Vocational education and the global economy

This guide to good practice in vocational education and training delivery is for teachers and curriculum leaders in Tanzania and the UK. It has been developed as part of a partnership project between Mikumi Vocational Training Centre in Tanzania and Harrow College in the UK. It is supported by the Association of Managers in Education and funded by the British Council’s Education Partnerships in Africa programme.

Peter Pendle, Deputy General Secretary of ATL/AMiE, says: ‘We believe that in spite of the significant differences between Tanzania and the United Kingdom, for example in terms of the economy and resources, the principles of good practice that guide the delivery of vocational training and education are common.’

This handbook includes lots of activities for teachers to do in order to improve their practice, and concludes with a series of useful templates and examples.

A guide to good practice for teachers and managers in Tanzania and the UK

Vocational education in the global economy

Nadine Cartner Bob Vesey

tanzania_cvr.indd 1-3

16/05/2011 12:50

A guide to good practice for teachers and managers in Tanzania and the UK

Nadine Cartner Bob Vesey

Vocational education in the global economy

This document is an output from the Education Partnerships in Africa (EPA) Project funded by the UK Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) for the benefit of the African Further and Higher Education Sector and the UK Further and Higher Education Sector. The views expressed are not necessarily those of BIS, nor of the British Council.

Published by AMiE AMiE is the leadership section of ATL www.amie.uk.com Authors: Nadine Cartner and Bob Vesey Edited and designed by Thingswedo Printer: Blackmore Ltd, Shaftesbury, Dorset Feedback should be sent to: Nadine Cartner nadinecartn@gmail.com or Bob Vesey rvesey@amie.atl.org.uk Š Harrow College and AMiE 2011.

All rights reserved.

Contents About the authors

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Acknowledgements iii Forewords iv Introduction

Teaching and learning

Support, progression and quality

Annexes

1 Introduction 2 2 Vocational education and training in the UK and Tanzania

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3 Getting the right student on the right course: initial interviews

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4 Helping students to settle in: effective orientation/induction

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5 Developing an excellent learning programme

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6 Being an excellent teacher

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7 Developing students’ capacity for enterprise, innovation and initiative: the Enterprise Passport

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8 Linking the student experience with the work environment

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9 Assessing competencies

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10 Making the most of learning resources

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11 Encouraging the teacher as learner: professional development

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12 Student support

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13 Progression into employment and further learning

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14 Monitoring quality and planning improvement

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15 Action points

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Annex 1 Induction plan and timetable

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Annex 2 Scheme of work template

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Annex 3 Lesson plan template

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Annex 4 Example of a detailed lesson plan

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Annex 5 Values statements

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About the authors Born and brought up in Manchester in the UK and educated at the London School of Economics and Political Science, Nadine Cartner became a part-time lecturer at Hackney College in the 1970s. She enjoyed two decades in further education colleges as a teacher and senior manager.

In 1997, Nadine took up her first national UK role with the Association of Colleges, and two years later moved to the Association for College Management. She has recently retired as Director of Policy at the Association of Managers in Education (AMiE). Nadine believes passionately in the power of education to transform people’s lives and is motivated by that passion to work with colleges and education projects in the UK, Tanzania and Nicaragua.

Bob Vesey is Director of Learner Services at Harrow College in the UK. He has worked in a variety of roles in further and higher education since 1976. Bob has extensive experience of curriculum and staff development in colleges, and has led staff development programmes in a range of areas, including quality enhancement and equality and diversity. In his early career, Bob worked on the development of access to higher education programmes that were designed to provide progression opportunities for people traditionally under-represented in higher education. He remains committed to the key role of colleges in providing opportunities for young people and adults who face disadvantage from their earlier education. Bob has substantial experience of international partnership work and is pleased to have had an opportunity to help develop this successful partnership between Harrow College and Mikumi Vocational Training Centre in Tanzania.

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Acknowledgements In our experience, the generosity of colleagues in vocational education (in any country) is unrivalled. Our special gratitude goes to our Tanzanian colleagues for sharing with us their particular insights and experience from an African perspective.

The unstinting support, ideas and friendship of the following people made this guide possible:

1 Christopher Ayo, Principal, Mikumi Vocational Training Centre (VTC), Tanzania

1 Afshan Baksh, Higher Education and International Manager, Harrow College, UK

1 Sally Dicketts and staff, Oxford and Cherwell Valley College, UK 1 Paul Head and staff, College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London, UK

1 AM Kanza, Vocational Training Centres Coordinator, Vocational Education and Training Authority (VETA), Tanzania

1 Patrick Kipinga, Tourism Instructor, Mikumi VTC, Tanzania 1 Leah Lukindo, Director of Vocational Education and Training, VETA, Tanzania

1 Christopher Magwai, Fitter Mechanics Instructor, Mikumi VTC, Tanzania 1 Peter Mateso, VETA, Tanzania 1 Joseph Mmari, English Instructor, Mikumi VTC, Tanzania 1 Godfrey Mnjeja, Tour Guide Teacher, Mikumi VTC, Tanzania 1 Zebadiah Moshi, Director General, VETA, Tanzania 1 Maxine Room and staff, Lewisham College, UK 1 Geoffrey G Sabuni, Regional Director, VETA South West Zone, Tanzania 1 Dan Taubman, Senior National Education Official, Universities and Colleges Union, UK

1 Kevin Ashill, Thingswedo, UK 1 Yvonne Percival, Thingswedo, UK.

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Forewords ‘I recommend this curriculum handbook to all my colleagues in vocational education and training centres who are responsible for teaching and managing vocational education and training, and who are committed to offering our students high-quality provision. It has been a pleasure to work with colleagues in the United Kingdom on the development and production of this guide. Colleagues working on this project in both the UK and Tanzania have learned a great deal through observing each other’s training facilities, teaching, and curriculum management. We have also had valuable opportunities to exchange experiences and ideas.’

Christopher Ayo Principal Mikumi Vocational Training Centre, Tanzania ‘This handbook has been developed out of a partnership between Harrow College, the Association of Managers in Education and Mikumi Vocational Training Centre in Tanzania. Teachers, managers and students from Harrow and Mikumi have been working together to share ideas and to learn from each other about how best to raise the standards of vocational education and training in our two systems. This handbook will provide a basis for further joint activity to improve the quality of the work we do. During the project we have spent a lot of time focusing on the employability skills that our students need to develop to succeed in an increasingly international or global economy. Working in an international partnership on this gives us a better understanding of the international standards against which our provision will be judged in the future.’

Tony Medhurst Principal Harrow College, UK ‘Our engagement with this project has been important and valuable to this Association. We believe that in spite of the significant differences between Tanzania and the United Kingdom, for example in terms of the economy and resources, the principles of good practice that guide the delivery of vocational training and education are common. We hope that lecturers and managers in Tanzania will find this guide valuable. We are confident that it also has much to offer AMiE members who are striving to develop and deliver excellent training and education to UK students. The generosity of the British Council’s Education Partnerships in Africa programme has enabled the development of this guide, and we are very grateful for that support.’

Peter Pendle Deputy General Secretary ATL/AMiE, UK

Introduction

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1 Introduction Education and training, at its best, transforms lives. It equips learners to realise their human potential, improves their employment opportunities, and empowers them in all aspects of their lives. Learners’ communities and local economies benefit too – from heightened skill levels, greater spending power and discussions about civic life.

However, a negative experience of education and training may result in an individual suffering a loss of confidence and ambition. So responsibility for offering students high-quality, life-transforming learning opportunities rests with all of us – teachers, trainers, managers and leaders. We all have leadership responsibility.

Who should read this book?

This is a guide to good practice in vocational education and training delivery. It is for teachers and curriculum leaders in Tanzania and the UK who take this leadership responsibility seriously.

This handbook has been developed as part of a partnership project funded by the British Council. The partnership, developed over 18 months from October 2009, is between Mikumi Vocational Training Centre (VTC) in Tanzania and Harrow College in the UK. It is supported by the Association of Managers in Education (AMiE, formerly ACM) and funded by the British Council’s Education Partnerships in Africa (EPA) programme. It includes lots of activities for teachers to do in order to improve their practice, and concludes with a series of useful templates and examples to help in this.

Background to the project The EPA programme has supported over 70 projects in the period 2008–11.

The EPA’s focus is on the development of sustainable partnerships that will enhance the capacity of further education and higher education providers to improve employability and entrepreneurship skills in local economies and communities. The programme also seeks to involve employers and social enterprises and to develop models of good practice for education co-operation between English and African institutions.

After a successful visit to Mikumi by Nadine Cartner (Director of Policy at AMiE) and a group of UK further education practitioners in 2007, AMiE, Harrow College and Mikumi VTC sought British Council support for this project. We wanted to search out further opportunities to work together to build good practice and to learn from each other in the process.

In Tanzania, the project was supported by the Vocational Education and Training Authority (VETA). The involvement of national organisations – AMiE in the UK and VETA in Tanzania – brought added value to the project.

Introduction

During visits to their partner country, delegates met national leaders of vocational education and training and were welcomed at a range of colleges and training centres. Staff from Harrow College visited the training centres at Mikumi and Morogoro, and met with VETA regional and national leaders. In the UK, managers and teachers from Mikumi were welcomed at the AMiE national conference and visited colleges in Oxford, North London and South-East London. These additional opportunities for teachers and leaders to see a range of provision and to network with colleagues working in the partner country have enabled participants in the project to gain greater insight into how colleges in both countries can deliver excellent education and training that enhances the employability and entrepreneurialism of our students.

Aims of the project There are two main elements to this project:

1 the sharing of ideas, information and best practice on employability skills including the Enterprise Passport pilot scheme (see Section 7 for details). Students and teachers from Harrow and Mikumi worked together to test out the Enterprise Passport and to consider ways of improving teaching and learning for enterprise, employability and entrepreneurship skills. The Enterprise Passport provides a framework for students to think about the skills, knowledge and qualities that make an individual employable and enterprising, and enables them to plan how they can develop those skills and qualities for their own success

1 the development of this handbook – designed to support managers and teachers in vocational education and training, this handbook aims to offer guidance on the basics of good practice in vocational education.

Many of the ideas in the handbook are drawn from practice observed in the partner institutions, from discussions with national leaders, and from networking with senior managers from a range of institutions in the UK and Tanzania.

The British Council has supported a number of innovative partnership programmes in the recent past that have aimed to improve vocational learning and to enhance employability skills. As the economy becomes more global, this kind of partnership working is crucial to those engaged in education and training as a key mechanism for understanding international standards in vocational skills development.

The student journey The basis of this handbook is the concept of the student journey. It focuses attention on the points at which curriculum leaders – both teachers and managers – need to ensure that the learning programme is working well for the student.

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Figure 1. The student journey

Pre-entry advice and guidance Progression

Initial assessment

Achievement

Orientation/ induction

Learner involvement

Career planning

Assessment and feedback

Teaching and learning Progress review

Figure 2. Elements of the student journey

Recruitment Advice and guidance Initial assessment Diagnostic assessment Setting goals Career plans Feedback from learners

Learning programme Induction Diagnostic assessment Teaching and learning Experience of work Assessment and feedback Learning support Monitoring and review Feedback from learners

Progression Final assessment Achievement Employment or self-employment Further study Feedback from learners

Introduction

2 Vocational education and training in the UK and Tanzania Similarities The education systems of the UK and Tanzania have a number of similarities.

In both countries there is a drive to raise the status, quality and availability of vocational education and training. Vocational learning is seen historically as second class and of lower status than academic programmes. Both countries recognise that this must change, if the workforce and the economy are to compete in a global economy where high-level skills are of increasing and critical importance.

Vocational education and training providers in the two countries face similar challenges in relation to employer engagement. Creating opportunities for trainees to experience realistic work-related tasks is usually most easily achieved in the workplace. Finding placements with employers, however, is a real challenge. Thus in both the UK and Tanzania, engaging employers in the design, delivery and development of vocational learning is critical to its success.

Differences Tanzania Tanzania has a population of 41 million people. It is a stable democracy and education is highly valued.

Tanzania is a large country covering more than 947,000km2. Some 80% of the workforce is engaged in agriculture; the industrial and service sectors each account for approximately 10% of the workforce.

In Tanzania, vocational education and training is managed by the Vocational Education and Training Authority (VETA), which owns 21 training centres and accredits around 900 private centres. VETA is the government agency responsible for the strategic development of vocational education and training, as well as for funding, qualifications and quality. In effect, it combines the roles that are undertaken by several agencies in other education systems. VETA is currently moving the curriculum framework towards competence-based qualifications.

VETA and its centres are funded through a 2% payroll levy. One positive consequence of the levy is that there is a great deal of public interest in the vocational training centres (VTCs) and they are both well supported and highly regarded. The levy, however, needs to be placed in context. Given the average level of income in Tanzania, the levy does not enable VETA to invest the kinds of sums that deliver world-class training facilities. Centres are therefore comparatively under-resourced and there is a compelling need for investment in equipment and other resources. However, the VETA leadership and VTC senior managers use all the resources at their disposal to recognise international standards in vocational education and training, and to provide opportunities for their managers, teachers and trainers to improve the quality of the training they provide.

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VETA’s training centres tend to be small. Mikumi, for example, caters for around 300 students in a range of vocational specialisms, including tourism, hospitality, construction, engineering and computing. Students are drawn from across the country and, for reasons of geography, mostly live in residential accommodation on the campus.

UK While the population of the UK is larger than Tanzania at 61 million, its area is much smaller: 224,000km2.

The UK services sector employs 80% of the workforce; less than 20% of the population works in industry, and agriculture accounts for only 1% of the working population.

In contrast to Tanzania, vocational education and training is managed through a complex set of agencies and government departments. At present, three government departments have responsibility for aspects of the sector: the Department for Education (DfE); the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS); and the Department for Work and Pensions.

While the DfE and BIS have overall responsibility for planning, funding, qualifications and quality, several of these responsibilities are managed through agencies. The two main funding agencies are the Education Funding Agency and the Skills Funding Agency. Increasingly, adults are expected to pay fees to support their training, though some priority groups receive subsidies towards education or training.

Most vocational education and training is provided in general further education colleges, though increasingly, schools (which have historically concentrated on academic programmes) are providing vocational courses for 14–18 year old learners in school settings. The qualifications framework is tightly regulated, with largely separate provision for young people and adults.

Vocational colleges in the UK tend to be significantly larger than in Tanzania, most having over 2,000 learners. Many are large, multi-site institutions serving large conurbations.

Few UK colleges are residential. The majority of students live at home and attend a local college. Harrow College, for example, draws its student population from across London, but the majority of its 5,000 full-time and part-time students live in the local community and within about 8km of the college’s four centres.

Teaching and learning

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3 Getting the right student on the right course: initial interviews Placing students on the course that’s right for them is critically important in assuring their future success.

All students should have an initial interview to determine which course best meets their individual needs.

During the interview, it is good practice to:

1 assess whether the student has the skills and knowledge that are needed to start the course. It is not fair on students to place them on learning programmes where they will flounder because they do not have the prerequisite skills and knowledge. They are not only likely to fail, but they will also become demoralised and will lose confidence. Furthermore, poor placement will lower the centre’s success rates

1 discuss each student’s vocational goals and aspirations. Students are unlikely to succeed on courses leading to employment in which they have no interest

1 ensure that the student is able to make a commitment to the course.

Check that their personal circumstances, responsibilities and availability are compatible with good levels of attendance, attention and work

1 be self-aware. Be careful not to impose prejudices about courses that are inappropriate. For example, do not assume that some jobs are unsuitable for women or for people of particular cultural backgrounds. There is no evidence to back up such prejudices, and it is vitally important that no such stereotyping comes into the process of deciding which courses are suitable for which students.

Table 1. Good practice for initial interviews with students Good practice

Resources

1 Use initial assessment and aptitude testing. 1 Have aptitude tests ready.

1 Consider prior qualifications.

1 Use paperwork that 1 Consider the student’s aspirations. supports and captures all 1 Discuss and note the student’s employment aspects of the process ambitions.

1 Be self-aware so that students are counselled fairly and impartially.

1 Support the counselling process, by ensuring that prospective students have clear information about: 1 the entry requirements for the course 1 an outline of what will be learnt 1 realistic information about the employment opportunities from the qualification 1 any costs associated with the programme.

of student assessment and placement without being unnecessarily bureaucratic.

1 Employ good listening and dialogue skills.

1 Produce leaflets with up-to-date, accurate course information.

Teaching and learning

Activity Check your paperwork

Work with colleagues to check that the forms for the process of initial assessment and course placement support all aspects of good practice.

If the forms are not adequate, draft new paperwork that reflects good practice and take it to a meeting of colleagues to consider and finalise.

Activity Practise your interviewing technique

Role-play student assessment interviews with colleagues, to check and improve your skills in listening properly to students’ aspirations. Check that neither you nor your colleagues introduce stereotyping into the process.

4 Helping students to settle in: effective orientation/induction1 1 The process of introducing students to their course is called ‘orientation’ in Tanzania and ‘induction’ in the UK.

Orientation, or induction, is the process at the beginning of a course whereby students are introduced to their learning programme, their fellow students, their teachers and the wider organisation.

The overall aim of orientation/induction is to ensure that learners feel welcome, to familiarise them with the demands of the course and to prepare the ground for their future achievements.

An effective induction process:

1 introduces students to one another, their teachers and the wider organisation

1 explains the course that the students are studying: their timetable, the curriculum, learning outcomes and assessment

1 introduces students to the support and learning resources available, including pastoral support, study support and library facilities

1 draws students’ attention to their rights and responsibilities, to health and safety matters, and to expected standards of relations between students and between students and teachers

1 is consistent across all groups of students on common matters such as rules, rights and responsibilities, health and safety, and standards of behaviour

1 offers interesting, helpful and enjoyable activities that engage and motivate students and enable them to settle into their course and the organisation speedily and easily

1 gives students clear direction and suggests ideas for being a successful student and making the most of their time on the course

1 brings in specialist staff to introduce themselves and their role 1 checks students’ understanding, for example through quizzes or question and answer sessions

1 is based on a student handbook which covers the key information communicated in the induction process, including term dates, procedures (for example when students are absent), contact details, and support services available

1 is regularly reviewed and evaluated by students, to ensure that the induction process improves and remains up to date.

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Activity Develop an orientation/induction programme for your course

See Annex 1 for an induction plan and timetable template to help with this activity.

1. Plan a centre-wide induction process to cover the elements of induction that are common to all students.

2. Plan a course-focused induction programme for a specific group of students.

Check that:

1 your induction programme covers all the points of good practice identified above

1 you have created activities that help students to be active during their induction

1 the induction process is welcoming to students, equips them with the information they need, and introduces them to one another

1 you have built quizzes and question and answer sessions into the induction process, to reinforce students’ learning

1 the relevant vocational area is a significant aspect of the induction 1 arrangements are in place for the induction of any students who start their course later than all the other students.

Activity Help students to get to know each other

Aim to create a sense of belonging and togetherness among the students.

Give students a worksheet on which is written (in each corner): your favourite food; your favourite sport; your favourite animal; your favourite season. Students fill in their particular favourites and hold them up for others to see. Students then talk to one another about their choices and explore them further.

5 Developing an excellent learning programme In both England and Tanzania, there is a curriculum framework within which teachers are expected to work. Teachers and curriculum leaders aim to devise learning programmes that engage students and help them to succeed, while meeting the requirements of the framework.

In a vocational curriculum it is good practice to involve local employers in planning and reviewing programmes. This improves the quality and relevance of the course, and raises employers’ confidence in graduates.

In many vocational education systems (including in Tanzania), employers or employers’ organisations working at a national level help to specify the competencies that are required for a particular job within an industry. They may also specify the transferable skills that trainees need to develop.

Before the start of a learning programme, it is good practice to have in place:

1 entry criteria 1 a process for sound initial advice and guidance (see Section 12) 1 a scheme of work (see below and also Annex 2) 1 a course handbook for students (see the suggestion in Section 12) 1 lesson plans (see below and also Annex 3 and Annex 4) 1 the resources to support learning.

Teaching and learning

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Devising a scheme of work An essential step towards offering excellent vocational education is to work as a team to develop a scheme of work for the whole course. A scheme of work sets up the framework for planning the detail of an effective, high-quality learning programme through which students can acquire the competencies demanded by the qualification they are aiming for.

Your scheme of work outlines what will be covered on the course on a week-by-week basis. For each week, your scheme of work should specify:

1 learning outcomes: what are the competencies, skills and qualities that will be developed (including skills such as communication, mathematics, enterprise and team working)?

1 teaching strategies and activities: how will you achieve the learning outcomes?

1 student activities: what will students do to achieve the learning outcomes?

1 resources: what facilities or materials will the students need?

1 assessment: how will you assess that learning is taking place, i.e. students’ progression towards mastery of the competencies?

Thus a scheme of work is a summary of the learning and teaching programme for the whole course, and is an essential aspect of highquality teaching. It brings together and co-ordinates the elements of the programme taught by each teacher. You may find helpful the scheme of work template in Annex 2.

Figure 3. Planning a scheme of work

Planning the learning programme enables teachers to integrate literacy, mathematics, computer skills and study skills

Creating a scheme of work helps teachers to plan activitybased learning

A scheme of work forms the basis of week-by-week planning A scheme of work helps teachers to plan in advance for the resources they will need

Planning a scheme of work is important to the quality of learning

Planning ensures that assessment is well organised and well timed, and covers the range of competencies demanded by the qualification

A scheme of work ensures that the whole curriculum is covered

A scheme of work gives students an overview of what they will learn, when, and alerts them to assessment points

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Activity Devise a scheme of work for your course

Work with other members of your teaching team to devise a scheme of work for a whole course. You may find the template in Annex 2 helpful.

Use the ideas in the rest of this section about varied teaching strategies and active learning too.

Active learning In devising an overall scheme of work, it would be helpful for you to explore the concept of active learning, and why active learning should be the basis of vocational education and training.

In active learning:

1 students engage in vocational practice to help them learn and acquire skills and qualities

1 teachers plan these opportunities for their students, including the necessary resources

1 teachers coach, encourage, support and help students to solve problems 1 teachers give feedback to students and reinforce key learning 1 where possible, active learning opportunities are provided in the real workplace.

To reinforce the importance of active learning in your own experience, fill in Table 2.

Table 2. Your own experience of active learning How did you learn to ‌ ride a bike?

swim?

wire a plug?

use the internet?

cook eggs?

milk a cow? grow vegetables?

play football?

I practised

I listened to a lecture

I read a book

I watched a demonstration

Other

Teaching and learning

If you are competent in any of these skills, actively practising them will have been an important part of your learning. You didn’t learn such skills by sitting at a desk, listening to someone tell you how they should be done!

Indeed, you could not have learned these skills in this way, because they can only be developed through active learning.

This is not to say that there is no role for a teacher – far from it – but this kind of learning doesn’t happen through teachers telling students what should be done and how, while students listen passively. Rather, the teacher engages with the students’ practice, offering support, advice, ideas and information. So it is with much vocational learning.

The successful acquisition of vocational skills means that students must have plenty of opportunities to actively practise and develop those skills.

Not only does your own experience tell you that skills development is most successfully achieved through active learning, but expert professionals also confirm this view.

Active learning may not be your only learning strategy. For example, you may have benefited from watching your mother cook eggs; you may well have found a book useful in learning to use the internet or wire a plug; you may have helped your father grow vegetables. But all of these learning strategies – observing, reading, helping – are supplementary to the main way in which you achieved competence in these areas: you actively practised! Such active learning is essential to vocational training.

Active learning strategies Teaching through active learning means first letting go of the traditional idea that the teacher stands at the front of the class imparting knowledge to students who quietly and passively absorb that knowledge. That does not mean that preparing a knowledge base is not important – but in active learning it is quickly followed by active engagement of students in their own learning.

Just how that is done varies from vocational area to vocational area, but here are some examples.

Travel and tourism

1 Travel and tourism students work together in a group to identify the expectations of modern tourists with regard to catering, accommodation, personal service and the travel experience.

1 From that discussion, the students consider the service standards that a tourism venture would aspire to.

1 The students reflect on those service standards and work out the skills they need in order to deliver those standards.

1 The teacher devises scenarios (e.g. how do you keep a service going when the computer network breaks down?) in which students, through role-play, can actively practise and develop those skills. For example, one group of students may practise front-line interpersonal skills, taking different roles in turn and giving one another feedback. Another group of students might devise a day’s itinerary and subject it to the scrutiny of other students for feedback and ideas.

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Catering

1 Students learning to cater for business professionals or tourists will, on the basis of their knowledge base, create menus and understand and practise kitchen hygiene standards.

Construction

1 Construction students will have opportunities to lay bricks and to make timber frames.

1 Electrical installation students will have opportunities to build circuits, test them and detect problems.

Horticulture

1 Horticulture students will have access to patches of ground where they can grow and tend crops.

Whatever the vocational area, teachers set tasks, challenges and problems which students work on in teams or as individuals to solve.

The role of the teacher in active learning Active learning strategies change the role of the teacher and student, but in no way do they diminish the importance of the teacher or their centrality to the learning process. The role of the teacher, while different than in the traditional learning model, is nonetheless critically important. The teacher sets up the learning experiences, guides, encourages, supports and advises. At the end of a learning activity, the teacher gives feedback and summarises the key learning points.

Lesson planning While your scheme of work sets out your overall plan for the whole course, a lesson plan sets out the teaching and learning process for each class.

When planning a lesson, ask yourself three fundamental questions:

1 What are the learning outcomes for this lesson, i.e. what are the competencies, skills and knowledge that students will develop during this session?

1 How will I ensure that learning takes place?

1 What are the teaching strategies that will engage the students and help them to learn?

Having clear answers to these questions is the basis of a successful lesson. To achieve that clarity, each lesson should be planned in advance.

The lesson plan template in Annex 3 and the example of a detailed lesson plan in Annex 4 may assist you in this.

Once you have these basics in place, you can turn your attention to the finer details of each particular lesson:

1 Consider how each lesson builds on the last and leads to the next.

1 Share learning outcomes with students – all of us learn better when we understand what it is we are aiming to learn.

1 Include a variety of activities, so that students stay interested and focused and don’t lose concentration.

Teaching and learning

1 Nurture students’ confidence. Confidence helps all of us to learn more quickly and more effectively.

1 Ensure students’ active engagement in their own learning (see ‘Active learning’, above).

1 Recap on the previous lesson to reinforce earlier learning.

1 Offer opportunities for students to work together, share their learning and ideas, and learn to work collaboratively as a team.

1 Plan for individual learning: students don’t all learn at the same speed or with the same ease, so be sure that your teaching enables all your students to achieve the learning outcomes.

1 Consider the lesson sequence. A typical sequence might be: 1 summarise learning from previous lesson 1 share learning outcomes of this lesson with students 1 do a teaching and learning activity 1 give feedback 1 check and summarise learning 1 assemble assessment information.

Activity Plan a lesson

Using the lesson plan template in Annex 3 and the example of a detailed lesson plan in Annex 4, plan several consecutive lessons, starting from the basis of the three basic questions discussed above:

1 What are the learning outcomes for this lesson, i.e. what are the competencies, skills and knowledge that students will develop during this session?

1 How will I ensure that learning takes place?

1 What are the teaching strategies that will engage the students and help them to learn?

When you are content that the lesson plan covers these basic issues, ask yourself the following questions:

1 Have I summarised the main learning from the previous lesson?

1 Have I shared the intended learning outcomes of this class with my students?

1 Have I given careful thought to the learning activities that the students will engage in? Are they the most effective in relation to the learning outcomes I’m aiming for?

1 Have I ensured that I will give students feedback about their work?

1 Have I built in time to check my students’ learning and understanding, and to summarise the main learning?

1 Have I communicated any necessary assessment information?

Exchange lesson plans with colleagues and ask them to give you honest, constructive feedback.

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6 Being an excellent teacher Teaching is an ancient and honourable profession. Excellent teachers inspire their students, equip them with valuable knowledge and skills, and often transform their lives. That transformation may lead to a good job and further training, or it may take the shape of a lifelong love of learning. To teach well demands many high-level skills and qualities, both professional and personal.

The elements of excellence So what are the elements of excellence? You might find it helpful to consider these under three headings:

1 planning and preparation 1 in the workshop/classroom 1 personal professional development.

Table 3. The elements of excellence Planning and preparation

In the workshop/classroom

Personal professional development

1 Plan the course carefully

1 Communicate to students your

1 Be honest, self-aware and

and in detail.

1 Plan each lesson conscientiously.

1 Understand the demands of the qualification, including assessment requirements.

1 Stay up to date in your subject and the vocational area in which it is situated.

1 Work collaboratively with colleagues.

enthusiasm for your subject and for learning.

1 Be passionate for your students to succeed to the very best of their ability.

1 Demand the very best of yourself and your students.

1 Actively involve students in their learning.

1 Recognise that students learn at different paces and with different degrees of ease or difficulty.

Understand their individual needs and plan your teaching strategies accordingly.

1 Plan so that each lesson is coherent and well timed, and that students understand what it is they are aiming to learn.

1 Communicate clear expectations about good behaviour and courtesy; model good practice.

1 Ensure that the learning programme is appropriate to the qualification and its assessment demands.

1 Use available resources imaginatively and well.

1 Use your imagination to access innovative and useful learning materials.

self-critical about your teaching practice. Even a great teacher falls short of perfect, so there is always room for you to improve.

1 Take responsibility: never blame the students.

1 Stay up to date in your subject and the vocational area in which it is situated.

1 Regularly review your practice, and learn from what went well and what didn’t go so well.

1 Value students’ views on your teaching.

1 Check whether your practice is consonant with the best professional values.

Teaching and learning

Activity Analyse your teaching

How many of the elements in Table 3 are present in your practice? Where you feel you have weaknesses, consider how you will address these.

The importance of values to good teaching Teaching is not only about technical skills and knowledge, or the personal skills needed to motivate students and build their confidence – it is also about the values that teachers bring to their classrooms and workshops.

The values of an excellent teacher and education leader are:

1 a steady focus on the needs of students and the development of a service guided by this commitment

1 a willingness to take responsibility for the quality of teaching and leadership (and not to pass off poor standards as being due to student disadvantage or lack of ability)

1 a belief in the transformatory power of learning for students, colleagues and oneself

1 a belief that one’s practice should be just, fair and without prejudice 1 being receptive to new ideas 1 a belief in the right of each individual to achieve their full potential.

Activity Discuss your values

Add to the list above other values that are important to you.

Compare your list with those of colleagues and discuss your views.

Varied teaching and learning strategies The model of teaching whereby a teacher lectures to the students from the front of the class for the duration of the lesson is now viewed by the best education professionals as one of the least effective ways of helping students to learn.

While there will be occasions when the nature of the curriculum means that a short session spent explaining material to students is called for, the excellent teacher will employ a variety of teaching strategies across a whole lesson. Of course, excellent teachers don’t vary their teaching methods just for the sake of it – they match the method to the learning.

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Activity Think about using varied teaching strategies Teaching strategy Example: Practical practice Practical practice Question and answer Work experience Role-play Small-group planning Individual problem-solving Workplace visit Small-group scenario-planning Individual written work Student-to-student feedback Quiz Small-group problem-solving Whole-class brainstorming Case study Debate Teacher talk Demonstration Visit Assessment practice Individual assignment Individual research Group research Computer-aided research Student presentations Games Short test

In the table below, match as many teaching strategies as you can to a learning element of your course. There is an example to start you off.

Learning activity Example: Laying bricks/wiring a fuse box

Teaching and learning

Meeting each student’s individual needs: ‘differentiated’ teaching Students learn at different speeds, with different degrees of ease and difficulty, and with different needs with regard to language, mathematics, study skills and confidence. The way you teach needs to take account of these differences, so that the varying needs of individual students may be met.

An excellent teacher has a range of teaching strategies to stretch the most able students while supporting the least confident. The jargon word for this kind of teaching is ‘differentiated’ teaching.

Strategies that excellent teachers use to meet all their students’ needs include:

1 giving detailed feedback to individual students 1 setting staged assignments: the lower-level stages offer opportunities of success to less confident students; the higher-level stages stretch the more able students

1 strong students coaching and mentoring less confident students 1 setting small-group work, whereby stronger groups can work autonomously, while the teacher works with weaker groups

1 devising a range of worksheets that include tasks ranging from relatively easy to difficult and differ in terms of depth, breadth and difficulty

1 setting assignments that offer additional activities for the most able students

1 working in learning teams that encourage students to support and learn from one another.

Building confidence in learning An excellent teacher knows that learning develops most effectively when students are motivated and confident.

Students will be more confident when they:

1 feel that their teacher cares about their success 1 feel that their teacher is highly skilled 1 are clear about what they are aiming to learn 1 take an active part in their own learning 1 are able to see their progress towards their learning goals 1 are encouraged to believe in their own potential 1 enjoy learning 1 feel that it’s acceptable to say when they don’t understand 1 feel that they are a valued member of the learning community.

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Activity Think of ‘teacher tactics’ to build student confidence

In the table below, match each of the statements of student need with a strategy (a ‘teacher tactic’) for how you can support these aspects of student motivation and confidence. There is an example to start you off.

Student need Example: Students feel they are a valued member of the learning community Students feel that their teacher cares about their success

Students feel that their teacher is highly skilled

Students are clear about what they are aiming to learn

Students take an active part in their own learning

Students are able to see their progress towards their learning goals

Students are encouraged to believe in their own potential

Students enjoy learning

Students feel that it’s acceptable to say when they don’t understand

Students feel they are a valued member of the learning community

Teacher tactic Example: Teachers celebrate the diverse backgrounds of students and build a sense of belonging for all students

Teaching and learning

7 Developing students’ capacity for enterprise, innovation and initiative: the Enterprise Passport What is the Enterprise Passport?

2 The Enterprise Passport is available at: www.harrow.ac.uk/ep/ep.pdf or email Nadine Cartner at nadinecartn@gmail.com who will send you a link to access the file.

The Enterprise Passport2 provides a framework for students to think about the skills, knowledge and qualities that make an individual employable and enterprising, and to plan how they can develop those skills and qualities for their own success. It is a small, passport-size booklet that enables users to record the activities they engage in that demonstrate the development of particular skills or attributes and show evidence of enterprise. Designed in partnership with schools, colleges and employers, the Enterprise Passport has been piloted and used in several schools, colleges and training centres in both Tanzania and the UK. Each page in the Enterprise Passport has the same format. Students can record evidence of their activity, demonstrating a particular skill or attribute. There is also space for their evidence to be endorsed by a tutor or another person, for example an employer, a careers adviser, an adult in a community organisation such as the scouts or guides, a sports coach or a member of the student’s church.

All students and trainees need to be aware of business and enterprise when they leave education or training.

An understanding of the basics of business and how to succeed in the world of work is essential, if students are to find employment that helps them to reach their life goals and contribute to the local economy. Those who wish to develop their own business enterprises will need the same understanding of the business world and the skills, qualities and attributes required to succeed. The Enterprise Passport is aimed at encouraging learners to develop the skills, qualities and attributes, as well as the knowledge and understanding, that they need in order to succeed in a competitive global economy (see Figure 4 overleaf).

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Figure 4. Putting the learner at the centre of employability and entrepreneurship learning

Personal qualities Equal chances for all

Attitudes

High expectations

Skills

Learner

Knowledge and understanding

Entrepreneurship

Employability

Enterprise

What skills does it demonstrate?

The characteristics of enterprise fall into four categories, and the Enterprise Passport reflects these:

1 skills 1 behaviour 1 qualities and attributes 1 knowledge and understanding.

Teaching and learning

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Enterprising skills Employers value enterprising skills. They are assets in other areas of life too. Students and trainees with these skills find it easier to demonstrate to employers that they are able to work with others – both colleagues and customers. They focus on getting a job done well and help the individual to respond to change in the working environment.

Skills

I know how to communicate I know how to solve problems I know how to think and plan strategically I know how to adapt to uncertainty and change I know how to work as part of a team I know how to negotiate I know how to apply my number skills I know how to use IT in a business environment I know how to present my ideas I know how to review my goals I know how to recognise my strengths and weaknesses

Enterprising behaviour Enterprising behaviour is about the way we act and interact with other people. In a business environment, appropriate behaviour has a significant impact on business success, and employers are keen to recruit those who display these skills. The same skills are important for those running their own businesses. These are the kind of skills you would expect to find in successful entrepreneurs.

Behaviour

I can finish what I start I can achieve results I can cope under pressure I can take responsibility I can use my initiative I can decide when to take a risk I can be competitive I can inspire others I can plan ahead and be organised I can be proactive I can demonstrate motivation

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Enterprising qualities and attitudes Our personal qualities are an important part of our make-up. They have an effect on the way we work and the contribution we make to the success of teams or organisations that we work with. They are important in the recruitment process, and employers will assess candidates for jobs on these qualities. Qualities and attitudes cannot be taught, but students can learn about their importance and how to develop them as strengths.

Qualities and attitudes

I am confident and determined to succeed I am willing to learn I am independent I am inspired by others I am optimistic about my future I am a leader I am creative and innovative I am enthusiastic I am flexible I am co-operative

Knowledge and understanding Successful people in business – whether working for themselves as entrepreneurs or working as an employee – will have a good understanding of business and the environment in which business is conducted. As the world of industry and business becomes more globalised, those who understand the nature of the world economy will be best placed to make a positive contribution.

Knowledge and understanding

I know about and understand economic globalisation I know about and understand sustainable development I know about and understand financial planning I know about and understand business finance I know about and understand the world of business and enterprise I know about and understand networking I know about and understand marketing I know about and understand international and cultural awareness I know about and understand the competitive environment

Teaching and learning

Using the Enterprise Passport with students Nurturing students’ enterprise and employability skills depends on developing an appropriate balance of teaching and learning. It is essential to develop, foster and encourage activities that enable students to become active learners and to take responsibility for their own learning. These activities need to stimulate initiative, problem-solving skills and creativity.

It is important to emphasise that the Enterprise Passport is designed to be used by students, not by teachers. A central focus is on encouraging students to take responsibility for their own learning and reflecting on that learning. It supplements their learning programme, by giving them a tool to record and demonstrate their skills for business and employment.

However, students need to be offered cues, clues and initial ideas, so that they are better able to see opportunities for using the passport effectively.

Where we have piloted the passport successfully, we have stimulated its use through initial workshop activities that have helped students to gain a clear understanding of how they can use it as a tool to develop and demonstrate their own capability in the context of enterprise and employability. The workshop in the following activity (or variants of it) has been used successfully with students from Mikumi VTC and by students from Harrow College working jointly with students from the Beijing Commerce and Trade School in China.

Activity Organise a workshop

For this activity you will need:

1 a photocopy of the ‘I know how to communicate’ page of the Enterprise Passport for each group

1 a photocopy of a second page from the Enterprise Passport – a different page for each group.

Organise students into groups of six or seven. Give each group a copy of the ‘I know how to communicate’ page from the Enterprise Passport, and a copy of one other page (a different page for each group).

Ask each group to nominate one individual in the group to make notes and a second person to provide feedback to the whole class at the end of the session.

The groups then:

1 discuss and agree the meaning of ‘communication’ in a general sense 1 make a note of the agreed meaning 1 generate ideas within the group that could be used to illustrate good communication skills

1 after 20 minutes, feed back to the rest of the class.

The groups repeat the exercise with a second concept, using a copy of another page from the Enterprise Passport (so this time each group is working on a different concept).

At the end of the session, groups consider their learning and discuss as a whole group the kinds of skills that they developed or illustrated during the session. Examples of skills or qualities demonstrated might include communication skills, leadership skills, working together or team-working, confidence.

Most students in the group will gain confidence from the session and feel able to use the Enterprise Passport for themselves.

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Using the internet to support student activity Following exchange visits, students from Harrow College in the UK and from Beijing Commerce and Trade School in Shang Mao, China, were given an opportunity to continue to work together through a chat room in a virtual learning environment and by email. This group of students continued to share ideas to support the completion of the Enterprise Passport and to improve their understanding of each other’s culture.

Helping students to complete their Enterprise Passport Students need to be given opportunities to gather evidence for completing their Enterprise Passport. They can generate evidence through:

1 part-time work 1 work experience 1 voluntary activity 1 participation in sports and sports teams 1 fundraising for charity 1 acting as a class representative or student union officer 1 membership of, or participation in, a youth group 1 peer mentoring or mentoring younger students 1 helping in the family business.

The Enterprise Passport is available at: www.harrow.ac.uk/ep/ep.pdf or email Nadine Cartner at nadinecartn@gmail.com who will send you a link to access the file.

Teaching and learning

8 Linking the student experience with the work environment The Enterprise Passport (discussed in Section 7) provides students and trainees with a way to record their skills development in relation to enterprise and employability. Students also need to be given opportunities to develop and practise skills for employment. Work experience is an effective strategy for skills development, but students also need to be given opportunities for developing work skills in advance of working directly with employers.

Some vocational areas lend themselves to the creation of a realistic work setting in the training centre or college, perhaps a hair and beauty salon, or a training restaurant. For example, hospitality students at Mikumi VTC have access to the restaurant and lodge (tourist accommodation), which is open to the public. Trainees thus have an opportunity to practise and develop their skills and to receive customer feedback.

Also at Mikumi, students in the motor vehicles section offer servicing and repair facilities to the local community. This gives trainees real work opportunities, as well as providing a community service that helps to promote vocational education and training among local people.

Similarly, hairdressing and beauty therapy students at Harrow College run a salon, Serendipity, that is open to the public. They therefore have opportunities to work with paying customers.

Where such facilities do not exist, it is important to be creative in providing trainees with opportunities to develop skills in other ways.

Activities that support links with employment Here are five activities that can be used to support students’ experience of employment.

Activity Hold a skills competition

National and international skills competitions are becoming increasingly popular. Competitions are a good way of raising the profile and status of vocational skills.

Any curriculum team can organise a skills competition within their own curriculum area. Choose an activity where competence and performance can be assessed. The competition can be between individuals or teams.

For example, in hospitality it could be preparing or serving a meal to a group of customers (genuine customers or fellow students or staff).

Give the students a clear brief to deliver the product or service at a specified time.

Establish a clear set of criteria for assessing skills and share those criteria with the students.

Use a mix of teachers and customers to judge the standard of service and product delivery.

Consider entering the winners for national skills competitions.

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Activity Get students to pitch for business

All students across the college or centre can take part in this activity. It can be run as a competition within each class and then as a competition between classes.

First, invite students in each class to work together in groups of four or five to develop an idea for a social enterprise or a business venture. Each team needs to prepare a presentation to a financier to raise start-up funds. Each team then makes its presentation to the teacher, who is role-playing the financier. The teacher and students in the class all participate in deciding which team made the best presentation.

As a second stage, the winning team from each class can be invited to participate in a centre-wide competition against the winning teams from other classes. At this stage, business leaders from the local community might be invited in to help judge the competition.

Activity Encourage research on inspiring business leaders

Ask groups in your class to work together to:

1 identify an entrepreneur who has inspired the group 1 research the entrepreneur’s business and explain why it has succeeded 1 make a presentation to the rest of the class, describing the entrepreneur and the business, explaining why it was successful and how that success was measured, and suggesting what the class can learn from studying that particular entrepreneur.

Activity Help students to think about customer service

In this activity, students are invited to draw on their own experience to help understand what makes good customer service. Good customer service is essential to most successful business ventures (and to excellent public service too). A company that delights its customers will find its business growing from repeat buying and from existing customers bringing in new custom through word of mouth.

Working in groups of four or five, students tell each other about poor customer service they have experienced or witnessed. From this, the group makes a list of the characteristics of poor customer service.

The same groups then share experiences of good customer service and summarise the characteristics of excellent customer service.

Each group then nominates one person to feed back their conclusions to the rest of the class.

This activity will focus students on the skills, qualities and attributes needed to deliver great customer service.

Activity Devise your own activities

Working with colleagues, find two more activities that could be used to enable students to develop or practise their employability skills in a training environment.

Teaching and learning

9 Assessing competencies The assessment of learning, skills and competencies is integral to any course. Assessment and feedback should take place in every lesson, and feedback or positive reinforcement should be given to students whenever they display their learning. Positive reinforcement is a powerful motivator for students.

Formal assessment is the way in which students demonstrate their achievement. The following tips may help you to design and manage the assessment of students’ work more effectively.

Tips for assessing learning and skills Tip 1: Use appropriate language How you write a piece of work designed to assess learning can have an effect on the ability of students to understand the requirements and to give of their best. Sometimes, teachers write assessments at a language level that is above that of their students. Make sure that your language is pitched at an appropriate level.

Tip 2: Check assessment briefs Arrange for assessment briefs to be verified. One way of ensuring that assessment briefs are fit for purpose is to use an internal verification process. Team members should check each other’s assessment briefs, to ensure that they are fit for purpose.

Tip 3: Create opportunities Ensure that students have sufficient opportunities to practise the skills to be assessed. Students learn at different paces, and some will require more practice than others.

Tip 4: Involve employers Where possible, seek the views of employers on your assessment briefs.

This will involve employers in your programme and will help to ensure that your assessments meet the standards of the relevant industry sector.

Tip 5: Collect evidence Use a variety of ways of collecting evidence to enable students to demonstrate their achievement. These might include:

1 written records of a teacher observation of student competence in relation to a task

1 video-recording students demonstrating competence 1 employers recording competence during work experience.

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10 Making the most of learning resources Acquiring or producing sufficient resources to support learning is a challenge for teachers in any organisation. Most teaching spaces will have a range of basic equipment, including desks, chairs, blackboard or whiteboard. But how can you improve on this?

Tips for improving learning resources Tip 1: Rearrange your classroom Think about the layout of your teaching room. If desks are set out in rows, students will expect to work on their own and to be taught by the teacher standing at the front. This is not like a work environment. Consider organising the furniture so that students sit in groups and work on tasks together. This will encourage the development of communication and team skills.

Tip 2: Get students to help Challenge students to find resources that will support their learning.

For example, in a hospitality class, give students a vacation assignment to collect at least three different menus from restaurants to show a range of different meals. When one class was asked to do this, they collected more than 100 menus, and the menus were used to support a practical activity about food preferences in different cultures.

Tip 3: Share your resources with your team If you share lessons that you have developed, and the resources to support them, you will get feedback from your colleagues that will help you to improve your materials. You will also find that your colleagues will be prepared to share their own resources in return. This means that you are working smarter, rather than harder!

Tip 4: Look for donated resources Some companies will donate resources to colleges and training centres in return for promoting the company name with students.

Tip 5: Don’t over-prepare Most teachers, particularly in the early part of their careers, devote a great deal of time to preparing learning materials for their students. It is quite common to prepare more material than students can use in the time available.

Teaching and learning

Tip 6: Use IT Digital technology, which is becoming less expensive, gives teachers and students great opportunities for supplementing the resources that are available to support teaching and learning. Here are a few examples.

1 Use the internet. Even if you don’t have access to the internet in your classroom, you may be able to book a computer room for a period, to show your students what is available to support their learning.

For example, students taking a gas fitting course might follow a health and safety training module that is available on the internet.

1 In an English language class, students could be encouraged to use their mobile phone to access the web to check the meaning and spelling of unfamiliar words.

1 In a hospitality class, students might use the video function on their phones to film each other serving customers. Students can upload their film clips to an electronic platform as evidence that they can perform tasks competently.

1 On a catering course, students could make a film to show correct approaches to the safe handling of food as well as what not to do. If possible, an inexpensive video camera is a good investment for records such as these.

1 In an automotive class, students could be shown a diagram to illustrate the workings of the internal combustion engine. Students could take photographs of the diagram, so that they can learn how to reproduce it for a test in their next class.

1 Hairdressing students could use mobile phones to take ‘before and after’ headshots of their clients, to show their cutting and styling skills. The photographs could be stored in an electronic portfolio.

Activity Brainstorm

Plan a brainstorming session with colleagues, to come up with imaginative and practical resources (and new sources of resources) for student learning.

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11 Encouraging the teacher as learner: professional development A good teacher is always learning: about their subject, about how to improve their teaching, and about how to inspire their students.

Below is an activity through which you can consider and assess your own strengths, and identify areas of your practice that you would wish to improve.

Activity Rate your personal professional development

A Selfassessment 1 strong 2 reasonable 3 weak

B Importance for your teaching 3 important and urgent 2 necessary C 1 less Priority important AxB

Example: Strong subject knowledge

1

3

3

Industry-run update session

Example: Ability to use a variety of learning activities

2

3

6

Peer mentoring/ observation of experienced colleague’s teaching

Two examples are given to start you off.

Professional learning

Strong subject knowledge

Ability to use a variety of learning activities Good knowledge of the qualification you teach Ability to meet the full range of different student needs in the group Ability to explain clearly Capacity to motivate students and build their confidence Ability to work with colleagues in a team In column C, a score of:

1 6–9 tells you that this is a professional development area of high priority 1 4 tells you that this is a professional development area of medium priority 1 1–3 tells you that this is a professional development area of lower priority.

How will you learn?

Teaching and learning

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The role of the curriculum leader and manager The role of the curriculum leader is to lead, guide and support the team of teachers in their shared aim of delivering excellent training. Excellent training enables students to realise their full potential and to succeed in their learning programme.

To achieve this goal, the curriculum leader will:

1 have high expectations of teachers and students 1 encourage a culture of student achievement and success 1 ensure that teachers plan their schemes of work and lesson plans 1 work with teams of teachers to introduce and develop best practice 1 set goals with regard to standards 1 nurture a positive, ‘can-do’ ethos 1 encourage innovative ideas and practices to maximise resources 1 set an excellent example of professional practice and relationships, based on courtesy and respect.

Activity Ask your colleagues to assess you – be brave!

Select six colleagues and ask them to assess you on the table below against the characteristics of a good curriculum leader. If possible, include your line manager, the training centre principal, your peers, and colleagues whom you line manage. Insist on anonymity, so that they are frank and honest. Look carefully at the feedback and make an action plan for your own professional growth and improvement. This is an activity for the brave!

Grades: 1 strong | 2 good | 3 room for improvement | 4 lacks this capacity Please grade me on these strengths and qualities.

As a curriculum leaders do I …

Have high expectations of teachers and students?

Encourage a culture of student achievement and success?

Ensure that teachers plan their schemes of work and lesson plans?

Work with teams of teachers to introduce and develop best practice?

Set goals with regard to standards?

Nurture a positive, empowering culture?

Encourage innovative ideas and practices to maximise resources?

Set an excellent example of professional practice and relationships based on courtesy and respect?

Grade

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Activity Plan staff development sessions

As a curriculum leader, consider which parts of this handbook, including the activities, could be particularly helpful in improving the provision for which you have responsibility. Plan a series of staff development sessions with colleagues that will help to implement good practice.

Support, progression and quality

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12 Student support Some students will fail to achieve their qualification or to fulfil their potential not because of study problems, but because they encounter personal issues or problems which become obstacles to their success on their course. For this reason, the best training centres offer pastoral support to their students, as well as academic support.

Pastoral support Here are some ideas for helping your students with personal issues, such as homesickness.

1 Ensure that students are aware of the pastoral support that is available and how they can access it.

1 If resources permit, identify times when students can make appointments to discuss personal matters of concern to them.

1 Develop an arrangement whereby older, more settled students mentor younger students.

1 Create a student handbook, which includes a question and answer section on problems often encountered by students.

1 Encourage students to bond through team-building activities. The stronger the students’ sense of belonging, the more likely they are to draw support from one another.

1 Establish a sound induction programme. This will lay a good foundation for student well-being.

Academic support The ideas below will help your students to achieve their full potential.

1 Provide students with regular opportunities to discuss their progress.

1 Help students to understand what they are aiming to learn – having a clear idea of one’s goal greatly helps one to achieve it.

1 Counsel students about their progression opportunities – this will lift their motivation.

1 Where resources permit, provide learning support for individual students who have a particular learning need (such as literacy).

1 Help students to plan their studies.

Support, progression and quality

A course handbook It is also good practice to create a course handbook to support students during their journey on your course. The handbook should be distributed to students during the induction process. Some aspects of the course handbook will be common to all students in the centre; others will be specific to a particular course.

At the very least, a handbook should include basic information, such as dates and course structure; describe important elements of the learning programme; and offer help with pastoral matters.

However, a comprehensive handbook will also include information on:

1 course dates and holiday dates 1 induction programme dates 1 module names and lengths 1 assessment points 1 names and contact details of key staff.

It will also set out academic information on:

1 the aims and content of the course 1 the major topics to be covered 1 the learning outcomes or competencies that students will develop, and how they will be assessed

1 expectations with regard to study, attendance, homework and behaviour of students

1 recommended textbooks and other resources 1 any personal protective equipment that students must wear in certain workshops

1 health and safety rules 1 employment and progression opportunities for qualified students.

It will also offer pastoral support on:

1 personal issues that past students have encountered, and how to deal with them

1 health 1 finances and money 1 how to recognise and address loneliness and homesickness.

The best handbooks are organised like a diary-type planner. It could be a spiral-bound or loose-leaf book. Where resources don’t stretch to a hardcopy handbook, it could simply be made available electronically.

Activity Create a course handbook

Put together a handbook for your students, ideally incorporating all the elements suggested above.

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13 Progression into employment and further learning Next steps It is good practice to encourage students to find out about possible employment and training options and to help them work towards their goals.

1 Designate a particular area where students can access progression, study and employment advice.

1 Provide a range of resources for students to research their options, for example books, the internet, local labour market information, and prospectuses on further education and training.

1 If resources permit, provide an opportunity for each student to have a confidential progression interview, to discuss their employment and training options. If resources do not stretch to individual interviews, give this guidance in a group discussion.

1 Build students’ awareness of the skills demanded by the type of employment they are aiming for. Help students to recognise and record these skills and qualities, using activities from their daily lives. Provide opportunities for students to develop these skills and qualities through work experience, voluntary work and everyday activities.

1 Ensure that all students prepare a CV. 1 Get each student to create a four-stage career action plan in which they: 1 research and identify a goal that accords with their aspirations and talents

1 analyse and understand the steps necessary to achieve that goal 1 recognise the skills and qualities required of the job they are aiming for 1 tick off action points as they complete them and see themselves drawing nearer to their goal.

Activities to inform students You could also organise various activities to inform students about employment or further learning opportunities.

1 Arrange a visit to the progression and employment advice area that you have set up, so that they can see what resources are available.

1 Give a group of students the responsibility for contributing to the progression and employment area. They could collect, display and update employer information, prospectuses, articles from magazines, student reports from work placements, vacancy advertisements, and so on.

1 Invite local employers and education providers to speak to, and advise, students.

1 Keep records of students’ employment destinations, and invite former students back to talk about their employment experiences.

Support, progression and quality

1 Offer students opportunities to practise job interviews or job assessments. Ideally, these would include local employers, but alternatively teachers and fellow students can role-play the situation with the interviewee. Students should create their own CV for this activity.

After the interview, the student should be given constructive feedback.

1 Arrange employer visits and/or work experience for groups of students.

1 Organise ‘A day in the the life of …’ talks, for example by a tour guide or a hotel receptionist, which can be delivered by employers and former students.

1 Plan a group discussion about seeking and achieving employment.

Resources For the activities above, you may find it useful to prepare the following resources.

1 Create a career action plan assignment.

1 Develop a CV template for students.

1 Create a template on which students can record their skills and qualities.

1 Make information about job vacancies accessible and suggest where students can find out about further vacancies.

1 Come up with a list of interview questions and assessment possibilities to support the role-play job interview session.

Case study Komba Exavery

Komba completed the two-year hospitality course in Food Production and Services at Mikumi VTC and has been employed by Mikumi College to work in the restaurant for the past year. Komba says: ‘The course provided me the skills and knowledge to be able to work to good standard in hospitality. It was very fun and good. Then they helped me to gain work and further develop my skills. I am very happy with my job.’

Case study Goodluck A Mwaitula

Goodluck says: ‘I have been given the opportunity to work as the assistant teacher and this has helped me improve in confidence. This is good experience and will help me gain employment later on, as teaching is what I want to do.’

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14 Monitoring quality and planning improvement Monitoring quality Good teachers and curriculum leaders consider ways of improving the quality of students’ learning on a daily basis. They don’t confine quality issues to a small number of formal reviews. Individually or in teams, good teachers and managers will:

1 consider how well the scheme of work is going 1 share ideas for lessons 1 share ideas on lessons that have gone well and others that have not worked so well

1 review the progress of students on the course 1 identify students who are struggling or at risk of failure, and agree strategies to support them.

Team meetings, peer observation of teaching, and student feedback all help to enhance the quality of education. In vocational learning it is equally important to involve employers in the review and planning process. Partnerships with employers are invaluable for their advice and training on up-to-date learning and assessment methods, as well as for work experience opportunities.

Confident teaching teams sometimes invite a student representative to team meetings, so that students have an opportunity to give their views on how they are finding the course. Where this happens, it is important that students’ opinions are taken seriously, and that students learn of any follow-up action decided by the team.

Formal reviews of quality Towards the end of the course, the teaching team will formally review its course for the year just ending and will reflect on and record the strengths and weaknesses of the course, and the ideas that the team has for improving it in the future.

Performance indicators This process is closely informed by statistical information on retention, achievement, and progression to further study or employment. Your course’s figures on recruitment, retention and employment progression – and on the number and proportion of students achieving the qualification – are called ‘performance indicators’. They enable teachers and managers to understand which areas of the course should be the priority areas for improvement, and enable teams to compare performance year on year and with other courses.

Good practice in quality improvement always uses performance indicators to analyse the standard of delivery and to plan for improvement.

Support, progression and quality

Activity Collect information on key indicators

Create a form to collect information on the key indicators of student success. Write student names down one side of the table and headings along the top, including recruitment, retention, achievement and progression into employment or further learning. Fill in the recruitment and retention information about your students during the course and the achievement and progression information at the end. Calculate the proportion of students who finish the course, the proportion who achieve their qualification and the proportion who progress positively.

Benchmarks In addition to performance indicators, it is also helpful to use benchmarks to assess the quality of the course. Useful benchmarks include:

1 national or regional success rates for this qualification 1 the proportion of students nationally or regionally gaining employment directly with this qualification.

Of course, you are aiming for your provision to be at least as good as the benchmarks you choose. Where your course’s performance does not match up to those benchmarks, you should ask yourself why:

1 Are we recruiting the right students (i.e. are our entry requirements realistic and sensible)?

1 Is the quality of delivery as good as it should be?

1 Is this qualification inappropriate for the employment opportunities in this area?

While benchmarks are valuable, collecting data for benchmarks is timeconsuming and costly, so it is essential that benchmarks are limited to those that add real value. Don’t collect data for its own sake or simply because it is easy to collect.

Activity Compile a checklist of quality benchmarks

Research and compile a checklist of quality benchmarks (standards) and performance indicators that you can use to help assess the quality of the training you offer.

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Table 4. A framework for formal assessment of quality What should be assessed?

Sources of evidence

Performance indicators

Students

1 Numbers of students

Recruitment

1 Information about the centre and its courses

1 Pre-entry advice and guidance 1 Involvement of parents, sponsors and employers

1 Whether students are placed on the right programme

1 Whether students’ long-term goals and career plans are understood

1 Reports from surveys of student satisfaction

1 Focus groups 1 Feedback from student

recruited to each programme

1 Number of students who change course

representatives Parents and employers

1 Surveys of views

The learning programme

1 College and course orientation/induction 1 Whether learners are trained in health and safety

1 Assessment of students’ entry skill levels, aspirations and goals

1 Individual learning plans with targets 1 Whether courses are well planned with a scheme of work

1 Lesson plans based on scheme of work 1 Learning resources 1 Extra support for students with particular needs

1 Whether students are set challenging goals 1 Whether regular work is set and students are given high-quality feedback on performance and progress

1 Availability of work experience 1 Involvement of employers in the programme

Students

1 Students’ views on their courses and the centre

1 Involving students in team meetings Staff teams

1 Records of team meetings

drop-out rates

1 Student satisfaction with the programme

1 Student satisfaction with the training centre

1 Peer observations of teaching

1 Sharing of lesson plans 1 Regular discussions of individual student progress Managers and leaders

1 Monitoring of schemes of work and lesson plans

1 Monitoring of student retention and attendance

1 Whether teachers are up to date and have opportunities for training

1 Monitoring of student

1 Lesson observation by managers

1 Observation of teaching

1 Peer observation (which helps spread good practice)

1 Attendance rates 1 Success rates 1 Retention and

performance and grades and learning

1 Regular review of the learning programme by the team

1 Whether there is fair assessment at the end of the programme Progression

1 Employment 1 Self-employment 1 Further study 1 Employability

1 Students 1 Parents 1 Employers

1 Rates for progression into employment, self-employment or further study

Support, progression and quality

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Activity Draw up an action plan for quality improvement

Work with colleagues to use the information you have gathered to create an action plan for quality improvement. Consider how the course measures up to your performance indicators and benchmarks, and list the identified weaknesses in the table below. With other team members, work out how weaknesses may be addressed, and fill in the ‘Actions for improvement’ column.

Aspect of course

Identified weaknesses

Student induction

Student attendance

Student retention

Quality of teaching

Student achievement

Vocational relevance

Employer satisfaction

Student satisfaction

Progression into employment

Actions for improvement

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15 Action points Whether you work in Tanzania or the UK, we hope that you have found this guide useful and interesting. Now it is up to you to put theory into practice.

What are you going to do differently as a result of working through this handbook? Use the following table to record your action points.

Table 5. Checklist of action points Section of this handbook 3 Getting the right student on the right course: initial interviews 4 Helping students to settle in: effective orientation/induction 5 Developing an excellent learning programme 6 Being an excellent teacher 7 The Enterprise Passport

8 Linking the student experience with the work environment 9 Assessing competencies

10 Making the most of learning resources 11 Encouraging the teacher as learner 12 Student support

13 Progression into employment and further learning 14 Quality, review and planning for improvement

Your priority action points arising from that section

Annexes

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Vocational education in the global economy

Annex 1 Induction plan and timetable Morning Day 1 Focus

Activities

Day 2 Focus

Activities

Day 3 Focus

Activities

Afternoon

Staff

Annexes

47

Annex 2 Scheme of work template Course: Week

Term: Competencies to be developed: Teaching and learning activities: Assessment:

Week

Competencies to be developed:

Teaching and learning activities: Assessment: Week

Competencies to be developed: Teaching and learning activities: Assessment:

Week

Competencies to be developed: Teaching and learning activities:

Assessment: Week

Competencies to be developed: Teaching and learning activities: Assessment:

Week

Competencies to be developed: Teaching and learning activities: Assessment:

Year:

Staff

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Annex 3 Lesson plan template Course: Lecturer: Subject/unit: Date of lesson Learning outcomes/competencies

Teaching and activities

Assessment

Annexes

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Annex 4 Example of a detailed lesson plan See also the lesson plan template in Annex 3.

Lecturer’s name: D Boys

Date:

Course: BTEC Level 2 Health and Social Care

Duration: 1.5 hrs

Subject/Unit: Unit 2 – Promoting Health and Well-being

Level: 2

Topic: Health and well-being Aims of lesson: To teach about health and well-being in relation to age across the lifespan Lesson objectives: Students will be able to …

1 Define health and well-being 1 Make links to age across the lifespan Resources:

1 Pens, paper, magazines, glue, quiz, handouts, case studies, PowerPoint presentation, worksheet

Assumed prior knowledge: 1 Results of earlier research and informationgathering exercise in learning centre Assessment (how learning will be recognised): 1 Q&A, presentations of outcome of group work, poster, worksheet answers

Differentiation (addressing all learners’ needs): 1 Extension activities; pre-planned pair/group work

Employability functional skills addressed: 1 Team-working, communication (listening and discussion), summarising

Number/numeracy: N/A

Information technology: Internet research for homework

Time

Content and teacher activity

Student activity

13:30

1 Register 1 Recap of last session 1 Introduce aims and objectives

1 Listening 1 Q&A in pairs for recap of last session

(PowerPoint) 13:40

1 Quiz – ‘Is it healthy?’

1 Put students into groups (of 3/4) 1 Monitor group work

1 Do quiz in groups

13:50

1 Feedback of answers

1 Students marking each other’s work and giving answers

14:00

1 Definitions of health – ‘What is health?’

1 Monitor pair work

1 Pairs writing their own definitions of ‘What is health?’

1 Sharing definitions with other pairs

14:10

1 Display definitions from PowerPoint 1 Give handout

1 Watching 1 Listening

14:15

1 Health determinants linked to age 1 Introduce case studies 1 Put students into planned groups 1 Monitor group work

1 Discuss case studies 1 Identify key points 1 Make posters to illustrate key points 1 Prepare presentation for whole-class feedback

14:30

1 Manage presentations from groups 1 Summarise main points; input anything

1 Giving presentations to class 1 Listening

missed out and give out handout 14:50

1 What have you learnt?

1 Allocate pairs and monitor work

1 Complete worksheet in pairs

14:55

1 Recap of today’s session 1 Next session we are going to do …

1 Set homework

1 Listening 1 Taking notes

Homework/assignments set: Research World Health Organization on internet

Hand-in date:

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Annex 5 Values statements A clear statement of values by an organisation offers leaders, managers and teachers a perspective to inform and guide their practice.

Vocational Education and Training Authority, Tanzania

Harrow College

Vision Provision of excellent vocational education and training that is capable of supporting national and social economic development

We celebrate our diverse and inclusive college community:

Core values:

1 Customer focus 1 Demand-driven training 1 Integrity 1 Reinforce excellence 1 Accountability 1 Transparency 1 Team spirit

1 shaping lives, building futures 1 providing a safe environment.

We are committed to excellence in all that we do:

1 we are responsive, proactive and accountable

1 we are professional.

We put learning at the heart of what we do:

1 we put learners first 1 we have high expectations of both learners and staff to develop their full potential.

We respect everyone and value their contribution:

1 one college community, one team

1 we listen and promote open, honest communication.

We encourage and facilitate innovation, enterprise and creativity:

1 we are open to new ideas and promote a can-do culture

1 we will seek out and work with partners for the benefit of learners, employers and the communities we serve.

This guide to good practice in vocational education and training delivery is for teachers and curriculum leaders in Tanzania and the UK. It has been developed as part of a partnership project between Mikumi Vocational Training Centre in Tanzania and Harrow College in the UK. It is supported by the Association of Managers in Education and funded by the British Council’s Education Partnerships in Africa programme.

Peter Pendle, Deputy General Secretary of ATL/AMiE, says: ‘We believe that in spite of the significant differences between Tanzania and the United Kingdom, for example in terms of the economy and resources, the principles of good practice that guide the delivery of vocational training and education are common.’

This handbook includes lots of activities for teachers to do in order to improve their practice, and concludes with a series of useful templates and examples.

A guide to good practice for teachers and managers in Tanzania and the UK

Vocational education in the global economy

Nadine Cartner Bob Vesey

tanzania_cvr.indd 1-3

16/05/2011 12:50