This feature is designed to build critical, informed debate about the character of teacher training, teacher education and professional development. This issue’s problem: Eleanor Franks doesn’t really understand her students’ frames of reference and the difficulties that many of them have in making sense of the particular historical phenomena she is teaching them about. Eleanor Franks,...

This issue’s problem: James Connolly is finding it difficult to judge how much or what kind of reading he should expect of his students. James Connolly, an eager and knowledgeable historian, has frequently struggled to pitch things appropriately for students. This applies particularly to his expectations of their reading, but also...

Phil Nevers is so interested in the history that he's teaching that he gets caught up in fascinating digressions or overwhelms the students with complexity. Phil Nevers is a passionate historian with high ambitions for the students that he is teaching. He reads widely and is deeply committed to the...

This issue's problem: Arthur Wellesley is struggling to model tasks effectively for students. Arthur has made a positive start to his training, but remains rather nervous in the classroom. He recognises the importance of well-planned lessons and his outline plans generally have a clear, logical structure. His mentor thinks that he...

This issue's problem:Joe Priestley is having problems providing sufficient challenge for the higher attainers within his mixed ability groups Joe Priestley has settled into his training placement very well and has impressed other members of the history department with his lively and engaging ideas. In his early teaching he was...

This issue's problem: Helen Troy is uncertain how to provide appropriate support for certain students without restricting what they can achieve. Helen showed considerable determination in securing her teacher training place. Her own education had been within a highly selective school system and her first application was unsuccessful because of...

This Issue's Problem: Maria Monte has decided that catering for different learning styles will solve all her problems of differentiation in history. 

This Issue's Problem: Frances is having problems with differentiation.

This Issue's Problem: Brian, PGCE history student, doesn't see the point of teaching history to pupils who find it very difficult.