1. Tensions and opportunities in the relationship between assessment design at Masters level and the ‘school improvement’ agenda
Professor Hazel Bryan
Lynda Kay
Adeela Shafi

2. The policy backdrop…
1997: HEFCE – TTA (partnership and impact) 2001: (DfEE) Strategy for Professional Development 2004: PPD development 2005: ‘New Professionalism’ (Secretary of State Kelly) 2006: (DES) The Logical Chain: continuing professional development in effective schools 2008: (DCSF) MTL launched in ‘Being the Best for our Children’ 2016: where are we now?

3. The genesis of the question…
“traditionally, masters’ level professional development has been undertaken within an emancipatory philosophy” (Bryan and Blunden, 2013, p.10)
Tensions and debates in planning assessment opportunities for ‘masterly’ study:
- engaging students at a deeper theoretical & methodological level
- meeting academic criteria
- meeting traditional values of emancipatory study
- being purposeful for professional practice

4. Vignettes Assessment Activity: small scale research study Naomi Laura
SENCO
Faith based village primary school
Keen interest in Working Memory from taught sessions.
Focus of research study chosen by Headteacher to fit with School Improvement Plan
Student did manage to include some aspect of WM into her research.
Laura
Newly appointed SENCO
Urban primary school
Challenging cohorts of pupils.
Focus of research study chosen by Headteacher to fit with School Improvement Plan
Student completely directed – no element of choice.

5. Research Questions
How do participants view the value of Masters level study?
How do participants view assessment opportunities in relation to their professional role?

6. Methodology 120 participants on the MEd programme in one HEI
Engagement with participants through a range of methods:
A survey to whole cohort
Narrative interviews
5 Pilot interviews Analysis undertaken drawing upon Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) (Smith et al, 1997). IPA analyses qualitative data by focussing in depth on one interview to generate initial themes and codes. Subsequent analyses then uses this as a framework to consolidate or remove themes.
Narrative inquiry is a research method. It is a narrative because it builds a story of a phenomenon. We used narrative interviews as a way of understanding experience over time and in context (Clandinin et al, 2000).

7. Key Themes to emerge Subject Knowledge
Engaging others in professional discussions
Research Skills
Confidence / Credibility
Criticality
Evaluative Skills
A tool to facilitate professional practice
Social Justice

8. Social Justice Use of research to challenge school practices
“They wanted to exclude a student on a permanent statement so now I can say because of their need we must consider why they did what they did.”

9. Subject knowledge Advise others
“When there’s an issue with a child I have more in depth knowledge now and can start to put things in place and advise others”
Effective practitioner
“It’s given me greater subject knowledge which has made me an effective practitioner”
 “…you know what it's like maybe 60 percent of what you read makes it in to your assignment, but the rest has an impact on your role so what I found very powerful was reading and research it was …… broadening my perspective…”
“the depth of knowledge is the one I’ve built”
“…specializing on one subject has helped me to be able to evaluate the purpose of RE how it can be taught effectively and inclusively’”

10. Subject knowledge Advise SMT
“SMT read my assignment …and it helped us to evolve how we communicate with parents.”
“They have been very supportive if I can provide evidence …and say ‘it’s this and this and this’ they’d say ‘yes, fine’”
Analysis of data
“I have a deeper knowledge of data analysis now – I understand management knowledge, professional conduct, support staff”
A powerful tool for change
“I want to apply for 50% extra time for a pupil with autism and I can say ‘research shows’ and I’m going to use it in my evidence.”

11. Research Skills Stepping back
My research helped us to take a step back and look at what we had done that was really effective
Research resourceful
If someone says a child is showing these traits, I say give me a couple of days and I research it so it helps me…I have the ability to be research resourceful.
As good practice
“it's good skills and good practices that we're learning about and researching.”

12. Research Skills Aligned to professional practice
“Because education is a professional, it's not theoretical, it's professional, being a working professional allows me to be a more effective researcher.”
Relationship to knowledge
‘…how you view knowledge and whether your research is qualitative or quantitative in nature.’

13. Next steps…..

14. References
Bryan, Hazel, and Jillian Blunden. "The place of community in professional development: a study of newly qualified teachers and newly appointed heads of department engaged in the Masters in Teaching and Learning." Journal of Education for Teaching 39.1 (2013): 9-20.
Clandinin, D., & Caine, V. (2008). Narrative Inquiry. In Lisa M. Given (Ed.), The Sage Encyclopedia of Qualitative Research Methods. (pp ). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.
Department for Education and Employment (DfEE) Learning and Teaching: a strategy for professional development. London: HMSO
Department for Education and Skills (DES) The Logical Chain: continuing professional development in effective schools. London: HMSO
Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) Being the Best for our Children. London: HMSO
Smith, Jonathan A., Paul Flowers, and Mike Osborn. "Interpretative phenomenological analysis and the psychology of health and illness." Material discourses of health and illness (1997):