Emma & Tom Talk Teaching

We interrupt your Friday off from our podcast to bring you a special episode about Wales’s PISA results!There’s been plenty of commentary about this already, and we wanted to contribute something that chews over the implications. Despite the results landing very inconveniently in the middle of our busiest teaching period of the year, we found a slot when we could both get in front of a microphone, and we’re doing our best to try and work out where we go from here without sugar coating the fact that these PISA results are really, really not good. For those listeners new to these things, we take a brief run around what PISA actually is, then dive into Wales’s results, get a flavour of the commentary, and try to get a sense of where your new Plaid Cymru overlords want to take things next. Were they lucky to get this bombshell early in their tenure? Or are they already too late to avoid another bad news bomb in three years’ time? Tom’s been sniffing around to get a sense of what’s going on behind closed doors in Welsh Government, and has a few things to report about some speedy announcements, and a curriculum review by the end of the year. Thanks to Rhys Williams from ITV News for the clip that opens this episode. You can follow Rhys on X (and we recommend that you do!) at @rhyswilliamstv - his digging around the detail of data and inspection reports is doing a fine service to education journalism in Wales. We’ll be revisiting plenty of the themes covered today over the course of the year. Normal service will be resumed next week!——————————Recorded in studio B2.15 at Cardiff Metropolitan University’s Cyncoed Campus on 10th September 2026

Welcome back to the podcast for what is, unbelievably, our ninth season!For this first episode, Tom is out and about with his microphones, and has an interview with Dr Gwenllian Lansdown Davies, CEO of Dysgu. Dysgu was set up around a year ago to oversee the professional learning offering for people working in education in Wales. We wanted to find out how it sees its role, what its priorities are, and what would count as success for a nation still grappling with major educational challenges. Thanks to Gwenllian for joining us. --------------------------------------------------------------------------Recorded in Cathays Park, Cardiff on 7th July (interview) and in studio B2.15 at Cardiff Metropolitan University's Cyncoed Campus on 12th August (final discussion)

First of all, welcome back to Emma! Although listeners may not have noticed (thanks to us imprisoning her in a studio for about a week last summer and then putting the episodes out slowly across the year), she has in fact just returned from a whole year away from the mic. In this bonus episode, we look back at season 8, and find out that Emma hasn't been keeping an eye on Tom while he was left to drive the podcast by himself - and it's a good thing he didn't realise or who knows what might have been published? We take a quick look forward to what's coming up in season 9, and invite you to make a date in your diary for the 4th September, when we release our first episode of the new academic year.--------------------------------Recorded in studio B2.15 at Cardiff Metropolitan University's Cyncoed Campus on 10th August 2026

We've reached the end of season 8 of Emma and Tom Talk Teaching, and to celebrate the end of another academic year, we're going to take on the end-of-level boss! Learning Styles is a neuromyth (something that people say about how the brain works that sounds attractive but is basically a load of rubbish). Not just any old neuromyth, but THE neuromyth that just refuses to lie down and die. For decades, some in the education world have been beguiled by the notion that all our pupils can be defined as visual, auditory or kinaesthetic learners, and that those who teach them should plan to deliver content in all three of these forms. People have filled in questionnaires to find their learning style, people have made money off the back of the whole notion, and countless amounts of time, money, blood, sweat and tears have been expended on something that, as our guest points out early in the episode, has not only been thoroughly debunked, but is actively detrimental. And yet... and yet... still the myth endures, and still the learning styles monster rears its ugly head from time to time. So Tom has put out the bat signal, and a superhero for our times has answered the call: Dr Louise Allen-Walker from our psychology in education and criminology programmes joins him to engage in an act of public service. In this episode, we strike our own blow at learning styles: the neuromyth that just won't die. Plus, of course, the infamous Neuromyth Van makes an appearance towards the end of the episode, so Louise can put her top three most hated myths (apart from learning styles) in there to be taken away and crushed. Thanks to Louise for joining us today, and thanks to everyone for listening for another year! We'll be back soon. ----------------------------------Recorded in studio B2.15 at Cardiff Metropolitan University's Cyncoed Campus (with remote guest) on 21st May 2026Thanks to our sound engineer Pete Lambern, and studio manager Adrian Rapps, as well as the whole team at Cardiff Met Sport Broadcast & Media, for their support this year. 

Today we look at our own initial teacher education (ITE) provision here at Cardiff Met, and question how effective the concept of Research and Enquiry has been for our student teachers. Working in a policy environment where teachers are expected to be capable of creating and consuming knowledge about teaching, and bringing to to bear on their own contexts, we provide time and space for our student teachers to learn how to do that. The idea is that this will make them into better teachers - but how successful has this new idea been and what does our idea look like in reality, on the ground? Emma and Tom are joined by fellow researcher Sioned Dafydd to discuss what we found when we carried out some research that was close to home, and found out some interesting things about how things are going on!———————————Recorded in studio D0.12 at Cardiff Metropolitan University’s Cyncoed Campus on 23rd July 2025

Tom is joined in the non camera-enabled studio today (sorry, YouTube subscribers!) by Sarah McErlaine, who works with schools in Caerphilly county here in Wales. Sarah has just completed her professional doctorate, in which she worked with literacy specialists to try and nail down the key concepts in English. In the absence of much in the way of clues in the Curriculum for Wales framework, this turned out to be an important and difficult undertaking, and resulted in the production of some very handy concept maps to help support those teachers out in school. Sarah talks us through how she went about designing a support package by taking an international view of the key concepts of the subject, and collaborating with school colleagues to come up with something they could use. Thanks to Sarah for taking the time to chat, and apologies from Tom for pressing the wrong buttons in very much the wrong order on the studio desk, resulting in Sarah sounding like she was dialling in on Teams when she was in fact sitting a few feet away!———————————————————————Recorded in studio B2.10A at Cardiff Metropolitan University’s Cyncoed Campus on 22nd April 2026

This week we welcome two academics from the University of the West of England - Joe Brown and Dr Tim Clark - to the studio. They’re here to discuss their recently published book Debating Childhoods, which gives Tom and Sian the chance to have an in-depth discussion about how we think of childhood and how society’s values influence the things we prioritise and consider when providing education and experiences for children. There’s lots to think about in this extended episode, and if you’re interested in doing some more deep thinking on this topic, Debating Childhoods is published by Sage and available wherever you get your books!——————————————Recorded in studio B2.15 at Cardiff Metropolitan University’s Cyncoed Campus on 10th February 2026

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 in Q0.13 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 in studio D0.18 at Cardiff Metropolitan University's Cyncoed Campus on 29th March 2022

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 education to chew over as they head off for a summer break and a future which, if nothing else, will be interesting…Thanks to Gareth for joining us today - you can read his excellent blog at welsheducationmatters.wordpress.com - and we’ll be back on the 9th September for our fifth year of podcast adventures.Thanks for listening, have a wonderful summer, and we’ll be back with you soon!Best wishes from Emma and Tom------------------------------------Recorded in studio D0.18 at Cardiff Metropolitan University's Cyncoed Campus, and remotely, on 22nd June 2022

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.org/accelerator. Each year there are fully funded places available, most have gone for the 22/23 programme now but you can still apply by the 8th of July and be put on the waiting list to be in with a chance! Also, Bethan is happy to answer any questions if you want to drop her an email: bethan.jeffers@skillsbuilder.org------------------------------------Recorded in studio C2.05 at Cardiff Metropolitan University's Cyncoed Campus on 23rd May, 2022

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 work are:Grant, H. and Dweck, C.S. (2003) ‘Clarifying Achievement Goals and Their Impact’, Journal of personality and social psychology, 85(3), pp. 541–553. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.85.3.541.Nordengren, C. (2019) ‘Goal-setting practices that support a learning culture’, Phi Delta Kappan, 101(1), pp. 18–23. doi:10.1177/0031721719871558.Ogbeiwi, Osahon. (2017). Why written objectives need to be really SMART. British Journal of Healthcare Management. 23. 324-336. 10.12968/bjhc.2017.23.7.324. Perry, T., Davies, P. and Qiu, T. (2018) ‘Great grade expectations? The role of pupil expectations in target setting’, International journal of educational research, 89, pp. 139–152. doi:10.1016/j.ijer.2017.10.010.Iversen, A.-M. et al. (2015) ‘Learning, Leading, and Letting Go of Control: Learner-Led Approaches in Education’, SAGE open, 5(4), p. 215824401560842–. doi:10.1177/2158244015608423.Day, T. and Tosey, P. (2011) ‘Beyond SMART? A new framework for goal setting’, Curriculum journal (London, England), 22(4), pp. 515–534. doi:10.1080/09585176.2011.627213.

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, Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning’.Lehte Tuuling , Tia Õun & Aino Ugaste. (2019). ‘Teacher’s opinions on utilizing outdoor learning in the preschools of Estonia’.Atencio, M., Yuen Sze Michelle Tan, Ho, S., & Chew Ting Ching (2014) ‘The place and approach of outdoor learning within a holistic curricular agenda: development of Singaporean outdoor education practice.’Lovell, R., (2009) ‘Forestry Commission Scotland: Physical activity at Forest School’.

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 in studio C2.05 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, M. (2018). ‘Assessment for learning as support for student self-regulation.’ The Australian Educational Researcher, 45(1), pp.51–63Kefallinou, A., Symeonidou, S. and Meijer, C.J.W. (2020). ‘Understanding the value of inclusive education and its implementation: A review of the literature.’ PROSPECTS, 49(3-4), pp.135–152Tay, H.Y. and Kee, K.N.N. (2019). ‘Effective questioning and feedback for learners with autism in an inclusive classroom’. Cogent Education, 6(1)Westbroek, H.B., van Rens, L., van den Berg, E. and Janssen, F. (2020). ‘A practical approach to assessment for learning and differentiated instruction.’ International Journal of Science Education, 42(6), pp.1–22

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: expanding the scope of restorative practices with a virtual peace room.’ Contemporary Justice Review, 22(4), pp.351-370.Finnis, M., 2021. Independent thinking on restorative practice: Building relationships, improving behaviour and creating stronger communities. 1st ed. Carmarthen: Crown House Publishing, pp.70-113.Hulvershorn, K. and Mulholland, S., 2018. ‘Restorative practices and the integration of social emotional learning as a path to positive school climates.’ Journal of Research in Innovative Teaching & Learning, [online] 11(1), pp.110-123. Available at: https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/JRIT-08-2017-0015/full/pdfLodi, E., Perrella, L., Lepri, G., Scarpa, M. and Patrizi, P., 2021. ‘Use of Restorative Justice and Restorative Practices at School: A Systematic Literature Review.’ International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(1), p.96.Short, R., Case, G. and McKenzie, K., 2018. ‘The long-term impact of a whole school approach of restorative practice: the views of secondary school teachers.’ Pastoral Care in Education, [online] 36(4), pp.313-324. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/02643944.2018.1528625

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.------------------------------------------Recorded at Cathays Park, Cardiff on 25th April 2022

We have so many goodies for you, and so little of the year left, that we're giving you some bonus Saturday releases: for the first time ever, we present BA Bites!As well as our well-known PGCE programmes, the Cardiff Partnership for ITE has an undergraduate BA Primary with QTS programme, and today we bring you our first ever guest from that programme. Lani Codd is a final year student who has carried out classroom-based research into the link between pupils' ability in literacy and their creative capacities.In this research bite, you can hear Lani talking to Emma about her work, and what she found out.You can check out Lani's infographic summarising her findings here, and a video version of this conversation is available at the Cardiff Partnership's professional learning YouTube channel.

Research Bites is back! Showcasing the very best student teacher research from the Cardiff Partnership for Initial Teacher Education, we're proud to present student teachers in conversation with their tutors about the work they've done, and the impact it's had on them and their classrooms.Today, Sonia Fajkis joins us to talk about engagement in blended learning in the language classroom. Sonia talks to her PGCE programme leader, Kerry Bevan, about her review of the literature and the recommendations she made to her school, as well as her next steps as a teacher and a researcher.Sonia has kindly made her summary infographic available for download, which you can find here. Thanks, Sonia!You can also find a video version of this conversation at the Cardiff Partnership's professional learning YouTube channel.Sonia's six main sources were:Chiu, T. K. F., (2021): Applying the self-determination theory (SDT) to explain student engagement in online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, Journal of Research on Technology in Education, Apr 2021. https://doi.org/10.1080/15391523.2021.1891998Chu, T. L. (A.). (2020). ‘Applying positive psychology to foster student engagement and classroom community amid the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond’ Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/stl0000238König, J., Jäger-Biela, D.J. and Glutsch, N. (2020) ‘Adapting to online teaching during COVID-19 school closure: teacher education and teacher competence effects among early career teachers in Germany’, European journal of teacher education, 43(4), pp. 608–622. https://doi.org/10.1080/02619768.2020.1809650Pelikan, E.R., Lüftenegger, M., Holzer, J. et al. (2021) ‘Learning during COVID-19: the role of self-regulated learning, motivation, and procrastination for perceived competence’, Z Erziehungswiss, 24, pp. 393–418. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-70010-6_14.van Roy, R. and Zaman, B. (2019) ‘Unravelling the ambivalent motivational power of gamification: A basic psychological needs perspective’, International journal of human-computer studies, 127, pp. 38–50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhcs.2018.04.009Ryan, R.M. and Deci, E.L. (2020) ‘Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation from a self-determination theory perspective: Definitions, theory, practices, and future directions’, Contemporary educational psychology, 61, pp. 101860

We're back with the second half of our double-bill discussing the outcomes of joint research carried out by Cardiff Metropolitan University and Cardiff University into the impact of Covid-19 on the education landscape. The research focused particularly on assessment, and looked at both pupils and student teachers. In this second episode we're rejoined by Professor Emmajane Milton from Cardiff University, and also welcome Dr Anna Bryant and Dr Viv John from Cardiff Met. We're discussing the reforms to initial teacher education in Wales, the model of research-informed clinical practice that was adopted in Cardiff, and what happened when Covid-19 hit less than a year into a brand-new (for us) way of educating teachers. We discuss the place of research-informed clinical practice in supporting new teachers to develop despite a rocky start to their careers, differing perceptions between school and university about the way that Covid-19 impacted teacher education, and look at how we move forward and continue developing our vision together with our school partners. What features are the Covid-keepers, and what innovations do we want to throw out and never see again? A reminder that the IPDA is a super-friendly support group for anyone involved in education, and their can be found at ipda.org.uk, with twitter handles at @ipda_prof_learn and @ipdacymru -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Recorded at Cardiff Metropolitan University's Cyncoed Campus on 4th March 2022

It's the Easter break in schools - and who knows, we might even take a few days of annual leave ourselves!It's become a tradition at holiday times for us to break into our normal service with a chat about some interesting, weird and wonderful things we've found online, so here's our Easter offering for you.Tom's on best behaviour this time around and has promised not to drop some nightmarish bombshell on Emma to respond to, and all three of his contributions are actually linked to teaching. Meanwhile, Emma has some interesting stuff of her own to share. We hope you enjoy our free-form chat and find something interesting in there! Have a wonderful break, and we'll be back with the second half of our Covid Assessment Project research double-bill in a fortnight.Find our goodies online:1) BBC World Service: Deeply Human2) Political Thinking with Nick Robinson: Lord (Jonathan) Sumption3) The Guardian: 100 ways to slightly improve your life4) Twitter: Dan Wuori on teacher sacrifice5) New York Times: Wordle6) CNN: All students had to do was read the syllabus--------------------------------------------------------Recorded in studio C2.05 at Cardiff Metropolitan University's Cyncoed Campus on 31st March 2022

Today we're releasing the first in a double-bill of podcast episodes discussing joint research carried out by the Cardiff Partnership for Initial Teacher Education, and presented at events convened by the International Professional Development Association.We're joined by the newly-professored Emmajane Milton (congratulations to her!) and Dr. Alex Morgan from Cardiff University, who carried out research in a team with colleagues from Cardiff Met. The research, funded by Welsh Government, aimed to discover the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on both pupils and student teachers, with a particular emphasis on assessment.The findings were interesting and concerning for both groups, and what we present today is a no-holds-barred, in-depth discussion about the state of education today as we continue to face challenges from Covid-19, and as we look to reform education in Wales.At the time we release this episode, the report itself had not been publicly released, but on 23rd March we received news that it is now publicly available. You can read them here, and the report being discussed today is research study 4.We'll be back in a fortnight with another episode based on this work, in which we dig deeper into how initial teacher education fared when the pandemic hit.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------Recorded in studio D0.12 at Cardiff Metropolitan University's Cyncoed Campus on 3rd March 2022

Long-time podcast listeners may remember our review of Lucy Crehan's bestseller Cleverlands, in which the author outlined her insights into leading education systems of the world. Crucially, Lucy had actually got on a plan and travelled to the countries, living with teachers and speaking to people involved in education, and so her conclusions about the features of high-performing education systems of the world had more weight behind them. It also helped that her final chapter was crystal clear in summarising what she saw as the common features of world-leading education systems.So you can imagine how excited we were to be able to pack up our wires and microphones and hit the road - not only were we taking the podcast for the first time since Covid hit in 2020, but we had an invitation to Lucy Crehan's house for a long chat about her work supporting teachers in implementing the new curriculum for Wales!Our discussion turned out to be an honest and serious evaluation of how things are going in what should be the final stages before the new curriculum is rolled out in Welsh schools. Are we ready? Are there cautionary notes to be drawn from Scotland's Curriculum for Excellence? How can teachers fill in the gap between the 'big picture' aspirations of the curriculum documents and the nuts and bolts of subject disciplines?All is revealed in this extended interview with Lucy Crehan, and we hope you find the insights useful, no matter where in the world you're listening.-------------------------------Recorded in Swansea on 16th February 2022

It's been quite a while since we discussed the all-important role of the mentor in initial teacher education, and we welcome two guests today: Sally Bethell, veteran of several podcast recordings, and Sian Wickersham, one of our newest colleagues.Sally has spent years becoming our go-to colleagues about all things to do with mentoring, and is in the closing stages of doctoral research on the subject. Meanwhile, Sian has just joined us from a role at an academy chain in London, and her perspective as a new member of the team (and one with experience of initial teacher education over the border in England) adds a new angle.There have been some major changes in the way we work in partnership with our schools to educate new members of the teaching profession in the last few years. How has this manifested itself in the role of the mentor, the person who the student teacher probably sees more than anyone else on the programme? How have our colleagues who train and support mentors changed how they work to take account of this? And how can schools select the very best possible people to be mentors?---------------------------------Recorded in studio D0.12 at Cardiff Metropolitan University's Cyncoed Campus on 9th December 2021

Mae wedi bod ychydig yn amser ers i ni glywed ddiwethaf gan ein hathrawon dan hyfforddiant, a heddiw gallwch chi glywed gan sawl un ohonyn nhw! Mae'r cysyniad o ymchwil ac ymholi yn ganolog i fodel ymarfer clinigol addysg gychwynnol ymchwil Caerdydd Met, ac mae'n bleser clywed athrawon dan hyfforddiant yn amlinellu eu gweithgareddau ymchwil ac ymholi cynnar o'u lleoliadau ysgol cyntaf mor groyw.Fe wnaethom sefydlu ein prosiect 'bwth lluniau ymchwil ac ymholi' lle anfonodd ein hathrawon dan hyfforddiant fideos 'hunlun' 2-3 munud yn dweud wrthym beth yr oeddent wedi'i dynnu oddi wrth ddarn o ymchwil ac ymholiad. Mae Sioned a Rhian yn cyflwyno rhai ohonynt yn y bennod hon, ac yn trafod y lle ymchwil ac ymholi mewn addysg gychwynnol athrawon.-------------------------------Recordiwyd ar Gampws Cyncoed Prifysgol Fetropolitan Caerdydd ar 14eg Rhagfyr 2021

It's been a little while since we last heard from our student teachers, and today you can hear from several of them! The concept of research and enquiry is central to Cardiff Met's research-informed clinical practice model of initial teacher education, and it's a joy to hear student teachers outlining their early research and enquiry activities from their first school placements so articulately.We set up our 'research and enquiry photo booth' project in which our student teachers sent 2-3 minute 'selfie' videos telling us what they'd taken away from a piece of research and enquiry. Emma and Tom introduce some of them in this episode, and discuss the place of research and enquiry in initial teacher education.For our Welsh-speaking listeners, there's a bonus this week as we're simultaneously releasing a Welsh version of this episode. Check out our feed for the other episode 13, in which our Emma and Tom's colleagues Sioned Dafydd and Rhian Crooks-Williams take their places to discuss the 'photo booth' submissions of our Welsh-medium student teachers.Thanks, as ever, to all of our students for putting their time and effort into these pieces of work.------------------------------------Recorded in studio D0.18 at Cardiff Metropolitan University's Cyncoed Campus on 29th November 2021.

Dr. Viv John, recently awarded her doctorate after completing the Cardiff Met EdD programme with flying colours, has been in our sights for a while! After hearing the rave reviews of her viva, we had to get her in front of a microphone to find out what she's been researching.And the answer is that Dr. Viv has been bravely tackling several of the trickier areas relating to music education, taking on so many challenges that even her supervisors wondered if it was wise!In a nutshell, Viv was interested in trying to nail down the tricky concept of creativity as it applies to musicians who embark on the PGCE in secondary music with the aim of becoming classroom music teachers. We've heard many times on the podcast from Tom about the fact that people entering the profession as secondary music teachers skew strongly towards what we call 'classically trained', and Viv was interested in the implications of that for how these musicians see their own creativity and how it changes as they beome teachers. As well as the PGCE students trained in the western classical tradition, a small group of non classically-trained musicians came onto the programme and Viv was able to see how their views of creativity differed, and the challenges that they faced when entering a profession that has largely trained in music in a very different way.Along the road to gaining her EdD, Viv grappled with the sociological theories of Pierre Bordieu as a means of making sense of what was going on, and used the slightly unorthodox research methodology of narrative enquiry to tell the stories of these musicians as they entered the teaching profession during their PGCE year.This episode will be a gift to anyone interested in music education, arts education, creativity, the sociology of education and narrative enquiry, so our grateful thanks to Viv for popping in just before Christmas to bring us such a huge selection of goodies!------------------------------------------------------------------------Recorded in studio D0.12 at Cardiff Metropolitan University's Cyncoed Campus on 14th December 2021

For the first time in a very long time, we're off on the road to an actual real-life school! Pencoedtre High School in Barry is the venue for an interesting discussion about what we mean by trauma-informed schools and how trauma-informed practice can help support pupils in overcoming difficulties that can affect their experience in school.Steph Robinson and Liz John join us in a school in the midst of being rebuilt to talk about what this looks like in practice, and how a little thought can go a long way in ensuring pupils have an emotionally available adult to call upon when they're in school.-------------------------------------------Recorded at Pencoedtre High School, Barry on 7th December 2021

So you want to become a teacher? Hopefully we can help!Our original episode of this name three years ago has been our number 1 most downloaded episode, so there must be quite a few of you out there interested in joining us in the best job in the world! But three years is a long time, and we thought it was time to produce a sequel and put it out there. We're joined by Sioned Dafydd, primary education specialist and one of the Welsh-language voices of the podcast, to chew over what you need to know and how to prepare to become a teacher. There's plenty of advice about the importance of knowing what you're signing up for, some ideas about the different pathways, and loads of common questions answered. We hope you find it useful!If you fancy coming and training with us, you can find out more about our programmes at www.cardiffmet.ac.uk/cardiff-partnershipWherever you decide to become a teacher, good luck!You can also watch this episode on YouTube here.-----------------------------------Recorded in studio D0.12 at Cardiff Metropolitan University's Cyncoed Campus on 9th December 2021

It's Christmas Eve! We're here to supply our traditional festive ramble through a variety of random things we've gathered together for your enjoyment and diversion as you recover from a long, long autumn term. As usual, it's a mixture of the heavy and the insubstantial, the academic and the completely left-field. Hopefully there's something in the present pile for everyone, whether you're looking for something to think about or just some entertainment. After exhausting the selection of articles, podcasts and party games, our final offering is Emma's idea to shamelessly pinch the central concept from a popular podcast on the Guardian, which sees our intrepid duo sharing their favourite comfort food snacks and explaining the story behind them. If that leaves you hungry (!) for more, we hope you'll enjoy all the goodies we have lined up for you in 2022. That's it from us for 2021, and we hope you've enjoyed our episodes this year. Have a wonderful Christmas and new year, and we'll see you again in January!Best wishes from Emma and Tom xxAs a special Christmas present, you can watch this podcast on YouTube here! LINKS FOR THIS EPISODE:TomThe vanity of 'white guilt' - Lionel Shriver, The SpectatorThe internet has turned our past into a curse - James Marriott, The TimesMaton, K. (2013) 'Knowledge-knower structures: What's at stake in the 'two cultures' debate, why school music is unpopular, and what unites such diverse issues' in Maton, K. Knowledge and Knowers: Towards a Realist Sociology of Education. London: RoutledgeThe seven types of rest: I spent a week trying them all. Could they help end my exhaustion? Emma Beddington, The GuardianA Very Fatal Murder - Onion Public RadioEmmaThe Story of Aids - BBC World ServiceA moment that changed me: Patrick Stewart on the teacher who spotted his talent – and saved him - Patrick Stewart, The GuardianThings Fell Apart - Jon RonsonIant - Steve Blandford, Cambria Books------------------------------------------------Recorded in studio D0.12 at Cardiff Metropolitan University's Cyncoed Campus on 14th December 2021

For this final episode before our traditional Christmas Special, we welcome Richard West, numeracy coordinator at Stanwell School in Penarth. Richard is a physics specialist but has taken on this important role in his school, supporting his colleagues to find opportunities within their subject specialisms to draw out numeracy skills.Richard discusses how to address numeracy meaningfully, how to address the fear factor amongst staff, and gives us plenty of practical strategies for addressing this cross-curricular theme within the curriculum for Wales.---------------------Recorded in studio D0.18 at Cardiff Metropolitan University's Cyncoed Campus on 29th November 2021

It's never been more important to have a clear vision and justification for your own subject and where it fits into the curriculum, whether you're in Wales or further afield.In this episode, Emma and Tom go back to basics to model the kind of material that can help you start thinking and talking about where you stand on the big questions about your subject. It goes without saying that this model uses the specific contexts of secondary music and drama that Emma and Tom know and love, so if you're not from that world you'll need to apply this to your own particular situation. Even so, we hope the conversation in here is a starting point for anyone who needs to work out where they stand in relation to the educational things they hold dear!If you want to find the texts discussed in this episode, here they are:Robinson, M. (2021) 'Drama' in What should schools teach? London: UCL PressPhilpott, C. (2012) 'The Justification for Music in the Curriculum' in Debates in Music Teaching. Abingdon: Routledge--------------------Recorded in studio C2.05 at Cardiff Metropolitan University's Cyncoed Campus on 9th November 2021

We're delighted to welcome Dr. Julia Jenkins back to the podcast after far too long away! Previously a member of our PGCE secondary science team, Julia was working for Teach First Cymru last time we caught up, but is now on the staff of the Institute of Physics. Julia has plenty of hard-hitting facts and figures for us on a worrying situation for diversity in the physics teaching world, with serious knock-on effects for teacher recruitment, A-level numbers and the subject of physics itself.Julia and her colleagues at the IoP have plenty fo support available for physics teachers, and also the significant number of non-specialists who are teaching the subject. Check out their Limit Less pages at iop.org/strategy/limit-less or drop Julia an email at [email protected] in studio C2.05 at Cardiff Metropolitan University's Cyncoed campus on 21st October 2021

For the final PGCE Research Bites of this block, we welcome Ben Pepler, who's here to discuss with Tom his research into how we can get more consistent results in the different components of GCSE music through an integrated approach. We hope you've found this set of Research Bites interesting, and maybe it's inspired you to carry out your own classroom research or enquiry! You can watch this episode on YouTube - https://smarturl.it/cardiffpartnership     Bibliography Badeley, A., (2006). Working Memory: An Overview. In: S. Pickering, ed., Working Memory and Education. Elsevier Inc. Dammann, G. (2008) ‘GCSE music: As for pupils who cannot read a note’, The Guardian Limited, 9 August, D’amore, A. (2006) Musical Futures: An approach to teaching and learning. London: Paul Hamlyn Foundation Evans, J. and Philpott, C. (eds.) A Practical Guide to Teaching Music in the Secondary School. London: Routledge Publishing Group Green, L. (2008) Music, Informal Learning and the School: A New Classroom Pedagogy. London: Ashgate Popular and Folk Music Series. Hartland, J. (2000) Arts Education In Secondary Schools: Effects and Effectiveness. Berkshire: National Foundation for Educational Research. Lindsey, R., Shroyer, J., Pashler, H. and Mozer, M., (2014). Improving Students’ Long-Term Knowledge Retention Through Personalized Review. Psychological Science, 25(3), pp.639-647. Major, A. (2008) ‘Appraising composing in secondary-school music lessons’, Music Education Research, 10(2), pp. 307-319. London: Routledge Publishing. McCormack, I. and Healey, J. (2008) Getting the Buggers in Tune. London: Continuum International Publishing Group. McPherson, G. (2006) The Child as Musician. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Mills, J. (2005) Music in the school. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Philpott, C. (2001) Learning to Teach Music in the Secondary School. Oxon: Routledge Falmer Publishing Group. Philpott, C. and Spruce, G. (eds.) (2007) Learning to Teach Music in the Secondary School: a Companion to the School Experience. London: Routledge Falmer. Price, J. and Savage, J. (eds.) (2012) Teaching Secondary Music. London: Sage Publications. Sherrington, T. (2019). Rosenshine’s Principles in Action. Woodbridge Sherrington, T. and Caviglioli, O., (2017). The Learning Rainforest. Woodbridge. Sherrington, T. and Caviglioli, O., (2020). Teaching Walkthrus. Woodbridge. Sherrington, T. and Caviglioli, O., (2021). Teaching WalkThrus 2. Woodbridge. Spruce, G. (2002) Aspects of Teaching Secondary Music. London: RoutledgeFalmer Swanwick, K., (1979). A basis for music education. [Windsor]: NFER-Nelson Publ. Co. Wales. Department for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills (2008a) Music: Guidance for Key Stages 2 and 3. Cardiff: Crown Copyright. Wales. Department for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills (2008b) Music in the National Curriculum for Wales. Cardiff: Crown Copyright. Westerlund, H. and Väkevä, L. (2011) ‘Who needs theory anyway? The relationship between theory and practice of music education in a philosophical outlook’. British Journal of Music, 28 (1), pp 37-49, [Online], Available at: http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid= 7967516 WJEC (2021). [online]. WJEC GCSE in Music Specification. Available at: <https://www.wjec.co.uk/umbraco/surface/blobstorage/download?nodeId=7 813> [Accessed 31 May 2021].   Wright, R (2002) ‘Music for all? Pupils’ perceptions of the GCSE Music examination in one South Wales secondary school’, British Journal of Music Education, 19 (3) pp.227-241, [Online]. Available at: http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=onine&aid+1 26504&fulltextType=RA&field=S0265051702000323

It's time for our traditional October light episode, where we scour the weirdest corners of the Internet to find some interesting things to share. As usual, we have no idea what the other is bringing to the mic, and the result is an episode that takes in statistics, impostor syndrome, social media and wellbeing cheese (you'll have to listen to find out what that's all about).Our episode rounds off with a rant from Tom and a feelgood tweet from Emma that leaves Tom muttering into the mic as the credits roll. Enjoy and we'll see you soon for the long run-up to Christmas!Our goodies from this episode:What Data Can't Do - The New YorkerWellbeing Cheese - Tom SherringtonIntimidating Personality - Laura Pickering-PayneSix hours without Facebook - The RegisterLoyal, loving friends - Hallie Rubenhold--------------------Recorded in studio C2.05 at Cardiff Metropolitan University's Cyncoed Campus on 14th October 2021

Mae Tameidiau o Ymchwil TAR yn cyflwyno ymchwil gorau myfyrwyr ar gyrsiau Addysg Gychwynnol i Athrawon gyda Phartneriaeth Caerdydd. Yn y bennod hon mae Nia Davies yn trafod sut yr aeth ati i ddysgu mwy am hyrwyddo llafaredd mewn dosbarth cynradd, drwy ymchwil ac ymholi. Gallwch hefyd wrando ar Tameidiau o Ymchwil TAR ar ffurf glywedol drwy danysgrifio i bodlediadau Emma and Tom Talk Teaching, ar gael ar blatfformau cyffredin podlediadau. Gallwch wylio'r bennod hon ar YouTube - https://smarturl.it/cardiffpartnership       Cyfeirnodau Alexander, R. (2004) Towards Dialogic Teaching ‘Rethinking Classroom Talk’. Dialogos UK Ltd. Alexander, R. (2013) Improving Oracy and Classroom Talk: Achievements and Challenges. Primary First (tt. 22-29) An Evaluation of the Plymouth Oracy Project. Plymouth Teaching School Alliance. [ar-lein: Gwelwyd: 03.04.2021] Barnes, D. a Todd, F. (1977) Communication and Learning in Small Groups. Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd Barnes, D. a Todd, F. (1995) Communication and Learning Revisited. Boynton/Cook Publishers Chambers, A. Tell Me (Children, Reading & Talk) (2011) Thimble Press Codi Safonau Llythrennedd, Datblygu gwaith trafod mewn grŵp (2000) Uned Iaith Genedlaethol Cymru CBAC Consortiwm Canolbarth y De: Trysorfa Llais 21 (2019) [ar-lein: Gwelwyd 10.02.21] Daniels, H. (2016) Vygotsky and Pedagogy. Routledge Dawes, L. a Sams, C. (2004) Developing the Capacity to Collaborate. Learning to Collaborate: Collaborating to Learn. Science Pub. Inc. Dawes et al. (2004) Thinking Together – A Programme of Activities for Developing Speaking, Listening and Thinking Skills for Children aged 8-11. Imaginative Minds Ltd. Donaldson, G. (2015) Dyfodol Llwyddiannus Egan, D. (2018) ‘It’s Good to Talk: Moving Towards Dialogic Teaching – Building Learning Through Language’. Impact, Journal of the Chartered College of Teaching Emma & Tom Talk Teaching (2021) 8 Ionawr 2021 [Podcast] Supporting Quiet, Shy and Anxious Children with Dr Susan Davis and Dr Rhiannon Packer Estyn (2019) Ymateb i Ymgynghorioad: Ymchwiliad ‘Speak for Change’ y Grŵp Hollbleidiol Seneddol ar Lafaredd [ar-lein: Gwelwyd 18.05.21] Estyn (2021) Caffael ar yr Iaith Gymraeg [ar-lein: Gwelwyd 21.03.21] Gascoine, M. & Gross, J. (2017) Talking About a Generation: Current policy, evidence and practice for speech, language and communication. The Communication Trust [ar-lein: Gwelwyd 03.04.21] ) Gaunt, A. & Stott, A. (2018) Transform Teaching and Learning Through Talk: The Oracy Imperative. Rowman and Littlefield Publishers. 24 Grugeon, E., Hubbard, L., Smith, C. & Dawes, L. (2005) Teaching Speaking and Listening in the Primary School. London. David Fulton Publishers. 3rd ed. Hardy, E. (2020) 7 May 2020 ‘Coronavirus: Why Schools must focus on oracy’ TES Online [ar-lein: Gwelwyd 10.02.21] Lucas, B. & Spencer, E. (2017) Teaching Creative Thinking. Crown House Publishing Limited. Mercer, N. & Mannion, J. (2018) Oracy Across the Welsh Curriculum [ar-lein: Gwelwyd 08.01.21] Mercer, N. & Sams, C. (2008) ‘Teaching Children how to use language to solve maths problems’. Language & Education Online Journal. Routledge. Taylor & Francis Group. Mercer, N. & Warwick, P. (2017) Identifying and Assessing Students’ Spoken Language Skills [ar-lein: Gwelwyd 03.04.21] Millard, W. (2018) Speaking Up: The Importance of Oracy in Teaching and Learning [ar-lein: Gwelwyd 03.04.21] Millard, W. & Menzies, L. The State of Speaking in Our Schools Voice 21 [ar-lein: Gwelwyd 10.02.21] Nyborg, G., Mjelve, L., Edwards, A. & Crozier, W. R. (2020) ‘Teachers’ strategies for enhancing shy children's engagement in oral activities: necessary, but insufficient?’ International Journal of Inclusive Education Pienaar, F. (2016) ‘Oracy and well-being’ Speaking Frankly. Voice 21 & English[1]speaking Union [ar-lein: Gwelwyd 04.04.21] Simpson, A. & Mercer, N. (2010). ‘Douglas Barnes revisited: If learning floats on a sea of talk, what kind of talk? And what kind of learning?’ English Teaching: Practice and Critique V9 No.2 (tt.1-6) Weinstein, Y. & Sumeracki, M. (2019) Understanding How We Learn. Routledge. Wilkinson, A. (1965) ‘The Concept of Oracy’. The English Journal Vol 59 no.1 (tt.71- 77)   Worth, D. (2019) TES Focus on Oracy TES 4.10.2019 [ar-lein: Gwelwyd 10.02.21]

Not being podcasters who like to put all the work onto our lovely guests, occasionally we front up and present some goodies of our own! And Emma's back with some more interesting things she's dug up as part of her doctoral research. Returning to the hot topic of reflection, Emma presents a new reflective model that she found, and we discuss some of the important considerations when trying to improve our own reflective practice. If you're new to the subject of reflection in teaching, you might like to get up to speed by listening to last season's episode with Professor Brendan Cropley! References Duffy, P. (2015) ‘Introduction’, in Duffy, P. (ed.) A Reflective Practitioner’s Guide to (Mis)Adventures in Drama Education – or – What Was I Thinking? Bristol: Intellect, pp.1-10. Smyth, J. (1989) ‘Developing and Sustaining Critical Reflection in Teacher Education’, Journal of Teacher Education, 40:2, pp.7-19. Smyth, J. (1993) ‘Reflective Practice in Teacher Education’, Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 18:1(2), unpaginated. ------------------------------------------ Recorded at Cardiff Metropolitan University's Cyncoed Campus on 8th September 2021

It's time for another PGCE Research Bites! Emma is joined by Lucy Gooding to discuss her research into the place of oracy in drama. We hope you find this interesting and useful! You can watch this episode on YouTube - https://smarturl.it/cardiffpartnership     REFERENCES Alexander, R. (2020) A Dialogic Teaching Companion. New York: Routledge. Barnes, D. (1988) The politics of oracy. in: Maclure, M. Philips, T. & Wilkinson, A(Eds) Oracy Matters. Milton Keynes: Open University Press. Boyd, M.P. and Markarian, W.C. (2011) Dialogic teaching: talk in service of a dialogic stance. Language and Education, Vol. 25 No. 6, pp. 519-520. Brookfield, S. (2006) The Skilful Teacher: On technique, trust and responsiveness in the classroom. 2nd Edn. San Fransisco: Jossey-Bass. Donaldson, G. (2019) Expressive Arts: Statements of what matters - Hwb. [online] Hwb.gov.wales. Available at: <https://hwb.gov.wales/curriculum-for-wales/expressive-arts/statements-of-what- matters> [Accessed 7 May 2021]. Donaldson, G. (2018) Literacy Framework Guidance. Cardiff: Education Wales, pp.1-7. Donaldson, G. (2015) Successful Futures. Wales: Crown, pp.1-31. Gaunt, A. and Stott, A. (2019) Transform Teaching and Learning through Talk. 1st ed. London: Rowman and Littlefield. Haworth, A. (2001) The re-positioning of oracy: a millennium project? Cambridge Journal of Education, Vol. 31, No. 1, pp. 11-23. Jalongo, M. (1995) Promoting Active Listening in the Classroom. 1st ed. [ebook] Indiana, Pennsylvania, pp.13-17. Available at: <https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.cardiffmet.ac.uk/ docview/210392505/fulltextPDF/F5A57E3FD6A44F38PQ/1?accountid=15588> [Accessed 27 April 2021]. Kempe, A. and Nicholson, H. (2007) Learning To Teach Drama 11-18. London: Continuum. Literacy Framework (2020) Literacy Framework [ebook] Welsh Government, pp.2-3. Available at: <https://hwb.gov.wales/api/storage/4d852cbe-03d6-4c36-8175-c281461c8690/literacy- framework.pdf> [Accessed 7 May 2021]. 14 Maxwell, D. Burnett, P. Reidy, D. Willis, B. and Demack, S. (2015) Oracy Curriculum, Culture and Assessment Toolkit. [ebook] London: Education Endowment Foundation, pp.12-31. Available at: <http://shura.shu.ac.uk/10828/1/EEF%20Oracy%20School_21.pdf> [Accessed 12 April 2021]. Mercer, N. and Hodgkinson, S. (2008) Exploring Talk in School. 1st ed. London: Sage Publications, pp.18-25. Mercer, N. and Mannion, J. (2018) Oracy across the Welsh curriculum. 1st ed. [ebook] Cambridge: Oracy Cambridge, pp.7-64. Available at: <https://oracycambridge.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/ Oracy-across-the-Welsh-curriculum-July-2018.pdf> [Accessed 26 April 2021]. Nemec, P. Spagnolo, A. and Soydan, A. (2017) Can You Hear Me Now? Teaching Listening Skills. Vol 40. [ebook] Washington: American Psychological Association, pp.415-417. Stinson, M. (2015) Speaking up about oracy: the contribution of drama pedagogy to enhanced oral communication. English Teaching: Practice & Critique, [online] 14(3), pp.303-313. Available at: <https://research-repository.griffith.edu.au/bitstream/handle/10072/141515/ StinsonPUB1919.pdf;jsessionid=5704FBD73F31134FA1BCA49C1E89B76B?sequence=1> [Accessed 17 April 2021]. Palmer, E. (2014) Teaching the Core Skills of Listening and Speaking. 1st ed. N/A: ASCD, pp. 60-70. Voice21.org. (2020) Oracy [online] Available at: <https://voice21.org/oracy/> [Accessed 27 April 2021]. “oracy is the ability to articulate ideas, develop understanding and engage with others through spoken language” Wagner, B.J. (1998), Educational Drama and Language Arts: What Research Shows, Heinemann, Portsmouth, NH.  

We welcome back Dr. Louise Allen-Walker, Programme Director for the MSc Psychology in Education here at Cardiff Met, to discuss what research (and particularly quantitative research) looks like in psychology, and how we can be sure we approach it critically. Louise has some clear explanations of how quantitative researchers set about their work, as well as some cautionary points about the oddities and pitfalls of working with numbers and reading psychology journals. Finally, in the absence of the infamous Neuromyth Van, we challenge Louise to bust as many myths as she can in three minutes! Some goodies from Louise for your further reading pleasure: The Lady Tasting Tea (the story of Muriel and Sir Ronald) - https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781466801783 Neuromyths: ddebunking false ideas about the brain - https://wwnorton.co.uk/books/9780393713237-neuromyths Article in the Guardian about a neuro-imaging study involving a dead fish (making the point about being careful how you use your statistics!) - Ig Nobels honour dead salmon's 'brain activity' in improbable research awards | Science prizes | The Guardian The Science of Learning: 99 Studies Every Teacher Needs to Know: https://www.routledge.com/The-Science-of-Learning-99-Studies-That-Every-Teacher-Needs-to-Know/Watson-Busch/p/book/9780367620790 ------------------------------------------ Recorded at Cardiff Metropolitan University's Cyncoed Campus on 8th September 2021

Mae Tameidiau o Ymchwil TAR yn cyflwyno ymchwil gorau myfyrwyr ar gyrsiau Addysg Gychwynnol i Athrawon gyda Phartneriaeth Caerdydd. Yn y bennod hon mae Daniel Roberts yn trafod sut yr aeth ati i ddysgu mwy am ddefnyddio cyd-destun dilys wrth addysgu mewn ysgol gynradd, drwy ymchwil ac ymholi. Gallwch hefyd wrando ar Tameidiau o Ymchwil TAR ar ffurf glywedol drwy gofrestru i wrando ar bodlediadau Emma and Tom Talk Teaching, ar gael ar blatfformau cyffredin podlediadau. Gallwch wylio'r bennod hon ar YouTube - https://smarturl.it/cardiffpartnership     Cyfeirnodau Aspy, D. N., Aspy, C. B., Quinby, P. M. (1993) What doctors can teach teachers about problem-based learning. Educational Leadership, 50(7), t. 22–25. Blumenfeld, P. C., Soloway, E., Marx, R. W., Krajcik, J. S., Guzdial, M., Palincsar, A. (1991) Motivating project-based learning: Sustaining the doing, supporting the learning. Educational Psychologist, 26(3 & 4), t. 369–398. Braund, M., Reiss, M. (2006) Towards a more authentic science curriculum: The contribution of out-of-school learning. International Journal of Science Education, 28(12), t.1373–1388. Brown, J. S., Collins, A., Duguid, P. (1989) Situated cognition and the culture of learning. Educational Researcher, 18, t. 32-42. Callison, D., Lamb, A. (2004) Key words in instruction: Authentic learning. School Library Media Activities Monthly, 21(4), t. 34-39. Deci, L., Vallerand, R., Pelletier, L., Ryan, R. (1991) Motivation and Education: The Self-Determination Perspective. Routledge. t.325-346 Donaldson, G. (2015) Dyfodol Llwyddiannus: Adolygiad Annibynnol o’r Cwricwlwm a’r Trefniadau Asesu yng Nghymru. Cymru, UK: Crown.  Donovan, M. S., Bransford, J. D., Pellegrino, J. W. (Eds.). (1999) How people learn: Bridging research and practice. Washington, DC: National Academy Press. Duke, N. K., Purcell-Gates, V., Hall, L. A., Tower, C. (2006) Authentic literacy activities for developing comprehension and writing. The Reading Teacher, 60(4), t. 344–355. Estyn (2018) Adroddiad Blynyddol Prif Arolygydd Ei Mawrhydi dros Addysg a Hyfforddiant yng Nghymru. Ar gael yn: https://www.estyn.llyw.cymru/system/files/2020-07/Estyn_Annual%2520Report_Accessible_Welsh_2018.pdf Gardner, H. (1991) The unschooled mind: How children think and how schools should teach. New York: BasicBooks. Hobart, P. (2005) Authentic learning beyond the classroom: Authentic learning, VELS, and PoLTs. Ethos, 13(1), t. 12–19. Hui-ju, L. (2015) Learner Autonomy: The Role of Motivation in Foreign Language Learning. Journal of Language Teaching & Research, Vol 6 t. 1165-1175 Irvin, L. K., Horner, R. H., Ingram, K., Todd, A. W., Sugai, G., Sampson, N. K. (2006) Using office discipline referral data for decision making about student behavior in elementary and middle schools: An empirical evaluation of validity. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 8, t. 10–23. Llywodraeth Cymru (2020a). Canllawiau Cwricwlwm i Gymru. Caerdydd: Llywodraeth Cymru. Llywodraeth Cymru (2020b) Ystyriaethau gweithredu ac ymarferol -rhan o Cynllunio eich cwricwlwm. Caerdydd: Llywodraeth Cymru. Llywodraeth Cymru (2015) Cwricwlwm i Gymru – cwricwlwm am oes. Caerdydd: Llywodraeth Cymru. Maina, F.  W. (2004) Authentic learning: Perspectives from contemporary educators. Journal of Authentic Learning, 1(1), t. 1-8. Parsons, S. A., Ward, A. E. (2011) The case for authentic tasks in content literacy. The Reading Teacher, 64(6), t. 462–465.                              Pearson, P.D., Raphael, T.E., Benson, V.L., Madda, C.L. (2007) Balance in comprehensive literacy instruction: Then and now. In L.B. Gambrell, L.M. Morrow, & M. Pressley (Eds.), Best practices in literacy instruction. New York: Guilford. t. 30–54. Prince, M. (2004) Does Active Learning Work? A Review of the Research. Journal of Engineering Education. t.223-231 Renzulli, J. S., Gentry, M., Reis, S. M. (2004) A time and a place for authentic learning. Educational Leadership, 62(1), t. 73-77.                    Rule, A. C. (2006) The components of authentic learning. Journal of Authentic Learning, 3(1), t. 1–10. Ryan, R., Deci, L. (2000) Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Contemporary Educational Psychology. University of Rochester. Santrock, J. W. (2011) Educational psychology (5th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Stiggins, R. J. (2005) Assessment FOR learning defined. Portland, OR: Assessment Training Institute. Thoonen, E. E. J., Sleegers, P. J. C., Oort, F. J., Peetsma, T. D., Geijsel, F. P. (2011). How to improve teaching practices: The role of teacher motivation, organizational factors, and leadership practices. Educational Administration Quarterly, 47(3), t. 496–536. Turner, E. E., Gutiérrez, M. V., Simic-Muller, K., Díez-Palomar, J. (2009) Everything is math in the whole world: Integrating critical and community knowledge in authentic mathematical investigations with elementary Latina/o students. Mathematical Thinking and Learning, 11(3), t. 136–157. William, D. (2017) Embedded Formative Assessment: Strategies for Classroom Assessment That Drives Student Engagement and Learning. Solution Tree   Willems, P., Gonzalez-DeHass, A. (2012) ‘School-Community Partnerships: Using Authentic Contexts to Academically Motivate Students’, School Community Journal, 22(2) t. 9-30

Welcome back to the podcast! Today we're looking outside the world of teaching to find out about other professionals who work with young people. Julia Rooney works on the Youth and Community programmes here at Cardiff Met, and she joined us down the line to discuss the many and varied roles that youth workers play in the lives of some of our most vulnerable young people. We hear about how new youth workers are trained, and how the teaching profession can make best use of their knowledge about the young people in our classrooms. If you're considering youth work as a career, why not check out the courses available (from foundation level right up to postgraduate) here at Cardiff School of Education and Social Policy?   -------------------- Recorded at Cardiff Metropolitan University's Cyncoed Campus with remote guest on 20th November 2020

We're back with another round of PGCE research bites! And we welcome back Matthew Green, who's been finding out how we can best encourage high quality literacy in the music classroom. Hopefully the mix of research and classroom-based enquiry and reflection will be a great worked example for our serving teacher friends! You can watch this episode on YouTube - https://smarturl.it/cardiffpartnership   References Alexander, R. (2020) A Dialogic Teaching Companion. Abingdon: Routledge. Aubrey, K. and Riley, A. (2019) Understanding & Using Educational Theories 2nd edn. London: Sage. Barton, G. (2014) 'Literacy and the Arts: Interpretation and Expression of Symbolic Form', in Barton, G. (ed.) Literacy in the Arts: Retheorising Learning and Teaching. Switzerland: Springer International Publishing, p.14. Barton, M. L., Heidema, C., Jordan, D. (2002) ‘Teaching reading in mathematics and science (Reading and Writing in the Content Areas)’, Educational leadership, 60(3), pp. 24-28. Broomhead, P. (2021) ‘A New Definition of Music Literacy: What, Why, and How?’, Music Educators Journal, 107(3), pp. 15–21. doi: 10.1177/0027432121991644. Capel, S. (2019) ‘Student teachers’ roles and responsibilities’, in Capel, S., Leask, M., Younie, S. (ed.) Learning to Teach in the Secondary School, 8th edn., Abingdon: Routledge, pp. 396-408. Didau, D. (2014) The Secret of Literacy. Camarthen: Independent Thinking Press. Donaldson, G. (2015) Successful futures: Independent review of curriculum and assessment arrangements in Wales (Cardiff: Welsh Government). Fautley, M., Savage, J. (2011) Cross-curricular teaching and learning in the secondary school: The Arts. Abingdon: Routledge. Green, L. (2008) Music on Deaf Ears: Musical Meaning, Ideology and Education. 2nd edn.  Bury St Edmonds: Arima Publishing. Green, L. (2008a) Music, informal learning and the school a new classroom pedagogy, Aldershot: Ashgate. Halverson, L.R. and Graham, C.R. (2019) ‘Learner engagement in blended learning environments: A conceptual framework.’ Online Learning, 23(2), pp. 145-178. Harrison, C. (2004) Understanding Reading Development. London: Sage. Heflin, H., Shewmaker, J., Nguyen, J. (2017) 'Impact of mobile technology on student attitudes, engagement, and learning', Computers & Education, 107, pp. 91-99. McDermott, M. (2010). ‘More Than Writing-to-Learn’, Science Teacher, 77(1), pp. 32–37. Ness, M. K., (2016) ‘Reading Comprehension Strategies in Secondary Content Area Classrooms: Teacher Use of and Attitudes Towards Reading Comprehension Instruction’, Reading Horizons, 55(1), pp. 58–85. Pearman, C. J. and Friedman, T. (2009) ‘Reading and Rhythm: Binding Language Arts and Music in an Academic Notebook’, General Music Today, 23(1), pp. 12–16. doi: 10.1177/1048371309331610. Philpott, C., Evans, K. (2016) 'Language and learning in music’, in Cooke, C., Evans, K., Philpott, C., Spruce, G. (ed.) Learning to Teach Music in the Secondary School, 3rd edn., Abingdon: Routledge, pp. 52-62. Rose, D. (2011) ‘Beyond literacy: Building an integrated pedagogic genre’, Australian Journal of Language & Literacy, 34(1), pp.81–98. Swanwick, K. (1988), Music, Mind and Education. London: Routledge. Wagoner, C. L. (2020) ‘Integrating Literacy within the Performance Classroom’, Music Educators Journal, 106(4), pp. 24–29. doi: 10.1177/0027432120917746. Watson, A., Myhill, D. (2019) ’Creating a language-rich classroom’, in Capel, S., Leask, M., Younie, S. (ed.) Learning to Teach in the Secondary School, 8th edn., Abingdon: Routledge, pp. 396-408. Weidner, B. N. (2018) ‘Content Area Literacy in Ensemble Music Education: The Before-During-After Instructional Framework’, Journal of Music Teacher Education, 27(3), pp. 10–23. doi: 10.1177/1057083717732512. Welsh Assembly Government (2019) Curriculum For Wales, Available at: https://hwb.gov.wales/curriculum-for-wales/ (Accessed: 2 May 2021). Welsh Assembly Government (2019a) Curriculum For Wales: Literacy and Numeracy Framework, Available at: https://hwb.gov.wales/curriculum-for-wales/cross-curricular-skills-frameworks/literacy-and-numeracy-framework/ (Accessed: 2 May 2021) Welsh Assembly Government (2020a) ANONYMISED CP1 SCHOOL DATA. Available at: https://mylocalschool.gov.wales/School/REDACTED (CP1) (Accessed: 2 May 2021). Welsh Assembly Government (2020b) ANONYMISED CP2 SCHOOL DATA. Available at: https://mylocalschool.gov.wales/School/REDACTED (CP2) (Accessed: 2 May 2021). Welsh Assembly Government (2020c), Examination results in schools in Wales, 2018/19 – Revised. Available at: https://gov.wales/sites/default/files/statistics-and-research/2020-01/examination-results-september-2018-august-2019-revised-477.pdf (Accessed: 2 May 2021). Williams, Z. (2020). Review of the impact of mass disruption on the wellbeing and mental health of children and young people, and possible therapeutic interventions Cardiff: Welsh Government, GSR report number 62/2020. Available at: https://gov.wales/review-impact-mass-disruption-wellbeing-and-mental-health-children-and-young-people (Accessed: 2 May 2021).

WE'RE BACK! It's time to kick off season 4 with a fond farewell to a stalwart friend of the podcast, Dr. Judith Kneen. Judith took early retirement at the end of the academic year 2020-21 so we got her in front of a microphone before she went, and she's delivered us a characteristically interesting discussion. Judith's here to discuss some research on a topic dear to her heart as programme leader for PGCE secondary English: the set texts chosen by English teachers for their classes. As lead researcher for a project funded by the UKLA, Judith's got some sobering reflections for us about the diet of texts that pupils receive between the ages of 11 and 14. The research covers prose, poetry and plays. Why is it that there are so many male protagonists? Why are so many of the texts so old? What are the impacts of political pressure, stretched budgets and pragmatic decision-making? Most importantly, what should new English teachers be asking themselves when deciding what set texts to present to their classes? You can read the full research report here. Finally, we're sure all our listeners (and past PGCE students) would like to take a moment to send the warmest wishes for a long and happy early retirement to Judith. A podcast legend and an irreplaceable colleague, we do hope to find an excuse to get her back on here soon.   -------------------- Recorded at Cardiff Metropolitan University's Cyncoed Campus on 8th July 2021

Hello from Emma and Tom! Hopefully you're all having a well-deserved summer break after the last academic year. We're off on our holidays too, but wanted to pop by and round up the year of podcasting that's just gone. Plus we look forward to our return for season 4 on the 3rd September!   ---------- Recorded at Cardiff Metropolitan University's Cyncoed campus on 2nd August 2021

There's a bonus episode 22 this year because we started our PGCE late, so we're finishing later than usual. And that means we've reached the final episode of season 3! In another pandemic-disrupted year, we've still managed to have a great time interviewing the great, the good and the knowledgable in the education world about their specialist subjects. Today we've managed to get the boss herself, Dean of Cardiff School of Education and Social Policy Julia Longville, to talk about a subject that can strike fear into the hearts of teachers up and down the land: inspection. Julia worked for the Welsh education inspectorate, Estyn, in a past life, and has plenty to say about what inspectors are for, what they do, and how we should approach their inevitable appearance in our schools. There's lots of great advice for those who haven't had a brush with the inspectorate before, and although much of the conversation is focused on Estyn, we also touch on inspection more generally. We also take a look at the way the relationship between Estyn and educators has evolved in the light of education reform in Wales, and look to the future of the inspectorate under a new curriculum. STOP PRESS: Estyn got in touch with us just before this podcast came out to pass on their latest guidance on inspection for schools and PRUs. You can check it out here: Our new inspection arrangements for schools and PRUs | Estyn (gov.wales) For our final set of short slots this season, Julia has some tips for us on the usual topics of wellbeing, something interesting and something to try. And that's a wrap for the 2020-21 academic year! Thanks for being with us as we grappled with remote recording, al fresco podcasting and finally a joyful return to our beloved studio. We'll be in touch over the summer, and then return with more podcast goodness in September. Thanks for listening!   Best wishes from Emma and Tom   --------------- Recorded at Cardiff Metropolitan University's Cyncoed Campus on 17th May 2021

In the second episode of this doctoral double-bill, it's Tom's turn in the hot-seat to discuss his progress so far. Tom's gone for the more traditional PhD option because he likes being left alone to get on with things. The story so far includes Welsh mining communities, National Curriculum fights, the oddities of music teachers and plenty more. We hope you've enjoyed hearing about two doctoral research experiences. If you're interested in applying for an MA or doctoral programme here at Cardiff Met, please do search for the relevant web pages online and you'll be able to contact someone who knows more than us about the programmes! Tune in next time for our final episode of this year, all about inspection.     -------------------- Recorded at Cardiff Metropolitan University's Cyncoed campus on 21st May 2021

For the next two episodes, we're going to talk about our own doctoral research, and what it's like studying for a doctorate while working in education. Emma's drawn the short straw and agreed to go first, and her research is set to weave together a number of really important themes including curriculum reform, reform of initial teacher education and her beloved subject of drama. It's also a chance to hear about the EdD - a doctorate that may not be as widely known as the PhD, but potentially provides a great format for doctoral study for teachers. We'll be back in a fortnight, when Tom takes the hot seat!       -------------------- Recorded at Cardiff Metropolitan University's Cyncoed campus on 17th May 2021