Teacher Education Futures across the UK Scotland
Moving forward in Partnership
14th June 2011
Different forms of Partnership in
developing practice:
sharing experiences and perspectives
Jayne Bruce – Director of CfE
Email: j.h.bruce@abdn.ac.uk
Presentation outline

Context for recent partnership models in University of
Aberdeen

Principles for our Partnership Working

Our experiences June 2010 – June 2011

Implications for moving forward
Context for Scottish Government
projects
Established
Partnerships with
Local Authorities
Policy
imperatives:
CfE
Donaldson
Review (2009)
Shortfall
funding for
student
numbers
Principles
for
Partnership
working
Models of partnership working
Opportunities for professional development can benefit the practice of
teaching, the learning of students, and the culture of schooling. Authentic
partnerships between universities and schools provide opportunities for these
constituencies to work together in a substantive manner in setting and
meeting common educational goals.
(Crawford, P. et al 2008)
Study : All Together Now: School Partnerships for Professional
Development.
Findings:
• Became increasingly aware of the need for programs that
provided longer terms of engagement in professional development.
• An authentic partnership model is defined as being within a school system,
built on a relationship of regular, frequent, and ongoing opportunities for
genuine collaboration and learning for all involved parties.
Aberdeen
University
Project Aims
Local
Authorities
Glasgow
University
Collaborative Assessment Project (CAP)
• to help teachers to develop an expertise and
experience of defining standards; and
• support the development of the professional judgment
and confidence of staff in schools, in implementing CfE.
Promoting Partnership Project (PPP)
• to develop a school based partnership approach to
support the on-going professional learning; and
• the development of student teachers, teachers and
tutors (involved in Teacher Education).
Project
outlines
Collaborative Assessment
Project (CAP)
Promoting Partnership
Project (PPP)
People
One teacher from each
primary and secondary
school from one Local
Authority (48 – 32 staff)
Six tutors with a range of
expertise and backgrounds
One researcher
Collaborative Local Authority and
UoA steering group
BEd3 (120 students)
BEd4 (80 students)
2010-2011 field experience
placement
15 Professional Studies tutors
2 Professional Studies
(research) tutors
115 schools in 6 partner local
authorities
Ways of
working
ASGs to work in pairs
One tutor to work throughout
with each pair
Legacy of learning community
intended
Students placed in
clusters/groups in schools
Professional studies tutors
matched to schools
Specific
features
Blend of scholarly activity, experience
and knowledge developed and applied
within school settings.
2 half days bought out from
schools
Choice: ways of working
4 x 2 hr twilights with email
Enhanced features - doing better and doin
more
Glow meets – individual and group
support, (student to student,
student with tutor and supporter
teacher)
Peer working in schools
Evaluation and evidence
Aberdeen
University
Local
Authorities
Glasgow
University
 Scottish Government
Inform National Partnership
Group
General literature
Evaluation and evidence
CAP ..... some comments from teachers
Using NARs in a more
formalised way to assess
children’s work and trying
to moderate work was
really useful.
Would have been good to be done
across all teachers of the same
stage in the ASG so that we could
work together.
The discussion with colleagues and
tutor on the lack of expansion of clear
learning intentions within each
outcome was interesting. Working
through this with a range of outcomes
increased my confidence in doing this
myself.
Sharpened my thinking
and had some impact on
the clarity of my
classroom teaching
Implications for moving forward –
some issues
Perspectives?
•Shared understandings and recognition of priorities/constraints.
•Scholarship, experience and knowledge (evidence/outcomes)
Sustainability?
• Genuine partnerships – long-term quality improvement for all schools
and the professional development of all teachers.
Engagement – interchangeable?
• Where do we see the branches of the profession as
interchangeable?
• The benefits of the rise of professional confidence and
commitment of teachers through co-equal partnership working –
professional learning continuum.
Implications for moving forward –
some issues
Leadership
• Trust in staff and give them more freedom to steer the quality
improvement and partnership practices?
Resourcing?
• Decisions about priorities?
• Context of McCormac – Teacher Employment Review.