LIVING WITH CATE - THE CASE OF REFLECTIVE STUDENT-TEACHERS

This paper considers the effect of the introduction of market forces into teacher education both in terms of the loss of autonomy on the part of the providers, the teacher educators, and in terms of the growth of ownership by the consumers, the student teachers, of their learning. Specifically it identifies the paradigms of teacher education which are absent from the Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (CATE) criteria, such as enquiry-oriented teacher education, but which are important for promoting professional self-awareness amongst teachers. This paper describes and evaluates an exercise undertaken by student teachers on a postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE) course which both promotes self-reflection and meets some of the criteria set by CATE. It concludes that it is possible to promote self-reflective teaching within the confines of the CATE criteria so long as certain procedures are followed.