Professional development for leaders of a large teaching team: A dual role

Abstract

Academics who lead large teaching teams of often inexperienced sessional staff have a dual role in professional development. They are both provider and participant. Academic leaders need to develop skills to fulfill their role effectively as the primary professional development provider for their team through opportunities to enhance skills in a range of areas; these areas include team leadership, team management and teaching for learning. In this scenario, there is a multilayered structure of provision of development opportunities. One level is that provided by the team leader and directly related to the needs of the team members and the requirements of the subject. The second level caters for the needs of the team leader in developing skills to effectively perform all the responsibilities of their role. Provision of professional development opportunities that cater for these may be the responsibility of the School, Faculty, Department or Staff Development Unit, depending upon the Institutional context. This paper will present a case study of the professional development programme offered to a large teaching team by an academic team leader. Some implications and issues arising from the case study that need to be addressed by professional developers and academic team leaders to enable and support the improvement of student, staff and organizational learning through professional development programmes will be discussed.     

Using Activity Theory to inform sessional teacher development: what lessons can be learned from tutor training models?

Abstract

Sessional teachers in universities are often marginalised by their part-time status, availability for training, and invisibility within the institution’s infrastructure. Nevertheless, tutors as a subset of this group, regularly have access to some training and development. This paper presents a methodological approach for implementing the BLASST framework for sessional staff at a New Zealand university, based on a project to benchmark support for tutors. Using Activity Theory, I discuss tensions associated with developing a training programme for tutors and how such an approach can aid the development of similar models for all sessional teachers.     

‘An essential right’: reflections on evaluating a professional development program for tutors

Abstract

While there is a growing body of research on sessional staff experiences, there are few published accounts evaluating their professional development. This paper reflects on an evaluation of a university-wide professional development program for tutors at an Australian university. A combination of complementary approaches were used to inform the development of the evaluation, namely: Participatory Action Research, monitoring, evaluation, research and improvement, and Participatory Evaluation. Findings of the evaluation reveal valuable lessons for the academic development of sessional teaching staff.     

The ‘double-edged sword’ of a sessional academic career

ABSTRACT

There have been widespread changes to working arrangements and employment relationships, including significant decreases in continuing/full-time employment contracts. This trend is particularly notable in academia, with more universities relying on the expertise of sessional, teaching-focused academics. This qualitative study extends understanding of this important group of professionals, identifying sessional work as a ‘double-edged sword’ and suggesting a typology of sessional academic careers to be tested in future research. It reports on the diversity among sessional academics, some enjoying the autonomy and flexibility of this working arrangement, others seeking more job security and greater alignment with continuing employment. It also identifies synergies and contradictions between sessional academic careers and key themes in the contemporary careers literature.     

Using Interviews to Predict the Success of Teacher‐education Students

In November 1987, the School of Education at the University of Tasmania at Launceston (then the Tasmanian State Institute of Technology) commenced a programme of pre‐entry assessment of BEd applicants with a view to conducting an ongoing research programme aimed at improving the quality of trainee teachers. Pre‐entry data gathering included English and mathematics skills, learning style, Higher School Certificate (HSC) aggregate scores and interview assessments of each applicant by a panel of at least two academic staff of the School. This paper reports findings from the interview data gathered on students who entered the BEd programme in 1989. In particular, the evidence from this cohort of students suggests that interview ratings by academic staff are successful predictors of future practice‐teaching performance, whereas HSC aggregate scores are not at all predictive. In addition to this finding, the data indicate that staff interview assessments are only marginally weaker than HSC aggregate scores as predictors of academic performance on the BEd course.     

Belonging to higher education: inclusive education for students with intellectual disabilities

Abstract

The college experience in Iceland has traditionally been reserved for those who have passed the matriculation examination and meet the admission requirements of higher educational institutions. Since 2007, the University of Iceland has offered a Vocational Diploma Programme for people with intellectual disabilities in inclusive settings. The purpose of this article is to describe the diploma programme as well as exploring students’ sense of belonging to the college community. The diploma programme is located at the School of Education and students trained to work at pre-primary schools, after school clubs and within the field of disability such as self-advocacy. Inclusion has been achievable by adapting the general curriculum and learning outcomes to individual needs, flexible teaching methods and the cooperation between academic faculty members, programme coordinators, student mentors and the diploma students themselves. The diploma students receive academic and social support from student mentors who are other undergraduate students at the School of Education. The collaboration with student mentors has proven to be valuable, expanded diploma students’ social networks and contributed to a sense of belonging. Regardless of various attitudinal and structural hindrances, there is much evidence that the diploma students are not only tolerated but welcomed at the School of Education and belong to the college community.     

Promoting and/or evading change: the role of student-staff partnerships in staff teaching development

ABSTRACT

While a large body of research considers factors enabling or constraining academic development in colleges and universities, comparatively little scholarship has considered the roles students might play in supporting positive change in staff teaching practices. This article explores one potential avenue by which such change might play out, considering the extent to which participation in a student-staff partnership programme supported by a central teaching and learning institute might encourage shifts in staff teaching. Drawing on data gathered via focus groups and online reflective prompts, we find that participating in pedagogical partnership can support a range of developments in staff teaching practices, though these changes might not always be pronounced or uniformly positive. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.     

Enhancing research through academic staff development

Abstract

In the past few years, research has been an increasingly important focus of academic staff development, but there is little documentation of this new area of development. The purpose of this paper is to describe the evolution over four years of a programme to develop research skills. The experience of planning and implementing this programme illustrates how changes in higher education and university priorities (such as amalgamations of institutions, increased pressures on staff, increased competition between institutions for funding, and universities’ growing corporatization) have interacted with staff development objectives to shape changes in the programme's purpose, format, mode of participation, and planning approach. A collaborative approach to planning is seen to be appropriate in the current climate, maximizing sensitivity to the distinctive needs of the various faculties, departments or schools. Current scholarly discussion is recognized as providing support for a move toward collaboration and context‐sensitivity.     

The work of an academic: Jack of all trades,or master of one?

Abstract

This paper stems from conversations between the authors who recently came to work together in staff and educational development. Having pursued different academic careers in Higher Education (HE), we questioned whether we had a common understanding of our academic community. In particular, we discussed two aspects. First, the extent to which our different disciplinary backgrounds influenced our perspectives on academic practice and our attitudes and approaches to staff and educational development. If we held different views on academic practice, how many other variations were we likely to encounter? Second, we felt it important to be sensitive to the needs of our colleagues in terms of their practices. The research that emanated from our discussions began with an empirical study, reported in this paper. We explore tensions between the various work activities performed by academics at the University of Sheffield. Eighty staff maintained a diary over a specified week early in the academic year 1997‐98. They recorded time spent on the activities of research, teaching, administration, external work, and professional development. Biographical data, including staff grade, length of service in HE, and length of service at the University were collected via a questionnaire attached to the diary. It would appear that the majority of academics surveyed support a role in both teaching and research, with a preference to spend more time on research at the expense of administration but not at the expense of teaching. These empirical data help us to understand more about the role of academics in changing times, and how we, as staff and educational developers, might become more effective and efficient.     

An evaluation of an outdoor education programme for students with emotional and behavioural difficulties

Abstract

A case study examined the value of outdoor education for two groups of pupils from Year 9 and 10 with severe behavioural difficulties placed in an independent residential school. The methods included systematic observations of their behaviour and recording of their academic performance over the duration of the programme; participant observation field notes kept by the researcher; and interviewing of all participating pupils and staff to elicit their perceptions of the utility of the programme. The analysis suggested that the programme was successful in promoting positive behaviour and academic gains for most pupils, and that by the end both pupils and staff held a positive perception of outdoor education. Although outdoor education may not form a solution to dealing with 'problematic' behaviour, it represents a powerful, albeit underused, tool for reducing disaffection, promoting inclusive practice and decreasing the risk of permanent exclusion for this vulnerable group of pupils.     

Editorial

ABSTRACT

This paper describes a staff development project involving school‐university collaborative research. While computer technology was being implemented at Bayside Middle School, teachers engaged in action research projects. This form of professional development links personally relevant questions of teaching practice with academic theories of learning. Research findings are discussed, along with implications of action research as a model for staff development.     

Developing a framework for university-wide improvement in the training and support of ‘casual’ academics

With the majority of undergraduate teaching in Australian higher education being undertaken by casual academics, ensuring adequate support for these staff to access support and professional development relating to teaching and learning is imperative. In this article, we profile the development and implementation of a university-wide strategic framework for training, support and recognition of the contributions of sessional teachers. The design of this framework was informed through an iterative process of research and consultation with key institutional stakeholders and has resulted in changes at a policy level as well as in the delivery of professional development programs for sessional teaching staff. The opportunities and challenges of this approach are discussed, as well as future directions and broader considerations for the support of sessional teachers in the Australian higher education context.     

Reconceptualizing the teaching team in universities: Working with sessional staff

The need for universities to find cost-effective methods for the delivery of quality programmes has seen an increase in the numbers of casual or sessional staff in universities over the past several years. The paper suggests that the existing notions of how teaching teams are constituted should be reconceptualized to encompass sessional staff. This would allow the work being undertaken by sessional staff to be openly acknowledged and recognized by the systems in which they work. The employment of sessional markers should be regarded as ‘value-adding’ to the teaching teams of the university rather than as an outsourcing of critical university functions. The framework presented here proposes that the particular professional or academic attributes contributed by sessional markers enhance the extant expertise of teams and thus potentially serve to promote the teaching-learning process. Reconceptualization of the teaching team may well require a negotiation of power relationships. Nevertheless, it is important that the contributions made by markers are recognized to ensure equity, fairness and transparency.     

A Transformation in Further Education: Technology,the electronic library and the Cinderella sector

This article reviews the literature on the changes in further education during the last decade. It considers the impact of these changes on students, academic staff and Library and Information Services staff. It highlights the growth in importance of electronic information services in teaching and learning and outlines the research to be undertaken by the JUBILEE in FE Project based in the School of Information Studies, University of Northumbria.     

Quality assurance of assessment and moderation discourses involving sessional staff

Quality assurance is a major agenda in tertiary education. The casualisation of academic work, especially in teaching, is also a quality assurance issue. Casual or sessional staff members teach and assess more than 50% of all university courses in Australia, and yet the research in relation to the role sessional staff play in quality assurance of student assessment outcomes is scarce. Moderation processes are a pivotal part of robust quality assurance measures. Drawing upon previous work surrounding four discourses of moderation, this pilot project reports the results of research into the role and impact of sessional staff in moderation processes at tertiary level. Qualitative data were gathered through focus interviews. Results, in the form of various moderation discourses, indicate that sessional staff impact the formal quality assurance processes in numerous ways.     

Developing special needs provision in an international school

Abstract

Although all multicultural, multilingual, and multinational students in international schools can have special needs, the International School of Brussels wanted to increase support for particular ‘at risk’ students. This population seemed to include: students who passed standardized English as a Foreign Language tests but were not literate enough for regular classes, students with learning problems not identified in previous language or culture, and students who experienced temporary learning disabilities because of a discrepancy between what they brought to the school programme and what the school programme asked of them. The existing secondary school options included English as a Foreign Language and English as a Second Language (EFL/ESL) to prepare students for entry into regular classes, and also small group or individualized instruction to support students with special needs in regular classes. Adapting Curriculum‐Based Assessment (CBA) in an international school caused staff to review: curriculum offerings, examinations and activities, enabling objectives and minimum competency skills, and multinational approaches to special needs. The CBA philosophy supported an emphasis on local needs and the development of a school‐appropriate standard of performance for students despite culture, language, or nationality.     

Staff development in a climate of economic rationalism: A profile of the academic staff developer

Abstract

This paper emerged from the findings of a study investigating the efficacy of a staff development programme, called TRAC (Teaching, Reflection and Collaboration), offered through Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia. Participants in this study indicated an express need for academic staff developers to foster a range of skills when seeking to implement exemplary staff development programmes. One of the most crucial skills stipulated by participants was the ability for staff developers to offer development opportunities which effectively cater to the current hectic, competitive and outcome‐driven climate academics face. Other skills considered by participants to be pivotal for the development and implementation of exemplary staff development programmes included well‐developed human relation and interpersonal skills, facilitative skills and skills in co‐ordinating and networking.

This paper begins by ‘setting the scene’, briefly outlining the TRAC programme and the author's research experience of this programme. Subsequently, it discusses the skills required of the developer instigating such a programme. In doing this, it aims to encourage developers to reflect on the efficacy of their own skills with a view to making appropriate changes. Thus, in attempting to trigger change in developers’ practice, this paper represents a vehicle for ‘development of the developers.’     

Staff Development in Problem-based Learning

It is argued here that for problem-based learning (PBL) to succeed, a sound programme of staff development is required. This paper highlights, from both the literature and from experience, that there is limited research into the process and management of PBL staff development. The current shift towards PBL within higher education suggests that staff development needs to be a key component in any PBL implementation strategy. This paper focuses on the experience of introducing PBL into Nursing and Midwifery curricula at the University of Dundee. It is argued that the staff development described played a key role in the effectiveness of the subsequent implementation of PBL. The key components of such a programme are described with evaluatory evidence to support its efficacy. Recommendations are made for those considering implementing PBL into the curriculum.     

Professional development for sessional staff in higher education: a review of current evidence

The aim of this study was to provide an integrated review of evidence published in the past decade around professional development for sessional staff in higher education. Using the Integrating Theory, Evidence and Action method, the review analysed recent evidence using the three principles of the Benchmarking Leadership and Advancement of Standards for Sessional Teaching project – Quality Learning and Teaching, Sessional Staff Support and Sustainability. Quality Learning and Teaching refers to issues affecting the quality of sessional staff teaching and learning, while Sessional Staff Support refers to the provision of consistent support and inclusive infrastructure for sessional staff. The Sustainability principle refers to practices that encourage the retention of good sessional staff and the pursuit of quality teaching. Clear themes emerge from the evidence that suggest long-standing structural issues that are yet to be effectively addressed. However, several examples of effective strategies were also identified, particularly around peer observation and mentorship.     

Mentoring the Experienced Teacher

New teachers have a structured induction programme when they first begin teaching and there are systems in place for new headteachers, but for those teachers who are moving to a new post there is often little support. This article looks at mid-career induction. It explores the formal and informal induction acculturation processes that operate and a model of mentoring new staff in a behaviour support unit where staff are working with several agencies. It identifies that opportunities for development to facilitate growth within a learning organisation can occur when the potential of newcomers is recognised.