QA in the Scottish teacher education

Programmes of Initial Teacher Education in Scotland must be subject to validation and review processes under the auspices of a university or degree awarding institution and must be accredited by the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) as leading to registration as a teacher. Amongst a range of requirements to meet the Standard for Initial Teacher Education, programmes must address current educational issues and develop in student teachers the flexibility to play a positive part in new educational developments, such as A Curriculum for Excellence, by encouraging a disposition for professional enquiry. Curriculum for Excellence is the major curriculum reform introduced by the Scottish Government in 2007. This curriculum is much less prescriptive than previously was the case and places much greater responsibility on teachers to lead its development. This study takes place at a time of a national inquiry into the future of Teacher Education in Scotland led by the former Chief Inspector of Schools. The inquiry will include initial teacher education, induction and continuing professional development. A key question to be addressed by the review is ‘how can teacher education support the flexibility in the profession that Curriculum for Excellence requires?’