Since the release of the revised version of the UK Professional Standards Framework in 2011, researchers have examined the benefits and challenges of gaining teaching accreditation in the higher education (HE) sector. Here we employ creative non-fiction techniques to stimulate further discussion around the development opportunities associated with…

The United Kingdom (U.K.) offers excellent safety policies and resources from which Technology and Engineering (T&E) educators across the world could benefit. In the U.K., Design and Technology (D&T) is taught in most primary (elementary) and secondary schools. D&T has origins related to crafts and domestic skills; however, D&T now…

This McCloy Lecture sheds light on the "hidden profession" of Physical Education Teacher Educators (PETEs) by sharing my perspectives on the challenges and opportunities faced by PETE scholars and teachers globally. I begin with an overview of my biography and how it has influenced my thinking about PETE. I present some scholarly…

Increasing workload due to reduced numbers of general practitioners, a population boom and an aging population has increased the need for accessible distance learning for the UK's primary care doctors. The Royal College of General Practitioners is now in its eighth year of delivering high quality e-learning to 72,000 registered users via its…

Teachers are the most important school resource. In every country, teachers' salaries and training represent the greatest share of expenditure on education; and this investment in teachers can have significant returns. Research shows that being taught by the best teachers can make a real difference in the learning and life outcomes of otherwise…

This paper looks at the importance of mechanisms that give formal recognition to vocational skills acquired through work-based learning and how such mechanisms might be developed. It describes how skill recognition can benefit individuals, employers and society as a whole, and identifies in which contexts skill recognition has the highest…

What is "right-touch regulation"? In this article we explain why the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care (the Authority) has focussed much of its policy work in recent times on seeking an answer to this question, and why it wants to know. We explain why the Authority's predecessor body, the Council for Healthcare…

From September 2015, schools in England will be teaching new A-level science specifications that have been developed by examination boards to encompass new higher levels of demand developed by the Department for Education. Integral to these new specifications is a radical change to the contribution of practical science to the A-level grade of the…

The Association for Science Education (ASE) has a proud history of responding positively to changes in the education system. The creation of ASE INSET Services was one such response, resulting in an organisation that in its 16 year lifetime engaged in an impressive range of activities and had an impact on the professional development of tens of…

Research has found differences in students' abilities, attitudes, and family and community background to be the largest source of variation in student learning, but these are difficult for policymakers to influence, at least in the short run. However, the single most significant school variable affecting student achievement is "teacher…

This article provides a brief history of massive open online courses (MOOCs), a snapshot of the rapidly evolving issue of credit recognition, and the integration of MOOCs into traditional degree programs, like the Gates Foundation-funded MOOCs-For-Credit Research Project. The article notes that MOOCs have accelerated innovation, especially in…

This Account of Practice describes the introduction and development of action learning within a level 5 module of "Communications at Work" delivered as part of a Business & Technology Education Council (BTEC) Professional Certificate in Management (CMS) between 2005/2006 and 2009/2010. This will commence with a personal narrative and…

This article draws on insights from the sociology of professions to explore the regulatory debate in the psychotherapy and counselling field contrasted with the regulation of arts therapists (art, drama and music therapists). A partial explanation is offered, illustrating the applicability of theory to these groups, but with adaptations to reflect…

This paper describes the development of resources for a unit of work for the English National Diploma in Information Technology. These on-line resources are designed to support a personalised learning environment that maximises opportunities for students to achieve greater control of their own learning and progression. The resources are designed…

The idea of moving away from battery-type Academic Development Activities and silo modules and programmes towards open cross-institutional approaches in line with OEP are explored within this paper based on a recent small-scale, fully-online study. This brought together academics and other professionals who support learning, from different…