Executive Summary

Initial teacher education has a fundamental goal to graduate teachers who are able to ensure high quality learning outcomes for all children and young people with whom they work. Those responsible for initial teacher education policy and practice have a responsibility to examine the ways in which we are today preparing student teachers to teach in the centres and schools of the future. This research report addresses the following two research questions: What are the distinguishing characteristics of New Zealand initial teacher education qualifications? and, What processes are in place to ensure quality implementation of the qualifications?

The findings provide a comprehensive picture of initial teacher education qualifications within New Zealand based solely on documentary analysis and discussion with providers. We are very much aware that there are many colleagues throughout New Zealand who contribute to initial teacher education, each of whom bring personal and professional knowledge, experience, and interpretations to their work of preparing teachers. This study did not have the capacity to capture this detail of teacher educators’ work with student teachers.

The study was conducted in two phases. Data from publicly-available documentation of the 27 providers of initial teacher education were recorded in an electronic data base as a means of compiling individual profiles of each qualification. Subsequently, staff from 25 providers participated in interviews to ensure that profiles accurately reflected the policy and practice of the qualification. Qualification profiles were reviewed to identify common and distinctive characteristics of initial teacher education according to sector (early childhood, primary and secondary), type of qualification (undergraduate dipoma, degree and graduate diploma), and type of provider (university, college of education, polytechnic, private training establishment and Wānaga). Findings were considered within a framework of contemporary national and international research and implications identified for future research, policy and practice in initial teacher education. This summary presents findings and implications organised according to the key sections of the report.