UCET Annual ConferenceHinckley Island Hotel, Leicestershire

9th November 2009

Developing a Combined Primary & Secondary PGDE Programme at

the University of Aberdeen:A View from the Programme Team

Chris Munro – PGDE Programme DirectorArchie Graham – PGDE Depute Programme Director

(Learning & Teaching & Assessment)

Context for Change

• Size of our institution• Established Partnerships• Opportunity• Existing culture of cross-programme

working among School of Education staff• Opportunity to reduce duplication across

existing PGDE programmes• Development process

PGDEInclusive Practice

IP is addressed within the

core programme in order to prepare

NQTs who accept individual and collective

responsibility for improving the learning

and participation of all children.

Recognition of diversity

Accessfor all

Opportunitiesfor

collaborativelearning

Recognition of wider range ofachievement

A definition of Inclusion: “… the process of increasing participation and decreasing exclusion from the culture, curricula and community of mainstream schools…” Booth & Ainscow (2002)

http://www.abdn.ac.uk/education/ipp/

Learning Through

the CurriculumLTC – PLTC – S

Professional Studies

Combined Primary & Secondary

School Experience

Further Prof. Studies

Combined P&S

School ExpAssessment

CommonP&S Report

SummativeCourse Assessments

Common Primary& Secondary

Induction Year

APS & CPD

SITE

Pastoral Support

Ways of Working

PGDE Programme - Components and Connections

SITE: Standard for Initial Teacher Education

www.gtcs.org.uk/Publications/StandardsandRegulations/StandardsandRegulations.aspx

Professional Studies Themes and Units

Learning& Learners

Social Justice

The Active ProfessionalUnit 1

The Active Professional:

Who am I?

Unit 2Education, Learning &

Social Justice

Unit 3

Learning&

Learners

Unit 4Emotional,Social &

EducationalLiteracies

Unit 5Wider Aspects

of Prof’ism

Professional Studies

Combined Primary & Secondary

Wider Aspects

Tutor Directed Activities (TDA)

Collaborative workshops

Lectures

Self Study Tasks

Online discussions within VLE

Inclusive

Collaborative

PGDE Ways of Working

Summative Course Assessments (5000 words each)

Assessment A: Effective Teaching for Successful LearningEffective teachers will engage with educational theory and use their understanding to inform their professional practice. This assignment gives you the opportunity to demonstrate your developing understanding of how children/young people learn and the role that you play in the planning and provision of suitable learning opportunities for all children/young people in your care. It is designed to provide you with an opportunity to engage critically with educational theory in relation to successful learning.

Assessment B: Personal Development – Becoming an Inclusive Practitioner Effective teachers take responsibility for their personal and professional development and use reflection to improve their practice. This assessment is designed to build on targets identified during school experience and provide you with an opportunity to consider implications for your practice and identify next steps for your ongoing professional development. It also provides you with the opportunity to demonstrate the action you have taken and the progress you have made in developing your understanding of social justice and in developing skills towards becoming an inclusive practitioner.

Standardisation of PGDE Assignments

Activity

Standardisation of support & assessment during school experience placement

Key features of CPD events for teachers supporting students in schools:

• Opportunity to discuss student support and assessment issues from different perspectives

• Use of collaborative case study activity - not transmission of paperwork

• Common assessment reporting form used across sectors based on the Standard for Initial Teacher of Education (SITE)

• Recognition of common dilemmas across sectors• Exploration of support mechanisms

Students

• The opportunity for Primary and Secondary students to collaboratively explore dilemmas for teaching.

• Students have a greater appreciation and respect for each other.

• Students demonstrate confidence to start professional conversations across sectors using a shared language.

Initial Successes of Combined PGDE

University Tutors

• More opportunities for cross-sector collaboration.

• Greater understanding between sectors.

• Standardisation & moderation of common assessments.

Schools

• Cross-sector collaboration & dialogue at CPD events.

• Collective awareness of expectations and responsibilities of students, schools and University.

• Improved standardisation of assessment and support.

Contact DetailsChris Munro, PGDE Programme Director

christopher.munro@abdn.ac.uk

Archie Graham, PGDE Depute Programme Director

a.graham@abdn.ac.uk

School of EducationUniversity of AberdeenMacRobert BuildingKing's CollegeAberdeenAB24 5UA