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CHAPTER TWO
A School-based PGCE Practice
In the first chapter recent research into the present pattern of
PGCE in the university sector was examined to see how far its
structures and processes corresponded to those of the Alternative
PGCE course, which is the focus of detailed exploration in this
thesis. Although the findings presented by Patrick et al (1982)
were not collected, or presented, to give detailed accounts of the
structures and processes of particular courses it appeared that
the shifts in practice and conceptualisation that mark the Alternative
Course are neither typical nor widespread in initial teacher education.
This is particularly a cause for concern given the current direction
urged upon teacher education in the universities (White Paper
Teaching Quality Cmnd 8836 March 19δ3)∙ That change can be encom-
passed more readily at the rhetorical than at the practical level
would imply that professional attention should be paid to
accounts of changes that attempt to substitute the hard questions
that
arise
from reality for
the
easy conviction that
informs
the
rhetoric. It is in pursuit of these ends that this chapter turns
to a detailed account of the practice of the Tutorial Schools Research
Project (Lacey et al 1973).
Nature of the Research
The account that forms the basis for this chapter was the outcome
of a research project funded by the SSRC from 1969-73 which, from
its outset, had a dual commitment.