Business and Economics Teacher Educators: academics, professionals - or magicians

Although an extremely popular subject area amongst students and providing access to both employment and higher education neither business nor economics are considered to be core to the school curriculum. As a result, those wishing to train as Business or Economics teachers work within a context which does not understand the specific needs or pedagogy of the subject.

Moreover, the context for the delivery of teacher training in England has become increasingly directive and regulated. Beginner teachers are not only assessed at the end of their training against specific Department for Education (DfE) Teachers’ Standards (DfE 2021) but are expected to adhere to the expectations of the Initial Teacher Training Early Career Framework (ITTECF) (DfE 2024). The framework references the requirement to use ‘evidence-based practice’ to inform the development of classroom practice – where particular theories, approaches and systems are prioritised over professional expertise.

For teacher educators working in Higher Education additional challenges of developing and maintaining academic and personal integrity exist. This may be through the analysis of the educational environment, critiquing the research used to inform current school practice, or in undertaking and disseminating their own work. In sharing our journeys of navigating our own context, we will seek to gain insights into the ways international colleagues respond to their own challenges of Teacher Education.