Association of Educational Development & Improvement Professionals in Scotland (AEDIPS) Conference 2008 Marine Hotel, Troon 23 February 2008

Scottish Teachers for a New Era: Transforming Teacher Learning and Development Myra A Pearson Head of School of Education 23 February 2008

 Context and Foundations  Teacher Education Programme  The Research Dimension  The Future Overview

Scottish Teachers for a New Era What is STNE?  Research and Development Initiative Funded by Government, Hunter Foundation and the University  Developing Teachers: Increasing Pupil Gains  Exploring how best to prepare teachers to support learners and learning in the 21 st century

… are adaptable, well organised and have high expectations for their pupils … … know their material so thoroughly they can easily teach children of different abilities … they are flexible and can use different strategies to do what is needed to help every child to learn … they are caring, compassionate, like children/young people and like working with children/young people Effective Teachers

The Aberdeen Approach  Build an evidence base – add to knowledge and inform developments  Develop new collaborative model of teaching learning and development from Initial Teacher Education through Induction and into the early years of a teacher’s career.

The Design Principles  Decisions driven by evidence  Engagement with Arts and Sciences  Teaching as an academically taught clinical practice  Social and educational inclusion  Reflective and activist teacher

 Teacher  deep curriculum knowledge  investigator  present relevant curriculum  confident exploring new methodologies and technologies  Learning environment  university-based, new investigative/research model of field experience  Support framework  university staff and class teachers as mentors to and co-investigators with students  Professional Culture  decision making, embedded framework of evidence gathering, reflect on impact of teaching on pupil learning Determining Factors

B Ed (STNE) Model  Years 1 and 2Foundation Stage  Development of knowledge and understanding of learning, personal and professional growth  Challenging assumptions, beliefs and values  Critical enquiry/investigation  Years 3 and 4 Emergent Stage  Development of professional knowledge, understanding, skills and values in practice  Learning and teaching, curriculum  Action research  Years 5 and 6 Beginning Teacher  Connections with Induction year  Extended year of mentoring

The BEd (STNE) Programme

Field Experience  Years 1 and 2Foundation Stage  25 days  Investigating the influences on children’s learning  Year 1: Practical Experience relating to family, school and community  Year 2: Issues of Diversity and inclusion, issues of professional identity  Years 3 and 4 Emergent Stage  24 weeks + 20 days (Action Research)  The development of professional knowledge, understanding skills and values  Learning and Teaching, Curriculum – discrete and cross curricular  Action Research  Years 5 and 6Beginning Teacher Stage  Continuing Professional Learning and Development  Year 5: Induction: 70% teaching 30% professional learning and development  Year 6: Extended mentoring….

Research Framework  Key elements on the process of learning to teach  Entry characteristics  Learning opportunities  ITE to Induction to CPD and how these elements  L ink to and relate to classroom practice  Influence pupil learning and achievement  How external influences impact on the process of learning  Further embedding effective practice

Research Model

Portfolio of Evidence  Surveys and Tracking  Entry survey and profile  Exit survey and profile  Year 1 survey  Year 2 survey  Common course and reporting  Qualitative Case Studies  Pupil Gains Studies  Teacher Action Research  Comparative Studies

the new programme … through the teaching of the new style B Ed course we are focusing much more strongly on teaching the pupils in an informed way, taking our observations and tailoring our lessons around these learning needs. We are not given a checklist to follow …. … now I see where they are coming from because with the experience from the like of psychology and out in the university I am not just stuck in Education, I am a lot more open to things, so yes, the course has really helped me. Hopefully I can be an excellent teacher, more than if I had done the traditional course and just been like watching the teacher write on the board… Reactions from students

mutual learning … in the videos you could see that I was like…. my god, I have got to pretend I know what I am doing, but now I’m like, I think the kids will respond better if I’m like I don’t know and try to work things out with them… … I’m happy to learn from the children because you learn so much more… taking field notes … maybe at the time you are thinking, ‘why are we doing this?’ but, like for the essay I handed in today, I looked over the field notes and I have definitely learned from it… … Reactions from students

collaborative learning, working in pairs and groups during field experience … someone to talk to about teaching … … someone to feed off … … someone to share with, like peer assessment... and it helps, it always helps Reactions from students

The Future  Definition/description of a teacher for the 21 st Century - relevance and appropriateness of the Standards  Greater collaboration; re-defining roles and responsibilities  Developing new models of partnership; different definition of teacher educator; challenge existing practice  Developing the professional learning continuum