The name is absent

3⅛5

and outmoded. The Leicester Research findings on the social class
and educational background of PGCE students underlines the likelihood
of this being the case. If education has within it strongly conser-
vative traditions that do not necessarily serve large sections of
the school population this must be faced by young teachers and
teacher education itself.

Student learning and pedagogy in the PGCE

Initial teacher education as well as being about education consti-
tutes an education in itself and the significance of this seems to
be overlooked in the reliance on a restricted range of teaching
strategies in the PGCE. The Leicester Research showed the lecture

as playing an important part in many courses and the tutorial or

seminar group giving little extensive experience of other forms of
teaching and learning. Even accepting that the research masks
courses which are distinctly different the overall picture gives
grounds for concern. In our research students were clearly aware
of the often conflicting pedagogies to which they were exposed
between the alternative and non-alternative aspects of the PGCE.

This is an important consideration for change in the PGCE in the

with inbuilt sources of conflict. The extent of student satisfaction

or dissatisfaction with present courses may be misleading. Once

moving beyond glaring inadequacies or omissions students given their
own experience of education as well as their intended destinations

are unlikely to formulate alternative models.

being explored and courses developed the students may play a vital
role as was shown in the development of the Sussex course. Work

with the Research Group as well as recollections of student involve-

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