Hilaire GrahamKate Goodhand and Catherine Ogilvie

Transitions to Teaching in Higher Education

This session • Being a teacher in HE – initial conceptions• Transitions from

– What to do next (personal)– What else can I do (professional)

• Teaching Contexts• Challenges

– Bridging the gap– Being a professional teacher in HE

• Transition from practice• Conclusion

– Challenge

Being a teacher in HE

• Inspiring or being inspired . . .

Transitions from . . .

• “ I like studying…”: – acquiring specialist

knowledge – Participating as a

teaching assistant– Contributing further in

higher education

• “Perhaps I can teach”: – teaching becomes an

achievable prospect – – with a real job too! – Probably in school or

further education…

Oh my gosh! I am finishing my degree - what next?

Transitions from . . .

• Workplace experience• Specialist discipline knowledge• Business sector understanding• Contemporary/ current practice knowledge• Employability in the discipline

Teaching in Schools

• Teaching contexts . . .• Schools and Further Education• Requirement for qualification

• Teaching in HE– Traditional study– Professional practice

Teaching contexts: the university

• Discipline knowledge and practice:– ‘what we know about our subject or field’

• Developing teaching competency:– ‘focus on lifelong learning required to meet and

support the changing skills and careers’ (Dearing, R (1997) http://www.leeds.ac.uk/educol/ncihe/ Last accessed 13 April 2015)

Challenges. . .

Passion

Professionali

sm

Conceptualising the professional teacher

The HE teacher• Subject discipline proficient• Interested in development

in own field

The ‘professional’ teacher• capability as a teacher

(engagement with teaching activities, knowledge and values (set out in the UKPSF);

• engagement in professional development (reflection, evaluation and enhancement) (set out in the UKPSF).

• engagement with professional practice, scholarship and pedagogic research (set out in the UKPSF); and ,

Being professional

• Shift from being a teacher to being a professional teacher– What is the impact on practice . . .– What is the impact on profession . . .– How have institutions responded . . .

Teacher in profession

Professiona

l teacher

Becoming professional?

Transitions from Practice• Katy’s story– The job requirements

• Chetna’s story– Passion for teaching

Conclusion

• Where have teachers come from:– Relevance of development in teaching

• Expectations of teachers– Aspirations of achievement

• Researching the transition from professional discipline practice to teaching in higher education;– Enhancing teaching experiences

What now . . .

• How can this transition from discipline knowledge to a deeper understanding of professionalism best be facilitated in a dynamic education sector?