%C London, UK
%X This report presents the findings of an evaluation study of an early years teaching
programme delivered through a Teaching School Alliance in East London, and the
participants’ experience of professional learning. The study addressed the overall question:
“What are participants’ perceived impact of the teaching programme on their professional
learning, development and practice?” The main focus is on aspects of professional learning
which can potentially lead to benefits for participants’ pedagogy and development, and
ultimately for children’s learning. The study drew on a substantive body of research in three
inter-related areas: pedagogy, professional learning, and leadership. The research was
based on a mainly qualitative design using questionnaires, interviews and online dialogues.
The findings offered a nuanced understanding of the early years teaching programme as
occurring in a shared learning community, and demonstrated how participants’
engagement in collaboration and knowledge exchange was important in enhancing their
understanding of how best to support their own professional learning as well as that of the
children.
Significantly, the findings showed evidence of participants’ applying their learning to
changing and informing their settings’ practices, and for some, how this has resulted in
initiating and leading change in key aspects of practice. Five key themes emerged:
pedagogical tools to promote and extend children’s learning, shared and purposeful
learning, reflective practice, Twitter and virtual learning as an enabler and inhibitor, and
perceived impact on practice and leadership. The findings highlighted the agency that was
exercised by several practitioners in their development of pedagogical strategies to improve
their practice and interactions with the children. Overall, participants were positive about the
learning they had gained from being on the programme and appeared to benefit from the
impact it had on their practice. The study provided strong evidence for sustaining and
potentially scaling up of the early years teaching programme as a model of professional
development and learning for nursery and preschool practitioners.
%K Leadership, Early Years, Pedagogy
%I East London Early Years and Schools Partnership
%T Pedagogical Innovation and Leadership in the Early Years: final report
%L discovery1542040
%P 1-28
%A L Ang
%A A Ince
%D 2017
%O This is the published version of record. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions.