Glass of bubbly in one hand, the other steadying her mortar board a graduating trainee teacher announced ‘now I know how to teach!’

But does the donning of gown at the end of a degree or obtaining a certificate at the end of a training course really mark the end of a teacher’s education? Many would argue not. Teachers, doctors, lawyers, engineers and many other professionals all leave university clutching their certificates ready to enter the world of work but unlike teachers, those entering other professions are expected to formally further their training and development to heighten their professional skills and knowledge creating a workforce whose expertise is recognised. 

There have been many governmental calls to raise the levels and standards of teachers’ qualifications with many calling for it to become a masters level profession.  It may be difficult to argue with this when looking at countries such as Finland who perform extremely well in the international PISA tables and also just happen to have a workforce trained to masters level. But what does doing a masters degree offer for the individual and the educational setting that they work in?

For many, the opportunity for personnel challenge and professional development is appealing.  Juliet, a Head of Subject with over 18 years of teaching experience, undertook a MA Education at the University of the West of England (UWE).   ‘The idea had been rumbling around in my head for a few years, I felt ready to stretch my brain in a different way.  My motivation for doing the MA was mainly for personal satisfaction and the opportunity to return to a more academic way of thinking.’  For others such as Sara (a teacher with 13 years of experience) the appeal is all about career progression as she says, ‘I needed the MA to be able to apply for SLT jobs in the future.’

For Juliet the personal and professional advantages that undertaking the UWE MA Education has brought have been many.  ‘As a full time teacher I don't really get much time to do background reading, but this course enabled me to get back into academic research and to apply it practically to my own classroom teaching. I have developed my analytical skills, thinking at a deeper and more critical level. It has been interesting to put theory into practice and then to evaluate its effectiveness from a number of different perspectives. The joy is that it can really make a difference to your current practice, as you are asked to focus on an aspect of your own teaching.’
 

For those considering where to next take their career a masters degree can offer new perspectives and new opportunities.  Sara had been teaching for 12 years before commencing the UWE MA Education.  ‘I now regularly deliver CPD to fellow teachers on the topics that I researched for my dissertation. My initial module focussed on training PGCE students and was a reflective portfolio on mentoring.  I am now the professional tutor to 8 PGCE students in school. As a member of the ‘Teaching & Learning Team’ I also help to mentor some of our other teachers in school who are now working on their own Masters qualifications. We have now got 10 members of staff who are working on their own qualification with UWE. Ultimately, it allowed me to get the Assistant Head teacher job!’

For those just starting out in their careers the benefits of establishing firm foundations are clear.  Selina states,  ‘Doing my MA with UWE has given me more confidence in my ability as a reflective practitioner, and ensured that I retain a focus on why I want to teach, and how I can positively influence student’s experience of school. I now have a more enquiring and critical approach to my role in facilitating progress for students of all abilities and backgrounds. It has really helped me to appreciate how much I had achieved during my NQT year within a difficult situation.’

What a masters qualification should not offer is a prescribed ‘one route fits all’ approach.  Students undertaking the MA Education course at UWE come from a variety of backgrounds ranging from NQTs in all age phases, to paramedic and nurse educators, to teachers with over 20 years of experience to university lecturers all wishing to develop their practice. To achieve deep, reflective learning leading to the development of a critical pedagogical approach for this range of participants the University has developed a course that enables students to create their own personalised pathway through their studies.  Sara’s dissertation involved research into the underachievement of middle ability year 9 boys, a key battle ground for her inner city school. The findings of this included strategies on how to support their learning in non-core subjects which were shared with the other staff in school.  Juliet chose to research how teachers can enable students to write spontaneously in their target language as a response to GCSE reform in languages.

The close and supportive relationships that the students have developed with their UWE tutors has been vital. According to Selina ‘without the tutors I would not have had the confidence or skills to complete my MA.’ Sara adds ‘I had excellent tutors who were able to help with early drafts of assignments and point me in new directions for reading. I found talking through my ideas and findings at regular points helped me to distil my conclusions and plan the next steps. All of the tutors were fully aware of the pressures on full time teachers trying to also study and were able to offer flexible slots for meeting and regular communication via email. The extensive opening hours of the library and the online resources also helped with managing the workload.’  Tutor support at UWE ranges from the practical (e.g. arranging car parking spaces and library training) to the academic (e.g. research methodologies and academic writing).

Coming from teaching and educational backgrounds themselves the tutors have an acute understanding of their student’s needs, pressures and requirements and offer distance, portfolio based routes with visits and regular contact which fits around the school day.  Clustered school and peer support is also available and for Sara this proved to be a key component in her enjoyment of her studies enabling her to ‘meet a mix of different teachers and practitioners, all from different settings and points in their careers.  It was interesting to see different perspectives on teaching and learning. I could be sat next to an NQT on one side and a head teacher on the other! I enjoyed completing the unit and realised it was achievable alongside full time work because of its direct relevance to what I was doing as part of my daily job.’

So should teachers undertake master level studies?  In the light of the benefits that it brings personally and professionally to the teachers themselves, to their educational settings, to the children that they teach and the workforce in general the answer should almost certainly be ‘Yes.’ As Juliet says ‘I learnt that I can do it, despite working full time, with a family and busy life style. If you really want to do something, you will find the time to do it to the best of your ability.’ You never know - you might just surprise yourself!

For more information on the UWE MA Education please visit: http://courses.uwe.ac.uk/X00042/2015 or contact the Programme Leader at fay.lewis@uwe.ac.uk