How teachers and employers can help reduce stress and promote wellbeing
SET22 is a must-attend conference featuring an exciting mix of keynotes and breakouts specifically for teachers, trainers and leaders in the Further Education and Training sector. The one-day event will cover a range of topics including – but not limited to – SEND, EdTech, safeguarding and sustainability.
Take part in live Q&As, network with colleagues from across the sector and learn practical tips that can inspire and motivate you in your everyday practice.
Don’t delay, book today! We look forward to seeing you there!
It’s not too late to join us at the
New CEO of the Education and Training Foundation, an anti-racism partnership, and the first cohort of T Level students
Views from Jenny Jarvis, Harriet Harper, Nick Hillman, Martine Ellis FSET ATS and Cath Gladding
Improve your tech skills with this digital literacy overhaul and become a more confident and competent trainer
Dr Heidi McWade explores vocational lecturers’ perspectives of
Kate Pope outlines a new model of ESD that will allow learners to deal with and innovate for the climate emergency we are facing
THE FORUM News about SET22, our annual CPD conference, and new member rewards to help with the cost-of-living crisis
MY LIFE IN TEACHING Robert Childs on teaching the ever-changing IT skills that employers need today
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, the Society for Education and Training or the Education and Training Foundation. All rights reserved. Unless specifically stated, goods or services mentioned are not formally endorsed by the Society for Education and Training or the Education and Training Foundation, which do not guarantee or endorse or accept any liability for any goods and/ or services featured in this publication. ISSN: 2050-8980
As we approach the end of another year, it’s a good time to reflect. There’s no doubt that teaching, in all its forms, can be hugely rewarding, but it also comes with significant pressures, and that’s something everyone working in the further education and training sector will have experienced in recent years.
Teachers are used to helping others manage their mental wellbeing, but there’s a real risk they can overlook their own self-care. In this issue, we explore how you can prioritise your own wellbeing, whether that’s through setting boundaries around expectations or working hours, or making time for outside interests and to switch off
Teachers, of course, have a position of responsibility, not just in delivering education but also to ensure the safeguarding of learners. One element that has become more prominent in recent years is the Prevent duty, with those working in training in colleges, independent training providers, adult education or prisons having a vital role to play.
This can take the form of promoting British values and helping to confront conspiracy theories. Selina Stewart has delivered training on Prevent for providers across the sector over many years, so make sure you don’t miss her piece on this on page 14.
In the prison sector, the pandemic meant classroombased learning was not an option. But innovation often arises out of difficult times, and the use of blended learning is starting to have an impact. Yet the sector
faces other challenges, around both funding and recruitment, and progress is often painfully slow. You can read more about this on page 22. Our Knowledge section contains two examples of how teachers themselves are innovating to enhance the education they deliver to learners. Kate Pope’s research around education for sustainable development offers a model to embed this in their organisations. Dr Heidi McWade, meanwhile, identifies common frustrations vocational educators have with technology-enhanced learning, and how these can be overcome.
Our annual SET Conference will now take place on 17 January. We’re pleased to be offering a high-calibre line-up and hope the new date will avoid any disruption to travel. I look forward to seeing you all there for what will be our first inperson conference since 2019.
Finally, we’d like to get your views on inTuition journal, finding out what you like and what you’d like to see more of, so please keep an eye out for a reader survey early in the new year.
In the meantime, I wish you all a very happy and relaxing festive break, and hope you all return refreshed and raring to go in January.
REID, director of professionalism and customer experience, Education and Training Foundation
ORGANISATIONS HAVE A BIG ROLE TO PLAY IN HELPING TO CREATE A CULTURE IN WHICH PEOPLE CAN THRIVE
MARTIN
Anyone involved in teaching and training will be only too aware of the stresses of the job. We must safeguard our own wellbeing, and that of others, if we are to continue to do the job to the best of our abilities
The board of trustees at the Education and Training Foundation (ETF) has appointed Katerina Kolyva as its new chief executive. She will take up the role on 20 February 2023.
Since 2016, Katerina has been chief executive of the Council of Deans of Health. She previously held executive roles at the Nursing and Midwifery Council and worked as a teacher in universities across Europe and the Middle East. She is a governor of Petroc, a further education college in Devon, chairs the ACEVO women in leadership group, and is a trustee of the Queen’s Nursing Institute.
Peter Latchford OBE, chair of the ETF board, said: “We are delighted to announce this appointment. Katerina brings a wealth of experience spanning education and membership organisations, as well as the vision and drive to make a difference to the lives of learners and those who teach, lead and support them.
I’m really looking forward to working with her as we develop our new strategy.
“I want to pay tribute to Jenny Jarvis for all she has achieved so far in her time as interim CEO since April 2022, and her determination and integrity. She has great respect from our board and sector colleagues; she has spearheaded the listening conversation to ensure the ETF can meet future sector needs and has been a relentless champion for the important role it can play in achieving better outcomes for learners.”
Katerina Kolyva said: “I am delighted to be joining the ETF during this exciting and important time for the sector. Having worked in education for my entire career as a teacher, policy strategist and sector leader, I bring passion and commitment to education, training and lifelong learning. I very much look forward to leading the ETF to its next phase of development, ensuring that the needs of the sector stay at the heart of its future strategic direction.”
The Education and Training Foundation (ETF) congratulated the first cohort of T Level students, as they received their results back in August – with 92.2 per cent of students successfully passing their course.
Students began studying T Levels in September 2020, initially covering three subjects –education and childcare, digital, and construction.
There are now 10 T Level subjects available for students, with more planned from September 2022 and in the next few years. Around 70 schools and colleges already offer T Levels, with more than 400 expected to offer them by September 2024.
The ETF is proud to have supported 28,000 activities as part of the T Level Professional Development (TLPD) offer since the TLPD pilot phase began in 2019. It was awarded a four-year contract by the Department for Education in February 2020 to continue to support providers, leaders and practitioners to deliver the new courses.
More details about the TLPD offer can be accessed at the ETF website at et-foundation.co.uk/professionaldevelopment/t-levels/
The Education and Training Foundation (ETF) and the Black Leadership Group (BLG) have announced a formal partnership as they work towards eradicating racism in the further education (FE) and training sector.
The BLG envisions an antiracist culture at the core of FE for both employees and students and wider society.
The ETF and the BLG will be working together on improving outcomes and representation for learners, staff and leadership; enhancing workforce succession planning and the talent pipeline of black staff in the FE sector; and
influencing policy and practice.
This partnership builds on the ETF’s support of the BLG’s inaugural symposium held last year.
Amarjit Basi, director at the Black Leadership Group, said: “It feels a natural progression, resulting from regular dialogue, focused on how we can work even more closely together to enable the FE sector to grasp the opportunities, and address the challenges associated with the UK’s rapidly changing student demographics, particularly in terms of ethnic diversity.”
Find out more about the ETF’s EDI offering at et-foundation.co.uk/ resources/inclusivefe
The framework of guidance for the new Diploma in Teaching (Further Education and Skills) is now available. It is based closely on the occupational standards for Learning and Skills Teachers published in 2021, helping to ensure that trainee teachers develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours needed to demonstrate full occupational competence.
The Department for Education confirmed in August that qualifications created under the new framework (including those at Levels 6 and 7) will be eligible to receive public funding from the 2024/25 academic year onwards. The new qualifications will replace the current Diploma in Education and Training, public funding for which is being withdrawn in a phased way to allow existing trainees to complete their studies.
The framework has been developed on behalf of, and approved by, the Initial Teacher Education Forum, which is convened by the Education and Training Foundation. It reflects recent changes in the sector, provides guidance to awarding bodies on developing the qualification, and sets out an overall structure, including recommended guided learning hours.
Details about the framework are available at: feadvice.org.uk/i-am-ite-provider-etf-guidancedocuments/qualifications-education-and-training
The Education and Training Foundation (ETF) has launched a new programme to help current and prospective finance managers and deputy finance directors in further education develop the skills and knowledge needed to
drive performance and influence and inspire others.
The Further Education Finance Leaders and Managers programme will develop participants’ ability to drive performance through feedback, adapt communication styles, skilfully manage upwards,
present commercial insight and opinion, master stakeholder mapping, and increase their effectiveness as a business partner.
Booking for the first cohort of the programme, which takes place in Birmingham on 1 to 2 February 2023, is open now. Up to 15 free places
are available to colleges with financial challenges such as FEC intervention.
Find out more information and book your place at et-foundation. co.uk/professional-development/ leadership-and-governanceprogrammes/leadership-forfurther-education-financeleaders-and-managers
The diversity demographic of students is changing rapidly in the UK
The Education and Training Foundation (ETF) recently launched new Professional Standards for Leaders in the further education (FE) and training sector.
The new four sets of standards are intended for use in self-assessment, CPD planning, career development and recruitment, and are designed to nurture the pipeline of leadership talent in FE and training. They are also accompanied by a training needs analysis tool, which allows individuals to reflect on their current skills and knowledge and informs future development and training.
Jenny Jarvis, interim CEO of the ETF, said: “The standards are intended to be used in a positive, supportive way, providing an aspirational, values-led model for what excellence in leadership looks like and as an aid to individuals’ personal development. They are not intended to be prescriptive. Every organisation has its own unique features, culture and behaviours, and will want to use them in a nuanced, appropriate way.”
The new Professional Standards can be accessed via the ETF website: et-foundation.co.uk/ news/etf-launches-new-professional-standards-for-leaders-in-the-fe-and-training-sector
The Education and Training Foundation has released a new resource to help leaders and organisations in the further education (FE) and training sector understand and respond to equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI).
Deeper Thinking and Stronger Action: A Personal and Organisational Commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion provides insight into the key conceptual frameworks for understanding EDI in an FE and training context.
The resource is aimed at anyone in a leadership role.
The report was created on behalf of the ETF by KJ Consulting Solutions in partnership with ccConsultancy, with the support of a reference group from across the FE and training sector. Access it at et-foundation. co.uk/news/new-equity-diversity-andinclusion-resource-launched-by-etf
A programme of events hosted by the Education and Training Foundation’s SEND programme running up to the end of March 2023 is now available to book.
The programme includes a session on 22 December on the accessibility features of Microsoft packages in curriculum delivery.
Other sessions include the use of assistive technology and communication aids (18 January), preparing learners for adulthood (20 January) and supporting deaf learners and those who experience hearing loss (23 January).
A full listing of the events and links to book places are available at send. excellencegateway.org.uk/communitiespractice-managers-and-practitioners
The proportion of private training providers who say they have been hit hard by rising salary and building costs
The number of BTEC qualifications that were set to be axed from 2024 which will now continue, out of an initial list of 160. Some 33 courses are still under review
The number of Level 2 or below courses that the government plans to scrap between 2025 and 2027
The number of apprenticeship starts in 2021/22; a nine per cent increase on 2020/21. The number remains well below pre-Covid levels
The amount of apprenticeship funding returned to the Treasury since the launch of the levy, a Freedom of Information request from FE Week and Apprenticeships Data Insights shows
Partnership is central to the success of the further education and training sector, and is integral to the way in which the ETF and SET operate, says Jenny Jarvis
In further education and training, partnership is more than a concept or an agreement between parties. It’s a reality, driven by a collective mindset that guides those who devote themselves to the sector, influencing how they operate, develop and help learners fulfil their potential.
That’s reflected in the way the Education and Training Foundation (ETF) and the Society for Education and Training (SET), our membership body, think about partnership. For us, it’s a genuine commitment to collaboration; it’s about putting the sector first and finding the common ground on which we can work with others, in order to achieve what we might not achieve alone. Without partnership at our core, the ETF and SET would not be what they are or achieve what they do.
Partnership has been at the heart of our activity through our work with SET Corporate Partners (the latest being East Kent College), in our collaboration with the sector to create the Professional Standards for Teachers and the newest ones for Leaders launched late September, and in our close partnership with the Chartered College of Teaching to ensure holders of Advanced Teacher Status (ATS) will be conferred Chartered Teacher Status.
And partnership isn’t just at the heart of what the ETF and SET do in terms of the organisations we choose to work with; it’s a theme of much of the activity we oversee. In our Centres for Excellence in Maths programme, it is what underpins the practitioner research being shared. In our T Level Professional Development programme, it’s at the core of our work ensuring insights from industry inform teaching, and the benefits of closer collaboration between general and specialist colleges was the headline of our June report looking at outcomes for learners with SEND.
Sadly, our own SET Conference was postponed until 17 January 2023, after national rail disruptions were announced for 3 November, when it was originally due to take place. I’m pleased to say it will still be a face-toface event at the intended venue, the Vox in Birmingham, ensuring it will provide numerous opportunities for practitioners to collaborate and share effective practice – one of the reasons behind its popularity.
The power of this kind of peer networking and partnering shouldn’t be underestimated. Essentially, networking is about meeting and connecting with people and building supportive relationships.
Sharing challenges, opportunities and effective practice with peers has huge value and benefits. For starters, you know you will be in a safe, nonjudgmental environment and you are likely to get back far more than you anticipated, given the different perspectives you will hear.
And you’ll inevitably expand your own range of contacts too by making new connections. Ultimately, this will support your professional development and potentially enhance your teaching or training practice, with the benefit ultimately being passed to your learners.
Similarly, the ETF is working with a range of partners across the sector, forming memorandums of understanding or collaborative agreements. You may have seen our announcement at the beginning of October that we have signed a partnership with the Black Leadership Group (formerly the Black FE Leadership Group). We look forward to announcing further such agreements to help advance the sector as the ETF continues its evolution.
Partnership and collaboration in their many guises have been a fundamental aspect of the ETF’s activity – including through SET – since its inception, and our commitment to working with others remains as strong as ever.
As the ETF continues its journey, evolving to ensure that we serve the sector in the most effective way possible, one thing that will not change is our recognition of the importance of partnership working and the increased effectiveness it can bring.
JENNY JARVIS is interim CEO of the Education and Training FoundationSHARING CHALLENGES, OPPORTUNITIES AND EFFECTIVE PRACTICE WITH PEERS HAS HUGE VALUE AND BENEFITS
The glitz and glamour of Strictly Come Dancing may seem a world away from the realities of further education teaching. Yet the principles are not too dissimilar, says Harriet Harper
Strictly Come Dancing is reaching its grand finale. Over the past few weeks, viewers have got to know a ‘mixed ability’ group of students who, with great teaching, support and feedback, have learned a new skill. Sounds familiar? Let’s not get too carried away by the similarities between your classroom and the famous TV studio. You won’t have all the glamour and glitz and you’re unlikely to be eliminating one of your students each week. However, Strictly does give us food for thought on the teaching of skills. Regardless of the dancers’ starting point, the focus is on weekly progress and the ‘journey’ they make. As teachers, we support our students to succeed in their end-qualification but, on the way, we also know the value of helping them to recognise each small step. This type of ipsative assessment is not linked to comparison with others or meeting external criteria; it focuses on an individual’s own progress since their previous performance.
The starting point for Strictly celebrities is not just about their existing dancing skills, age or stamina. The programme prides itself on inclusion, with high expectations of all, regardless of any specific (dis)ability.
The Strictly approach is a reminder that inclusion is not about treating everyone the same but about providing each individual with appropriate tailored support. This works, as evidenced by the fact that last year’s winner is deaf and did not hear music in the same way as her professional coach.
Strictly participants quickly see the link between success and effort. In his bestselling book Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell argues that it takes 10,000 hours of intensive practice to master complex skills. Imagine if all our students had access to anything like the intensive, high-quality, oneto-one teaching enjoyed by Strictly participants. It’s not surprising that these celebrities gush about their teachers. Good teaching makes a real difference.
Judges’ feedback and scoring rarely model good practice. This is not surprising, as the main aim of Strictly is entertainment, not pedagogy. How do judges decide what score to give? How does the public choose who to vote off ? Sometimes it may simply be about likeability or loyalty to a dancer’s hometown. In the world of Strictly, there are no explicit summative assessment criteria. Once voted off, celebrities have another life to return to. It’s different for our students, whose
future may depend on a qualification. Summative assessment criteria need to be clear to all from the outset, as well as reliable, valid and fair.
What is of more significance for the celebrities is the formative feedback from their coaches. Participants routinely reflect on their strengths and articulate what they need to do, not just to remain in the competition, but to challenge themselves still further. We know this works – ongoing feedback, self-reflection, high expectations.
Money matters. In Strictly, a contestant’s payment increases the longer they stay in the competition and the tabloids report huge payments for professionals and judges. Also, there are dozens of people behind the scenes, as there are in further education (FE) and training. It would be useful to compare money spent per contestant on Strictly to funding allocation per student in FE. Finance makes a significant difference to what can be achieved.
In Strictly, the celebrities are socialised into the discipline of dance. As they acquire core habits, develop practical skills and use technical terminology, they become dancers. This is the transition our students make, as they begin to see themselves as chefs, hairdressers, plasterers, coders or carers. Like the dancers, they acquire technical skills and the kind of tacit knowledge about their discipline that is hard to put into words but easier to demonstrate.
Undoubtedly, learning to dance on Strictly is challenging for contestants and fun to watch for viewers. Learning a skill in FE secures employment for students and is critical for the success of the UK economy, never more so than now. Let us celebrate the thousands of teachers in FE who make this happen, even if they are rarely in the limelight or wearing sequinned outfits.
HARRIET HARPER is a teacher, critical friend, mentor, advisor, researcher and author
PARTICIPANTS ROUTINELY REFLECT ON THEIR STRENGTHS AND ARTICULATE WHAT THEY NEED TO DO
In the further education and training sector, it can feel as if there aren’t enough hours in the day. Using productivity tools
The idea that you will be a better teacher or trainer if you are happy, well-rested and (relatively) stress-free makes sense.
If you are in a good place, you will be more present for your students. You will have the motivation and capacity for professional development. You’ll better accept constructive feedback from peers, allowing you to keep developing your practice.
To do well in any aspect of your life, you must be well. The trouble is that there is so much to do, and time is limited – especially if you are in a traditional teaching role. Spending most of your day in the classroom is undeniably wonderful, but the downside is that you only have short bursts of time outside the classroom to do the rest of your job.
Productivity tools can help you work smarter and save time outside the classroom. The tools I recommend come with a health warning, though. Use the time you save for rest and recovery; do not fill it with more work, because this is the path to burnout. When assembling your productivity toolkit, consider the following as a minimum: calendar, task manager and note-taking tool. If you’re savvy, you can find a tool that combines two – or maybe even all three – of these functions.
You likely have a preferred digital calendar in your workplace, probably Outlook or Google Calendar. Both tools are effective, and most people know how to use the essential functions. However, are you making the most of your digital calendar?
Add your teaching hours to your calendar to get an accurate picture of how much time you have outside of the classroom. After that, you can use the time-blocking method to allocate your remaining time to tasks. A benefit of adding administrative task time to your calendar is that it should prevent others from booking all of your non-contact time for meetings.
Planners and paper diaries are also good options, especially those that include space for note-taking. Whichever approach you take for your calendar, make it your ‘one point of truth’.
A good task management tool allows you to prioritise tasks and set due dates (or, my preference, ‘do dates’ – the date you plan to do the task).
A notepad is always a good option, although you will likely need to rewrite your task list every day or so. A benefit of regularly rewriting your task list is that you have to think about each separate task in turn and consider your priorities and opportunities for delegation and
deletion. If you use a notepad as a task list, I suggest using a yellow legal pad, so it is easy to spot on your desk.
Digital task managers have the benefit of being accessible on multiple devices. My favourite task management app is TickTick; I love that it is accessible on the web so that I can use it at work and on my mobile and tablet. TickTick is simple and easy to use but includes sophisticated features such as a Pomodoro timer and an Eisenhower Matrix.
Other strong alternative digital task managers include Todoist and Trello. Microsoft Outlook and Google Calendar also have built-in task list functionality.
Last, you should have a note-taking tool – again, a diary or notepad can work well but they are easy to lose. So I prefer digital tools for my precious notes.
I use Obsidian for personal note-taking and Google Docs for work-related notes. TickTick has note-taking functionality built-in, making it a truly flexible option. Notion is another example of a tool that could handle note-taking and task management. Both TickTick and Notion offer discounts on their premium versions for students and teachers.
If you prefer pen and paper and are looking for a three-in-one option, I recommend Ryder Carroll’s Bullet Journal Method (BuJo for short). BuJo provides a home for your calendar, tasks and notes in just one notebook. BuJo is perfect for people who love stationery –hence its popularity with teachers!
I hope you’ve found these recommendations helpful and would love to know if you give any a try – look me up on LinkedIn or Twitter and let me know. To access links to all the tools I mention (plus some bonus recommendations), visit martineellis.com/set or check out the cover feature in this issue.
MARTINE ELLIS FSET ATS is a teacher, writer and lifelong learner
can help you make the best use of your time, says Martine Ellis FSET ATS
Maths GCSE resits remain a challenge, but incremental improvements seen in action research provide hope that both learner engagement and achievement can be boosted, says Cath Gladding
On the face of it, some of the summer 2022 maths GCSE resit results were disappointing. Negative attitudes and patchy attendance by students, combined with the lasting impact of Covid-19 and a shortage of teachers, mean that improving results is far from straightforward.
However, the work of colleges involved in the Education and Training Foundation’s Centres for Excellence in Maths (CfEM) programme has produced some interesting innovations. While sudden jumps in grades remain rare, teachers involved in CfEM’s collaborative action research groups have seen promising improvements in learner engagement and progress.
Action research cycles vary but tend to include reflecting on individual practice; pooling ideas and reading around the topic; collaboratively designing a new approach, technique or resource; each teacher repeatedly trying out and adapting their intervention; and systematic evaluation and analysis to
identify ‘what works’ and should be continued. Crucially, action research has helped teachers to conceptualise improvement as an incremental process.
Identifying and addressing maths anxiety head-on to improve motivation and engagement was identified as the highest priority for research by many colleges early in the programme. Teachers could see the importance of reducing learners’ anxiety before being able to address gaps in skills and understanding. Sharing concepts and models with learners such as Carol Dweck’s growth and fixed mindsets is useful.
“What works for us particularly well is the application of the growth mindset alongside academic coaching,” explains Rosie Sharp, English, maths and quality director at Fareham College. At Fareham, the programme funded coaches and has been successful in improving attendance and engagement. Other colleges are now collaborating with Fareham to self-fund a shared pool of coaches.
Teachers involved in CfEM know that learners arrive with different skills and knowledge gaps, making it a frustrating use of teaching hours to reteach what is already known and highlighting the need for more effective assessment for learning.
Leyton Sixth Form College developed a process whereby diagnostic questions done in one lesson were marked, and the most common misconceptions identified and addressed in the next lesson.
Tameside College found that instead of practising full exam papers in silence, encouraging learners to talk to each other and the teacher during shorter, more focused diagnostic tests resulted in discussions and sometimes heated debates. Here, the teacher’s role is as a facilitator, with learners feeling less pressured and able to ask questions to clarify their own thinking and help others.
Nonetheless, many learners remained loath to put pen to paper “unless they already know that what they are doing is right”, says Lorna McMahon, CfEM lead at the college. She and colleagues sought ways to free up learners psychologically, which included a small-steps approach to tackling maths problems. Now, many more learners are willing to ‘have a go’ rather than leave a question blank.
Action research has enabled teachers to design, try out and refine new approaches that are both holistic and entirely suited to the maths resit context in which they work.
Meanwhile, other successful approaches to coaching have developed over three years of action research at Cambridge Regional College and Nelson and Colne College Group, and these practices are being sustained by teachers developing their own coaching skills. For example, teachers cover in lessons how the brain works, with discussions based on self-assessments of anxiety and confidence; making exam questions more approachable by RAG (red, amber and green) rating; and breaking them down into small steps.
For teachers, this means facilitating opportunities for learners to grapple with relevant problems and collaborate to find solutions. To support them, managers and leaders can create the conditions for them to be able to work collaboratively and to systematically try out and evaluate innovations in their teaching and learning.
CATH GLADDING is national research advisor at the Education and Training Foundation
I n a digital world that is constantly changing in both the availability and types of digital technologies, tools and systems, it is critical as an educator to keep informed and develop appropriate digital literacies and skills.
While time may be restricted or limited due to teaching workload and administrative and organisational pressures, try to incorporate as much exploration and discovery into your practice as often as you can. This will quickly develop your digital confidence and competencies.
Consider the following approaches to help identify and develop your digital literacies and skills in your identified digital technologies, enabling you to appropriately select and integrate them into your subject areas.
Review Jisc’s further education and skills teacher profile (tinyurl.com/ hmz6537x), underpinned by its Digital Capability Framework. There are six elements of digital focus you are encouraged to access. You and your learners will to some degree engage with all of these through learning and work. This tool will help you to identify and reflect on what your digital literacy and skills needs are, when applied to digital technologies you want to use.
You can also self-assess your digital capabilities using a free tool such as Digital Skills Accelerator’s online self-assessment tool (digitalskillsaccelerator.eu/ learning-portal/online-selfassessment-tool). If you feel your digital literacies and skills are quite low, consider completing an Essential Digital Skills/Digital Functional Skills qualification.
Identify digital technologies you want to grow your confidence and competence in, ideally those that are approved and supported by your organisation so you can access/log local support. Write a side note stating the reasons for using or learning more about these digital technologies. Then rate your abilities in using the identified digital technologies: Exploring (investigating) –Developing basic digital knowledge and practices
Applying (using/testing)
– Identifying opportunities, practising them and developing plans further Leading (sharing with others) – Disseminating knowledge and practice with peers and wider communities, critiquing existing practices and developing new practices.
Digital skills are rapidly becoming an essential part of a teacher’s toolkit. But they may not come naturally to everyone.
Daniel Scott outlines how to improve your digital literacy
Plan protected time to purposefully play to get better acquainted with the digital technologies’ behaviour, possibilities and limitations. Perhaps locate or request a test area to support you with this.
Learn in your own comfort zone; choose a time and place to discover teaching through digital technology – explore the functions and features of the tool or system and how they can be used for learning and your own development. This will increase a sense of ownership.
Practise in safe physical and digital spaces, accepting trial and error in order to build up your confidence and competence. You would enable this for your learners so allow it for yourself.
Identify context/subjectspecific digital champions internal or external to your organisation or department. See it as a mission to learn from experts and adapt to your own style and context.
Locate ‘help’ features, guidance and communities; most if not all digital technologies have these, so identify where they are. Talk to others about what you are experiencing – a problem shared is a problem halved. Why not join an online community and view people’s questions and answers in a forum? Or post questions via social media such as Twitter or LinkedIn using relevant hashtags to increase discoverability and responses?
Ask your learners to show what they can do or select a ‘digital mentor’ to help you learn and practise new digital technologies. Or perhaps involve them through a well-structured activity that allows them to demonstrate and develop their own digital capabilities at the same time.
DANIEL SCOTT is a learning technologist and author of Digital Learning, Teaching and Assessment for HE and FE Practitioners, available at criticalpublishing.com InTuition readers can get 20 per cent off with the code InTuition22 until 31 March 2023
Ask or work with a learning technologist so they can support you with any digital technologyrelated developments and queries.
The Prevent duty continues to be an important expectation for those teaching or training in colleges, independent training providers, adult education or prisons. One key aspect of this is the exploration of British values in teaching across the sector. However, it is clear that conspiracy theories have increasingly impacted on our learners. We need to be aware that these can undermine British values while also drawing people into extremism.
For teachers, trainers and lecturers, both of these are issues that we face on a day-today basis. This presents us with two challenges: How can we integrate British values into our teaching? And how do we understand why people are drawn into conspiracy theories?
British values
Integrating British values into our teaching has been an Ofsted expectation since 2015. Ofsted inspectors are looking to see whether learners have an understanding of British values in the context of their lives and work, and signs that “the provider prepares learners for life in modern Britain by equipping them to be responsible, respectful, active citizens who contribute positively
Anyone involved in teaching and training in the further education sector needs to explore British values and be prepared to confront conspiracy theories. Selina Stewart outlines what the Prevent duty means in practice, and how it can help reduce the risk of extremism
to society; developing their understanding of fundamental British values” (Ofsted Education Inspection Handbook, 2022).
One recent Ofsted report highlights why understanding British values is important. “Assessors have not ensured that apprentices understand British values well enough,” it states. “Apprentices do not understand how these values relate to their current roles. As a result, apprentices do not have an accurate understanding of their rights at work or which laws could protect them from dangers.”
This is true for apprentices but also for all other learners. An understanding of British values is not just about satisfying Ofsted! There is also a real value for our learners in exploring British values. Where learners understand their rights as employees as part of the rule of law, and the influence they can have on decision-making through involvement in democracy, they become empowered.
This is important not only because of the knowledge and skills they gain but also because it changes society for the better. It also builds their resilience and ability to resist extremists who may seek to exploit them.
I have delivered Prevent duty and British values training across England and Wales to independent training providers, charities, adult learning providers, general FE colleges, sixth-form colleges and prisons. Staff are often worried about integrating British values into their teaching and concerned that learners won’t see it as relevant to their experience or their programme. They tell me that if learners come from different countries they will be resentful of learning about British values and if they were brought up in the UK they will see it as patronising to explore how British values relate to life in modern Britain.
However, once practitioners integrate the exploration of British values into their lessons in a relevant way, they find that this leads to engaging discussions about, and an understanding of, as Ofsted refers to it, “modern Britain” while “developing responsible, respectful and active citizens who are able to play their part and know how to become involved in public life” (Ofsted FE and Skills Handbook, July 2022).
A key approach is to make the understanding of British values integral to your teaching and relevant to learners’ lives. Whether the British values being explored are democracy, rule of law, individual liberty, or mutual respect and/or tolerance, you do not have to look far for relevant examples.
Rule of law: This can relate at classroom level in terms of classroom rules or the workplace in terms of health and state regulations or employment law.
This could also be about laws relating to driving, whether in relation to speed limits or the requirement to have car insurance. It might be about the protections the law gives us against violence, whether in public or at home. The law covers all of our lives and sets a framework for behaviour. Of course, it is not always effective in protecting us but the structure and systems are in place.
One area of the law that may impact on your learners is the national minimum wage; this can be used in literacy and numeracy lessons. It can lead to discussions about why government maintains and increases the rates and how this links to democracy and the role of Parliament.
Democracy: This can relate to our lives as learners, with the election of representatives. As employees, it can be through trade unions and voting both for union reps but also for or against strike action. It can also, of course, relate to voting for local councillors and MPs.
For those who do have the right to vote in the UK, staff can encourage and enable
AN UNDERSTANDING OF BRITISH VALUES BUILDS RESILIENCE AND IMPROVES THE ABILITY TO RESIST EXTREMISTS
learners to register to vote at gov.uk/register-to-vote. Registering to vote and then using that vote is at the core of understanding and participating in democracy.
A further aspect of democracy is using our democratic rights to protest and campaign for change where we feel it is needed. This might involve demonstrations, respectful use of social media or contacting elected representatives directly.
It is obviously important to show that abuse and trolling are not acceptable ways to influence change, but it is important to show appropriate ways to influence politicians as part of the democratic process.
Individual liberty: That liberty may be at a basic level of what time you choose to go to bed, what route you take to your class or which course you want to take and what career you want to follow. These choices are not absolute. There are restrictions on our individual liberty; this can lead to interesting discussions with and between learners.
It is important to note that in the UK we have the right to freedom of expression which is limited by UK law: “Although you have freedom of expression, you also have a duty to behave responsibly and to respect other people’s rights. Public authorities may restrict this right if they can show that their action is lawful, necessary and proportionate” (Equality and Human Rights Commission). It is important to distinguish this from freedom of speech, which the US has enshrined in its constitution and which is much broader.
Mutual respect and tolerance: This can relate to behaviour in the classroom or outside in everyday life. The Prevent duty requires the promotion of awareness of the protected characteristics in the Equality duty. It is important to note that mutual respect and tolerance are something we can all show to each other and that this improves the quality of all of our lives.
Promoting British values is useful as a way of showing learners the way that they are protected by and can influence change in society. But, at the same time that we explore these, we often become
A YouGov poll in January 2021 showed that in Britain:
think the world is run by a secret group of people think that the harmful effects of vaccines are hidden from the public
believe that climate change is a hoax
believe that the moon landing in 1969 was faked
believe that AIDS was spread on purpose
aware that there is another force which is working to undermine our learners’ confidence in society and their ability to change it. This comes in the form of conspiracy theories.
Conspiracy theories: Conspiracy theories have always existed, even going back to ancient times with the story that Nero burnt down Rome and the antisemitic conspiracy theories against Jewish people in the Middle Ages. They are not new but social media has provided a way of spreading them ever faster to vulnerable people.
According to YouGov polling published in January 2014, people in Britain are less likely to believe conspiracy theories
than in most other nations, with only Japan and Denmark having a lower belief. However, this still leaves 14 per cent of adults believing conspiracy theories, which means that there will probably be at least two in an average class.
Previous research by psychologists into the attraction and impact of conspiracy theories have found that those who are attracted to conspiracy theories generally feel insecure in their everyday lives and are trying to find order in a disordered world. This has particularly been the case over the last three years with the Covid outbreak, and it continues with the invasion of Ukraine as life has become even more uncertain.
However, belief in conspiracy theories is not just about insecurity; more recent research has reinterpreted some of these outcomes and linked them to entertainment value. Much like a scary movie or detective novel, conspiracy theories typically involve spectacular narratives that include mystery, suspected danger, and unknown forces that are not fully comprehended (Van Prooijen and Douglas, 2018).
Many conspiracy theories have potential entertainment value, which is defined as the extent to which people judge a particular narrative as interesting, exciting and attention-grabbing.
Conspiracy beliefs are associated with decreased analytical thinking, and an increased reliance on one’s emotions and intuitions (Swami et al, 2014). Taken together, these arguments are consistent with the notion that the extent to which the conspiracy theory entertains those who engage with it predicts the extent that it will be believed.
Belief in conspiracy theories is also associated with feeling unique and special (Imhoff and Lamberty, 2017; Lantian et al, 2017), an inflated evaluation of the self (Cichocka et al, 2016) and an inflated evaluation of the groups that are central to a perceiver’s identity (collective narcissism; Golec de Zavala and Cichocka, 2012; Golec de Zavala and Federico, 2018).
It is important to understand how conspiracy theories can be attractive and engaging – often far more than
conventional explanations, which can be tedious and which may include confusing elements. This does not change the danger of conspiracy theories, especially when they prove dangerous to the individual or society, for example by discouraging people from taking vaccines or by telling people that certain minority groups are a threat. The risk is extenuated when these theories are used to attract people into extremism.
As practitioners in colleges and skills training, we will be teaching or training some people who do not trust authorities and institutions. In some cases, this will not be a major problem, but in others – if there is a significant group of people who distrust those who set the rules in society – issues may arise. We need learners to follow rules, which might relate to health and safety, finance or data protection or exam regulations. If learners think that those who regulate our work are not legitimate or that they are setting rules for their personal benefit, they may not be prepared to comply.
Our role as practitioners is to ask people to read, consider and make judgments about what they see. It is more important than ever in these confusing times that we encourage our learners to explore and analyse the conspiracy theories with as much enthusiasm as they question the mainstream media. Telling people they are wrong does not work – supporting people to analyse the conspiracy theories they come across can be much more effective.
SELINA STEWART works as an associate on the Prevent duty support programme for FE and training providers and also on FE strategic leadership at the Education and Training Foundation. She also carries out training on Prevent for providers across the sector
For further information on supporting learners to analyse online material see my previous blog: Building resilience to resist conspiracy theories, available at et-foundation.co.uk/safeguardingand-prevent/building-resilience-to-resistconspiracy-theories
Education Inspection Framework. (July 2022) Available at gov.uk/government/publications/ education-inspection-framework/ education-inspection-framework
What conspiracy theories did people around the world believe in 2021? yougov.co.uk/topics/international/ articles-reports/2022/02/08/whatconspiracy-theories-did-peoplearound-world-b
Swami V, Voracek M, Stieger S, Tran U and Furnham A. (2014) Analytic thinking reduces belief in conspiracy theories. Available at pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih. gov/25217762/
Lantian A, Muller D, Nurra C and Douglas K. (2017) The role of need for uniqueness in belief in conspiracy theories. Available at psycnet.apa.org/ record/2017-30136-003
Imhoff and Lamberty. (2017) Too special to be duped: Need for uniqueness motivates conspiracy beliefs. psycnet.apa.org/ record/2017-23048-001
Lantian A, Muller D, Nurra C and Douglas KM. (2017) “I know things they don’t know!”: The role of need for uniqueness in belief in conspiracy theories. econtent. hogrefe.com/doi/10.1027/18649335/a000306
Van Prooijen and Douglas. (2018) Belief in conspiracy theories: Basic principles of an emerging research domain. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/ articles/PMC6282974/
Golec de Zavala and Cichocka. (2011) Collective narcissism and anti-Semitism in Poland. journals.sagepub.com/doi/ abs/10.1177/1368430211420891
Golec de Zavala and Federico. (2018) Collective narcissism and the growth of conspiracy thinking over the course of the 2016 United States presidential election: a longitudinal analysis. psycnet.apa. org/record/2018-26511-001
Those working in the further education and training sector are under significant pressure, and many are struggling with their mental health. But there are things that teachers and employers can do to look after themselves and their colleagues, says Jo Faragher
The start of the autumn term brought with it a perfect storm for further education (FE) and training staff. Many were still dealing with the impact of the pandemic on learners’ progress, soaring energy bills mean wages do not stretch as far as they used to, and the news heralded a different political crisis every day.
Claire Nicholson-Clinch, head of engagement at the Education and Training Foundation (ETF), describes it as a “pressure cooker” effect running through the sector.
The 2021 teacher wellbeing index, run by the charity Education Support, found that teachers’ mental health is deteriorating. More than three-quarters of teachers are showing behavioural, psychological or physical symptoms such as panic attacks, anxiety, depression and insomnia as a result of pressures they face at work.
The ETF’s own research into members in FE settings echoes this, with staff reporting frustrations including “lack of wellbeing”, “isolation and long hours”, and “poor work-life balance”. They want more training in supporting learners with their own emotional welfare, and time off for their own personal development.
With so many factors affecting teacher wellbeing, it can be difficult for FE staff to know where to go for support, with some colleges and settings signposting help better than others. “It can be small
things rather than massive changes,” advises Nicholson-Clinch.
If staff know about teaching helplines (see box overleaf), this can help because it can be easier to open up to someone who’s not a colleague, or staff could think about taking a meeting outside, she says. “Sometimes you just want an independent person who will not feed back your worries to the organisation, and where there’s no judgement,” she says. “A helpline can be really valuable as you can go out to your car and talk, or perhaps you’d rather offload over email.”
Martine Ellis, professional development manager at Guernsey College of Further Education, believes this sense of vocation means staff can have a tendency to place unrealistic expectations on themselves. “One of the biggest issues in teaching is that we tend to prioritise the needs of our students over our own, which means we can’t do the best for them,” she says. “There’s an overarching sense that there’s not enough time to do everything, so lecturers and leaders end up working long hours without taking breaks, the social side of things drops and there’s no space to decompress.”
That’s why it’s crucial that leaders role-model healthy practice, including setting healthy boundaries around time. “If you’re working until 9pm every night you’re giving a message that that’s okay,” she adds. “The same with email – you might not expect your colleague to read it but you’re taking a problem out of your head and putting it into someone else’s. If no one is sending messages out of hours, no one has to react.”
It can also help to set realistic expectations around class preparation and administrative tasks. “Encourage collaboration between colleagues so they don’t feel like they have to
IT’S ABOUT GIVING YOURSELF PERMISSION, AND KNOWING THAT YOUR EMPLOYER GIVES YOU PERMISSION, TO FEEL THOSE MOMENTS OF CALM
do it all from scratch – digital and social media makes it easier to share resources,” Ellis advises. Trainee teachers in particular can feel under pressure because they may not have built up a bank of resources or have an established network they can ask for help. Giving staff time and space to mentor early-career teachers will support their mental wellbeing and ultimately retention, she adds.
Colleges and settings where there is clear communication around wellbeing, and structures in place to support staff, tend to have better retention and engagement of staff. Weston College is one of three Centres for Excellence in SEND and as part of this has a focus on supporting staff to manage learners’ and their own wellbeing.
“We roll out training that benefits not just learners but also staff,” says Ben Knocks, assistant principal. More than 100 staff have been through mental health first aid (MHFA) training and more than 700 through emotional literacy training. There is also a dedicated staff welfare officer that sits outside the HR function so employees feel they can discuss issues in confidence.
Staff have really felt the knock-on effect of the impact of the pandemic on learners, explains Sam Mayhew, head of faculty. “When Covid hit, learners were catapulted into a virtual environment where they lost their connectivity and social identity,” she says. “Staff needed to be available a lot more and welfare conversations increased.” Interactions with the welfare team have shot up from around 11,000 in 2018/19 to more than 20,000 this year. So they could offload, staff were encouraged to take part in ‘staff MOTs’ – informal counselling sessions where they could discuss stress – an initiative that continues now.
At University Academy 92 (UA92) in Manchester, workshops on financial wellbeing are included as part of a suite of wellbeing benefits for staff. “This includes an employee assistance programme with a 24/7 helpline and workshops, private medical insurance, discounts for gyms, and a chance to
DEBRA CLARK, head of specialist consulting at Towergate Health & Protection, offers the following tips for FE settings:
Host webinars with the opportunity for Q&A sessions at the end
Place posters in high-traffic areas such as bathrooms and common rooms so staff can see links to resources
Form support groups for like-minded individuals, such as a running club or gardening group
Create quiet spaces where people can take some time to think
Nominate welfare officers or champions (or mental health first aiders) so people know who to approach if they are struggling
digital training and initiatives such as birthday leave and ‘free-from Fridays’, which discourage meetings towards the end of the week.
While these actions may seem small, it’s important to recognise that burnout can be triggered by cumulative stresses. “It’s about giving yourself permission, and knowing that your employer gives you permission, to feel those moments of calm,” adds Nicholson-Clinch. “Because teaching is a vocation, staff are so invested in making an impact and giving people life chances, so it can feel demotivating if you’ve let them down.”
But supporting students and constantly being ‘available’ can take its toll on FE staff. At Norfolk County Council Adult Learning, many learners are juggling young families and jobs alongside their courses, prompting more requests to extend deadlines or students sharing their anxieties. The organisation has been using a Promoting Wellbeing and Building Resilience unit through Gateway Qualifications to support students, and this has in turn had a positive impact on staff
“Many of our students are going into caring professions such as nursing so we teach them that they need to look after their patients but also themselves,” explains Dr Alexia Zinonos-Lee, who delivers the module. The course encourages participants to build mindfulness into their working day and block out time where they “are not allowed to do any work” and must look after themselves. Christine Deeley, subject lead for access to higher education at the council, says that “it teaches you not to feel guilty about taking time for yourself”, and has built staff ’s confidence and resilience.
volunteer in the community three days a year,” says CEO Sara Prowse.
“We recognise that being happy and thriving in the workplace has a huge array of benefits. Not only does it help people to feel part of one team, while also developing their own skills, it’s also a factor in supporting students to graduate career-ready.” The college has also held sessions on how it can support learners facing their own financial difficulties, and there is free access to professional online
Signposting where staff can access support ensures they can feel comfortable accessing help, says Debra Clark, head of specialist consulting at advisory company Towergate Health & Protection. “It’s important to make sure everyone is aware of the support available to them, such as employee assistance programmes, mental health helplines via private medical insurance or group income protection policies if
SET offers a number of resources for staff looking to take care of their own mental wellbeing and look after others, such as:
Webinars for members on topics such as wellbeing-driven productivity and practitioners’ perspectives on mental health awareness.
Legal helpline: SET partners with Law Express to offer free legal advice in personal and professional issues.
Resource Hub offers articles, webinars and podcasts on mental health and wellbeing topics. The ETF also has a dedicated mental health and wellbeing page.
For more information visit et-foundation.co.uk/resources/ further-education-and-trainingrecovery/mental-health-andemotional-wellbeing
The charity Education Support runs a helpline that is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, open to all administrative and academic staff. mentalhealthatwork.org.uk/ toolkit/supporting-staffwellbeing-in-further-education
Mental health charity Mind also offers support on how to live with a mental health condition. mind.org.uk
they’re in place, as well as through HR, line managers and support groups,” she says.
Colleges and other settings might want to consider MHFA training for those on the front line. “This can help show people what to look out for in others but also in themselves,” she adds. UA92 offers MHFA training alongside mentorship for staff. Prowse says interventions such as these have led to “a high retention rate but also a workplace where everybody, staff and students, looks out for each other’s wellbeing”.
Ultimately, whether staff feel comfortable acknowledging their own or others’ mental health struggles will come down to the culture of the organisation. “The best examples of wellbeing initiatives are when they’re not an initiative at all,” says Chris Thackray, education sector lead at technology company Hable. “Instead, wellbeing is a thread that runs through everything.”
At Weston College, this sense of a culture is driven from the highest level. “Staff feel the value of the voice that comes from our principal, Sir Paul Philips,” adds Mayhew. “It’s not a wholecollege approach unless it comes from the top.” For FE professionals lucky enough to have a culture like this where they can admit they’re struggling, it makes a tough job a little bit easier. What is certain is that, whether it comes from the individual or the institution, support for FE staff will become ever more important in the difficult months to come.
FARAGHER is a freelance journalist and former editor of TES magazinePrison is a punishment, but unless it also offers rehabilitation every sentence is a wasted opportunity. Ministry of Justice (MoJ) research shows that just under one in three former prisoners who participated in education reoffend within a year, compared with 40 per cent of all ex-prisoners. Education also improves prisoners’ self-confidence, mental health and behaviour, while increasing their chances of finding employment after release.
Many benefit from a positive and constructive experience of education they may not have had before. Government figures show that about six out of 10 prisoners starting sentences between April 2019 and March 2020 had literacy and numeracy capabilities between Level 1 and 3. Almost three out of 10 (29 per cent) had a learning difficulty or disability, some not diagnosed previously, and 42 per cent had been excluded from school at least once.
There has been plenty of political attention given to this subject in recent years. In addition to a 2021 government white paper on prisons and work being carried out by the House of Commons Education Committee, Ofsted and HM Inspectorate of Prisons are undertaking a joint review of prison education.
At present, the systems delivering education to the 87,000 or so prisoners in 141 UK prisons are fragmented, underfunded and facing an uncertain future. Under the Prison Education Framework (PEF), delivery is contracted to four main providers in England and Wales: Milton Keynes College, Novus, PeoplePlus and Weston College, with tendering for new contracts due in spring 2023.
Individual prison governors can also commission additional learning services via a dynamic purchasing system,
overseen by the MoJ. Different systems are used in Scotland and Northern Ireland, where prison education is delivered with Fife College and Belfast Metropolitan and North-West Regional College respectively.
Even before the start of the pandemic, many prisoners were forced to spend most of their time locked in their cells because of a shortage of prison officers. During pandemic lockdowns, almost 40 per cent were locked in for at least 23 hours each day and all face-to-face prison education was suspended.
PEF providers and voluntary sector organisations responded by creating new learning materials for use in cells, along with resources that could be accessed using in-cell telephones or prison TV.
“Prior to the pandemic, everyone had this ambition to roll out blended
PHOTOGRAPHY: ALAMYThe pandemic hit prison education hard but has also led to a number of digital initiatives that may provide a platform for future delivery. But other concerns remain, as David Adams explains
learning, but when the pandemic struck, blended learning was suddenly a necessity,” says Jezz Wright, head of digital learning and strategy for PEF provider PeoplePlus, and the lead for its incell TV platform Wayout TV. “We needed to find innovative ways to deliver education outside the classroom using the limited technologies available.”
These included Wayout TV, first launched with the backing of PeoplePlus in 2014 and now broadcast in 50 prisons across England and Wales, offering a mix of original and other TV and spoken word content including programmes about science, the arts and other academic subjects. During the pandemic, extra content was added, including more vocational training material.
The pandemic has undoubtedly accelerated the development and adoption of education via in-cell digital technologies. But this is still limited for security reasons and due to infrastructure shortcomings. It is also not the best option for some prisoners, such as those for whom English is a second language, or some of those with learning difficulties or disabilities.
Teachers and trainers make the difference in prison education, but it is increasingly difficult to recruit and retain them
Meanwhile, even as prisons recover from the pandemic, the overall availability of prison education in general is still limited. “There are good initiatives going on and there has been some innovation because of lockdown, but far fewer people are accessing classroom-based education than before lockdown,” says Francesca Cooney, head of policy at the Prisoners’ Education Trust (PET), a charity which seeks to support and improve prison education in England and Wales.
Emma Yorke, managing director for justice at PeoplePlus, says some prisons have been slower to restart face-to-face education because of a fear it could trigger new Covid outbreaks. She says her own staff “have been chomping at the bit” to return. “In general, replacing faceto face-learning with in-cell learning is not something that practitioners think is the way forward,” she says.
But the pandemic also highlighted the need for prisoners to acquire digital skills. “Many prisoners who have had longer sentences haven’t lived in the digital world,” says Lesley Clark, head of product and innovation at Novus. “If someone has served even a five-year sentence, just imagine how different the world is going to be when they come out.”
The government’s 2021 white paper on prisons stated an intention to increase the use of digital technology in prisons, noting other benefits of incell technology, including supporting prisoners’ family relationships. As a result of various initiatives, the number of prisoners with access to laptops or tablets is increasing slowly.
PEF PROVIDERS ARE SAYING THEY WANT TO BE MORE INNOVATIVE, BUT FUNDING HASN’T GONE UP FOR MANY YEARS
Technology company Coracle Inside is one of the organisations helping to roll out in-cell technologies. It supplies secure laptops that prisoners can use offline, preloaded with content from multiple education providers, ranging from basic literacy material from the Shannon Trust to Open University resources. There are now about 1,000 Coracle laptops in use at around 50 prisons.
Recent months have also seen the launch of another potentially significant partnership, between PeoplePlus and the University of the West of England (UWE). It will provide a digital credential badge to prisoners who complete selected PeoplePlus/Wayout TV courses.
“In the past, awarding bodies have struggled with blended learning,” explains Wayout TV’s Wright. “To some learners that may mean that they’re not worth very much. UWE took the decision to recognise the learning taking place, so learners could be assured it was up to a certain standard. On release, prisoners get a digital badge they can put on their CVs or LinkedIn profile.” The project is still at an early stage, but PeoplePlus and UWE hope to be able to publicise some promising early results some time in 2023.
But new technology alone will not transform prison education – it is teachers and trainers who will make the difference. Unfortunately, at present it is
The proportion of prisoners with literacy and numeracy capabilities between Level 1 and 3
The amount of prisoners with a learning difficulty or disability, shown by government figures
out of dedicated employment advisers and employment hubs in prisons.
The first report of the House of Commons Education Committee’s 2022-23 session on prison education makes similar recommendations. The government’s official response to the report accepts many of them, although some only “in principle”. One qualified acceptance was for a recommended infrastructure audit of the entire prison estate. The government’s response referred to £550 million to be spent over three years “to support prison leavers’ transition back into society and reduce reoffending”.
proving very difficult to recruit and retain them. Research from the University and College Union suggests that seven out of 10 teachers plan to leave prison education, in part because of poor pay, lack of career development opportunities, a lack of long-term job security due to regular retendering, and difficult or unsafe working environments.
“It’s not for everybody, going into the prisons,” Yorke admits. She says those who are applying for these jobs are also asking for more flexibility around working hours and conditions. PeoplePlus is trying to accommodate some of these demands, although it is restricted by the prisons’ requirements. This staffing shortage is running in parallel with a more general recruitment crisis for prison staff. The government has pledged to recruit 5,000 new prison officers by the mid-2020s.
Other aims set out in the prisons white paper included further investment in digital technologies, development of personal learning plans for each prisoner, development of a new curriculum focused on employability, and the roll-
Funding is also a crucial issue in the process of retendering for the PEF contracts, which begins shortly. “PEF providers are saying they want to be more innovative, but funding hasn’t gone up for many years,” says Cooney. “There’s potential for things to change, but all these things need to be properly structured and resourced.”
Yorke says PeoplePlus is ready for the retendering process. “We’ve got a good relationship with the MoJ, and our performance is solid,” she says. “The issue for us will be whether there is space in those bids to be innovative. Education isn’t going to change if we can’t innovate.”
This continues to be an area characterised by admirable ambition and genuine innovation, but practitioners also seem likely to be frustrated by political and financial limitations. The other frustration, of course, is how long it seems to take for anything to change in prison education. Many of the recommendations of the 2016 Coates review of prison education are yet to be implemented.
“I don’t understand why it’s taken so long,” says Teresa Carroll, national head for inclusion at the Education and Training Foundation. “Prison education can be transformative and we should be doing better in the 21st century.” If and when we do, the whole of society will benefit.
DAVID ADAMS is a freelance journalistGiving education opportunities to prisoners reduces reoffending rates
Ofqual’s research into vocational and technical qualifications aimed to improve the design and delivery of qualifications and approaches to regulation. In the next step, the body is keen to hear the experiences of teachers, says Paul Newton
Qualifications are the currency we rely on to move to the next stages of our education or to progress in our professional careers. They are the means by which inferences are made about our skills and abilities.
Ofqual regulates more than 11,000 qualifications, some of which receive public funding, some of which do not. These qualifications are varied in their content, structure and assessment methods.
Regardless, good-quality qualifications and assessments are valid and reliable – that is, they assess the knowledge, skills and abilities they set out to test and do so in an accurate and consistent way.
It is important, therefore, that we know how qualifications work and why they are structured in the way that they are so we can consider what that means for teaching them.
Research enables quality Research which explores the design and delivery of vocational and technical qualifications (VTQs) is limited; this presents a barrier to advancing quality in VTQs to ensure their continuing credibility alongside established General Qualifications.
Ofqual is addressing this imbalance through research that advances theoretical and practical understanding of VTQs taken in England. We also want to strengthen understanding of VTQs within the community of professional practice. This is a long-term commitment to strengthening quality and shaping the future of assessments.
In February 2022, Ofqual released new research into vocational and technical qualifications. The research focused on the principles underpinning these qualifications and specifically on qualifications that have three characteristics in common:
Unit content is specified in terms of discrete learning outcomes.
The unit standard is specified in terms of assessment criteria for each learning outcome.
A learner will only be judged to have passed the unit if they demonstrate that they have acquired all specified learning outcomes (known as ‘mastery’).
These qualifications require assessors to ‘confirm the acquisition of specified learning outcomes’ by the student, so we refer to them as CASLO qualifications.
Such qualifications take many different forms across a range of sectors and qualification types. Many BTECs are constructed entirely or mainly from CASLO units and are the largest brand within the CASLO family; however, many others exist too – such as ASDAN’s Level 1 Award in Personal and Social Effectiveness and SFJ Awards Level 3 Diploma in Policing.
CASLO qualifications are often tailored to meet the diverse needs and circumstances of students, employers, schools and colleges, which may include demonstrating competence in different contexts or via different assessment methods. Because assessors are required to confirm that learners have acquired all the specified learning outcomes, there tends to be a substantial
amount of continuous assessment.
Our research also explored how quality is enhanced by centre approval and by rigorous internal and external quality assurance. We identified several principles that help to explain how an awarding organisation can remain fully accountable for each CASLO qualification that it awards, despite devolving substantial responsibility for assessment processes to centres.
We are now compiling a literature review and are working with a range of awarding organisations to understand how they operate and mitigate risks that are identified in the literature.
Our intention is to improve sector awareness of the features and processes that characterise high-quality CASLO qualifications. This will have a positive impact on the future design, development and delivery of these qualifications.
We will want to speak to lecturers, teachers and other stakeholders such as the Education and Training Foundation (ETF) to understand whether our theoretical understanding of these qualifications match your experiences in teaching them.
If you have a query or issue regarding CASLO qualifications that we should consider, please contact the ETF at membership@etfoundation.co.uk. Alternatively, if you would like to speak to Ofqual directly regarding the research, please contact strategic.relationships@ ofqual.gov.uk
PAUL NEWTON is research chair at Ofqual
Those in the further education and training sector will be familiar with the concepts of mentoring and coaching. Now a new concept incorporates elements of both. DeeDee Doke introduces ‘moaching’…
Are you or have you ever been a ‘moach’? How about a ‘moachee’? It’s likely you have been one or the other and didn’t realise it. And perhaps you have been a practitioner, informally or formally, of the activities that form this recently identified, hybrid form of professional development: ‘coaching’ and ‘mentoring’.
Dr Catherine Manning, the Education and Training Foundation’s deputy director, design and development, explains: “‘Moaching’ is neither one nor the other, but rather a combination of both. It is a term one of my colleagues adopted when she learnt about the ETF’s approach to mentoring and coaching. It raises a question: what do we really mean by mentoring or coaching, or indeed ‘moaching’?”*
Let’s back up a bit. Mentoring and coaching are widely used in further and higher education to bring about improvements in teaching, learning and assessment. The terms are often mentioned in the same breath, and are regularly used to mean the same thing.
However, some characterisations assign specific goals and an actionorientation to coaching, as in working with an individual or a team to master a skill or achieve a target. Mentoring, on the other hand, often implies that wisdom is being imparted.
Coaching and mentoring are often seen as a spectrum, with coaching as a non-directive approach at one end, helping the person find their own solutions, and mentoring at the other end offering more directive guidance. The meanings of the two words and their frequent juxtaposition are the subject of a long-running, constant and sometimes contentious debate.
Perhaps one of the neatest divisions of labour between the two practices comes from Jeremy Gomm, (voluntary) business development director at the European Mentoring & Coaching Council, who says: “The key difference for me is that the mentor needs to understand the client’s context by having been there and done it. The coach’s understanding of that context does not require such personal experience.”**
Fortunately, the emergence and recognition of ‘moaching’ enables a loftier discussion about blending traits of both practices and tailoring a bespoke approach to the individual that can solve a tactical problem at the less critical end of the scale, and build strategic expertise and confidence at the other end.
At the core of the issue is the question of what the moachee needs, and whether the individual can articulate what kind of nurturing support they are looking for. “Hold back and see if you can let them speak,” says Jacqui Howard, leadership and management facilitator (mentoring) at the ETF. “Listening is the most powerful coaching behaviour.”*
The follow-up activity is to shape questions that can progress a discussion,
The ETF offers free resources and online training for mentors, mentees, leaders and mentoring coordinators, including a mentoring framework and accompanying guides. They aim to:
Establish a shared understanding of effective mentoring practice Enhance the quality of mentoring for practitioners Ensure that mentoring is supportive and nurturing Help mentees and mentors to develop teaching, learning and assessment strategies that meet learners’ needs
For more information, visit et-foundation.co.uk/professional-development/mentoring/framework-and-guides/
A useful illustration of a moaching model can be found in Myles Downey’s Eff ective Modern Coaching (2014), where he lays out the different approaches to conversation that a mentor or coach may take.
as well as to encourage and support the moachee to share information.
Observing a mentoring or coaching session can be useful to aspiring moaches. But a full spectrum of topics around communication, learning principles, questioning techniques, balancing support with challenge and many others are best explored through effective coaching, mentoring or moaching training.
Howard and Manning say that, in addition to listening, it is key to “resist the pressure to have all the answers”.* Sometimes moachees will want a specific problem or dilemma resolved on their behalf. But in healthy moaching practice, the moachees glean insight into how to go forward by themselves, through either the benefit of their mentor’s experience or the coach’s guidance in pinpointing the issue at hand and then taking action.
The non-directive approaches begin with ‘listening to understand’, then ‘reflecting’, ‘paraphrasing’, ‘summarising’ and completing with ‘asking questions to raise awareness’. The fade to more directive points starts with ‘making suggestions’, working down to ‘giving feedback’, ‘offering guidance’, ‘giving advice’ and, lastly, ‘instructing’ to reach the spectrum’s end-point. In a ‘moaching’ relationship, the full spectrum can be used as needed.
However, Manning’s recommendation is: “Instead of becoming preoccupied about whether something is mentoring or coaching, it is far more beneficial to ensure everyone involved in a scheme engages with a shared language; a common understanding of the purpose, process and intended outcomes; and is appropriately trained for their role.”*
For more information about ‘moaching’, see Catherine Manning’s blog at et-foundation.co.uk/ mentoring/mentoring-coaching-or-moaching/
* ATS reaccreditation event, London, 4 March 2022
** The coaching vs mentoring debate (26 April 2017), the Ambition Institute
HOLD BACK AND SEE IF YOU CAN LET THEM SPEAK. LISTENING IS THE MOST POWERFUL COACHING BEHAVIOURDEEDEE DOKE is a business journalist
This research, carried out pre-Covid-19, explored vocational lecturers’ perspectives of professionalism in relation to their use of technology. The research initiated from instances of observing lecturers using the interactive whiteboard (IWB) only as a traditional wipe-board or projector for presentational software such as PowerPoint, and questioning why the technology was not always used in ways that met its potential for active learning.
However, this research was not solely focused on the IWB, recognising that they could soon be of the past (Liogier, 2022) and that vocational lecturers use a range of technology in varied ways to meet their learners’ (vocational) needs. Consequently, the term ‘technology-enhanced learning’ (TEL) is used (Duckworth et al., 2021).
This interpretivist research (allowing for lecturers’ subjective views about professionalism and different uses of TEL to teach similar concepts) took place within the author’s employing college, creating ‘insider researcher’ considerations
For vocational lecturers, the use of technology-enhanced learning can be a source of frustration as well as a means to engage learners. Dr Heidi McWade set out to discover what the sticking points are and how these can be overcome
(Unluer, 2012). Twelve qualified vocational lecturers expressed their views via two semistructured interviews, which enabled rephrased questions and probing where necessary, generating qualitative data.
The first interview enabled rapport-building and exploring the participant’s role and use of TEL. The second enabled followup of identified themes, questions and missed opportunities from the first. Participants explained their choices of TEL, their perceptions of professionalism and professional knowledge they use. Interview transcripts were analysed using constructivist thematic analysis, with several iterations of Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six-staged process.
Specific ethical issues as an insider-researcher were addressed throughout the research process. These included alleviating power differentials, being reflexive and decisions about how interviews were conducted. These issues were additional to, and sometimes overlapping with, general ethical issues, such as protecting participants’ identities through use of pseudonyms.
Findings reveal that vocational lecturers use TEL for engaging learners, formative assessment, efficiency, tracking assessment and supporting ‘anytime, anywhere’ learning.
Engaging learners in whatever is being learned is an important aspect of vocational pedagogy (Lucas et al., 2012). Participants gave examples of how TEL can engage their learners, such as using video for repeated observation of a skill and having a visual of a vocational situation that would be inappropriate to replicate in the learning environment. Also, enabling learners to video-record
themselves with an iPad or own device allows self- and peerassessment, as learners could see their mistakes:
‘With machining, if you get it wrong the machine will crash and bash into things that it shouldn’t. We obviously don’t want to do that in the workshop. But there are plenty of videos on YouTube of people who have done that.’ (Juvania)
‘[By] using video in the practical skills, they really benefit from play-back, seeing what they’ve done, and being able to analyse that and to suggest improvements themselves. Then I think they’re really learning.’ (Kendall)
Participants used the IWB for whole-class teaching and assessment, enabling learners to write on it and/or manipulate content. Some participants used additional TEL, such as a wireless mouse or keyboard, to support learners who did not like to approach the IWB.
Since the research was undertaken, IWBs are tending to be replaced with large digital screens that enable an educator’s or learner’s own device to mirror with them (Liogier, 2022).
This more modern practice enables collaborative vocational learning and removes the need for learners to approach the IWB (Jakhar, Kaur, and Kaul, 2020). Also, participants took pedagogical opportunities from learners’ own devices for research
and collaborative learning, noting benefits to learners through expression of ideas in a comfortable medium.
Several participants spoke of using TEL for formative assessment to prepare for summative assessment. As learners’ exams consisted of multiple-choice questions, they valued online games such as Socrative or Kahoot! to help learners select an answer from a choice of possible ones:
‘Because they simulate their whole-exam process, and the fact that you can get immediate feedback so they can see what they are doing in relation to the rest of the students, they are the main things I have used prepping for exams.’ (Evie)
Also, participants perceived TEL to increase their efficiency; for example, using apps to access digital platforms while out of office, or using photo, video or audio rather than handwritten evidence.
While initial set-up took time, some participants believed it saved time in the long run as it only had to be set up once.
Participants also spoke of using the virtual learning environment (VLE) for efficiently tracking learners’ assignment progress; for example, whether work has been submitted, the marks achieved and to overview whether learners are on target to achieve their desired grade.
Assessment-related features of the VLE were valued because the administrative tasks of collating and reviewing data are done for them, saving time. Assessment data is then available for managers and other stakeholders, exhibiting performative and managerialist culture (Ball, 2016). Additionally, the VLE and other online software, such as Padlet, supports learners to access lesson materials at any time and from anywhere there is an internet connection:
VOCATIONAL EDUCATORS NEED A BETTER SELFAWARENESS OF THE TENSIONS AND THEIR EFFECTS SO THEY CAN PREPARE FOR THEMDR HEIDI MCWADE, MSET, ATS, CTEACH, is a lecturer in teacher education and quality practitioner at the College of West Anglia
‘The other ways that I use the VLE is recording grades so they can access them at home.
If I meet with parents or students and it needs to be recorded or placed somewhere, everything goes on the VLE in the confidential or the relevant section, so my managers can also see where they are at.’ (Harvey)
Findings revealed that vocational lecturers face problems such as managing distracted learners, alleviating digital poverty and navigating the increased workload associated with TEL.
The most common pedagogical dilemma was managing teaching with mobile phones and internet-connected technologies. Participants anticipated distracted learners through unapproved texting and access to social media.
Vocational industries vary in expectations for using mobile phones and social media in the workplace. Some do not condone use for health and safety or confidentiality reasons. Conversely, other industries rely on social media. Therefore, participants spoke of using communication tools in safe ways that didn’t put learners or themselves at risk. Educators should aim to equip their learners to become responsible and safe digital citizens with the skill of self-control:
‘We need to start training them as early as possible that within the sector in which we work mobile phones are not used in the way they’ve become accustomed to.’ (Harvey)
Most participants would rather monitor learners’ use of phones than prevent use altogether.
Participants managed through designing focused tasks with clear instructions and seeing learners’ online safety as a professional responsibility:
‘You have to know your subject well, because there are some random things on YouTube
and down the side you get inappropriate content. With some of my learners, I send them a direct link, because we have safeguarding, Prevent, and all these other things at the back of our minds.’ (Maddie)
Participants discussed digital poverty, whereby learners struggle to access technology outside college. While the VLE appears to meet learners’ needs, allowing study whenever and wherever they wished, those without access at home were disadvantaged. So, despite a drive for learners’ self-acquisition of learning materials, for environmental and sustainability reasons and restricted printing budgets, some participants faced a professional dilemma and compensated by printing off resources for learners who cannot download and print them themselves. All participants spoke of the
If you've been working on an interesting research project and would like to write about it, let us know! Email nick.martindale@ redactive.co.uk
increased workload associated with TEL. Participants planned twice, preparing for issues preventing the use of TEL as well as successful use. They also perceived their learners were losing the ability to use books and to handwrite, because they favoured using internet sources and word processing. So lecturers corrected text-talk and taught learners about internet source credibility, plagiarism and how to use books for research:
‘It concerns me that if I give FE students a research task, they’ll go straight onto Google. I think we are losing the ability for them to use journals and books as information.’ (Kendall)
‘For the exam subjects, they would say: “Can I write on the computer?” I said: “You can, but in the exam you’re not going to have the computer. You need to learn to write so it’s legible.” But then it depends on the industry. Is it going so that nothing is handwritten? Most industries probably are more computer-based.’ (Billy)
Billy’s quandary raises pedagogical questions about how to ensure handwriting skills are
not lost in a digital world where educators must also prepare learners for more technologyoriented industries (Liogier, 2019). This raises questions about the validity, relevance and accessibility of awarding organisations’ assessment practices for vocational preparation. A paperbased exam is, arguably, not the best preparation for computerbased practices.
Lastly, participants wished to be viewed as credible when using TEL, requiring CPD. Staying current, or maintaining ‘digital worthiness’, is time-consuming but considered worth it and an expected part of teaching. As dual professionals, vocational educators are responsible for keeping up to date with the digital requirements of industry to prepare learners for work, alongside staying current with digital pedagogical tools (PS1 and 5; ETF, 2022; Liogier, 2019).
Research findings reveal tensions for vocational lecturers’ professionalism associated with the use of TEL. Lecturers use TEL
because they perceive it to save time, allowing efficient working. However, other aspects of TEL cost time, such as needing to plan twice, preventing learners’ skills losses and lecturers’ own upskilling.
Additionally, lecturers perceive that TEL can enable learners via ‘anytime, anywhere’ learning and creating formative assessment opportunities. Yet TEL requires managing distracted learners and digital poverty. Despite the tensions, participants showed willingness to overcome them and enthusiasm for using TEL, recognising that the selection and use of TEL in safe and effective ways to promote learning is an aspect of their professionalism (PS16, ETF, 2022).
The tensions reveal implications at college level and beyond. Vocational educators need a better self-awareness of the tensions and their effects so they can prepare for them. They need appreciation that simplistic answers, such as being given more time, will not work within an undiminishing managerialist and performative ethos (Ball, 2016). Further research is needed for greater exploration by policymakers of these issues. While this research was carried out before the pandemic, it is useful to conclude within current debates.
Technology advances quickly, so it is important for FE not to simply return to a pre-pandemic use of TEL, confronting trepidation and embracing TEL, which enables learners to become creators or co-creators as well as interactors (Compton, 2021).
This will enable staff and learners to develop digital literacy skills for both workplace and everyday functionality, but may require some educational establishments to upgrade their digital infrastructure; and government support to do so (Dabbous and Emms, 2020).
Ball S. (2016) Neoliberal education? Confronting the slouching beast. Policy Futures in Education. 14(8): 1046–1059
Braun V and Clarke V. (2006) Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology. 3(2): 77-101
Compton M. (2021) In: Duckworth, V, Harrison, B, Petrie, J and Singh, A. (Eds.) (2021) Future FE Pedagogies. (Volume 1, Autumn 2021). et-foundation.co.uk/ wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Future-FEPedagogies-FINAL-FOR-PUBLICATION.pdf
Dabbous D, Emms K. (2020) Education Technology in Further Education Colleges: How are colleges integrating digital technologies into their practice? The Edge Foundation. July 2020. feweek.co.uk/wpcontent/uploads/2020/07/EdTech-reportFinal-Edge.pdf
Duckworth V, Harrison B, Petrie J and Singh A. (eds) (2021). Future FE Pedagogies. (Volume 1, Autumn 2021). et-foundation.co.uk/wp-content/ uploads/2021/09/Future-FE-PedagogiesFINAL-FOR-PUBLICATION.pdf
ETF. (2022) Professional Standards for Teachers and Trainers. et-foundation. co.uk/professional-standards/
Jakhar D, Kaur I and Kaul S. (2020) Screen mirroring, screen casting and screen sharing during Covid 19: What dermatologists should know. Clinical and Experimental Dermatology 45(6): 750-751. doi.org/10.1111/ced.14247
Liogier V. (2019) Edtech reforms that ignore FE’s ‘dual professionalism’ will make things worse. FE Week. feweek. co.uk/edtech-reforms-that-ignore-dualprofessionalism-will-make things-worse
Liogier V. (2022, March 14). Good morning #educators! A quick query… Are you still using Interactive Whiteboards #IWB in your organisation or are they a thing of the past?
Twitter. twitter.com/vikkiliogier/ status/1503290114423799811
Lucas B, Spencer E and Claxton G. (2012) How to Teach Vocational Education: A Theory of Vocational Pedagogy. London: City & Guilds Centre for Skills Development. bit.ly/3DEHSVe
Unluer S. (2012) Being an insider researcher while conducting case study research, The Qualitative Report, 17(Art. 58), 1-14. nsuworks.nova.edu/tqr/vol17/iss29/2/
Education for sustainability (ESD) is not a new concept.
The discourse around education that will help make the planet a better place for all has seen many iterations, from environmental education in the Tbilisi Declaration of 1977, the UN’s sustainable development goals (SDGs) in 2016, to the current government’s policy paper titled Sustainability and climate change: a strategy for the education and children’s services systems (Department for Education, 2022).
However, the problems facing the earth and all the organisms upon it are not diminishing. Glaciers and sea ice are melting, adding to rising sea levels and changes in weather patterns; the world’s food supply is insecure; and loss of habitat is affecting biodiversity.
We are living in a climate emergency now. Educating learners about sustainability will not prevent the problem but could increase awareness and help make them better equipped to deal with, and innovate for, the resulting issues.
Vinke et al (2020) in their study comparing the climate emergency and the Covid-19 pandemic response noted that the pandemic revealed how the individual acts of many can make a real difference in an emergency; if young and old learners can be educated about the need for a more sustainable future, and that learning is transferred into action, there is hope. In the words of the Lorax, “unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not”. (Seuss, 1971).
The research I undertook in 2020/21 sought to better understand the phenomena of leadership in ESD, and what processes and activities promote this in further education (FE). In addition, I researched leadership
The concept of ESD has been around for some time, but it’s more important than ever that is embedded in further education settings. Kate Pope outlines a new model that aims to do just this
models that would be suitable to support colleges to become more sustainable.
Bringing these two threads together allowed me to design an ESD leadership model. I conducted interviews on Microsoft Teams with seven FE professionals in the spring and summer of 2021. The participants were recruited through a Twitter request, kindly shared by numerous individuals, and were working in FE across the UK. The resulting 26,394 words of data were interpreted through thematic analysis.
My findings revealed a need for FE to model sustainability through the college estate. A few participants spoke of new buildings being built sustainably (and with much publicity), for example, with solar panels, but one participant felt this was greenwashing, as in their college there were not even recycling bins in classrooms.
Another interviewee mentioned an initiative to save water through gathering rainwater to flush toilets but complained that there was not always enough water to do this. Most colleges had some capacity to recycle waste, but the Scottish
KATE POPE, MEd (CANTAB) MSET, and her colleague JANE CHILLINGWORTH, MA FSET, (curriculum lead at Adult Community Learning Essex), have set up #SustainFE, a community of practice designed to help those wanting to share ideas, resources and experiences of ESD. Here, Chillingworth outlines how it came about:
Back in September 2021, a lively discussion took place on a chilly Autumn evening as part of Twitter’s #UKFEChat, when practitioners gathered to debate education for sustainable development (ESD) in the further education (FE) sector.
It was evident both from the turnout and the responses to the questions how passionately everyone felt about the topic and there was a unanimous agreement that, as educators, we have a moral obligation to do all we can to promote and encourage sustainable knowledge, skills, behaviours and values in our settings. This discussion also prompted the idea of a sustainability community of practice and so, in February 2022, #SustainFE was born.
Meeting twice per term online, and co-hosted by myself and Kate Pope (Cambridge Regional College),
#SustainFE is, at heart, about sharing and learning from one another about ESD. We are fortunate to have members from a range of organisations across the country, all of whom bring different experiences to the group and who share everything from examples of best practice to research and training.
Among many others, topics have thus far included how to embed sustainability in a range of subject areas, overviews of available training, presentations on successful projects, summaries of research (such as Kate Pope’s work on ESD leadership in FE, outlined in this piece) and debates about how to embed sustainability across an organisation. With content driven by members’ interests and experience, we have many more areas to explore.
We welcome everyone from across the sector, of all knowledge and experience levels, so if you would like to join us and collaborate with others who share your passion for sustainability, message us through @sustainfe on Twitter, at sustain.fe@essexacl.ac.uk or visit the ETF website. The next meeting is on 27 January and we look forward to seeing you there.
participant’s college had gone further through banning the sale of plastic bottles. They spoke of how this was a gradual process and had shown students how much waste was produced by using transparent recycling bins prior to the ban. Through communication with students and staff, the project has been a great success.
Participants in Scotland and Wales spoke of ESD being embedded in the curriculum, for example, as an identified crosscutting theme. Another interviewee remembered a time (around 12 years ago) when sustainability was on schemes of work and lesson plans, but they thought
KATE POPE, MEd (CANTAB) MSET is an excellence coach at Cambridge Regional College. Her research was undertaken while studying an MEd in educational leadership and school improvement at Cambridge University
this had been more of a tick-box exercise, rather than a meaningful embedding of knowledge or skills. Art, construction, horticulture and teacher training were subjects where participants had observed ESD being embedded.
Learning was an essential element of all the models of leadership I considered in my research. The participants of this study felt they needed more knowledge to help them embed ESD, but time was an issue.
Knowledge sharing and working together at curriculum level was proposed as a way
A PARTICULAR WAY IN WHICH INDIVIDUALS HAD MADE A DIFFERENCE WAS THROUGH ASKING QUESTIONS OF THEIR COLLEAGUES
to facilitate the embedding of ESD by one participant. Another felt that experts who could share their knowledge already existed within college, rather than having external experts who did not necessarily know the context.
However, external sustainability organisations such as The Alliance for Sustainability Leadership in Education (EAUC) were found to be very useful in the Scottish college. They described this training delivered to one member of each department as having a “ripple effect”, through the noweducated individuals sharing their new knowledge in their teams.
Other positive aspects of leadership for ESD described by the participants included being trusted; passionate individuals (not necessarily formal leaders) making a difference, such as the head of estates in the Scottish college; people asking questions of others; and senior leaders getting involved in an environment and sustainability college group.
A particular way in which individuals had made a difference was through asking questions of their colleagues; for example, one asked: “Have you heard of ESD? Are you doing anything in your curriculum area?” These generative conversations are helpful in the realm of leadership to foster collective purpose and perhaps the beginnings of a culture change through knowledge sharing and creation (Hardman, 2017).
Distributed leadership is evident in the positive experiences participants received, through individuals attempting to influence others in the direction of greater sustainability in their practice. This could be either as a result of being asked to do so by senior leadership or done on their own initiative.
An issue that two participants identified was that, whatever work they did on the ground,
Figure 1: A model for leadership of education for sustainability in FE
such as one setting up a research group working on ESD, they were not listened to or supported by senior management. However distributed leadership takes place in colleges, communication between those taking leadership roles, whether they are mandated or spontaneous, is imperative.
Teacher education and CPD were seen to be important in terms of ESD practice in FE colleges, with time and workload being inhibiting factors. The Education and Training Foundation’s recent update of the Professional Standards for teachers and trainers is positive in identifying a need to “promote and embed education for sustainable development across
learning and working practices” (ETF, 2022). However, only those undertaking training from 2023 will be assessed through the standards, while for those already qualified there is no mandate for training in this area.
My research suggested that some FE students find it challenging to make their voices heard. One of the study participants stated that students have very little voice in their establishment as there is no organised student union.
To hear student voices, one college uses a tutorial system that encourages discussion of a different environmental or sustainability topic each week. This is encouraging, but I would suggest that, firstly, teachers
1Identify where your college is on its journey towards greater sustainability. The Climate Action Roadmap for FE Colleges will help with this, and show what steps still need to be taken. See eauc.org.uk/fe_roadmap 2
Survey students to understand what they know about sustainability. This may also help to identify students who are keen to make a difference and maybe start a sustainability group of their own.
Survey staff. How much training will they need? Are there experts and/or enthusiasts who are keen to get involved?
Educate staff. Whether through in-house or external training, your staff will need knowledge to support ESD.
Start a sustainability committee. Include staff (and students) from different areas, such as estates and teaching staff, as well as senior managers.
Embed ESD. Use the ETF’s Map the Curriculum tool to help you better understand where you are already embedding and where this can be improved. See et-foundation.co.uk/ resources/esd/esd-resources/map-thecurriculum-tool/
Publicise sustainability around your college. Let everyone know that it is important in everything that happens in the college.
Encourage culture change. Embed ESD in all meetings. All college decisions should be considered through a sustainability lens.
Talk to professionals at other colleges. Share your successes and struggles.
delivering the tutorials need to be knowledgeable on the subject to facilitate a meaningful discussion. Secondly, many FE students might find it challenging to engage in such a discussion.
Industry has potential to influence ESD, but qualifications were seen to lag behind industry standards by participants. Other external influences noted by participants included trade union training events, support from environmental groups, such as EAUC, and Ofsted.
A leadership model for ESD Figure 1 unites my findings of leadership for ESD. External influences are noted outside the building. For example, FE organisations can influence through supporting communities of practice, or providing training; connections with the local community will help spread the learning; and experts from the community can enrich the experience of students. Research and collaboration need to occur internally and externally.
The estate and grounds of the college are also seen as important as they can model pro-sustainability behaviours, as well as allowing students to spend time in the environment. Part of the government’s new strategy on the climate and sustainability for education includes the suggestion of a National Education Nature Park, where institutions try to improve the biodiversity of their grounds; it is very pleasing that they are seeing the importance of the land on which colleges are built in these terms.
Inside the model’s building are the principles through which sustainability can be led internally. At the bottom is distributed leadership, representing how much of the impetus for ESD has come from the bottom up; for example, from students themselves.
Trust and agency are essential concepts in supporting those individuals to push their ideas forward. Moral purpose, culture change and communication need to guide the actions taken towards the goal of increased engagement with ESD.
Department for Education. (2022) Sustainability and climate change: a strategy for the education and children’s services systems. GOV.UK. gov.uk/government/ publications/sustainability-and-climate-change-strategy/sustainability-and-climatechange-a-strategy-for-the-education-and-childrens-services-systems
ETF. (2022) Professional Standards for Teachers and Trainers. The Education and Training Foundation. et-foundation.co.uk/professional-standards/teachers/
Hardman, J. (2017) Leadership and environmental justice in a climatechallenged world. In D. Waite and I. Bogotch (Eds.), The Wiley International Handbook of Educational Leadership. Wiley.
Seuss, Dr. (1971) The Lorax. Random House.
Scott, W and Vare, P. (2021) Learning, Environment and Sustainable Development. A History of Ideas (1st ed.). Routledge.
University and College Union provides information and free courses on sustainability ucu.org.uk/article/12096/UCU-climate-and-sustainability-CPD-offering
The Alliance for Sustainability Leadership in Education eauc.org.uk
Online community: #SustainFE
SET22, our fantastic annual CPD conference for the sector, is now SET22 plus two months! No doubt you will have seen that our team had to swing into action when we heard the news we had been dreading – a train strike on 3 November, the day of our first face-toface conference since 2019.
We considered various solutions but as we are so proud and excited about the programme for SET22, we felt the best option was to shift it, lock stock and barrel, to a new date –17 January 2023, hence the plus two months!
We are extremely grateful to our speakers and keynote presenters for being so flexible and to our 200+ delegates who had booked to attend. I am delighted to say that for the vast majority the new date has posed no problem, so we are once again back on track to deliver an exciting, engaging, high-energy CPD event with 'Internet Mum' YouTuber and educationalist Sarah Simons at the helm (did you see her hilarious promotional video?). And there’s still time to book your place; just head over to the SET website for full details.
In September, the SET management board met and agreed two key items, which members will hear more about over the coming months. The first, Hon. Fellowship, will be launched before the end of the current membership year. This prestigious award will recognise individuals within the sector who have made a significant contribution to FE and training, beyond the scope of their normal role, and have supported the aims of the Education and Training Foundation (ETF). The nominations process and admissions criteria will be published in due course.
The management board also agreed that SET should be much clearer about its position on CPD. While CPD is not mandatory for our members, SET strongly recommends that all members, irrespective of grade, demonstrate a clear commitment to their own professional development.
This is particularly important for our members in the professional grades (Associate, Member and Fellow) as the post-nominals associated with these grades publicly illustrate that you continue to meet the expected
standards. Going forward, SET will be reviewing how it positions CPD as part of the joining and renewal processes and will offer clear guidance for members at every stage of the CPD cycle.
The current cost-of-living crisis is affecting all of us. With this in mind, we are delighted to bring our members a new benefit of membership, which will offer tangible savings on everyday products and services. SET Rewards will be launched next year; all members will be given free access to discounts on major well known brands and high street retailers.
We are working hard to set this benefit up and will bring you more details in the coming few weeks, so please look out for the email.
Also, on your behalf, SET has negotiated a 10 per cent discount on the vast majority of paid-for programmes offered by the ETF. Make sure you look out for this when booking your next CPD activity.
On behalf of the entire membership team, we would like to take this opportunity to wish you a happy festive break and we look forward to catching up with you in the New Year. In the meantime, keep in touch via our social channels – you’ll find us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter!
TIPS AND RESOURCES TO HELP YOU MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR MEMBERSHIP
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1 DECEMBER 2022 – 6 JANUARY 2023
The next QTLS registration window is 1 December 2022 – 6 January 2023, with portfolios issued in early January. Register now to demonstrate your commitment to excellence within the sector. Use our online tool to check your eligibility at set.et-foundation. co.uk/qtls/qtls-eligibility-checker
Our yearly Advanced Teacher Status (ATS) re-accreditation event will be taking place on Friday 3 March. The inspiring event provides an exciting opportunity to network with peers, share your achievements and maintain your ATS status. The event is free for ATS holders; details to follow
Membership of SET illustrates a number of things, not least a strong commitment to your own professional development. The Professional Standards for Teachers and Trainers, refreshed by the Education and Training Foundation earlier this year, have been developed to help you excel in your teaching and training practice.
There are 20 standards for teachers and trainers, which cover three core principles – professional values and attributes, professional knowledge and understanding, and professional skills.
Members are strongly encouraged to compare their practice against these and identify areas for future development by using SET’s online assessment tool. This provides a quick and easy way to understand where you are now in your practice and where you would like to be to help you plan and structure CPD accordingly.
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How did you first get into teaching? Recruiting specialised IT contractors into large projects around South Yorkshire got me into teaching. When Rotherham Technical College needed someone to teach low-level IT courses to out-of-work ex-miners, and be the interface to industry, I knew the local IT employers, so I was in the right place at the right time.
Why was teaching the career for you? I have always enjoyed teaching, be it mountaineering, judo or IT. I taught once, had an IT career, and always knew I would return to teaching again.
Where has your career taken you so far?
After Rotherham College, I lectured at Sheffield Polytechnic. Being selftaught and wanting to get industry experience, I left academia and became a Microsoft certified trainer/ consultant, working all over the UK. Tired of travel, I became an IT manager in Devon, before relocating to Guernsey. I was a consultant for a local IT provider, then returned to teaching at Guernsey College of Further Education.
What is your current position? I currently lecture in IT, specialising in cybersecurity.
What is a typical day? A typical day would involve face-to-face teaching, monitoring learner welfare and progress. After the inevitable marking and meetings, I am either learning something myself (I am on the Advanced Teacher Status course) or cascading EdTech to other lecturers.
What’s the strangest request you’ve had from a learner?
A very creative elderly learner, with no experience of computers, asked me
A background in IT led Robert Childs into teaching exminers how to use computers, and eventually to his current focus on cybersecurity
How have the QTLS/ATS qualifications helped you?
Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills (QTLS) status and then ATS have given me a framework to raise my game, to reflect more, to learn pedagogy and then actively apply it.
How would you like your career to develop?
I chose not to develop into a management role this late in my career. I am interested in EdTech and might become an educational IT consultant. I have done work for a charity at a school level in rural Tanzania and this is something I may pursue further.
What three characteristics do you feel make a good teacher?
A passion for what you do – learners quickly pick up on your true intent. Inclusive engagement with learners that nurtures the best out of them. Lastly, embedding reflective best practice into your delivery linked to a desire for personal continuous improvement.
What one piece of advice would you have for your former self?
to help her research Furoshiki Japanese gift wrapping. As she learnt about researching the internet from me, so I learnt a new practical skill as we tried out our hand at wrapping gifts.
What are the biggest challenges you face?
IT changes very quickly, particularly now there is cloud computing. The courses we offer and our delivery can become dated, with specific technologies becoming obsolete. To teach the technical skills employers want today, we need to be always looking at future trends and adapting.
For each session you deliver, look at it through the lens of a learner and ask yourself whether you would have been engaged by that or learnt something from it?
What do you most love about teaching? Former college learners walking across the road and coming up to shake my hand.
What do you get up to outside work? I sing in a choir, watch a lot of rugby, and have become a back-to-nature gardener, rewilding and planting for pollinators.
ROBERT CHILDS is lecturer in IT at Guernsey College of Further Education
If you would like to be featured in My Life in Teaching, email intuition@redactive.co.uk
ByDonnaHurfordandAndrewRead Critical Publishing 2022
This book is part of the Critical Practice in Higher Education series, aimed at providing an overview of current thinking and practice in higher education, informed by recent research, and is intended to be accessible to anyone in the field.
It explores bias, conscious and unconscious, at all levels in higher education and its impact on discrimination and exclusion of students and staff
This begins with an exploration of the problem and its background; examples are then given with analytical comments and research-supported alternative perspectives provided.
Individual and institutional biases are explored, compared and contrasted. Each chapter concludes with a collection of inclusive strategies that practitioners can use to identify and address any biases that may be highlighted, with the vision of creating bias-free education that will benefit all learners.
Although aimed at higher education, there is a lot here that would be thought-provoking for educators in other fields.
This is well written and presented, and I would recommend to anyone working in further education.
EditedbyKatherineBurn, TrevorHuttonandIanThompson Routledge
2023
Our reviewer is DR ANNE DAVIS, MSET QTLS , 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
This is a collection of papers that explore the challenges – positive and otherwise – facing teacher trainers and new teachers when balancing practical versus theoretical approaches to developing teaching skills.
From a critique of performance-led school development to government policy and onto researchled evidence, there is a well planned structure to this book, which explores the focuses on both theoretical and practical approaches and how both are linked to teacher development.
This recognition shows an essential interaction between theory and practice and proposes the development of a mindset of “practical theorising”, which is the main thrust of this collection of articles.
While initially it appears aimed at new teachers and teacher trainers, there is a lot of thought-provoking material for experienced teachers and there is some really useful content in these pages. This isn’t the easiest book to read as the general tone is quite heavy on technical jargon, but it has a lot to offer and I would recommend it to all aspects of the education profession.
InTuition readers receive a 20% discount on this book with the code InTuition22 at criticalpublishing.com (valid until 31 March 2023)
InTuition readers receive a 20% discount on this book with the code APR20 at routledge.com (valid until 31 March 2023)
The author of this book challenges a lot of the recent but strongly held ideas about how we educate learners. They present a summary of 20 evidence-based papers, which have had an impact on the thinking behind education across a range of foci. Included are some ‘takeaway’ ideas that help translate the presented concepts into the classroom.
The hypothesis from the author that evidence-based research will lead to more effective education is well founded, and concludes with a dispelling of some modern education myths that are still accepted and promoted today across all learning sectors.
There is an additional recognition here of the need to further support the teaching profession and, with good supporting evidence, suggestions for improvement of teaching practice are combined with improving teachers’ work-life balance.
The structure of this book adds to its usefulness. It can be read as a whole or as individual papers, and topics of interest can be dipped into. Overall, an excellent book that is ideal for the staff-room coffee table.
InTuition readers receive a 20% discount on this book with the code INTUITION20 at bloomsbury.com (valid until 31 March 2023)
