Teachers, Teacher Education, and Professional Development

Teacher Education Specific to Reading

Prospective primary school teachers learn to teach the whole curriculum with an emphasis on the areas of literacy, numeracy, and Information and Communications Technology (ICT). There are no additional requirements specific to teaching reading. The competencies expected of teachers that underpin all teacher education programs (i.e., initial teacher education, support for beginning teachers, and continuing professional development) are set out in Teaching: The Reflective Profession, which includes the following competence statement pertaining to literacy:

“Teachers will have developed a knowledge and understanding of the learning area/subject(s) they teach, including the centrality of strategies and initiatives to improve literacy, numeracy and thinking skills, keeping curricular, subject and pedagogical knowledge up-to-date through reflection, self-study and collaboration with colleagues.”²⁶

Requirements for Ongoing Professional Development in Reading for Teachers

There is no legally required minimum length of time for teachers in Northern Ireland to spend on continuing professional development for reading or for any other subject. However, the performance of all teachers is reviewed annually in accordance with a structured framework called the Performance Review and Staff Development Scheme. This process aims to ensure that training and development needs of individual teachers are identified and that staff development opportunities are aligned to the priorities identified in the School Development Plan.^27,28

A framework for the way forward for professional development was launched by the Education Minister in March 2016. The Learning Leaders professional learning strategy for teachers was developed with stakeholders. The document sets out this strategic vision: “Every teacher is a learning leader, accomplished in working collaboratively with all partners in the interests of children and young people.” The strategy focuses on five key areas:

A teacher professional learning framework
Development and dissemination of good practice
Building professional learning communities
Building leadership capacity
Engaging with stakeholders

The strategy will be implemented over a number of years through annual action plans. Next steps will include the development of a career-long professional learning framework for teachers.²⁹

The Department of Education focuses on professional development specifically for teachers of English and mathematics. In 2015, the department funded the Education Authority to deliver a program for teachers of these subjects at Key Stages 2 and 3 (Grades 5 to 10). The Literacy and Numeracy Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3 Continuing Professional Development Transition Project particularly focuses on learning issues related to the transition from primary to post-primary (secondary) education. The key objectives of the project are to:

Provide continuing professional development focused on the development of high quality teaching and learning
Provide continuing professional development within Area Learning Communities to enable schools to collaborate and share resources
Bring together Key Stage 2 and 3 teachers to facilitate sharing of practices and improve transition for students
Utilize as fully as possible the potential of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) that is available in schools to support the continuing professional development program and facilitate ongoing sharing of practices

More than 550 schools have engaged in the project, which involves more than 1,850 teachers.³⁰