This study explores perceptions of effective primary teaching practice in the North and Mid-Wales Centre for Teacher Education and has been split into two parts. Study 1 explores opinions on effective practice in the context of North and Mid-Wales before the 2015 Estyn inspection of the centre. Study 2 in 2017, examines the perceptions of effective teaching practice after the Estyn inspections, investigates the developments to the centre following the Estyn recommendations and explores views on how the centre can be further improved.
To explore the perceptions of effective teaching practice, a questionnaire was used with teacher educators and senior mentors in study 1 and repeated in study 2 following the Estyn inspections. In study 2 focus groups were used to explore the opinions of trainee teachers on their initial teacher education, including developments that happened to their course and how the course can be further improved. Interviews were carried out with two managers at the centre to explore in more depth the changes made at the centre following the Estyn recommendations.
The study has found that a wide variety of factors that contribute to the effective practice of primary school teachers were mentioned by the participants, including for bilingual and inclusive classrooms, showing the complexity of effective teaching. It also found that the participants mentioned developments within the centre that relate to each of the seven Estyn recommendations for the centre from the 2015 Estyn inspection, emphasising the period of rapid development for the centre. Furthermore it identified that some of the participants of this study felt that some areas needed further development in the future to improve the quality of training at the centre. Further research could continue to explore the future developments for the centre, and the impact of this on the quality of teachers produced.