Beyond compliance: teacher education practice in a performative framework

Abstract

In the last ten years teacher education in the further education (FE) sector has witnessed a substantial reform of teacher training with the introduction of qualifications designed to meet the professional needs of people in different teaching or training situations across the sector. The assumption of the new system is that workforce issues and problems can be resolved through the regulation and control of teacher performance using documented ‘standards’ and with subject‐specific mentoring. Using data from a research study, the authors argue against the performative nature of the reformed system and in favour of pedagogical mentoring to support professional formation and development throughout the sector. The aim of the paper is both to exemplify the performative shift in the FE sector as part of a broader move in the sector towards increased control, surveillance and accountability as well as to demonstrate opportunities within the reformed structure for a new and critical engagement in policy and practice.