Initial Teacher Education update – Thursday 25 April 2024

Welcome, Introduction and IOP Strategy Update – Chris Shepherd (IOP)

Chris introduced the new IOP strategy, which focuses on three priorities: Skills, Science and Society.

See Chris’s presentation (PPT, 3.15MB).

Professional Community of Physics Teachers – Rachel Hartley (IOP)

Rachel spoke on behalf of (Strategic Lead for Professional Community and Retention, Learning & Skills) Ian Horsewell about the IOP’s Professional Community of Physics Teachers, including how to sign up and information on the bimonthly email update.

See Rachel’s presentation (PPT, 1.77MB).

Recruitment Update – Mark Crowley (Nottingham Trent University)

Mark reviewed the recent recruitment figures into Postgraduate Initial Teacher Training (PG ITT) in England, focusing on the sciences, and looked at predictions of success against the 2024-25 PG ITT target. Mark also reviewed the use of bursaries and Subject Knowledge Enhancement courses.

See Mark’s presentation (PPT, 7.77MB).

IOP ITE Centre Visits – David Farley (IOP)

David gave an overview of the ITE Centre visits for 2023-24 including key statistics and aims of the visits, and shared details of the 2024-25 ITE Centre visits programme.

See David’s presentation (PPT, 372KB).

Gatsby Technicians’ Gallery at the Science Museum – Jenni French (Gatsby Charitable Foundation)

Jenni presented the eight Gatsby Benchmarks for Good Career Guidance, spoke about the Technicians: We Make the Difference campaign, and Technicians: The David Sainsbury Gallery at the Science Museum and the potential for ITE.

See Jenni’s presentation (PPT, 177.2MB).

Physics Teacher Educator Programme - Rachel Hartley (IOP)

Rachel gave an overview of the Physics Teacher Educator (PTE) Programme and presented findings from Spaced Learning Action Research with the UCL Institute of Education.

Physics Teaching in an African Context – Eleanor Wylie (IOP)

Eleanor gave a talk based on personal experience of teaching in Africa, covering a range of topics including the curriculum, assessment, teaching conditions, practical work, and research on common teacher misconceptions.

See Eleanor’s presentation (PPT, 33.7MB).

International Recruitment and Acclimatisation – Dan Cottle (University of Birmingham) and Rob Campbell (St Mary’s University, Twickenham)

Dan and Rob delivered an interactive session on how to adapt ITE teaching practices and training programmes to reflect the increasing number of international trainees. Using case studies, Dan and Rob led a discussion on the impact on ITT, challenges, and best practice in supporting international trainees.

See Dan and Rob’s presentation (PPT, 814KB).

Improving Retention Rates Amongst Science Teachers – Philippa Baker (Nottingham Trent University)

Philippa presented recent research on teacher retention looking at the reasons for increasing numbers of teachers leaving the teaching profession, the factors that impact teacher retention and identifying factors that can be influenced by training institutions. This research was used to design a conceptual framework to identify aspects of teacher training that could be enhanced to improve science teacher retention rates.

See Philippa’s presentation (PPT, 914KB).

An Investigation into the Maths Skills and Confidence of Pre-service Science Teachers in England – Ally Davies (OCR), Caroline Neuberg (Leeds Trinity University), Liz Nourshargh (IOP)

Ally, Caroline and Liz presented their research into maths skills and the confidence of pre-service science teachers in England. Their research assessed the increased need for maths skills, surveyed the confidence of science trainee teachers and proposed possible routes to address the issues.

See Ally, Caroline and Liz’s presentation (PPT, 1.05MB).

Teaching Physics in the Context of the Environment – Moira Steven (University of York)

Moira was due to present on teaching physics in the context of the environment but was unfortunately unable to attend.

See Moira’s presentation (PPT, 12.6MB).