TEACHING SCOTLAND’S FUTURE

Trends in NQF Development

Professor Graham Donaldson CB University of Glasgow

• • • TEACHING SCOTLAND’S FUTURE Former head of Scottish education inspectorate (HMIE) and Chief Professional Advisor on Education to Scottish Government Current President of Standing International Conference of Inspectorates (SICI) Report on teacher education called ‘Teaching Scotland’s Future’ made 50 recommendations all of which have been accepted in full by the Scottish Government • • • OECD international ‘expert’ – reviews of Australian and Portuguese education Professor of education at the University of Glasgow Consultant on education

• • • TEACHING SCOTLAND’S FUTURE •

Increasingly Powerful Drivers

School education is one of the most important and contested policy areas for governments across the world. Evidence of relative performance internationally has become a key driver of policy.

Human capital in the form of a highly educated population is seen as a key determinant of social justice and economic success. The pace and character of social, economic and technological change has profound implications for how we conceive education in the future.

TEACHING SCOTLAND’S FUTURE

The Challenge

Developing a vision and a strategy to address ‘wicked issues’ and to engage positively with a very uncertain future AND Taking action to make this happen

TEACHING SCOTLAND’S FUTURE

Successful Learners in the 21

st

Century

• • • • • • • • Persistent, resilient, able to manage impulse Can change, adapt, transfer skills Deep knowledge Skills to access information, as well as retain it Have learned how to learn Strong interpersonal/ intrapersonal skills Responsible, global citizens Strong core skills

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Search for Success

Early focus on expansion of provision 1957 Sputnik - Alphabet soup curriculum reform Standards movement - measurement mania School effectiveness Professional conspiracies – competition & inspection Teachers Matter - “It’s the teacher, stupid” A new synthesis?

TEACHING SCOTLAND’S FUTURE • • • States and individuals need high levels of education for future economic, social and personal wellbeing Innovation is integral to educational quality - create the future not recreate the past Models of governance and change need to be dynamic and promote alignment

↓ RETHINK APPROACH TO AND RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TEACHING / LEADERSHIP / CURRICULUM / INSPECTION

TEACHING SCOTLAND’S FUTURE

Lessons from High-Performing Systems

• • • • • • • • • • Clarity of purpose – values and curriculum High expectations of achievement Enabling all young people to achieve their potential Emphasis on early learning High quality teachers Culture of professional learning High quality leadership at all levels Outward looking with a strong culture of innovation

Intelligent accountability

Reflective and self-evaluative

How much do teachers

TEACHING SCOTLAND’S FUTURE

matter?

• Overall, the research results indicate that raising teacher quality is vital for improving student achievement, and is perhaps the policy direction most likely to lead to substantial gains in school performance (OECD) • Students of the most effective teachers have learning gains four times greater than the learning gains of the least effective teachers ( Sanders and Rivers 1996)

The quality of an education system cannot exceed the quality of its teachers (McKinsey & Co 2007)

We need teachers who -

TEACHING SCOTLAND’S FUTURE • • • • • • have high-levels of expertise – subject, pedagogy and theory have secure values – personal and professional accountability for the wellbeing of all young people take prime responsibility for their own development use and contribute to the collective understanding of successful teaching and learning see professional learning as an integral part of

educational change

engage in well-planned and well-researched innovation.

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How do we do it?

Select and develop high quality people A continuum of teacher learning - framework of standards Alignment and partnership Professional review and development Coaching and mentoring Optimum use of ICT for professional learning. Masters-level study is the norm Relentless focus on impact on young people’s learning.

Role of NTQF

TEACHING SCOTLAND’S FUTURE • • • • • • • • Capture characteristics of high quality teacher Common language of quality Key reference point for teacher education – pre and post qualification Incentive for career-long professional growth Basis for evaluating progress Credibility as a learned profession Dynamic contribution to embedded innovation Contributes to aligned policy and practice

Possible NTQF Structures

• • • • Set of broad domains Key elements within each domain Exemplification of behaviours Differentiation by career stage TEACHING SCOTLAND’S FUTURE

Three NTQF Structures

TEACHING SCOTLAND’S FUTURE • • • Scotland 3 Domains - Professional Knowledge and Understanding / Professional Skills and Abilities /Professional Values and Personal Commitment Professional Standards within each domain – each with an illustration of practice Separate sets of standards for initial teacher education / full registration / Chartered Teacher / Headship

Three NTQF Structures

TEACHING SCOTLAND’S FUTURE • • • • Australia 3 Domains of teaching – Professional Knowledge / Professional Practice / Professional Engagement 7 standards across these domains Focus areas and descriptors for each standard Characterised at 4 career stages – Graduate / Proficient / Highly Accomplished / Lead

Three NTQF Structures

TEACHING SCOTLAND’S FUTURE • • • Northern Ireland 3 broad headings (domains) – Professional Values and Practice / Professional Knowledge and Understanding / Professional Skills and Application 27 Competence statements sub-divided into aspects Exemplified at 4 career stages – initial / Induction / Early Professional Development / CPD, Collaborative Practice and School Improvement.

Common Areas

TEACHING SCOTLAND’S FUTURE • • • • • Knowledge of subject matter Pedagogy – subject and transversal Dispositions – values in relation to learning and wellbeing of all young people Professional development including reflection/self evaluation Wider responsibilities – to colleagues and educational policy and development – distributed leadership

Wicked Issues

TEACHING SCOTLAND’S FUTURE • • Specificity – behavioural competence / more integrative standards Contested views on education and role of the teacher Dispositions – integral or ideological imposition • • • • • Static / dynamic contribution Simplicity / complexity / comprehensiveness Ownership and language Legacy / inertia

Big Messages

TEACHING SCOTLAND’S FUTURE • • • • • • •

Teachers matter Build on the past but do not be imprisoned by it Hearts and minds / authenticity Coherence and alignment Culture of aspiration, reflection and optimism Confident and respected profession: demanding selection/clear standards/focus on all students More professional engagement in educational development

TEACHING SCOTLAND’S FUTURE

NTQF Development

Professor Graham Donaldson CB University of Glasgow

Implications

TEACHING SCOTLAND’S FUTURE • • • • • • • • • Be clear about quality Examine values Signal responsibility for all young people, irrespective of background, ethnicity or ability Much more than classroom practice Responsibility for impact on learning Promote reflection and self evaluation All stages in a career Promote team ethos Leadership

Possible Steps

TEACHING SCOTLAND’S FUTURE • • • • • Overview paper – compelling vision / authenticity / guiding principles Determine framework – domains, standards, illustrations, stages Systems analysis – prerequisites, dependencies and consequentials Engagement – hearts and minds Clear adoption strategy