Understanding Teaching and Learning in Primary Education

'This book reveals the rich and dynamic world of primary pedagogy, offering existing and future teachers insight and guidance to support their practice.  It successfully integrates evidence from large scale research with classroom vignettes and offers a fresh perspective on critical issues.  It will help teachers develop as autonomous, creative and informed professionals, ensuring their successful contribution to primary education.' 

                        

(Rachel Lofthouse 2013-09-24)

This book will make a significant contribution to teacher education in Scotland. I offer the following response:

The authors are to be applauded for addressing important professional  issues for beginning teachers.

The emphasis on an inclusive perspective is appropriate for this readership.

Setting the teacher education experience alongside a developing value base within  wider national and global  contexts is also well justified.

The writing is accessible but well -theorised and  appropriately referenced.

Book chapters focus on contemporary issues of interest in Teacher Education.

 

Chapter 4 T&L

Very useful overview of theoretical models of teaching and learning with good exemplification from practice.  Closely aligned with needs of student teachers.

Chapter 5 Lesson Planning

Good analysis of elements of lesson planning. Excellent links with reflective practice. Framework for reflective practice before, during after teaching helpful.

Chapter 10 IDL

Draws productively on Fogarty and QCDA modls to provide analytical frameworks to approach the teaching of IDL. Does not provide very clear links to children’s learning.

Chapter  12 AifLr

Updates previously published work on AifL.  Adds new understanding about AifL for teacher educators. Concepts of curricular progression, independent learning, feedback are fully explored in relation to these new understandings

Chapter  19

Provides a succinct summary of the debate surrounding Practitioner Enquiry, a ‘hot topic’ in current Teacher Education practices.

(Lesley Reid)

'The authors are to be applauded for addressing important professional  issues for beginning teachers. Setting the teacher education experience alongside a developing value base within wider national and global  contexts, book chapters focus on contemporary issues of interest in Teacher Education and the writing is accessible but well -theorised and  appropriately referenced.'

(Dr Lesley Reid)

Overall, it is this reader’s perception that the book deserves a place not only on the primary student teacher’s bookshelves, but also in faculty libraries that support initial teacher education... The writing style makes the text eminently readable while giving student teachers a grounding in important micro and macro factors that influence primary teacher education. Importantly, this book provides a range of literature to support practical classrooms strategies and requirements, while providing student teachers with opportunities to develop their own perspectives on various topics relating to initial teacher education. (Jenny Horsley)

This textbook supports your initial teacher education by providing guidance and insight into the professional knowledge and understanding, skills and abilities, and values and commitments necessary in order to succeed in the primary classroom.

Coverage includes:

• View from practice boxes in every chapter exploring real-life examples of intelligent and engaging teaching in schools
• Thinking points and reflective questions challenging you to engage critically with what you have read and apply it to your own teaching
• Links to further reading connecting you to specialised literature on every chapter topic
• Clear discussion of education policy differences across the UK.

Mike Carroll is the PGDE (Primary and Secondary) Programme Leader and Director of the MEd Professional Learning and Enquiry programme in the School of Education, University of Glasgow.  Margaret McCulloch is a University Teacher within the School of Education, University of Glasgow.