InTuitionset.et-foundation.co.uk/media/114826/InTuition15.pdf · Your continued support and voice is vital in allowing IfL to continue to make the case for our profession, especially

InTuitionIssue 15 Winter 2013/14

The journal for professional teachers and trainers in the further education and skills sector

Changing livesAlison Boulton fi ghts to keep qualifi ed teachers at the heart of specialist education Interview p10

Labour backs FE teaching qualifi cationsNews p4

Time for universities to professionalise their teachingOpinion p8

What one former Ofsted inspector discovered about outstanding practiceCPD Matters p16

Eight steps to independent learningGeoff Petty p30

www.ifl .ac.uk

Please give us your feedback in our annual reader survey – see page 3

For teachers and trainers committed to excellence

1_Cover.indd 1 04/12/2013 11:24

Season’s greetings from IfL IfL’s Advisory Council, Non-Executive

Board and staff would like to wish

all our members season’s greetings

and a happy and fulfilling New Year.

Thank you for your commitment during 2013 and

we look forward to supporting you in the year ahead.

www.ifl.ac.uk

INT.12.13.002.indd 2 03/12/2013 11:21

InTuition Issue 14 | Winter 2013/14 3

“Is it that time of year again already?”

is widely heard as we approach

December. As John Lewis’ ‘bear

and hare’ Christmas advertising

appeared, I couldn’t help but wonder, where 2013 had gone and

was sorely tempted to follow the bear’s lead and take a nap.

For many, this is the end of the busiest time of year. 2013

also seems to have brought its share of changes to the sector

including: the closure of the Learning and Skills Service (LSIS)

and the establishment an FE guild, now called the Education

and Training Foundation.

It also saw the revocation of teaching regulations in

September, despite protests from IfL and others across the

sector over the implications for FE teaching and learning.

However, there was an early Christmas present from shadow

education secretary Tristram Hunt MP who said at November’s

Association of Colleges conference that a future Labour

government would insist on college teachers being qualifi ed.

Your continued support and voice is vital in allowing IfL to

continue to make the case for our profession, especially as

parties turn their attentions to election manifestos in 2014,

ahead of the 2015 general election.

2014 will see the launch of a new IfL website. We have

also recently launched IfL ‘InTuition Live’ webinars with

accessible CPD tips that you can access online at any time

at www.ifl .ac.uk/intuitionlive.

We are eager to hear your views as part of our annual InTuition

reader survey. Please complete and return the enclosed survey

or complete the survey online at www.ifl .ac.uk/intuitionsurvey.

Each response received by Monday 13 January 2014, will be

entered into a prize draw, the fi ve winners of which will receive a

copy of a publication recently reviewed in InTuition.

On behalf of all of us at IfL, I hope you have a very happy and

healthy festive season and wish you all the best for the New

Year. Try to get that nap in as well if you can.

Marie AshtonManaging Editor

A chance to recharge

our batteries aft er

a hectic year

Contents

News 4Labour support for IfL stance

Letters 6Your views and input

Opinion 8Teaching qualifi cations for HELessons from abroad Cover interview 10Natspec’s Alison Boulton Feature 12The return of the lay teacher

CPD Matters 15Defi ning professionalismOutstanding teachingDual professionalism

Research 23Graded lesson observations

InPractice 24Peer review

InSight 26The privatisation of education

Geoff Petty 30Independent learning

Books 32

InFocus 34 Pedagogue column

Noticeboard 35

Welcome

Contacts

EDITORIALeditor@ifl .ac.ukInTuition,

Institute for Learning,

49 – 51 East Road,

London

N1 6AH

Managing Editor: Marie Ashton

Editor CPD Matters:

Jean Kelly

Editorial support:

Michelle Charles

Publishing and Editorial Adviser:

Alan Thomson

www.ifl .ac.uk/intuition

ADVERTISINGDivisional Sales Director: Steve Grice

Sales Executive:James Waldron

020 7880 6200

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subscription enquiries,

or to purchase single

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£60 (rest of the world).

IfL is a not-for-profi t

company limited by

guarantee. Registered

in England and Wales

No. 4346361.

The views expressed

in this publication are

not necessarily those of

IfL or members of the

editorial board.

Registered offi ce:

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Published: Dec 2013

ISSN: 2050-8950

Give us your feedback on our latest issue

InTuition

For more information visitwww.ifl .ac.uk

Or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter

Editorial boardJohn Gannon, independent teacher/

trainer; Dr Maggie Gregson, University

of Sunderland; Professor Yvonne Hillier, University of Brighton; Jacquie Higgs-Howson, Barnet College;

Professor Ann Hodgson, Institute

of Education; Ian Nash, Nash & Jones

Partnership; Gemma Painter, National

Union of Students; Marion Plant OBE, North Warwickshire and Hinckley

College and South Leicestershire

College; James Noble Rogers, Universities’ Council for the Education

of Teachers; Geoff rey Stanton, Educational Consultant; Sheila Thorpe, Chichester College; Bobby Singh Upple, director of EMFEC;

John Webber, Sussex Downs College;

Tom Wilson, Unionlearn

3_Welcome.indd 3 04/12/2013 11:25

4 Issue 15 | Winter 2013/14 InTuition

Congratulations and a warm welcome to the 13 newly elected members of IfL’s governing Advisory Council (AC). Seven members were elected to reserved seats: Mark Fardon, Member of IfL, (disability); Adam Curtis, MIfL, (FE colleges); Lois Acaster,

Fellow of IfL (East Midlands region); David Midgley, FIfL, (East of England region); Stacey Bullock, MIfL, (North East England region); Mark Clarke, MIfL, (Work-based learning); and Gail

Lydon, MIfL, (Yorkshire and Humber region).

A further six were elected to unreserved seats: Paul

Gawdan, MIfL; Andrew

Armitage, FIfL; Jonathan

Backhouse, FIfL; Dionne

Ross, FIfL; Cathryn Clegg, MIfL; and Ros Foggin, FIfL.

Congratulations too go to a further six AC members who were re-elected: Stella Austin, MIfL; Lisette D’Cruz, MIfL; Bea Groves, MIfL; Jan

Hanson, MIfL; Sue Rhodes, MIfL and Ed Sallis, FIfL.

The AC meets three times a year and its role is to distil the voices of members in order that they can infl uence and shape IfL policy and strategy.

Sue Crowley, AC chair, said: “I am pleased to welcome the new and re-elected members. I’d also like to thank all those who took part in the election process and thank those leaving AC for their contributions.”

IfL’s president Penny Petch said that AC’s role was crucial in ensuring that IfL members, across a very diverse further education and training sector, have strong representation in their professional body.

News

By staff reporters

Members of the Institute for Learning (IfL) are celebrating a success in the campaign to protect the professional status of further education teaching after the Labour Party promised to reinstate the statutory right to training and qualifi cations for FE educators.

Tristram Hunt, the shadow education secretary, told delegates at the Association of Colleges conference on 21 November that a Labour government would insist that FE teachers hold a teaching qualifi cation in addition to qualifi cations in their subject or vocation.

Dr Hunt said that his party’s commitment contrasted with the Coalition Government’s “downgrading of the status of teaching” – a reference to the Coalition’s revocation, in September, of the FE Teachers’ Qualifi cations (England) Regulations 2007 which had guaranteed the statutory right to teacher training and qualifi cations across FE.

“Under Labour, college lecturers will have to obtain a teaching qualifi cation to ensure standards are high,” he said.

Toni Fazaeli, IfL’s chief executive, who met Tristram Hunt in Stoke along with other FE sector leaders earlier this year, hailed his announcement as a victory for IfL members whose collective voice is heard loud and clear by politicians.

Toni said: “I fully welcome that the Labour Party has dedicated itself to a gold standard in FE, including the vital reintroduction of a training and qualifi cations requirement for our teachers and trainers.

“IfL has campaigned persistently to make members’ voices heard on the issue of initial teacher training and qualifi cations (see panel). Some of IfL’s work is highly visible like our recent newspaper articles. Some of it is behind the scenes,

as we work continuously to both create and seize opportunities to put the case to leading politicians and stakeholders.”

An IfL survey of more than 5,000 members carried out in June 2012, in response to the Government’s consultation on plans to revoke the 2007 regulations, found that 87 per cent backed mandatory national teaching qualifi cations.

Writing in The Guardian on 19 November, Toni said: “It is tragic that the future of FE is being blighted by a foolhardy few who use weak logic and shallow arguments to undermine the safe and successful educational base that has been built by the dedication of well over 100,000 qualifi ed teachers.”

Dr Hunt’s announcement followed the publication, also in November, of Transforming

further education: A new mission

to deliver excellence in technical

education by the Skills Taskforce. IfL submitted evidence to the Taskforce, followed by meetings with its leaders.

The Taskforce paper recommends that colleges become licensed Institutes of Technical Education delivering gold-standard vocational education, delivered by high-quality, qualifi ed teachers.

Labour’s decision to back FE

Labour would insist on qualifi ed FE educatorsIfL pressure starts to take hold in corridors of power

Duly elected

Tristram Hunt at AoC conference

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Highlights of IfL’s campaign for professionally qualified teachersOct 2011 – Survey of members’ views on initial teacher trainingbit.ly/19cTnMV April 2012 – IfL response to education select committee inquiry on attracting and retaining the best teachers bit.ly/18gR2AoJune 2012 – IfL response to the BIS consultation on the deregulation of the FE workforce regulations bit.ly/N4t1BaDecember 2012 – Publication of IfL response to LSIS consultation: New Qualifi cations for Teachers and Trainers bit.ly/19cTvMdFebruary 2013 – IfL response to the consultation on establishing a guild, since renamed the Education and Training Foundation, for FE bit.ly/18UfdZbApril 2013 – IfL response

4_5 News.indd 4 04/12/2013 11:40

www.ifl .ac.uk


proposals over the past two years with no success. As she approached the end of the FRP, Sophie wrote another.

“I wrote a new proposal adapted from what I used for the programme and sent it off . I was off ered the opportunity to do a PhD by three universities,” she said.

“I truly feel that I wouldn’t have been successful in my application this time around had I not have completed the FRP.”

Sophie is doing her research at the University of West London into ways in which engagement in the arts within prison can foster and promote confi dence and life skills that can support rehabilitation.

For details of the Fellowship Research Programme and to register your interest please visit www.ifl .ac.uk/frp

Two IfL Fellows are realising their lifelong learning ambitions by starting PhD research, inspired by their successful completion of IfL’s Fellowship Research Programme (FRP).

Jesvir Mahil and Sophie Nikeas were among the fi rst to complete the FRP which is run jointly by IfL and the Centre on Skills, Knowledge and Organisational Performance at the University of Oxford.

Jesvir, a teacher for 30 years and now an education consultant and Ofsted additional inspector for business, administration, fi nance and law, praised the high-calibre supervision provided by Oxford tutors and IfL.

She said: “Meeting very high-calibre and enthusiastic educators, as part of the IfL FRP programme, inspired me to fulfi l my long neglected professional aim to make a signifi cant, original contribution to education.”

Jesvir’s FRP paper examined the problem of teaching teenage learners on vocational BTEC courses how to develop creative thinking skills.

Her paper has informed her doctoral research, at the University of Birmingham, on popular teaching approaches to creative thinking skills.

“My intention is to improve the quality of teaching and learning of creative thinking skills on vocational business studies courses in FE colleges in order to generate a greater capacity for innovation in the modern business environment,” she explained.

Sophie is a senior tutor at HMP & YOI Bronzefi eld, a private women’s prison in Middlesex, where she manages the prison’s provision of creative arts, business enterprise and vocational training. Sophie said that she had sent off a number of PhD

IfL course inspires Fellows onto PhDs

Teachers and trainers

need support to become

eff ective managers

The role of educators in

off ender rehabilitation

Any views on these?

Contact editor@ifl .ac.uk

Next issue

Member poll

How likely would you be to recommend working in the FE and skills sector?

●● Very likely ●● Likely, depending on the

individual ●● Not likely

8282%%

99%%

99%%

to the Skills Taskforce consultation on vocational education, apprenticeships and youth unemployment bit.ly/1eOwUugJuly 2013 – IfL response to consultation on creating a new professional body – the College of Teaching - for school teachers bit.ly/1baf2IPJuly 2013 – Toni Fazaeli meets with Tristram Hunt and Gordon Marsden (then the shadow minister for further education and skills)September 2013 – IfL issues its landmark publication on professionalism in FE teaching, Should teaching

be left to chance? bit.ly/19kmvUjSeptember 2013 – IfL submits written evidence submitted to Parliamentary committee investigating the Government’s draft deregulation bill that included the deregulation of FE teaching bit.ly/18aeFOaOctober 2013 – Feature

and letter published in The

Daily Telegraph, created by IfL and involving key partners bit.ly/1bDbPE9November 2013 – IfL features in FE Week making the moral case for qualifi ed FE teachers bit.ly/1acGViVNovember 2013 – IfL’s comment article in The

Guardian bit.ly/1jiGtSbNovember 2013 – Toni Fazaeli meets with Liam Byrne, shadow minister for skills, to share evidence on the importance of teacher qualifi cations November 2013 – Toni Fazaeli, as one of the commissioners of the all-Parliamentary Skills Commission, makes the case for teachers being qualifi ed for teaching young people aged 14-19 – one of the key recommendations in the Skills Commission report One System, Many

Pathways bit.ly/IzTH1AEar to the ground, page 6

Feature, page 12

teaching qualifi cations follows public support from Nick Clegg, deputy prime minister and Liberal Democrat leader, for qualifi ed school teachers as central to his national parental guarantee. This put him and his party at odds with coalition policy which allows unqualifi ed teachers to practise in academies and free schools.

While the Lib Dems have yet to clarify their position regarding FE teachers, Mr Clegg’s

commitment to qualifi ed school teachers, combined with the Labour Party’s pledge to both school and FE teachers, indicate a turning of the tide against deprofessionalisation .

IfL has also worked with the National Union of Students which has started a campaign to keep qualifi ed teachers and trainers at the heart of FE.NUS campaign: bit.ly/nusFE

Skills Taskforce report:

bit.ly/YourBritain

Principal teaching qualifi cations include: BA in education and training, BSc in education, a range of City & Guilds 730 certifi cates, PGCE and QTS.Higher degrees in education and training include: doctorate in education, honorary degree, MA in education and MSc in education. ‘Qualifi ed’ indicates the qualifi cation is complete. ‘Other’ denotes incomplete.

●● Principal teaching qualifi cation Qualifi ed

●● Higher degree in education or training Qualifi ed

●● Principal teaching qualifi cation Other ●● Higher degree in education or training

Other

IfL at a glance

8888%%

44%%77%%11%%

4_5 News.indd 54_5 News.indd 5 04/12/2013 11:4004/12/2013 11:40


News & Views

FE pay levels are an insult

• Your views

I read Toni Fazaeli’s comments on further education teaching qualifi cations (FE Learners ‘want and expect’ qualifi ed teachers, InTuition, issue 14), and what really worries me about FE is that when I was a programme leader in 2004, our part-time staff , many of whom were well qualifi ed in their industry subjects would be reluctant to sign up for the in-house teaching qualifi cation, or the higher level CertEd/PGCE.

Colleges (certainly in my own subject area) may need a dance, drama, music or technical specialist with real industry experience. They may well start the teacher training, but many drop out.

But, worse still is the pay. Colleges have always been behind schools in this regard, but back in 2004, a sessional lecturer teaching Level 2 would be paid £19 per hour, with a Level 3 lecturer receiving £25. My old college has just advertised a post in my old department requiring teaching at Level 3, paying £15 per hour. So in 10 years, pay has dropped a long way.

I support Toni’s quest to ensure that teachers should be qualifi ed, but they must also be competent in their chosen subject and sometimes these two aims may be mutually exclusive. What is clear, however, is that colleges are paying insulting levels of pay – which could be part of the problem. Paul Johnson

Email us at editor@ifl .ac.uk

or tweet us at twitter.com/

IfL_Members #IfL_InTuition.

Please note that letters may

be edited for publication.

Send us your views

Inspection is important. But inspection

is not the big story compared with the

profound accounts I hear from members

of imaginative and expert teaching and

training of young and adult learners which

transforms the experience of learning,

means they gain qualifi cations and have

far better lives and careers as a result.

This is the inspiring and epic story. I wonder, in maverick mode, like the old song Love and Marriage, might teachers and Ofsted go together ‘like a horse and carriage’?

There is no doubt that the voice of thousands of teachers and trainers generously shared with IfL as your professional body has connected with – and infl uenced – Ofsted.

First, teachers and trainers told us you wanted short or no-notice inspections as this is fi tting for your professionalism, so inspectors see the real-life experience, and so stress is minimised. You were aligned with Sir Michael Wilshaw on this, even though leaders and managers in FE preferred a longer lead in time.

Your experience had been that, however well-intentioned, managers intensifi ed pressure for weeks leading up to inspection which was negative, very stressful and counterproductive.

Second, you said it was patchy whether you got feedback on observations of your teaching and learning sessions from inspectors.

That is why IfL made the case strongly to the senior Ofsted team that clear feedback for every observation is essential.

Professional teachers need to be able to explain context and clarify so judgements are sensible, as well as to learn from what inspectors saw in order to enhance the quality of our practice. Ofsted committed to doing this.

Third, you wanted myths about inspection busted and so IfL has worked with members involved in inspection and Ofsted to publish a unique IfL Practitioners’ Guide to Ofsted

Inspections: A guide for teachers and

trainers on managing stress-free inspections (see news, next page, for more details) and we hope you fi nd this helpful.

As our lead story on page four of this issue makes clear, your voice and evidence also has had a marked impact on challenging this coalition government’s ‘pot luck’ approach to whether new teachers and trainers are supported to be trained and become qualifi ed or not.

You also created a strong impetus for the clear policy announced by the Labour party on 21 November that teachers in FE should have a national entitlement to initial teacher education. This is your victory. We continue to make the case to the current government.

• IfL’s Ofsted guide costs £9.95, plus

postage and packing. To order, please go to

www.ifl .ac.uk/ofstedguide

• Ear to the ground : Toni Fazaeli, IfL chief executive

Could teachers and trainers grow to like Ofsted?

THE

TIM

ES

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www.ifl .ac.uk


Committed employer

Chelmsford College is paying for all of its newly qualifi ed teachers to gain Qualifi ed Teacher Learning and Skills status. The college agreed in October that achievement of QTLS was the natural progression to completion of initial teacher training and an essential further stage of qualifi cation as a teacher.

The college already off ers support for NQTs undertaking professional formation. David Law, the principal, said: “The college has always been committed to pedagogy and the professional development of all its staff at the college.

“Acquiring QTLS supports practitioners in their pedagogical development and recognises their professional skills and abilities.”

Penny Petch, head of teaching and learning development at the college and president of IfL, said: “Despite the revocation of the 2007 regulations, FE teachers are still coming forward to achieve QTLS via IfL. This speaks volumes in terms of how they value their profession and their status.”

So far, around a quarter of Chelmsford College’s teaching staff hold QTLS.

Qualifi cations matter

Hertford Regional College is seeking to recruit qualifi ed teachers to fi ll full- and part-time maths lecturing vacancies at its Ware and Broxbourne campuses.

Applicants must have a degree and a teaching qualifi cation such as DTLLS, PGCE or CertEd and demonstrate a passion for teaching, says the college in the job spec.

The closing date for applications is 31 December. www.hrc.ac.uk

Book launch

Hailed as a book with the

potential to transform continuing professional development in the further education sector, a new title, Challenging Professional

Learning, contains chapters by some of the leading thinkers on professionalism and professional development in FE.

Edited by IfL’s elected chair, Sue Crowley, the book argues that quality teaching and learning in FE is dependent upon the commitment of teachers and trainers to their own professional development.

The book is introduced by Professor Frank Coffi eld and includes chapters by Andy Boon, Professor Denis Gleeson, Vivienne Porritt, Fiona Mackay and Paul Wakeling as well as by Toni Fazaeli, Jean Kelly and Sue Colquhoun from IfL.

Challenging Professional

Learning is published by Routledge. IfL members can claim a 20 per cent discount on all Routledge titles ordered directly from www.routledge.

com until December 31, 2014 – just use code INT14 when prompted. This discount cannot be combined with any other off er or discount.

IfL guide to inspections

IfL has published the fi rst practitioners’ guide to Ofsted inspections packed full of useful tips and insights to help teachers and trainers make the most of the inspection process.

The 36-page booklet, A

Practitioner’s Guide to Ofsted

Inspections: A guide for

teachers and trainers on

managing a stress-free

inspection, covers the entire inspection process with tips, dos and don’ts and advice and insights from IfL members throughout.

In his foreword, Matthew Coff ey, Ofsted’s director of further education and skills, urges readers to embrace

inspection as an opportunity, emphasising that inspectors are not looking for particular lesson formats or methods.

In her introduction Toni Fazaeli, IfL’s chief executive, calls for trust in professional teachers’ judgement and says inspection should allow the teaching profession to develop and celebrate its practice. To order your copy of A Practitioner’s Guide to

Ofsted Inspections, please visit www.ifl .ac.uk/

ofstedguide

Master’s cash

The Scottish government is to make £1.7 million available to help more teachers undertake masters-level learning. Last year, £1.3 million went to support teachers already embarked on master’s programmes.

Speaking at an Edinburgh seminar, education secretary Michael Russell said: “Evidence suggests that education systems with teachers educated to masters level produce better results for the young people they teach.” IfL off ers master’s degree credits to QTLS holders. Email pf@ifl .ac.uk for details.

Agency initiative

Recruitment agency Morgan Hunt has backed up its public support for qualifi ed teachers and trainers in FE by making its staff take a PTLLS course.

The fi rm sent its recruitment consultants on the 12-week course, which is the fi rst step towards qualifi ed status (QTLS), and overhauled its vetting process for candidates applying for teaching jobs in FE.

Morgan Hunt has questioned the Government’s decision to revoke the 2007 FE teaching regulations which ensured teachers were qualifi ed or were working towards a teaching qualifi cation in FE.

News in brief

Call for a badge of honour I have just read the article in the most recent InTuition regarding learners wanting and expecting qualifi ed teachers (FE Learners ‘want and expect’ qualifi ed teachers, InTuition, issue 14).

I gained QTLS in August and I was very proud of this, shouting it from the rooftops to all who would listen.

While I have added this to my signature at the end of emails for example, I would love to wear a QTLS badge with pride. However I do not have one.

Please help! Helen Spiteri

Profession eternally‘under fi re’ The feature article “Our profession under fi re” (InTuition, issue 14) is very important, because deprofessionalisation has taken place over a number of years and under various governments.

My experience as a lecturer in FE led me to experience the negative eff ects of marketisation and the deprofessionalisation of teachers. After incorporation, I witnessed the bullying of lecturers by management, reduction in wages and huge increases in working hours.

My experiences led to me to write a book Marketisation,

Inequality & the Slow Death

of FE, which IfL members may be interested in. Frank Wright

IQTLS

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News & Views

Opinion

Anyone observing recent developments in further education might fi nd the initiative of the Higher Education Statistics Agency (Hesa) to begin collecting data on professional recognition and teaching qualifi cation in higher education (HE) rather paradoxical.

Just as the move to deprofessionalise further education has come to a head, it appears that momentum in the opposite direction is growing in HE. This is at least in part because of what we have seen happen in FE. Colleagues who care about the quality of teaching and learning in HE should be arguing that we go further and make professional recognition a requirement for teachers in the sector.

This is a debate with a long history.

HE students are demanding qualified teachers and the FE sector should seize the opportunity it presents

Celebrate and support professional teachers

By Professor Tim Thornton

ALA

MY

demand that those teaching in HE should have formal qualifi cations in teaching.

Such a development also off ers advantages for staff themselves. At the University of Huddersfi eld, vice-chancellor Professor Bob Cryan has led a highly eff ective initiative to bring all colleagues with substantive teaching roles to achieve recognition against the UKPFS through the HEA. A key benefi t has been increased staff self-confi dence. In an internal survey, academics reported feeling more positive about themselves as refl ective practitioners. They also found the status an aid in communicating their professionalism to their students.

There are some who might argue that the precise impacts of HE teaching qualifi cations are yet to be gauged. Those of us who make our careers in the delivery of professional qualifi cations in other spheres – in law, accountancy, engineering and nursing for example – might possibly debate the same point, without going to the extent of suggesting qualifi cations in those spheres should become voluntary. Most have confi dence that just as we can design programmes that can help develop good lawyers, accountants, engineers and nurses, so we can for HE teachers.

Others may claim that any move towards professionalisation of HE teaching is a threat to the liberty of expression of the individual, to fundamental academic freedoms and institutional autonomy. Such a possibility

Proposals to professionalise teaching and learning featured in Lord Dearing’s 1997 report of the National Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education. In his report of 2010, Lord Browne recommended that ‘institutions require all new academics with teaching responsibilities to undertake a teaching training qualifi cation accredited by the HE Academy’. And, in 2011, the Higher Education Academy (HEA) launched the revised UK Professional Standards Framework (UKPSF), a foundation for institutions’ own qualifi cations appropriate for their students’ and colleagues’ needs.

The prime driver for this is student expectations in a sector where student choice is becoming more informed and powerful. These expectations include a

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www.ifl .ac.uk

Opinion

This autumn, I spent a month in Germany, as a visiting professor on an MA programme in the department of adult education at the University of Wurzburg where, unlike the UK, a large number of such departments thrive.

My students had confi dent expectations of securing jobs in the HR departments of major companies where, I was told, employers look for staff with a thorough grounding in the pedagogy of adult learning. Few expected careers in the thriving adult education sector since full-time vacancies are rare. The department had a major focus on professionalism in adult education, with substantial comparative work, funded by the EU, looking at the issue across Europe.

This led me to wonder what constitutes professionalism for local part-time staff working in volkshochschulen (VHS, adult education centres) in Germany?

There you need to complete formal training to teach foreign languages, German as a second language, or literacy – at least in most places. But, for the wider adult education curriculum, initial training is a matter for local discretion.

More eff ort is put into the sharing of good practice – what we might see as the community of practice dimensions of IfL’s work. It is also true that German VHS attract middle class well-educated participants.

In Norway, the situation is similar, though more of the population takes part in study circles, the dominant mode of provision for adult learning. Sturla Bjerkaker of the Norwegian Folk High School Association, explains: “It doesn’t require any compulsory training to be a study circle leader. It is up to each provider to require or off er training spaces for study circle leaders. In some cases, it is just up to the circle itself to ‘elect’ a suitable study circle leader.

“This means that in most cases the responsibility for the quality is up to the provider or the group. Some off er training seminars of three to six hours on one day.”

This may sound laissez-faire from the perspective of recently regulated and (over)

What constitutes professionalism in German adult education centres and Norwegian study circles?

Lessons for adult educators in the UKBy Alan Tuckett OBE, Member of IfL

inspected adult education in the UK, but Sturla explains that in Norway: “The classical defi nition for ‘study circle’ is a small group of equals, learning in a self-directed way, gaining knowledge by using the experience in the group; by collecting knowledge from ‘outside’ (from the web for example) and by inviting a lecturer or expert to talk to the group.”

This is signifi cantly diff erent from publicly funded adult education in the UK, although arguably similar to the University of the Third Age. There is, too, much in common with the Workers’ Educational Association prior to the incorporation of FE from 1992.

What lessons then for adult educators in the UK? There are several:• Little initial training is required in many

countries for what academic Graham Mee once described as ‘spare-time teachers’ – teaching two or four hours a week

• There is widespread confi dence that the culture of the class, institution and adult education constitute a vibrant community of practice in which peer group learning fl ourishes and tutors are acculturated

• This is predicated on participating learners having confi dence and skill in learning

• The sharp division we observe here between community organised learning and state supported FE for adults is more blurred elsewhere

• That where under-represented groups are targeted, there is an expectation of more rigorous prior trainingFor me, any strategy to widen

participation beyond those confi dent in their learning needs rigorous training on teaching and learning for dealing with diff erence, combined with a rich community of practice where teaching and learning experience is shared, explored and lessons learned.

Alan Tuckett is president of the

International Council for Adult Education

and the former chief executive of the

National Institute of Adult Continuing

Education (Niace)

exists, of course, but it is not an inevitable consequence. Other professions maintain a healthy autonomy and vigorous diversity, and there is no reason why academia should not do the same.

It may be that the underlying direction of policy in both FE and HE is intended to be the same: diversifi ed sectors, parts of each of which have signifi cant proportions of their staff with recognised teaching qualifi cations.

An optimist might hope that emulation between institutions, inspection regimes and demand from students might encourage wider engagement with professional teaching qualifi cations. A more realistic view, however, might take lessons from other professions where it has long been recognised that these forces are not enough to prevent the drive to misrepresent and undercut to the client’s disadvantage – such that professional role titles are legally protected and professional and statutory bodies guard their standards.

This is a critical period for the professional status of those working in education, as those working in FE can testify. It is a period of threats, but also of one of opportunity, off ered by the growing demand for professional recognition – the sector should take the initiative in seizing it.

Tim Thornton is pro vice-chancellor

(teaching and learning) and professor of

history at the University of Huddersfi eld

08-09 Opinion.indd 9 03/12/2013 16:48


Interview

The fi ght for independenceSpecialist colleges rely on highly trained, professional teachers delivering education that helps learners to lead independent lives. But Natspec’s Alison Boulton fears short-sighted ‘care and contain’ approaches may undermine education for independence. Interview by Ian Nash

Alison Boulton (right) is used to arguing for the rights of individuals to a good solid education. As chief executive of Natspec, the Association of National Specialist Colleges, she has had to fi ght harder than most in the education service – often for the most severely disabled and disadvantaged students.

Her latest campaign is to convince the House of Lords’ Grand Committee that 18-year-olds with severe learning diffi culties should have continuing access to learning until they are ready to make the transition to adulthood, which for some students might be at age 25. The current wording of the Children and Families Bill – to replace special needs statementing with Education Health and Care (EHC) plans – could create a loophole for cash-strapped local authorities to end access at 18.

Special needs education demands the most exacting teaching skills and yet even here Boulton has had to press repeatedly for improvements because, too often, local authorities see the service as one of containment and care before education for employment and independent living.

Boulton makes it clear that well-resourced provision of initial teacher training and CPD for specialist colleges in Natspec membership is a priority. “It is one of the most challenging areas of teaching a person can enter,” she says. “It is detailed tuition and support for learning and self-discovery towards greater independence.”

A signifi cant issue facing specialist colleges is that politicians have never decided quite where they fi t in. For example, they were never subject to the Further Education Teachers’ Qualifi cations (England) Regulations

educational needs. They suggested UK-wide annual savings of over £600 million by this route.

Baker Tilley, working with two specialist colleges, Coventry’s Hereward and Lincolnshire’s Linkage, further suggested colleges nationally could be saving the taxpayer up to £120 million over the lifetime of each annual intake of learners.

However, Boulton is not complacent and says it’s important to look at the relative costs of social care and education for independence. “You can never be absolutely sure what level of independence someone might achieve given diff erent settings, and it is morally impossible to have a control group.”

So, she commissioned qualitative value-for-money work from independent

2007, revoked by government in September, which required those teaching in mainstream FE to hold or be working towards a teaching qualifi cation.

“We have never been subject to the same regulations as other providers. And with all the reforms and changes in regulations it has never been quite clear which policies apply and which don’t,” says Boulton.

For all that, specialist colleges have been at the forefront of reforms, providing expertise and CPD support to other sectors. Ironically, as specialist colleges help staff working in general FE settings to gain the skills needed to widen their student intakes, the challenges get tougher for specialists themselves.

“Over the past few years, Natspec providers have seen a change in their student group towards those with increasingly complex needs as general FE colleges take a wider group of learners,” she says.

If this provision and the attendant teacher training and development are expensive, Natspec is amassing evidence that shows the alternatives to be even more costly. A National Audit Offi ce report, Oversight of special education for

young people aged 16-25, in 2011 gave strong support when it concluded: “Giving the correct support to young people with special needs could help them lead more independent lives in the future and reduce longer-term costs to the public purse.”

In 2012, a study by accountancy fi rm Baker Tilly, commissioned by the National Association of Independent Schools and Non-Maintained Special Schools (NASS), said special school provision was cheaper than equivalent local authority provision for students with complex special

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consultant Sally Faraday, which backs the NAO conclusions. Moreover, case study evidence to the Lords’ Grand Committee demonstrates the importance of continuing access to learning (as opposed to just care) beyond 18.

Boulton highlights a typical case study – that of Ben who has cerebral palsy. After gaining six GCSEs and an A/S level at school, he became a resident at National Star College at 19 where a team provided him with aids including wheelchair modifi cations, laptop with foot-controlled switch and head-switch to open doors or switch on the TV to help him to take control of his environment. After gaining a BTEC level 2 in sport, he discovered boccia (a precision ball sport, similar to bowls), joined Great Britain’s Paralympic team and

now runs a club in Gloucestershire, living relatively independently.

Specialist colleges are at the leading edge of developments in assistive technologies and in helping learners access and adopt these technologies, says Boulton.

But the Children and Families bill raises serious questions over the future funding of the work of specialist colleges. In October, Natspec and more than 100 other national organisations signed an open letter to David Cameron and Nick Clegg seeking substantial improvements to the bill.

“A number of things muddy the water,” says Boulton. “Some 150 local authorities and 65 specialist colleges (and all the general FE colleges) are trying to make sense of a new funding system with

inadequate guidance so far. We are still waiting for news about SEN grants for CPD and funding for the specialist SEN qualifi cations.”

The challenge, says Boulton, is for good colleges to maintain their core levels of expertise. “In tough fi nancial times, colleges may feel they have to focus on their required areas of training – safeguarding, health and safety, fi rst aid – so other areas may suff er,” she says.

“But good and outstanding colleges will be doing all they can to ensure they keep a fully trained workforce – we know that colleges that fail to keep staff up to date with new demands, mostly due to more complex student needs, often struggle during inspections.”

This cannot be gained by osmosis, but requires qualifi ed teachers with CPD, she says: “It helps if you have a framework to understand what it is you are doing to promote learning and how you can continue to improve your practice.”

Evidence for this is emerging from the latest work from Sally Faraday, which shows convincingly the diff erences between a teaching context where the primary purpose is learning and a focus on care alone.

“In care, your job is to make sure the individual is well cared for rather than about promoting learning and independence. Therefore the question is what skills teachers need in order to do their job,” Boulton says. “You need to be clear about the objectives and appropriate approach; some learners need hundreds of tiny steps and experiential processes. You need to be able to respond to what learners are doing. Have they got it or not? You need the ability to push them on.”

Ian Nash is an education journalist

and author who co-owns Nash & Jones

Partnership Media Consultancy

Info and resources

www.natspec.org.uk

Learning support staff resources

www.excellencegateway.org.uk/

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Final Rarpa report, phase 1


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Rarpa guidance:


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Rarpa case studies:


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Feature

“Further education is in fl ux.” Five words that introduced a paper written by a senior teacher trainer in 1949 and which could have been applied to FE in every one of the following 64 years.

JA Lawton’s paper, The Need for a New

Approach in Technical Education, went on to talk about the typical FE teacher of the time, describing him [in the language of the time] as a ‘lay teacher’ drawn from industry whose practical knowledge and skills make technical education possible.

Mr Lawton, a senior lecturer at the then Huddersfi eld Technical Training College (a college for training FE teachers eventually subsumed by Huddersfi eld Polytechnic, now the University of Huddersfi eld), continued: “It has at last been recognised that his potentialities will be increased by giving him training as a teacher but the task will be a long one and, while the bulk of lay teachers remain untrained, an untouched teaching problem will continue to exist.”

What would Mr Lawton make of recent events in further education? Certainly, he would recognise that FE is in almost continual fl ux.

And would he also be baffl ed and dismayed that FE teachers, having gained the statutory right to be trained and recognised as professional teachers – leading to long-sought parity with qualifi ed school teachers – suddenly, earlier this year, had that right taken from them?

The language is diff erent but Mr Lawton was talking about the need for a dual professionalism in FE, educators qualifi ed in their subjects or vocations and also as teachers. His paper has been followed by a considerable amount of research which helped build a consensus across FE and

Government may see teaching as a non-profession, reports Alan Thomson, but evidence says educational success is built on initial qualifi cations and professional development

Can FE aff ord the return of the ‘lay teacher’?

among policymakers about the need for dual professionalism underpinned by teacher training and qualifi cations for teachers, lecturers, tutors and trainers.

A mere 58 years after Mr Lawton warned of the length of the task ahead, the FE Teachers’ Qualifi cations (England) Regulations 2007 realised the sector’s ambition for improved professional recognition, reward and status and enshrined initial teacher education and qualifi cation followed by Qualifi ed Teacher Learning and Skills as a requirement for teaching in FE.

Just six years later, in September this year, the 2007 regulations were revoked in what, for many educationists, was a poorly evidenced attack on the professional recognition to which FE teachers and trainers continue to aspire.

As the debates continue to rage around the deregulation of FE teaching, it is clear that many of the same issues, uncertainties and misconceptions addressed in earlier policy and research, are resurfacing.

For instance, a core claim of deregulators is that teacher training (either pre- or in-service) leading to a qualifi cation does not guarantee improved teaching practice or better outcomes for learners.

Some, like education secretary Michael Gove, certainly challenge what they see as assumptions about the benefi ts of teaching qualifi cations.

Responding to shadow education secretary Tristram Hunt in a recent Opposition Day debate in the House of Commons on the need for training and qualifi cations for school teachers, Mr Gove said: “As far as he and those on his front bench are concerned, the only way in which someone can be a good teacher

is if a single piece of paper is conferred on them.”

“He got to Cambridge with the help of men and women who did not have QTS, but who had a great degree and a passion for learning, and now he wants to deny that same opportunity to poor children.”

Certainly, FE principals have long been able to recruit promising people into teaching who lack teaching qualifi cations on the proviso that they will work towards a qualifi cation while in post.

It appears that the government’s

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exceptions should not determine the rules.”In fact, there is evidence that a teaching

qualifi cation does make a diff erence to professional practice and learners’ attitudes towards their teachers and their education. A 2003 paper for the Learning and Skills Development Agency, Recollected in tranquillity? FE Teachers’

perceptions of their Initial Teacher

Training, found that a majority of teachers surveyed rated their ITT highly.

They gave a range of positive reasons including: helping them develop and

position – following the revocation of the 2007 FE regulations and the announcement that Qualifi ed Teacher Status is no longer required for teachers in academies and free schools – is that because some exceptional individuals without teaching qualifi cations can be good and even brilliant teachers; no-one requires a teaching qualifi cation.

As Beatrix Groves, IfL’s immediate past president, said recently in InTuition (issue 14): “Rules should be able to accommodate the exceptional, but

practise diff erent learning strategies and techniques; helping in lesson planning and time management; the benefi ts of observation and receiving feedback; the value of observing others teach.

Teachers reported that teacher trainers were powerful role models of good practice. They also valued greatly being taught the importance of refl ection upon their practice. In fact, for some teachers, refl ection was the most important aspect of ITT.

A 2002 paper examined the relationship between professional training and how

REX

12_14_Feature.indd 13 04/12/2013 14:03


Feature

students in northern European countries evaluated their teachers.

The paper, by Tor Aase Johannessen, Joe Harkin and Oyvind Mikalsen, reported that students felt that the most important factor in enhancing the learning process was professional teaching. Researchers explained that the term ‘professional teaching’ included teachers’ preparation to teach, clarity of explanations and variation of teaching method.

In 1999, the Further Education Funding Council (FEFC) published a report, Professional Development in Further

Education, based on 108 English colleges achieving the highest grades for quality assurance. The FEFC identifi ed a number of factors common to eff ective professional development in colleges including “the high proportion of staff with teaching qualifi cations, in a sector where they are not a requirement”.

Much has been made by the government and others arguing for the deregulation of teaching in FE, about the need to give providers the autonomy to employ the best people, qualifi ed or not, as teachers. Universities, which have traditionally employed lecturers without teaching qualifi cations, are held up as exemplars for FE.

Apart from the fact that the 2007 teaching regulations did not prevent FE employers hiring lecturers and trainers without a teaching qualifi cation, such arguments ignore a changing culture towards teaching qualifi cations in higher education (HE).

A 2010 paper, Dimensions of Quality, written by Professor Graham Gibbs for the Higher Education Academy (HEA), drew on a number of international studies which showed that HE teachers with teaching qualifi cations were more highly rated by their students than teachers without qualifi cations.

The changed relationship between UK-based HE students, who now pay fees of up to £9,000 a year, and HE providers has focused attention on the quality of tuition off ered and the teaching credentials of the lecturers delivering that tuition.

In response to this, the Higher Education Statistics Agency (Hesa) is gathering information on the teaching qualifi cations held by all HE lecturers and the intention is that it will be published in due course.

Institutions such as the University of Huddersfi eld, whose pro vice-chancellor Tim Thornton writes on page eight of this issue, already boast full recognition of lecturing staff , through the HEA, against the revised UK professional standards framework for HE.

The Association of Colleges, representing FE employers, confi rms that course fees have remained relatively stable in the sector over the past 20 years. However, HE’s experience shows that if market forces cause FE fees to rise signifi cantly, learners may begin to demand greater transparency from providers regarding the qualifi cations held by their teaching staff .

The Institute for Learning and the National Union of Students, with which it is working to establish a pledge celebrating FE employers who are dedicated to professional excellence in teaching, believe all who teach in FE should be qualifi ed to do so.

While continuing to lobby for the right to professional training and qualifi cations for all FE teachers, IfL hopes that providers will use their greater autonomy to continue to support progress toward a fully qualifi ed teaching workforce.

Structural changes across schools and FE for young people and linked to vocational learning include the development of university technical colleges (UTCs), studio schools and the new “career colleges”. The idea is that these will enjoy a great connectivity with local FE providers, where there is vast expertise in vocational teaching and training.

As in FE generally, as well as academies and free schools, teaching qualifi cations are not required by UTCs or career

colleges and, on the face of it, their growth could further undermine the professional recognition of teaching.

However, Peter Mitchell, director of education for the Baker Dearing Trust, which initiates and promotes UTCs, said that talks were ongoing regarding the development of a possible teacher-training programme for some or all of the 42 UTCs currently in development.

Mr Mitchell, a qualifi ed teacher and a head teacher for many years, said: “The majority of teachers being appointed are qualifi ed school teachers. But it is also important that UTCs recruit people from industry and they are unlikely to be qualifi ed teachers.

“So, we are looking at how training can be tailored to individual UTCs. This is about getting industry to talk to teaching.”

Anne Constantine, principal of Cambridge Regional College which is part of a consortium developing the Cambridge UTC scheduled to open in 2014, off ers further hope for continued support for teaching qualifi cations.

“My position, as part of the UTC’s governing body, is that all teachers that are responsible for designing the curriculum and delivering qualifi cations will be qualifi ed. In Cambridge, learners and parents expect to see qualifi ed staff leading teaching,” Ms Constantine said.

“I would be worried if FE became a superfi cially unqualifi ed profession.”

FE remains in fl ux and, while it is used to and can even thrive on continual change, it must decide whether it accepts - as the evidence suggests - that trained and qualifi ed teachers are of fundamental importance to the quality of further education and its reputation going forwards.

As Mr Lawton might have put it, can FE aff ord the return of the “lay teacher”?

Alan Thomson is publishing and

editorial advisor to IfL

REFERENCES

JA Lawton (1949) The need for a new approach in technical education. Published in

The Vocational Aspect of Education (now The Journal of Vocational Education and

Training), 1:3, 244-252. bit.ly/tech_ed

Toraase Johannessen, Joe Harkin, Oyvind Mikalsen (2002) Constructs used by 17-19

year old students in northern Europe when informally evaluating their teachers. Published

in the European Educational Research Journal, 1(3), 538-548. bit.ly/Constructs

Harkin, Joe and Clow, Ros and Hillier, Yvonne, Learning and Skills Development

Agency (LSDA), London and South East Learning and Skills Research Network,

(2003) Recollected in tranquility: FE teachers’ perceptions of their initial teacher

training. bit.ly/FEperceptions

Further Education Funding Council, corp creator. (1999) Professional development

in further education : national report from the Inspectorate 1998-99. bit.ly/profdev98

Gibbs, Graham (2010) Dimensions of quality, higher education academy.

bit.ly/HEdimensions

‘Teachers responsible

for designing

the curriculum

and delivering

qualifi cations

will be qualifi ed’

12_14_Feature.indd 1412_14_Feature.indd 14 04/12/2013 14:0304/12/2013 14:03


CPDMattersPromoting ideas to teachers and trainers in the further education and skills sector

If you would like to contribute to or ask a question

for a future edition of CPD Matters, please email

us at [email protected] for further details

What does being a ‘professional’ really mean?

At a recent symposium on vocational education and training, the old discussion about the

divide between the vocational and the professional raised another, unfortunately more

pressing, question about what being professional really means. As a sector and even as a

country, we seem to constantly skirt around the articulation of this contested concept.

The three articles in this edition of CPD Matters have their own take on professionalism

and I hope reading them will fi re up your own enthusiasm for defi ning what we mean.

Andrew Wilson has been trying to get professionals themselves to defi ne what

professionalism or what the possession of ‘an extended professionality’ means to them.

His work seems to be showing that the idea of being a professional educator and

providing learners with the widest and the most developed educational experience

possible is more important than a narrow, instrumental focus on CPD or performance

– an expansive view that is clearly music to the Institute for Learning’s ears.

Harriet Harper, in a refreshing critique of what constitutes outstanding teaching,

demolishes the idea of a technical/rational formula to demonstrate a concept of

professional excellence through displaying a broad repertoire of skills. She illustrates

how she has seen the way in which professionalism comes into play to determine the

kind of teaching that is appropriate in every context and that this is based on a ‘genuine

development of students’ knowledge and skills’. For her, seeing teachers teach, is a way

to encourage real thinking and the discovery of what professionalism is in action.

This is also echoed in the piece by Andrea Gewessler and Matt O’Leary: systems aiming

for world-class dual professionalism do not construct some kind of 19th century

panopticon to oversee professionals in practice, they encourage critical refl ection

through dialogue and development about what has been observed.

I hope you fi nd all three articles interesting and informative and may I wish all members

the very best for 2014.

The CPD Matters section off ers IfL members a selection of scholarly and accessible articles, aimed at supporting and enhancing professional knowledge and practice. Articles are not refereed.

Dr Jean KellyDirector of professional development

CPD Exchange

Don’t forget, if you want help with

your own academic or action

research, or to share information

and data with fellow IfL members,

you can visit www.ifl .ac.uk/

cpdexchange

15 Jean intro CPDM.indd 15 04/12/2013 11:26


with that particular group of students. As experienced practitioners know, what works well in one context may not in another and so the transfer of ‘good practice’, assuming one can agree on the identifi cation of it, is much more diffi cult than it initially appears to be. For that reason, it’s not helpful to use the term ‘best practice’ as this implies there is one single transferable teaching method that can be applied to all sessions.

The research provided evidence to debunk many of the myths about observation, excellence and inspection that abound within the sector. For example, it really is not necessary – or indeed educationally desirable – to start every lesson by mechanistically reading out learning outcomes. Neither is it essential to use technology, present the perfect lesson plan, put on a performance or routinely change activities to be judged outstanding.

What the 20 sessions did have in common was the fact that the teachers were all very highly skilled practitioners. The common features in the sessions were the factors that teachers had responsibility for and could control. While they could not choose the setting or the students, they did what teachers always do – regardless of the latest fad, government initiative, inspection framework or technological advance – plan, teach and assess. So, what did these 20 teachers do to make their sessions so good?

They had clearly put considerable thought into the planning stage, although this did not necessarily present itself in the form of meticulous or lengthy lesson plans. Learning outcomes appeared to be authentic

Outstanding teaching – the realityBy Harriet Harper

What would an analysis of 20 outstanding – in all senses of the word – sessions reveal? You may fi nd some of the observations surprising...

My research focused on an analysis of

20 sessions observed by Her Majesty’s

Inspectors (HMI). These were sessions

that experienced HMI, who specialised

in the lifelong learning sector,

remembered as being outstanding,

not just in terms of the grade but also in

the literal sense – they ‘stood out’ from

others because they were so good.

The purpose of the research was not to provide a defi nitive defi nition of outstanding (which is probably impossible as it depends on who is trying to defi ne it and why and as such it is usually highly contentious and political). Rather, it was to look at these real sessions in detail and to pin down what, if anything, they had in common and the extent to which the practice observed aligns to any particular pedagogical approach.

Interestingly, refl ecting the diversity of the lifelong learning sector itself, the sessions had little in common in terms of setting, subject and level, type of student or resource, or even gender or experience of the teacher. The sample included 20 diff erent subjects, four of which were A or AS-levels, 12 were vocational, one was teacher education and the other three were adult and community learning courses. Thirteen of the sessions took place in general further education colleges, two in sixth-form colleges, three in community centres, one in a work-based learning provider and another in a young off enders’ institution.

There was no magic formula or one-size-fi ts-all template. Every lesson was diff erent and contingent on the professional judgement of the teacher in that particular setting, at that time and

and were written in plain English, not arbitrarily plucked out of a syllabus or text book, and they were closely aligned to the context and chosen teaching and assessment methods.

You may be surprised to learn that several of the sessions were what some observers might consider to be old-fashioned in terms of their format and structure. For example, one A-level lesson was very much ‘chalk and talk’. An access to social work lesson revolved solely around discussion and in another lesson, media studies students did not move away from their computers for 90 minutes. In each case, though, as in the other 17 sessions, the teachers’ approaches worked extremely well.

In terms of common pedagogical characteristics, the teaching methods used in the 20 sessions were mostly based on problem-solving and/or authentic tasks, discovery rather than telling, structured discussions and independent learning. Across the 20 sessions, teachers spent much more time listening and observing, than they did talking. Not one of the 330 or so students escaped involvement in meaningful activity.

Of course, this emphasis on active or experiential learning is not at all uncommon in the lifelong learning sector and does not in itself constitute an outstanding or even satisfactory lesson. It is certainly not the case that any activity is better than a didactic approach to teaching. Those of you who routinely observe sessions will be all too familiar with ‘busy’ sessions and students who appear to be ‘engaged’ when in fact they are learning very little and also – at the other extreme – with didactic lectures which, if done

16-22 CPDM.indd 16 03/12/2013 16:54

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extremely well, can be highly stimulating and successful.

Throughout the sessions teachers gave plenty of feedback to help students to make sense of what they were learning and what they needed to do to make further progress. These teachers planned carefully the use of context-specifi c assessment methods, including problem-solving tasks relating to everyday life, written exercises, observation, role play, discussion, presentations and peer marking.

Unsurprisingly, question and answer featured in all the sessions. Too often, this most popular assessment tool is used poorly but in these sessions, the teachers demonstrated considerable expertise in the way in which they asked questions. They did so not just to check levels of understanding, but also to elicit information and views and – as importantly – to encourage thinking and discovery.

The very well designed assessment tasks provided students with opportunities to demonstrate the impact of their understanding. For example, learners were able to explain in their own words how the human eye works, discuss with confi dence local housing policies, lay bricks competently, use mathematical equations to solve real problems, explain to their peers how to look after a gerbil and successfully change a carburettor.

In terms of personality and style, the teachers were not particularly fl amboyant, emotional or extrovert but they were passionate and enthusiastic about both their subject and their teaching. They appeared to want genuinely to be in the lesson in order to share that passion and to help their students to learn, enjoy learning and achieve well.

It was evident to the learners, as well as to the observers, that these dual

professionals – including a chef, classicist, social worker, hairdresser and physicist – were experts in their subjects as well as in the associated pedagogy. Because of this, they were able to structure the unfolding of various concepts and/or practical skills in ways that students found meaningful, challenging and achievable.

So far, a picture has been presented of 20 well-planned sessions, based mostly on active learning, taught by enthusiastic teachers. Most likely, that would not have been enough to make them stand out.

Another factor contributing to the success of these sessions was that the teachers demanded high standards and learners adapted to the requirements made of them. The sessions were clearly not just about getting through the syllabus, passing an assignment, preparing for an examination or even impressing the observer. The sessions were designed and managed to focus unashamedly on the genuine development of students’ knowledge and skills.

It was certainly not the case that these teachers had students who were ‘easy’ to teach. In fact, some groups were what many would consider to be particularly diffi cult. Students’ high level of motivation was, to a large extent, a product of the way in which they were taught and the skillfully subtle manner in which these teachers managed their sessions.

Classroom (or in other cases, laboratory, workshop or workplace) management was superb and included all the classic techniques used by really good teachers, many of which might go unnoticed to an inexperienced eye. Teachers proactively and unobtrusively prevented any kind of disruptive behaviour or lulls in momentum. They got sessions off to a very brisk start and kept the activities suffi ciently challenging, interesting and purposeful.

These sessions are a reminder that there need not be a clash between a focus on high standards and the lifelong learning sector’s well-deserved reputation for being inclusive.

The fact that the students worked to a high standard and remained motivated was no accident. Inclusive practice is much more than simply being nice to learners and creating a pleasant environment, important though that is. These teachers had created a highly supportive and inclusive atmosphere combined with a serious approach to learning. They made their sessions both enjoyable and rewarding for all students, regardless of their background, circumstances or prior attainment.

The teachers of these outstanding sessions demonstrated not just their excellent ‘observable’ teaching skills but also the knowledge, values and beliefs that had shaped their practice.

Students’ high level of motivation was, to a large

extent, a product of the way in which they were

taught and the skillfully subtle manner in which

these teachers managed their sessions

Harriet Harper Harriet is a former HMI who works for

the Higher Education Academy and

as a freelance consultant. She has

extensive experience of working in

FE and of teacher education for the

post-compulsory sector. Harriet is

an affi liate member of IfL.

Member book off erThis article is based on Harriet’s

recently published book Outstanding

Teaching in Lifelong Learning (2013),

Open University Press

(McGraw-Hill Education).

Paperback: 978-0-3352-6262-5

IfL members are eligible for a 20

per cent discount on this book.

To order go to www.openup.co.uk

and enter code EDUCATION13

when prompted. The off er is valid

until 31 December 2013.

16-22 CPDM.indd 1716-22 CPDM.indd 17 03/12/2013 16:5403/12/2013 16:54


Cross-cultural learning for teachers: the use of lesson observation in adult education in Austria By Andrea Gewessler and Matt O’Leary

What lessons can English further education learn from the Austrian experience of lesson observation? Initial perceptions viewed it as a form of panoptic surveillance, but those fears have been allayed and tutors now regard it as a positive process

Over the past two decades, lesson

observation has become a hostage

victim of the ‘quality police’ in schools

and colleges in England, who have duly

stripped it of its value as a catalyst

for professional development, with

teachers invariably experiencing

increased levels of disempowerment,

anxiety and general discontent in

relation to its use.

Although there are some exceptions to this, they are unfortunately few and far between, with little signifi cant variation on the normalised ‘Ofsted model’ that dominates the way in which observation is used in so many institutions across the country. Stepping outside of this institutionalised and hegemonic psyche requires a cultural shift and what better way to do that than to compare the way in which observation is viewed and used in another country.

Over the past four years, Andrea Gewessler has been working with the adult education service in Vienna, the Wiener Volkshochschulen GmbH, while supporting adult educators to develop a quality improvement system for teaching and learning. In collaboration with the municipality’s head of the pedagogical department, Dr Elisabeth Brugger, the impetus for the project emerged from a desire to supplement the organisational quality improvement system with

‘good learning experience’.

This set of indicators was built on the premise that there is no objective and generically applicable defi nition of what a good lesson is, but that the success factors are very much dependent on current social and educational concepts and aspirations. This realisation is quite important as in England, the Ofsted framework is frequently treated as if it refl ected some kind of universal truth about the state of students’ learning experiences, when, in fact, it represents only one lens which focuses on certain elements at the expense of others.

A narrative was developed for each of these main criteria that provided illustrative examples. The narrative was conceived as a reference tool for observers, but not to be used prescriptively. The list below provides an example of some of the descriptors listed for the criteria associated with ‘an atmosphere conducive to learning’.

• Communication between tutors and learners is characterised by appreciation, openness and a democratic teaching style

• Tutors create an atmosphere that is free of fear, which off ers the possibility to look at oneself, learning content and society

something that would specifi cally target teaching and learning.

Learning from the successes and failures of those that have implemented similar systems elsewhere was equally important, specifi cally English further education’s experience of having lived with an inspection and accountability regime for two decades.

The project had originally intended to concentrate on the introduction of lesson observation as a form of evaluative practice but, as it gathered momentum, there was a signifi cant shift among participants to view observation more as a lens for stimulating critical refl ection. Thus, the underpinning aim of the project was to improve the quality of learning and teaching in the long-term by creating an organisational culture of self-refl ection and commitment to the importance of continuing professional development (CPD) among a largely part-time workforce.

After being presented with a detailed insight into the ‘English system’, a group of full-time and part-time staff was selected to develop the ‘Austrian framework’. Instead of producing a checklist of hundreds of performance criteria, these adult educators created a concise set of what they collectively viewed as essential components of a

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• Men and women are treated with equal appreciation. Possible role stereotypes are used as topics in sessions and gender appropriate language is used

• Tutors treat learners respectfully, regardless of their background and ethnicity. It is important that any discriminatory behaviour within the group is talked about and if necessary worked on to be resolved

• Tutors are familiar with basic concepts of diversity and are competent to integrate it into their sessions

• Solidarity and collaboration, as well as mutual support of learners, are promoted and their needs and learning goals are integrated into the course aims

• Diffi culties, criticism and questions of learners are dealt with

• The autonomy of learners is ensured and self-guided learning is strengthened

• Tutors are familiar with the guidelines for successful teaching and learning and with the values of the Wiener Volkshochschulen

• Tutors regularly undertake CPD in their subject matter and in methodology and pedagogy

The observers all participated in a three-day observation and self-refl ection workshop and received periodic updates and refresher sessions. Among some of the core skills that the workshops aimed to develop was the importance of self-awareness and lessening observer subjectivity in the written and oral feedback for observees.

Through a process of discussion and debate, observers reached a collective agreement that an important part of their role was to encourage tutors to self-refl ect and to ask questions

also arranged for tutors to help them to develop and hone their self-refl ection skills. This emphasis on self-refl ection has been supported by the head of the pedagogical department. For the past two years, the head of the pedagogical department, observers and tutors have participated in an afternoon of collective refl ection, organised in a world café style. Short workshops have also been held for curriculum leads responsible for overseeing curriculum planning.

With more than 1,000 observations having been carried out in the past three years, the original fears and suspicions of the Austrian tutors towards the introduction of lesson observation appears to have dissipated.

This is borne out by the fact that only three tutors have left the service since its introduction. Gone are those initial perceptions of observation as a form of panoptic surveillance, as tutors now regard it as a positive process. This is in no way a coincidence but

about their practice rather than simply produce a set of evaluative judgements for them about what they had observed.

With this in mind, observers decided to base their written feedback on factual descriptions of what they had observed rather than impose their own subjective interpretation on the events of the lesson. Thus the written feedback of the session was to serve as a mirror for tutors to self-refl ect upon and a stimulus for discussion between observer and observee.

The post-observation dialogue was then followed up a few weeks later by a conversation with the local curriculum leads to refl ect more on what the observee had learned, along with a discussion of their CPD needs. The whole process was therefore driven by a desire to promote professional dialogue and wider professional learning.

Self-refl ection does not come easily to everyone and a two-day workshop was

Overview of professional development in Austria

The Wiener Volkshochschulen off ers a comprehensive programme of CPD. Some of this is non-accredited, while other courses lead to credits towards a certifi cate or diploma in adult education.

This is accredited through the WBA, a central organisation, which is the ‘Weiterbildungsakademie’ in full. It’s broadly translated as the ‘academy for continuing professional development’.

The content of the certifi cate and diploma are determined by the WBA along with diff erent organisations, including the Wiener Volkshochschulen, that run accredited programmes as part of their CPD off er, which are recognised to contribute a certain number of European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) points to the certifi cate or diploma. What is signifi cantly diff erent to the system in England, however, is that:• Accreditation happens in one central point• The off er is highly modularised and tutors seek accreditation when they have

collected a suffi cient number of ECTS points and feel ready for the accreditation process

• The Wiener Volkshochschulen, spanning 23 districts in Vienna, has one shared CPD off er

• The professional status and respect aff orded to tutors is greater than that of their English counterparts

The post-observation dialogue was followed by

a conversation with the local curriculum leads to

reflect more on what the observee had learned,

along with a discussion of their CPD needs



can largely be attributed to the way in which these Austrian educators have been aff orded the autonomy to engage with observation as a mechanism for reciprocal professional growth, itself a refl ection of diff erences in educational cultures between the two countries.

What the Austrian experience in the Wiener Volkshochschulen teaches us is that the formative and transformative potential of lesson observation is very real and has an important part to play in furthering teacher development and, in turn, our understanding of teaching and learning as a whole. This naturally begs the question as to what sessions can the English system learn from this?

Andrea Gewessler Andrea is director and founder

of Change that Matters Ltd, an

independent company working

with organisations and communities

to bring about transformational

change through dialogue,

collaboration and innovation.

Andrea previously held a number

of senior management positions in

the FE sector and is a language

teacher and teacher educator.

www.changethatmatters.co.uk

On Twitter @andreagewessler

Matt O’Leary Dr O’Leary is principal lecturer

and research fellow in post-

compulsory education in the Centre

for Research and Development

in Lifelong Education (Cradle) a

joint initiative by the University of

Wolverhampton and IfL. He is a

renowned expert on classroom

observation and has recently

completed a book for Routledge:

Classroom observation:

a guide to the eff ective observation

of teaching and learning.

On Twitter @drmattoleary

In recent years it has been reported that further education teachers and trainers have become increasingly more positive about their roles and identities as professional educators (Gleeson et al, 2005; Spenceley, 2006; RCU, 2007; Wilson & Wilson, 2011). These observations have prompted my current research into the impact of professionalism within the sector.

A survey design has been applied using a mixed method approach with data being collected by questionnaire, semi-structured interview and focus group methods. The focus of the research is on the description of professionalism within contemporary FE via Hoyle’s (1975) related conceptions of professionalism and professionality.

Hoyle defi nes professionalism as the sum of the strategies and claims used by the members of an occupation to improve their status leading to an increase in pay and better conditions. In short, it is the occupational group’s preferred perceptions of itself and as such is a largely cognitive and fl uid entity. In contrast Hoyle suggested that an educator’s professionality consisted of

Conceptions of professionality and professional identity within the learning and skills sectorBy Andrew Wilson

FE teachers see themselves on a par with university lecturers, but their greatest desire is to provide students with an educational experience of the highest quality

their skills, knowledge and pedagogical approaches. This then has a behavioural element that can be easily observed, reported and measured. Hoyle further proposed that professionality could be described on a continuum of what he termed as extension and restriction.

The restricted professional exhibits a commitment to technical rational concerns that place their focus of interest within day to day classroom teaching. In contrast, tutors who commit to practices that go beyond the provision of classroom teaching and embrace a wider range of activities, knowledge and skills are viewed as having an extended professionality. The labels are used purely descriptively to illuminate two diff erent approaches to teaching learners, there are no implied value judgements on Hoyle’s part. I want to measure the attitudes, perceptions and opinions of staff within the sector, in relation to the extension or restriction of their professional roles.

The results collected so far have indicated that staff within FE place a high value on extended professional activities such as professional development and

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The qualitative data provided some illumination of this situation with many FE staff seeing their vocational background and academic qualifi cations as providing parity with HE: “I was a highly skilled tradesman for nearly two decades, I held all of the required vocational awards. My qualifi cations are what got me the job here, since getting the job I have attained my 730, Certifi cate in Education and BA (hons) if these and my work experience don’t put me on a par with university staff then nothing will.”

However, some accepted that there were important diff erences between lecturers in FE and university lecturers. Research skills were most often cited here, a typical view came from an English teacher: “I recognise that [HE lecturers’] research culture and production of publications puts me at a disadvantage in some respects.”

The major diff erences in professional identity between the HE in FE and FE groups involved research and writing. The FE group felt that research activity to create new knowledge or writing for publication was not part of their role. This group tended to conceptualise their research activity as a part of the preparation of resources cycle, a representative view came from a history tutor who claimed: “I am constantly looking into materials in order to develop, deliver and evaluate new programmes.”

In contrast, the HE in FE group were much more sympathetic to the concept with a small number (20 per cent) being involved in research projects as part of their job role.

The HE in FE group’s distinctive identity traits were typifi ed by a preference for teaching HE students and topics. The major reason for this was a perception that teaching HE was more rewarding due to the greater academic freedom to interpret the syllabus and higher levels of autonomy among students.

scholarly activities. The analysis of the qualitative data indicates that staff are presently seeking professional development opportunities to extend existing skills and attain new ones that will help them progress within their careers. As one sociology lecturer explained: “Professional development is the lifeblood of my practice, if I want to engage in the areas of opportunity that are opening up to me at present I need to develop and adapt my skills continually.”

This and similar responses indicate a willingness to acquire new skills on the basis of a lifelong learning approach that responds to the demands of a sometimes volatile sector. This engagement with professional development and the recognition of its worth provides support for work within the existing literature. For example, Spenceley (2006) describes the development of a new multi-skilled professional typifi ed by a commitment to a continuous updating of skills suited to the varied environments found within the sector.

Scholarly activities are undertaken to facilitate the acquisition of an extended skill set and are refl ected in the academic profi le of the respondents, all of whom held a teaching qualifi cation or were engaged in the acquisition of one. A surprisingly (for me) large proportion (67 per cent) have attained a fi rst degree (47 per cent) or are studying for one (20 per cent), while 8 per cent claimed to hold master’s degrees.

One teacher of business management typifi ed the approach to scholarly activity: “It’s not enough to enter the profession with a skill set based on one set of qualifi cations. If we are to stay current as our subject changes we need to change with it. The best way to do this is to study. I left industry 15 years ago and since then have gained a teaching certifi cate and an MBA. I’m considering a Ph.D. soon.”

This level of scholarly activity is helping to challenge and reverse the stereotype of FE being staff ed by vocational

specialists lacking academic qualifi cations (Ollin, 2002).

Many respondents also indicated that the reading of professional literature (57 per cent) and professional collaboration (52 per cent) were viewed as key developmental activities. Gleeson et al (2005) claimed that FE was undergoing a paradigm shift; my research supports this claim with the majority of respondents indicating that they possessed an extended professionality. Evidence for this comes from their engaging in the broader social contexts of education rather than focusing only on classroom activities and restricted, or narrowly defi ned, ideas of what it means to be a professional educator.

The Yorkshire & Humber East Lifelong Learning Network (YHELLN), commissioned me to undertake research into the professional identity of traditional FE teachers and those delivering higher education within the sector. The data were gathered by questionnaire that collected both quantitative and qualitative responses from Likert-type scales and open questions.

The results showed that the diff erences between the two groups were small and at times purely superfi cial. Both of the groups perceived themselves as professional educators rather than subject specialists. The role of the educator appears to be a central part of the tutors’ perceptions of their professional identity with 90 per cent of the respondents claiming that this role took precedence over their affi liation to the subject matter of their major qualifi cation.

Both groups perceived themselves as professional, with 95 per cent of the sample strongly agreeing or agreeing with the statement: “I see myself as a true professional.”

Fifty per cent of the sample described themselves as the equal of lecturers in HE compared with 25 per cent who saw themselves as inferior.



“My preparation is as detailed as when I worked in just FE. My syllabus however is much more open to my own interpretation than before so I often have to develop my knowledge of a subject to a greater depth than I would need for the prescribed content of the courses I taught in FE,” said one.

However, the most central construct of both group’s professional identity was a strong desire to ensure that the educational experience of their students was of the highest quality.

A representative view was articulated by a construction tutor: “The term professional is much abused but if by it you mean do I ensure that my students get the most from me regarding their educational experience then I would say ‘yes’.”

In conclusion, the professional identity of FE lecturers is characterised by their perception of themselves as professional educators rather than subject specialists. In addition, they see their role as being the equal of university lecturers in general. However, their major defi ning trait was the desire to provide students with an educational experience of the highest possible quality.

The ongoing research into professionalism has been of great benefi t to my role within teacher education in providing both myself and my students with cutting-edge information. If you would be willing to take part in this research please contact me at [email protected] for a copy of the questionnaire.

References • Gleeson, D., Davies, J. & Wheeler, E. (2005)

On the making and taking of professionalism

in the further education workplace. British

Journal of Sociology of Education, 26(4),

pp 445 – 460.

• Hoyle, E. (1975) Professionality,

professionalism and control in teaching.

IN Houghton, V. (ed) Management

in education: The management of

organisations and individuals, Ward

Lock Educational & The Open University

Press: London.

• Ollin, R. (2002) Professionals or prisoners?

The competency-based approach to

professional development in Trorey,

G. & Cullingford, C. (eds) Professional

development and institutional needs.

Ashgate: Aldershot.

• Research & Consultancy Services (RCU)

(2007) National staff survey benchmarking

service: Summary of fi ndings form FE staff

surveys, [online] www.rcu.co.uk/home.jsp

(last accessed 12/12/2007).

• Spenceley, L. (2006) ‘Smoke and

mirrors’: an examination of the concept

of professionalism within the FE sector.

Research in Post-Compulsory Education.

11(3), pp 289 – 302.

• Wilson, A. & Wilson, B.D. 2011 Pedagogy of

the repressed: Research and professionality

within HE in FE. Research in Post-

Compulsory education. 16 (4), pp 465 – 478.

Andrew Wilson Andrew is the higher education

research offi cer at Hull College. He is

involved with teacher education and

the teaching of research methods in

criminology and business. The article

is based on a survey report for the

Yorkshire and Humber East Lifelong

Learning Network and Andrew’s

ongoing survey of professionality

within the sector, some of the

fi ndings of which were presented

at the University of Huddersfi eld

PCET conference.

consortium.hud.ac.uk/news/events/

annualconference2013

Further reading IfL’s Strategy 2013-16

bit.ly/IfLstrategy

IfL Review of CPD 2011-12

bit.ly/IfLreview11-12


By Gary Belcher

Emotional intelligence (EI) may be a contested concept, particularly when applied to education, but my research suggests that there are strong grounds for building an EI module into initial teacher training programmes.

The pressure on practitioners at all levels in the education sector to deliver success is intense – operating in times of budgetary restraint, Ofsted inspections, plus an ever-expanding diversity of learners seeking attainment and outcomes.

Understanding emotions is paramount when striving for success in any fi eld, be it educational, fi nancial, political or sporting. Controlling these emotions is a further challenge as many of our classroom learners regularly

demonstrate in behaviour, engagement and progress. Identifying these emotions in oneself is the trigger for future teachers to begin a journey of enlightenment.

Working with the University of Wolverhampton, 17 trainees (nine men and eight women) from the Physical Education Initial Teacher Training (PGCE) course were identifi ed and selected as subjects for a study seeking to identify traits associated with emotional intelligence.

Eight questionnaires were distributed between December 2012 and March 2013, with titles that included: Are you emotionally literate? Is your self-image positive or

negative? and Are you making

the most of yourself at work? The main outcomes

demonstrated an overall improvement in subjects’

identifi cation of EI during the research period: 14 of the 17 participants involved showed an increase in their ability to identify EI from start to conclusion.

The outcomes from this study show that trainees are capable of identifying and increasing their awareness of EI, suggesting that inclusion of formalised EI elements during ITT would build usefully on their existing knowledge and abilities.

I am collaborating with the University of Wolverhampton


ISTO

CK

CPD Exchange

Don’t forget if you want help with your own academic or

action research, or to share information and data with your

fellow IfL members, you can vist www.ifl .ac.uk/cpdexchange

By Carol Thompson and

Peter Wolstencroft

Graded lesson observation is failing to improve teaching and learning in the post-compulsory sector due, in part, to something approaching collusion between teachers and observers to produce the results the sector wants to hear.

As part of our research we interviewed teachers, teacher trainers and quality managers throughout the east of England to gain an insight into the eff ectiveness of lesson observation in relation to improving teaching standards.

Many of the teachers we interviewed talked of the need to ‘put on a show’ during observations, a practice which was also acknowledged by

the quality managers who recognised the element of ‘smoke and mirrors’ present in observed lessons.

Our results seemed to show that there was something akin to collusion between observer and observee in order to produce the quantitative data which appears to be prized within the sector.

Lesson observation schemes were typically presented to Ofsted as a form of quality improvement, yet were often described by teachers in terms of measurement and control with their aim being a ‘conform and perform’ environment.

This disconnect often led to a culture of cynicism and hostility where it becomes increasingly

diffi cult to assess whether these schemes have had any real impact on standard practice.

An unexpected fi nding was the degree to which teachers sought a ‘good’ grade in order to maintain a ‘safe’ position within the organisation.

In contrast, the number of teachers aspiring to achieve an ‘outstanding’ grade was minimal, as a result of the perceived additional responsibilities associated with this achievement.

Carol Thompson and Peter

Wolstencroft are senior

lecturers in education at the

University of Bedfordshire.

For more information on

their research contact: carol.

[email protected] and/or

[email protected]

Observations: must the show go on?

ResearchDigest

Raising emotional intelligence levels in teaching

www.ifl .ac.uk

regarding a further study during academic year 2013-14. The fi ndings are intended to be available by summer 2014.

Gary Belcher is head of sport

for a group of pupil referral

units in Wolverhampton.

He has taught in primary,

secondary, FE and HE

organisations as well as adult

and non-mainstream settings.

He is currently researching

for an MA in leadership and

management on which this

article is based. Gary is a

Member of IfL.

23 Research.indd Sec1:23 03/12/2013 16:52


InPractice

Peer review is a powerful tool for maintaining and enhancing professional practice and status. IfL asked its reviewers for their views on this most important of professional processes

Insights of IfL’s peer reviewers Many of our reviewers refl ected upon the sheer buzz of excitement they get when reviewing excellent work.

Gail Lydon, a teacher at Selby College, captured the feelings of many when she said: “The process has been dominated by high points and these are the moments when reading an application that the hairs stand up on your arms; when you wish you had had a teacher like this; and when you are tired but you know you are going to read every word.”

Rebecca Woolley, an associate tutor at Edge Hill University, said: “With each review, I gained a window into the breadth and depth of our fantastic, vibrant sector and invariably came away inspired by some of the portfolios and the stories they told.”

Nigel Cannar, teacher at Richard Rose Central Academy, said: “For me, it is one of the best continuing professional

he said, allowed him to prove that he was a ‘real’ teacher. Steve added: “Peer review supports the key principles of self-regulation, refl ection and democracy – fundamental to any professional body – a standard set and maintained by members for its members.”

Many reviewers shared Steve’s view that there is a clear link between peer review and the independence, status and voice of the FE teaching profession. Paul Matthews, initial teacher training coordinator at City College Plymouth, said: “Although governments change and so do regulations, this essential truth remains: we are professional teachers trying to help our learners learn and fi nd work in a staggering variety of challenging contexts.”

Geoff Rebbeck, a specialist in the delivery of eff ective teaching and learning through technology, said: “Peer Review remains the best part of QTLS

To mark the fifth anniversary of the professional formation process

for further education teachers and trainers, IfL surveyed its team of

professional reviewers.

The results bear witness to the expertise, insight and energy of IfL members

whose work since 2008 has helped more than 15,000 teachers and trainers

gain Qualifi ed Teacher Learning and Skills Status (QTLS) and Associate Teacher

Learning and Skills (ATLS). QTLS is recognised for teaching in schools too.*

Peer review is common among the professions as it provides an effi cient

and powerful mechanism by which professionals can, collectively, control

their professional training, development and practice, relatively free from

outside interference.

Designed explicitly as a review and not an assessment, IfL’s professional

formation process allows reviewers to make judgements based upon

applicants’ professional and personal circumstances rather than forcing

them to assess against one-size-fi ts-all criteria.

As such, IfL’s professional formation process is a two-way street in which

the application and review components are, in themselves, excellent

professional development for applicants and reviewers alike.

But don’t take it from us. Instead, read for yourself the insights, observations

and comments of some of our peer reviewers. *For details see bit.ly/HstWaU

Sue Colquhoun, head of professional status, IfL

Jan Leatherland, CPD manager, IfL

It’s a privilege to review you

IFL

development (CPD) activities I undertake. It has invigorated and informed my own practice.” The importance of gaining qualifi cations leading to QTLS and ATLS is not lost on reviewers, all of whom are qualifi ed FE teachers having undertaken professional formation themselves.

Engin Mustafa, head of learning and development at APCOA Parking, said:“I feel more confi dent in my skills and abilities now that they have been reviewed and recognised formally. It has undoubtedly helped me in my career progression.”

Elaine Szpytma said: “I undertook professional formation to demonstrate my professional status. As a teacher educator I see this as important.”

Steve Ingle, a lecturer in education at the University of Cumbria, said that he was proud to have trained as a teacher ‘on the job’ but that family and friends thought he ‘wasn’t a real teacher’. QTLS,

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because it seeks to establish a body of opinion among teachers about what it means to be competent.”

Gillian Forrester, head of teaching and learning at Gateshead College, said: “A real, positive value of peer review is that it is removed from the enormous amount of performance management practices we have in the FE sector today and therefore gives practitioners breathing space to be honest and feel safe and secure in a supportive environment to experiment and to move forward.”

Debra Findler, an advanced skills teacher at Stoke-on-Trent College, agreed: “It is also invaluable in generating

new ideas relating to teaching and learning strategies and gives one the confi dence to experiment more in the classroom.”

Other reviewers also remarked on the benefi ts to their own teaching practice. Anne Samson, operations director for the Westminster Partnership Centre for Excellence in Teacher Training, said: “The review process has assisted in opening up the complexity of the FE sector. This in turn has provided challenges and opportunities for CPD in a way I wouldn’t otherwise have had.”

Debra Johnson, lecturer at Petroc college, said: “On an individual level, peer review makes signifi cant contribution to

individuals’ career development through nationally respected recognition of good practice and the expectation that regular refl ective CPD is undertaken.”

Beverley Johnson, a lecturer at Kingston Maurward College, said: “Peer review is one of the best CPD methods. We all learn from each other - diff erent techniques, styles and delivery.”

Karl Durrant, professional development lead at CITB-Construction Skills, said: “I felt honoured to review as it off ered a terrifi c insight in to the lives of real people pursuing real goals to better their own lives and others around them.”

Finally, Delwen Eirlys Wilkinson, a tutor and teacher trainer with Rutland County Council, said simply: “I have always thought it a privilege to act as a reviewer.”• To fi nd out more about QTLS

and ATLS see www.ifl .ac.uk/pf1

“I undertook professional formation to

demonstrate my professional status”

HOW PEER REVIEW WORKS

IfL members undertaking

professional formation leading to

QTLS or ATLS must demonstrate

their ability to use eff ectively the

skills and knowledge gained in

teacher training and to illustrate

how they apply the professional

standards required of a teacher.

This is done using Refl ect+,

the personal online learning space

for IfL members, to upload, store

and share their evidence, which

includes statements from supporters

that corroborate or authenticate

that evidence.

Members are able to tell their

story of their personal journey

into teaching and their development

as a teacher. There are no

prescribed word limits.

Each member’s application is

unique and demands a personalised

response from peer reviewers.

Peer review is designed to better

capture, recognise and value the

great diversity in further education

teaching and learning.

Peer reviewers are looking for

three things:

• Is there suffi cient evidence?

• Is the evidence properly supported

and authenticated?

• Is the evidence relevant to the to

the member’s current job role?

All applicants receive feedback

allowing them to re-apply in areas

that require additional support.

The achievement rate for QTLS

and ATLS is always greater than

80 per cent and sometimes has

reached more than 90 per cent.

www.ifl .ac.uk/pf

24-25 InPractice.indd 25 04/12/2013 13:01


InSight

IfL has consistently expressed its concern about the coalition government’s abandonment of the 2007 regulations that required further education teachers to hold recognised teaching qualifi cations or be working towards them. What is happening in FE and skills is part of a bigger picture in which academies and free schools – more than half of all secondary schools, as well as a growing number of primary schools – are no longer required to recruit teachers with qualifi ed teacher status (QTS).

IfL chief executive Toni Fazaeli has therefore joined with others, including my successor as director of the Institute of Education, Chris Husbands, to point out that there is a common threat to standards of education in schools and colleges if there is no longer to be any guarantee that children and young people will be taught by properly qualifi ed teachers.

Another development in the training of school teachers has been a liberalisation of routes to QTS for those who still want to obtain a pre-service teaching qualifi cation. An increasing number of courses are now led by schools, or groups of schools, rather than universities and some academy chains are seeking to become accredited training providers in their own right. At the moment, most of these ‘school-led’ courses will off er university certifi cates alongside QTS but that may not necessarily remain the case in the future.

The anticipated further shift away from

PGCE courses provided by higher education institution-led partnerships as a result of the government’s preference for its School Direct programme has led some universities to consider abandoning their commitment to initial teacher education altogether rather than working with the new models. Sadly – and against my own advice – my current university, the University of Bath, has become the fi rst research-led university to make a decision to close its PGCE course from 2014.

So, in England, we now have the prospect of more teachers entering the profession without necessarily being qualifi ed, while others will hold qualifi cations whose nature is likely to be rather less standardised than it has been in the recent past.

Until recently, I had thought that deregulation of entry to the teaching profession, the attack on conventional modes of teacher education and the constant denigration by politicians of the role of universities in the training of teachers was a peculiarly English disease. Indeed, John Furlong, former head of Education at Oxford University, has characterised it as an example of ‘English exceptionalism’.

However, I am now beginning to see it as a wider – if not yet a global – phenomenon. I read recently that Hong Kong has retreated from the ‘all trained, all graduate’ policy that it introduced in 1997. I spent September at Teachers College Columbia in New York and began to see some parallels in the USA too.

Why freedom comes at a price

After 1999, the number of US teachers licensed through so-called ‘alternate routes’ climbed steadily, so that by 2005 about one third of all new teachers entered through such routes. Teach for America (the inspiration, if not the model, for our own Teach First) is now the major provider of new teachers in some states.

Like academy chains here, charter management organisations (CMOs) in the USA are seeking to become major alternative providers of teacher education. In New York, the Relay Graduate School of Education (GSE) has brought together three CMOs to overcome what they describe as ‘a nationwide failure by most university-based teacher-education programs to prepare teachers for the realities of 21st century classrooms’. The New York State Board of Regents recently upset

A creeping privatising of education is feeding the demand for unqualifi ed teachers, writes Professor Geoff Whitty

Hong Kong provides the backdrop

for charter schools in the US,

academies in the UK and education

secretary Michael Gove.

SHU

TTER

STO

CK

26-27 Insight.indd 26 04/12/2013 11:34

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diff erent from the approach here. Even so, there are increasing

opportunities for schools and districts in the US to vary or opt out of federal and state mandates. Diane Ravitch’s chilling new book on the privatisation of American education, Reign of Error, suggests that full deregulation of teaching is the model favoured by online charter providers – and that this will not only be the thin end of the wedge but an opportunity for cost-cutting, for-profi t providers to enter the fray.

Whatever happens, it seems likely that there will be greater variety in approaches to teacher preparation on both sides of the Atlantic in the coming years. So perhaps we should try to take advantage of that situation.

For years, teacher educators have complained about increasing

university schools of education by agreeing to grant masters degrees to Relay GSE students who may not have taken even one university-based course.

Some, although not all, charter schools in the US are freed from the requirement to employ certifi cated teachers. However, charters are only a tiny minority of schools and are not intended to become the majority like the coalition government’s ‘converter’ academies here.

Mainstream public schools in most states are still subject to rigorous regulation of entry standards for teachers. New standards and performance criteria have recently been agreed by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) after an exercise described by its chair as ‘a rare moment of the profession policing itself’. Rather

standardisation constraining innovation and creativity with unintelligent accountability system replacing trust in professional judgement. The government says the intention of its reforms is to enhance professionalism, so why not put that to the test?

Might it not be time for schools, colleges, universities and professional bodies like IfL to see whether the new found freedoms can be used to further a progressive educational project?• Further reading from IfL (download):

bit.ly/lefttochance

Geoff Whitty is professor of public

sector policy and management in

the School of Management, University

of Bath. He is director emeritus of

the Institute of Education, University

of London.

26-27 Insight.indd 27 04/12/2013 11:34


Training

Highbury CETL’s new teaching framework

A prevailing culture of compliance across much of further education stifl es the sector’s creativity and eff ectiveness, leading to a degree of ‘immaturity’ in taking ownership of teaching practice, argues Nadim Bakhshov, head of the Centre for Excellence in Teaching & Learning (CETL) at Highbury College.

Mr Bakhshov and his team have developed a simple and fl exible pedagogical framework that sets out the parameters within which Highbury’s teaching staff are encouraged to experiment with their teaching methods and share the results with colleagues.

He said: “The issue for me has been this idea of a single right method of teaching: ‘Learn this one prescribed method and you will become an outstanding teacher.’ That is deeply fl awed.

“The reality of teaching is such that you can teach the same subject matter to two very similar groups and in one case it works brilliantly while in the other it just doesn’t do the trick.

“What this tells us is that we need a mature culture of experimentation driven by teachers. The pedagogical framework not only guides this but, critically, because it was built out of research into working life, it never loses sight of the vocational ends – the employability of students.”

The Highbury CETL devised a framework with four dimensions, acting as broad channels through which all teaching and learning at the college is expected to fl ow. Briefl y, the social dimension covers processes such as communication and exchange of ideas, being able to work in teams. The aff ective dimension relates to, for example, individual attitude and initiative. The practical dimension relates to, for example, mastery of practical procedures skills and knowhow, and the cognitive dimension starts with the application of theory and goes all the way across to creative problem-solving.

“The framework encourages staff to take ownership and explore, challenge and experiment their own practice. It is a game-changer. It becomes a framework that teachers and trainers adapt to their own ends,” Mr Bakhshov said.

“Institutions that do not develop pedagogical frameworks will tumble back into a handful of prescribed methods which teachers must use and their growth and capacity to generate new forms of knowledge from within their practice will simply not happen.”

Highbury College has applied the four dimensions to its work in e-learning and reports surprisingly rich results. It has applied them to curriculum development and Mr Bakhshov said that it had developed valuable employment-focused content and structures. Mr Bakhshov and his team are currently developing a new professional development model to support the growing innovation within the institution.

For articles published by innovators see the fi rst edition

of Investigation sponsored by LSIS RDF: http://research.

highbury.ac.uk/?page_id=225

For more information contact: [email protected]

Teachers and trainers must be supported by employers to experiment in their teaching and learning approaches and strategies, rather than simply comply with fi xed pedagogical theories and methodologies. By staff reporters

How we help you

We provide all staff in FE and HE with free, confidential, telephone and online services including:

Support Coaching Counselling Money management Grants Information Signposting

Registered charity no. 1072583 (TSN), 1116382 (Recourse)

Five simple ways to support staff in Further and Higher Education:

1. find out what we do

2. put our number in your phone - 0808 802 03 04

3. use it if you need support

4. give our details to a colleague if they need support

5. find out more at www.recourse.org.uk

Get Support:

0808 802 03 04

Get Involved:

www.recourse.org.uk

0808

802

03

04

28 Insight.indd 28 04/12/2013 13:53

www.ifl .ac.uk


New resources have been made available through the Institute for Learning to help teachers and trainers prepare learners for work.

The Life 2 activities (see box, above right) have been developed by trainers from across Europe and can be included in sessions to develop the skills that employers are asking for – such as problem-solving, creativity, teamwork and presentation, as well as job-seeking skills. They will also help teachers and trainers learn how to take a more ‘entrepreneurial’ approach.

The activities were developed as part of the Train the Trainer pack developed by the Life 2 project team and supported by the European Commission. It includes innovative ideas from colleges in Denmark, Portugal, Romania, Spain and the UK, with Norton Radstock College the lead partner.

Quick links to Life 2 activities are available on IfL’s website (see box, right), which can be adapted to suit learner groups, including disadvantaged learners. The activities are practical, clear and easy to follow and include tips and hints.

Feedback from lecturers at Norton

Training

Radstock has been positive. Project manager and IfL member Rosaleen Courtney explained that Life 2 training was fi rst introduced at the college at staff training sessions last year.

She said: “The pilot showed that teachers recognised the need to help learners to become more employable, that they were already helping learners to develop these skills – sometimes without realising it – and that there needed to be more emphasis on involving employers, although this does take time.”

IfL member Marvin Grubb has just fi nished his PGCE qualifi cation and is applying for QTLS. He was involved in the Norton Radstock Life 2 pilot which, helped with his teacher training.

Marvin said: “I’m a great Life 2 fan. Ideas from Life 2 inspired me to develop an interpersonal skills curriculum proposal as part of my PGCE qualifi cation.”

Rosemarie D’Ambrosio-Winter, who is currently studying for a masters in education, included Life 2 activities in sessions with PTTLS learners to help them consider how they can improve the employability of their students.

She said: “The activities can help keep sessions real and relevant and give learners that extra bit of confi dence when applying for jobs.”

Animal care lecturer Michelle Robinson used a Life 2 task and activity as part of a Work Skills qualifi cation and said it helped learners to defi ne what characteristics were valued by employers.

IfL director of professional development Jean Kelly attended a focus group discussion with teachers from Norton Radstock College recently to discuss how Life 2 training had helped learners.

A helping handfor employmentNorton Radstock College has played a lead role in the Life 2 resources, which help learners prepare for the workplace

LIFE2 ACTIVITIES

• Cultural awareness

• Employer links

• Creating a company

• Ethics in business

• The banana split game (practising

negotiation skills and social

responsibility)

• Customer care role play

• Group dynamics

• Embedding English

• Interview practice

• Self-image

IfL is expanding its library of online

resources to support your continuing

professional development (CPD).

As dual professionals, IfL members

keep up-to-date with the latest

developments in their subject or

vocational specialisms as well as their

teaching practice.

A range of free resources is

available help you fi nd links to CPD

opportunities through IfL and across

the further education and skills sector.

• For details, please see bit.ly/1aY83Tc

For more resources, please see

www.ifl .ac.uk/cpd

GET

TY

29 Training.indd 29 03/12/2013 16:52


Geoff Petty

Teaching students independent learning

understanding and recall. They still work outside of class time in doing this. Then, each student takes a very short and simple test on the topic, usually in class. Some teachers ask students who fail this test to do retakes until they pass (see step eight in the box on the right).

I know what you’re thinking: “My students are lousy at learning independently so I can’t use the method.” But if students can’t do something they need more practice, not less. With weaker students the trick is to set assignments on short simple topics to begin with.

Include a test preparation activity in the IL assignment, for example:Task four: Now check and correct

your recall before the test.

Study: Read over your material and

Learning to learn indendently

Independent

learning

assignment

How do I do better

next time?

action plan feed forward task on next assignment target setting

Why did this happen?

one-to-one negotiation with the lecturer or tutor “what did you fi nd most diffi cult?” “what could you do about that?” learning teams can be used to provide support

What happened?

questionnaire stengths and weaknesses competencesReviewApply

Learn

Do

Assessment

The aim is to make the learning independent

Do you have too much to teach in too little time? Are your students weak at learning alone? Do you work harder than your students? If so, then it’s time to try independent learning; students love it – eventually.

The idea is that you identify a short simple topic, with no diffi cult concepts, that you do not teach at all. Instead, you set an independent learning (IL) assignment that gets students to teach it to themselves outside of class time. Initially, they use resources specifi ed by you, but in later IL assignments they fi nd resources for themselves.

Students work alone at the start of each assignment, but later tasks require them to work in pairs or groups to answer questions and check

Independent learning is something that will make your life easier, says Geoff Petty. And your students will come to love it – eventually.Geoff is the author of Teaching Today and Evidenced Based Teaching, and has trained staff in more than 300 colleges and schools. Geoff is a patron of IfL.

30-31 Geoff Petty.indd 30 03/12/2013 16:53

www.ifl .ac.uk


check you understand it by trying to explain it to yourself, or to others.Cover: Close your books and shut any websites down.Recall: Recall what you have learned, writing it down as a short note. There should be an hour or so between study and recall to ensure the material is in your long-term and not just your short-term memory.Check and correct: Open your books and websites again. Check what you have recalled for accuracy and completeness. Make corrections and additions to your recall notes.Repeat: It’s rare to get recall right fi rst time, so go through this process again until your recall is really good. Ideally, the last recall should be done in pairs, small groups, or ‘learning teams’.

It’s important to improve weaknesses in independent learning skills and this is the aim of the competence questionnaire. Each student has their own copy and self-assesses by placing a tick under the appropriate column for each competence. The student can then set themselves a target to improve a weakness uncovered by the questionnaire. The next independent learning assignment can include a personalised target to address this weakness. A few assignments later students can retake the questionnaire with a diff erent coloured tick, so progress can be seen.

If you think your students will struggle with this, they can start the independent learning process by completing the questionnaire. Then you can address common weaknesses with the whole class.

Why bother?Remember that the topic is not taught by you at all. This leaves you more class time to tackle more conceptually diffi cult topics. You are most unlikely to save time

Eight steps to independent learning (eff ect size 0.75*)

1 Any easy section of the syllabus is identifi ed and this is not taught.

2 Instead, students are given an assignment that describes in detail what they must learn. More experienced independent learners may need less direction.

3 Students work on this assignment outside of class time. Work is alone at fi rst, but later tasks require the student to work in pairs or small groups. The assignment activities are thought provoking, and are not entirely ‘book and biro’. Visual representations and other methods above make good tasks. At least one task requires students to go beyond the simple reproduction of the ideas in the materials and to apply their learning. This is to encourage deep learning, otherwise students may simply collect information and write it down without really thinking about it, or understanding it.

4 Students’ work is monitored by a designated ‘leader’ in their group or by the teacher if the assignment is a long one. Short assignments are best at fi rst.

5 The students’ notes are not marked, (except perhaps in the fi rst use of this method in order to check their ability to make eff ective notes). Instead, their learning is assessed by a short test. One assignment task is to prepare for this. Optionally students can be required to retake tests, or do other remedial work if their test result is unsatisfactory.

6 After completing this independent learning assignment, or indeed before, students use an independent learning competences questionnaire to identify their weaknesses as an independent learner, and to set themselves targets for their next independent learning assignment.

7 If learning teams are used, activities can be set to discuss questions you set and to prepare for the test.

8 Students take a test, which they knew was coming from the start, which tests basic understanding of the key concepts. Some teachers use a ‘mastery learning approach with this test, that is, if a student does not get a good mark on this test, they are required to do remedial work with peers, and then to take it again until they pass.

This is not an easy teaching method to use but it is greatly enjoyed by students if it is managed well. See also ‘cooperative learning’ in Evidence Based Teaching for similar methods. *Based on Professor John Hattie’s calculation of the eff ect size or impact of teaching on learner achievement.

with the fi rst independent learning assignment, but as students get used to independent learning you will save more and more time.

Another advantage is that students will pick up independent learning skills. These are vital for progression, exam revision, good grades and the ability to make best use of computer-based resources. This method teaches students that learning is something they must do to themselves, that learning depends on eff ort, time, corrected practice, and asking for help – among other things – not on innate ability.

If your students are reluctant to take responsibility for their own learning, it’s a brilliant method to use.

Students are often troubled by the method at fi rst, but eventually love it. The mark students obtain on topics they taught themselves are usually at least as good and often better, than their marks for topics taught conventionally.

I used independent learning for many years when I taught physics. My students were scared of the method at fi rst, but soon got used to it. It ended up being their favourite, they regarded it as ‘grown-up learning’, preparing them for work, for progression and especially higher education. And it saves you time.

See chapter 31 of Teaching Today for a fuller description of IL and chapter 17 of Evidence Based Teaching for more ‘teaching without talking’ methods.

30-31 Geoff Petty.indd 3130-31 Geoff Petty.indd 31 03/12/2013 16:5303/12/2013 16:53

Learning a Living: Radical Innovation in Education for WorkValerie Hannon, Sarah Gillinson

and Leonie Shanks,

Bloomsbury Academic:

paperback 978-9-9921-9555-0

“The curious apartheid of separate ‘academic’ and ‘vocational’ tracks, has been deeply detrimental and has contributed to the ills that affl ict education systems worldwide,” say the

authors – who work for the Innovation Unit – in the preface to this book investigating 15 innovative education programmes around the world.

This handsomely illustrated book’s starting point is that too often education systems are failing to prepare young people properly for work in a technology-driven, globalised economy and to ensure that education and professional updating is a process that continues throughout life.

In examining the 15 projects in 15 countries – as disparate as the USA, Burkina Faso,

Finland and China – the authors aim to show how educators are rising to the, often very diff erent, challenges they face and, by doing so, off er ideas and approaches that may be adopted and adapted by teachers and trainers.

Member off erIfL members can claim a

25 per cent discount on the

above title. Simply enter the

discount code LEARNING25

at the checkout on

www.bloomsbury.com

Valid until 31 December 2014.

Expansive Education: Teaching learners for the real worldBill Lucas, Guy Claxton

and Ellen Spencer

Open University Press

(McGraw Hill Education):

paperback 978-1-7428-6110-4

Building on the work of those who pioneered thinking about expansive systems, including Professors Lorna Unwin and Alison Fuller, the authors – all based at the University of Winchester – argue for a new model of expansive pedagogy.

Paraphrasing Professor John Hattie, the book says that an

Books

Ever get the feeling you’re being watched? It’s all part of learning

• Editor’s pick

• Other new publications

these themes advocate the investment of time, energy, eff ort and organisation in order to learn, the inherent limitations of our concentration and memory, and the benefi ts of social examples, directed instruction and corrective feedback.

From a learner point of view, the authors consider the complexities of self-confi dence, self-esteem and self-enhancement and how development of self-control helps people to persevere and ultimately succeed. It also questions some learning ideas that continue to be promoted despite evidence to the contrary, including learning styles, multi-tasking, and the impact of the internet and music on learning.

Throughout, there is an

Visible Learning and the Science of How We Learn

By John Hattie and

Gregory Yates

Routledge: paperback

978-0-4157-0499-1

This thought-provoking and important book is about learning, rather than ‘how to teach’ and is based on the latest research into social and cognitive psychology.

A range of themes and principles are developed from diff erent perspectives that challenge us, as teachers, to review our own thinking, learning and life experiences, in order to better understand our students and their potential diffi culties with learning.

From a learning point of view,

Excerpt: Visible Learning and the Science of How We Learn (p.278, abridged)

Whenever people are important to you, you

mimic them and are highly sensitive to their

movements. Matching another person’s

gestures may seem strangely facile, yet it

is highly eff ective. To enhance your overall

impact as a classroom teacher, you must

take such body language ideas seriously.

Strive to use your arms, hands, face, and

body as fundamental components of your

essential communication repertoire. Make

sure your body language is open and

expansive as you teach. And remember to

smile. It is these gestures that will defi ne

the personality by which your students will

evaluate you. In turn, the feedback they give

you will make your smile even more genuine.

Developing your social skills in teaching

emphasis on the importance of teacher-student relationships to nurture learning. As teachers, we need to be aware that students are sensitive to emotional climate and that our own ‘emotional leakage’ might convey messages through our body language that are diff erent from the words coming from our mouths (see above).

The book is full of useful insights and ideas and is both readable and accessible. I recommend it to teacher trainees as well as trained teachers for continuing professional development and refl ective practice.

I would also, humbly, recommend that education secretary Michael Gove reads Chapters 10 to 12 about

teacher training and expertise. Hattie and Yates say that expertise in a subject or skill develops through deliberative practice over a long period of time and that there is a danger in ‘automaticity’, when the skill becomes so automatic that you can’t deconstruct the skill in order to teach it.

Thus the importance of the dual professional in teaching: one who knows her subject or skills and is properly trained and qualifi ed to teach it.

Helen Williams is teacher

training co-ordinator

and practitioner at West

Herts College, and part

of the quality monitoring

observation team for

the college. Helen is an

IfL Fellow.


32_33_Books.indd 32 04/12/2013 13:11

www.ifl .ac.uk

between business capital approaches (in the UK and US) and professional capital approaches (in Singapore, Finland, Alberta, for example). The former are failing and the latter are successful.

Professional capital comprises human capital (investment in continuing professional development and training), social capital (the added expertise and information you get when you encourage people to work together, discuss and share ideas) and decisional capital (the idea that experienced teachers gain, over time, insight and autonomy).

Crucially, the central mechanism for making professional capital happen is a professional learning community. These are developed and supported by

Professional Capital: Transforming Teaching in Every School

Andy Hargreaves and

Michael Fullan

Routledge: paperback

978-0-4156-2457-2

This book could be called ‘The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Education’ and it’s little wonder the epigraph is by Benjamin Franklin who provided so much to Max Weber’s text on the Protestant ethic and capitalism.

Unlike Weber, the authors want to not just diagnose but promote an ‘ideal type’ of teacher and teaching that they say is found in what they term ‘professional capital’.

Education, from the authors’ perspective, is being divided

senior management – and, of course, can be hindered by them. Not because leaders don’t want the same thing, just that they attempt to force the change by ‘contrived collegiality’ that can be spotted a mile off : “You have two hours on Wednesday afternoon to develop your autonomy.”

It takes time, courage and a diff erent way of thinking to overcome divisions between vested interests, in order to ‘reculture.’ This acknowledgement of the diffi culties is the salutary and genuine lesson of the book, based as it is on numerous studies and evidence.

There are, however, serious omissions around the place of teacher expertise and pedagogy. There is a very limited understanding of practice that is, actually, meant

Change that takes time, courage and a diff erent way of thinking

Excerpt: Professional Capital: Transforming Teaching in Every School

The professional capital view of teaching assumes that good teaching:

• is technically sophisticated and diffi cult

• requires high levels of education and long periods of training

• is perfected through continuous improvement

• involves wise judgement informed by evidence an judgement

• is a collective accomplishment and responsibility

• maximises, mediates and moderates online instruction

to shape the transformation and no reference to tacit knowledge for example.

However well-intentioned and honest the intent, it is fuzzy just when we need clarity. But that’s always been a problem of ideal types.

Norman Crowther is

national offi cial for post-16

education at the Association

of Teachers and Lecturers.

Norman is writing in a

personal capacity.

expansive teacher’s main task is to notice the impact of their teaching on students’ learning and achievement. The corollary is that expansive learners do more in class and expansive teachers do less.

Teachers and trainers can use this book to explore and improve their practice.

Member off erTo claim a 20 per cent

discount on this book, go

to www.openup.co.uk and

enter promotional code

EDUCATION14 when prompted.

Valid until 31 December 2014.

Dyslexia and Transition: Making the MoveRachel Davies

Niace: paperback 978-1-8620-

1712-2. Also available in pdf,

ePub, Kindle and online.

Dyslexia and Transition is a resource for dyslexic adults making the transition from and to school/college/university/work-based learning, their teachers, learning support staff , careers advisors, and families.

Drawing on case studies and interviews with learners from diff erent education sectors, it provides clear, unbiased guidance and practical tools that

will empower dyslexic learners. http://shop.niace.org.uk/

dyslexia-and-transition.html

e-Safety Digital Learning GuidesKevin Campbell-Wright

Niace: paperback 978-1-8620-

1707-8. Also available pdf,

ePub, Kindle and online.

The book is described as essential reading for safeguarding or e-safety staff in post-16 education; managers involved in developing e-safety strategies, administering resource centres, libraries or open access ICT centres, or

preparing for Ofsted inspection; tutors looking to embed e-safety into learning sessions; college marketing staff interested in dangers relating to social media marketing; and general education staff interested in how they present themselves online.http://shop.niace.org.uk/e-

safety.html

Member off erTo claim a 15 per cent discount

on all NIACE books, please use

the code NEIFL13 before 31

December 2013 and NEIFL14 if

ordering from 1 January 2014.


Member off erIfL members can claim

a 20 per cent discount

on all Routledge titles

ordered directly from

www.routledge.com

When ordering, use the

code INT14. Valid until

31 December 2014.

32_33_Books.indd 33 04/12/2013 13:12

Powerless politicians?

The fi rst of November has a bit of previous for comedic events that cook up a storm. After all it was on this day in 1611 that Shakespeare’s comedy The Tempest had its fi rst outing. I was enthralled to see that Ofqual is determined to continue this fi ne tradition when it announced ‘the biggest shake-up of exams in England for a generation’ on 1 November.

I fi rst delivered my subject in 1998 and this year I have introduced the fi fth version of the qualifi cation, each change requiring

major adjustments to schemes of work and lesson plans and completely diff erent methods of assessment. By my reckoning, Ofqual believes that a generation is about three years, although apart from the odd tweak for innovation I’m not actually teaching anything diff erent.

Our political masters have to realise that using power in this way only serves to demonstrate how powerless they really are. It must be an endless frustration that however hard they try they cannot alter the rules of basic arithmetic, change the way a sentence is constructed, re-write

the fundamental laws of physics or adjust the recipe for a perfect souffl é.

It is the teachers in our sector who hold real power. Many have spent years honing their professional craft prior to making the decision to pass on those skills to a new generation and know exactly what an individual needs to succeed. If politicians want to exert real power they should enact things that will make a real diff erence. How about starting with a statutory requirement for initial teacher education and subject specialism CPD?Pedagogue is an IfL member


I’m dreaming of a lighter workload Just like the ones I used to know Where the desktop glistens And learners listen To hear you when you’re in full fl ow.

I’m dreaming of my learning outcomes With every assessment that I make May your boss keep smiling And then start fi ling The best appraisal seen to date.

I’m dreaming of a chilled out Christmas With every cake or festive drinkTo recharge your battery And prepare for JanuaryRelax, your Ofsted’s better than you think.

I’m dreaming of a good New Year Just need to have a bit of funMay you book a fl ightAnd pay outrightTo spend a fortnight in the sun.

I’m dreaming of a… [That’s enough. Ed.]

Contributed by Isaac Rooner (with apologies to

the estate of Irving Berlin and a respectful nod

to Private Eye for the inspiration)

A happy festive season and a good New Year to

all readers from the InTuition team.

So here it is…A seasonal ditty dedicated

to hard-working members

everywhere

Forum

Strictly onlineColleges’ independence will be damaged if

teachers have to be qualifi ed, argued Ian Pryce,

principal of Bedford College in The Guardian

(bit.ly/18noll9). IfL members continued the debate

on IfL’s LinkedIn page (linkd.in/11BKTd6)

Lee Davies

So, Ian Pryce believes that “mandatory teaching qualifi cations would damage the independence we’ve achieved in the past two decades” (colleges have no independence); “regulations limit or prevent the use of skilled people” (they didn’t and never would) and means “spending a lot of time and money getting a certifi cate for teachers” (excuse me Mr Pryce, colleges and your job wouldn’t exist if other sectors didn’t value their employees being qualifi ed).

Dan Wilson

My PGCE failed to prepare me for much of the nitty gritty of teaching (such as diff erentiation strategies). Instead, we spent much of the time pondering highly abstract theories. If that is what we mean by mandatory qualifi cation I would not agree with it.

Rob Bowles

There is so much to consider as I have just found out by doing the PTLLS training and that’s just the fi rst step. No way should someone teaching in any way shape or form not have proven themselves fi rst if any quality is desired for the future.

Chris Beesley-Reynolds

Nothing prepares you for teaching, just as you think you’re prepared and go into the class room with your SOW and Lesson Plan plus every other bit of paper, the students arrive and whatever you were going to teach goes out of the window. Without teacher training there is no way you would have coped but as a professional you handle whatever comes through the door.

Georgina Holt

I completed my PGCE last year and started full-time employment this August. Yes there was plenty of theory and at the time I did wonder why so much was needed, but now I’m working I can see why.

Paul Brinklow

If others value qualifi ed people why do some question whether teachers should be qualifi ed or not, it just does not make sense.

Pedagogue

A space for members to air their opinions. They do not necessarily refl ect the views of IfL

34 Forum.indd 34 04/12/2013 11:33

www.ifl .ac.uk


A practitioner’s guide to Ofsted inspectionsIfL’s series of practitioner guides provide practical tips, tools and ideas to support you in your professional practice. The fi rst in the series, A practitioner’s guide

to Ofsted inspections: a guide

for teachers and trainers

on managing a stress-free

inspection is now available to purchase for £9.95 plus p+p.

In addition to a foreword from Ofsted’s head of FE Matthew Coff ey, it provides a helpful overview of the inspection framework itself, practitioners’ tips on what to expect before, during and after an inspection and includes some crucial frequently asked questions. Purchase your copy online at www.ifl .ac.uk/ofstedguide

InTuition Live webinar:A practitioner’s guide…In conjunction with the release of IfL’s practitioner’s guide to Ofsted (see above), the next InTuition Live webinar will give

participating members an overview of the guide and an opportunity to hear from IfL experts on how to manage a stress-free inspection.

Find out more and register for the webinar, which takes place on 20 January 2014 from 4-5pm at www.ifl .ac.uk/events.

You can also register to receive a recording of the event afterwards. The webinar is free to IfL members and you can send your questions in advance to communications@ifl .ac.uk.

Listening to these webinars can count towards your continuing professional development (CPD) for the year.

Education Innovation Conference 2014

IfL is pleased to support next year’s conference, which takes place 27-28 February 2014. The conference will include inspirational keynote speakers, CPD training, workshops and an exhibition. It has been designed to help education professionals raise achievement and performance levels. Find out more at www.ifl .ac.uk/events

Get the maximum benefi t from InTuitionIfL wants members to extract the maximum benefi t from InTuition. At our fringe meeting

at the Association of Colleges conference in November we gathered the thoughts of members on this issue. Ideas included:• bring the team together when a new issue is published to talk through what is in InTuition and how you might use for professional development or put into practice• put InTuition on the agenda for team meetings and discuss learning points, ways of using ideas and resources• make links with your organisation’s priorities for teaching, learning and assessment and ways in which IfL can help you achieve goals• think about who else may fi nd InTuition articles interesting and show them• pass on information about IfL’s courses and CPD opportunities for others you think would be interested

Let us know other ways you use InTuition and IfL’s twice monthly enewsletter, Update, in your organisation.

Email editor@ifl .ac.uk

* IfL runs regular cycles for QTLS and ATLS, from expressions of interest, to application and conferral

NoticeBoardIfL Calendar

IfL holiday opening hours

Tuesday 24 December – 8am to 4pmWednesday 25 December – ClosedThursday 26 December – 8am to 6pmFriday 27 December – normal hoursSaturday 28 December – normal hoursMonday 30 December – normal hoursTuesday 31 December – 8am to 6pmWednesday 1 January – 11am to 4pmNormal hours resume from Thursday 2 January.

DECEMBER

1Opening date for applications for QTLS and ATLS (summer cycle)*

9 Launch of the Smart

Rehabilitation report by the Prisoner Learning Alliance (IfL is an alliance partner) www.prisoners education.org.uk

10 Dissemination of Ofsted Chief Inspector’s annual report

31 IfL conferral of QTLS and ATLS status*

JANUARY

15-17 North of England Education conference, Nottingham. Toni Fazaeli, IfL chief executive, speaking.

18 IfL and University of Wolverhampton master’s level programme: sustaining criticality beyond ITE begins (cohort 2)

20 InTuition Live webinar for members: A practitioner’s guide to Ofsted inspections (4-5pm)

31 Closing date for applications for QTLS and ATLS (summer cycle)*

FEBRUARYLGBT history month

27-28 Education Innovation Conference, Manchester (see story below)

28 Professional formation webfolio deadline for QTLS and ATLS (spring cycle)*

MARCH

3-7National Apprenticeships Week

6 World Book Day

8 International Women’s Day

15 IfL and University of Wolverhampton degree level programme: Active criticality beyond ITE commences (cohort 3)

21 National Conference Leading Further Education, Guildford, Surrey. IfL’s chief executive Toni Fazaeli speaking.

APRIL

1 Opening date for applications for QTLS and ATLS (winter cycle)*

35 Noticeboard.indd Sec1:3535 Noticeboard.indd Sec1:35 04/12/2013 11:2604/12/2013 11:26

Supporting excellent teachers and trainers

Exciting professional development programmes

New dates have been announced for this popular master’s level programme which is open to members who hold a degree and QTLS or ATLS status.

Saturday, 18 January 2014 Saturday, 17 May 2014

A new module, ‘Active criticality beyond initial teacher education’ is being introduced from Saturday, 15 March 2014 for those who have achieved QTLS or ATLS status and do not have a degree. On successful completion, participants will gain 20 credits towards a bachelor’s degree.

All programmes run for 12 weeks, part time and online, with one full day (10.00 to 16.00) face-to-face event with tutors at the University of Wolverhampton.

Find out more www.ifl.ac.uk/masters

Don’t miss out: visit IfL’s CPD centre

IfL’s online CPD resources can support you in your commitment to CPD wherever you practise and at every stage of your career.

Listen to IfL’s growing series of “InTuition Live” webinars

Help in organising and managing your CPD via , IfL’s online personal learning space and portfolio

Geoff Petty, IfL patron, answers your questions on teaching and training in his regular ‘Ask Geoff’ column

A growing online library of resources including IfL reviews of CPD and research on effective teaching and training

Career information and resources including IfL’s jobs board

Find out more at www.ifl.ac.uk/cpd

Continuing professional development (CPD) improves and enhances your skills and knowledge for the benefit of your learners.

As an IfL member, you can access a range of benefits and services to support you in your professional practice.

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Documents

InTuitionset.et-foundation.co.uk/media/114826/InTuition15.pdf · Your continued support and voice is vital in allowing IfL to continue to make the case for our profession, especially