What contributes to trainee's learning?

We know that schools, and teachers, make a difference to the learning of children. So too does what and how they are taught. The same is true for trainee teachers. The nature of the programme that we offer, the opportunities we provide and how we support, challenge and interact with our trainees will all make a difference.

Trainees need to learn in two rather different contexts: school and university. They need to learn from a range of sources:

• from us,
• from each other,
• from their mentors and other teachers with whom they work,
• from their own practice,
• from the pupils,
• from the research and professional literature.

They will learn from these various sources in diverse ways:

• by talking,
• by observing,
• by trying out ideas and practices,
• by reflecting,
• by reading.

Some of these ways of learning will be familiar to them – reading for example – but they will nonetheless be learning from it in a rather different way now. Others, such as learning from the observation of experts or learning from their own practice, may be entirely new to them.

Our role is to:

• consider what can be learned through different routes and plan for this,
• co-ordinate these learning experiences and
• induct them into these ways of learning.

We need to consider what sorts of things can be learned outside of classrooms – in the university, for example – and what can only be learned in the classroom. We need to help them to relate what they learn with us to what they will learn in school. We need to work with mentors both to ensure that the prime site for their learning – school – is as productive as possible but also to ensure that mentors appreciate the value of the full range of learning opportunities (including reading and writing assignments) that we should provide.

Although we are working with adult learners there are certain characteristics of learning which apply whatever the age of the learner or the nature of learning envisaged. Trainees' desire to learn and their recognition of the need for learning will be critical. So too will be their sense of self esteem and confidence, especially when they are learning in school. A sense of success and a belief that they can succeed will all contribute.

They will need protected contexts initially: the opportunity to try out ideas in the 'safety' of the university, to team teach with a more experienced colleague in school, for example, but they will also need to be challenged to take their ideas and their practice on. They need to be encouraged to question – they will anyway! – but also to learn how to do this in professional and appropriate ways. Both what we teach them and, critically, how we do this will make a difference.