How were these materials generated?

These learning materials were developed as part of the INSTEP (Inservice Teacher Education Practice) project, a Ministry of Education to New Zealand-wide research and development initiative about the learning and practice of ISTEs. INSTEP involved approximately 400 ISTEs and researchers from 2005–2008 and had three key objectives:

• to explore and develop effective approaches for the professional learning of inservice teacher educators;
• to strengthen and promote evidence-based inservice teacher education practice;
• to support professional leadership and ongoing improvement within the inservice teacher education sector.

These learning materials embody both the learning from INSTEP and current national and international understandings about ISTE practice and learning. Their development was an integral part of the research and development approach of INSTEP. As a result, they were constantly critiqued by the INSTEP national team¹ and representatives from the education sector, and during their development, they both informed and were informed by INSTEP’s research activities.

The process for developing the materials was as follows:

• The INSTEP national team drew on a needs analysis from colleagues in the field along with relevant research and their professional experience to develop, in early 2006, a draft conceptual framework for the professional practice of inservice teacher educators.
• Five members of the national team worked with an independent writer to “unpack” the framework, with the full national team providing regular guidance and feedback on successive drafts. A resulting draft set of materials was published in October 2006.
• A pilot learning case (Case 6 in these materials) was filmed and constructed as a website in early 2007, and the remaining five learning cases were then developed. All cases emerged from the research work of INSTEP and were selected according to agreed criteria, with subsequent development led by advisory groups.
• All the materials (including the cases) were trialled by ISTEs and evaluated by a panel consisting of recognised authorities in the field and representatives from the education sector.
• The materials were extensively revised as a result of feedback from the evaluations and then published in hard copy, as a CD-ROM, and as a website.

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