Pedagogy underpinning practice
“If we create a culture where every teacher believes they need to improve, not because they are not good enough, but because they can be even better, there is not limit to what we can achieve.”
(Wiliam, 2019)
Pedagogical Content Knowledge
Shulman’s (1986) work on Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) identified the key role of teachers in “representing and formulating the subject in a way that make it comprehensible to others. “ In order to provide access to the curriculum, practitioners need to consider:
What to teach: Content being delivered. Most regularly taught topics. An understanding of the Specification/ Curricula. An evaluation of their own personal Subject Knowledge.
How to teach it: General Pedagogy and Pedagogical Content Knowledge. Disciplinary Literacy. Most useful forms of representation of concepts/ ideas. Use of Analogies, illustrations, Examples, Explanations, Demonstrations.
Assessment – Starting points of the learners. Diagnostic. Knowing what they know and where we want to take them.
Professional Learning Opportunities are provided to build subject knowledge and PCK in various way, including; Networks of Excellence, Curriculum Conferences, Membership of Subject Associations, access to curated Subject Bundles developed by the Summit Lead Practitioners and further developed by the Subject Communities, developmental Curriculum Area Reviews (CARs) which utilise internal and external subject and PCK expertise. Additionally, as with all PL individuals can utilise the National College materials and the Professional Learning Request Form to sign up to courses tailored to their Professional Learning needs.
