The authors wanted to find out more about student teachers’ understandings of Master’s-level work in relation to teacher education. In addition, they wanted to discover if working at Master’s level during the course of their PGCE changed their perceptions of its value at all. The authors therefore decided to survey the students about their experiences during the PGCE year. The authors conclude that they focused on the processes of understanding teaching and learning, which are most effective when the collaborative and social dimensions of professional learning are developed with the skills of critical reflection and research literacy. This combination enables teachers to problematise their learning contexts and develop complex understandings of teaching and learning.