Tayside & Fife Teacher Education Partnership

Working Together to Enhance LearningAHDS Conference6th November, 2014

Teresa Moran, Neil Taylor & Derek RobertsonUniversity of Dundee, ESWCE

• The University and the Local Authority areas of Angus, Dundee City, Fife and Perth and Kinross Councils have been members of a ‘Partnership Committee’ for over 20 years.

• The Committee recognised the need for change in order to respond to ‘Teaching Scotland’s Future’.

A Longstanding Partnership

• 98% of students undertake placements in 4 Local Authorities

• 90% of students go on to the induction scheme in one of these four Local Authorities

• The availability of funding from the Scottish Government presented an excellent opportunity to be innovative

An Unique Partnership

Scottish Government: Sankey Diagram

A Teacher's Journey Postcode to HEI to Teacher Induction Scheme to Employment (2011/12)

• Recognising the challenge of the constraints under which we all work, we wanted to pool resources whilst improving the experience of teachers at the beginning of their career

• A proposal with three separate elements was submitted to the Scottish Government and funding was awarded

An Aspirational Partnership

Part 1A Coordinated Programme of Support for teachers in their induction year incorporating expertise from a wide range of recognised experts both locally and nationally

An Ambitious Partnership

Part 2A Programme developing capacity in schools for student teacher mentors, to build the ‘all teachers as teacher educators’ aspiration of the Donaldson report

An Ambitious Partnership

Part 3To further develop the culture of research informed practice as exemplified by the critical analysis of Masters study enhancing the quality of teaching and learning

An Ambitious Partnership

A Collaborative Partnership

They (teachers) will be encouraged to review and reflect on their practice and to engage in CPD. They will be committed to learning as a lifelong process.

…four influential "paradigms" of teacher professionalism: the effective teacher, the reflective teacher, the enquiring teacher and the transformative teacher…

Extended professionals are agents of change, not passive or reluctant receivers of externally-imposed prescription.

New and strengthened models of partnership among universities, local authorities, schools and individual teachers need to be developed.

…sets practical experience in a much more reflective, inquiring culture and which makes optimum use of ICT for professional learning.

http://bit.ly/tftephome

Change and transform attitudes to the culture, behaviours and attitudesto learning & teaching and CPD in the digital space…

Part Two: Mentoring• A group of 36 teachers from each of the 4 Local Authorities

work together on a Masters Level mentoring module. • The module aims to equip teachers with mentoring and

coaching skills to enable them to support newly qualified teachers

A Supportive Partnership

Part Three• A group of 20 teachers from across the Local

Authorities are undertaking a ‘Research Methods’ Masters module.

• Having ‘research mentors’ in each Local Authority helps to build capacity

An Enquiring Partnership

The partnership is also working together on three Masters Level learning projects, funded by the Government and supporting priorities for each Local Authority. A variety of modules are being undertaken with a focus on research, inclusive practice, leadership, mathematics etc.

Masters Level Projects

Both the Early Phase and the Masters Level learning projects are to be evaluated using a mixed methods approach of:• Initial questionnaire to establish why baseline experiences and

interests;• Focus groups to discuss the various projects; and• Final questionnaire to establish level of interest, impact and

potential future masters level learning.

A Reflective Partnership

What do we know already?From initial Masters Level questionnaire58 respondents from across all 4 LAs (Approx. 44% response rate)54 Females (93%)4 Males (7%)

What do we know already?

15+ years: 13 respondents

What do we know already?

Previous study included courses such as:• PGCert. Educational Leadership & Management• City & Guilds; reflection Upon Practice• Developing mathematical Thinking – Chartered Teacher• MSc in Public relations• MTeach

What do we know already?Why did you enrol on the course?• To enhance learning and teaching through research (reading

and/or activity)(n=11)• To enhance professional development (n=11)• To extend subject knowledge (n=6)• No cost (n=9)

What do we know already?What do you think you will gain professionally?• apply theory to practice (n=19)• enhance skills of critical reflection (n=11)• improve practice (n=8)• carry out research(n=5)• engage in professional dialogue with others (n=5)• increase confidence (n=1)

What do we know already?How will you use learning in your daily practice?• systematically critically reflect on practice (n=14)• better match teaching to individual’s needs (n=10)• identify and respond to critical incidents within the

classroom(n=4)• increase the opportunities for mathematical thinking in

lessons (n=4)

Teaching Scotland’s Future – National Implementation Board

A Working Partnership

A Working Partnership

Teaching Scotland’s Future – National Implementation BoardThe Scottish Government established the National Implementation Board in November 2012 to take forward work on implementing proposals to improve the full spectrum of teacher education.• All local authorities and universities have

developed partnership arrangements for the provision of the early phase of teacher education and beyond;

• A new suite of professional standards, updated advice on effective Professional Review & Development and the introduction of a new system of Professional Update all aimed at enhancing commitment to Career-Long Professional Learning;

• The establishment of the Scottish College for Educational Leadership (SCEL).

A Working Partnership

Early Phase• Using an online learning community this project

enables Early Phase teachers to work together to identify, capture, share and discus their developing practice. To support inductees and Early Phase practitioners, each of the partner Local Authorities will identify colleagues to participate in the student teacher mentor pilot training.

• Also, Early Phase practitioners will be able to engage in a piece of action research which can be used to gain Masters Level credits at the University of Dundee.

• TFETP has identified ways in which colleagues across the partnership can work collaboratively to provide student teachers a more coherent experienced as they move from their period of initial teacher education through to completion of induction.

Masters Level Learning• A suite of provision at Masters Level learning tailored to Local

Authority priorities. – Teachers may wish, to submit their work to be assessed and

potentially gain up to 60 M Level credits free of charge (equivalent to a PG Cert.).

– These credits can then be used towards a full Masters qualification at a later date.

• Examples of modules being offered are: – ‘Reflection Upon Practice’; – ‘Working Towards Inclusion’;– ‘Mentoring’; – Continuity of children’s development: Birth to Eight’;– Developing Mathematical Thinking’; and– Leadership, Change and Organisational, Development

Tayside and Fife Teacher Education Partnership (TFTEP)

Perfect Timing!!!!!!!GTC Scotland Access for teachers GTC Scotland is making more than 1,700 educational journals and 28 e-books. available for research during a year-long pilot. The EBSCO Education Source package and the Leadership and Management Learning Centre will be available to all registered teachers during an initial pilot running for one year In addition to the launch of this new service, a Research Engagement Group (REG) will be set up to help support, promote and facilitate critical engagement with research.