Assessing Master's Level Studies for School Improvement

1. Tensions and opportunities in the relationship between assessment design at Masters level and the ‘school improvement’ agenda Professor Hazel Bryan Lynda Kay Adeela Shafi

2. The policy backdrop… 1997: HEFCE – TTA (partnership and impact) 2001: (DfEE) Strategy for Professional Development 2004: PPD development 2005: ‘New Professionalism’ (Secretary of State Kelly) 2006: (DES) The Logical Chain: continuing professional development in effective schools 2008: (DCSF) MTL launched in ‘Being the Best for our Children’ 2016: where are we now?

3. The genesis of the question… • “traditionally, masters’ level professional development has been undertaken within an emancipatory philosophy” (Bryan and Blunden, 2013, p.10) • Tensions and debates in planning assessment opportunities for ‘masterly’ study: - engaging students at a deeper theoretical & methodological level - meeting academic criteria - meeting traditional values of emancipatory study - being purposeful for professional practice

4. Assessment Activity: small scale research study Vignettes • Naomi • SENCO • Faith based village primary school • Keen interest in Working Memory from taught sessions. • Focus of research study chosen by Headteacher to fit with School Improvement Plan • Student did manage to include some aspect of WM into her research. • Laura • Newly appointed SENCO • Urban primary school • Challenging cohorts of pupils. • Focus of research study chosen by Headteacher to fit with School Improvement Plan • Student completely directed – no element of choice.

5. Research Questions • How do participants view the value of Masters level study? • How do participants view assessment opportunities in relation to their professional role?

6. Methodology • 120 participants on the MEd programme in one HEI • Engagement with participants through a range of methods: • A survey to whole cohort • Narrative interviews 5 Pilot interviews Analysis undertaken drawing upon Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) (Smith et al, 1997). IPA analyses qualitative data by focussing in depth on one interview to generate initial themes and codes. Subsequent analyses then uses this as a framework to consolidate or remove themes. Narrative inquiry is a research method. It is a narrative because it builds a story of a phenomenon. We used narrative interviews as a way of understanding experience over time and in context (Clandinin et al, 2000).

7. Key Themes to emerge • Subject Knowledge • Engaging others in professional discussions • Research Skills • Confidence / Credibility • Criticality • Evaluative Skills • A tool to facilitate professional practice • Social Justice

8. Social Justice

9. Subject knowledge

10. Subject knowledge

11. Research Skills

12. Research Skills

13. Next steps…..

14. References Bryan, Hazel, and Jillian Blunden. "The place of community in professional development: a study of newly qualified teachers and newly appointed heads of department engaged in the Masters in Teaching and Learning." Journal of Education for Teaching 39.1 (2013): 9-20. Clandinin, D., & Caine, V. (2008). Narrative Inquiry. In Lisa M. Given (Ed.), The Sage Encyclopediaof Qualitative Research Methods. (pp. 542-545). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc. Department for Education and Employment (DfEE) 2001. Learning and Teaching: a strategy for professionaldevelopment. London: HMSO Department for Education and Skills (DES) 2006. The Logical Chain: continuingprofessionaldevelopment in effective schools. London: HMSO Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) 2008. Being the Best for ourChildren. London: HMSO Smith, Jonathan A., Paul Flowers, and Mike Osborn. "Interpretative phenomenological analysis and the psychology of health and illness." Material discourses of health and illness (1997): 68-91.