Building an M level PGCE and developing routes for progression

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Building an M level PGCE and developing routes
for progression

• Sheila King
• Faculty of Culture and pedagogy
• Director for Learning and Teaching (ITE)

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Notice to readers of this presentation

• These slides do not match what was presented at
  Conference. These slides include more text which
  informs the reader better than my simply
  including the chiefly visual slides of the
  presentation. During the session I used three
  cases studies of individual student teachers to
  outline ITE and M level progression.

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The Institute of Education-secondary schools
PGCE Partnership

• High quality Provider Grade A
• 1000 Student Teachers
• Secondary - 720 Student Teachers
• 250 Partnership Schools
• 14 Institute secondary subject areas
• Over 40 secondary Institute Tutors, most national
  experts in their field.

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• How do we ensure that our M level is contributing
  to equipping Student Teachers to be more
  effective teachers for the future?

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A PGCE with M level credits

• Up to 90 transferable M level credits
• (180 credits a full Masters qualification)
• 30 credits -Subject Studies
• 30 credits -Subjects in a wider context
• 30 credits -module which is chosen from a
  wide range of options (see next slide)
• 30 credits (non transferable) at H level
• Professional Practice with recommendation for
  Qualified Teacher Status

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Examples of option modulesType 1

• A Professional Learning Portfolio is built from 3
  tasks relating to practical teaching and whole
  school issues.
• Key principle Developing reflective and
  reflexive practice

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Examples of option modulesType 2

• A subject module, restricted to beginning
  teachers in the relevant subjects and which
  extends existing subject work.
• Learning outside the Geography classroom
• Art Design Learning beyond the classroom
• Historical consciousness Public History
• Religion and School Life
• Learning opportunities beyond the music classroom
  

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Examples of option modulesType 3

• An open module available from within some MA
  courses already offered by the Institute.
• Gender, Theory and Practice in Education
• Philosophy of Education Knowledge, Mind and
  Understanding
• Philosophy of Education Values, Aims and Society
  
• Introduction to music technology in education
  (distance learning)
• Learning to live together childrens rights,
  citizenship and identities (distance learning)
• Learning, Teaching and Assessment in Citizenship
  (distance learning)
• Learning, Teaching and Assessment in Religious
  Education Teaching controversial issues

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A PGCE with M level credits3 progression routes
Route 1 A generic, early professional masters
course with mixed mode and face to face learning
e.g. Master of Teaching. Route 2 Subject specific
Masters e.g. MA Art Design in Education,
Geography in Education Route 3 Specialist
Masters course e.g. MA Educational Foundations,
Media Education, Teaching English to Speakers of
other Languages.

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Progression in Masters courses a survey
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Initial survey of M level progressionSample size
so far 121

• 1. Please tick the one statement most likely to
  apply to you and comment at the end to elaborate
  on any points.
• a) I am likely to continue with a Masters
  starting during my NQT year 29
• b) I am likely to continue with a Masters after
  my NQT year 23
• c) I am likely to continue with a Masters at a
  date further into the future 31
• d) I am not likely to be interested in using my M
  level credits 17

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Initial survey of M level progressionSample size
so far 121

• 2. I am likely to opt for the following type of
  Masters. (Please tick one only)
• MTeach 26
• b) A subject specific Institute Masters 14
• c) Another Masters from the existing Institute
  range 5
• d) I am undecided at this stage. 55

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Initial survey of M level progressionSample size
so far 121

• 3. I am intending to complete a Masters in the
  first few years of teaching because (Tick as
  many as you wish).

a) It will increase my chances of career
progression 60 b) It will enable me to
stay in contact with my PGCE tutors and with the
Institute 18 c) It will enable me to stay in
contact with my PGCE peers 19
d) It will help me develop specific knowledge
and skills (e.g. SEN/Leadership/Teaching English
overseas) 53 e) Other (please state)
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• We all feel the extra module has placed a great
  deal of stress on science Student Teachers
  particularly as
• i)   a large number have found it difficult to
  write social science assignments
• ii)  they are having to learn a lot of subject
  material (like physics and chemistry if they're a
  biologist)
• iii) the work load associated with it is high.
• iv) they are not clear they can actually cash in
  90 credits
• Science team

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• We have seen some very good pieces of writing
  from Student Teachers, work that has been
  genuinely reflective and critical.  We could have
  more of that in science if we did not have so
  much volume to complete in a short time.

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• On reading submissions for the option module
  Professional Learning Portfolio I am struck by
  the very good analysis of practice that this
  module can foster, and the way in which Student
  Teachers are now drawing on literature in their
  reflective writing. A second marker who did not
  teach the module

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• I have thoroughly enjoyed undertaking the
  (option) MA module on Issues in Geography
  Education, particularly as it has made me think
  more critically.  The course topics are
  interesting and stimulating as they provide the
  challenge you need to become a better geography
  teacher. The module itself is set up in such a
  way that it helps you become an effective reader
  and enhances your academic writing skills.  The
  weekly readings help you focus on specific issues
  which you are asked to comment on. This gives you
  autonomy in your thinking and prepares you to
  develop reflective and critical writing, which is
  shared with other students on the course.  You
  get to read each others commentaries and
  appreciate or contest each others views.  I was
  particularly impressed with the way commentaries
  were posted and then summarised on a weekly
  basis.  Geography Student Teacher

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Important questions.

• Are tutors focusing more on academic nature of
  assignments needed for M level than on teacher
  education ? Are workloads higher and if so how is
  that having an impact on professional practice?
• Are Student Teachers focusing more on academic
  nature of assignments needed for M level than on
  being an effective classroom teacher ? Are
  workloads higher and if so how is that having an
  impact on professional practice?
• Are schools finding differences in their Student
  Teachers this year compared to last? (distracted
  by their assignments? Engaged by their greater
  reflection and criticality?) If so how is that
  having an impact on professional practice?

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What next?

• Continued monitoring ( Student Teachers, Tutors
  at Institute and in schools, external examiners)
  .not a quick processneeds several years to bed
  down
• Make changes resulting from 2007-8
• Continue to work on progression routes
• MTL be involved in shaping it be wary of what
  it offers
• Share practice and disseminate

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MTeach what is distinctive

• Focused professional development
• Sharing and critical analysis of professional
  practice
• Underpinned by reading, enquiry and research
  literacy
• Explores alternative perspectives and
  possibilities for change
• Mixed mode of delivery face to face and
  electronic communications
• Tutor group system and wider learning community
• Assessment opportunities arise from the
  participants practice
• Assessment based on a variety of forms
  portfolios, reflective journals and evidence
  studies

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Understanding Teaching the NQT module ( 30 M
credits)

• A long, thin module over 1 year
• Specialist NQT tutor
• Community of NQTs
• 3 face to face meetings on Saturdays
• Computer mediated communication with individual
  work and group discussion
• Assessment through 4 online tasks, 3000 word
  assignment