Colleges lecturers professional standards

Professional Standards For Initial Teacher Training / Education Initial Professional Standards for Guidance and Support

Context and Rationale

Lecturers play a key role in enabling people from all sections of the community to be included in education and achieve their potential as successful learners and future citizens. Lecturers create supportive environments by working collaboratively with staff across colleges, schools and other external agencies. Lecturers are required to demonstrate an understanding (and perform their roles) in relation to pre-programme, ongoing and progression support and guidance. These roles include recognising the learning support needs of students, facilitating accessible and inclusive learning and teaching, referring students to specialist services and providing them with ongoing guidance and support.

Standards

The lecturer should be able to:

1. Identify learners' needs and provide appropriate guidance and support, referring to specialists where appropriate.
2. Demonstrate an understanding of the lecturer's guidance and support roles, responsibilities and boundaries and how they relate to the remits of guidance tutors and other specialists.
3. Promote and facilitate equality of opportunity and access to learning by providing effective guidance and support in line with an institution's policies and procedures.
4. Apply a critical understanding of the principles, nature, purposes and stages of guidance and support.
5. Obtain and use feedback from learners to evaluate and develop their own practice in guidance and support.

Indicative Content

• confidentiality, impartiality, key information, informed choices, learner-centred approaches
• individual and group approaches: formal and informal
• the lecturer's role in relation to pre-programme, induction, enhancement and ongoing progression support and guidance
• factors related to transition to college from other educational institutions
• the importance and implications of the learner's prior knowledge, experience and motivation
• initial assessment techniques, including screening and the use of diagnostic/induction tools and assistive technologies
• strategies for anticipating, identifying and responding appropriately to the diverse needs of learners including health and wellbeing issues
• electronic information and advice sources available to learners
• supporting information literacy skills through use of ICT tools
• concepts of access, inclusion, retention and progression
• individual/personal learning and support plans
• learner support, learning support, extended learning support and counselling
• empathetic approach to learner needs, e.g. communication skills, listening skills
• curriculum and pastoral guidance
• legal and ethical considerations
• socio-economic circumstances
• aspects of social and cultural diversity, e.g. equality and protected characteristics
• policies and procedures of partners, e.g. schools, community learning and development ( CLD) and employers
• potential progression and articulation routes, including employment, sector specific employment, inter agency working, entrepreneurship, other college programmes and courses delivered by HEIs
• methods of obtaining learner and other stakeholder feedback
• the long term impact of guidance and support on sustainable communities
• use of e-tools and e-resources to enhance support and contact with learners.