Emma & Tom's Pgce Podcast

Confession time: quite a long time ago we were asked to provide a recommendation of something interesting from the EBSCO database of education literature for the Education Workforce Council's Meddwl Mawr book and journal club. Teachers registered in Wales can access anything in EBSCO for free, helping to bring education literature goodies to classroom practitioners all over the country.Finally, we've got our act together and have a discussion for you about initial teacher education reform in Wales in the form of an article by Professor John Furlong and co-authors. Despite the apparently niche subject area, there's plenty in here for anyone in the education world to chew over, so we hope you'll stick with us for the ride!If you want to read the article, look for Furlong, J., Griffiths, J., Hannigan-Davies, C., Harris, A. and Jones, M. (2021) ‘The reform of initial teacher education in Wales: from vision to reality.’ Oxford Review of Education 47(1) pp. 61-78You can find the Meddwl Mawr book and journal club at

Today's Research Bite features Daniel Gurner, a PGCE Secondary Music student teacher who designed and delivered an intervention in his placement school to help pupils improve their literacy when answering GCSE music exam questions.In putting the intervention together, Daniel drew on various sources of literature as well as his understanding of the advantages of treating music as a holistic subject in which pupils develop their understanding of music through making it.You can also watch this episode on the Cardiff Partnership's professional learning YouTube channel.------------------------------Recorded in studio B0.17, Cyncoed Campus, Cardiff Metropolitan University on 21st June 2022

Hello from our latest podcasting home - just across campus from our old podcasting home! And as is traditional at this time of year, we've got a feast of random stuff for one another, drawn from all four corners of the internet and beyond.If you'd like to see any of the items from this episode, check out the links below. We'll see you again soon!News is bad for you - Rolf Dobelli in the GuardianTea - Hanan IssaAdmin Assistant II - Ed BurmilaBameEd WalesAfter Rembrandt and Grubby Grub - Morten MorlandThe Golden Mole and other living treasure - Katherine Rundell-------------------------------------------------------------Recorded at Cardiff Metropolitan University's Cyncoed Campus on 24th October 2022

In this episode, Phoebe Rees (who has just graduated from our PGCE primary programme) speaks to Tom Breeze about an intervention she created to tackle her concerns about low academic self-esteem in her pupils. Before embarking on the PGCE, Phoebe did a degree in psychology, and she brought her knowledge of research-informed approaches to bear on the practical issues she wanted to address in her classroom.

For today's episode we welcome one of our newest colleagues, and one of the newest Doctors on the team - Dr Kristina Kelly joins us at Cardiff Met with a wealth of knowledge about additional learning needs (ALN), so we immediately put her in front of a microphone to tell us about her research. Kristina carried out classroom research into how Piagetian schema are applicable to pupils with autism, and came up with some intriguing conclusions about potentially new schema to add to those identified by Piaget. In this conversation she talks about juggling research and teaching, the benefits of classroom-based research, and the ethics of carrying out research with participants who can't give full informed consent owing to their conditions. Thanks to Kristina for a fascinating chat, and we'll be back again soon!------------------------------------------------------Recorded at Cardiff Metropolitan University's Cyncoed campus on 4th August 2022

We're on the road for a special podcast recording today, speaking to Jess Dainham about her work for her Master's degree. As part of her research, Jess has investigated how to make the Curriculum for Wales work for the working class pupils that she teaches. When we're carrying out education research, we don't tend to name schools or participants, so today's podcast comes from an unnamed school in south Wales. but Jess's pupils are predominantly working class, and Jess herself comes from a working class background, so she was interested in how to make things work for them. Whether you're working in a working-class catchment or not, there are lots of really important ideas in Jess's work, especially listening to the pupils in front of you, and Jess gives us plenty of encouragement to engage in research in order to make our practice better. Thanks to Jess for inviting us in!---------------------------------------------------------Recorded at a secondary school in south Wales on 14th July 2022

Welcome back to PGCE Research Bites! In this episode, PGCE Secondary Biology with Science student Joseph Thomas talks to Dr. James Snook about how he spent time in school trying to get a more in-depth understanding of scaffolding learning. While scaffolding is a well-known term, and many of the strategies Joseph came across during his investigation are familiar to all of us, he wanted to have a really good look at how it could work. Having done some reading, Joseph then tried out an intervention to help his pupils get to grips with a tricky topic. -----------------------------------------Recorded in studio B0.17, Cyncoed Campus, Cardiff Metropolitan University on 21st June 2022

It's always lovely to welcome a school colleague to the podcast! Today we say hello to Lauren Rees, who is currently the research champion at Stanwell School in Penarth, but has fulfilled every teacher-educator role in her time at the school. We're keen to hear the school perspective about how research and enquiry contributes to the development of new teachers, as well as what it does for the school as a whole. With the new curriculum upon us, is it even more important that schools engage with sources of knowledge and share them around? Plus Lauren brings us something interesting and something to try, both of which are of interest to all of us, new and old teachers alike!--------------------------------------------------------Recorded at Cardiff Metropolitan University's Cyncoed Campus on 12th July 2022

For the latest instalment in our PGCE Research Bites strand, Tom talks for PGCE primary student teacher Peter Russell about his intervention to increase pupil engagement in Welsh in his placement primary school. Located in Torfaen, Peter's school presented something of a challenge when it came to enthusing pupils about wanting to learn Welsh: not only is Torfaen one of the most socio-economically deprived parts of the country, it also has a very low proportion of Welsh speakers. As part of his final PGCE assignment, Peter worked with pupils to co-construct an intervention that changed the way they felt about learning and using Welsh, and this episode of Research Bites summarises Peter's work. You can also see this episode in video form on the Cardiff Partnership's professional learning YouTube channel. --------------------------------------Recorded in studio B0.17, Cyncoed Campus, Cardiff Metropolitan University on 24th June 2022

Welcome back to season 5 of the podcast! Today's episode features an extended interview with our colleague Paula Webber (Programme Leader for PGCE Secondary Religious Education) to talk about religion, values and ethics. Not in the abstract - it's a mandatory part of the new curriculum for Wales. Up to this point, religious education (RE) has been something that parents can opt their children out of, but the all-new RVE is compulsory for all.So it's time for an in-depth chat about what's covered in RVE, the sort of difficult debates teachers will find themselves in the middle of, and how schools can make sure that they stay on the right side of a constantly evolving area of learning.We recorded this interview last academic year, so you'll hear us refer to the implementation of the new curriculum as a future event - and now, of course, it's here!You can find the full version of Paula's recommended video from Theos Think Tank here.------------------------------------------Recorded at Cardiff Metropolitan Univer

Happy holidays! We're checking in briefly before we go off for some R&R. We look back on an exciting season of episodes, and forward to series 5. We'll be back with our normal service on Friday 9th September. In the meantime, we hope you're all keeping well. Why not give us a rating or review?

Here we are at the end of another series - four long years in front of the microphone! Meanwhile, in the wider world of education, Wales is heading for an important staging post on the curriculum reform journey: by the time we come back into your ears in September, the new Curriculum for Wales will be happening in schools all over the country. It seems a good opportunity to fire up the line to our friends in Yr Athrofa at the University of Wales, Trinity Saint David Carmarthen, and chew things over with their director of education policy, Gareth Evans. Gareth was education editor of the Western Mail for many years, and now writes fearlessly about the roller-coaster of Welsh education reform on his blog, Welsh Education Matters. Over 50 minutes with Gareth, we take stock of where we are now and where we might end up, pointing out the positives but also the bits that have gone less well, and some things to watch out for in the journey ahead. Hopefully there’s a lot in here for our friends and colleagues in educ

We welcome an alumna of the (sadly departed) Teach First Cymru programme today. Bethan Jeffers has now moved sideways into a job working for the Skills Builder Partnership. Set up by Tom Ravenscroft (not, as Tom initially thought, the music broadcaster and son of the late Radio 1 DJ John Peel, but an educator, strangely enough), Skills Builder aims to provide businesses and education institutions with a framework to recognise those all-important basic skills that are so vital for getting on in the world of work. In providing a framework for skills, the partnership aims to give an incentive for schools to track and acknowledge progress in these skills, while also providing a common language about skills for educators and the world of business.You can find the partnership at www.skillsbuilder.org, where you can access the Universal Framework and many free online tools and resources. If you're interested in the Accelerator support programme that includes strategic support and training head to www.skillsbuilder.o

Welcome to PGCE Research Bites 11, and our final bonus Saturday episode. Today, Dr. Rhodri Lewis from PGCE Secondary Biology with Science is in conversation with Dr. James Snook, senior lecturer in PGCE Secondary Science.Rhodri has reviewed the literature about target setting for pupil development with the aim of helping GCSE pupils come to an understanding about where they are and what they need to do earlier than that awkward Year 11 parents' evening that many of them seem to experience!Rhodri has read literature from education but also further afield including healthcare to come up with recommendations for his lead partnership school. You can hear all about his research process and his findings, and Rhodri has kindly made his summary infographic available to download here.If you'd like to watch this discussion in video form, you can head over to the Professional Learning with the Cardiff Partnership channel on YouTube, where there are plenty more goodies for you to enjoy!Rhodri's six main sources for his w

Dyma damaid arall o ymchwil TAR i chi ac mae’r fyfyrwraig TAR Cynradd, Elin Dawes yn siarad gyda Sioned Dafydd am ei gwaith. Ystyria i ba raddau mae Dysgu yn yr Awyr Agored yn cael effaith gadarnhaol ar iechyd a lles, a beth ddylid ei ystyried wrth ei ymgorffori i fywyd yr ysgol. Yn y sgwrs hon mae Elin yn esbonio beth wnaeth hi ddarganfod ac effaith hynny ar ei hymarfer proffesiynol.  Gallwch hefyd wylio’r sgwrs hon ar Professional Learning with the Cardiff Partnership YouTube channel. Mae crynodeb Elin, sydd ar ffurf pwerbwynt, yma Chwe phrif ffynhonnell Elin oedd: Marchant, E., Todd, C., Cooksey, R., Dredge, S., Jones, H., Reynolds, D., et al. (2019) ‘Curriculum-based outdoor learning for children aged 9-11: A qualitative analysis of pupils’ and teachers’ views’. Edwards-Jones, A., et al. (2016) Falling into LINE: school strategies for overcoming challenges associated with learning in natural environments (LINE) Pia Sjöblom & Maria Svens (2019) ‘Learning in the Finnish outdoor classroom: Pupils’ views,

Here in Initial Teacher Education land, we're very familiar with coaching our brand-new members of the profession, student teachers who are working towards that all-important qualified teacher status (QTS). But today's guest, Julie Keyes, has moved sideways from a successful career in teaching to provide coaching to more experienced members of the profession. Working with senior leaders as well as those further down the food chain, Julie joins us down the line from Cornwall to discuss how coaching can benefit teachers and schools, how she goes about having a coaching conversation, and what she can draw out with some simple but effective questions. Julie's video recommendation is How to Tame your Advice Monster, and her book recommendation is Coaching on the Go. You can find Julie at theeduationalcoach.co.uk ---------------------------------------Recorded at Cardiff Metropolitan University's Cyncoed Campus (and remotely from Cornwall) on 31st March 2022

it's another Saturday research bite for you, and PGCE Primary student teacher Abby Dee is in conversation with Sioned Dafydd about her work, which considers AfL strategies for inclusion. Abby is particularly interested in working with pupils with ASD and other additional learning needs, and indeed she has undertaken her second PGCE placement in a special school.In this conversation Abby explains what she found out, and the strategies she was able to identify for her own practice.You can also watch this conversation at the Professional Learning with the Cardiff Partnership YouTube channel.Abby's infographic is available for download here.Abby's six main sources of literature were:Bourke, R. and Mentis, M. (2013). ‘Self-assessment as a process for inclusion.’ International Journal of Inclusive Education, 17(8), pp.854–867Clark, I. (2014). ‘Equitable learning outcomes: Supporting economically and culturally disadvantaged students in “formative learning environments.”’ Improving Schools, 17(1), pp.116–126Heritage

Welcome to another episode of PGCE Research Bites! We've got another PGCE MFL student for you today: Rhiannon Ashcroft talks to her programme leader, Kerry Bevan, about her review of the literature on restorative practice.A sometimes controversial and often misunderstood approach to pupil-teacher relationships, restorative practice proved to be fertile ground for Rhiannon to make some helpful and practical recommendations on where to start. Her infographic is available for download here.You can watch this discussion on our 'Professional Learning with the Cardiff Partnership' YouTube channel.Rhiannon's six main literature sources are:Blood, P. and Thorsborne, M., 2016. Overcoming Resistance to Whole-School Uptake of Restorative Practices. Paper presented at the International Institute of Restorative Practices "The Next Step: Developing Restorative Communities, Part 2" Conference. Available at https://www.iirp.edu/pdf/beth06_blood.pdfDas, A., Macbeth, J. and Elsaesser, C., 2019. ‘Online school conflicts: expand

It's time to hit the road (for about a mile) and make an enormous mess of wires and microphones in the nerve-centre of Welsh Government. We travelled to Cathays Park for a chat with our second education minister since we started the podcast. Jeremy Miles has been the minister for education and the Welsh language for just under a year now, and with the implementation of the new curriculum for Wales just a few short months away, it wasn't hard to work out what we needed to ask him about. Our in-depth interview starts with the obvious question - are we ready? - and then tackles a number of pressing issues including the impact of Covid-19, concerns over equity and coherence, how to look after a very hard-pressed teaching profession and try to make it more reflective of the diversity of pupils in the classroom. While there are always going to be questions left unasked in 45 minutes, we hope we've provided you with some food for thought as we enter the final stages before September 2022. ---------------------------