Secondary Assignments: Learning and Teaching I

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"How can teachers help pupils to learn?"

“Schools exist to promote learning. Teachers are catalysts for learning.”
(Cohen et al, 2004; quoted in Pritchard, 2013: 119)

Learning and effective teaching are both highly complex acts, and the approaches employed are wide, variable and constantly shifting. Taking into account theories of learning, relevant (academic) literature and your own experiences in school, explore and discuss the range of factors that enable teachers to help pupils to learn.
Task 1

Read the question carefully:

  • make a mind map of the kinds of things that you have seen teachers doing?
  • add to this other things that you think might influence the learning in the classroom?
  • think about your own experiences with children - what has worked, what has not?
  • think about practical things and theoretical things,
  • talk to your tutor or some of your colleagues about this
    • can you start to classify or group these into different areas?
    • and start to map the strategies you need e.g. reading, who to talk to, what to look for

Q: Do you understand the basic ideas behind the assignment?
Task 2

Start to think about the first section of the essay - the general issues [1000 words]. Refer back to your mind map and start to rough out some of the key areas that you have considered. Learning and effective teaching are both highly complex acts, and the approaches employed are wide, variable and constantly shifting. Some important implications for teachers are highlighted below:

The best responses are likely to show awareness, and consider the relevance, of:

  • the application and development of teachers’ subject knowledge
  • management of the learning environment
  • teacher-pupil interactions
  • educational initiatives
  • theories about learning
  • lesson planning
  • neuroscience
  • other external factors

Start to think about the general points you will make asking questions about what sort of literature you will need. One of the things you should consider is the key learning theories and the key learning theorists that have influenced thinking about education over the last 100 years or so.

Q: Have you selected the areas on which you are going to focus?
Q: Can you see where these ideas have been illustrated in your own practice or experience?
Task 3

A rough structure for the essay is:

  • A general exploration of the key issues [1000 words]
  • You then need to write on the key areas identified [highlighted above] which we think are the important factors [3x1000 words] using theory as well as evidence from practice to exemplify and illustrate this; you should not just parrot the ideas from the literature but:
    • indicate where they support your experiences
    • indicate where they challenge your experiences
    • indicate where your experiences challenge them (being aware of your experience's limited scope)
    • Critique their scope, reliability, validity and methodology
  • A conclusion from your discussion summing up the key factors and evidence [500 words]
    • summerise the key points you have made
    • indicate where your thinking has led over the essay
    • indicate your own ideas about the question and its possible answers
    • indicate further study or research you would wish to undertake

As well as the literature you should colour this with illustrations from your own teaching being aware of the limitations of such experiences and being careful not to over-generalise

Q: Do you understand the structure of the assignment?
Task 4
A proposal [download proforma] for this essay can be submitted, to your professional tutor by at least four weeks before the due date, to give time for the tutor to feed back. This is not compulsory but may help you structure your essay and ensure you are "on track" for the assignment.

Now you need to start to gather some reading and some literature on the appropriate areas:

  • Use the shorter booklist on this site and the more extensive booklist [download] if you have or can access these books
  • Use the library to check if these books are in stock or available electroically via ATHENS
  • Start to look wider for resources

The essay should be c5,000 words working at M level. You do have 10% grace but work to keep to the word limit, so when you sketch out your framework plan aim for 4,500 words. All quotes count towards the word total but Appendices do not.

Look at the assessment criteria to explore these in more details for the Hull M level marking.

Use a range of texts including journals and other e-sources. Also you should be using books, journal articles and support materials from your schools including policy statements, children's work, teaching materials, discussions with experts etc..

Whilst this is a "core" essay and you are thinking of teachers in the more generic sense you will, of course, need to exemplify this with evidence from your subject area as this is the area of expertise that you have as well as from your placement school but be careful not to generalise from this limited dataset.
Q: Have you found appropriate literature?
Q: Can you see where these ideas have been illustrated in your own practice or experience?
Q: Is your assignment as good as you can make it?
Task 5

Now you need to check over your assignment to make sure:

  • you have referenced correctly
  • you have used suitable academic writing style
  • you have anonymised the school and any people
  • have not made any (or very, very few) grammar, spelling and punctuation errors
  • that your essay reads well and coherently with a solid structure and argument
    • it is always best to get someone else to check it as well if you can.
Q: Have you checked, proof-read and corrected any errors?
Task 6

Now you need to submit your assignment:

  • Ensure you have the correct cover sheet
  • Ensure all your appendices etc... are part of one file OR that you have zipped several files into one
  • Check you have used the correct referencing and formatting (Essays should be typed using a standard font: Times, Arial or Verdana are suggested. Point size 12 at either 1.5 or double line spacing.)
  • Submit your assignment via Canvas
Q: Have you successfully submitted your assignment via eBridge, and kept a backup copy?
M level assessment

There are 4 main areas in which M level will be assessed

a. Academic credibility: When working at M level you need to be accessing, assimilating and developing materials from books, peer-reviewed journals, and research papers;
b. Using evidence: You should be using data and evidence from both research and practice to develop and support your arguments;
c. Own experience: You should be reflecting on how this academic material has impacted on your own experiences and own practice in schools;
d. SPaG and flow: You should be writing with a coherent, fluid style developing and progressing an argument using predicates, evidence, argument and conclusions.
Plagiarism

Plagiarism is using the work of others without acknowledging your source of information; that is, passing off someone else’s work as your own (either intentionally or unintentionally). When you submit any piece of work for assessment you are required to attach a cover sheet which contains a declaration, which you must sign. Your work will not be accepted unless the declaration has been signed. It is your responsibility to ensure that you have understood the guidance you have been given about referencing – and therefore how not to commit plagiarism.

To ensure you have not committed plagiarism make sure you have referenced your work carefully and accurately.

If you have any doubts you must seek advice from your supervisor or tutor.
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