“I am not a number” – Determining professional capability through graded

observations for HE in FE staff.

Claire Gray:

University of Plymouth

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2http://www.gettyimages.co.uk

Keywords

Professional Identity

HE in FE Ofsted criteria

Numerical Grading

Organisational Culture and Theory

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The Project

• HELP CETL project – 2 colleges interested in developing systems to replace/run alongside Ofsted style graded observations for HE staff.

• Produce a DVD to provide an insight to the processes and systems developed.

• Provide funding for colleges to deploy staff on project.

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The Research

• Part of the process of collecting data for DVD.

• Comparisons between 2 colleges and their resulting new systems.

• Interrogate attitudes to Ofsted grading in HE in FE

• Explore attitudes of the HE in FE community to change within their organisations

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Questions, questions...

Why is this important to HE in FE staff? What is at the root of dissatisfaction? Is this simply pragmatic or is it related to conceptions of professional identity? Is it wider than just the quality assurance

issue?

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What is professional

identity?

Task

What shapes (your) professional identity?

Define in a few words, on own, then group.

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Regardless of an individual’s occupation their professional identity is viewed asbeing dynamic and constantly evolving as their career develops (Stronach et al. 2002).It is cited as being related to the culture of an organisation, social/professional interactionsand an individual’s self perception. (Bejaard, Meijer, and Verloop 2004; Sachs2001; Stronach et al. 2002).

Turner, R., McKenzie, L. & Stone, M. (2009)

Task

How do you (individual professionals) evaluate/measure (your) professional competence?

In pairs then group

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So....

Are these the same? Co-dependent?

Does competence rating/evaluation affect your professional identity?

Does identity have a bearing on competence?Look at your answers

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Playing with some theory

‘In terms of postmodern ideas, social identity is multiple, flexible, fragmented, and transformational. Having said that, social identity cannot be seen to exist anywhere in pure form as if uncontaminated by the anxieties and insecurities that emanate from the desire to control individualised identities.’

Knights, D. (2004) 12

Playing with some theory

Conceptions of power and resistance Foucault.

Questioning legitimacy of the institution and processes

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An Example – not accepting the legitimacy of the system

Grade 2 grade givenHE in FE class.Register showed some non-attendance.Assumptions that non-attending students not

engaged within the criteria used but actually mature students and not always able to attend sessions. Students finding other ways of engaging – teaching as not just within a classroom.

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An Example – not accepting the legitimacy of the system or

observer• Level 5 students

• PBL, Accountancy and Finance

• Unsatisfactory by Ofsted criteria.

• Excellent practice praised by external examiner and strategy resulted from work with academic liaison person who tutored students at level 6.

• Observer – FE, Hairdressing

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Is grading the issue?

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Or is it ‘who grades/makes judgments’?

Or process?

You decide – what do the staff in the study think?

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• Video exerts....

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Conclusions

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Grade 1 Bunny?

Who decides?

Constructing identity?

http://www.gettyimages.co.uk

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References

Knights, D. (2004) 'Michel Foucault'. in Linstead, S. (ed.) Organization Theory and Postmodern Thought London: Sage.

Robson, J. (1998) 'A profession in crisis: status, culture and identity in the further education college', Journal of Vocational Education & Training, 50 (4), pp. 585 — 607.

Scott, P. (2009) 'On the Margins or Moving into the Mainstream? Higher Education in Further Education in England', Higher Education Quarterly, 63 (4), pp. 402–418.

Turner, R., McKenzie, L. & Stone, M. (2009) 'Square peg - round hole': the emerging professional identities of HE in FE lecturers working in a partner college network in south-west England', Research in Post-Compulsory Education, 14 (4), pp. 355 — 368.