Each one of our ITT curriculua is underpinned by and draws from pertinent research in that subject area. You can read more about all the research which underpins our curriculum design by downloading the relevant ITT course curriculum and scrolling down to the Secondary or FET section.
We have also compiled a list of suggested key reading for mentors for subjects we offer at both Secondary and FET level. We have also provided additional some key readings specifically for FET mentors to assist with mentoring in the FET phase.
Computer Science and IT
- Developing a Computer Science-specific Learning Taxonomy
- CSE, 2018. Computer Science Education: Perspectives on Teaching and Learning. London: Bloomsbury Academic.
- Ofsted (2021) research review series: Computing
- SENTANCE, S., WAITE, J. and KALLIA, M., 2019. Teaching computer programming with PRIMM: a sociocultural perspective. Computer Science Education. 29 (2-3), pp. 136-176.
- The Royal Society, 2012. Shutdown or Restart? The way forward for computing in UK schools.
- The White Paper: Practical programming in computing education
English
- Cremin, T(2019). Reading communities: Why, what and how?
- Sherrington, T (2020), The hidden lives of learners: Re-reading Nuthall’s Hidden Lives of Learners. Insights from a classic.
- Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) (2021)., Improving Literacy in Secondary Schools.
- Ofsted (2021) research review series: English
Further Education and Training (FET)
Geography
- Geographical Association (2022) Geography mentoring.
- Healy G., Hammond, L., Puttick, S. & Walshe, N. (2022) Mentoring Geography Teachers in the Secondary School: A Practical guide. Routledge.
- Jones, M & Lambert D. (2017) Debates in Geography education. Routledge.
- Ofsted (2021) research review series: Geography
History
- Chapman, A (ed.) (2021) Knowing History in Schools: Powerful knowledge and the powers of knowledge, London: UCL Press.
- Counsell, K. Burn and A. Chapman, (eds.) (2015) Masterclass in History Education: transforming teaching and learning, London: Bloomsbury.
- Davies, I. (ed.) (2017) Debates in History Teaching, Oxford: Routledge
- Harris, R., Burn, K. & Woolley, M. (2014) The Guided Reader to Teaching and Learning History, Abingdon: Routledge.
- Ofsted (2021) research review series: History
Reading for practical ideas
- Natalie Kesterton’s (2019). ‘Plugging the gaps: using narratives and big pictures’ in Teaching History, 176.
Reading to understand how to structure history lessons
- Riley’s (2000) article ‘Into the Key Stage 3 history garden: choosing and planting your enquiry questions’, Teaching History, 99.
Reading to develop trainees’ understanding about how children learn in history lessons
- S Wineburg, ‘Unnatural and essential: the nature of historical thinking’, in ‘Teaching History’, Issue 129, September 2007, pages 6 to 11 and Husbands, C. (1996) What is History Teaching? Buckingham: Open University Press, ch 6, pp. 73-87.
Mathematics
- Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), ND. Improving mathematics in key stages two and three: guidance report
KS2_KS3_Maths_Guidance_2017.pdf (educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk) - Ofsted (2021) research review series: Mathematics
Physical Education
Capel, S, Cliffe, J, & Lawrence, J (eds) 2020, Learning to Teach Physical Education in the Secondary School : A Companion to School Experience, Taylor & Francis Group, Milton. Available from: ProQuest Ebook Central. [17 January 2023].
- This underpins the importance of the (PE) mentor through signposting / articulation to the trainee’s approach and regular tasks that can be undertaken with the trainee / Mentor.
- Consistently directs the trainees to good practice and opportunities to develop communication / dialogue with Mentors.
- In contrast Mentors can use this approach to reassure and reiterate good practice themselves through a reflective approach.
- Meaningful learning occurs when pupils are enabled to make sense of their learning and organise it coherently within what they already know.
- It is therefore important that the curriculum sequence maximises the likelihood that all pupils will be able to connect the steps they have taken to know and do more in PE.
- Deng (paper above) underpin the importance for pupils to acquire secure knowledge before moving on to more complex knowledge through approaches as retrieval, refining and building on key fundamental movement skills (FMS) before introducing additional complexity that compliments out spiral approaches to the trainee’s own curriculum for ITE
Vickerman, P., 2007. Teaching physical education to children with special educational needs. Routledge.
- This paper is linked to the inclusive section of the research paper for the review looking at the opportunity to ensure that PE is consistently accessible for all and that all pupils can make progress.
- Evokes the debate to challenge why some pupils with SEND share experiences of being unable to join in with certain activities, not having the equipment to participate fully.
- This can provide positive and empowering conversations linked to the CCF and the adaptive approaches to ensure inclusivity through sport and activity accessibility.
Religious Education
- Ofsted (2021) research review series: religious education
- Sheehan, H. (2023) Mentoring Religious Education Teachers in the Secondary School: A Practical Guide
- Pett, S. (2022) Religion and Worldviews in the Classroom: developing a Worldviews Approach Stephen Pett A Draft Resource for curriculum developers
Science
- HOLMAN, J. and YEOMANS, E. 2018. Improving Secondary Science Guidance Report. Education Endowment Foundation.
- INGLIS, M., 2018. Mentoring New Science Teachers. In: BANNER, I. and HILLIER, J., eds. ASE Guide to Secondary Science Education. 4th ed. Hatfield: Association for Science Education. pp. 276-291
- Ofsted (2021) research review series: Science