Professionalism In Education

Professionalism In Education

The post-compulsory education and training (PCET) sector is rightly celebrated for its richness in diversity. Teachers, trainers and tutors working in further education (FE) colleges, work-based learning (WBL) providers and organisations supporting community learning and development (CLD) come from a variety of backgrounds, often entering teaching through non-traditional routes. Some will be graduates, many will have followed vocational pathways in developing their subject expertise, all are working in the sector primarily because they have expertise, skills and knowledge in specialist vocational and/or academic disciplines.

Teaching practitioners in the post-compulsory education and training sector play a critical role in meeting the professional development needs of the workforce in all other fields. From the design and delivery of entry level qualifications, intermediate and advanced awards, and tailored post-qualification programmes, teaching practitioners are central to the academic and skills development agenda.

The majority of teaching practitioners in post-compulsory education and training operate within the context of dual professionalism. Having excelled in their vocational or academic specialism in business, industry and commerce, they chose to pass on their skills and expertise to learners in their field. To do this effectively they have undertaken teacher training and have been awarded qualifications in recognition of their skills and abilities as a teacher.

From September 2007 Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills (QTLS) status, conferred by the Institute for Learning (IfL), has reinforced the professional identity of teachers in post-compulsory education and training. All new teachers will be required to achieve an initial Level 3 teaching qualification pre-service or very early in their employment. Following this, they will have a window of five years to achieve a minimum Level 5 teaching qualification leading to the conferral of QTLS status.

QTLS status is, however, about more than the achievement of a recognised teaching qualification. In working towards a new professional identity for teaching practitioners, the Institute has due regard for the importance of continuing professional development (CPD) in ensuring teaching practitioners remain at the forefront of their vocational and/or academic specialism, whilst developing their skills in teaching and supporting learning.

With a leading role in the training and development of others, teaching practitioners in post-compulsory education and training recognise the importance of their own CPD. They are committed to continually updating their expertise in their vocational or academic subject specialism and developing their skills and knowledge in teaching and supporting learning. Throughout their careers, for a variety of individual and external reasons, teaching practitioners reflect on their professional practice and plan their CPD in order to improve and enhance the learning experience.

In developing any model for supporting teaching practitioners throughout their teaching careers, it is important to consider the dynamic interface of subject specialism with teaching and supporting learning. The diagram on the opposite page illustrates how dual professionalism in the post-compulsory sector affects the professional identity of teaching practitioners. It identifies, though not exhaustively, key drivers in the external environment relating to subject specialism and teaching and learning and incorporates critical conduits for feedback on personal ...