Every Day is a School Day

Reflections on postgraduate studies
by Mr Ahsan, Deputy Head (Academic)

Introduction

During the strange times of September 2020 (remember ‘Guided Home Learning’ and year group ‘bubbles’?) I began my Masters Degree in Learning and Teaching at the University of Oxford. The course, which is designed around teachers working full-time, ran for just over two years and I recently graduated early this year. Several months have now passed and I can now bring myself to pick up the thesis and dare to flick back through the extensive paper. And though the odd frustration arises reading my past-self’s work (‘why would I phrase it like that?’), it proved to be a rewarding reflective activity. While I will not be going through the specifics of my own thesis research, I instead wanted to explore what the research says are the positives of undertaking such a qualification, and have a chance to reflect on the process.

Despite spending every working day in a school and guiding students towards university and undergraduate study, rarely do teachers get the chance to undertake their own studies around their busy jobs. After several years of envy for students leaving NWC for exciting undergraduate degrees, I decided to scratch my academic itch and pursue postgraduate studies in Education.

As teachers at NWC, we are very fortunate to have a staff body who are keen to discuss and explore new pedagogical approaches, and our regular ‘Teach Meet’ sessions with other teachers across the country are fantastic opportunities for collaboration from a broad range of schools. The appeal of more regular meetings of this nature with teachers from across the country (and beyond) was a great driver for the course also.

Unashamedly, a huge allure of a Master’s Degree to me was the access to the University library. The levels of access available both in-person and online is mind-blowing, with hundreds of thousands of books, articles, lectures, podcasts available.

The concept of teachers completing additional qualifications to develop their practice is certainly not a modern invention. In 1904, Dewey’s research into teaching concluded that ‘unless a teacher is such a student, he may continue to improve in the mechanics of school management, but he cannot grow as a teacher, an inspirer and director of soul-life” (Dewey, 1904, p.34).

Hiebert’s analysis of professional learning identified four essential components that should be incorporated into effective development: (a) sustained collaboration among teachers over an extended period of time, (b) with a clear objective of enhancing students’ attainment of well-defined learning objectives, (c) emphasising students’ cognitive processes, curriculum content, and instructional strategies, and (d) providing access to alternative ideas and methodologies, along with opportunities to observe and reflect on their efficacy (Hiebert, 1999, p.15). A comprehensive investigation into professional learning and development concluded that teachers who engaged in collaborative efforts with their peers in the same subject area, school, and educational level (e.g., secondary) experienced the most significant improvements in their knowledge, skills, and instructional practices (Garet et al., 2001, p.936).

There is extensive evidence to suggest academic research and postgraduate studies benefit teachers to help support positive changes in practice (Tyagi, 2021; Ion & Iucu, 2016). Garet et al. (2001) conducted a survey of over 1000 teachers from across a variety of subjects to ‘provide the first large-scale empirical comparison of effects of different characteristics of professional development on teachers’ learning’ (p.1). Their study suggests that academic research can be considered ‘reformative’ for teaching staff and suggests that it is best enacted during the school setting, e.g. lunchtime discussion groups, rather than through external institutions and conferences.

Van Oostveen (2005) has undertaken research over the past two decades into the use of action research in science and technology teacher professional learning, emphasising the importance of creating opportunities for development which are ‘exciting and vibrant’ (p.39). His study concludes that the most effective use of academic research for supporting teacher change is to provide opportunities firstly, for ‘critical reflection’ which offer ‘teachers a way of examining their practice and the curriculum materials they produce and changing them for the well-being of their students’ (p.244); and secondly for ‘autobiographical, collaborative and communal’ reflection from which teachers can learn about their own practice and the practice of their colleagues’ (p.245). Building on his research, Van Oostveen (2017) adds that there is an importance that, for effective engagement with any academic research, teachers must not perceive it as an additional workload and that ‘forcing teachers to participate… will not result in effective professional development’ (p.32), thus the practice should be made voluntary and needs to be self-driven by teachers themselves.

Reflections

As I often tell many of the Year 12s, a university dissertation is essentially a giant EPQ – and so reflection is a key aspect of getting the most out of your project. I have tried to turn my reflections into five points of advice for anyone who is considering undertaking such a qualification:

1. The ‘why?’: Before even considering a course, you should take the time to work out why you want to pursue it. What do you want to achieve? And why is it something that is best suited to exploring in the postgraduate format? It is worth identifying the areas of education that you are passionate about and determine how a course could help you develop expertise in those areas. Having a clear vision of what you want to achieve will help steer you throughout the course.

2. The ‘where?’: There are so many different universities which offer Education degrees and it is important to carefully evaluate each their curriculum, faculty, and reputation. Look for programmes that align with your interests and offer courses or specialisations that are relevant to your career goals. Consider factors such as programme structure and flexibility (is it weekends, after school, or both? Online or in-person?)

3. The ‘how?’ Most specifically ‘how will you juggle around your other commitments?’ You will need to consider the time commitment required for assignments, reading and research. That said, it is important to remember that there is always something happening in the busy world of teaching which you can consider as keeping you busy. Is there a way you can incorporate your research into the responsibility that is making you busy? E.g. if you have a pastoral leadership responsibility, could your research be on evaluating a new initiative in your year group?

4. The ‘who?’ I.e. ‘who can help me?’ I do not think anyone is capable of completing a postgraduate qualification entirely on their own. By our nature as teachers, we are collaborative learners, and I would suggest this is a key strength we should lean into. It is worth reaching out to teachers or other education professionals who have already followed similar programmes to get their advice along the way. Seek their recommendations and insights about the benefits and challenges they encountered during their studies. You may find that their perspectives can provide valuable guidance.

5. The ‘what?’: once you are well into your course, the question will be asked: ‘what do you want to research for your thesis?’ It is a big commitment to one set topic and, while there is time to decide (or change) once you start the course, it is certainly worth arriving with a ‘passion project’ in mind already.

And so, reflecting on my postgraduate research journey has reinforced the importance of pursuing higher qualifications in education. As stated above, the research strongly supports the positive impact of postgraduate studies on teachers’ professional development, highlighting the significance of collaboration, access to resources, and engaging in critical self-reflection. My own time studying, while challenging to juggle around my other commitments, ultimately proved to be a highly valuable experience which has allowed me to broaden my knowledge, deepen my understanding, and enhance my teaching practice.

Dewey, J. (1904): The Relation of Theory to Practice in Education. In C. A. McMurry (Ed.), The Third Yearbook of the National Society for the Scientific Study of Education. Part I: pp. 9-30. Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Press.

Garet, Michael S, and U.a (2001): “What Makes Professional Development Effective?” American Educational Research Journal 38.4: 915-45.

Georgeta Ion & Romita Iucu (2016): The impact of postgraduate studies on the teachers’ practice, European Journal of Teacher Education, 39:5, 602-615.

Hiebert, James (1999). “Relationships between Research and the NCTM Standards.” Journal for Research in Mathematics Education 30.1: 3-19.

Tyagi, Chanchal (2021): “Continuing Professional Development of Teacher Educators: Challenges and Initiatives.” Shanlax International Journal of Education, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 117-126.

Van Oostveen, R. (2005): Using Action Research for Teacher Professional Development: Research in Science and Technology Education .

Van Oostveen, R. (2017): Purposeful action research: Reconsidering science and technology teacher professional development. College Quarterly, 20,: 1-40.