Alongside delivering the Wipro programme for Teacher Fellows and mentors, we are carrying out an internal, formative evaluation.\u00a0 This plays a key part in our quality assurance of the programme, by helping us to understand participants’ experiences and perceptions, what they learn and enjoy and what we can do better.\u00a0 In summer 2019 we carried out interviews with ten mentors and twelve Teacher Fellows.\u00a0 In this post, we briefly describe some of our learning from this evaluation.<\/p>\n
Learning together: the many positives<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n The feedback from Mentors and Teacher Fellows is very positive about the programme, with both groups saying that it is the best professional development they have ever experienced. Participants enjoy the Wipro sessions taking place out of school, and regard this time away from the classroom as a really important part of the programme, where they are able to discuss their ideas in a supportive environment, speak to other teachers and build networks across other participants and their schools.<\/p>\n The Teacher Fellows programme contains different strands of learning which are intended to complement each other. The Teacher Fellows are overwhelmingly positive about their experiences, finding the sessions to be useful across several aspects of their practice and professional development. They were particularly inspired by the Evidence-informed approaches to learning<\/em><\/a> programme strand, enjoying the practical nature of the sessions, and that strategies and approaches discussed were immediately useful in the classroom, for example:<\/p>\n While some Teacher Fellows noted that the programme pushed them out of their comfort zone, this challenge was recognised as a positive thing and we have found that the Teacher Fellows\u2019 confidence in their practice has increased.<\/p>\n For the mentors, we blended face-to-face sessions at the university with online webinars, taking place in the evenings, and with completion of online workbooks.\u00a0 The webinars are a helpful complement to the face-to-face, giving mentors a chance to keep in touch with the group and continue to build relationships together, including learning from our colleague Professor Arthur Eisenkraft, who leads an equivalent set of Wipro teacher programmes in the United States<\/a>.\u00a0 It is increasingly clear that this network-building is a strong aspect of the programme, which supports and adds to opportunities to improve mentoring practice.<\/p>\n Where we can improve<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Although participants\u2019 experiences of the programme are overwhelmingly positive, our evaluation helps us to make ongoing improvements.\u00a0 For example, in the Teacher Fellows programme, we should improve:<\/p>\n For the mentors, we need to think about:<\/p>\n Many Teacher Fellows and Mentors have built positive relationships<\/a>, including mutual visits between schools. However, for some, the pairing has been less successful, with a lack of time, communication and sometimes a little confusion over the role of the mentor, limiting the potential for positive impact.\u00a0 We need to ensure that we provide better support here.<\/p>\n Looking ahead<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Our aim is to provide professional development which makes a real difference to teachers\u2019 professional lives. As we move into the new academic year, we are making changes to the programme in order to respond to participants\u2019 feedback. We are grateful for the ways in which our Teacher Fellows and mentors have committed to the programme, including sharing their experiences with us, and we look forward to continuing to work with them as we move into this new school year.<\/p>\n Emily Perry, programme director<\/em><\/p>\n Josephine Booth, evaluation lead<\/em><\/p>\n Lucy Clague, programme evaluation<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Alongside delivering the Wipro programme for Teacher Fellows and mentors, we are carrying out an internal, formative evaluation.\u00a0 This plays a key part in our quality assurance of the programme, by helping us to understand participants’ experiences and perceptions, what … Continue reading \n
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