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An introduction to the UK Professional Standards Framework for teaching and supporting learning in higher education
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Raj Dhimar
Professional Standards Framework (PSF)
2
Session outline
• Explore your interests and expectations of the PSF
• Provide opportunities for you to interpret and engage with the PSF
• Understand the dimensions and descriptors
• Consider the PSF’s potential uses and implications to higher education providers
• Identifying future needs for Thailand higher education in the context of professional standards for teaching and supporting learning
“Qualifications” for higher education lecturers?• Dearing (1997) - enhancing professionalism
of HE teaching, the future of higher education white paper (2003), students and the heart of the system white paper (2011)
• Learning and Teaching Support Network (LTSN)
• Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education - membership organisation
• The Higher Education Academy - subscription organisation
• Higher Education Statistics Agency - staff profiles
Teaching Quality - external drivers (UK) - historic and current
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Why are training and CPD important?
Those who are trained have greater self awareness of the factors impacting on learning
environments
Professional development leading to professional recognition provides a
benchmark for individuals and institutions, and gives the general population and
students themselves confidence that they are
being supported by qualified, capable and competent
professionals.
Research evidence in this area is limited but examples are available – e.g. Impact of
Teaching Development programmes for HE.
HE providers have autonomy to develop and manage staff
for their own individual circumstances.
• PSF provides set of descriptors, developed with the sector, against which institutions can benchmark their approaches to the professional development of staff.
• Sector-owned, managed by the HEA.
• Offers universities and colleges criteria which support the initial and continuing professional development for staff who teach and support student learning.
• Flexible framework that is adaptable to the needs of the individual and of the institution.
• Many institutions use the PSF and seek external validation of their approaches to professional development against the framework. The HEA alone accredits over 400 provision in over130 HEIs across the UK.
• Not mandatory. There are other routes to accreditation too, which the HEA welcomes.
• Has potential to be a key indicator of UK HE’s ongoing commitment to teaching, as well as giving confidence that minimum threshold standards have been met by academic staff.
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Professional Standards Framework
A framework for HEIs to:• Align initial and continuing professional
development provision for all staff involved in teaching and supporting learning in Higher Education
• Inform progression, promotion and reward criteria
Comprises :Dimensions (Areas of Activity, Core
Knowledge and Professional Values)Descriptors (D1, 2, 3 and 4) equivalent to
Associate Fellow, Fellow, Senior Fellow and Principal Fellow
The PSF
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The Dimensio
ns
Areas of ActivityUndertaken by teachers and supporters of
learning within higher education
Core KnowledgeNeeded to carry
out those activities
appropriately Professional Values
the manner in which teaching professionals
should perform and carry out their
learning and teaching activities
Design & plan (A1)
Teach/support learning (A2)
Assess & feedback (A3)
Evaluate & Develop (A5)
Environment
SupportGuidance
(A4)
The Areas of Activity
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Uses of the Framework (1)
Gain recognition for your own teaching
and learning support activities
Plan and guide your own Continuing Professional
Development in the area of teaching and
learning
Promote the professionalisation
of teaching and learning support
within Higher Education
Uses of the Framework (2)
Foster creative and innovative
approaches to teaching and learning
Enable staff to gain recognition and
reward for developing their capabilities as teachers and supporters of
learningGain Academy
accreditation for education
development programmes and CPD
schemes
Uses of the Framework (3)
Enhance the quality and prominence of
teaching and learning activities
Facilitate and support the design and
delivery of initial and continuing education
development programmes and
activitiesDemonstrate to
students and other stakeholders the professionalism
that staff and institutions brings to teaching and support for student learning
Professional Standards Framework consultation
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What does the teaching community think?
HEA , (2011), PSF consultation, recognising excellence in teaching and learning
Broad general support for the idea that those who teach in HE should be appropriately qualified
Strong support (66%) for transparency of public
information in relation to teaching qualifications
and fellowships
Strong support (89%) for collaboration between the
HEA and relevant professional bodies in
relation to the alignment of standards providing
this was limited, targeted and not overly resource-
intensive
a) Explore the PSF. • - How do you interpret it? • - What are the distinctions between the
Descriptors?• - How might you interpret the
Dimensions in your own practice?
b) What challenges/opportunities can you identify in your interpretation of the Framework? 15
Activity
To find out more
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About the Professional Standards Framework
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/ukpsf
About Professional Recognition
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/professional-recognition
About Accreditation http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/accreditation