Dr Beth Dickson is a senior lecturer in the School of Education at the University of Glasgow. In her roles as associate dean of initial teacher education (ITE), deputy head of school and director of learning and teaching, she has led the teams that have reformed teacher education.

Beginning in 2008, the PGCE programme was restructured and raised to master’s level, with credits remaining live for five years after the end of the course so that students could complete the remaining credits in practice. The remaining credits were delivered online so that they could be accessed from wherever students were teaching. In 2010-2011, a pilot study was undertaken to construct a closer partnership with local authorities and schools in order to provide a more structured experience for pre-service teachers in schools. Students reported feeling greater tutor and peer support under this model, and it was subsequently rolled out through all ITE programmes.