Activity Theory was used as a theoretical framework to theorise school-university partnership activity in the boundary space between the two systems. Open and axial codes were generated using NVivo reports with participants’ responses used to identify salient themes supporting a narrative of who was doing what and where in the program. The findings showed how the characteristics of the TTT model supported activity in the boundary space theorised as a joint effort to expand or transform the abilities of the preservice teachers (PSTs). Mediating factors such as the blurring of traditional division of labour in the ITE process were identified as significant in creating this collective endeavour between the school and university. This joint effort created a living curriculum for the PSTs, which bridged theory and practice that supported the PSTs’ quest to become a quality graduate teacher. The model was found to address some of the historical contradictions in ITE provision, allowing for emergence of new forms of practice. This research illustrates the importance of adopting an integrated approach to ITE delivery through building strong university-school partnerships and contributes the need for the theorisation of effective partnerships between schools and future ITE providers.

© Graham Stephens, 2024.

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