Building Research in Teacher Education
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Led by Professor Tony Brown
BRiTE comprises a group of researchers whose work is centred on exploring the opportunities afforded by combining a world leading education research group with a substantial and highly successful teacher education unit. Through bringing together world leading, established and emergent researchers the group develops activities mutually beneficial to research development and quality teaching activities.
The group aims:- to produce world leading research in teacher education;
- to research and develop teacher education practices so as to consolidate and develop teacher education research activity within the broader profile of the Education and Social Research Institute;
- to develop research aspects of teacher education activity for both staff and students within the Institute of Education;
- to build research expertise within the practices of teacher educators within the Institute of Education;
- to provide a supportive research network for new and established teacher educators within the Institute of Education;
- to provide and develop links to national and international research and teacher education networks (eg Teacher Education Research Network; Collaborative Action Research Network; Qualitative Inquiry; BERA).
a) Mathematics and Science Education group
The group comprises half a dozen colleagues exploring mathematics and science education in school and university contexts. This established group comprises experienced researchers as well as some pursuing higher degrees in the area. Building on ESRC funded projects and RAE publication success group members have recently published a number of articles in Educational Studies in Mathematics, International Journal of Science Education and other major journals. Four books by group members have appeared recently. Three more books are shortly to be published by Springer. An ESRC studentship has recently been secured to examine education in the context of Manchester’s Museum of Science and industry. The group is hosting the 2011 Mathematics Education and Contemporary Theory conference.
b) Teacher Education Research
A group of researchers from the Institute of Education are presently taking part in the Teacher Education Research Network (TERN). This ESRC funded initiative to create a network of research groups spanning NW universities is exploring a variety of themes in teacher education research. Themes where MMU staff are involved include:
- Emergent teacher identity and conceptions of theory in professional teacher education routes.
- How do primary and secondary trained NQTs, encountering higher degrees through various routes, experience 'M levelness' while participating in the Masters in Teaching and Learning (MTL).
- Preparing teachers to educate for diversity (Peter Hick/ Lorna Roberts).
- The future of teacher education.
- Preparing teachers for Physical Education in schools.
c) Special Needs Education
Various activities in this field currently active including the new Year 3 School and Community unit on the BA that has become the focus for a collective research project this academic year (Andy Pickard, Helen Davenport, Michaela Harrison, Mark Peace, Liz Symes, Peter Hick). The core themes of this research will be:
- Students’ understanding of, attitudes to, and expertise in inclusive education generally and special education specifically.
- Students developing sense of professional identity.
- Staff pedagogical approaches.