Issue 4 September 2010 - brgs.me

. . 5
Teaching – an ‘all Masters profession’?
Since being designated a Training School, BRGS has supported our teachers to develop their skills further
through the study of Masters Degrees. To date, three staff have taken up the offer for subsidised study in
their own time and we hope to build on this in future.
Claire Frost – RQT in Biology
I am in my second year of a part-time
MA in Education. Although it has been
challenging to fit evening seminars,
private reading and the completion
of assignments in around my school
work, I am really enjoying the course.
So far, we have looked at schoolbased
enquiry, which gave me
the opportunity to investigate
possible ways of raising students’
achievement in GCSE Biology; current
issues in education, which deepened
and strengthened my understanding
of reasons for students failing to achieve their academic potential;
and the development of inclusive education, both worldwide and in
the UK. I have found that, in addition to enhancing my awareness and
appreciation of existing issues within education and the adversities
that are faced by some students, my working relationships with the
students I teach have improved as a result of involving students in the
research I have carried out.
I am due to begin my dissertation which I am really excited about,
despite the concept of writing 15-20,000 words being quite daunting!
I plan to look at the impact of involving pupils in the lesson planning
process and the preparation of resources upon their motivation
towards, and achievement in, GCSE Biology. The students seem to have
responded really well to the idea and several of them have volunteered
to take part in the intervention. I’m really looking forward to working
closely with the students in order to help them to achieve their target
grades and enjoy my lessons more. Planning with pupils is something I
feel I probably would not have taken the initiative to carry out had it not
been for my Masters dissertation.
Overall, I would recommend the course to any newly- or recentlyqualified
teachers.
Jenny Magill – NQT in MFL
During my NQT year at BRGS, I have undertaken the first year of a
Masters in Education degree.
I decided to do this straight
away following on from the
PGCE course, and although
it has been a lot of work, I
have found the balance very
manageable. As the course is
designed for teachers working
full-time, I have found a lot
of the skills from the course
transferable to my teaching
and vice-versa.
During the first year of this degree, I have studied two modules: the
first, an evaluation of research methodology and the second, a look at
contemporary issues in education. With the first module I have been
practising research techniques that I will need to do my dissertation,
so a lot of my work has been based in school carrying out interviews,
questionnaires and observations with staff and students. The second
module has involved my studying the school and its local area in more
depth, which I have found extremely interesting and useful as it has
given me a better understanding of the young people I work with and
the environment I teach in.
I have found the school to have been extremely supportive with regards
to my MA study. Senior management and staff within school have
been helpful in giving me their time and comments for my research
tasks, and I have no problem accessing information I have needed
for my various assignments. Students in the school have also been
extremely helpful in providing me with data needed for assignments,
through carrying out questionnaires and volunteering their time for
interviews.
Sarah Freeth – RQT in Business Studies
So why do a MA in Education? For me it was a chance to draw on my
experience over the past two years of teaching and also understand my
role a little better in school.
I began the MA in Education in September 2009 at the University of
Manchester. The course itself is split into areas considering research
methods and contemporary issues in education and has given me an
insight into not only the issues surrounding many students but has also
had an impact in the way I approach my roles as a subject teacher and
a form tutor. This has been particularly useful in my pastoral roles when
dealing with parents and other outside influences on the students.
As this is my second year of teaching the initial adjustment to the
Masters workload was difficult; however the University stagger the
workload in the first term so that by the time you need to write up your
assignment you have already carried out the bulk of the work. Since
then I’ve looked into differences in attainment according to gender,
race and peer culture and have learnt how to carry out research in my
own working environment to an academic standard.
Next year will see me looking into an optional unit on government and
international policies on inclusion and carry out my research into an
area of interest to me.
Whilst this year (and I’m sure next year) has been hard work I feel I
have gained a lot of insight into education and hopefully this has been
reflected in my classroom teaching.