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Self Study Questions

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Chapter 1

Try the questions below to test your knowledge of this chapter.

Visit:

to access details of the qualifications discussed.

Questions

  1. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the A level qualification?
  2. What are the differences and similarities between the A levels and the International Baccalaureate?

Chapter 2

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Visit Etienne Wenger's website: http://www.ewenger.com/.

Questions

  1. Explain in your own words 'community of learners'?
  2. Describe your community of practice.
  3. In what ways does it adhere to the community of practice's principles?

Chapter 3

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Questions

  1. Values are personal to the self and the community and the time within which we live.
    • What is your understanding of the term 'value' and what are the three educational values that are most important to you? You will need to write down your own definition and what is meant by the term 'values' and rank the three values you have identified in order of importance.

       

    • Ask three people to define what they understand by the term 'value' and then to list the three educational values they feel are most important. Ensure you ask a variety of people, one of whom should work within an educational institution – but not in your subject specialist area; one must be a person of more mature years (over 45!) and one other person of your own choice. Compare each of the definitions and values produced. What are the similarities and differences? Were you surprised by any of these – if so, try and analyse your response – is it rooted in emotion or feelings? How strongly do you object or agree? If you object, how would you manage a pupil who displays this 'value' in your classroom?

  2. The Ragged School Movement developed out of concern for the welfare and education of destitute young children in industrial Britain. The first known charitable schools were opened in the 1830s. Many of these charities, such as Shaftesbury Young People, still exist today, and have continued to provide services to some of the most disadvantaged young people in our society. The success of the Ragged School Movement visibly demonstrated the desire of the poor to be educated as well as the recognition of the importance of free education, eventually leading to the introduction of the school boards to administer elementary schools through the Elementary Education Act of 1870. This duty was passed to local authorities in the 1902 Education Act.

    • Identify three groups of young people, e.g. those who are in the 'looked after' system. Which are disproportionately likely to be disadvantaged in our society? Identify one way in which you can make a difference in the lives of these young people within your own classroom. This need not be expensive, or overly time consuming or complicated. It could be as simple as ensuring you consciously raise the aspirations of pupils sharing these characteristics.

Chapter 4

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Questions

  1. 'Maturation' refers to the changes which occur naturally over a period of time. However, these vary from person to person, in some cases significantly. The start of a girl's menses (period) for example, usually occurs anywhere between 9 and 16 years of age. Differences are perhaps more keenly felt during adolescence than at any other period of our lives.

    • List the three most common concerns aired by the 14-19 year olds you teach. Consider your reaction, is it supportive or dismissive? Identify one way in which you could address some of these concerns, for example by arranging a theme day, or ensuring specialist speakers during PSHE sessions.

  2. Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care is a multi agency approach to young people aged between 11 and 17 who have experienced frequently traumatic and/or a difficult upbringing. It aims to reduce challenging and unacceptable behaviours and promote developmentally normative and pro-social behaviour. One of its founding principles is the recognition that young people can and do change. It is rooted in social learning theory.

    • Identify three ways in which you as a teacher can act as a positive role model to young people.

Chapter 5

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Questions

  1. Find out from your own learners in this phase what views they hold on:
    • individuality and the influence of their families, peers and education;
    • the rights of children and young people;
    • how they prefer to be treated and how they learn best

  2. What differences do you consider there to be between 14-19 and younger learners? What impact does education have on their development as individuals in this phase?

  3. Illustrate how you individualise learning on a day to day basis by considering the case of one of your learners in detail. What changes might you make to improve their situation?

Chapter 6

There are no questions available for this chapter.

Chapter 7

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Questions

  1. What do you understand by the phrase 'environments for learning'? Do you, for example, extend the term to emotional, spiritual, social and cultural aspects as well as physical?
  2. How many different environments do you regularly encounter in your work with learners and what influence or choice do you have in their selection, design and management?
  3. How influential do you believe the environment is on the learning of children and young people in this phase?
  4. What features would you incorporate in an ideal learning environment for those you teach?

Chapter 8

There are no questions available for this chapter.

Chapter 9

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Questions

  1. 'Behaviour' is a somewhat nebulous concept as it is often socially constructed and self defined. There are many books and websites available to support the development of your ability as a teacher to manage a variety of behaviours and of course your own responses or reactions to behaviours. Teachers frequently find low level, but constant and ongoing behaviours difficult to deal with. These types of behaviours can often lead to explosions as weeks, months or even years of pent up frustrations are vented. For the pupil who is the target of this frustration, your reactions can often feel excessive and sanctions to be disproportionate.

    • If you had to identify one behaviour you could eradicate with a 'wave of a magic wand' what would it be? Apply a solution focussed brief approach to this problem. Imagine that this problem is so annoying that it rates 10 (or even 11!) on your own personal 'frustration' barometer.

      Whilst you may be working towards the 'miracle solution' of the complete eradication of this behaviour, it is unlikely this will happen over night, and will usually require a series of steps in order to achieve the desired outcome.

    • Identify what small step you could implement to reduce the 'annoyance barometer' to a 9. Sometimes for example, simply verbalising the problem is enough to reduce the barometer, as it can make you fell less isolated or that it is 'your fault' somehow.

      Verbalisation of the behaviour is the first step towards recognising the impact a behaviour can have on you, and others. Verbalisation alone will not change the situation so you then need to identify what small step you can implement to reduce your 'barometer' to an 8 and then 7 and so on. Do not feel you have to reach zero, frequently barometer readings below 5 are manageable!

  2. The behaviour 4 learning website is extremely informative and useful. It includes a section that contains 26 scenarios to help support trainee teachers in managing classroom events and includes areas such as 'gaining attention in a noisy classroom' and 'responding to a pupil who refuses an instruction'. These scenarios usually comprise 8 or 9 PowerPoint slides, offer choices and ways of responding to behaviours as well as other useful links on the topic.

Chapter 10

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Questions

  1. 'The classroom experiment' was a BBC 2 mini series in which Professor Dylan Wiliam mentored and coached the teachers of a year 8 group. The results clearly demonstrated the effectiveness of assessment for learning strategies on the progress of pupil learning. Clips from the series can be found on the BBC 2 website:

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00txzwp.

    Watch the clips and discuss the programme with colleagues and friends who watched the series. Identify one strategy to use in your own practice and analyse its advantages and disadvantages, list a minimum of 6. For example, using lollypop sticks to ensure every pupil responds to a question:

    Advantages Disadvantages
    Every pupil must respond so I can assess individual pupils knowledge on specific topic areas such as understanding of a key concept or term. Once a pupil has answered they tend to relax and can disengage or lose focus and concentration.
    I can ‘manipulate’ who answers to ensure I do not intimidate less confident students whilst the process is new, which could be a little daunting for some pupils. I can ensure less confident pupils are able to vocalise correct

     

  2. Feedback is crucial to learning and pupil progression.

    List three ways in which you provide feedback to your pupils:

    • Which medium of feedback do you prefer?
    • Which medium of feedback do your pupils prefer?
    • How useful is your feedback?

    Analyse a piece of work you marked at least three months ago. Circle or highlight every piece of constructive advice in one colour, negative comments in another, and positive comments in another. Then identify which of these the pupils would actually be able to act on so that they would be able to identify and correct a mistake, from your feedback

Chapter 11

There are no questions available for this chapter.

Chapter 12

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Questions

  1. Which educational themes are currently researched in your area of work?

    You can check research themes in the following journals:

    • Assessment in education
    • British educational research journal
    • British journal of educational studies
    • British journal of educational technology
    • British journal of sociology of education
    • British journal of special education
    • Current issues in education
    • Education action research
    • Journal of vocational education and training
    • Journal of further and higher education etc.

  2. Select one article appropriate to your professional background or interest.

    • List the main points made.
    • How could these issues be researched further by practitioners

Chapter 13

Try the questions below to test your knowledge of this chapter.

Questions

  1. What benefits do you think 14-19 learners could gain from being involved in collaborative learning?

    Consider writing a specific case study from your own recent experience or observation. If you do not have such an opportunity you can research examples to study by using the following website: http://www.excellencegateway.org.uk.

  2. Describe three factors which promote effective collaboration and three which, in your opinion, have a negative influence?

  3. What practical steps can you take as a teacher to promote or extend wider collaboration for learning in your own context?

    Consider and perhaps follow up on professional collaboration opportunities for your own development.

Chapter 14

Try the questions below to test your knowledge of this chapter.

Questions

  1. How do you respond, in your own work with 14-19 learners, to the TDA principles as described below:
    • Setting suitable learning challenges
    • Responding to pupils' diverse learning needs
    • Overcoming potential barriers to learning and assessment for individuals and groups of pupils

     

  2. What do you understand by the term NEETs?

    How far do you believe teachers should have a role in addressing the issues raised in relation to such young people?

  3. You can access the Equality Act 2010 at http://homeoffice.gov.uk/equalities/. It claims to provide a new cross cutting legislative framework to protect the rights of individuals and advance equality of opportunity for all.

    What implications for learners and teaching professionals can you see within this latest equality legislation?

Chapter 15

There are no questions available for this chapter.

Chapter 16

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Questions

  1. Technology should serve teachers and learners not vice versa.
    • Do you agree?
    • Is this the case in your own experience?

     

  2. Perhaps you believe that the rapid development of technologies requires teachers and learners to adapt and keep pace?

    Consider some of the wider social and economic implications of the relationship of technology and education.

  3. What does e-safety mean to you and how would you ensure it for your own learners?
  4. Do your 14-19 learners feel more confident with technology than their teachers?

    Can you learn something from them?

Chapter 17

Try the questions below to test your knowledge of this chapter.

Questions

  1. Consider and rank order the importance of each of these elements for effective extended partnership:
    • Strong leadership with clear accountability
    • Trust within well established relationships
    • Close local proximity
    • Well managed systems
    • Community engagement
    • Benefits for learners

     

  2. Where will partnerships find themselves post the 2010 change of government?

    Do you believe that they require high levels of funding to be successful or are they about establishing relationships to benefit learners and society?

  3. How do you/or might you prepare to work with: employers; other school staff; college lecturers; voluntary sector staff; local authority personnel and others in partnership?

Chapter 18

Try the questions below to test your knowledge of this chapter.

Questions

  1. Why should comparisons of educational outcomes be made on an international level - what purpose dose this serve?
    • Explore a statistics based website, such as the Office for National Statistics http://www.statistics.gov.uk/ or the OECD http://www.oecd.org/ to research those areas of educational statistics you consider to be important.
    • Identify three differing indicators such as attainment, completion of upper secondary qualification or the rates of permanent exclusions and compare these to the outcomes to one country within the European Union and one outside of the European Union.
    • Compare your findings and identify or explore possible reasons for the differences.

     

  2. The age of compulsory education participation will be increased in England, to the age of 17 years by 2013 and the age of 18 by 2015.
    • What is the age of compulsory participation in education in the countries you identified above?
    • List three advantages of increasing the participation age.
    • List three disadvantages of the raising of the participation age