OxTalks is Changing
Oxford Events, the new replacement for OxTalks, will launch on 16th March. From now until the launch of Oxford Events, new events cannot be published or edited on OxTalks while all existing records are migrated to the new platform. The existing OxTalks site will remain available to view during this period.
From 16th, Oxford Events will launch on a new website: events.ox.ac.uk, and event submissions will resume. You will need a Halo login to submit events. Full details are available on the Staff Gateway.
Rethinking Teacher Education Through Signature Pedagogies
What makes teaching a profession—and how does initial teacher education (ITE) contribute to that status? One influential idea, introduced by Lee Shulman, is that professions are often defined by a signature pedagogy: a distinctive way of teaching that reflects the profession’s core values, alongside agreed knowledges and practices. If teacher education had such a pedagogy, could it strengthen claims to legitimacy, authority, and agency? And if so, what would it look like—and would it even be desirable?
This seminar explores these questions through findings from three research projects that examine teacher education at different scales: within a single institution across subjects and phases; across multiple institutions during a period of policy reform; and across diverse international contexts. Together, these studies shed light on whether a signature pedagogy for teacher education is desirable, if it exists, what form it might take, and how this could reshape our understanding of ITE—not only for educators, but also for policymakers seeking to influence it.
Speaker Bio:
Clare Brooks is a Professor of Education at the University of Cambridge. Her research focuses on how policy influences access to teacher education for isolated communities, and the implications for high-quality initial teacher education at scale. She takes up the role of Head of the Faculty of Education in October 2026.
Date:
11 May 2026, 17:00
Venue:
15 Norham Gardens, 15 Norham Gardens OX2 6PY
Venue Details:
Seminar Room A and online
Speaker:
Professor Clare Brooks (Professor of Education, University of Cambridge)
Organising department:
Department of Education
Organiser:
Dr Ian Thompson (Department of Education, University of Oxford)
Part of:
Department of Education Public Seminars
Booking required?:
Required
Booking url:
https://forms.office.com/e/xrggvUArZJ
Audience:
Public
Editors:
Hannah Freeman,
Heather Sherkunov,
Kristina Khoo,
Shaena Sinclair
