UK Psychology academics: The next generation Caprice Lantz Higher Education Academy Psychology Network University of York, UK

The Higher Education Academy (HEA) Supported by UK Higher Education funding bodies, institutional subscriptions, grants and contracts HE TEACHINGSupports HE TEACHING by: –Recognising and promoting teaching excellence –Organising and facilitating events –Providing an independent voice on teaching & learning to influence UK educational policy –Developing teaching resources –Providing funding for projects Made up of 24 subject centres – Psychology is one

UK Training of Psychology Lecturers UK Professional standards framework led to a standardisation of training for new lecturers New lecturers < three years of full time experience, now undertake a Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning (PGCert) PGCert training provided by university staff development units Helpful in terms of providing standards

PGCert issues Training can be inappropriate (e.g. staff developer teaching psychology lecturer about learning and memory) Training typically not discipline specific Often already experienced and training is too basic Transferability of PGCert credits unclear Quality can be variable Psychology Network support for new lecturers Supporting New Academic Staff (SNAS) New lecturers forum Teaching tips series

Postgraduates who teach Definition of a postgraduate  Increasingly found in teaching roles  Class size  Pressure on staff to produce research

Postgraduate Teaching PostgraduatesDepartments gain experience earn money get on career ladder pgs = great source of labour: knowledgeable, eager to please and inexpensive free up researcher time lack of standard training (e.g. survey results, etc.) difficulty balancing difficulty saying no stress underpayment teaching quality may suffer degrees at risk + _

Psychology Network Support 2004Ran a pg teaching workshop in 2004 Students were keen to continue having workshopsStudents were keen to continue having workshops Began offering more workshops to address needs and provide more equal training opportunities and to address discipline specific issuesBegan offering more workshops to address needs and provide more equal training opportunities and to address discipline specific issues Evolved idea of making it more of a community by:Evolved idea of making it more of a community by: –encouraging postgraduates from other universities to attend –involving psychology academics enthusiastic about teaching –creating developmental opportunities for postgraduates by getting them to coordinate workshops and facilitate the network –p

Postgraduates who Teach Psychology Network (PGwT) Seven pg regional coordinators and a national coordinator– take responsibility for championing the cause of teaching Receive training and support from us, honorarium, etc 14 workshops per year led mostly by psychology academics that the pgs find discussion list, facebook group, move towards getting international dialog Internal and external wikis Bursary scheme – provides further support for pgs and has enabled infiltration of research conferences Postgraduates who teach survey and report

The future of training for the UK Some universities now provide training for pgs which can count towards a PGCert Discussion of having pgs rather than new lecturers undertake PGCerts Exploration of making PGCert credits more portable

Future of training for the Psychology Network Seeking to make our training more widely accepted by staff development offices for pgs & new lecturers Expanding the community and educating people about the work we do Looking for ways to promote international dialog / exchanges Developing the next generation of psychology academics to be champions of teaching

Thank you Caprice Lantz Lantz, C., Smith, D. Branny, P. (2008). Psychology Postgraduates Perspectives of Teaching Related Support and Training, Psychology Teaching and Learning, ?, ?. Park, C. C. (2002). Neither fish nor fowl? The perceived benefits and problems of using graduate teaching assistants to teach undergraduate students, Higher Education Review, 35 (1), Park, C. & Ramos, M. (2002). The Donkey in the department? Insights into the Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) experience in the UK, Journal of Graduate Education, 3 (2),