March 1, 2023
by Dr Dev Acharya Feedback is a vital part of the learning process that helps to improve students’ performance as they progress through their studies (Earl, 2003). It is useful for reflective learning and to process the knowledge that students already have. The practice of Read more…
December 2, 2021
Sources for learning: The Role of Context in Teacher Professional Learning – André Koffeman. Earlier this year, I finished my PhD thesis. As I think my findings are relevant for the IPDA community, here it is: my very first blog! Read more…
January 3, 2020
It may only take one conversation in academia to discover that there are alternative views and beliefs to those that are your own. For me, it has always been apparent that not every scholar or academic shares the same confidence Read more…
July 30, 2019
According to the education secretary Damian Hinds, ‘teachers need to better prepare pupils of the risks of “fake news” and disinformation online’. In an increasingly network-driven society, it appears to be the case that pupils are not only part of Read more…
March 29, 2019
It may seem like a distant memory for many, but 20th February 2019 marked a significant date for the newly reformed IPDA Ireland committee. It was the date when we hosted the first of our events: a seminar entitled ‘Re-imagining professional Read more…
February 19, 2019
At a recent editorial board meeting of Professional Development in Education (PDiE) members discussed what it means to be ‘more than a journal’? As a board we want to engage with all those interested in education by asking difficult and/or different questions Read more…
September 25, 2018
(178 pages, £19.99, Book 1, ISBN 978-1-909675-05-6 This first book out of two books by the authors deals with issues that are affecting educators in ways that are thought-provoking and useful. The book begins with a reflection from Professor Ken Read more…
It looks like 21 years of external examining in higher education in 15 Universities, not to mention validating about 45 programmes, interim reviews and departmental and faculty evaluations is quite an achievement! A friend of mine once asked if the Read more…
July 10, 2018
Smith, H., and A. McGrandles (eds), The Impact of Mental Health And WellBeing On Effective Learning & Teaching: A Practical Guide For Those Responsible For Learners. Airdrie: Swan and Horn (178 pages, £19.99, Book 2, ISBN 978-1-909675-06-3) This book deals Read more…
In this blog, I reflect on what has happened to FE (Further Education) in England. My first thought is about a book inspired by a Grimm Brothers tale of escape by twelve princesses from nightly imprisonment. They escape to dance Read more…
June 4, 2018
Critical Perspectives on Professional Learning: Re-framing the Future, the compelling title of a symposium on Professional Learning held at the Institute of Education, Dublin City University (DCU) and conducted by members of the editorial board of the journal Professional Development Read more…
May 22, 2018
245 pages, £57.80 This book will interest you if you are working in health, care or education with adolescents. The book applies the talents of an experienced academic author and the content is divided into five key themes. This clear Read more…
February 13, 2018
I am passionate about teaching and I am also keen to make an impact in the world of academia, especially with SEN in rural areas of Nigeria. It is this zeal that led to my quest for higher education degrees Read more…
January 15, 2018
While recent media attention has been focussed on Toby Young, perhaps people have overlooked the real nature of the new ‘Office For Students’? This organisation has been set up to regulate higher education as ‘a market’. The office sees students Read more…
November 10, 2017
I was delighted to be asked to facilitate a workshop on research impact at the NINE (Northern Ireland North East) ESRC (Economic and Social Research Council) Autumn conference in November 2017. The conference was held at St James’s Park, the Read more…
October 6, 2017
It could be argued that The Irish Christian Brothers have at times been in breach of The Trade Descriptions Act. This is because there do appear to be examples when the evidence of their Christianity is questioned. An Irish accountant Read more…
June 21, 2017
For me political education does not mean pouring approved knowledge into human receptacles and then measuring the rate of regurgitation. It is an interactive human activity in which teachers are learners and learners are teachers. In 1971 the now defunct Read more…
May 18, 2017
The report of the ‘Task Group on Assessment and Testing’ (TGAT), December 1988, introduced me to the term ‘feed forward’. It is not a particularly elegant term but it serves to remind us that when tutors comment on students’ work, the Read more…
March 13, 2017
Professional development in England is shaped by policymakers. What is the true meaning behind the political vocabulary of England in 2017? In this blog I argue that the politics that is shaping professional development in England in 2017 is more Read more…
February 8, 2017
“If it is very important to you how clean your house is, you will not make it through this course” the tutor announced. This massive news, delivered a quarter of the way through my Access to Higher Education course, was Read more…
January 23, 2017
The appeal of Flann O’Brien’s novel ‘At-Swim-Two-Birds’ rests within its oblique interpretation of the world. The literature student in the book disagrees with one beginning and one ending in a novel. So we get three stories set in motion at Read more…
Regan, L., and T. Unterrainer. 2016. Standing Up For Education. London: Spokesman Books (150 pages, £7.95). Education, Education, Education Regan and Unterrainer have brought together seventeen people who stand up for education. Combining knowledge and commitment their writings provide perspective, Read more…
January 19, 2017
Ainley, P. 2016. Betraying a Generation: How Education is Failing Young People. London: Policy Press (148 pages, £7.99) ‘This is a good book and I like it’ (W.H. Auden 1971). Patrick Ainley has written a book that makes clear critical Read more…
