The Importance of Effective Tutoring in Apprenticeships Beej Kaczmarczyk Director, The Learning Curve Group

Agenda Improving the quality of apprenticeships is a key issue for all providers and there are many changes and challenges facing the post-16 sector, particularly given the move from frameworks to standards.   This presentation will look at the importance of effective tutoring in apprenticeships with particular focus on: The challenges facing apprenticeship providers and their staff Examining concerns about the quality of apprenticeships and outcomes for apprentices What works best for apprentices Improving the quality of tutoring and assessing Implications for assessor and tutor roles

A more holistic approach to …….. Curriculum design and delivery in different settings Funding of programmes Quality assurance and improvement …. all of which raise significant challenges for the delivery of apprenticeships

Challenges facing apprenticeship providers and their staff Quality and inspection Levy and new funding systems Frameworks to new standards

Changing roles “Apprenticeships involve in-depth teaching and learning and robust, independent, end-point assessment. ” This means positioning the assessor to be able to structure learning and to teach, to be able to assess apprentices at the end of their apprenticeships according to the apprenticeship standard and assessment plan relevant to the role, or both. This means training organisations planning for the changes to staffing structures and delivery approaches, and delivering the CPD and updating that assessors will need.

Key themes from inspections of apprenticeships How well has the provider responded to meeting the requirements of frameworks and standards? How well on and off the job training enable apprentices to develop and understanding of professional standards and current industry practice including technical skills? How well is learning planned to meet the individual needs of apprentices and learners and are they making the appropriate progress compared to their starting points? What is the impact of provision on enabling apprentices to progress to their intended job role or other sustained employment, get promoted or, where appropriate, move to a higher level of apprenticeship qualification

And increasingly …. How well are English and maths embedded into frameworks and the new standards? How well are English and maths delivered? How well are apprentices prepared for the synoptic assessment of the new standards? How effective are the arrangements for synoptic assessment? Personal development, behaviour and welfare of apprentices How effective are safeguarding arrangements including the wider aspects of safety and Prevent ?

Outcomes for apprentices Progress in learning – occupational knowledge, skills, behaviours, competences and attitudes Progress in learning - English and maths Personal development, behaviour and welfare Qualification achievements Framework and standards achievement Progression to higher levels of education and training Security and progression in employment Improved skills, productivity and earnings

Remember the goals of apprenticeship learning “The learner has been able to discover what works in situations, and knows how to handle problems and finally the learner can perform at a satisfactory level.”

How do apprentices learn? Modelling Approximating Fading Self directed learning Generalising Modelling – the complete task is observed and noted, not yet broken down into component parts, sharing tricks of the trade, reflects on the behaviours of the trainer/coach/supervisor Approximating - in private the observer starts to mimic the actions of the trainer, in discussion starts to articulate more accurately the actions of the trainer/demonstrator, this phase allows the learner to try the activity and lets them think about what they plan to do and why they plan to do it., then reflect Fading - The learner, still within the safety net, starts operating in a more detailed manner, playing within the structure that has been taught. The learner's capabilities are increased as the experts assistance decreases Self directed learning - The learner attempts the actions within real society, limiting him/herself to the scope of actions in the field that are well-understood. The learner is performing the actual task and only seeking assistance when needed from the expert. Generalising - The learner generalizes what has been learned, trying to apply those skills to multiple scenarios and continuing to grow in ability in the field. The learner uses discussion in this phase to relate that they have learned to other relevant situations (Hansman, 2001).

What works best for apprentices? The learning process must be Active Authentic Social Active - Activity concerns the level to which the learner is physically and mentally stimulated within the environment. Successful trainers allow the student to be highly involved in the processes of decision making and action because they know that it is the doing that will have the most effect on the student’s schema. In training to drive an automobile, students will never be able to pass without a physical examination of driving ability. To prepare for this, learners are given the opportunity to drive in safe areas. This active use of the tool prepares the student for its later, tested use Social - . Students must interact constantly with the tools for success, the teachers and the beneficiaries of the work. This holistic approach will further integrate the student into the interrelated web of action and consequence within the field. For example, a server training at a restaurant will not only follow a more experienced server, but interact with the customers, fellow employees, and management in the same time frame. The server will thus establish connections between all these groups and the personnel that embody them, preparing the server for day-to-day activities. Authentic - This is the establishment of a mental connection between the work of the student in a particular field and the comprehension of the greater public. An electrical engineer may understand the intricacies and challenges of computer panels, but this is only half of the required knowledge. They must also learn how most people perceive these panels and their interaction with them. From this understanding of the other end of spectrum, the engineer will better understand the achievement and thus authenticity of the community of electrical engineering.

Quality tutoring Highly focused activity/assessment design with sharp objectives High demands of learner involvement and engagement with their learning High levels of interaction for all learners Appropriate use of tutor/supervisor/assessor questioning, modelling, coaching and explaining An emphasis on learning through dialogue, with regular opportunities for learners to talk both individually and in groups An expectation that learners will accept responsibility for their own learning and work independently Regular use of encouragement and authentic praise to engage and motivate learners

Apprenticeship setting Quality tutoring Apprenticeship setting Highly focused activity/assessment design with sharp objectives High demands of learner involvement and engagement with their learning High levels of interaction for all learners Appropriate use of tutor/supervisor/assessor questioning, modelling, coaching and explaining Choosing tasks, providing hints and scaffolding, evaluating the activities of apprentices and diagnosing the kinds of problems they are having, challenging them and offering encouragement An emphasis on learning through dialogue, with regular opportunities for learners to talk both individually and in groups An expectation that learners will accept responsibility for their own learning and work independently Regular use of encouragement and authentic praise to engage and motivate learners

Coaching is the thread running through the entire apprenticeship experience. The tutor coaches the apprentice through a wide range of activities: choosing tasks, providing hints and scaffolding, evaluating the activities of apprentices and diagnosing the kinds of problems they are having, challenging them and offering encouragement, giving feedback, structuring the ways to do things, working on particular weaknesses. In short, coaching is the process of overseeing the apprentice’s learning.

Implications for the assessor role How different are the expectations of the role in the new context? How can assessors be supported for their new roles?