Introduction to the National Pedagogy Initiative
As part of a wider initiative on developing a learning and teaching pedagogy for Wales, I am delighted to introduce the national pedagogy initiative on the NGfL (Cymru) website.
The aim of the pedagogy initiative is to improve the outcomes for learners by enhancing the pedagogical skills, knowledge and practice of practitioners.
This will be achieved by:
- Celebrating the work of practitioners and settings that have a demonstrable positive impact on pupil outcomes, raising the professional profile of practitioners, and developing networks for sharing good practice and ideas across traditional boundaries;
- Demonstrating that practitioners can learn, in a systematic way, the skills, knowledge and practice that evidence shows improves the outcomes for learners;
- Transforming the focus of education in Wales from one based on individual professionalism, to collective professionalism – where it becomes the norm for practitioners support the development of others and where this support is sought and welcomed;
- Create an expectation that the strategic, evidence based, framework for improving pedagogy will become embedded over the next 3 - 5 years across all sectors and phases of education in Wales.
A hugely successful national conference was held at the end of November 2005 to launch the pedagogy debate in Wales. It was a unique event in the history of education and training in Wales, where the Foundation Phase, Primary, Secondary and Special Schools and Further Education Institutions were represented in an inclusive major national conference for the first time. That was a major achievement for the pedagogy initiative in Wales. As the initiative develops we will be reaching out further to include those in work-based learning, the youth and community service, adult education and higher education.
During the conference a wide range of presenters shared their experiences on the learning and teaching activities that they have adopted in their institutions. All of the presentations are available on this website and provide a rich resource on the variety of learning and teaching that is taking place across Wales.
Following the conference, delegates were asked to submit a report giving details of their work on learning and teaching within their own institution and how their attendance at the national conference influenced this practice. A selection of the reports are available on this website and, again, provide educational practitioners in Wales with an excellent source of information.
I am also delighted to welcome the eleven learning and teaching champions who will be working with us to lead on the direction of the initiative. The champions are all serving practitioners in Wales and will be providing us with professional advice until February 2008. Detailed pen portraits for all of the champions can be accessed on this website.
The national pedagogy conference was the beginning of the journey and this initiative is central to the work of the new Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills Department. The champions will help us to develop a five year strategyto embed this pedagogy initiative in what I’m sure will be an increasingly rich learning and teaching culture of education and training in Wales.
Steve Marshall – Director of the Department of Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills
