Kate Bullock

The effectiveness of personal development planning

ABSTRACT Over recent years, the development of strategies in schools and colleges to support individual student needs and encourage autonomous learning has influenced the work of most teachers and tutors. Personal Development Plans (PDPs) draw on good practice in careers guidance and on many of the educational initiatives introduced over the past decade, particularly, Records of Achievement (RoAs) and the Technical and Vocational Education Initiative (TVEI). The focus of PDPs is a dialogue between student and tutor which clarifies choices, identifies goals and plans appropriate actions. This process aims to raise personal understanding and motivation and, ultimately, school effectiveness. This article arises from an evaluation of the Personal Development Plans (PDP) project in Wiltshire. The Wiltshire project was initiated in January 1992, and was a joint venture by the Careers Guidance Service, the local authority advisory service, TVEI and Wiltshire Training and Enterprise Council (TEC). These agencies ...

Exploring the industrial-placement experience for Mechanical Engineering undergraduates

Abstract This paper explores the attitudes of undergraduate engineers towards work placements in industry. This research also assesses the placement experience in terms of student learning outcomes and future employment aspirations. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from three groups: (i) those recently returning from a placement; (ii) those yet to go on placement and (iii) those who elected not to go on placement. Semi-structured interviews gathered experiences and perceptions from all three groups and formed the basis of attitude questionnaires distributed to 276 undergraduates at the University of Bath. Students were asked what value they attached to a year in industry, what improvement in personal transferable skills (such as team-working, time-management, communication and learning) they felt was gained and their perception of the placement experience in terms of aspirations of future employment. Factors influencing the decision of whether or not to undertake a placement were explored. The marks of the students in each of the three populations were scrutinised in order to determine any academic differences between the groups and to assess any value added by a placement in terms of improved performance on returning to university. Finally, this paper identifies reasons why undergraduates do not elect to undertake placements, asking if these important decisions are well-informed or otherwise.

An Exploratory Study of Novices and Experts in Educational Management

Kate Bullock and Professor Ian Jamieson are lecturers in the School of Education of the University of Bath and Professor Chris james is now at the University of Glamorgan Business School. This paper presents the findings of an exploratory study in which educational managers at three different stages in their careers were interviewed about their conceptions of educational management learning. Its conclusions have implications for the continuing professional development of those who work in schools and higher education.

Is choosing to go on placement a gamble? Perspectives from bioscience undergraduates

In the biosciences, a professional placement experience in academia or industry is intended to contribute to a student’s personal and professional training. While there is a general acknowledgement that a placement experience is beneficial for students, recent years have seen a decline in the number of students choosing to go on placements. Using a mixed‐method research design, this paper explores the attitudes that influence the bioscience students’ decisions on whether or not to undertake a year in a professional placement. Other questions considered in this study were whether placements influence student attitudes towards learning and if students achieve a better degree classification and better employment because of placement. Perspectives from academic staff and employers were compared with student perspectives on the added value of undertaking an extended placement during a period of study at university. While our findings reaffirm some of the perceived advantages of a professional placement in terms of learning and employability, it identifies important factors that influence student decisions not to undertake placements, revealing interesting questions on the placement perspectives between the student, academic tutor and employer.

The Effect of Personal Development Planning on Attitudes, Behaviour and Understanding

Summary This paper explores the impact of a personal development planning (PDP) project on the attitudes, behaviour and understanding of students in Years 11 and 12. It examines levels of motivation, personal understanding, communication skills and the responsibility of the students with regard to their own learning at the beginning of the project and again after 6 months. Findings may be of interest to tutors involved in PDP, action planning and similar initiatives driven by the one‐to‐one dialogue.

Meeting student teachers' information technology needs in partnership schools

Abstract This article dscusses the transfer of Information Technology (IT) resources from a university School of Education to secondary schools, following the revision of regulations for Initial Teacher Education (ITE) in 1992. An innovatory secondary Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) course, with novice teachers based in a cluster of schools at some distance from the university, is described. The implications of distance, and of partnership between schools and the School of Education, in delivering the required competencies in IT and in supporting IT provision are explored and recommendations made.

Personal development plans and equal opportunities

Summary This paper explores the impact of gender and ability on a personal development planning (PDP) project, and discusses the hypothesis that PDPs enhance equal opportunities for students in Years 11 and 12. It uses findings from a questionnaire survey to illustrate issues of particular interest. Information about the motivation, personal understanding, communication skills and responsibility of students with regard to their own learning is presented, and differences between the ability and gender groups are discussed. Findings may be of interest to tutors involved in PDP, action planning and similar initiatives driven by the one‐to‐one dialogue.

Educational relationships in out-of-school-time activities: are children in poverty missing out again?

Poverty may be the major obstacle to positive life chances in the UK. Ennals and Murphy (2005) suggest that escape from the poverty trap is more likely for those who remain in education after the age of 16. However, school life may bring problems for children from low income families, with learning assuming a lower priority than social acceptance (Ridge, 2005). This article argues that young people in poverty are also less likely to participate in other learning activities. The nature of learning in out-of-school-time settings is explored and the distinctive features of the educational relationships that underpin out-of-school-time learning are discussed. We conclude that children from disadvantaged backgrounds who have acquired an understanding of educational relationships are more likely to develop positive attitudes to learning. Strategies to redress the added disadvantage that non-participation in leisure activities creates for young people in low income families are suggested.

Learning from Coursework in English and Geography

As an element of high stakes assessment, coursework was originally intended to raise the validity of the assessment process and to enhance the learning of students. In recent years, this purpose has been distorted by the increasing requirements for educational institutions to demonstrate standards and to be accountable. This small, ESRC-funded study used in-depth qualitative approaches to explore the nature and processes of learning from coursework in national examinations undertaken by 16 year-old students. Among other things, it probed the extent to which qualities such as independent learning, critical thinking and creativity were developed through coursework. The research found that, while the practice underpinning coursework had the capacity to support deeper and more independent learning, the pressures of achieving good grades mediated against all pupils reaching the optimum level of higher order thinking.

Every Child Should Have One: What It Means to Be a Learning Guide.

This article discusses the relationship between the newly identified learning guide and personal learning. It draws on recent research that has critically examined the role of the personal tutor in secondary schools and colleges. The similarity in the two roles is discussed, and findings that may assist learning guides to have the impact envisioned by policy-makers are highlighted. The quality of personal tutoring is dependent on the educational relationship that is created between the tutor (or learning guide) and the individual learner. Educational relationships need to provide a cordial and encouraging interchange that identifies and considers strategies for learning, criteria for success and an understanding of critical self-assessment. We suggest that an effective learning guide engages in a dialogue which focuses on personal goals, motivational factors and steps for achievement. A positive climate in personal learning sessions is characterized by challenging but realistic expectations and targets. Feedback to students should be clear and specific and stress strategies for improvement.