Meeting the standards? Dyslexic students and the selection process for initial teacher training

Abstract

Teacher trainers in England and Wales are clearly instructed they must satisfy themselves that their trainees can reach the specified English literacy standards. This has led to a particular focus on dyslexic applicants and a questioning of their suitability for teaching. In 2003 the Disability Discrimination Act as applied to education also made it clear that disabled applicants (including those who are dyslexic) must not be discriminated against in the admissions process for teacher training. Initial teacher trainers must therefore satisfy requirements from both a standards and an inclusion agenda when considering the admission of dyslexic individuals to their training courses. The purpose of this questionnaire study was to look in detail at how initial teacher trainers perceived and responded to the demands of these two agendas in relation to their admissions process.

Reference

Riddick, B., & English, E. (2006). Meeting the standards? Dyslexic students and the selection process for initial teacher training. European Journal of Teacher Education, 29(2), 203–222. https://doi.org/10.1080/02619760600617383

Journal

European Journal of Teacher Education

Analysis

Is this article part of a larger project or series of studies?

Does this study draw on a large, preexisting data set?

Research Approach

Collective case study
Qualitiative
Survey
Survey (mail-in)

Geographic Setting

England
Wales

Institutional Context

University based

Certification Level

Not stated

Programatic Focus

not stated

Research Location Context

University

Preservice Participants

University Professors (teacher educators)

Preservice Sample Size

Duration of Data Collection

one sitting

Data Sources

Preservice teachers' writing samples and criteria to evaluate them
Questionnaire

Data Analysis Tools

Descriptive statistics
Statistical analysis

Researcher Positionality

Outside (not directly invested in the program or operations)

Research Questions

How do "initial teacher trainers provide balance or reconcile the demands for both high literacy standards and inclusion in selecting individuals for teacher training"? (p.209)
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Combination