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91.
Academics Continue to Explore Teacher Wellbeing Around the World
Following successful presentations across Europe throughout 2019, Dr Emma Clarke and Aimee Quickfall of Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) took their well-being research to the Finnish Education Research Association conference in Joensuu, Finland. The research project charts teacher training well-being experiences of teacher trainees in the UK, Finland, Denmark and the Netherlands employing visual methodologies including photo elicitation, time line drawing and diagrams. The project team have had a lot of interest in the methods as well as the findings and are currently working with colleagues at Leeds Beckett University, The University of Manchester and King's College, London on supporting their well-being work. This latest presentation capped off an exciting year for the project team, which has featured contributions from several of Emma and Aimee’s colleagues at BGU including Shaun Thompson, Hannah Wells, Sue Lambert and Dr Claire Thomson, as they have also disseminated findings at ECER in Hamburg, a BERA special interest group forum in London and the UCET conference in Stratford. Following their trip to Finland Aimee commented: “It has been a pleasure to return to the University of Eastern Finland and to share our findings from the project with the teacher educators from Helsinki, UEF, Turku and Oulu.” Whilst Emma reflected on the UK and Finnish contexts: “The Finnish teacher education system is very different to ours - training lasts for 5 years and teachers graduate with a master's qualification. However, it is interesting that there are many similarities in the experiences of our students and our Finnish colleagues have been very supportive and engaged in the research.” If you’re interested in a future in education, our BA (Hons) Primary Education with QTS (3 year undergraduate degree), BA (Hons) Primary Teaching Studies with QTS (15 month top up degree), and PGCE courses are the perfect ways to begin or continue your adventure on the path to becoming a fantastic teacher! If you have any questions, our Enquiries Team are ready to help. Contact them today or visit our website to find out how to take your next steps. -
92.
How my time on the English Language and Teaching course has helped me grow my skills and confidence
By Melanie Oakes - 2nd Year BA English Language and Teaching (formerly TESOL & Linguistics Student) After having my son this course is the best thing I’ve done, it’s made me feel a lot better about who I am. I never really had a huge interest in education while I was at school, I missed almost a year due to illness, and even after I returned I struggled to engage with my subjects due to a real lack of confidence. The end result was that I left school with only 3 O Levels. Despite my family attempting to support me by claiming I was artistic rather than academic I ended up feeling like the one member of my family who wasn’t clever with both my sisters gaining 10 O Levels and going on to careers in Law and Healthcare. I carried this stigma for years until my son started Primary School and I noticed he was struggling with similar issues to my own. When he was later diagnosed as dyslexic it spurred me on to find out if that could be affecting me too. With the aid of the Nottingham Dyslexia Association I was able to finally obtain some evidence of both my dyslexia and, for the first time, my own intelligence. With their encouragement I began to explore the possibilities of a future at university. I already had an interest in languages and could speak basic Swedish so I decided to look into TEFL short courses. While undertaking a learning session for one in Lincoln I met a BGU student who praised the university and offered to put me in touch with the course lecturers. The next thing I knew I was being offered a place on the undergraduate course. I came to an open day for mature students and had a brilliant time, all the lecturers were great and really easy to connect with. They clearly understood that everyone had their own unique motivations for joining higher education and they wanted to help support them. I felt like a fraud at first due to my age and previous academic struggles, but as I’ve gone through the course my belief and confidence in myself has grown immeasurably. It’s taken a lot of hard work and meant I’ve had to learn a whole new set of skills, including how to use PowerPoint, but I’ve loved studying historical linguistics and the spread of English globally, they’ve been fascinating subjects that have answered a number of lifelong questions. In fact, I’ve found the whole subject so stimulating, except for referencing! Even with my Dyslexia, ADD and Fibromyalgia I’ve been able to succeed at BGU and I’m now beginning to explore the potential of a master’s degree. It’s all been a lot to balance at points, particularly being a single mother, but what I’ve gained from the course both mentally and in terms of my self-esteem has been so worth it. I would totally encourage anyone who was thinking of going on this course to do it. You won’t regret it. It’s highly interesting, you learn and experience things you never thought you would and it ultimately opens up so many doors to you; for example, I’m now doing 1:1 teaching with a lady from Hong Kong to help improve her English. You should never think you’re too old to go for something, it can be hard to get to grips with new technology but there are lots of avenues for support including CELT and Student Advice along with many opportunities to broaden your mind. Give it a go. If you’re interested in following in Melanie’s footsteps you can find more information on our BA English Language and Teaching course by visiting our website, talking to our Enquiries Team or joining us on one of our Open Days. -
93.
Support your students’ learning and give them a taste of Higher Education with an NEA Day at BGU
A-Level History students and teachers from Kings School, Grantham, and Ridgewood School, Doncaster, became the latest learners to benefit from a Non-Exam Assessment (NEA) Day at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) as they spent a day with academics from the BGU History department. -
94.
Using Shared Reading to explore the ‘telling’ of death
Earlier this year, at the 2020 Death and Dying conference, attendees came together to discuss how shared reading could explore the ‘telling’ of death. One of the goals of the workshop was to use art to capture a ‘live’ response that included something of the personal and transitory nature of the event. Aimee Quickfall, Head of Programmes for Primary Education and Early Years at BGU, Dr Clare Lawrence, Senior Lecturer in Teacher Development, and Dr John Rimmer, Senior Lecturer PGCE secondary (art and design), share their feedback on the unique and engaging experience. Using Shared Reading to explore the ‘telling’ of death Academic and Creative Responses to Death and Dying Conference, BGU 2020 Dr Clare Lawrence, Aimee Quickfall, Dr John Rimmer Shared Reading is an approach pioneered and developed by Jane Davis to use the read-aloud experience of literary texts to explore group participants’ reflections, thoughts and memories, where the text is presented as a live presence, not as something pre-read or an object of study. This Shared Reading workshop was part of a conference that had as its theme, How to tell the children, and as such used texts that explored the ‘telling’ of death, and the experience of parents’ death as understood by the (adult) child of those parents. The text chosen were Gertrude’s description of Ophelia’s death in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Act IV sc. v and Charles Causley’s poem Eden Rock. Throughout the workshop Aimee Quickfall took notes visually, sketching and drawing as the participants talked. These sketches sought to capture something of the perspectives and experiences of those who took part, less to create a factual record and more to produce a live response that included something of the personal and transitory nature of the event. This method builds on the work of Heath and Chapman (2018), who believe that ‘a sketch does something different to, say, a photograph or a written field note’ (Heath and Chapman, 2018 p. 715). Back and Puwar (2012) suggest that the nature of data that is generated through sketching is different from that generated through other methods, not least because of what drawing, of necessity, leaves out. The artist must choose what to record, so that the record is always synthesised and personalised in a way that a mechanical record is not. Midgley (2011) believes that this means that drawing can capture passions and tensions in a way that other means of recording do not. The discussions during the workshop were then further synthesised by John Rimmer, who worked what was discussed into a piece of highly abstract animated art, reflecting his interpretation of the themes that were explored. These academic and Creative responses to the workshop will be shared in due course through published output. If you’d like to explore a future as part of diverse learning community, speak to a member of our Enquiries Team, or book onto an Open Event to find out how to take your first steps. References: Back, L., & Puwar, N. (2012). A manifesto for live methods: provocations and capacities. The sociological review, 60, 6-17. Heath, S., Chapman, L., & Centre Sketchers, T. M. (2018). Observational sketching as method. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 21(6), 713-728. Midgley, J. (2011). Drawing Lives-Reportage at Work. Studies in Material Thinking, (4). Retrieved, 5. -
95.
‘World Changing’ Trans Student Experience Project Included in International Social Psychology Text
The CELT-LTIF funded ‘Transforming the Student Experience’ project has been featured as an example of ‘world changing’ applied research in a new book. The project was co designed and developed through a partnership between trans and non-trans students and staff and has seen many of its recommendations, including more inclusive welcome messaging and trans awareness training for staff and students, either achieved or in the process of going through the University Committee structure. Internationally renowned Social Psychologist Wendy Stainton Rogers was impressed by the project following a presentation by Sue Becker and former BGU student Ashley Ravenwood at the BPS Psychology of Sexualities Section 20th Anniversary Conference in July 2018, describing it as: “…a great project with real progress and outcomes, and a good model to follow”. In her recent book, Perspectives on Social Psychology – A Psychology of Human Being, Rogers features the project as a case study to inspire others to come together and make positive changes in their communities. The project team continue to work to ensure findings and recommendations from the project are embedded into BGU policy and practice and are currently working to publish a paper outlining their approach and findings. The project team are: Alex Dale Whistler – Education Studies and Special Educational Needs and Inclusion Jayde Williams – Primary Education with recommendation for QTS Dr Sue Becker – Programme Leader for Psychology Lyndsay Muir – Senior Lecturer Dr Sue Cordell – Head of Learning Enhancement Dr Claire Thomson – Head of the Centre for Enhancement in Learning and Teaching Dr Gianina Postavaru – Lecturer in Psychology If you’d like to become a part of BGU’s research focused community, speak to a member of our Enquiries Team or join us at one of our upcoming virtual open days. -
96.
BGU Sign Memorandum of Understanding with Bangkok University International
As part of Bishop Grosseteste University’s (BGU) ongoing work in Thailand, Wayne Dyble, International Manager, signed a Memorandum of Understanding on behalf of BGU with Bangkok University International (BUI). The Memorandum reflects the maturing relationship between the two institutions which will see BGU PGCE students visit the Bangkok campus with the prospect of BUI undergraduates visiting BGU’s Lincoln campus to study Business English classes. Following the signing ceremony Aimee Quickfall, Head of Programmes for Primary Education and Early Years at BGU, led a Business English taster workshop with around forty BUI students. During the workshop students were encouraged to explore the subtleties of Business English and how language assumes a contextual specificity. Wayne Dyble along with BGU colleagues Professor Chris Atkin and Dr Phil Wood also supported the session. Whilst Thailand the BGU team developed institutional links and worked with a range of Thai stakeholders on a research bid focussed on curriculum reform and teacher standards. For further information on the visit or BGU’s activities in Thailand and other International activities, please contact Wayne Dyble or visit our International web pages. -
97.
How collaboration across Bishop Grosseteste University is supporting students to adapt in uncertain times
By Cassie Rainey - BG Futures Administrator Covid-19 has transformed the world we live in, pushing us to adapt to a ‘new normal’. One aspect of this ‘new normal’ is the way in which graduates will have to navigate their transitions into the labour market. At Bishop Grosseteste University, the support of academic and professional support teams is more vital than ever to students and graduates. Last month, the Primary and Early Years ITE team and the BG Futures: Careers, Employability and Enterprise team collaborated to deliver a virtual session for students across programmes on the format and logistics of online interviews. The sessions incorporated information on best practice, tips for different video calling platforms and guidance on possible interview questions. The sessions included a Q&A from a recruitment industry expert and BG Futures tenant with questions put forward by students. Sarah Howe, Senior Lecturer on the PGCE Primary programme said: “The Covid – 19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the job application process for some of our students and trainees. Lecturers in the Primary and Early Years ITE Programmes turned to the Careers, Employability & Enterprise team at BG Futures to ensure that support offered at our institution, met the needs of our students and trainees. Several on-line workshops and personal tutorials have taken place with encouraging feedback.” Emma McCarthy, Co-Director of McCarthy Adams Recruitment Specialists, a tenant within the Business & Enterprise Centre in BG Futures, was on hand to provide expert tips to succeeding in online interviews and assisted with a video Q&A for the session. Andy Wright, Careers, Employability & Enterprise Coordinator at BG Futures commented: “This has been a great partnership between teaching staff, BG Futures, students and one of our own tenant businesses. We’ve been very excited to extend our reach to those students who are not able to access face-to-face support at this time, and we have been delighted with the results.” George Rhodes, BA (Hons) Primary Education student, who used this session to help prepare for an upcoming online job interview commented: “After being recommended by a fellow student, I joined an online interview support session which not only provided invaluable advice but also built up my self-confidence. I was successful in my interview, running against 90 other candidates, and I believe without attending the session with Andrew this may not have been the case.” Sarah Moseley, Enterprise Development Manager, said: “The BG Futures Business and Enterprise Centre offers 14 leasable office spaces for start-ups and is home to our Student Enterprise Club. With an emphasis on making a positive impact, we strive to attract tenants who will work collaboratively, to improve the lives of our students, bridging theory and practice. We are extremely thankful for Emma McCarthy’s time and input with this session” You can find out more about BG Futures here. You can explore our Primary and Early Years programmes here. -
98.
Enterprising student’s journey to mastering the art of teaching and painting
The partnership between BG Futures, the Careers, Employability and Enterprise department at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) and the Prince’s Trust continues to flourish with another of our students benefiting from the Prince’s Trust Enterprise Programme, which helps 18 to 30-year olds turn their big ideas into a business reality. Sarah Moseley, Enterprise Development Manager at BG Futures spoke to 1st year BA (Hons) Education Studies (SEDS) student Laurent McCready about how the Princes Trust webinar has helped him with his ideas for an Interior and Exterior Painting & Decorating Business. Laurent explains: “My degree choice was as a result of 3 years of voluntary work coaching primary school age children hockey for my Bronze, Silver and Gold Duke of Edinburgh award. I felt the children connected with me and I enjoyed the sessions. Following 2 weeks of work experience at St Peters in Eastgate primary school I decided that I wanted to go into teaching as a career.” Teaching is very different to painting & decorating so what is the connection? “I also really enjoy painting and decorating and feel confident doing it, having started about a year ago. I heard about the Princes Trust webinar via a notification on my BGU account and decided to take part. I have now developed my knowledge of how to set my own business up. The most useful part of the webinar for me was being encouraged to talk about the idea and learning the key aspects such as taxation and national insurance, as well as being able to ask questions. I see my biggest challenge is to actually brave up and start the business. The next step is to do this once I have conducted a little more research about gaining customers and my competitors” Laurent is already succeeding in balancing his University work, position as a Student Ambassador, part time work at the Doubletree by Hilton, and his role with NCS running workshops with older children leading to a community-based project. When asked what the future may hold Laurent said: “Currently my training to become a primary school teacher comes first, however this may differ if I set up my own business and if that happens, I hope to be running Duvalsdecorating (Duval being my middle name) and perhaps a couple others!” To see Laurent’s painting & decorating projects follow duvalsdecorating on Instagram. Contact sarah.moseley@lincolnbishop.ac.uk to discover more about the work of the Enterprise Team at BG Futures Explore BGUs range of Undergraduate and Postgraduate Teaching programmes For further details of The Prince’s Trust programme contact John Holliday on 07766 778341 -
99.
Collaborative BGU Nursing Programme makes Finals at HSJ Awards
The Postgraduate Certificate in General Practice Nursing (GPN-ST), a collaborative project between Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU), HEE East Midlands, University of Northampton and Lincs Healthcare community has made it to the final of the 2020 Health Service Journal (HSJ) Value Awards. Although there will be no face to face event to announce the winners there will be an online HSJ Value Awards Day on 4th September. The online day is open to all and will begin at 9am and end at 4pm. It will be held on twitter, via @HSJ_Awards, and there is no need to register in advance. A 20-min slot will be dedicated to each category, in which the shortlist will be showcased and details surrounding the winner including their project synopses and judge’s commentary will be highlighted. The category for the GPN-ST, ‘System or Commissioner Led Service Redesign Initiative’ starts at 3pm. Addressing workforce shortfalls is a key priority for England’s Chief Nursing Officer. General Practice Nurse Specialty Training (GPN-ST) successfully creates a pipeline of new GPNs across STPs and resolves inter-practice poaching and recycling from the diminishing pool of experienced GPNs. GPN-ST offers nurses a way into an exciting and dynamic first destination GPN career, providing invaluable ‘on the job’ exposure, postgraduate education and supervision whilst also financially supporting practices to train. Showcased nationally as a model of good practice and a forerunner of the Long Term Plan’s ‘GPN Fellowships’, GPN-ST is delivering a viable solution to the GPN workforce crisis. Kirsty is a General Practice Nurse in Market Rasen and completed the course earlier this year. She shared her experiences and what the course could offer her career: “I had always wanted to work within General Practice right from my placements as a student nurse. After working in secondary care for 2 years from qualifying I got a job in General Practice but with no real experience I applied for the PG Cert in General Practice Nursing. Completing the course has given me the skills and underpinning knowledge to provide great care to patients and it has helped me understand the role of a practice nurse and enabled me to fulfil the role. I love my job as a practice nurse and the course really helped me achieve where I wanted to be.” The PG Cert In General Practice Nursing is a fantastic opportunity for health care professionals to up skill and provides a pathway into the developing course portfolio within the School of Social Science at BGU which reflects current and future needs of the health and social care sector. Other current courses include Master's in Health & Social Care Leadership and Primary & Community Care. To find out how these courses can help develop your healthcare skills visit our website or contact our Enquiries Team. -
100.
BGU Academics Awarded €178,000 Erasmus Funding for Well-being Research
Academics from Bishop Grosseteste University’s (BGU) Well-being and Workload in Education RKEU group have been awarded 178,000 euro of Erasmus+ funding to research and develop the well-being of initial teacher education students. The group from BGU, who will be leading this international project, consists of Dr. Emma Clarke, Dr. Phil Wood, Shaun Thompson and Aimee Quickfall. They will be working with colleagues at the University of Eastern Finland and Kobenhavns Professionshojskole, University of Copenhagen. Aimee, who is Head of Programmes for Primary and Early Years at BGU, commented that: “It is great to be working with our Finnish and Danish colleagues again on a topic that is dear to all of us – the continued success and happiness of our teacher trainees.” The aim of the project is to produce a package of resources for ITE students, school mentors and university staff, including ‘well-being toolkits’ that will be tailored to Finnish, Danish and UK contexts. Shaun, who is Regional Partnership Lead at BGU explained this: “It is really important to consider different education systems and also the different people that need support with well-being. If a student struggles with their well-being during their training, mentors and university tutors also need resources to support their trainee in their context; on placement, in tutorials, at a distance and in person.” The project will run for three years and include events in all three countries to share findings with students, school mentors and initial teacher educators. Emma pointed out: “The project has a real activist aim – we want to improve the experiences of teacher trainees as widely as we can.” To that end, the project outcomes will include a website with free to access online resources, blogs and advice, as well as the toolkits for supporting trainee well-being. Phil explained that: “Although the toolkits and resources will be based on research carried out at BGU, UEF and Copenhagen, there will be useful materials and findings for teacher trainees, mentors and tutors in other contexts and countries.” If you’re interested in a future in education, our BA (Hons) Primary Education with QTS (3 year undergraduate degree), BA (Hons) Primary Teaching Studies with QTS (15 month top up degree), and PGCE courses are the perfect ways to begin or continue your adventure on the path to becoming a fantastic teacher! If you have any questions, our Enquiries Team are ready to help. Contact them today or visit our website to find out how to take your next steps.
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