Developing adaptive expertise—teachers’ capacity to apply knowledge flexibly and respond effectively to novel classroom challenges—is a core goal of initial teacher education (ITE). However, trainees often find it difficult to navigate the emotional and cognitive demands of moving between contrasting school contexts and to integrate theory with practice. Contrasting School Placements (CSPs) are designed to support this adaptability, yet there is limited empirical evidence on how best to structur
Conditions
Interventions
RCT:
The trial will compare two training approaches: one maintaining the standard observation time as part of the Contrasting School Placement( CSP) experience, and the other reducing observation time
Sponsors
Department for Education
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to 99 Years
Inclusion criteria
Inclusion criteria: RCT: 1. Eligible participants will be trainees specialising in primary and secondary education who are enrolled in NIoT’s 2025/26 ITE programmes via the full-time fee-paying route. They will be based at campuses across the South and West, East, South and London, North and West, and North and East regions of England. IPE: Eligible participants for the mixed-methods IPE will be NIoT ITE primary and secondary trainees and NIoT ITE tutors delivering the ITE programme across the four NIoT regions (including Associate Colleges), as well as senior ITE Faculty members and members of the content design team. 1. Trainees eligible for individual interviews, Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and analysis of reflection logs will be those trainees that have taken part in the trial component of the study, regardless of group allocation. 2. Eligibility criteria for NIoT staff participating in individual interviews will include ITE tutors or other facilitators leading the training, and ITE Faculty members who oversee NIoT training, as well as members of the content design team.
Exclusion criteria
Exclusion criteria: 1. Trainees on the postgraduate teaching apprenticeship route and salaried school direct, as well as part-time trainees, will not be eligible to participate due to differences in programme structure and delivery.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Adaptive expertise will be measured using an online scenario-based assessment at both baseline and endline (3 months later). | — |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Trainees' self-reported professional orientation - will be measured using a survey (1 - 2 items) at both baseline and endline (3 months later). Other secondary measures are related to the IPE: 2. Trainees' experience of their CSP will be explored using surveys (at endline), focus group discussions and individual interviews with trainees. The latter will be conducted in June 2026. 3. NIoT staff's experiences of the CSP intervention will be explored using surveys and individual interviews with NIoT staff. 4. How trainees approached the reflective process in the intervention will be explored by analysing a sample of trainees' reflection logs generated as part of the self-study modules. | — |
Countries
England, United Kingdom
Contacts
Public ContactLydia Lymperis
Outcome results
None listed