Credit-bearing Professional Development in HE Learning Teaching

Credit-bearing Professional Development in HE Learning & Teaching ESCalate Symposium: Northumbria University, 1 December 2008 Bridging among diverse worlds: building pedagogical research capacity through a methodology course within a professional development programme for teachers in higher education Digby Warren London Metropolitan University

Introduction Focus • role of a research methods component of a continuing professional development programme - MA in Learning & Teaching in Higher Education [MALTHE] • analysed with reference to literature on professional/workplace learning, as well as literature on teaching research methods • evidence from course participants’ feedback and assessed work

Context MA programme taken by participants who • teach at higher education level • have completed a PG Certificate, and/or • are more experienced teachers (APEL entry) • are interested in further exploring pedagogical theory, practice and research

Context Challenge of catering for a diverse group of participants • from a range of subject/professional areas • rooted in different epistemic domains • from different teaching contexts (university lecturers; learning development tutors; practice educators e. g. social work, nursing) • with varying experience with research and particular methods/approaches

Methodological courses Common deficiencies: • stand-alone nature or “one-shot” approach (Scheel, 2002) • lack of attention to philosophical underpinnings of research (Baronov, 2004) Different models: • learning through critique, application, doing, and/or reflection (Booth & Harrington, 2003) • above fused in an “activity-based” approach (Benson & Blackman, 2003)

Professional/workplace Learning Trowler & Knight (2000): new HE teachers socialised through discussion and activity within their communities of practice – a process which shapes norms, concepts and values regarding teaching Knight (2006) - study of PG certificate courses: • non-formal learning via doing one’s job and workplace interactions takes precedence over more formal provision • yet such courses have a place, because they are potentially “expansive” • course participants attribute much of learning to interactions with course peers, mentors and colleagues, hence importance of supporting “social learning”

Professional/workplace Learning Viskovic (2006): also found that lecturers developed as teachers mainly by learning informally and experientially while doing their jobs Like Knight & Trowler (2001) and Healey & Jenkins (2003), Viskovic advocates communities of practice (e. g. department, discipline or course team) as a basis for professional development, via activities such as mentoring, team teaching, portfolio development and peer observation.

Professional/workplace Learning Eley (2006): focusing on developing certain conceptions of teaching does not guarantee change; the focus should be on “developing particular practices within specific teaching situations” (p. 211) Harwood & Clarke (2006): a team-based approach grounded in practice (module development to enhance student learning) provides the basis for building commitment and CPD in teaching through opportunities for open communication and exchange of expertise Fleming et al (2004): also propose small, cognate, teaching development groups to afford opportunities for reflexive practice

RHE module: aims, design & delivery • dual aim: critical reading of other research plus enhanced capacity to undertake pedagogical research • foregrounds research paradigms rather than catalogue of specific methods • workshop format, using close analysis of “case studies” (articles that exemplify different paradigms & associated methods) (critique) • research skills audit with action plan and selfevaluation (assessment 1 = 50%) (reflection) • dissertation proposal or project report (assessment 2 = 50%) (application/doing)

RHE processes and outcomes Formal provision - “expansive” opportunities • research process & methods located in philosophical context (research paradigms) • exposure to new approaches and methods • chance to further explore the connection between educational literature and research Participants’ feedback - paradigms perspective: • contextualised research • refreshed knowledge • intellectually stimulating • increased understanding of different approaches to research

RHE processes and outcomes Linking formal and informal learning • brings scholarly discipline (deeper awareness of research conceptions, practices and criteria) to investigating and reflecting on teaching practice • customised by means of the RM audit - informs and evidenced in the dissertation proposal Participants’ feedback • “personal, real-world relevance”/ “motivating” • “more focused” and more confident approach to pedagogical research • integrative effect: “brought all strings together” – past & future research, previous MALTHE work, teaching, pedagogy, epistemology

RHE processes and outcomes Scope for social learning • peer processes within RHE: interactive tasks that draw on participants’ own experiences and perspectives; workshop to discuss ideas for dissertation proposal (topic and methods) • linked to other researchers via local communities of practice around pedagogical research Participants’ feedback – peer interaction • made learning process enjoyable • useful sharing of problems and ideas • contributed to own learning (e. g. understanding of methodological and ethical issues)

RHE processes and outcomes Promoting communities of practice • semesterly meetings of Higher Education Research Group [HERG] to explore methodological topics (e. g. focus groups, interviewing, analysing qualitative data, repertory grid technique, using educational databases, basic statistical analysis) • participants encourage to attend/present at Higher Education Research Seminars [HERS] series, Business Education Research Group [BERG], annual in-house Learning & Teaching Conference, and external events

Conclusion “Examining RHE from the perspective of research paradigms and methodological issues foregrounds the fundamental questions which inform the selection of appropriate methods. The process led me to a clear understanding of the inter-relationship between my personal and pedagogical philosophies and the way in which they shape my approach to RHE … Previous experience of trying to learn about research (at first degree level) left me with the impression that I was being shown how to use a range of tools without understanding what I was supposed to be doing with them, or how to judge when one tool was ‘better’ than another. The RHE module succeeded in providing me with this crucial contextual understanding. ”

Conclusion RHE acts as a bridge between • formal learning (via the module) and informal learning (in communities of practice), potentially enabling participants to be “border-crossers” (Viskovic 2006: 334) who bring new knowledge into their community • educational theory and investigation of own practice through systematic research (critical reflection on case studies, peer exchanges, dissertation proposal) • research theory and research design, i. e. philosophy design and methods (dissertation proposal and evaluation of action plan), paving the way for the dissertation • diverse worlds of the participants and their varied subject disciplines, research orientations and teaching contexts

References Baronov, D (2004) Navigating the Hidden Assumptions of the Introductory Research Methods Text, Radical Pedagogy, 6 (1) Benson, A and Blackman, D (2003) Can research methods ever be interesting? , Active learning in higher education, 4 (1) pp. 39 -55 Booth, C and Harrington, J (2003) Research Methods Modules and Undergraduate Business Research: An Investigation, The International Journal of Management Education, 3 (3) pp. 19 -31 Eley, M (2006) Teachers’ conceptions of teaching, and the making of specific decisions in planning to teach, Higher Education, vol 51 pp. 191 -214 Flemming, S et al (2004) Continuing professional development: suggestions for effective practice, Journal of Further and Higher Education, 28 (2) pp. 165 -177 Harwood, T & Clarke, J (2006) Grounding continuous professional development (CPD) in teaching practice, Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 43 (1) pp. 29 -39 Healey, M & Jenkins, A (2003) Discipline-based educational development, in H. Eggins & R. Macdonald (Eds), The Scholarship of Academic Development. Buckingham: SRHE & Open University Press

References Knight, P (2006) The Effects of Post-graduate Certificates. A report for the Centre for Educational Development in the Institute of Educational Technology, Open University, available at http: //kn. open. ac. uk/public/document. cfm? docid=8640 Knight, P & Trowler, P (2001) Departmental Leadership in Higher Education. Buckingham: SRHE & Open University Press Rowland, S (2000) The Enquiring University Teacher. Buckingham: SRHE & Open University Press Scheel, ED (2002) Using Active Learning Projects to Teach Research Skills Throughout the Sociology Curriculum, Sociological Practice: A Journal of Clinical and Applied Sociology, 4 (2) pp. 145 -170 Trowler, P & Knight, P (2000) Coming to Know in Higher Education: theorising faculty entry to new work contexts, Higher Education Research & Development, 19 (1) pp. 27 -42 Viskovic, A (2006) Becoming a tertiary teacher: learning in communities of practice, Higher Education Research & Development, 25 (4) pp. 323 -339