Supporting new law teachers

UKCLE holds regular events for new law teachers and is developing a toolkit for law teachers aimed at supporting them in delivering high quality learning and teaching.

A series of tips pages on key topics has grown out of our events for new law teachers:

• Assessing student work and providing feedback
• Giving conference papers and preparing to publish
• Planning for small group teaching
• Understanding student learning styles and theories of learning

We have also contributed a selection of resources on key topics for newcomers to learning and teaching to the Higher Education Academy’s Supporting New Academic Staff (SNAS) database – select ‘law’ in the first SNAS search box. The database can also be searched by topic.

Postgraduates who teach

Learning from our experience, an article from the Spring 2004 issue of Directions, describes the provision of support to graduates teaching assistants.

Sources of information:

• National Postgraduate Committee (NPC) – run by postgraduates for postgraduates, the NPC offers a number of general resources for postgraduates on taught and research programmes, including the Journal of Graduate Education and a guidelines on practice for postgraduates who teach (GTAs), such as 10 tips for postgraduates wishing to teach (2001) [access resticted] and Postgraduate students as teachers (2001). It also has a list of postgraduate societies [access resticted].
• UK Council for Graduate Education (UKCGE) – set up to promote the interests of graduate education in all disciplines, providing a distinct identity for graduate education and research in higher education, the development of quality and quality measures for graduate education and research conducted in higher education institutions. UKCGE has a comprehensive events programme.
• UK GRAD Programme – comprehensive guide to all areas of concern to postgraduates and the institutions that support them. Postgraduates of all subject disciplines are encouraged cotribute resources, while the universities section provides advice and resources to supervisors and others responsible for supporting the personal development of postgraduate research students. Includes an update on national policy initiatives and the latest requirements for postgraduate training.
• Research Together – offers links and forums for researchers in several subjects including law. Register (free) to gain access to a number of resources including a ‘job link’.

Further reading

• Association of University Teachers (2001a) Employment charter for postgraduate student academic and academic-related staff London: AUT
• Association of University Teachers (2001b) Good practice guide for the employment of postgraduate students who teach London: AUT
• Burgess R (1997) Beyond the first degree: graduate education, lifelong learning and careers Buckingham: Open University Press/SRHE
• Deem R and Brehony K (2000) ‘Doctoral students’ access to research cultures: are some more equal that others?’ Studies in Higher Education vol 25 no 2
• Marinkovich M, Prostko J and Stout F (1998) The professional development of graduate teaching assistants Boston, Mass.: Anker
• Park C and Ramos M (2002) ‘The donkey in the department?’ Journal of Graduate Education vol 3 issue 2 – discusses the experience of graduate teaching assistants UK raising a number of key issues
• Potter S (ed) (2002) Doing postgraduate research London: Sage/The Open University
• Thompson G (1997) ‘Changing universities: from evolution to revolution’ in S Armstrong, G Thompson and S Brown (eds) Facing up to radical changes in universities and colleges London: SEDA
• UK Council for Graduate Education (1999) Models for the development of postgraduates’ teaching skills Lichfield: UKCGE

Last Modified: 4 June 2010