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Principal's Career Development Scholars - teaching
Information aimed at Principal’s Career Development Scholarship holders who have chosen to develop their teaching.
The Principal’s Career Development Scholarship Scheme is owned by Schools; therefore the scheme operates differently in different Schools both in terms of the conditions that candidates have applied for and the support that is organised for them locally.
The Institute for Academic Development (IAD) offers a limited amount of central support for candidates on the scheme to supplement what is already offered in Schools.
School-based support for scholarship holders
Working with your supervisor: your supervisor (allocated to oversee your scholarship in your school) is your first point of reference for all queries about your commitments, opportunities for development and any available sources of support.
Working with peers: there may be other Principal’s Career Development Scholarship holders in your school (contemporary or more experienced) and there are likely to be other tutorsa dn demonstrators. These can provide a good source of support. Apart from help with every day queries, you could:
- participate together in development opportunities (e.g. work through online resources and participate in courses)
- discuss ways of enhancing your teaching (e.g. by peer observation of teaching exchanges)
- support each other with preparation of documentation about teaching development or for recognition and accreditation
Institute for Academic Development support
Support for newer scholarship holders
In your first year as a Principal’s Career Development Scholarship holder, you are likely to be engaged in similar teaching responsibilities as other tutors and demonstrators who are teaching in your school. You would benefit from the same sources of support that are on offer to your fellow tutors and demonstrators:
- School-based support for tutors and demonstrators
- Institute for Academic Development support for tutors and demonstrators
Support for more experienced scholarship holders
As you become more experienced and wish to develop your teaching to an enhanced level, you will want to become aware of what is on offer for more experienced tutors and demonstrators at Edinburgh:
If, in your final year, you are encouraged to seek formal accreditation for your teaching experiences, you may be interested in how this is supported at Edinburgh:
If at any point you have general queries about developing your teaching or about this scheme in particular that cannot be resolved through your supervisor or other people in your school, do contact us.
Postgraduate Certificate Academic Practice
More experienced tutors and demonstrators may be considering participation in the Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice (PGCAP). For many good reasons though, eligibility for participation in this course normally excludes current postgraduate students who wish to develop their teaching. You may also need to pay full fees for this programme if you were considered eligible to participate in it.
Background to the Principal’s Career Development Scholarship Scheme
The Principal’s Career Development Scholarship Scheme (PCDS) was launched by the University in Spring 2010 for an initial two years during which 110 students were offered funding to develop their careers alongside their PhD in a number of ways, including with a focus on developing their teaching.
This article was published on Aug 9, 2012