Recognition as a Professional
Teacher in HE:
The Higher Education Academy
professional recognition scheme
for Senior Fellowship
Helen Barefoot
Learning and Teaching Institute
h.barefoot@herts.ac.uk / 01707 289424
Workshop Outcomes
On completion of this workshop participants should have:
• considered the application process for Senior Fellowship of the
HEA
• had the opportunity to begin to draft one’s own submission
UK Professional Standards Framework (UK PSF)
• The idea originally proposed in the White Paper The Future of
Higher Education (2003). UUK, SCOP(now GuildHE) and the UK
HE funding bodies invited the HEA to consult with the sector to
develop such a framework
• Recently reviewed; idea to strengthen the framework, ensure it
remains fit for purpose, and to develop appropriate
enhancements
• Consultation November 2010 – January 2011
• New PSF launched 2nd November 2011
HEA Professional Recognition Scheme
The scheme has been designed to support the implementation of
the Professional Standards Framework
Four categories of professional recognition:
1. Associate of the Higher Education Academy (AHEA)
2. Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
3. Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA)
criteria changed
4. Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (PFHEA) new
HEA Professional Recognition Scheme
Recognition
Scheme
Accredited
Programme
Associate
x
x
Fellow
x
x
Senior Fellow
x
Principal
Fellow
x
Collaborative
agreement
x
NFTS
individual
award
HEA’s Professional Recognition Scheme
Areas of activity – 600 words on each
1. Design and plan learning activities and/or programmes of study
2. Teach and/or supporting learning
3. Assess and give feedback to learners
4. Developing effective environments and approaches student
support and guidance
5. Engage in continuing professional development in subjects /
disciplines and their pedagogy, incorporating
research, scholarship and the evaluation of
professional practice
HEA’s Professional Recognition Scheme
Core knowledge (knowledge and understanding of)
1. The subject material
2. Appropriate methods for teaching and learning in the subject
area and at the level of the academic programme
3. How students learn, both generally and in the subject /
disciplinary area
4. The use and value of appropriate learning technologies
5. Methods for evaluating the effectiveness of teaching
6. The implications of quality assurance and
enhancement for academic and professional
practice with a particular focus on teaching
HEA’s Professional Recognition Scheme
Professional values
1. Respect for individual learners and diverse learning
communities
2. Promote participation in higher education and equality of
opportunity for learners
3. Use evidence-informed approaches and the outcomes from
research, scholarship and continuing professional
development
4. Acknowledge the wider context in which higher education
operates recognising the implications for professional
practice
Application
• 2 parts:
1. Account of Professional Practice
2. Supporting statements from two referees
Account of professional practice (APP)
• Reflective commentary on your education roles and
experiences
• Two case studies outlining contributions you have made
to learning and teaching in HE
Reflective commentary on your education roles
and experiences
Focus on how your
• Education
• Training
• Employment
• Roles
• Experience
Teacher/mentor/
facilitator of
learning/academic
leader
Reflective commentary on your education roles
and experiences
Might include:
• Career milestones
• Areas of research/scholarly practice
• Involvement in learning and teaching initiatives
• Recognition and Reward
• Collaboration
• Staff development activity
• Leadership/management roles
Case studies
• Two particular
contributions
– Had a significant impact
on others in relation to
L&T
– Demonstrate your
sustained effectiveness in
relation to L&T and that
meet the criteria for
SFHEA
Case studies
Might include:
• Developing quality
enhancement
• Supporting other
colleagues
• Sustained engagement
with educational and staff
development
• Evaluation of practice
Application process
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/senior-fellow/applying-to-become-asenior-fellow
1. Complete your APP and case studies using template
2. obtain 2 referee statements
3. Obtain Institutional approval
4. Complete online application form and upload your APP + referee
statements
5. Pay fee of £300
Information to aid application
Things to consider when drafting your form
• CV
• Appraisal forms (Peer Observation forms + SFQ data)
• List of responsibilities
• Programme reviews/validations/curriculum
development
• CPD activities
• Funding applications/awards
• Professional and other organisations you are involved
with
• Pedagogic research/evaluations
• External examiner work
Key words in the process- reflective accounts
• Give reasons for your choice of activities and techniques and
how they relate to developing the learners’ understanding of
the subject. Please explain how you know that your work is
effective and how you try and improve it. How do the core
knowledge and values underpin your practice
• Be reflective and not just descriptive; What you did and
why, what went well and what didn’t go well, how you know
this, what have you done/or will do to improve the learning,
what does your research or scholarship tell you about this,
where do the K &V fit in with your story?
What are accreditors looking for:
• significant experience of the areas of activity
• your use of core knowledge and professional values
• your awareness of pedagogical issues and your informed understanding
of pedagogy to explain and justify your examples of practice
• your ability to choose, adapt and apply methods and approaches to
learning and teaching
• creative ways you approach your teaching and support your students’
learning
• where you have adopted different approaches or adapted according to
the different needs of particular student groups
• the way you integrate scholarship, research, and professional activities
with teaching and supporting learning
• your ability to demonstrate that evaluation and continuing professional
development inform your practice
Key reference points
• Higher Education Academy
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/fellow
• Professional Standards Framework
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/ourwork/universitiesandcolleg
es/accreditation/ukpsf
• Guidance on LTI Knowledge Exchange
http://www.studynet1.herts.ac.uk/intranet/lti.nsf/Teaching+
Documents?Openview&count=9999&restricttocategory=Prof
essional%20Development%20and%20Events/Fellowship+of+t
he+HEA&refresh=true
• Once you have applied can you please let Helen Barefoot
know (h.barefoot@herts.ac.uk)