ABSTRACT
A common expectation among young people going to a college, polytechnic or a university department to prepare for a career in teaching is that they will be taught how to teach. The only time that students come into contact with teachers and the teaching process is on teaching practice. The Department of Education and Science (DES) Circular 24/89 on 'Initial teacher training: approval of courses' has taken on board some of the recommendations of the Elton Report. The Elton Committee decided to obtain a database of opinion from a representative sample of teachers in secondary schools in the West Midlands to see how far they felt that their initial training had prepared them for the problems they had to face in their classrooms. After careful scrutiny of the results several small amendments and additions were made to the schedule in preparation for the main study.
