School of Social Sciences, Business and Law

Module Title:

Professional Practice Module

EDU3054-N

LEVEL 6

CREDITS: 30

ACADEMIC YEAR 2015/16

Please ensure that you complete this module at the correct level:

If you are doing the Certificate in Education: Education and Training complete Level 5

If you are doing the Professional Graduate Certificate in Education: Education and Training complete Level 6

Module Aims

This module explores theories, principles and models of reflective practice; autonomous learning and the importance of engaging in continuing professional development. The module will encourage participants to evaluate their needs in order to plan, participate in appropriate continuing professional development and evaluate the effectiveness of this participation upon professional practice, including performance in the classroom.A clear feature isto promote autonomy in learning in the participants and the ability to plan and manage own professional development.

This module also aims to explore the models, principles and practice associated with quality assurance and quality improvement in educational organisations and will enable participants to analyse these models and principles and apply them to their own practice. This will enable participants to actively contribute to the quality improvement of their organisation.

Module Content

Indicative Content

  • The role of the teacher and the Education and Training Foundation.
  • Theories, principles and models of reflective practice; autonomous learning and continuing professional development.
  • The role of continuing personal andprofessional development for teachers in the sector.
  • The values, commitments, knowledge and skills set out in the standards for teachers
  • Sources of information re: continuing professional development opportunities in the sector.
  • Quality assurance models, systems and procedures.
  • Quality improvement models systems and procedures.
  • Principles and theories of evaluation, quality assurance and quality improvement.
  • Organisational policy and procedure for maintaining quality assurance (Management Information Systems), including standardisation of teaching, learning and assessment and course review and evaluation data (including issues of retention and achievement), external verifier and awarding body reports on provision.
  • Regulatory bodies and systems and inspection regimes in the operation of the lifelong learning sector.
  • Statutory requirements and underpinning principles in relation to teaching own area of specialism Responsibilities of the individual tutor in implementing statutory requirements.

Teaching and Learning

  • Students will be taught via lectures with supporting seminar/group work. One to one tutorials will be provided to the students for support and in order to negotiate and agree a focus for the summative assessment. Feedback will be given on draft written work to enable students to enable the improvement of future work.
  • Students will collect evidence in the practice setting in order to evaluate the quality assurance and quality improvement policies and procedures of the placement/employment organisation.
  • Students will work with the module tutor to discuss issues of QA and QI in the seminar groups in order to share information re: different organisational approaches.
  • The practice mentor will be used as a source of additional information and support when the students are collecting evidence to support the production of the summative assessment task.
  • Students will use VLE and on-line resources to further support their learning.

Main Learning Outcomes

Knowledge & Understanding

  1. Demonstrate critical understanding of the concept of professionalism and core professional values in the education and training sector.
  1. Critically analyse policies and regulatory requirements relating to the education and training sector.
  1. Critically appraise approaches to develop learners' wider skills in own specialist area.

Cognitive & Intellectual Skills

  1. Critically analyse the application of theories, principles and models of reflective practice to continuing personal and professional development.

Practical & Professional Skills

  1. Demonstrate creativity in engagingin continuing personal and professional development to improve own practice.
  1. Critically analyse how to contribute to quality improvement and quality assurance systems and procedures.
  1. Critically reflect on, evaluate and improve own wider professional practice.

Key Transferable Skills

  1. Reflectcritically and systematically on performance to further develop learning via engagement in and reflection on a range of continuing professional development activities.

Attendance

Students are expected to attend all lectures, seminars, workshops and any other scheduled teaching activity. It is through interpersonal exchanges with tutors and peers that experiential learning and the testing of ideas takes place and the University has strong evidence that good attendance is related to success in assessments. Attendance will be monitored and if there is evidence that you are not engaging with University studies then you may be withdrawn from the programme.

Assessment

Formative assessment

Participate in creative teaching activity within class.

Summative assessment

Creative teaching report (ECA 60%)

Undertake a supported experiment in your teaching/training and create a report of your findings (using a model of reflection).

Criteria for the report:

  1. Research innovative/creative methods of teaching.
  2. Choose and justify the choice of ‘new idea’ – links to theory.
  3. Plan session(s) to include a new style of activity with a nominated group.
  4. Reflect on the activity -Identify key developments e.g. students staying on task, giving feedback on the activity, how the student teacher felt about the activity, what they feel the students learned using the activity, changes with respect to behaviour management etc.
  5. Link the reflection to learning and assessment theory.
  6. Plan for future – either the development of the new activity and/or new ideas.
  7. Include evidence and information on how to evaluate and frameworks for evaluation.

(3000 Words) Learning outcomes: 3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10

Professionalism Essay(ECA 40%)

Criticallyevaluate and analyse the impact professionalism has in the Education and Training sector on your own role and the impact on your learners. Show your own continuing personal and professional development needs. Ensure you can evaluate how teachers contribute to quality improvement and assurance systems/procedures and how this improves the evaluation process.

(3000 words) Learning outcomes:1,2,3,5,6,7,8,9,10

Assessment Criteria

Standard Teesside University UG Level 6 will be used.

Assessment Submission and Re-submission

See timetable for hand-in dates and details.

Late submission will result in only a pass grade of 40% being awarded.

If you do not successfully pass the in-course summative essay you will be offered an opportunity to resubmit the work in the period of four weeks after you have received feedback. Feedback will be available within four weeks of submission.

Academic Support and Guidance

Your tutor is there to support your academic progress but you may also receive academic support from the learning hub within the library/website.

Reading List

Purchase

Duckworth, V. and Tummons, J. (2010) Contemporary Issues in Lifelong Learning. Maidenhead: McGraw Hill/OU Press

Tummons J. (2009) Curriculum Studies in the Lifelong Learning Sector, Exeter: Learning Matters

Essential

Ashworth. (1994) Assessing Quality in Further and Higher Education, London: Jessica Kingsley

Doherty, D.C. (Ed) (1994) Developing Quality Systems in Education, London: Routledge

Lumby, J. (2001) Managing Further Education: Learning Enterprise, London: Sage

Mukhopadhyay, M. (2005) Total Quality Management in Education, 2nd Ed. London:Sage

Tummons, J. (2010) Achieving QTLS. Becoming a Professional Tutor in the Lifelong Learning Sector. 2nd Edition, Exeter: Learning Matters

Recommended

Armitage, A. et all (2012) Teaching and Training in the Lifelong Learning Sector, 3rd Edition, Bucks: OU Press

Daines, J. (2006) Adult Learning, Adult Teaching, 4th Edition, Wales: Welsh Academic Press

Ghaye, A. & Ghaye, K. (1998),Teaching and Learning Through Critical Reflective Practice, London: David Fulton

Hillier, Y. (2002) Reflective Teaching in Further and Adult Education, London: Continuum

Minton, D. (2005) Teaching Skills in Further and Adult Education, 3rd Edition, London: Stanley Thornes

Petty, G. (2009) Teaching Today, 3rd Edition, Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes

Jasper, Melanie (2003) Beginning Reflective Practice, Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes

Moon, J. A. (2004) A Handbook Of Reflective and Experiential Learning: Theory And Practice, London: Routledge Falmer

Reece, I. and Walker, S. (2006) Teaching, Training and Learning: a practical guide, 6th Edition,Sunderland: Business Education Publishing

Wallace, S. (2005) Teaching and Supporting Learning in Further Education, 2nd Edition, London: Learning Matters

Journals

Professional Development in Education

The Journal of Educational Action Research

Journal of Vocational Education and Training

Electronic

OFSTED

Excellence Gateway

JISC regional support centre

The Education and Training Foundation

Learning Matters

National Institute of Adult Continuing Education

National Foundation for Educational Research

Qualifications and Curriculum Authority

Times Educational Supplement

Regulations and Procedures

The following statement and link to the regulations should be included in the guide.

Naturally within the University there are a number of regulations which you may need to refer to as you progress through this module and the University generally. The University has placed these regulations on the University Website at:

It is your responsibility to familiarise yourself with these regulations which include:

  • Academic Regulations including:

Academic Misconduct

Applicants with Disabilities

Attendance Policy

Framework for Assessment, Award and Progression

Mitigating Circumstances Regulations

Submission of Assessments

  • Computer Regulations
  • Student Conduct Regulations
  • University Assessment Review Application
  • Student Protocol
  • University Complaints Procedure

Level 6 Assessment criteria

90%-100% / Exceptional work. Presentation is logical, error-free and, where appropriate, creative. There is an in-depth understanding of issues/problems and excellent critical/deep engagement with the material and concepts involved. Very skillful interpretation of data. Arguments, ideas and, where appropriate, solutions are presented coherently and fully underpinned by thorough research and reading.
80%-89% / Outstanding work with presentation of a very high standard. There is comprehensive understanding of key concepts and knowledge and clear evidence of critical analysis and insight. Accurate interpretation of data with arguments, ideas and solutions presented effectively and based on strong research and reading.
70%-79% / Extremely good work with presentation of a high standard. Demonstrates an excellent knowledge base with a clear understanding of the issues and application to practice where appropriate. There is some effective critical and analytical application of relevant research and reading.
60%-69% / The work is very good, logically structured and presented to a high standard. Demonstrates a strong knowledge base with a clear understanding of the issues and application to practice where appropriate. There is some critical and analytical application of relevant research.
50%-59% / The work is clearly presented and logically structured. It shows evidence of a sound understanding of the topic and addresses major issues. The work contains some discussion and interpretation of relevant perspectives although further development of the arguments presented would be beneficial. There are examples of critical reflection and evidence of application of theory to practice.
40%-49% / Adequate presentation. The work displays basic knowledge and understanding of the topic but is largely descriptive. There is an attempt to bring together different ideas and concepts although this would have been strengthened by the inclusion of further key issues. The structure of the work requires attention to its coherence and logical development of content. The link between theory and practice, where appropriate, is somewhat tenuous and its development would enhance the work considerably.
30%- 39% Fail / The work is poorly presented and contains numerous errors, inconsistencies and omissions with limited use of source material. The work displays a weak knowledge base and a lack of sufficient understanding of the topic. There is limited evidence of the application of theory to practice where appropriate. It contains many unsupported statements with limited attempts to bring issues together and lacks critical analysis and reflection.
20% - 29% Fail / The work is very poorly presented and contains numerous serious errors, inconsistencies and omissions with little use of source material. The work displays a very weak knowledge base and a lack of sufficient understanding of the topic. There is very little evidence of the application of theory to practice where appropriate. It contains many unsupported statements with very little attempt to bring issues together and there is a complete lack of critical analysis and reflection. To obtain a mark of 20% the work must show evidence of a genuine attempt to engage with the assessment requirements and with the subject matter.
0% - 19% Fail / The work is extremely poorly structured and presented. It demonstrates no real knowledge or understanding of key concepts and principles. Much material is irrelevant, incorrect, inconsistent or omitted. No evidence of critical analysis and reflection. No effective use of supporting material. No application of theory to practice where appropriate. Not a genuine attempt to engage with the assessment requirements and/or subject matter.