Specialisation in the primary education community

Kevin Sullivan; Susan Main; Joseph J Scott; Kin  Eng  Chin; Jason Boron Dr; Matthew  Byrne; Eibhlish O'Hara; Elisabeth  Taylor; Rozita  Dass; Kuki  Singh; Helen  Adam; Gail  Berman

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Specialisation in the primary education community

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Specialisation in the primary education community

Kevin Sullivan, Susan Main, Joseph J Scott, Kin Eng Chin, Jason Boron Dr, Matthew Byrne, Eibhlish O'Hara, Elisabeth Taylor, Rozita Dass, Kuki Singh, …

Issues in Educational Research, Vol.35(2), pp.779-797

2025

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Abstract

Australian students' results in international assessments have led to considerable attention on teacher quality and, more specifically, on how well pre-service teachers (PSTs) are being prepared to teach. Acting on one of the recommendations in the Action Now, Classroom Ready Teachers Report (TEMAG, 2014), the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership updated Accreditation Standards and Procedures for Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programs to include primary specialisation into ITE courses (AITSL, 2017). The Australian Government's Next Steps report (2022) also identified the need to obtain data on the specialisation of ITE graduates to assist with issues of supply and demand. Our study was designed to increase knowledge of primary PSTs' perceptions of the primary specialisation program and explore reasons informing PSTs' specialisation choice. Data for this research project were gathered from PSTs undertaking ITE in a primary teaching course at an Australian University. A mixed methods approach, involving a questionnaire and small follow-up research focus group, was undertaken late in 2022. The data identify the perceptions of primary PSTs relating to their specialisation choices and the dominant factors that impact on these choices.

Details

Title: Specialisation in the primary education community
Authors: Kevin Sullivan - Edith Cowan University
Susan Main - Edith Cowan University
Joseph J Scott - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Education and Tertiary Access
Kin Eng Chin - Murdoch University
Jason Boron Dr - Edith Cowan University
Matthew Byrne - Edith Cowan University
Eibhlish O'Hara - Edith Cowan University
Elisabeth Taylor - The University of Notre Dame Australia
Rozita Dass - Edith Cowan University
Kuki Singh - Edith Cowan University
Helen Adam - Edith Cowan University
Gail Berman - Edith Cowan University
Publication details: Issues in Educational Research, Vol.35(2), pp.779-797
Publisher: Western Australian Institute for Educational Research Inc.
Date published: 2025
ISSN: 1837-6290
Copyright note: Published under a Creative Commons licence: Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-ND 4.0)
Organisation Unit: Healthy Ageing Research Cluster; School of Education and Tertiary Access; Cancer Research Cluster; STEM in Education Research Theme
Language: English
Record Identifier: 991139406202621
Output Type: Journal article

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