Where are they now? In their own words: the impact of taught PGCerts accredited by Advance HE on staff learning & teaching practice and progression

Research from the last twenty-five years demonstrates an established international precedent for assessing the impact of training courses. These are generally Postgraduate Certificates, such as the University Certificate in Academic Practice (UCAP) and Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice (PGCAP) offered at Canterbury Christ Church University (CCCU), on the pedagogic practices of teachers in Higher Education. Numerous studies, including large-scale cross-institutional reviews have shown that the approach taken by higher education teachers affects their students’ approach to learning, with a student-centred facilitative approach more likely to engender deep learning and lifelong learning skills (Trigwell et al, 1999). Mulholland et al (2022) highlight the significance of PGCAP courses in enhancing reflective practice and challenging imposter syndrome as well as building communities of practice.

Separately, we also wanted to identify if the UKPSF had had an impact on staff performance, development given the findings of the Higher Education Academy (2013) which found that the impact was significant for staff in terms of aspiration, underpinning of promotion and probation policy and new ways to promote and discuss learning and teaching practice. By contrast Van der Sluis (2021) argues that HEA Fellowships are perceived by academic staff as serving managerial rather than academic priorities. So how did our staff feel given the opportunity to voice their thoughts in an anonymous setting?

Gibbs, G. & Coffey, M. (2004). ‘The impact of training of university teachers on their teaching skills, their approach to teaching and the approach to learning of their students’ in Active Learning in Higher Education, 5, pp. 87-100.

Higher Education Academy (2013). Measuring the impact of the UK Professional Standards Framework for Teaching and Supporting Learning. Available at: https://tinyurl.com/mpynxbdm

Mulholland, K., Nicholl, D. & Gillespie, A. (2022). ‘It feels like you’re going back to the beginning...’ addressing imposter feeling in early career academics through the creation of communities of practice’. Journal of Further & Higher Education. 47(1), pp.89-104.

Postareff, L., & Lindblom-Ylänne, S. (2011) ‘Emotions and confidence within teaching in higher education’ in Studies in Higher Education, 36(7), pp.799-813.

Trigwell, K., Prosser, M., & Waterhouse, F. (1999), ‘Relations between teachers’ approaches to teaching and students’ approaches to learning’, Higher Education, 37, pp. 57-70.

Van der Sluis, H. (2023). ‘Frankly, as far as I can see, it has very little to do with teaching’. Exploring academics’ perception of the HEA Fellowships’. Professional Developments in Education. 49(3), pp.416-428.