The Use of Creative, Contextualised, Subject Specific Teaching Approaches Within Primary Teacher Education

This chapter describes the use of a creative teacher education methodology to facilitate
study on a one-year postgraduate initial teacher education programme. It outlines how
student teachers can be supported in their aspiration to become highly accomplished
educators by inclusion within an active research orientated teaching programme. The
chapter is illustrated with a concrete example of how student teachers can be motivated
to engage with the acquisition of their own subject specific pedagogical knowledge within
primary science. Arguments are made regarding the significance of fostering student
teacher learning within a relevant social context in order to fulfil the aspirations and needs
of student teachers, as both learners and evolving pedagogues. The self-deterministic
approach consists of initial modelling during taught university sessions followed by
reflection on student teacher classroom based inquiry. The attitudes of student teachers to
this type of professional learning is examined alongside a critical reflection of the efficacy
of this mode of learning. The conclusion includes an exposition of the potential of student
inquiry within initial teacher education.