Teacher Education Reform in Scotland

Abstract

Although part of the United Kingdom, Scotland has its own distinctive education and schooling system, with university-based teacher education preparing teachers for an all-graduate profession. Through the establishment, in 1965, of the General Teaching Council (GTC) as the regulatory body for the teaching profession in Scotland, the General Teaching Council of Scotland became one of the first teaching councils in the world. In the twenty-first century, there have been two major reform programs impacting the teaching profession: A Teaching Profession for the 21st Century in 2001 and Teaching Scotland's Future in 2011. Currently, there is a major reform program underway arising from the recommendations of a further review looking at aspects of education reform and structural and functional change of key national agencies (the Scottish Qualifications Authority and Education Scotland). The reform program will have a number of implications for teacher education. These developments are explored in this chapter which situates them in the wider context of teacher education reform globally and current challenges such as recruitment downturns and retention issues, strengthening research on teacher education and the pressures of increasing accountability.

Citation

McMahon, M. (2023), "Teacher Education Reform in Scotland", Craig, C.J., Mena, J. and Kane, R.G. (Ed.) Teaching and Teacher Education in International Contexts (Advances in Research on Teaching, Vol. 42), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 51-60. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1479-368720230000042011