Aspects of professional learning; a new framework for student reflection

Aspects of professional learning; a new framework for student reflection Rachel Lofthouse & Roger Knill, School of Education, Communication & Language Sciences, Newcastle University TEAN Conference 21st May 2010

Our context • 36 week M.levelPGCE: • bridging practice, theory and research • Students work towards QTS standards and Ofsted ITT grading: • tracking and evidencing standards • TDA directives regarding ITT curriculum: • overcrowded programme, increasingly content heavy

Our role • PGCE course tutors • Designing and managing the student experience • Working in partnership with school mentors and other subject tutors • Assessing student progress (professional and academic)

Our focus • Focus on the professional learning journey; QTS as one element • Personalised professional learning within a common programme and partnership framework • M.level assignments focusing on • Reflection on professional processes enabling a developing understanding of subject pedagogy • Development of practitioner enquiry approaches within the context of placement schools and own classroom

Our dilemma • How to create coherence across the diverse demands and aspects of the PGCE • Looking for ‘sense-making tools’ which can allow students to find relationships between their practical experience, their reflection and the academic elements of the programme

Our 3 year enquiry • To develop a model of professional learning that is derived from evidence of the outcomes of professional learning experiences • To make this model accessible to student teachers so that it can be used as the basis of personal reflection and professional dialogue • To determine how and whether the model can be used as a pedagogic tool to stimulate greater student teachers’ metacognitive awareness of the processes and outcomes of their professional learning

Year 1 • Students reflected on their use of video-recording • Thematic review of written questionnaire responses and assignments • Comments were coded and categorised • Regularly occurring themes and relationships • Described a number of aspects of professional learning, as conceived by the student teachers

Year 2 • 8 aspect model offered to students as a means through which to reflect on their experiences during the PGCE • Students produced two annotated diagrams using model - exemplified elements of their experience and considered its impact • Diagrams used as the basis of one-to-one progress tutorials with the students

Year 3 – in focus

To engage students and get them interested in Geography Become an inspirational Geography teacher To increase my knowledge of how children learn Understanding of, and ability to focus on, the ‘significant others’, in this case the students Organised and confident in the classroom Development of reflective attitudes and skills Acquiring professional confidence and identity To be effortlessly confident in front of a class To be able to brush off the bad days and learn positively from them 4 2 14 Constructive engagement in professional dialogue with other practitioners 8 Aspects of Professional Learning Willingness & ability to take action to develop own practice and solve problems 1 Have a better idea of how to cope with difficult situations 2 Understanding of how ‘practice’ evidence can be collected and analysed Ability to evaluate own practice Critical ‘user’ engagement with relevant theory, research and policy To feel like I am improving & see progression Stage 1: Personal objectives for PGCE

Stage 2: Review of first placement

Understanding of, and ability to focus on, the ‘significant others’, in this case the students (9) Development of reflective attitudes and skills (13) Acquiring professional confidence and identity (14) Critical ‘user’ engagement with relevant theory, research and policy (6) Willingness & ability to take action to develop own practice and solve problems (6) Constructive engagement in professional dialogue with other practitioners (9) Ability to evaluate own practice (13) Understanding of how ‘practice’ evidence can be collected and analysed (8) Stage 3: Relationships between aspects of professional learning

Acquiring professional confidence and identity (14) Development of reflective attitudes and skills (13) Ability to evaluate own practice (13) Constructive engagement in professional dialogue with other practitioners (9) Understanding of, and ability to focus on, the ‘significant others’, in this case the students (9) Understanding of how ‘practice’ evidence can be collected and analysed (8) Number of links made to other aspects Willingness & ability to take action to develop own practice and solve problems (6) Critical ‘user’ engagement with relevant theory, research and policy (6) Stage 3: Relationships between aspects of professional learning

Stage 3: Relationships between aspects of professional learning

Thinking about professional learning • Eraut (2007): • Importance of informal learning: asking questions, getting information, locating resource people, listening and observing, reflecting, learning from mistakes, giving and receiving feedback and use of mediating artefacts. • Lave and Wenger (1991): • Learning is a function of the activity, context and culture in which it occurs. Learners, such as student teachers, thus become involved in a community of practice which embodies certain beliefs and behaviours.

8 Aspects of Professional Learning • Starting to describe the ‘model’ as a tool (Wall et al., 2010) • Its function varies according to the intent of the user (tutor, individual student or group of students ) • Functions include: • teaching, interaction, feedback, framing

References Eraut, M. (2007) Learning from other people in the workplace, Oxford Review of Education, Vol. 33 (4), pp. 403-422. Lave, J. & Wenger, W. (1991) Situated learning. Legitimate peripheral participation, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Wall, K., Hall, E., Baumfield, V., Higgins, S., Rafferty, V., Remedios, R., Thomas, U., Tiplady, L., Towler, C. and Woolner, P. (2010) Learning to Learn in Schools Phase 4 and Learning to Learn in Further Education, Campaign for Learning: London

Aspects of professional learning; a new framework for student reflection