Researching student teachers’ attitudes and beliefs toward children living in poverty in Scotland: insights from a mixed methods pilot study

Research output: Contribution to conferenceUnpublished paper

Abstract

In Scotland, there is government recognition that poverty is negatively affecting children and young people’s attainment at school. Those children and young people from families living in poverty are disproportionately represented among underperforming pupils and there are calls for practitioners to develop further specific knowledge(s) and skills to help address the inequalities that children and young people experience (Forbes et al, 2015).
Supporting children, young people and their families in mediating the effects of child poverty towards success at school requires high quality teachers who soundly understand both poverty and educational outcomes in modern societies (Gorski, 2012). Teacher beliefs, attitudes, and perceptions have been found to be influential in how teachers frame the phenomenon of child poverty and underpin the responses they can imagine (Gorski, 2016).
This paper reports on a two-phase pilot project in one university-based Initial Teacher Education (ITE) provider in Scotland. Phase one focuses on PGDE primary and secondary student teachers across one academic session. Phase two is a longitudinal programme of enquiry that tracks student teachers following the MA undergraduate route into the teaching profession. The project aims to develop a nuanced understanding of the knowledge(s), skills, and dispositions student teachers require to mitigate the effects of poverty on the educational outcomes of children and young people. The project adopted a mixed methods methodology involving collection, analysis and synthesis of quantitative and qualitative data. The findings from the study will contribute to our understanding of the dynamics between ITE and student teachers’ efficacy to mitigate the effects of poverty on children and young people.
Original languageEnglish
Publication statusUnpublished - 23 Nov 2017
EventScottish Educational Research Association Annual Conference 2017: 42nd Annual Conference, 2017 - University of West of Scotland, Ayr, United Kingdom
Duration: 22 Nov 201724 Nov 2017

Conference

ConferenceScottish Educational Research Association Annual Conference 2017
Country/TerritoryUnited Kingdom
CityAyr
Period22/11/1724/11/17
OtherEducational futures in a changing landscape: bridging boundaries or
"mind the gap"?

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