Partnership in initial teacher training: a model that optimises the expectations of stakeholders within primary schools within South East Wales

<p>Government legislation demands that schools play an increasingly influential role in<br>  </p> <p>the training of new teachers through partnership agreements with higher educational<br>  </p> <p>institutions. This study aims to identify key areas of professional satisfaction and<br>  </p> <p>dissatisfaction experienced by staff in 231 primary schools engaged in one such<br>  </p> <p>partnership, with a view to proposing a model that optimises the views of these<br>  </p> <p>stakeholders.<br>  </p> <p>The study took as its starting point a largely unexplored issue, namely the<br>  </p> <p>investigation of self-determined criteria against which schools consciously or subconsciously<br>  </p> <p>evaluate their involvement in partnership. Appropriate criteria were<br>  </p> <p>identified by a series of pilot studies that involved a cross-section of the partnership<br>  </p> <p>schools, and resulted in a battery of three detailed questionnaires that was<br>  </p> <p>subsequently administered by postal survey to all schools within the partnership.<br>  </p> <p>The data generated by this survey was analysed using a combination of qualitative<br>  </p> <p>and quantitative techniques that included the application of non-parametric statistical<br>  </p> <p>tests. It was found that the partnership agreement under investigation promoted much<br>  </p> <p>commendable practice that generated professional satisfaction. However five key<br>  </p> <p>issues, along with several minor irritants that collectively generated dissatisfaction,<br>  </p> <p>were identified. These relate to the role of the college tutor, a lack of non-contact<br>  </p> <p>time afforded to school staff in order to undertake partnership duties, an inconsistency<br>  </p> <p>between schools in relation to the support received and practice promoted, some<br>  </p> <p>failings in communication between partners, and the failure of the model to fully<br>  </p> <p>embrace all available expertise.<br>  </p> <p>It is concluded that any effective model of partnership must fully promote the unique<br>  </p> <p>contribution that can be made by each partner, and provide the necessary resources of<br>  </p> <p>time and training as prerequisites. Finally, an amended model of partnership that<br>  </p> <p>attempts to take full account of the research findings is proposed.</p>