Practising what we preach : a study of pedagogical interactions in the context of teacher education

This thesis describes an investigation into the important process of communication between tutors and student teachers in the context of teacher education. In particular it investigates the learning dialogue which takes place in the context of 'whole class' talk, and considers whose authority is being called upon or deferred to, both implicitly and explicitly, in these contexts -- that is to say, whose 'voices' are being heard.;The research takes the form of two case studies of individual tutors, each interacting with a student group as part of the taught sessions within their course. It adopts a broadly qualitative methodology and its data comprise transcriptions taken from video recordings of the whole class sections of these sessions, the analysis of which is guided by a framework drawn from the literature reviewed.;The studies identify a number of techniques and approaches used by the tutors in these contexts. Most importantly, findings indicate that friendly empathetic relationships with the students are actively created by the tutors and are a fundamentally important means of shaping the talk and attempting to support learning. Evidence indicates that the strength of the student voice varies, but that, notwithstanding the relaxed ethos in these classrooms, and despite the constraints of government control, it is ultimately the tutors' voices which prevail.;The thesis argues that personal relationships are an essential and integral part of the meaning created by these students; and that teacher educators must recognise emotional aspects of student teachers' lives to be inseparable from their learning and from their developing confidence as thinking professionals. It is suggested that nurturing these emerging student 'voices' carries with it a heavy responsibility, and that tutors should use these relationships, together with a passion for their subject, to encourage, enthuse, support and even persuade, but not to indoctrinate.