In the second part of his series of thought pieces looking at the development of innovative mindsets, Rhys Davies turns his attention to how they can be developed in teachers. The first piece in the series, looking at how innovative mindsets can be developed in leaders, is available here.
Building an innovative culture encourages employees to take risks and to find creative solutions to current problems. By developing such a culture in the further education (FE) and skills sector, leaders can develop the right conditions in which teachers are supported and encouraged to innovate in developing their pedagogical practice.
At Barnet and Southgate College in London, leaders changed the culture of the college from a ‘done to’ to a ‘done with’ culture so that teachers were more motivated to develop their own professional practice. Teachers try out and discuss new approaches with a teaching and learning coach to support personal reflection and time is given to teachers to reflect on their own practice. A Learning Excellence group meets regularly, which enables managers and teachers to discuss new approaches and best practice. Neil Coker, Principal and Deputy CEO says: “We make space for ideas and innovation and give the safety to try things out in the classroom or workshop and to learn from it when things don’t go as well as planned.” Leaders adopted the ETF’s Professional Standards for Teachers, which was instrumental in promoting their trust-based, reflective practice approach to personal and professional development.
At Nelson and Colne College Group in Lancashire, leaders have developed an ‘open door culture’ in which all staff are encouraged to visit each other’s lessons. At the heart of this process lies professional discussions which arise from these lesson visits. In the words of Tracey Baron, Deputy Principal, “We have developed Communities of Professional Practice which encourage staff to talk about their practice. We also give protected time to teachers so that they can discuss new approaches to their subject pedagogy with others of a similar mind.”
At Chichester College Group, leaders have moved away from grading observations, a move which has greatly helped to remove the fear of taking risks when teachers seek to improve their pedagogical practice. Teachers are encouraged to take risks in a supportive environment. Prior to observation for example, teachers get the opportunity to speak about the lesson with the observer; giving them this opportunity means that the observation process feels less threatening. As a result, the majority of lessons observed are requested by the teachers – a culture where teachers welcome observation. This allows teachers to push the boundaries and try things they would not have otherwise done. Observers are also trained coaches and this is welcomed and valued by teachers. Furthermore, peer review and peer observation is encouraged through ‘spotlight sessions’ in which teachers share their innovative practice with others. The Innovation Group also provides teachers with the opportunity to meet over lunch to discuss new approaches to their teaching in a supportive and thought-provoking environment.
At Coleg Sir Gar and Coleg Ceredigion in Wales, leaders have embraced action research projects as a way to foster innovative mindsets. All teaching staff are encouraged to participate in this action research as part of their professional development. The Action Research CPD Pathway allows staff to try new approaches that they are interested in, linked to their own CPD needs, and then to report on the effectiveness of new approaches to staff and other stakeholders. The College’s Annual Festival of Practice conference provides staff with a forum to share their action research with their peers in an atmosphere of celebration and sharing of good practice. ‘Being curious’ is written into the College’s strategic vision for developing teaching and learning; being curious and innovative is encouraged by senior leaders. Staff also learn about the principles of action research from attending workshops and from visiting speakers.
Much work has been undertaken in recent years in supporting teachers to gain mastery in delivering Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL), which is seen by many as a driver for innovation in teaching. Academic research undertaken by Armstrong (2019) and Ryan et al. (2020), emphasises the importance of professional development for teaching staff to build both the skillset and the confidence to include TEL in their teaching practice.
Supporting teachers in developing their approaches to TEL is well covered by the education technology charity, JISC [1]. They provide plentiful support and professional development to the FE and skills workforce. Their approach to developing teachers’ professional practice in delivering innovative TEL approaches uses:
The final blog in this series, focusing on learners, is available here.
Notes
[1] Jisc
References
Armstrong, E. J. (2019). Maximising motivators for technology-enhanced learning for further education teachers: moving beyond the early adopters in a time of austerity. Research in learning technology. 27.
Covey, Stephen M.R., 2022, Trust and Inspire, Simon and Schuster UK.
Dweck, C.S, 2017, Changing the Way you think to fulfil your potential, 6th edition, Robinson UK
OECD (2021) OECD iLibrary | Teachers and Leaders in Vocational Education and Training (oecd-ilibrary.org)
Forbes, 2013, The Four Behaviors Of Innovative Leaders | Forbes – YouTube
Harvard Business Review Analytic Services, 2019, The EI Advantage. Driving Innovation and Business Success through the Power of Emotional Intelligence. TheEIAdvantage.pdf (hbr.org)
Lewis, P, 2023, Innovation, technician skills, and vocational education and training: connecting innovation systems and vocational education and training, Taylor and Francis online, Full article: Innovation, technician skills, and vocational education and training: connecting innovation systems and vocational education and training (tandfonline.com)
Peng, F., Wang, S., and Yang, T. (2023), Enhancing Vocational Education through Innovative Skills Competitions: Challenges and Solutions, Beijing Polytechnic, (PDF) Enhancing Vocational Education through Innovative Skills Competitions: Challenges and Solutions (researchgate.net)
Ryan, B, McGarr, O., McCormack, O., 2020, Underneath the veneer of techno-positivity – exploring teachers’ perspectives on technology use in further education and training, University of Limerick, McGarr_2021_Underneath.pdf