Sharing Student Projects

This dissertation investigates how socio-cultural contexts influence teaching practices of UK Primary PGCE with QTS trainees through hybrid qualitative inquiry. Informed by Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory (1979) and Agency Theories of Social Obedience (Milgram, 1963; Bandura, 1991), the study’s objectives and semi-structured interview schedule examined dynamics between individual agency and systemic forces during initial teacher training. Eight participants engaged in online semi-structured interviews, with data interpreted via Reflexive Thematic Analysis. Three central themes emerged: Personal and Professional Identity Formation, Navigating Contexts, and Sustaining the Self. Findings echo existing literature exploring socio-cultural elements influencing teacher development but reveal agentic tensions within exclusionary institutional structures currently neglecting trainee socio-cultural identity. In response, this study recommends enhanced consistency within PGCE Primary ITT, strengthened mentoring frameworks and targeted political and policy reforms addressing systemic exclusion and support trainee resilience. This study offers unique insights into how contextual dynamics shape teaching trajectories and offers actionable recommendations to optimise UK primary teacher education.

This research was designed to explore rationale socio-cultural and agentic experiences of Primary PGCE trainees. However, in doing so, this study acknowledges school and university staff need further support providing effective PGCE training including enhancing wellbeing and relational dynamics. Belongingness is also extremely important and needs integration into teacher training experiences. If this and further research concerning this topic could support reform in teacher training, this could begin at legislative and political levels, before translating to training and practice. Established rationale for change to training approaches, universities, and wider school environments should follow allocation of adequate resources, growing consistency in PGCE delivery, inclusion within whole school systems (including trainees), and making established and comprehensive support (for example, sufficient mentoring from trained mentors and access to mental health provision where needed) normative in training. This may make teacher training more appealing for prospective candidates, give universities and mentors greater provision to ensure high-quality learning, and encourage teacher retention; schools and universities would collaboratively provide exceptional training, with recalibrated power balances galvanising equity and diversity.