Posted by Luke Graham
5 April 2022Summative assignment deadline: April 2023. This is submitted to eBART. Feedback will be returned by in May 2023.
This EPS assignment draws together all the different elements of your teaching and training experiences. It is designed to allow you to focus on an aspect of teaching and learning in your placement school that interests you, for you to critically analyse, to reflect on and even self-appraise. You will need to consider your own investigation focus, your reasons for exploring this and the theoretical context within which this sits. In addition, we would expect you to situate your investigation in the context of already existing research in the field and to show how your investigation complements, extends or fills the gaps left by previous studies. You will need to design data collection instruments, collect data, analyse and interpret this data, and state how this has informed your practice. You will also be expected to adhere to the ethical requirements of educational research.
The focus of the investigation is deliberately open so as to allow you to investigate and explore something that interests you within your subject area. However, experience shows us that trainees benefit most when the investigation focus is also reflected in targets for trainees from their school-based Weekly Subject Development Meetings, or when a focus for investigation is identified through discussion with the Principal Subject Tutor. You could focus on AfL (Assessment for Learning) techniques, teaching with EAL pupils, behaviour management, etc.
To inform your decision:
1. Refer to the EPS lectures;
2. Consider your own teaching development needs;
3. Discuss your ideas with your PST and consider the suitability of the school setting.
Your subject tutors will support you to identify an issue for investigation and will provide guidance on how to conduct your investigation through a subject-specific ‘lens’.