Intuition Spring 2021

The journal for professional teachers and trai trainers iners in the further education and training sector

Issue 43 Spring 2021

set.et-foundation.co.uk

12

How to best teach learners with autism 17

Top tips to help you make the next big career step 20

Remote learning: what the last year has taught us

CLOSING THE GAP Former education secretary Justine Greening explains why social mobility is more important than ever

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CHARTERED TEACHER Professional development for experienced and advanced teachers

APPLICATION WINDOW OPENS 1 APRIL FOR OCTOBER 2021 START

Advanced Teacher Status (ATS) is the badge of advanced professionalism and mastery in further education and training.

Since 2020, the eligibility criteria* has been widened to enable those advanced practitioners who do not hold QTLS or QTS, but have been WHDFKLQJ IRU DW OHDVW ͤYH \HDUV WR DSSO\ IRU $76

Apply for the ATS programme from 1 April 2021: set.etfoundation.co.uk/ats 6HH 6(7 ZHEVLWH IRU IXOO GHWDLOV RI $76 HOLJLELOLW\ FULWHULD ZKLFK LQFOXGHV KROGLQJ D PLQLPXP RI D OHYHO WHDFKLQJ TXDOLͤFDWLRQ

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CONTENTS

SPRING 2021

UPFRONT

THE KNOWLEDGE

05 NEWS

26 GOAL SETTING

Introducing the new ETF director for diversity

08 OPINION

Views from David Russell, Mel Lenehan and Dan Williams

30 SILENCE IN EDUCATION

Is silence a tool to control or a chance to reflect? It conveys many different messages and can be a powerful technique for teachers and learners

11 INSIGHT

Awarding qualifications

12 ADVICE

33 IMPOSTOR SYNDROME

Understanding autism

14 INTERVIEW

Justine Greening, former education secretary

12

Being plagued by self-doubt and inadequacy is more common than ever in a technologically advanced age

17 CAREER DEVELOPMENT

MEMBERS’ CORNER 36 THE FORUM

20 ONLINE EDUCATION

38 MY LIFE IN TEACHING

Saj Mohammad on changing the lives of struggling learners

39 BOOK REVIEWS

The latest educational titles reviewed

Redactive Publishing Ltd +44 (0)20 7880 6200 redactive.co.uk

FEATURES The disruption caused by lockdown is no reason to put a limit on professional ambition. Here are six steps to a new role for those in the FE sector looking to slide sideways, rise the ranks or start afresh

Time to tackle those New Year learning resolutions at last

InTuition is published on behalf of the Society for Education and Training

24

Goals can be great motivators and effective drivers of behaviour – if they are liberated from vagueness

The enormous experiment that saw millions learning online has taught some tough lessons to educators as well as learners. But what are the pedagogical and logistical challenges for long-term remote learning?

24 ARTS COLLEGES

The cultural and economic benefits of arts education were undervalued by public and policymakers even before the pandemic struck. What is its future, when money is tight, but the need for creativity is greater?

EDITOR: Nick Martindale

DIRECTOR: Martin Reid

LEAD DESIGNER: David Twardawa

COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER: Ed Smith

SUBEDITOR: James Hundleby PICTURE RESEARCHER: Claire Echavarry PRODUCTION: Jane Easterman jane.easterman@redactive.co.uk +44 (0)20 7880 6248 PRINTED BY Precision Colour Printing, Telford

COMMUNICATIONS EDITOR: Julia Faulks COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER: Sundip Gill NATIONAL HEAD OF HIGHER LEVEL EDUCATION: Paul Kessell-Holland

157-197 Buckingham Palace Road London, SW1W 9SP membership.enquiries@ etfoundation.co.uk set.et-foundation.co.uk

While every care has been taken in the compilation of this magazine, errors or omissions are not the responsibility of the publishers.

Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the publishers or editorial staff. All rights reserved.

Unless specifically stated, goods or services mentioned are not formally endorsed by the Society for Education and Training, which does not guarantee or endorse or accept any liability for any goods and/or services featured in this publication.

ISSN: 2050-8980

SPRING 2021 INTUITION 3

WELCOME

FIRST WORDS

MARTIN REID

Learning from experience Another lockdown wasn’t the way any of us wanted to start 2021.

But this time around, at least, we had the experience of the last one t’s fair to say that this year, like last, hasn’t been quite as we had planned, or hoped, so far. The imposition of another national lockdown on 4 January brought in another age of online learning for those in further education.

This time, though, we were more prepared than when the first lockdown was imposed in March 2020.

Educators and learners have learned important lessons about what works well and what doesn’t, and were able to switch back into remote mode fairly seamlessly. You can read about some of the experiences in our feature on page 20, which also examines the role online learning might play in the future.

That’s not to say, though, that there haven’t been challenges.

Delivering education in prison settings remotely and keeping prisoners motivated has been described as hugely problematic, while many learners – both adults and young people – still lack both the equipment needed to learn effectively online and the environment in which to do it.

This has created real concerns that the challenge of ‘levelling up’ and ensuring equality of opportunity for all has got more difficult, which is the theme of our cover interview with Justine Greening.

Having made significant strides towards this aim during her time in office, Greening is now working through the Social Mobility Pledge to bring businesses and the world of education together to help ensure better prospects for those from less privileged backgrounds. The pandemic has also made it hard for

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the delivery of specialist education, particularly in the creative sector, and this issue we take a look at some of the challenges facing arts colleges.

However, there are reasons to be positive; the vaccine roll-out continues apace and brings real hope of a return to relative normality over the coming months. The Government’s Skills for Jobs White Paper has also been largely well received by the sector. You can read more about our interpretation of the proposals in David Russell’s column on page 8.

With so much change and uncertainty, it’s possible that many in the sector will be open to new opportunities. Our careers advice feature includes tips to help you progress, whether that’s moving within an organisation or into a new role, or even a different part of the sector. On page 12, we present our Advice piece by Joe Fautley, an associate trainer with lived experience of autism and dyspraxia, who outlines how educators can help deliver the best experience for those with autism.

My thanks and admiration go to all those in the FE sector who have helped ensure that the delivery of education has been able to continue in such difficult circumstances. And thank you for being a member of SET. Your support is vital so we can continue in our mission to champion the status of the profession.

EDUCATORS AND LEARNERS HAVE LEARNED IMPORTANT LESSONS ABOUT WHAT WORKS WELL AND WHAT DOESN’T

MARTIN REID, director, SET

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LATEST UPDATES FROM SET AND THE ETF

WEBSITE

NEWS

set.et-foundation.co.uk

T WIT TER

@SocietyET

FACEBOOK

SocEducationTraining

APPOINTMENT

DIRECTOR OF DIVERSITY FOR THE ETF AND AoC In his new role, Jeff Greenidge will spearhead plans to promote equality and inclusivity across the FE sector eff Greenidge has been appointed as director for diversity by the Education and Training Foundation (ETF) and Association of Colleges (AoC) jointly. He is a teacher, coach and leadership mentor who has worked across the education and training sector.

The role will see Greenidge driving plans to boost diversity in the FE workforce, particularly at senior levels, and promoting inclusive practice in colleges and other parts of the sector. It will include a specific strand of work on race equality and antiracism, engaging with the government, the sector and expert groups such as the Black FE Leadership Group.

He started the role in January.

David Russell, chief executive of the ETF, said: “We are very pleased to welcome Jeff as director for diversity.

He will play an important role in

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ensuring that the ETF is aligned with the challenges and experiences of those working in FE, and strengthening our capability to support the sector in delivering life-changing opportunities to the array of learners it works with.”

Kirsti Lord, AoC deputy chief executive, said: “The role will be central in our continued effort towards increasing the diversity of leadership and governance and creating an inclusive, open and diverse culture that supports students and staff. I look forward to working with Jeff to support the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion steering group, whose members have put together strong plans for better representation in FE.” Greenidge said: “I firmly believe that education has the potential to be an even greater force for change in our society. For that to happen, our leadership must be willing to recognise and eliminate those things we do that

WE ARE VERY PLEASED TO WELCOME JEFF AS DIRECTOR FOR DIVERSITY

exclude, marginalise or devalue others. I am looking forward to working with our senior leaders to face these challenges.”

Greenidge began his career in education as a teacher of modern languages and PE. He spent three years as head of modern languages at Llanrumney High School in Cardiff before joining the Curriculum and Assessment Authority for Wales, advising the government on matters relating to language teaching and learning. After three years as director of the European Unit of the Welsh Joint Education Committee he joined learndirect, where he served in a number of roles, including more than five years as network director between 2010 and 2015.

Today, he chairs the board of directors of Groundwork Wales and is chairperson of the Learning and Work Institute Wales, as well as serving on the boards of Ballet Cymru and the Institute of Employability Professionals. He is managing director of consultancy Ariege.

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NEWS

New EdTech learning modules include content creation and delivery

SECTOR UPDATE

NEWS IN BRIEF In other news...

THREE NEW TECHNICAL TEACHING FELLOWSHIPS AWARDED On 29 January, three FE and training sector teachers were awarded prestigious Technical Teaching Fellowships from the ETF and the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851.

Fellowships are awarded to outstanding practitioners for their high-impact teaching practice and delivery.

The 2021/22 fellows (pictured from top) are: Ben Houlihan – head of quality, teaching and digital innovation at Bridgwater and Taunton College Peter Jackson – learning and skills lead, automotive engineering, Lincoln College Rosa Wells – executive director employment and skills and IoT, Solihull College and University Centre.

Each is expected to share their expertise across the sector to support improvement in technical teaching and learning. The fellowships will begin in the 2021/22 academic year.

The scheme was launched in 2018 to celebrate and disseminate exceptional practice in technical teaching.

This is to empower the expertise of individuals who support learners’ progression to higher levels of STEM study and employment in sectors with a recognised skill shortage.

Awardees will be made SET fellows and receive a year’s free membership.

To find out more, visit et-foundation.co.uk

BITE-SIZE EDTECH MODULES SUPPORT DIGITAL LEARNING The ETF has released 14 new EdTech (educational technology) training modules on the Enhance Digital Teaching Platform. The aim is to provide support with content creation and delivery at a time of remote working.

Topics include: Tools for digital learning: featuring modules on different learner devices Working with the digital learner: assessing their digital skills and helping them to plan, create content and revise Creating content – media, tools and methods: learning scenarios and repurposing content Professional learning and development: using digital tools to review practice.

The modules all map to the ETF’s national࣢Digital Teaching Professional Framework (DTPF).

These modules are part of the ETF’s EdTech strategy to provide training covering all aspects of the DTPF. You can access them at enhance.etfoundation.co.uk

PETROC COLLEGE BECOMES A SET CORPORATE PARTNER Petroc College is the latest FE provider to become a corporate partner of SET. Up to 300 teaching staff at the college will join SET, the only professional membership body dedicated to teachers and trainers working in FE. They will benefit from a range of development opportunities including access to

exclusive content, research, webinars, events and discounts.

Sheena Murphy-Collett, Petroc’s director of HR and organisational development, said: “SET membership will provide a hugely beneficial resource to staff.” As members, they can study for Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills (QTLS) and Advanced Teacher Status (ATS).

Read more at set.et-foundation.co.uk/ membership/set-corporate-partners

THE ETF PUBLISHES 2019-20 PUBLIC BENEFIT REPORT The ETF has released its Public Benefit Report for the 2019-20 financial year. Using statistics and case studies, the report shows the impact made e by the foundation’s CPD programmes and membership body, SET, in the sector.

Part of the ETF’s role is to design and deliver CPD for teachers, leaders and trainers to support government policy and meet sector needs. The report includes case studies on the Centres for Excellence in Maths programme, the Practitioner Research Programme and the Outstanding Teaching Learning and Assessment࣢scheme.

The report is available to download at et-foundation.co.uk/governance/documents

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SECTOR UPDATE SU TO ETF NBSCRIBE EWSLETT Receiv e

FE SECTOR CELEBRATED IN NEW YEAR HONOURS LIST The ETF warmly congratulates the 30࣢people from the sector recognised in the 2021 New Year Honours list.

Further education commissioner Richard Atkins received a knighthood, Department for Education (DfE) non-executive board member Irene Lucas was awarded a damehood and Exeter College principal John Laramy was given a CBE. Twelve people were awarded OBEs, 13 MBEs and two the British Empire Medal.

See the full list of those recognised at et-foundation.co.uk/news/etf-congratulatesthose-recognised-in-2021-new-year-honours

NEW PROGRAMME FOR COLLEGE GOVERNANCE PROFESSIONALS A new development programme for those on FE and sixth-form college governing bodies has been launched.

Delivered on behalf of the ETF by the Association of Colleges (AoC), it features two strands. The Governance Professionals’ induction and mentoring scheme is for those who have been in the role for 18࣢months or less. It offers guidance on the role of governance in the FE sector and what is expected of them. It allows for sharing of best practice and recognises the variety of skills that newcomers bring to the role.

The intermediate-level programme, on the technical aspects of the job, is for more experienced governance professionals. It will address topics such as the role of governance in oversight of curriculum strategy and quality standards, finance and audit, and equality, diversity and inclusion.

The programme is funded by the DfE. Find out more at leadershiphub.etfoundation.co.uk

NEW ETF CPD COURSES FOR APPRENTICESHIP STAFF A series of free online CPD courses has been launched to support staff who deliver apprenticeships.

The ETF’s Apprenticeship Workforce Development (AWD) provides trainers and leaders with the teaching skills, subject knowledge and confidence

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regula r upda the ET tes fro F on n m ew an CPD c du ourses and re pdated well as source selecte s as d topic areas.

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they need. Eight courses will be available through the ETF’s Professional Development Platform.

Fully funded by the DfE, they allow trainers to undertake them at a time that suits࣢them.

David Russell, chief executive of the ETF, said: “Apprentices will play a vital role in helping our nation and economy to recover from some of the biggest global disruptions in recent history.

Our offer will upskill and train those who deliver apprenticeships, helping them to excel. We encourage anyone involved in them to take advantage.”

Read more about the AWD offer on the ETF website. Courses at pdp.etfoundation.co.uk

TIME TO APPLY FOR ATS The Advanced Teacher Status (ATS) application window opens on 1 April and closes on 31 August. ATS is the badge of advanced professionalism and mastery in FE and training.

Launched in 2017, it is a professional status conferred by the ETF through SET. It helps teachers and trainers to transform their practice and offers them opportunities to present research and influence real change in their organisations. s and a For more information on the benefits eligibility to apply for ATS, visit set.etfoundation.co.uk/professionalism/ats

SET PUBLISHES SPECIAL EDITION OF INTUITION In February, SET published its 2020-21 Membership Review, a special edition of inTuition showcasing notable achievements ts of the past 12 months.

Alongside highlights, the review w covers some of the benefits SET members have access to, as welll as how the society has worked with ih leading members of the FE community to help raise standards and provide vital resources for practitioners.

NEWS

NEWSINNUMBERS

35

The number of proposed reforms to the FE sector outlined in the government’s Skills for Jobs White Paper, including proposals to support “outstanding teaching”

48%

The fall in the number of people taking part in community learning between August and October 2020, according to the Department for Education (DfE)

91,000 The number of people starting an apprenticeship in England between August and October 2020, down 28 per cent on the previous year, DfE figures show

£135m The capital fund available for colleges and training a avai providers to upgrade facilities in the prov p tthird wave of the T Level roll-out

£4.6bn The amount the Learning and Work Institute argues needs to be invested to ensure three in four young people gain a Level 3 qualification by age 25

Read the 2020-21 Membership Review at set.et-foundation.co.uk/publications/intuition

SPRING 2021 INTUITION 7

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OPINION

DAVID RUSSELL

F E W H I T E PA P E R

Firm foundation The government’s long-awaited White Paper on further education has finally landed, and offers real hope of creating a system that works for teachers, learners and employers, says David Russell he dust has settled, the trumpet fanfare has faded away. The media spotlight has moved on and the commentators are already finding new topics for their hot takes. The great minds of Whitehall have turned to future plans; in fact they did many weeks ago. But for teachers and other professionals working in further education (FE), the White Paper – Skills for Jobs – is something we need to start thinking about, not stop thinking about.

So, what should we think?

You have probably not had a chance to read this document. You may have read some press coverage, maybe an opinion piece or two. But all good historians know not to rely solely on secondary sources. The actual document can be found on the government’s website but for your convenience, as a SET member, here is the gist of it.

The central theme is the creation of an FE system that meets the country’s skills needs. At least as important as the theme is the tone. The tone of this government paper is supportive and developmental, not critical or denigrating of the FE system and those who power it – the teachers.

We were promised the paper would be ‘revolutionary’, but actually it’s better than that. The last thing FE in England needs is more of the permanent revolution that has dogged it for decades.

Instead, there are sensible suggestions that build on where we are, and the few timescales that are mentioned are aimed at the more

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credible end of the spectrum. The most noticeable ‘baubles’ – concrete policies – are the Local Skills Improvement Plans and the Lifetime Skills Guarantee.

The former is a new mechanism for helping employers come together and shape the FE provision in an area; the latter is a commitment to fund adult learning better, but only at higher levels and in certain subjects. Both are positive, developmental policies that should help skew public funds towards getting the most valuable education and training happening more of the time.

A second theme that comes through is the centrality of FE colleges to the government’s vision. There is a short section on independent training providers (ITPs) that is complimentary and supportive, but it positions them very much as sweeping up and filling in – playing a valuable role, but as second fiddle to colleges. This is a clear retreat from the ‘level playing field’ competition-led approach that has been promoted at times in the past, though colleagues in ITPs might fairly

THE 2021 WHITE PAPER IS A VERY POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT FOR THE SECTOR AND ALL WHO WORK IN IT

say this was always honoured more in the breach than in the observance.

And adult education institutions – those magic-weaving, high-quality, locally rooted creators of huge social value – barely merit a mention, sadly.

But it’s hard to see how the White Paper’s ambitions can be fulfilled without a healthy ITP and adult education landscape. ITPs often excel in speed and flexibility of response to employer need; and adult community learning (ACL) providers have the rootedness in local labour markets and communities that the White Paper values so greatly.

The third theme – and to my mind the most significant – is a new and very welcome recognition of the vital role of people in making the FE system work. There is a whole chapter (one of only five) dedicated to ‘Outstanding Teaching’. It takes seriously the three key challenges of recruitment, training, and development in our sector. The missing fourth leg of the stool is reward; the promised investment in teacher pay must wait yet again.

In the chapter on Outstanding Teaching, we see many positive ideas and commitments, very much building on the work of the Education and Training Foundation (ETF) and of SET. There is promise of a national recruitment campaign for FE teachers, and an enhanced advice service, building on the great site and professional helpline the ETF has run (see feadvice.org.uk).

There are ideas for the improvement of initial teacher training, which stop short of regulation but recognise that government has a responsibility to help ensure those who enter FE teaching get first-rate initial training and induction. SET has a big role play to here, and we are working on how to join the dots of the Professional Standards, Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills (QTLS) status, Advanced Teacher Status (ATS) and innovative ETF programmes such as Talent to Teach to recreate the career pathways into and through FE teaching that have become overgrown and all but lost in recent years.

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MEL LENEHAN

There is a commitment to grow the ETF’s Taking Teaching Further programme, which has brought hundreds of experienced professionals from industry into hard-to-fill vacancies in the sector, and helped them successfully make the transition to new careers in teaching.

There is a new programme to be launched – Workforce Industry Exchange – which clearly draws on the learning from previous ETF projects. There is a continuing commitment to the ETF’s T Levels Professional Development programme, and the announcement of a new Apprenticeships Workforce Development Programme, which the ETF launched in late January with the publication of the White Paper.

More broadly, there is a commitment to support more professional development in the sector, and a commitment to support high-quality CPD, which is at the heart of the mission of SET and the ETF. And, last but by no means least, the chapter announces a new mandatory workforce data survey, which will give a solid basis for action in enhancing the diversity of our teachers and leaders.

This is a whistle-stop tour of the White Paper, which includes many other positive commitments, including on collaboration, improving college governance, on building on the ETF’s Centres for Excellence in Maths, and many other areas.

FE doesn’t often get a White Paper all to itself, and when it does, it may spell more risk than opportunity.

However, this one is to be warmly welcomed. The 2021 White Paper is a very positive development for the sector and all who work in it. If it is followed up next year by significant investment, it truly will spell a new era of success for our amazing sector.

DAVID RUSSELL

is chief executive of the Education and Training Foundation

OPINION

E D U C AT I O N F O R S U S TA I N A B L E D E V E L O P M E N T

Time for action The events of the past year have shown the need to act to help improve our relationship with the planet. It’s time the sector pulled together to become part of the solution, says Mel Lenehan he time has come for our sector to act on the climate and ecological emergency.

Our commitment to social justice needs reconfiguring to include planetary justice. The enormity of the challenge can seem overwhelming – as educators, we have a duty to work out what our role is in facing it.

Raymond Williams said: “In times of change, people turn to learning to understand what is going on, to adapt to it and to shape the change.” Williams understood the importance of adult community education in providing spaces for dialogue, for sharing knowledge and finding solutions.

This has to be a collective endeavour that involves all parts of the FE sector.

Our next generation of hairdressers, electricians and construction workers will have to adapt to deal with the impacts of the climate crisis. We have to help them prepare them for that.

Climate action can be reduced to a discussion about emissions and recycling. At Fircroft College in Birmingham, we’ve taken a wholecollege approach with students, staff and governors all involved.

Our commitment is stated publicly in our declaration of a climate and ecological emergency. I urge all colleges to do the same.

In a recent staff survey, 88 per cent said they were interested in climate change action, and 80 per cent thought sustainability should be at the heart of the college’s vision. Some 92 per cent felt that action should be a cross-college approach and 20 per cent

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wanted to be actively involved in our cross-college group.

Focusing on this has given us hope and positivity during the pandemic.

We used the lockdowns to change our catering and now have a plant-based menu that is 85 per cent vegan and based on seasonal, local produce.

We’ve developed new courses and are participating in the Global Goals Teach-In. We want to ensure that when we are physically back we make the best use of outside spaces.

Many colleges will be doing similar things. Let’s share what works – our curriculum developments, our staff CPD, our actions to cut emissions and improve our estates. I hope our collective experience will help us better understand the delicate balance between humans and our planet. We’ve learnt that change can happen quickly if we need it to.

Education goes beyond skills acquisition – it feeds our imaginations, raises our ambitions and gives hope. At the heart of our actions has to be our students. I’m hopeful when I see their passion and activism – they are envisioning a different future. In the words of environmental writer Rob Hopkins: “If we can’t imagine a better future, no one will want to get involved.”

MEL LENEHAN

is principal and CEO of Fircroft College of Adult Education

SPRING 2021 INTUITION 9

OPINION

DAN WILLIAMS

SKILL DEFINITION

What’s in a word?

The word ‘skills’ has become so broad as to render it almost meaningless. This is a problem for those expected to teach them, says Dan Williams he term ‘skill’ is ubiquitous in further education speak. But have you ever stopped to notice how it is used and the way that, sometimes, the most random things become associated with ‘skills’?

I once worked at a college that had a 16-point employability skills framework, which staff were encouraged to embed into their planning and teaching. It contained confidence, resilience and flexibility, in addition to the more commonly found problem-solving and communication skills. I could never quite fathom why things such as confidence were viewed as skills. Sure, these things are important, but are they ‘skills’?

I can’t have been the only one who struggled with this. While I observed many teachers complying with the agenda by adding the different ‘skills’ to their schemes of work, it wasn’t clear how the learners were actually developing them.

This experience was the foundation of my current PhD study, a distaste for the ambiguity and incoherence of the

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YOU ONLY HAVE TO DO A QUICK GOOGLE SEARCH OF ‘SKILL’ TO FIND THAT IT IS BEREFT OF A CLEAR AND CONSISTENT DEFINITION

term. You only have to do a quick Google search of ‘skill’ to find that it is bereft of a clear and consistent definition of the term. For example, it is used to describe practical motor skills such as the ability to bore a hole in wood. At the same time, it is used to describe generic skills such as the ability to solve problems, social skills such as working in a team and, on occasion, even murkier areas such as showing empathy.

It is evident in skills policy that employers are driving the agenda, with many voicing concerns about the lack of work readiness and core, nontechnical skills of young people (Youth Employment UK, 2017; CBI/Pearson, 2019; World Economic Forum, 2020).

The priorities include things such as teamwork, leadership, problem-solving, communication, critical thinking and creativity – but this is nothing new. We have seen numerous iterations of these ‘skills’, and more, under the various banners of employability, core, key, 21st-century, social, soft, generic and transferable skills. See the issue yet?

‘Skill’ is seriously confused… and so am I. Now, there are many directions I could take this article in but I’d like to focus on the idea of skills being generic and transferable. There is no doubt that some things are transferable, such as literacy or mental arithmetic. These can be isolated and trained for. According to Chris Winch in Dimensions of Expertise: A Conceptual Exploration of Vocational Knowledge (2010), for a skill to truly be generic, it hinges on two principles.

First, it needs to be immediately applicable to a range of tasks. For example, having a generic skill of

problem-solving would mean that the mechanic who can diagnose and fix an issue with a car’s gearbox would immediately be able to transfer this skill to diagnose and repair a fault on a computer. The skill of problem-solving is not a codified process and, therefore, the two distinctly different circumstances require one to follow a different process to work towards a solution.

Second, the skill would need to be applied to a new task without significant knowledge or additional skills. If a generic skill requires extra knowledge and skills then it is incomplete. The mechanic undoubtedly requires a different body of knowledge to be able to solve problems with a computer. While the practical skills of replacing a part might be quite similar (such as using a tool to replace nuts and bolts), arguably this is a physical skill rather than the generic skill of problem-solving.

I am not suggesting that some individuals haven’t got a knack for solving problems, or that problem-solving isn’t a really important skill to have and develop.

My issue is that problem-solving, like many of the non-technical skills sought by employers, is arguably not generic at all. Just because someone is good at doing X in a particular situation, it does not necessarily mean that there is a skill of ‘X-ing’ that can be isolated, trained for and applied to a range of situations.

X may just be a highly context-dependent skill that cannot be taught, or learnt, independent of that context.

When faced with things that are ambiguous, it is our imperative to question them. For me, shining a torch on the notion of ‘skill’ and seeking clarity on how it differs from knowledge, behaviours, attitudes and traits is important in discerning what we, as teachers, can influence in our practice. If we can’t agree on what skills are, how the devil will we agree on how to teach them?

DAN WILLIAMS is programme leader of post-14 initial teacher education and a PhD candidate at the University of Derby

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AWARDING QUALIFICATIONS

INSIGHT

Just reward College closures and exam cancellations have led to consideration on how to award vocational and technical qualifications this year. Different qualifications and subjects will require different approaches, says Claire Gill ualifications matter to all of us. As an FE professional, you’ll have worked hard to gain the knowledge and demonstrate the skills that enable you to do what you do. Your qualification is evidence of that. And qualifications matter to your students, too. They are a goal for them to focus on; they are a rigorous and fair assessment, confirmation of what they have learnt and can do.

But teaching and learning has been disrupted. It has had to happen in different ways, in different places, and at different times. You have all worked extraordinarily hard to keep your learners engaged, and have been flexible in adapting how you teach and assess to enable it to continue. However, for many learners, the assessments that they have worked so hard for cannot take place, and it’s clear how disappointed they feel. It is important that we swiftly put in place arrangements for the assessment and awarding of vocational and technical qualifications in 2021.

Those arrangements need to be right for the circumstances this year, which are different from where we were in 2020.

And they need to remain fair and rigorous.

The closure of colleges and the cancellation of exams was announced in January 2021. Two weeks later, alongside the Department for Education, we released our joint consultation on the alternative arrangements needed for awarding vocational and technical qualifications this summer. There were more than 3,000 responses, most coming from professionals, colleges and providers across the sector. Thank you for

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responding, particularly when your time has been more pressured than ever.

One clear message coming through is that assessment and awarding needs to be as fair as it possibly can. What you think of as fair will vary. It will be influenced by your experience of the pandemic and the disruption it has caused to you and your learners. It will depend on the types of qualifications and assessment involved. Some vocational and technical qualifications are relatively similar to GCSEs and A Levels in their nature and delivery. They follow a traditional academic year, are taught mainly in schools and colleges, enable progression to higher and further education and don’t include any assessment of occupational competence.

Students of these may well have had similar experiences of disruption and lost learning to their peers taking GCSEs and A Levels. Similar arrangements to those for GCSEs and A Levels, such as cancelling exams, would help to give students a sense of fairness, but that arrangement may not be suitable for other vocational or technical qualifications, and may not be perceived as fair by other learners.

That takes us to another point coming through from the consultation and from many stakeholders and representative organisations, too. There is no firm agreement on the right thing to do. That’s probably not surprising given that the past 12 months have been different for each of us, and the diversity of qualifications and assessment methods.

Let’s consider those qualifications that are also used for progression into education and employment but don’t share as many characteristics with GCSEs and A Levels.

They are shorter, taught by many types of providers, with assessments available for learners to take when they need; Functional Skills and ESOL Skills for Life are examples here. Demonstrating proficiency in these skills is hugely important for learners and there has been much debate about the right way forward. One option is to continue to provide a range of ways for assessments to be taken, where learners are both prepared for the assessment and can safely access it, be that online or in a physical setting.

Another is that awarding organisations provide other ways for grades to be awarded, in line with Ofqual’s regulations.

Other vocational and technical qualifications will need arrangements that best suit their nature, purpose and design.

For some qualifications, particularly those that signal licence to practise or attest to occupational competencies, that may mean the fairest way forward is for assessment to be delayed until there is a safe, viable opportunity for students to demonstrate their proficiency.

As we move towards finalising arrangements, it remains vital students continue to gain the knowledge, skills and understanding they need. This will equip them to progress to their next step.

It’s what will enable them to be awarded qualifications that reflect their competency and achievements. Their qualification should be evidence of that.

CLAIRE GILL is director, VTQ strategic relationships, at Ofqual

This article was written after the closure of the consultation on alternative arrangements for vocational and technical qualifications this summer, but before decisions were announced

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ADVICE

UNDERSTANDING AUTISM

Positive

impact Everyone on the autism spectrum will have their own support needs but understanding the condition will help educators to provide the right help, reports Joe Fautley

or many autistic people, like me, the world we live in is often unpredictable and confusing. We find it difficult to process information at a fast pace. Although everyone on the autism spectrum is unique and has varying levels of support needs, we all face many challenges with communicating and interacting with others; managing sensory processing and fatigue; coping with often extreme anxiety; and adapting to changes in routine and unfamiliar environments.

It’s helpful to view the autism spectrum through four key areas of difference: understanding and using language; thinking flexibly; understanding and getting on with others; and sensory processing. All autistic people are affected by these areas to a greater or lesser extent.

It is paramount that staff have the tools to support autistic people.

With the right help from people who take the time to understand our needs, we have great potential to succeed. The following tips will help you with teaching autistic learners.

F

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UNDERSTANDING AUTISM

1

DON’T UNDERESTIMATE ANXIETY

DON’T FORGET

Anxiety is a powerful emotion and AUTISTIC FATIGUE should never be underestimated.

Fatigue, and then Personally, I encounter anxiety subsequent burnout, on a daily basis and this has an impact can happen to anybody. on my everyday life. Autistic people Autistic people, however, can are more likely to experience higher find both more challenging levels of anxiety daily as they have owing to the pressures of to navigate a complicated and often everyday life, having to confusing sensory and social world. navigate social situations and Anxiety can be triggered by a sensory overload. variety of factors, which include Trying to cope with difficulties with communication and these pressures can lead to social interactions and finding it exhaustion (autistic fatigue) hard to predict or adapt to certain and over time this can lead sensory situations. For me, extreme to autistic burnout. For me, anxiety often leads to what I call managing fatigue can be a ‘zoning out’ – a coping mechanism of difficult process especially the brain for dealing with stress that makes me switch off from what is happening around me.

It’s important for autistic learners to have access to a dedicated quiet space where they can de-stress.

Having a ‘time out card’ to alert staff that they need to have some time out of the room when their anxiety increases is a useful idea.

Not all autistic people may be able to speak or articulate how they are feeling when their anxiety becomes too high. Make the most of visual tools such as alert cards to describe different emotions.

IK ON IM A GE S

GIVE TIME TO PROCESS INFORMATION Autistic people have difficulties with interpreting both verbal and non-verbal language such as gestures or tone of voice. We also find it hard to ‘read’ other people – recognising or understanding others’ feelings and intentions – and express our own emotions.

It’s essential that you give plenty of time for your autistic learners to process information.

We find it difficult to filter out all of what is being said to us. If there is too much information this can lead to sensory overload.

It’s important to be aware of the sensory environment when you are speaking to your learners as sensory differences may be affecting how much someone can process. For example, is it too crowded? Is there lots of background noise? When giving information to learners, it helps to speak slowly, not ask too many questions at once and pause between words and phrases to give them time to process what you’ve said and allow them a chance to think of a response.

ADVICE

when I have had a stressful day. Extreme fatigue can be caused by a range of factors including sensory overload and dealing with social situations.

To support your autistic learners, it helps to allow time for rest breaks and encourage different ways for them to de-stress, including breathing exercises and mindfulness.

Ensuring time for activities or interests that re-energise and promote relaxation is key.

You can help them to plan and balance their activities and energy over a day or week to try to manage stress limits.

4

AVOID MAKING ASSUMPTIONS

An autistic learner who is intelligent may still have significant needs that affect their daily life. No one person is the same so take time to listen and find out what reasonable adjustments they might need.

Understanding what works best for your learners as individuals is essential. For example, an adjustment could be to enable them to leave the room slightly earlier so they can avoid the crowds.

Small changes to your environment can make a big difference.

JOE FAUTLEY is an associate trainer with lived experience of autism and dyspraxia who co-delivers professional training sessions for the National Children’s Bureau

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INTERVIEW

JUSTINE GREENING

ILITY SOCIAL MOB

P U g n i l Level

Equality of opportunity was a key theme for Justine Greening during her time as education secretary, and was the driving force behind her setting up the Social Mobility Pledge. In an exclusive interview, she talks about her time in government and why social mobility is now more important than ever

BY NICK MARTINDALE ustine Greening is best known to many in the further education (FE) sector as the former secretary of state for education, a position she held in Theresa May’s government from 2016 to 2018. Significantly, in doing so she became the first education secretary to have gone to a state school, itself a damning indictment of the way in which an individual’s life chances can be dictated by their social background.

Greening was born and brought up in Rotherham, taking her A Levels at her local sixth form college after leaving school. She trained as an accountant and worked in business for a few years, before she found herself drawn into the world of politics, at least partly down to a desire to improve social mobility – something that would become a defining strand of her career.

“I gradually got more involved in my local community and ended up becoming a councillor and enjoyed that, and then started to think about standing for Parliament,” she recalls. “I just felt that people needed and deserved to be listened to, and I wanted to make a difference in my community. I believe

J

people can make a difference and that the more you unlock their potential, the more of a difference they can make in their own lives and other people’s.”

After winning the seat of Putney for the Conservatives in 2005, Greening would go on to hold a number of key posts, including economic secretary to the Treasury, transport secretary and international development secretary.

VITAL INFO FAVOURITE DRINK Gin and tonic

DOG OR CAT

Impossible question! Both

HOLIDAY

Walking in Pembrokeshire

FOOD

Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding

TV SHOW

Peter Kay’s Car Share

But it was her time as education secretary that she sees as the highlight of her time in government, describing it as “the best job I ever had”.

“It’s hard to say there’s a lot I would have done differently,” she says. “I felt I was able, for the first time, to really get the prime minister and chancellor onboard in relation to the FE and vocational education agenda. I remember a Cabinet committee meeting chaired by the prime minister; the chancellor was there as well. I was explaining why it was so important that this part of the education system had the investment and focus to help young people succeed.

“I saw the penny drop with them that the school system wasn’t going to be enough to tackle what Theresa May called the ‘burning injustices agenda’. My regret was that I didn’t have more time in that role to use the momentum that

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JUSTINE GREENING

INTERVIEW

I BELIEVE PEOPLE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE, AND THAT THE MORE YOU UNLOCK THEIR POTENTIAL THE MORE OF A DIFFERENCE THEY CAN MAKE

we had picked up on the social mobility agenda, and the focus on FE in particular that was central to that overall strategy.”

Making an impact Greening believes she had a constructive relationship with the teaching profession and highlights some measures of which she’s particularly proud. Top was the creation of ‘social mobility opportunity areas’, which saw targeted funding to

link schools and employers in areas with weak social mobility. “They’re all still going and what struck me was how motivated those schemes were on the ground,” she says. “Even though I left the department, they had become so bedded down that they were able to keep on working, which was the ultimate test.”

She cites the Scarborough opportunity area, which later became the North Yorkshire coast scheme, where a focus on

teacher recruitment saw schools in the local area fill all posts for the first time last September. “When you have one team working together, from the Department for Education to teachers on the ground, and bringing in other actors at a local level like businesses, universities and the wider education sector, it can make a real difference,” she says.

She also highlights the emphasis on career development for teachers, in response to a trend for them to leave the sector. “It seemed to me that there were some brilliant people who went into the profession, and the more we could do to help them develop and grow into their role – and, crucially, not to leave – the better,” she says. “If you improve a teacher’s ability to be the very best version of themselves then they do a much better job and have better career, and that’s crucial for people’s education.”

Greening believes an education strategy needs a longer-term approach, rather than different secretaries and governments having their own agendas.

“There probably is too much change in the personnel but what that role really needs is a longevity of strategy, and one that isn’t just focused on one change in the system,” she says. “It needs a holistic and comprehensive approach that has at its heart a clear sense of what we’re trying to accomplish, which, in my mind, should be social mobility and levelling up, and providing equality of opportunity through giving young people the best possible start in life. Maybe if we had

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INTERVIEW

JUSTINE GREENING

Promoting social mobility for young people was a key priority for Greening when education secretary

more of a cross-party approach then whoever was in that secretary of state role would be able to get further faster.”

PA

Social Mobility Pledge After a stint on the backbenches, Greening announced she would not re-stand for Parliament in the December 2019 election, having earlier lost the whip after voting against Boris Johnson’s no-deal Brexit. Leaving politics enabled her to refocus on her passion of ensuring equality of opportunity, and she set up the Social Mobility Pledge alongside entrepreneur David Harrison.

The concept is simple: to build a coalition of businesses, universities and other education providers to commit to broadening their base when it comes to developing talent and recruitment. “I felt we had a plan in place on how to close the gap in education but there wasn’t much of a plan for closing the gap that opens up for people after they have left education,” she explains. “Britain is still too much about connections and not enough about competence. I wanted to encourage companies to think strategically about how they could spread the opportunities they had into wider talent pools, which I felt they were missing out on.”

More than 500 businesses employing more than five million people have signed up, as well as over 50 universities with

more than two million students. “We’ve really shifted the dial on businesses’ attitudes to social mobility,” she says. “When we first started, there were some companies that understood that levelling up mattered; now most businesses are in a very different place. Companies have changed their recruitment practices and are thinking differently about how they need to work with local schools.”

Greening is keen to bring FE colleges into the scheme. “We encourage businesses to look at apprenticeships, and many of them might work in sectors such as utilities or construction, so we’re asking them to think about where those apprentices come from, and whether they can focus on working in communities that are perhaps more social mobility cold spots than others,” she says. “Many universities we work with want to have brilliant partnerships with their local colleges, so it would be great if colleges became part of the Pledge.”

of the solution to make sure equality of opportunity isn’t disrupted for those in communities that maybe they had not seen enough when times were good.”

To help with this, Greening has launched the C-19 Business Pledge, where companies commit to offer support to employees and their local communities. “When the first lockdown happened, we were conscious that we had a network of hundreds of businesses that we could mobilise,” she says.

The initiative saw construction firms donating PPE to the NHS, businesses donating laptops for home learning and lawyers working for free for those who were struggling. “For a lot of those companies it was a watershed moment,” she says. “They got amazing feedback from the communities they were helping and it has inspired them to think about where they fit into how we level up Britain.”

Outside of work, like many of us, Greening has been spending plenty of time outdoors, including walking her dog, Cooper. “I’m a big outdoors person and love gardening so for me the happiest times are when I’m outside,” she says. “I love it because however challenging other things are, it shows there are some constants you can rely on.”

Still, the focus for Greening going forward remains her passion for social mobility. “One of the reasons I left Cabinet was to work more broadly across Parliament as well as with businesses, to make the case that this should be right at the top of the agenda, and that Britain isn’t going to be successful unless we allow everybody the same chance to get on in life,” she says.

“I feel as if I have managed to achieve that; the key now is actually delivering on some of those promises that have been made to the wider country about levelling up. FE is going to be right at the centre of that.”

BRITAIN IS STILL TOO MUCH ABOUT CONNECTIONS AND NOT ENOUGH ABOUT COMPETENCE

Confronting Covid-19 The need to level up has become even more important in the wake of Covid-19.

“It has made all of those inequalities wider, so the challenge has got bigger and more urgent,” Greening says. “But it has also forced businesses to confront the fact that they’re part of a much wider community. The ones that have done that successfully are conscious of the fact that, as the economy gets tougher, they’re part

NICK MARTINDALE is editor of inTuition

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CAREER DEVELOPMENT

FEATURE

Six steps to

a new role The events of the past year may leave many in the FE sector keen to look for a new opportunity.

Jo Faragher outlines a few tips that should stand you in good stead for that next move he dramatic changes to education delivery ushered in by the Covid-19 crisis have challenged FE professionals across the board. But that should not mean putting career ambitions on hold; there are many ways in which practitioners can give their careers a boost in this fast-changing climate. Whether you’re looking for a sideways move into a new field of teaching, a change in setting or hoping to move into management or a different part of the sector, here are six strategies to consider.

T

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FEATURE

1

CAREER DEVELOPMENT

Set your sights on succession

If you’re keen on a career move, a great start is to discuss your ambitions with senior leaders at your existing provider. Toni Rhodes, vice-principal of quality at Barnsley College, has made it her mission to improve professional development opportunities for staff. “We work hard to provide each individual with the skills and resources that they need to take the next step,” she says. “It’s important to be forward-thinking in this regard, empowering employees early on, so they can succeed in their next role. By supporting our best talent in this way, they remain challenged and feel valued, which has a positive impact on staff retention and gives us a robust succession plan.”

A core part of this is SET membership, which she expects more teaching staff to take up this year. “Our corporate partnership with SET is aligned with our strategic vision of ‘Transforming Lives’ which supports our teachers to reach their full potential. So far, 130 have joined the community,” she adds.

Career progression opportunities available from SET can support teachers in non-school settings to acquire equivalent recognition as teachers in schools – for example, by acquiring Advanced Teacher Status (ATS) or Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills (QTLS) status.

GE T T Y

2

PROVIDERS CAN SPOT A GENERIC DOCUMENT THAT HAS BEEN SENT TO A LARGE HANDFUL OF PEOPLE

Prepare for T Levels

One of the biggest changes on the horizon for FE professionals in 2021 will be the start of T Level courses.

While selected colleges offer a limited number of subjects already, a further seven will be available from September.

“The structure of courses will change, with a greater emphasis on the number of hours learners have outside the classroom,” says Andrew Dowell, head of professional status at the Education and Training Foundation (ETF). To prepare for this, key areas for skills development will be in relationship building, for helping learners to establish industry placements, and resilience. Dowell adds: “The Professional Development Platform, recently released by the ETF, has a great training needs analysis system that will help to identify areas to focus on.”

3

Boost your digital skills

2020 was undoubtedly a crash course in online learning as most FE professionals were forced to “go virtual”, and it’s likely there will be an increased need and appetite for blended learning in the longer term.

“The pandemic brought about the need for a widespread digital upskill across the education sector, therefore practitioners must continually develop their abilities on basic tools such as Google Docs and Google Slides, but also more complex learning tools and pedagogical approaches to enhance engagement and make learning more active as part of a blended learning

model,” says Natasha Armitage-Evans, head of teaching, learning and assessment for Luminate Education Group.

“Enhancing digital learning skills needs to be a top priority for FE professionals. It’s vital for them to develop a strong understanding of their digital capabilities, knowledge and grasp of technology, to enhance learning both in the classroom and online.”

4

Know your Zoom from your Google

Consecutive lockdowns and the shift to virtual learning “brings with it a whole new skill-set that FE professionals need to rely on”, according

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CAREER DEVELOPMENT

to Paul Matthias, national director for recruiter Hays Education. “Confidence using technology and software such as Microsoft Teams and Zoom will be key.”

If you’re seeking a new role in the current climate, leaders will want to know about your experience of these platforms, so aim to make this as broad as possible.

Dowell says a good place to start is the technology environment your prospective employer operates in. “Most settings are Microsoft or Google-based, or a blend of the two. Look at what those systems offer in terms of CPD,” he advises.

Both Microsoft and Google platforms have the option of becoming a certified educator, which could prove a point of difference when applying for a role (Barnsley College has 384 people qualified as Microsoft Innovative Educators, Rhodes says). The ETF Enhance Digital Teaching Platform also has some great CPD.

5

Personalise your CPD

“Personalised, ongoing continuing professional development is a key area that FE professionals should explore,” Armitage-Evans says. The move to increased remote learning means practitioners may be more able to fit in career-boosting learning around their work and fill in any development gaps through online courses.

A number of training companies offer courses for free, while recruiters such as Protocol and Engage Education have partnerships with learning providers.

Georgia Price, teacher training lead at Engage Education, argues that it’s essential for FE professionals to seek out CPD that will be valuable for the next stage in their career. “Our partnership and development team can point you in the direction of CPD opportunities for everyone from trainees to senior leaders,” she says. The company has teamed up with course provider Creative Education to offer candidates free access to its library of training resources.

Areas for development could range from dealing with challenging behaviour to tips on managing a team or specialising in an area such as SEND. “Lots of webinars have been taking place recently in place of regular CPD courses

you may attend,” says a spokesperson for Protocol Education. These are usually delivered via a live PowerPoint show with a host and are often recorded for access after. The Open University offers a number of free courses in subjects such as health and psychology and education and development.

Depending on commitments, it may be possible to gain experience in a related field, such as covering for a colleague or taking on an extra part-time role in a different part of the FE sector. With many providers overstretched, any offer of assistance may be well received and help you to show that you’re serious.

6

Brush up your CV

“A concise CV is essential,” Price advises. “Include lots of white space to make it easy to read. List your achievements in each of your previous roles and any relevant volunteering.

Your transferable skills will be vital when making applications. It can help to ask a close friend or family member to list what

FEATURE

they think your skills are and match them to specific experiences in your CV.” Tailoring your CV is crucial. “Providers can spot a generic document that has been sent to a large handful of people and will likely discount it even if it represents a strong candidate,” Matthias warns.

He recommends a structure of a brief opening statement, work experience, education history and hobbies, but there are other ways to stand out.

“Teachers have had to deal with huge changes to their profession as a result of the pandemic, so highlighting an ability to be flexible and adaptable will spark an employer’s interest,” he says. “A quality that education employers like to see is resourcefulness. Even if it’s in a nonteaching role, highlighting your ability to be creative with your materials will get you noticed.” Lastly, don’t be afraid to include personal interests as this can provide a rounder sense of who you are.

JO FARAGHER is a freelance journalist and former editor of TES Magazine

SKILLS

TECHNICAL TEACHING There are already chronic skill shortages in the UK in areas such as engineering, construction, health and social care. STEM and higher-technical skills are in demand as employers struggle to recruit technicians and professionals to meet the challenges of building the green economy and addressing the health and care needs of an ageing population.

At the same time, many people will find themselves having to upskill and retrain as a result of Covid-19. They may have technical skills that would make them suited to a career in FE technical teaching.

Boosting technical skills is dependent on high-quality technical teaching and learning experiences, with teachers and employers working together to set standards and deliver

education and training that is fit for purpose. The following links contain more details about the ETF’s Technical Teacher Recruitment programmes.

SET for Teaching Success: etfoundation.co.uk/recruitment Further Forces: etfoundation.co.uk/furtherforces Taking Teaching Further: etfoundation.co.uk/takingteaching-further For technical teachers delivering T࣢Levels or apprenticeships, a range of professional development courses is available online via the ETF’s FutureLearn platform. Find out more by accessing the ETF’s new platform and registering for the TLPD bulletin: etfoundation.co.uk/tlevels etfoundation.co.uk/apprenticeships

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FEATURE

ONLINE EDUCATION

VIRTUAL

The latest national lockdown has only added to the biggest-ever experiment in remote learning. Elizabeth Holmes explores how the sector has risen to the challenge, and the longer-term implications for further education

LEARNINGS

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ONLINE EDUCATION

he global pandemic caused a monumental shift in the way teaching and learning takes place across all ages and phases. This past year of largely remote learning for many adults and young people – an enormous experiment unlike any other – has necessitated the acquisition of new skills to be learned and applied at a rapid pace.

Peter Benyon, project and delivery manager for the Education and Training Foundation’s (ETF’s) Centre for Excellence in SEND at Derby College, foresaw this shift. “When we realised that most learning needed to take place off-site, we swiftly put plans in place,” he says. “We had been aware that interactive online learning was on the horizon and that we all needed to upskill rapidly to make it happen effectively.

“For learners who find change stressful, this was a particular challenge and involved new inclusive and supportive strategies being delivered remotely. It

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was also a challenge to ensure that all students had the space, internet connection and devices to access learning and activities.” This, of course, can apply to educators as much as learners.

Adapting to the times While some challenges were shared

by FE settings, others were settingspecific. Oran Blackwood, head of sixth form and special education needs co-ordinator (SENCo) at ELATT, says that as a charity training provider, there are key differences compared with other college settings. “We mainly offer adult provision although we have young students, too,” he says. “We do a lot of specialist provision and our remote learning has evolved over time.

FEATURE

“We could see the March 2020 lockdown coming so we equipped students with laptops and trained staff so that we were prepared.

We moved all of our provision online.

However, doing live sessions became very difficult. Staff were amazing but it became exhausting for them so we put in more breaks and adapted how we ran the sessions.”

With many learners facing challenging situations in their personal lives, mental health became an important consideration for staff, so ELATT also implemented some other adjustments.

“We reduced the focus on outcomes and aimed to keep our students engaged, to keep them learning and to support their wellbeing,” Blackwood says. “We tried to do fun things in the lessons to lighten them up.”

HANDS-ON LEARNING

TAKING PRACTICAL ASSESSMENTS ONLINE Chris Fairclough, curriculum team leader, National College for Nuclear: The third lockdown came at a bad time for us. The academic year for our degrees runs from January to December so we have had students start their degrees during lockdown, which is not ideal.

We deliver a range of engineering and science degrees including applied chemistry; civil, electrical and mechanical engineering; and nuclear decommissioning, all of which require practical work to be࣢undertaken.

Students learn from setting up the equipment and by observing what is happening in terms of what they can see, smell, feel and hear. They are

also able to see the results from their own practical or experiment, which is part of the learning process of being able to spot anomalies in the data and identify issues during the practical.

For learners to get this experience remotely was going to be impossible, or so we thought.

One way of working was for learners to design the experiment and explain to the technician how to perform it. The learners are therefore involved in experimental design methodologies but also develop their written and oral communication skills.

They get to see whether their design is flawed. Can a technician follow their instruction? Could they have improved their design and instructions? They

‘WE WILL BE SHARING OUR LEARNING ACROSS THE COLLEGE’

would receive feedback from the teacher, technician and their peers.

Results are then discussed to evaluate what could have been improved.

The technicians record themselves carrying out the practical. The relevant lecturer will then either record voiceovers for the video, explaining what is happening, or they will use the video in a live lesson. This has come with challenges, including the investment in recording equipment and video-editing CPD for the technicians.

Technicians perform the practical/ experiment during a live lesson, along with the lecturer, who explains what is happening to the students.

Continuing practical work online is imperative for the development of work-based skills. We will be࣢sharing our learning across the college to see if other areas can use the same methodologies.

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FEATURE

ONLINE EDUCATION

Remote learning in a world has inherent difficulties. “Some learners are doing okay learning at home but others are finding it hard,” he says.

“We do welfare calls and will be realistic about the outcomes we can achieve under these circumstances.”

Sarah Simons, who works with the Centres for Excellence in SEND and the ETF’s Enhance Digital Teaching Platform, a free online training service, as well as running #UKFEchat, had similar experiences. “One of the negative aspects of remote learning is the lack of social opportunities,” she says. “Students are not having the ‘college experience’ at home. There is predictability and routine in face-to-face interactions, giving a sense of security. When this element is missing it affects learning as well as wellbeing.”

The challenges Benyon faced fell into three clear categories: logistical, pedagogical and inclusional.

“Logistically,” he says, “education needs to resource staff and learners with the modes, equipment, information and skills to access remote learning. Pedagogically, teaching and support staff have had to adapt their classroom practice. From an inclusion perspective, new adaptations were required, and even more emphasis on self-advocacy and understanding and implementing accessibility functions.”

PRISON LEARNING

INSIDE INFORMATION Rod Clark, chief executive, Prisoners’ Education Trust: The lack of digital provisions has been an issue in the prison system throughout the pandemic. The latest lockdown has been more severe because prisons are dealing with heavy outbreaks. Tutors are reliant on paper-based learning materials, which is not entirely satisfactory.

Some digital is better than no digital. In the few prisons where we have been able to provide digital remote learning, it has been popular and engaging. But that is in the couple of places where they have in-cell devices. It has been much harder where access to devices is in education facilities but prisoners have to stay in their accommodation blocks.

Wayout TV is an in-cell learning channel in some prisons that is

broadcast through TV, but that is only one-way communication. Our advice line for in-cell learners is popular and supports remote learners well, but that’s not a substitute for interactive teaching.

Sadly, the main lessons are negative ones about how much better learners in the community are catered for. All learners in prisons need in-cell devices. Back in November it looked as if things might be improving, but then events took a turn for the worse and this has exposed the weaknesses in the system.

We need investment in wiring and devices. A commitment to digital learning in prisons is essential.

Education in prisons helps to reduce reoffending and to support employment on release. It has a really positive effect.

‘ALL LEARNERS IN PRISONS NEED IN-CELL DEVICES’

The long view All of these challenges have long-term implications. Simons points out that as well as the disparity in technology availability, there are different levels of digital skills for teachers and for learners. “Those skills are not innate,” she explains. “We need the chance to learn and the digital divide is real. The impact of remote learning on mental health is big, too. The workload is immense and I am hearing that many full-time FE teachers are at their limits at the moment.”

Longer term, many believe widespread remote teaching could become a major part of every study programme. As Benyon explains, we may not return to a completely on-site model for all learners. “The adaptability and accessibility of online programmes is a brilliant opportunity and, although not for everyone, definitely suits some practitioners and learners better,” he says.

“Those of us working in inclusion have recognised the wide spectrum of differences in how learners learn, and prefer to learn. My hope is that this opportunity we have been given leads to even better inclusive practice and adjusted study programmes in future.”

These views are shared by Anthony Harmer, chief executive of ELATT. “For both sixth form and adult learning, I expect there to be a percentage of online learning continuing on a permanent basis,” he says. “This could have a significant impact in terms of where our students and staff live, course earnings and prices, delivery costs, and the kind of CPD and training that delivery and support staff need.”

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ONLINE EDUCATION

There is no doubt that the experiences of the past year are shaping the future.

Cerian Ayres, national head of technical education at the ETF, feels that for practical subjects hands-on learning will not be replaced. “However,” she says, “many teachers would now agree there is a need for a blended approach and they are optimistic to hear of the plans to further invest in FE workforce development. Increasing technical skills to include digital skills is ultimately dependent on high-quality teaching, training and learning experiences.”

Naturally, the focus has been on learning and learners, but there are also consequences for teaching staff. “I think a less obvious impact is on neurodiverse staff and those with learning difficulties,” Benyon says. “As the stress of parents and children in lockdown has increased, so too has the stress on key workers in education. It has changed the profession massively and practitioners have needed to change practice at a never-before-seen rate. The anxiety this has caused to this highly-reflective and often self-critical group cannot be ignored.”

Listen and learn Perhaps the most significant lesson that continues to be learnt across the sector is the ongoing need to listen to learners.

“We need to focus on what digital tasks and tools they find the most engaging and motivating,” Ayres explains. “It is important that they actively explore what the course involves and how they will learn. This helps to build a partnership approach to understanding the why, how and what in terms of use of technology in the workplace. We are preparing learners for the world of work and what that may look like in the future.”

One of the positives of moving online is that it has given some learners who are not keen on learning in person the chance to thrive. “Many have blossomed because they can control their environment,” Simons says.

This points to the fact that learners need the sector to find individualised solutions, perhaps on a greater scale than before. Benyon says: “Reasonable adjustments have become more

normalised by the events of 2020 and 2021. My hope is that this increased focus on what individual learners require to access their education from a functional, social, emotional and processing perspective will continue.”

This is echoed by Blackwood. “I have a big concern about students who are left behind because they did not engage online,” he says. “We have to find ways to help them move forward in their learning.

Our response has to be flexible.”

As the workforce continues to tackle challenges, increases in the sector’s digital capacity, capabilities, scientific and digital literacy have been the positive outcomes. Ayres cites a collaboration between the University of Exeter, Petroc College and City and Guilds that has led to the development of Simuland, a Covid-19 simulation tool that helps providers to plan for safe teaching and learning delivery. “This is a fantastic teaching resource,” she says. “For example, T Level health and science learners study infectious diseases, their transmission and prevention, and this provides real-world context and line-ofsight to current working practices.”

This seismic shift in ways of operating in FE has created opportunities for learning as well as challenges. As the sector grapples with technology and pedagogy, the skills of practitioners are developing exponentially. At a time of such uncertainty, this is deeply reassuring.

ELIZABETH HOLMES is a freelance journalist specialising in the education sector

FEATURE

FURTHER INFORMATION The ETF suggests these online resources for CPD: Digital teaching and learning framework et-foundation.co.uk/ supporting/edtechsupport/digital-skillscompetency-framework Enhance digital teaching platform enhance.etfoundation.co.uk T Level professional development et-foundation.co.uk/ supporting/professionaldevelopment/technicaleducation/t-levels Apprenticeship workforce development et-foundation.co.uk/ supporting/professionaldevelopment/technicaleducation/apprenticeships Useful free resources that promote inclusive and interactive online learning: Webinar recorded jointly by the three ETF Centres for Excellence in SEND, on supporting learners with SEND through remote learning: bit.ly/supportingSEND-webinar GoConqr flashcards, quizzes and mindmaps, and drag-and-drop cloze tasks goconqr.com ThingLink: Interactives images thinglink.com Mentimeter: Quizzes, polls, wordclouds mentimeter.com

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SECTOR FOCUS

ARTS COLLEGES

ARTISTIC LICENCE Like much of the FE sector, arts colleges have been hit by funding challenges and the Covid-19 pandemic.

But, in normal times at least, the economic and social benefit they deliver is significant, as David࣢Adams explains urther education (FE) colleges specialising in arts education face some unique challenges, often related to public and policymakers’ perceptions of the subjects studied there, such as fine arts and decorative arts; photography; graphic and digital design; drama, dance and music performance or production; TV production; and crafts such as blacksmithing.

Learners and teachers often find themselves having to justify studying

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these subjects, in terms that are sometimes applied to vocational studies, but rarely to academic subjects.

The opportunity to study in these institutions, among communities of other creative learners, should be cherished. These colleges offer a chance to develop talents and skills that may bring a lifetime of pleasure as well as a possible foundation for a career. Studying these subjects also helps people develop other extremely useful attributes, including confidence, patience and resilience. And state-funded arts colleges offer all of these opportunities to people from a diverse range of backgrounds.

“The benefits of the arts in providing vehicles for self-expression are really important,” says Beth Curtis, a lecturer who has worked in the drama and performing arts team at Exeter College (not a specialist arts college) for 12 years. “We owe it to young people to give them a broad and holistic education – to nurture the critical thinking, creative, problem-solving adults we need in society.”

It is also important to remember that the arts industries contribute £10.8 billion to the UK economy each year (before Covid-19), paying £2.8 billion to the Treasury in taxes and employing more than 364,000 people.

Changing landscape Many arts colleges have disappeared in recent years, often absorbed by other colleges or universities, as changes in education funding made it more difficult for them to function independently.

Only a handful survive, creating a postcode lottery for arts education.

Oliver Cameron-Swan is a technical demonstrator in photography and a short-course tutor at one of the surviving specialist colleges, Hereford College of Arts (HCA), which offers diplomas and extended diplomas at Levels 1 to 3 in subjects including art and design, music, performing arts, digital media and artistic blacksmithing.

He thinks the relatively small size of the college – 400 FE and 400 higher education learners – is a great positive. “It means they have a lot of time to access workshops and technical demonstrators,” he explains, although, of course, those opportunities have been limited during the past year. He also believes learners benefit greatly from working alongside other people who are all also studying creative arts.

WE’VE NEVER NEEDED MORE CREATIVITY IN OUR LIVES THAN WE DO NOW

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I A N HIP P OLY T E , T HE B R I T S C HO OL , GE T T Y

ARTS COLLEGES

Staff and learners at another arts college, the BRIT School in Croydon, are particularly proud of the mix of creative young people enrolled there, which reflects the social and ethnic diversity of its London catchment area. This is only possible because the school is state and fundraising-supported, with no feepaying students. About 20 per cent are eligible for free school meals. The school was founded in the early 1990s with public and private sector support – the latter from the British Record Industry Trust (BRIT). Alumni include Adele, Amy Winehouse and the actors Tom Holland and Blake Harrison.

The school’s principal, Stuart Worden, says learners “have their eyes open” in terms of understanding how difficult it may be to pursue a career in their chosen field, but also notes that seven out of 10 are working in the creative industries seven years after they leave the school.

The BRIT School also offers a unique community arts course for the performing arts extended diploma, for people who want to learn about working in community arts provision. The course is delivered with partners including Barnardo’s, Age UK, the Chickenshed Theatre and the Alzheimer’s Society.

Recent work included a play about the dangers of knife crime that toured London secondary schools.

Another of the arts colleges enables some of the most vulnerable people in the UK to access life-changing opportunities. Wac Arts College, based in Hampstead, north London, offers performing arts and media courses at Level 2 and Level 3, primarily to 16- to-

£10.8bn The contribution from the UK arts sector to the economy, in normal times

364,000 The number of people employed in the arts sector, pre-Covid-19

19-year-olds who have left school with few or no qualifications. Priority is given to applicants including care leavers, ex-offenders, those who have a young family, or are refugees and/or newly arrived in the UK.

Funding concerns The intertwined issues of access and funding remain major problems for all the arts colleges. Cuts to education funding during the past decade, alongside curriculum changes, have made it more difficult for young people all over the country to participate in arts education at primary and secondary school. Worden reports a clear increase in demand for the 10 per cent of places at the BRIT School available to young people who live outside Greater London.

One reason arts education is being cut back in schools and local FE colleges is because teaching many of these subjects requires expensive resources and equipment. Shortfalls in state funding mean institutions like the BRIT School need to fundraise to fill the gaps left by state funding: the school has to raise an extra £1.5 million per year.

But Worden insists that the school should never take paying learners. “If what the world wants and needs is a diverse culture, with a diverse worldview, which is what the arts is, then it needs to be free,” he says. “One thing I would always say to policymakers is that the arts need special attention.”

Many teaching staff express frustration that government funding decisions and public attitudes to the arts usually

SECTOR FOCUS

undervalue their contribution to the economy. However, Paul Kessell-Holland, head of higher level education at the Education and Training Foundation (ETF), thinks it would be wrong to lambast policymakers for not understanding arts education. Instead, he would like to see more work put into quantifying the many economic and social benefits studying these disciplines bring to the UK economy.

Covid-19 challenge During the past year, all these challenges have been exacerbated by the pandemic. Arts colleges have made rapid improvements in use of digital technologies for teaching; and learners have also used technology to continue creative activities.

BRIT School students launched an online radio station and an online magazine; ran workshops for people with learning difficulties; created a Christmas show for dementia sufferers, along with artworks to support NHS workers; and shot mini-movies in their houses. Worden points out that these things were only possible with the support of the BRIT Trust, which also funded the supply of laptops to some learners. The value of such support highlights the gaps in funding for arts education elsewhere.

There is also general agreement that online teaching and social interaction can never replicate the experience of spending time at college. “Some courses you can do from anywhere, but if you’re learning a craft that needs you to be in a particular workspace and you have someone next to you who you can talk to about it – that’s what’s missing now,” says Cameron-Swan.

It’s unclear how the crisis might affect arts education in the longer term, but there is some concern about adverse impacts on enthusiasm for studying or teaching these subjects, as well as on funding and policymakers’ attitudes to the arts.

Worden hopes that the arts themselves will benefit over the longer term from our collective experiences during the various lockdowns. “We’ve never needed more creativity in our lives than we do now,” he says. “That should be a cause for optimism.”

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RESEARCH AND INSIGHT FROM THE FURTHER EDUCATION SECTOR

etting goals is one of those activities that we engage in both in our personal and professional lives, and for a good reason. Goals have been shown to be powerful motivators; they direct attention and effort, regulate effort expenditure and encourage persistence until the task is completed. This is likely why goals have made their way into the classroom under the guise of individual learning plans (ILPs).

As teachers, we’ve had a somewhat troubled relationship with ILPs. Professor Mary Hamilton, who investigated ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) teachers’ attitudes to ILPs, identified a number of issues. She found that ILPs were often seen as an administrative burden, especially by teachers on casual or parttime contracts who didn’t have the time to complete them in a meaningful way. Few teachers view them as a useful teaching tool but rather as something that detracts from teaching instead of enhancing it. In effect, they can be seen as a box-ticking exercise

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that has to be done to comply with funding requirements.

The problems don’t stop there.

Hamilton points out that the goals, which are meant to be negotiated, are often generic, taken from a list created to save time. Learners are asked to agree them by signing the document without fully understanding its significance.

To add insult to injury, once completed, the document itself is often retained by the organisation for audit and funding purposes. It is revisited only when it has to be ‘updated’ with learners’ progress against ‘their’ goals at scheduled intervals. What this means is that most of the time learners – as well as teachers – have only a vague awareness of what they are supposed to be working towards.

And therein lies the crux of the problem. There is a fundamental difference between the way we set goals in our lives and the way in which they are set in a classroom. The goals we set professionally or personally are linked to things that are important and meaningful to us. It is under these conditions

that they become effective drivers of behaviours and powerful motivators.

So what would happen if we recreated these conditions in the classroom? Would freeing up the process of goal-setting and placing learners at the centre of it support their learning? I decided to test this idea with my ESOL learners. Admittedly, there was more to it than simply asking them to set their own goals and to get on with it! I realised that

Targeted approach What if the rationale behind individual learning plans could be adapted to a classroom environment? That was the premise behind a study by Marcin Lewandowski, which focused on adult ESOL learners. Here, he outlines the key lessons learnt along the way 26 INTUITION SPRING 2021

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GOAL SETTING

setting goals was a complex skill that involved metacognitive processes such as planning, anticipating problems, reflection and so on. It’s a skill that had to be practised and developed, and for that to happen it had to be an integral part of the course.

To facilitate this process, I embedded it in my scheme of work by allowing time for setting and reviewing goals in the lessons.

Learners followed a timetable of 24 sessions delivered over a period of 12 weeks – 60 contact hours in total. Instead of ILP forms we used ‘goal books’, which the learners retained for the duration of the course – it was important that they had access to their goals and could review or update them as and when they wished.

The process involved setting long-term (course) goals in the first class and weekly (support) goals in the subsequent classes. We allocated 20 minutes in the first

session of each week for reviewing and setting goals, then 10 to 15 minutes in the second weekly session for a quick progress check.

I wanted it to be a group as much as an individual activity so learners could draw on one another for ideas and inspiration. It also allowed the group to celebrate their weekly achievements together.

I used qualitative research methods for data collection such as participant surveys, detailed interviews and an analysis of learners’ goals, which allowed me to draw a detailed picture of how they engaged with the goal-setting methodology in their specific social contexts. The data analysis has led to some interesting and, in places, surprising findings, which I summarise as lessons learnt here.

Social contact as a linguistic affordance (for example, speaking to a neighbour to practise English).

Professor Vera Lúcia Menezes de Oliveira e Paiva argues that autonomy is in fact a sociocognitive system nested in the second language acquisition (SLA) system, which in addition to our mental states and processes also involves political, social and economic dimensions.

She claims that autonomy is not a state – instead, “it is a nonlinear process, which undergoes periods of instability, variability and adaptability”. As such, it is an essential element in second language learning because “it triggers the learning process through learners’ agency and leads the system beyond the classroom”. It seems that encouraging learners to set their own goals activated this process.

Needless to say, this is encouraging and promising not only in terms of language learning but also in terms of the potential of goalsetting for fostering integration and community cohesion.

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Goal-setting promotes agency and autonomy

The first finding is a confirmation that, under the right conditions, setting goals can promote agency and autonomy as learners make their own goal choices that are meaningful to them.

For instance, a closer look at their goals (both course and support) revealed that, when given the opportunity to choose their learning goals, they generally favoured social ones that involved their friends, neighbours or family.

The ability to communicate with a wider community was in fact an important long-term course goal for most participants.

What’s more, it transpired that there were multiple dimensions to the social goals, such as: Instrumental (using communication to achieve greater personal independence – for example, the ability to communicate in shops or at the GP surgery) Integrative (that is, the desire to ‘understand people’ and be better able to contribute to the wider community)

THE KNOWLEDGE

MARCIN LEWANDOWSKI is head of learning at Action West London and a SET fellow. He is pursuing a PhD at the University of Sunderland as part of the ETF Practitioner Research Programme (PRP).

His research looks at the individual learning plan (ILP) and the goal-setting methodology, and seeks to establish if it can be re-engineered and ‘de-institutionalised’ to foster learner autonomy and promote out-ofclassroom learning

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Autonomy leads to greater creativity and flexibility when faced with setbacks

The emergence of autonomous learning behaviour also led to flexibility and creativity when faced with setbacks. In situations where learners were unable to complete their initial goal (for example, cancelled speaking practice arrangements), instead of giving up they were more likely to respond imaginatively and seek solutions or alternative courses of action to complete it. This is consistent with research by Locke and Latham (2002), who argued that goals promoted the search for relevant action plans.

To achieve a goal, one seeks out different ways to achieve it.

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THE KNOWLEDGE

GOAL SETTING

Learners also tended to display creativity by identifying opportunities to practise English in their daily lives. This often involved ‘piggybacking’ on activities they engaged in already, such as practising new vocabulary in conversations with friends or family members or assisting with children’s homework or bedtime reading time (the latter involved careful preparation – for example, looking up pronunciation and meaning of new vocabulary, formation of questions, and so on).

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Autonomous behaviour has to be nurtured

Still, we cannot assume that autonomous behaviour will emerge spontaneously. Nor can we assume that learners will have the skills or confidence to be able to identify learning opportunities around them, let alone take advantage of them. It is important to create an autonomy-supportive environment where people are encouraged and empowered to make their own learning decisions.

Initially, I thought I had achieved this by giving learners the space to conceptualise and discuss their goals in a regular, frequent way. Yet, as I discovered, despite the careful consideration given to the design of the study, their behaviour was still not entirely autonomous. For example, my interviews with learners revealed that some initially completed their goals to ‘please’ me. However, encouragingly, the interviews also showed that with time, and thanks to the consistency of the approach, they internalised this behaviour, having recognised the inherent value of setting goals by and for themselves in a process akin to that described in Deci and Ryan’s self-determination theory.

4

Goals have a motivating function

The study also explored the interplay between goals and

THE SAMPLE The course was hosted by a primary school in west London. There were 12 participants included in the cohort. Their language competency levels ranged from consolidating at entry level 2 to emerging at entry level 3.

All participants were local residents. An ethnically diverse group, their background largely reflected the general makeup of the minority population of this part of London and included countries such as Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Iran and Pakistan. With one exception, all participants were female (n=11).

This was a relatively young group with an average age of 31.7 and a range from 22 to 53. All but one were economically inactive, with childcare and household responsibilities being the prime focus for most.

motivation. It confirmed that goals spur us into action by promoting behaviours that minimise distractions and facilitate task completion such as a sense of focus and direction. Learners were more likely to complete tasks when they scheduled them as goals.

The potential of goals to motivate was further enhanced by the sense of ownership that came from planning their own learning decisions. When learners did not complete tasks they had set as goals, they experienced cognitive dissonance, manifested as a feeling of guilt or disappointment with themselves. Such guilt, coupled with the energising power of deadlines, proved to be effective in overcoming procrastination and made it more likely for tasks to be completed.

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Achieving goals is rewarding and encourages persistence That achieving goals can be rewarding is hardly a revelation. The tiny jolt

of dopamine we get when we tick an item off a list feels very satisfying and can be enough to keep us going. For example, the study showed that goals helped learners to stay focused, which was particularly relevant to a group of adults who led busy lives and had to fit learning between managing households, looking after children and so on.

The study also found that the satisfaction gained from completing goals may have a reinforcing effect on the learning behaviour. It marks progress and provides immediate feedback and incentive, which allows us to maintain an activity over time.

Lastly, setting goals in the classroom allowed learners to think about their reasons for joining the course and to consider this decision in the context of their dreams and future plans.

For many of them, it was the long-term goals that kept them going. They learnt how to break those goals into more manageable and achievable weekly tasks, the completion of which brought them closer to achieving their plans or fulfilling their dreams. What could be more satisfying?

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Setting goals co-operatively in the class can lead to healthy competition

Asking learners to set and review their goals in the classroom was a deliberate attempt to promote co-operation. It was important that this activity was completed in a supportive environment in which learners could compare their goals and swap tips and learning resources as well as share and celebrate the progress they had made. I wanted them to support one another but also to set themselves as examples for themselves.

Surprisingly, the study also revealed that this environment promoted competitiveness.

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GOAL SETTING

Ultimately, this was not a bad thing. Personal development competitive attitude is concerned with personal growth resulting from competitive situations (as perceived by the learner). People with this orientation are focused on discovering themselves, and their potential. They may also have a critical relationship towards their own development; goals are often set with the intention of progress, thus performing in the best possible way (Ryckman et al, 1996, in Kobal Grum and Grum, 2015).

It seems that hearing others share their achievements made some learners experience a pang of envy and stimulated them to do better.

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Setting goals can lead to an increase in language use outside of the class

The study also investigated the impact of goal-setting on the use of English outside of the classroom. My hope when setting it up was that, when thinking about their goals, learners would consider their environments and identify opportunities to practise English within them.

The findings indicated that this was indeed what happened.

Learners’ preference for setting social goals meant they were also more likely to act on them. The evidence suggested that they engaged in social interactions with greater consistency. The opportunities came from their most immediate environments, such as at home with family, as well as from further afield such as joining communities and churches.

What’s more, the study provided some evidence that, when engaging in social interactions, learners were more likely to focus on accuracy and to pay more attention to the linguistic input around them. For some, this resulted in more confidence and independence when dealing with day-to-day situations where English was required.

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Goal-setting can (and should) complement language instruction in adult settings Learner autonomy, motivation to study, greater persistence and confidence are all positive outcomes of setting goals. Ultimately, however, setting goals was supposed to help learners to improve their language skills. As discussed, handing over the responsibility for organising their own language practice to the learners may have a reach beyond the classroom.

Setting goals on a week-by-week basis allowed students to explore opportunities for practising English in their own environments – opportunities they may not have realised existed. This had a positive effect on community cohesion but also maximised their language exposure and practice, which resulted in better language skills, evidenced in improved pre/ post test scores and self-reports.

Granted, not every goal was always completed each week but setting them made it more likely.

Completing their weekly goals also meant most learners were able to achieve their self-set course goals, which covered language-related areas such as communication and reading skills as well as grammar and vocabulary.

A viable alternative?

These findings demonstrate that there’s a real value in goalsetting. Naturally, there are a few caveats to consider in that this process hasn’t removed all of the criticisms raised in Hamilton’s review. For example, establishing a routine of goalsetting and reviewing requires both classroom and teacher time, and ILPs are still required by organisations for managerial or funding reasons. Completing goal books on top of ILPs would certainly be overkill.

THE KNOWLEDGE

Still, the findings show that with a few tweaks to how the ILP is ‘administered’, it is possible to promote positive learning behaviours. For those tweaks to happen, there has to be a fundamental shift in thinking about what – or rather who – this document is for. There has to be a liberalisation of the ILP process whereby the document can be used as it was first intended – to facilitate learning, which, for all intents and purposes, it currently does not.

For teachers to truly embrace this document or, at least, to start viewing it as part of the real work of teaching and learning, ILPs have to be de-institutionalised and ‘de-coupled’ from funding requirements. This would create conditions under which teachers and learners could share ownership of the process and use ILPs flexibly to foster learning in and out of the classroom, with all of its potential for the wider community.

References and further information Deci EL and Ryan RM. (2000) The ‘what’ and ‘why’ of goal pursuits: human needs and the selfdetermination of behaviour. Psychological Inquiry 11(4): 227-268.

Dörnyei Z and Otto I. (1998) Motivation in action: a࣢process model of L2 motivation. Working Papers in࣢Applied Linguistics 4: 43-69. London: Thames Valley࣢University.

Hamilton M. (2009) Putting words in their mouths: the alignment of identities with system goals through the use of individual learning plans. British Educational Research Journal 35(2): 221-242.

Locke E and Latham G. (2002) Building a practically useful theory of goal setting and task motivation.

American Psychologist 57(9): 705-717.

Paiva VLMO. (2011) Identity, motivation and autonomy in second language acquisition from the perspective of complex adaptive systems. In Murray G, Gao X and Lamb L, Identity, Motivation and Autonomy in Second Language (57-75). Bristol: Multilingual Matters.

Steel P, Svartdal F, Thundiyil T and Brothen T. (2018) Examining procrastination across multiple goal stages: a longitudinal study of temporal motivation theory. Frontiers in Psychology 9: 327.

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THE KNOWLEDGE

SILENCE IN EDUCATION

Quiet, please Silence can convey many different messages in life and education and can be a powerful technique for teachers and learners alike.

Luz Gutiérrez Menéndez draws on her own research and experiences to evaluate its role ecturing final-year learners in journalism, I considered two of my PhD’s conclusions.

The first was that silence is a communicative element that always sends a message (Gutiérrez Menéndez, 2019); the second examined the pedagogical role of silence in teaching and learning.

Paradoxically, but unfortunately at the same time, the learners did not answer my question, “As a journalist, when you are interviewing and your

L

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SILENCE IN EDUCATION

interviewee does not talk, what do you do? What does this silence mean, if anything?”

My undergraduates did not know how to use this moment of pause, and they didn’t appreciate the meaning of the silence. Maybe the interviewee was too shocked or uncomfortable to answer; maybe they didn’t understand the question, or silence was a way to avoid responding. Why was this person scared or uncomfortable?

Why did they prefer not to talk?

Equally, my learners’ silence indicated these same possibilities: not understanding, not knowing the answer, or not being confident enough to speak out.

My research looks at the subject from two perspectives: the ontology and the epistemology of silence. Both perceptions promote reflection, cognition, personal development and wellbeing. The interdisciplinary study connects media, education and psychology; overarching fields for further study include clinical medicine and neuroscience. The core of all of these areas points to the art of stillness in learning and teaching and its ability to encourage reflection, critical thinking and creativity.

After reviewing literature in the fields of communication, media, linguistics and physics, the research focused on pedagogy from the present day back to the ancient philosophers. Greek philosopher Socrates gave great relevance to silence, not just as a medium to speak to God but as a learning tool, to think and connect with the inner self. Philosopher Augustine also suggested pausing for thought before starting to speak. Johannessen (1974) relates silence to the primary quality in comparison with speech. Picard (1952) talks about the deficiency of education in teaching learners not to listen to words but to teachers.

Caranfa (2013) has researched how the noise of today’s world

THE KNOWLEDGE

Silence in education

THE ART OF STILLNESS IN LEARNING AND TEACHING ENCOURAGES REFLECTION AND CRITICAL THINKING is to the detriment of silence, while the use of teaching transcriptions pointed to the importance of silence in teaching and learning (Brandenburg and Davidson, 2011).

Still, silence is not always recommended (Smith, 2014).

Authors who have studied silence for years have explained the negative value it can have in different cultures (Jaworski and Sachdev, 1998; Nakane, 2012; Tannen, 1985).

So, multiple studies about silence indicate that this phenomenon is a complex issue.

Nobody seems to agree with its definition and a fast-paced society does not seem to have time for stillness. Habermas (1989) had already studied the effects of the ‘public sphere’ and the use of reason. In conversations, people are used to talking quickly, jeopardising the possibility to think and reflect.

These observations, along with my own experience in media and communication studies, called for a meticulous analysis of the representations of current conversations in mediatic worlds.

After a thorough qualitative and quantitative millisecond examination of a radio drama – the first method – a preliminary taxonomy of silence was elaborated. The second method – semi-structured interviews with specialists in communication, education and psychology – corroborated the first, showing how this situation is affecting education and has a knock-on effect on mental health.

DR LUZ MARIA GUTIERREZ MENENDEZ is a

researcher and an academic. She completed a PhD at the Institute of Education (UCL) in 2019 and is a fellow of SET

I have always encouraged my learners to pause before asking a question so they can formulate the sentence properly. This is obviously extremely beneficial for those who speak English as a second language, but what about the rest of the learners? The fast pace of modern life – the radio playing on the way to work, the television in the background, continuous traffic noise – does not seem to inspire this attitude.

Still, silence can be highly useful in lessons as a tool of control and authority – when students are being loud, for example, it is a great way to grab their attention and get them to follow your lead.

Of course, this method will lose its power if constantly used but my interpretative phenomenological research looked at silence in a more holistic way.

One of my participants said that silence was a “great educative tool” but was not used much nowadays. Others talked about the need to give “learners the time to think and reflect” to enable them to explore their imaginations, be creative and allow the brain to fill in the gaps.

There were also statements about the “expressivity, the aesthetic of it”, “regaining the sense of self, allowing [the] thoughts to wonder” and interpreting the information given in different ways.

Other meanings of silence are used in mindfulness and in therapy. However, two relevant issues were identified: today’s busy world and teachers not being confident enough to allow silence in their lectures because of the worry “that the learners would ask me something that would make me feel foolish”.

What is the purpose of our teaching?

After studying literature, identifying multiple meanings of silence focused on emotions

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THE KNOWLEDGE

SILENCE IN EDUCATION

and learning about the different considerations of silence by specialists, the research suggests a controversy: silence speaks loudly but we choose not to listen.

As educators, we all have strict deadlines, excessive material to cover and hardly any time to spare. In addition, the internal and external pressures felt by teachers may have a detrimental impact on their ability to teach creatively and may only offer a narrow definition of participation.

Perhaps that explains the need to encourage learners to think for themselves and my participants’ considerations about the issue of quality versus quantity. Results and grades are beneficial in terms of the immediate outcome (pass and career success) but being

A FAST-PACED SOCIETY DOES NOT SEEM TO HAVE TIME FOR STILLNESS

reflective, conscious about the process, pondering the steps taken and exploring our motivation in education will make us stop and be cognitive about our learning and teaching, helping us to make sense of our behaviour and engagement.

The research also includes the art of listening, not only by learners but also teachers. This action requires pause and critical thinking (Jaworski and Sachdev, 1998). Such an attitude does not only include listening to others but to ourselves. Following Brandenburg and Davidson (2011), we can enhance our teaching, improve our effectiveness and assess our communication (verbal, non-verbal and interpersonal).

The last part of my research comes back to psychology – in particular, emotions, mind and wellbeing. Participants talked about meditation and mindfulness, the need for pausing and focusing on breathing, and employing silence in the area of mental health – for example, in patients who suffer psychosis. Further research into silence explored the benefits of being calm to our mental wellbeing (Kabat-Zinn et al, 1992).

When learning about our learners’ silence, we can first of all revise Maslow’s hierarchy (1943). Silence can indicate embarrassment, sadness, worry or discomfort but these feelings can also communicate deeper meanings such as a sense of inferiority, punishment, defeat, suppression, bullying or threat.

At the same time, silence could mean happiness or comfort because of a feeling of control or superiority. It could mean noninterest or distraction but also curiosity and attention. That is why a learner who talks often may not always mean to participate but perhaps the opposite – and, in fact, they could jeopardise their peers’ learning. The opportunities of silence are many. Education is everything.

References and further information Brandenburg RT and Davidson C. (2011) Transcribing the unsaid: finding silence in a self-study. Reflective Practice 12(6): 703-715.

Caranfa A. (2013) Socrates, Augustine, and Paul Gauguin on the reciprocity between speech and silence in education. Journal of Philosophy of Education 47(4): 577-604.

Gutiérrez Menéndez LM. (2019) From the࣢utopia of quietness to the fear of stillness: a taxonomic research study to understanding ‘silence’ through the medium of radio and its implications for media, education and psychology. London: UCL Institute of Education.

Habermas J. (1989) The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere: An Inquiry into a Category of Bourgeois Society (Burger T trans.). Cambridge: Polity Press.

Jaworski A and Sachdev I. (1998) Beliefs about silence in the classroom. Language and Education 12(4): 273-292.

Johannesen RL. (1974) The functions of silence: a plea for communication research.

Western Speech 38(1): 25-35.

Kabat-Zinn J, Massion AO, Kristeller J, Peterson LG, Fletcher KE, Pbert L, Lenderking WR and Santorelli SF. (1992) Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the treatment of anxiety disorders. American Journal of Psychiatry 149(7): 936-943.

Lees HE. (2012) Silence in Schools.

London: Institute of Education Press.

Maslow AH. (1943) A theory of human motivation. Psychological Review 50(4): 370-396.

Leckie GC (trans). (1948) Concerning the teacher. In: Oates WJ (ed). Basic Writings of Saint Augustine (Vol 1).

Nakane I. (2012) Silence. In: Paulston C B, Kiesling SF and Rangel ES (eds). The Handbook of Intercultural Discourse and Communication: 158-179. London: John Wiley and࣢Sons.

Picard M. (1952) The World of Silence.

Chicago: H Regnery.

Rowe CJ (trans). (1986) Plato: Phaedrus Warminster: Aris and Phillips.

Smith C. (2014) The danger of silence.

TED Talk.

Tannen D. (1985) Silence. Anything but. In: Tannen D and Saville-Troike M, Perspectives on Silence. New Jersey: Ablex PubCorp.

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DIGITAL IMPOSTOR SYNDROME

ver a period of six years, I have been researching the professional identities of teachers, trainee teachers and newly qualified teachers across all educational sectors. I have been investigating what makes them identify as teachers and how they enact this as professionals.

Interestingly, one of the strong underlying themes of the research showed that a high proportion of the teachers who took part in the study, regardless of length of service, experience and qualifications, felt some form of impostorship as part of their teacher identity.

Due to the current situation, a high proportion of staff and learners are faced with teaching, and learning, in a way which may be somewhat alien to expectations and past experiences of education. From both staff and learners, there may also have been some resistance to change and trepidation of doing things differently. Surrounding these barriers to teaching and learning can be feelings of impostorship – particularly digital impostorship where use of technology is concerned. Being aware of the associated behaviours can help you to intervene and support staff and learners to reduce the likelihood of complete disengagement further down the line.

O

Feeling fake Online learning has become a firm component of teaching during the pandemic, but a greater reliance on technology has also increased the risk of teachers and learners struggling with Digital Impostor Syndrome. Drawing on her own research, Dr Theresa Marriott explores some coping strategies

THE KNOWLEDGE

workplace and education has increasingly garnered popularity over the last few years. It would appear that it is applicable to almost any aspect of life, personal or professional, to anyone at any time. Just think about how you felt when you started a new job, or a new qualification; you may have felt those nagging feelings of self-doubt, or awkwardness at the newness of it all and wondering if it’s all going to work out favourably.

In its most basic form, someone with Impostor Syndrome can be defined as an individual who doubts their abilities and is plagued by feelings of inadequacy, which are mainly unfounded (Clance, 2013: Clance and Imes, 1978). If impostorship goes unchecked, this can lead to disengagement from individuals in doing what they need to do or have been asked.

We must consider that we sometimes make assumptions about the surety and confidence individuals have in using and applying technology to work and studies; tech in learning and teaching presents us with a sliding scale of capabilities and confidences that may not be consistent for everyone.

ADOPT AN ENABLING SUPPORT METHOD: I DO, WE DO, YOU DO, WE REFLECT

Impostorship Impostor Syndrome, or impostor phenomenon, is commonly termed as a silent assassin on confidence in popular social psychology, and can apply to both professional and personal identities (Weinschenk, 2018). Its relevance to the

Digital Impostor Syndrome We know how learners learn has changed to become more focused on using technology as a fundamental tool to engage with their learning (Jisc, 2020); Covid-19 has amplified this greatly and enforced a way of teaching and learning that may not feel comfortable for those who deliver it or access it. This can be recognised as a form of Impostor Syndrome which, post-research, I have defined as

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THE KNOWLEDGE

DIGITAL IMPOSTOR SYNDROME

Digital Impostor Syndrome due to its specific links to engaging with and using technology and digital devices and skills.

Anecdotal evidence from working across all educational sectors suggests that the behaviours listed in the categories below link to individuals (both staff and learners) showing signs of Digital Impostor Syndrome: ‘Newness’: Staff and learners may feel out of their depth using technology they are unfamiliar with, and this causes them worry and anxiety. Changes to established and known routines, processes and methods may perpetuate negative feelings and foster a reluctance or unwillingness to try something different. Previous negative experience may impact on staff and learner engagement with something new/different.

Self-limiting beliefs: Feelings of inadequacy become unmanageable and barriers are put in place by individuals to circumnavigate what is being asked. This can result in individuals going into complete communication shutdown and retreating in order to avoid doing what is asked, or in the hope it will go away.

Peer pressure: Negative groupthink about change or ‘newness’ may impair individual rational thoughts regarding a different way of learning – one person can’t do it, therefore no one can do it. Behaviour can be challenging and oppositional, and blocking tactics may be deployed.

Also, unrealistic expectations may develop internally, and comparisons to other individuals’ successes and failures may be negative, with no tangible basis for thinking this way.

Distancing from studies and peers may also occur if people feel they are in the minority in not being able to do something confidently.

Isolation: Usual access to support mechanisms may feel out

of reach ach due to being off-campus, exacerbating erbating feelings of task/ activity ity isolation.

Media: dia: External factors, such as thee news and media portrayal of issues, ues, may amplify worries aboutt continuation of learning in the current urrent climate. Continuous exposure sure to negative reporting and narratives reinforces, and actively ely encourages, worrying aboutt the future.

Access: cess: Digital poverty may impede de ability to engage and progress ess through no fault of the individual. ndividual.

This is list is by no means exhaustive, ustive, but once recognition occurs, rs, it’s useful to have some strategies egies up your sleeve to support ort those who need help in building ing their digital confidence, using an enabling model of support ort (Whitmore, 2017). This method od does take longer than doingg the work for the individual individual, where appropriate, but has huge benefits in terms of building digital skills and confidence, and in developing self-efficacy.

Useful strategies

IMPOSTOR SYNDROME CAN BE DEFINED AS AN INDIVIDUAL WHO DOUBTS THEIR ABILITIES AND IS PLAGUED BY FEELINGS OF INADEQUACY

In my role working within teams, whose sole responsibility is teaching and learning enhancement, there are many strategies to share on what’s worked in practice with staff and learners who show signs of Digital Impostor Syndrome. It’s useful to adapt a ‘pick and mix’ approach because the intervention required is usually individual to each person’s specific needs.

The approach Build relationships or instil confidence using a ‘light touch’ approach initially. Be prepared to reach out more than once to start the support process and use multiple methods of communication rather than just an email or phone call. Staff and learners may be sensitive and perceive needing support as an inadequacy so may not engage initially – perseverance is key!

It’s really important to provide reassurance on first contact that support is there and that, as much as practically possible, this is linked to

the same person throughout for continuity and developing feelings of emotional safety. There’s a high chance of disengagement if an individual is passed through various people and teams with no consistency in their own support.

Availability and access Teachers and learners are time-poor for various reasons, so be flexible in support days or times that are made available and what method this is done through. As well as face to face, everything you offer should have the ability to be offered

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DIGITAL IMPOSTOR SYNDROME

IK ON

remotely using onl online tools; this also gives individua individuals practice at participating in remote/hybrid rem learning methods. IIf possible, offer drop-ins or an opendoor policy to remove remo barriers to engagement linked link to an individual’s availability and time. availab organisation’s Using your organ media to promote that you’re t there on a repeated basis, or for specific relevant sup support issues, will always catch so someone’s eye.

Provide a safe space, space physical or virtual, where in individuals can feel comfortabl comfortable to try out new things and make mak mistakes while supported or working independently. It’s important that people do not feel judged when ju they are learning as this may make them feel vulnerabl vulnerable.

Building enablin enabling relationships It’s so easy to just do something for someone, but this is disempowering for all concerned and can lead to the same requests being made repeatedly.

Adopt an enabling support method: I do, we do, you do, we reflect. If this is instilled from the start, I have found individuals are keen to want to have a go themselves as soon as they can. This method empowers individuals to do things themselves more confidently in the future, especially if there’s a safe space to make mistakes. Making encounters and experiences experiential, if possible building on what they already know, instils personal confidence; there’s always a starting point but you may have to ask a lot of questions to get to it!

One technique I have found really successful is to find something out that an individual needs help with before meeting, and show them at the start of the meeting a quick fix which you can practically demonstrate and get the individual having a go early

ENSURING AN INDIVIDUAL’S EMOTIONAL SAFETY AND STANDING AMONG THEIR PEERS IS CRUCIALLY IMPORTANT on. This promotes feelings of success rather than just talking about how to do it and then the person making notes and not following it through afterwards.

Resource support Having a ‘go to’ area for staff and learners to find things out and work on their digital skills is a must.

Centralise resources, guidance and materials for easy access and to encourage consistent engagement; searching for things in multiple places is a known factor in disengaging individuals.

Building support tools, resources and materials in a variety of formats that can be accessed in a number of ways at any time is important. It is particularly useful for time-poor individuals if there are a variety of templates/ exemplars or pre-prepared, brokendown materials and resources that can be used in short periods of time.

I have found quick demo videos and written step-by-step guidance, accompanied by screenshots or images while using your own systems, to be most helpful.

DR THERESA MARRIOTT What next?

It’s crucial that individuals are followed up and feedback gained on effectiveness of the support.

What can they do now that they couldn’t before? What do they want to do next? With so many changes in learning and teaching, there’ll always be something to work on.

Keeping the support relationship as an open journey rather than an intervention when something is wrong is really important.

To make best use of development work, reflect on whether this support need is limited to one person or whether good use can be made of opening up support for this specific area through workshops, masterclasses, tutorials or development sessions. Repurposing the work provides added value for others

is digital learning technologist at Bishop Grosseteste University in Lincoln

THE KNOWLEDGE

who may need support. This has been particularly useful in the organisation where I currently work, where we have built a suite of support courses in the virtual learning environment based on frequently asked support questions and the interventions we have taken. Both staff and learners are now actively accessing these courses and engaging with tutorial videos and learning materials.

Conclusion As the education landscape changes, both staff and learners must be multi-faceted and multi-skilled, which provides opportunities for impostorship and Digital Impostor Syndrome to develop. It is important to remember that among this ‘new normal’, status is valued and respect is more often than not linked to status. Ensuring an individual’s emotional safety and standing among their peers is crucially important if they feel any type of impostorship. Being mindful of the complexities of how individuals feel about their capabilities is key in developing positive support relationships which grow beyond problemsolving and develop into longterm engagement with improving digital confidence.

References and further information Clance PR. (2013) Impostor Phenomenon.

Clance PR and Imes SA. (1978) The impostor phenomenon in high achieving women: dynamics and therapeutic interventions. Psychotherapy: Theory Research and Practice 15(2): 241-247.

Jisc. (2020) Student Digital Experience Insights Survey 2020. Available at: bit.ly/3qaoAPF Weinschenk S. (2018) Have you experienced the Imposter Syndrome? Available at: bit.ly/3d2r1jG Whitmore J. (2017) Coaching for Performance.

London: Hodder and Stoughton.

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TIPS AND RESOURCES TO HELP YOU MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR MEMBERSHIP

MEMBERS’ CORNER

Pleas e follow use and our ha shtag

#SETinT uition to see the la t es featur es fro t m inTuit ion

THE FORUM

A new kind of busy f the current situation with the pandemic has taught us anything, it is that we have all had a lot more thinking time. Of course, it isn’t any less busy for the majority of us – in fact, here at SET we often talk about how life at the moment has brought a ‘new kind of busy’ to our day as we juggle work and family life.

As a working parent with two little ones who are being home-schooled (in the loosest of terms), I have an enormous amount of respect for teachers and trainers who are supporting learners during this time – especially while you are going through so much change yourselves.

It has also led me to thinking about what I can do with this time to make the most of the current situation.

What is it I enjoy doing? What should I be doing more of which would be beneficial to me – from both a personal and professional point of view? I am sure I am not alone in these thoughts, although I know that

I

motivation was often hard to find during the colder, winter months.

Now, as we reach Spring, for many of us things will start to feel a bit brighter and you may be looking to tackle those usual New Year’s resolutions which felt impossible at the start of 2021. It may be time to update and develop your CPD, learn a new skill, or share your expertise with others through research, articles or online webinars and events.

Whatever it is, we would love to find out more about your current situation. By updating your preferences and personal details in your My SET Dashboard, we can also get more of an understanding of what it is which interests you so we can work on getting the most relevant information and resources straight to your inbox. For now, here’s a look back at the past quarter with some of our member benefits and social media highlights.

JULIA FAULKS is communications editor at SET

We are now on Instagram!

Follow us at @E_T_Foundation

WEBINAR

Lessons learnt from the success of an online community education group In this webinar, a group of teachers who set up, managed and supported an online community art group over a period of only six months told us their࣢story.

The Armchair Painting Group developed from the “spark of an idea” to become a group of 28 regular attendees who support each other’s health and wellbeing through art.

Sandra Rennie, visual artist and filmmaker, and member of SET’s Practitioner Advisory Group: In March 2020 I was faced with the fact that there were lots of things I couldn’t do.

Normally I would have been recruiting new students onto teacher education courses, but due to the pandemic this had to stop. I was in a drama group, but I couldn’t act any more. I was in a band playing the saxophone, but I couldn’t make music in public or take part in poetry gigs. I felt really frustrated – just like everyone else. I had no outlet for creativity. I needed to feel a sense of achievement and I also needed deadlines and subjects to work on.

Angel Kershaw, professional artist, poet, voice actor and blogger: A lot of artists and creatives found they became isolated away from the creative community. For me, joining this group has helped me make friends, but it has also given me that structure of creativity by working to a deadline. We would take it in turns to set a subject every week, and quite often it would be about what was happening to that person at that time. It was a lovely way that we could express ourselves and our interests, and whatever emotional or mental situation we were in at that time in a positive way, as well as improving and challenging our skills.

This webinar is now available on demand at set.et-foundation.co.uk/webinars

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ONLINE RESOURCES

W E B C H AT

encouragement. Give him a challenge and sit him down and talk to him and find out why he isn’t feeling motivated.

MOTIVATING LEARNERS This webinar, hosted by teacher and author Geoff Petty, looked at how to motivate learners, especially during these unsettled times. Below is a selection of the questions asked during the live event.

SET member: What is the jigsaw method?

GP: Let’s say, as an example, that you are teaching diseases to a healthcare class. You put students into three groups on separate tables – so one group studies measles, one mumps, and one meningitis. They study it and prepare to teach it. The table of measles experts you number off with 1, 2, 3, and so on. The student who is number 1 goes on table 1, and the

same with tables 2 and 3.

You then end up with one measles expert, one mumps expert and one meningitis expert on each table. The students teach each other and then they prepare for a quiz on the key points. They love it because they are personally responsible for teaching their bit. This method comes out very highly in the research and routinely students do so much better when they learn in this way – which is puzzling because, when you think about it, you are not teaching them!

SET member: I have a student in my class who is often disengaged with his learning and disrupts the others – he

MEMBERS’ CORNER

believes he can reach his goal of becoming a car mechanic without working hard. How can I help him?

GP: Often students have too much self-belief, so you have got to say that you will find this course more interesting and you will be a better car mechanic who will earn more money and be more satisfied if you work harder on this. It may take some time to turn them around – it could be that they are very capable and bright and theyy jjust need some more

SET member: How do we keep students motivated when socially distancing or remote learning?

GP: You can produce handouts that students can share without them sitting next to each other. If you can’t use group work face-to-face (although this is possible with remote learning on certain platforms), there are still lots of ways to get the student motivated. You just have to choose the things which will make a difference, and this can include how you give࣢feedback.

Catch up with this webinar by watching the on-demand version at set.et-foundation.co.uk/webinars

TOP T WEE TS Our @SocietyET account has been busier than ever, keeping you informed and letting you share are your thoughts and tips

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MEMBERS’ CORNER

MY LIFE IN TEACHING

How did you first get into teaching?

I returned to education as a mature student as I wanted to study sound engineering. But a couple of lecturers suggested I would make a good teacher.

I didn’t become a music technology lecturer as planned, but I ended up teaching maths and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). I now work as an additional support tutor and teach ESOL on the side.

Why did you feel this was the career for you?

It was the realisation that many FE students had struggled at school with maths, English, or both. The feeling of satisfaction when you help learners to overcome things that had dogged them for years is hard to beat.

Where has your career taken you so far?

I’ve spoken at a few conferences about an action research project I conducted with a student who had dyslexia. He had regrettably been written off by his teachers at school, but my pre-teaching intervention helped him to excel.

I’ve been banging the drum for preteaching ever since. I’m also promoting inclusive practice through an Education and Training Foundation-funded #APConnect project, so I’m planning to enter the world of podcasting soon!

ISTOCK

What is your current position?

I work full-time as an additional support tutor in an FE college. I have been teaching ESOL remotely to learners in south-east Asia since 2016, which has been excellent preparation for the recent boom in online learning.

Can you run me through a typical day?

One of the reasons I love my job is that there is no such thing as a typical day. I might be going into maths and English lessons to provide close support or holding oneto-one or small group tutorials to help learners improve their academic

time and resource available. I think we also forget that many of our learners are adolescents. Something that really changed my perspective on working with teenagers was reading Inventing Ourselves: The Secret Life of the Teenage Brain by Sarah-Jayne Blakemore.

EXTRA SUPPORT Making a difference to those in need is the motivation for FE support tutor Saj Mohammad

writing skills. However, my favourite part of the job is supporting learners in food production practicals, where they could be baking fresh bread or even producing Michelin star-quality dishes.

What’s the strangest request you’ve had from a student?

Mercifully, I don’t get many. Probably the strangest was the student who politely asked if they could leave my maths lesson because they had a make-up delivery arriving at home and there was no one there to sign for it.

What are the biggest challenges you face?

In general, the FE sector has been starved of funding for too long.

There is always more that could be done for students, if there was the

How would you like your career to develop?

I want to pass on my experiences of working with learners with SEND and help the next generation of teachers and learning support assistants. So, I’d like to teach on things such as PGCE courses and foundation degrees in learning support. Also, I’m interested in writing so I’d love to create a guide to inclusive practice in education. I’m a strong believer in the power of action research too, and would like to conduct more.

What three characteristics do you feel make a good teacher?

The best teachers I’ve worked with have patience, empathy and total dedication to helping their learners succeed.

What one piece of advice would you have for your former self?

The best advice I have ever had in my career is to “Be kind”. I’m constantly reminded of its importance.

What do you most love about teaching?

Every day you can make a life-changing difference to your learners. There are some fantastically supportive online communities of practice in FE, such as #UKFEChat, #FEResearchMeet and #JoyFE. I feel lucky to work alongside so many wonderful colleagues.

What do you get up to outside work?

When it’s possible, I love going to gigs and eating out. I’ve picked up a few tips from the chef lecturers at work so have been having fun trying to cook at home.

I’ve also been teaching myself Dutch for the past few years. As well as being fun, learning a language gives me a real sense of empathy with my ESOL students!

If you would like to be featured in My Life in Teaching, email intuition@redactive.co.uk

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MY LIFEBOOK IN TEACHING REVIEWS

BOOK REVIEWS

MEMBERS’ CORNER

All books have been reviewed by DR ANNE DAVIS , who has worked as a sixth-form maths teacher and head of maths in south-east England. She is also a private tutor, teaching maths, chemistry and physics, specialising in the 16+ age group.

She is a cycling and kayaking coach, with experience of coaching disabled athletes

ESSENTIAL GUIDES FOR EARLY CAREER TEACHERS: SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS AND DISABILITY

SWEET DISTRESS: HOW OUR LOVE AFFAIR WITH FEELINGS HAS FUELLED THE CURRENT MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS

INDEPENDENT THINKING ON TEACHING IN HIGHER EDUCATION: FROM THEORY TO PRACTICE

by Anita Devi Critical Publishing, 2020

by Gillian Bridge Crown House Publishing, 2020

by Erik Blair Independent Thinking Press, 2020

A high-quality publication with good diagrams, reflective tasks at suitable points and references for further reading at the end of each chapter. The author has a wealth of experience in the SEND field as well as being a teacher trainer.

The book is based on a set of foundations and concepts developed by the author and an expert team. The beginning covers the legal history and background of the SEND code of practice.

I found the chapter on communication and interaction very interesting and useful, with good information about speech processes and social strategies to support an educator starting out with classroom communication.

The other chapters cover cognition and learning, social, emotional and mental health, and physical and sensory needs.

While it is aimed at the teaching of all age groups, there are plenty of useful concepts and ideas for educators of older groups. It would also be useful for educators not working in a formal classroom environment such as sports coaches. I did feel that I wanted to learn more without hunting down the other resources, but overall it is a good choice for both new and more experienced teachers.

Written by a psycholinguistic consultant, this book is aimed at educators and parents alike and is an assessment of the mental state of our learners and, to an extent, ourselves. It looks at the influences – both obvious and hidden – from modern-day society and their impact on mental health.

The author challenges popular ideas – concepts that we have grown up with and considered to be positive and, at worse, harmless are laid open as risky and potentially damaging. In a section on substance-related problems, she explores chemical influences ranging from hormones and neurotransmitters to alcohol and illegal substances.

Aimed at independent thinkers, the book makes good suggestions for moving forwards with logical reasoning.

The language used in this book makes it instantly readable and accessible to all, although the occasional use of rude words may not be to everyone’s taste.

Overcome the no-holds-barred image that it projects and you will find it a useful read that will make you question your own reactions to everyday emotional stimuli as well as those of your learners.

A quick Amazon search will show that there are a large number of publications about teaching in higher education (HE). This little book offers a lot more to the educator than its initial appearance suggests, and much of its content is as relevant to FE as HE. Having picked it up fresh from reviewing a couple of books packed with appealing diagrams and bold fonts, I was a bit dubious about its plain writing and occasional diagram. But once I got into it I found it had plenty of useful information. The author has a lot of experience of teaching at university and understands students’ needs.

Each of the five chapters ends with little nuggets of wisdom that I found oddly reassuring.

The notions that there is no one perfect way to teach a class and that teaching is the impossible art of finding the right balance are things we all know but the author offers tips to move forward with these concepts. The section on lesson structure had some useful practical advice and made me think again about how I teach sometimes.

It would be a useful addition to any HE teacher’s bookshelf.

Small and concise, it can be readily dipped into for ideas as needed.

InTuition readers receive a 30% discount on this book with the code SPRING30 for orders placed on or before 31 March. After that date a 20% discount can be obtained with the code inTuition20

InTuition readers receive a 30% discount on this book with the code SPRING30 for orders placed on or before 31 March. After that date a 20% discount can be obtained with the code inTuition20

InTuition readers receive a 20% discount on this book with the code IT2021 at criticalpublishing.com

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If undelivered please return to: The Society for Education and Training 157-197 Buckingham Palace Road London SW1W 9SP

SET - YOUR CAREER COMPANION You are part of our community of professionals Membership renewal payments due by 31 March If you u have not renewed your membership* for 2021 20 1/2 22, please go to the SET website to renew for co for fo con ntinued unrivalled career support, access to exclusi ex l ive resources and the opportunity to stay c nn co nne ected c with our network of teachers and trainers.

Renew today at set.etfoundation.co.uk *If you pay your membership fee by direct debit there is no need for you to take action to renew. If you pay by card or invoice, you will need to go to ‘MySET’ to actively renew your membership.

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