Phase 2 of the Alphacrucis NECSTEP* research builds on the active ingredients found in Phase 1*Alphacrucis University College NECSTEP (National Embedded Cross Sector Teacher Education Pilot) Phase 1: Finding the recipe’s active ingredients In Phase 1 of the Alphacrucis NECSTEP research we were looking for the core ingredients that prepare teacher readiness and how the teaching school model can heighten this readiness. We are grateful for the 66 Pre-service Teachers, Graduate Teachers, and Mentor Teacher’s stories and insights. This rich data has reinforced the complexity of Teaching School model (school-embedded initial teacher education) but has also provided clarity in relation to the active ingredients we are exploring.
 Phase 2: Refining the recipe with personalisation Phase 2 of the Alphacrucis NECSTEP research is soon to get underway to refine our teacher-readiness recipe with ‘partner chefs’ at the 2025 AATS Leadership Symposium. The aim of the Alphacrucis NECSTEP research is to develop a framework to support pre-service teachers towards “readiness” as professional teachers. We are calling this the School-embedded Teacher Education Readiness Support (STERS) Framework. We don’t like cooking alone though, so we will invite you to join us as we use the results from Phase 1 to co-construct a skeleton STERS Framework. Interested Teaching Schools leaders, principals, and their pre-service teachers plus mentor teachers will then get to truly refine the recipe for their context and circumstance. For more information:Contact
Ms. Cassandra Pendlebury Alphacrucis (AC) NECSTEP National Director [email protected] NECSTEP research team Dr. Rachel Perry (ACU), Associate Professor Susan Westraad (AC), Associate Professor Tony Loughland (UNSW), Ms. Cassandra Pendlebury (AC), Dr. Vanessa Miller (AC), Mrs. Emily Shea (AC)
0 Comments
 Over the last few posts, we have explored the focus of the NECSTEP (National Embedded Cross Sector Teaching Education Program) research, likening what we are seeking to find as the core ingredients of a cake. We see these as the ‘active ingredients’ that support the professional readiness of pre-service teachers in school-embedded, or employment based, models of initial teacher education. We also considered the definitional challenge we are facing due to the lack of consistent language and its implications for gathering information, sharing knowledge and moving beyond existing small scale research. Within this context, we have collected data and engaged in some exciting dissemination opportunities along the way. Phase 1 - 2024 Phase 2 - 2025
For more information:Contact Dr. Rachel Perry (Research Fellow: NECSTEP)
[email protected] NECSTEP research team Dr. Rachel Perry (ACU), Associate Professor David Hastie (AC), Associate Professor Tony Loughland (UNSW), Dr. Vanessa Miller (AC) To Teach... To Learn... To Flummox...Do we all agree on what it means to teach?  A box is very useful - It can hold things – can provide protection – reveal surprises. Boxes are used to transport food. Children use them as cubby houses. They come in all sizes, shapes, colours, textures. Boxes have been the focus of stories – a particularly beautiful one by Stephen Michael King, The Man Who Loved Boxes, was a favourite with my children. No one would probably argue with any of this, plus add many more uses for a box. That is because we all have a firm shared understanding of what is possible with a box… or do we?
The importance of developing shared language and challenging assumptions is a key focus in the NECSTEP research. A lack of shared language inhibits broader understanding of school embedded models and is reflected across what is primarily small-scale research. We need to break through disconnected terminologies so we can elevate and apply research findings in different contexts with confidence. Sustained, school embedded models for initial teacher education are of vital importance to the future of teacher workforce supply. Identifying the key active ingredients in school embedded models and framing them within a shared definition will lead to a greater cohesiveness of understanding across future research. In addition, it will help to provide a common foundation for partnerships in new and existing initiatives. This approach is important for enabling stronger advocacy and the long-term sustainability of school embedded models of initial teacher education. The NECSTEP research will explore the contribution of sustained, school embedded models on the readiness of initial teacher education students. It will use an exploratory sequential mixed methods design to gather participant perspectives, then develop, test, and pilot a School Embedded Initial Teacher Education Index. The purpose of the index will be to understand and track the growth of initial teacher education students in school embedded models. It will match this with guidance for school-university partnerships regarding the conditions that enhance readiness so supports can be tailored and responsive to context. For more information:Contact Dr. Rachel Perry, (Research Director: NECSTEP) – [email protected] NECSTEP research team Dr. Rachel Perry (Alphacrucis University College), Associate Professor David Hastie (Alphacrucis University College), Associate Professor Tony Loughland (UNSW)  Have you ever baked a cake? A strange question in regards to researching Teaching School Hubs - but is it? A cake requires five core active ingredients – butter, sugar, flour, milk and eggs. That’s it. It will be a plain one, but when mixed in correct proportions, through the right process, a cake is born. Once this basic recipe is mastered, personalisation of the cake can evolve with flavour and decoration. It depends on who you are baking for, of course. So how does this relate to initial teacher education (ITE) pathways and the NECSTEP (National Embedded Cross Sector Teaching Education Program) research currently underway?
To do so, the NECSTEP research has four key aims:
For more information:Contact Dr. Rachel Perry, (Research Director: NECSTEP) – [email protected]  Inaugural Teaching School Think Tank at SPCC Cessnock campus 5th of May 2023 saw the inaugural gathering of the many already invested in the teaching school hub model. AC, TSAS and SPTS partnered together to host this gathering at the St Philips Christian College, Cessnock campus.  Rob Loe set the tone for the conference by speaking on The Power of Partnership. The task was then given to all present to creatively reimagine the potential of co-design within a supportive and refining partnership of school, teaching school and tertiary space. The conference included a wide variety of voices including students still in ITE training, well-seasoned educators, tertiary professors as well as teacher mentors from both the private and public sectors.  The majority of the conference was spent collaborating on co-design of the teaching hub model and innovations in partnership. Our founders and co-hosts, AC, TSAS and SPTS, have already begun discussions for upcoming Teaching School Think Tank opportunities and how to put these ideas into practice.
Subscribe to our newsletter to receive regular updates about our progress in this space or become a member to add your voice. |
CategoriesArchives
April 2025
Newsletters |
RSS Feed
