| Unit name | Independent Self Study (Teach First) |
|---|---|
| Unit code | EDUCM0032 |
| Credit points | 30 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Academic Year (weeks 1 - 52) |
| Unit director | Mrs. Lythgoe |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
EDUCM0026, EDUCM0027, EDUCM0028 |
| Co-requisites |
Future Leaders in Contexts of Change (Teach First) |
| School/department | School of Education |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
This unit is an independent self-study unit in which participants will be supported, via a collaborative group, to engage critically and creatively with their work in schools, drawing on their Teach First Leadership Development programme. Participants will engage in collaborative reflection on issues in their own practice, through an action research process. The issues chosen will be specific to the context of their workplace and professional needs. Participants will be encouraged to reflect in terms of theory, policy, research and leadership. Participants will receive input on research methods tailored to the specific needs of their action research study. In this module, we interpret leadership as relevant to a teacher working with a class of participants as well as wider school issues.
Developing the use of a reflective diary which they undertook during their PGCE, participants will be asked to transform this reflective tool into a research diary. Participants will identify and focus on one issue; collect observations around their own practice; systematically reflect on issues pertinent to their professional development, draw on relevant literature; engage with existing research; plan an action-research intervention; evaluate the outcomes; reflect on issues for the future. Subject to professional and ethical considerations, participants will use a range of techniques to record their observations.
The aims of this unit are to enable participants to:
Research methods training will enable participants to:
Upon completion of this unit, participants will have:
Specific research methods outcomes are that participants will have:
Given the nature of the programme, with participants dispersed around regional schools and working on a full time teaching timetable, the teaching will be delivered through a mixture of workshop days, online synchronous discussion groups, tutor directed activities and asynchronous online tutorials. Each participant will have access to both joint unit resources and a ‘personal learning space’ which they will be able to adapt to their own needs and to facilitate learning.
Typically the format of delivery will be: 3x day sessions at University of Bristol (21 hours) 5x 2hrs synchronous electronic meetings (10 hours) 269 hours of independent self-study
A portfolio of reflective writings (or multi-media equivalent) showing the development of thinking over time, with respect to an issue in education/leadership, and the contributions of the collaborative group (2000 words equivalent). These reflective writings will be drawn from participants’ research diaries. The required format will be flexible and adaptable to the reality of the participant’s working context. For example, it might include audio evidence of conversations with mentors, visual evidence including annotated photographs, web clippings with reflective comments and notes reflecting on what they have read. It should include a critical commentary on the particular education/leadership issues and any solutions. The portfolio format builds on similar assessment methods used during the Teach First PGCE programme.
The portfolio will be the initial preparation for the substantive 4,000 word assignment. It will be marked on a Pass/Fail scale. Successful completion of the portfolio of reflective writings is necessary for the participant to progress to the 4,000-word assignment.
The main substantive assignment is a continuous piece of summative writing of 4,000 words. This assignment will be a report of a small-scale action research project, including the implementation of teaching strategies to tackle an issue and an evaluation. This will be marked on a literal five point scale (A-E), the grade of which will constitute the final unit grade.
All formal marking will be the responsibility of staff working within the Graduate School and, as such, will conform to our generic M-level criteria and marking scales.
Key texts for this unit can be found among the international research journals found in the Graduate School of Education Library, including the on-line journals. In particular:
and other journals can be recommended when the issues have been decided on. The following list supports the development of research skills:
Altrichter, H., Feldman, A., Posch, P. & Somekh, B. (2008, second edition) Teachers Investigate their Work: An Introduction to Action Research across the Professions, Routledge. [The first edition, published in 1993, is still useful.]
Dowling, P (2010): Doing research/reading research :re-interrogating education /Paul Dowling and Andrew Brown. 2nd ed. London : Routledge
Elliott, J. (1991) Action Research for Educational Change, Buckingham Open University Press.
McNiff, J (2013): Action research :principles and practice. London : Routledge.
(Other books will be recommended when the issues have been decided on.)
