| Popis: |
"This research considers the role of Master’s study in the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) of teachers in Ireland, North and South. Countries with the highest pupil assessment outcomes emphasise the importance of teachers having Master’s degrees and effective CPD for teachers has been widely acknowledged as a key characteristic of mature systems of teacher education. There has also been a developing focus on the concept of teachers as researchers which clearly places an onus upon teachers to reframe and reconceptualise their work; in this sense, it can be seen how the Master’s qualification can have increasing relevance. Despite attempts to better understand and standardise the general definition of Master’s qualifications there is still much variation in terms of its value in relation to the professional status, identity and practice of teachers. In addition, whilst there is some evidence to suggest that teacher confidence can benefit from Master’s study, there is limited research on the extent to which Master’s work can influence professional identity and subsequent practice. This research aims to address some of these questions by generating a profile of teachers studying for Master’s degrees in Education across the island of Ireland. The research aims to clarify issues around motivation and the influence that having a Master’s degree might have on the participants’ professional identity and practice. Working within a qualitative, interpretative design and using a mixed methods approach employing survey and focus groups, primary survey data were collected from cohorts of students studying for Master’s in Education in all universities across Ireland in the time period 2017 – 2022. This first round of data collection will be presented here. The research may help inform programme design and also have the potential to influence policy-makers in terms of developing coherency around the professional development of teachers, beyond the initial stage." |
