Research-led approaches to build a strong teacher workforce

T-Screen, a situational judgment test (SJT), is used for screening and selection. It provides an assessment of candidates’ non-academic attributes (e.g., empathy, adaptability) using context-rich, video and text classroom scenarios. We have been conducting research on SJTs since 2013, with a solid foundation of evidence supporting their use in screening and selecting prospective teachers.

You can try a demo T-Screen here

We have developed T-Insight, a  scenario-based learning (SBL) approach, to provide preservice and beginning teachers with the opportunity to engage with realistic classroom scenarios and to reflect on real-time feedback provided by experienced teachers. T-Insight provides a low-risk exposure to classroom experiences that can be delivered remotely via personal device and/or used as the stimulus in guided seminars.

You can try a demo T-Insight tool here

T-Select uses structured and systematic multiple mini-interviews (MMIs) to assess the personal characteristics of prospective teachers. Used widely for selection into medical education, T-Select consists of multiple, independent stations that target a range of non-academic attributes. We use a research-informed approach to develop and test T-Select tools for teacher education programmes.

In this strand of work we are developing a new online approach to attract and recruit teachers into the profession. Using a ‘person-vocation fit’ approach, we are conducting research on a new ‘attribute-based’ recruitment strategy that uses ‘realistic job previews’ to identify high-quality teaching candidates and to encourage their consideration of a teaching career.