Extract from Guidance to accompany the Standards for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) TDA, 2007

Rationale

Teachers analyse and reflect on their own practice in order to improve learning and teaching. They seek to improve their practice through professional development including engaging with and contributing to the development of new knowledge and ideas. In recent years the field of education has been characterised by innovation and change. Teachers use their experience and professional judgement to assess the benefits of adapting their practice through critical analysis of any innovative pedagogy, strategy or theory. In the context of new professionalism teachers find themselves increasingly both developing their skills as coaches and mentors, and benefiting from the coaching and mentoring that they receive.

Q7 (a) Reflect on and improve their practice, and take responsibility for identifying and meeting their developing professional needs.

Scope

This standard requires trainees to develop an ability to make judgements about the effectiveness of their teaching, and to identify ways of bringing about improvement. Trainees are expected to show a commitment to improving both their classroom practice and wider aspects of their professional knowledge and skills. Trainees should be able to discuss their own practice in relation to broader pedagogical issues.

Questions to consider

• Does the trainee use self-reviewing techniques to identify specific ways of improving their practice?
• Does the trainee set personal learning goals and targets?
• Does the trainee seek out and critically engage with resources such as the Teacher Training Resource Bank, publications from subject associations or research and inspection reports to help them to improve their teaching?
• Does the trainee use the feedback they receive from more experienced colleagues and the experience of observing others to identify ways of improving their practice?
• Is the trainee able to draw on important general issues in education that relate to their own practice and professional needs?

Cross references

Evidence for this standard may be linked to evidence for assessment against the following standards:

• Q7(b), Q8, Q9 (Personal professional development)
• Q29 (Reviewing teaching and learning)

Q7(b) Identify priorities for their early professional development in the context of induction.

Scope

This standard requires trainees to make judgements about the effectiveness of their teaching and to take responsibility for identifying priorities for improvement in the induction phase of their careers. Trainees should understand that as NQTs they will need to develop a professional dialogue with induction tutors about their experiences, strengths and personal professional development needs.

Questions to consider

• Is the trainee able to reflect on their experience as a trainee teacher, and on the knowledge, skills and expertise they have developed?
• Is the trainee able to identify their main strengths and achievements as a teacher?
• Is the trainee able to identify those aspects of teaching about which they feel less confident, or where they have had limited opportunities to gain experience?
• Are the trainee’s judgements consistent with the judgements made by others, for example tutors, mentors and peers?
• Is the trainee able to articulate their strengths and development needs through the discussion of their practice?
• Does the trainee make effective use of, for example, the career entry and development profile (CEDP)?

Cross references

Evidence for this standard may be linked to evidence for assessment against the following standards:

• Q7(a), Q8, Q9 (Personal professional development)

Sources of evidence

Evidence relating to trainees’ developing professionalism will emerge from most aspects of their training and practice including action plans, discussions with and reports of school-based tutors and mentors, involvement in school- and centre-based professional development activities, audits of subject knowledge, and academic tasks. Completion of transition point one of the Career Entry and Development Profile (CEDP) will draw on evidence relating to all of the QTS standards and enable trainees to identify their strengths and areas for development.