The PDP1 should be created in 2 parts : Part A and Part B
The three components of Part A together with the 3 overview pages in Part B should not exceed 4,500 words .
PDP1 Part A
The required components for Part A are the same for all pathways . Part A should include three pieces of reflective writing :
1 . A philosophical statement of 750 – 1,000 words ;
2 . A critical appraisal of an article from a professional or academic journal ( not newspaper ) of 500 – 1,000 words ; A piece of reflective , analytical writing of 750 – 1,000 words which draws on relevant literature sources / policy documents . Exemplars of all three pieces of writing are available on the MTeach VLE . Some specific guidance on writing the philosophical statement is given below .
The philosophical statement
The philosophical statement ( 750 – 1,000 words in length ) should aim to answer the questions below . Addressing the issues in the questions should help to focus your thinking at an appropriate level .
You might want to consider some of the following questions when writing the statement :
• What are the key characteristics of a teacher or leader of your subject or phase ?
• What is the relevance / strength / potential of your specialism ? ( Why is it important ?)
• What has influenced your thinking on this ?
• Can you identify key experiences in your development , i . e . ' critical incidents '? What aspect of your training to become a teacher or leader or your professional development have you found to be the most challenging ?
• In what aspect are you most confident or competent ?
• What in particular do you have to contribute to the profession , beyond your subject knowledge and pedagogical knowledge and skills ?
• What are your personal and professional values — and how do they relate to your sense of vocation as a teacher or leader ?
• How do you see your wider role as an educator ?
Critical appraisal of an article or chapter from a professional or academic journal or book ( not a newspaper ) whose subject matter is of interest to you
You may use an appropriate text from those you have read for the GEMS Leadership programme or you may find the pre-reading articles on the PDP1 VLE relevant , , or publications from the Teaching and Learning Research Programme : www . tlrp . org ( go to the Publications section and select either commentaries or journals ).
The text should be included in the portfolio as an appendix . Provide full bibliographic details of the text in the title .
At the beginning of the appraisal , give the role and institution of the author and the type and readership of the journal / book . The critical appraisal should include a rationale for your choice , a brief summary of the main points as you see them and a discussion of
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