The Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA), responsible for teacher training in England, requires all trainees to be prepared for the teaching of English as an additional language (EAL). This study investigated newly qualified teachers' (NQTs) continuing training needs in relation to the standards set by the TDA. One hundred and thirty…

This contribution follows the descriptive review of Weigel, Mulder and Collins regarding the use of the competence concept in the development of vocational education and training in England, France, Germany and the Netherlands. The purpose of this contribution is to review the critical analyses brought forward by various authors in this field.…

This paper examines the notion of "competence" in the VET systems of France and England. While both countries have developed "competence-based" approaches, underlying the similar terminology are distinct meanings, rooted in the countries' institutional structures and labour processes. A key distinction is identified between a…

Five years after the Government announced plans to replace the National Qualifications Framework (NQF), the author anticipates the arrival of the new Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF). Now the new Qualifications and Credit Framework is a reality. The regulatory arrangements for the QCF came into force on 1 September 2008 and the…

This article is one of a series of articles to evaluate the National Professional Qualification in Integrated Centre Leadership (NPQICL) during a national rollout in 2005 in England. It explores the experiences of the tutors who delivered the programme. The informants were eight academic tutors who teach in seven universities and four tutors who…

Policy debates on employability, lifelong learning and competence-based approaches suggest a convergence of VET approaches across European countries. Against the background of the creation of a European Qualifications Framework, this paper compares the VET systems of England, Germany and The Netherlands. The analysis reveals the distinct…

Highly trained teachers from across the world come to England expecting to practice their profession. These expectations are dashed however, if their qualifications and work experience, gained in their home countries, are not recognised as legitimate by potential employers and accreditation bodies. This type of social situation is the focus of…

This paper investigates a unique feature of the English educational system to estimate the causal effect of compulsory schooling on labour market outcomes. We examine school leaving rules that allow for discrete variation in exit dates by date of birth within school cohorts. This natural experiment enables a regression discontinuity design that…

Behaviourist and cognitive theories of learning view learning as a process of individual internalisation. Social theorists view learning as a process that is socially constructed and developed in social contexts. Wenger suggests that professional practice is a social process that is constructed in communities. Mentoring in Initial Teacher…

This contribution reviews how four European countries--England, Germany, France and the Netherlands--use the concept of competence in the process of developing vocational education and training. Competence in England is set in the context of the National Vocational Qualifications; in Germany within action competence and the approach to learning…

Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) is now firmly on government agendas in many countries, including England, and the need to develop a professional workforce is generally agreed. The reform of the children's workforce in England acknowledges that increasing the skills and competence of this workforce is critical to its success. Two new…

Early childhood provision in England is undergoing a period of expansion and change. Policy for English early years education and care is based on principles of serving children in need rather than entitlement for all. The result is a two-tier system of private and state provision. Music has benefited from this increase in interest and investment.…

Analyzes the objective dimension of teachers' careers showing how 530 British male/female teachers are distributed throughout the pay scale and promotions making up the formal structure of teaching. Indicates length of experience is the rewarding but not the sole factor in bureaucratic structure and differential male/female career achievements.…

This article reflects on different models of professional qualification for teaching, based on a comparison between initial teacher education (ITE) in Scotland and a narrower and more pragmatic view of "teacher training" in England. It includes an analysis of the official requirements in both countries (the Standards), which exemplify…

The establishment of the General Teaching Council for England (GTC) in 2000 created a professional and regulatory body for teaching in England. Acting in the public interest, GTC is responsible for contributing to improving the standards of teaching and the quality of learning, and for maintaining and improving standards of professional conduct…