Researching teaching and learning in Social Policy
The Learning and Teaching Support Network subject centre
for Social Policy and Social Work (SWAPltsn) successful bid
for additional funding from the HE funding councils to
support a project researching undergraduate teaching of
Social Policy. The project is designed and implemented by
experienced lecturers in Social Policy and has the support
of the Social Policy Association.
The project aims to explore pedagogic practice and
processes of innovation in teaching as a basis for
encouraging developments in teaching and learning and
facilitating means of pooling knowledge amongst
practitioners. More specifically:
· To map current teaching practices within the discipline
of Social Policy
· To explore understandings of 'good practice'
· To identify examples of innovative and exemplary practice
· To explore factors supporting and hindering pedagogic
development
· To facilitate networking and sharing of
practice
The outputs from the project form part of SWAP's
mainstream activities and we hope to include the
following:
· On-line publication of examples of practice
with opportunities for peer review and development
· Publication of a book of examples of practice
· Workshops for national conferences, regional groups and
institutions
· Features in SWAP and SPA newsletters
· Publication in journals
The central focus of the research is a series of fifty
in-depth, semi-structured interviews with practitioners
selected from all regions of the UK, representing different
types of institutions and programmes and reflecting
differences in gender, age and experience. Topics for
discussion include:
· Background information
· Teaching methods
· Factors determining choice of teaching
methods
· Understanding of 'good practice'
· Barriers and support in improving practice
· Attitudes to pooling practice
· Experience of change/innovation
· Motivations and barriers to change
We will be interviewing two lecturers in twenty randomly
selected institutions offering Social Policy as an
undergraduate single or combined subject, and an additional
ten lecturers selected through snowballing techniques. The
interviews are all carried out by an interviewer with
experience of teaching Social Policy and treatment of the
data will protect identities of individuals and
institutions.
We are contacting lecturers over the next few months to
arrange interviews and very much hope you will feel able to
support the project.
Best Wishes
Pat Young, Learning and Teaching Advisor, SWAPltsn and
Senior Lecturer in Social Policy, University of the West of
England Zoe Irving, Researcher, SWAPltsn and Senior
Lecturer in Social Policy, University of Sheffield Linda
Price, Project Administrator, University of Bristol
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Young, Pat
Email: [log in to unmask]
"University of the West of England"
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