How the Education MA refreshed my passion for teaching
Nick Huxley trained as a teacher at the University of Brighton in 2011 on our Primary Education (3-7) PGCE.
During his 13-year teaching career he has been an EYFS class teacher and year leader, and taught in primary years 2 to 4. He currently teaches year 4 and is computing curriculum subject lead.
Nick returned to the university to study the Education MA and graduated this February. We caught up with Nick to learn about his motivations for returning to study, his experience on the MA and the impact it is having.
Why I chose to study the MA
I had reached a point that although I LOVE teaching, I felt that I needed some real CPD, and specifically CPD that I could direct and have ownership over.
As a teacher, I was caught in a constant loop of marking, planning, and administrative duties, feeling increasingly stagnant in my professional development. I felt that a MA could provide development of my academic curiosity and refresh my love for teaching.
Why I returned to the University of Brighton
I live in Brighton and Hove, and I had a very positive experience studying for my PGCE there in 2011.
The course leader for the MA in Education was also my PGCE tutor 13 years ago, so it seemed like destiny!
Working and studying
There is no denying that working and studying is a real challenge, and you do need to be self-disciplined. However, the MA course develops at a pace where the assignments and essays build the skills and competence required for the final dissertation research piece very well.
I was fortunate enough to be able to reduce my working teaching hours to part-time, and this did elevate the pressure of deadlines, especially in the final year. I have a family of school and college age children, so the extra time available to me was invaluable.
The skills and knowledge I gained
Through the MA course, the breadth and depth of skills and knowledge I’ve gained are vast, but if I were to highlight one, it would be the enhanced ability to critically analyse and evaluate published research. This includes identifying potential biases, interrogating the findings, and discerning the underlying motives of the research.
Also, before the MA, my grasp of quantitative and qualitative data, as well as the nuances between methodology and methods, was quite limited. The course provided a wealth of opportunities to not only understand but also apply these concepts, significantly boosting my competence in these critical areas of educational research.
I cannot underestimate the influence that doing the MA has had on my aspirations, and the empowerment that I have felt, both personally and professionally since participating on the MA course. It has steered me to evaluate my career priorities and how best my skills could be used to influence education.
The most rewarding aspect of my MA was the door it provided to the world of academia and research. Engaging with academic work ignited a love of learning in me and an understanding of the foundations of my teaching practices.
Carving out time for study amidst busy teaching schedule was challenging, yet it proved to be invaluable. I would advocate for all educators to study at MA level. The knowledge and fresh perspectives I gained from completing the MA have not only made me more knowledgeable but have also rejuvenated my enthusiasm for teaching.
The course team
Every single course tutor was incredibly knowledgeable, with very high levels of experience in their fields, spread across many facets of research and backgrounds.
They all have had a multitude of research papers published, which enabled them all to be able to speak from extensive experience in the research field. On many occasions, they were able to demonstrate the research skills being discussed with examples from their own research, providing very real examples.
My MA research project
The title of my MA was ‘Using parental perspectives, how do parents view and experience parental involvement? a Mixed Methods study of parents across a 4 form entry Primary school in the South-East of England‘.
It involved the exploration of Parental Involvement in children’s education from the perspective of parents and families. I discovered that policy advocates for parents to be responsible in their child’s learning, and sets high expectations on parents, however there was a noticeable lack of direct input from parents in the research literature.
My research aimed to address this gap by focusing on the perspectives of parents in a 4-form entry Primary school, using a mixed methods study of both quantitative and qualitative data.
The impact of my dissertation
Several themes were derived from the research that have impact on the school’s SLT- ‘parent-collaboration and partnerships’ and ‘school communication’.
The research found that parents value mutual trust and shared intentions with the school and want more significant involvement in strategic decisions. Parents also advocated for active contributions to their children’s learning environment, and towards more active engagement in educational partnerships.
The SLT has been made aware of these perspectives, which could inform future policy decisions and school practices, potentially leading to a more collaborative, responsive and inclusive educational setting for all stakeholders involved.
The research’s insights on parents’ expectations and experiences with school communication could help SLT to create a more effective school communication framework, leading to improve parental engagement and potentially children’s outcomes.
The school involved in the study does send out their own ‘Parents Surveys’, but these are only questionnaires from the school to parents, providing basic satisfaction levels from parents. My findings provided the SLT with more in-depth, nuanced, robust data about their parents and families.
Since I completed the MA
Since I finished and graduated with MA Education, I have been keen to share my findings with a wider audience.
I was lucky enough to be able to discuss my MA research on Teachers Talk Radio (listen to Nick’s interview):
I have also been able to present and share my findings on parental involvement with my school’s SLT.
Looking forward, I am very interested in the potential transformative power of AI in the classroom. My experiences so far, including introducing ChatGPT at my school, have only deepened my interest in how AI educational tools could help learning AND teacher wellbeing/ workload.
I believe there’s a need for robust research in this area, especially in understanding how AI can enhance children’s educational outcomes, the impact it might have on attainment gaps and the attitudes of teachers and parents towards its use. Also, I find it fascinating how the digital divide presents a challenge, and I would love to explore how the integration of AI in education might either bridge or exacerbate disparities between different types of schools, such as the State versus Private/ Independent sectors.
As a consequence, I am very interested in pursuing further study, potentially through a PhD, as the MA has whetted my appetite considerably!
My advice to future Education MA students
Do it!
The MA in Education has been a transformative experience for me, both professionally and personally. It significantly expanded my understanding of how research influences education, showcasing its potential for great impact and, at times, its misuse. The course guided me through new avenues of research I wouldn’t have explored otherwise.
Beyond academic growth, the MA also greatly enhanced my wellbeing. As a teacher, I was caught in a constant loop of marking, planning, and administrative duties, feeling increasingly stagnant. The MA provided essential professional ‘Me Time,’ allowing me to engage with research and refresh my passion for teaching, which is often side-lined by the hectic daily school routine. This study was not just about acquiring knowledge; it was about revitalizing my educational practice and outlook.
Often, as a teacher, we may feel guilty for dedicating time to research or find ourselves too overwhelmed by daily responsibilities to pursue it. However, the MA program created space for me to delve into research meaningfully, without the usual pressures of classroom teaching. It’s a rare and invaluable opportunity to refocus and deepen your educational strategies and philosophy.
Kerry Burnett • May 8, 2024