This small scale empirical study explores the use of self study and collaborative action research as intervention tools in a project on issues around learning and teaching at the University of East London. UEL has established a framework of roles and responsibilities across the institution, to enable the development of practice in relation to learning and teaching. A Learning and Teaching committee meets on a regular basis and comprises a Leader in Learning and Teaching (LILT) from each school in the university, and from key services that work directly with students. The remit of the committee is to outline and implement learning and teaching objectives for the university, in response to policy directives and national initiatives. This includes the development of a framework of professional standards which supports the rights and responsibilities of staff in relation to initial and continuing professional development. The Higher Education Academy (HEA) has produced a set of professional standards and programme which address these standards are accredited by the HEA. This means that participants on HEA accredited programmes can gain fellowship of the Academy upon successful completion of two 30 credit M level modules. Staff who are new to the institution and new to teaching in higher education have to complete a Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education as part of UEL probationary requirements. The planning, delivery and assessment of the MA in Learning and Teaching in HE (MALT) has been undertaken by the UEL Learning and Teaching committee and is a collaborative enterprise involving LILTs from every school and from relevant services. The collaborative institutional nature of the programme presents new challenges for the management of quality, coherence of the student learning experience, and the moderation of assessment. In particular there is a need to support LILTS to develop confidence, and develop their knowledge and skills in planning and delivering module sessions in the discipline of Education. There is also a need to provide mentor training and development. Murray and Male (2005) make a distinction between first order teachers or practitioners as she calls them and second order teachers, the teacher educators. In a survey of the Inservice Journal of Education, Swennen (2007) notes that there is no research or discussion about how teacher educators teach. This is indicative of the wider literature where the focus is upon first order teaching. Swennen argues a case for ‘congruent teaching’ where the teacher educator has to be able to model good teaching, be explicit about it and legitimize it (Loughran 1997 )This research project aims to develop the teacher educators (LILTS) through exploring and developing their understanding and practice of congruent teaching. This will be managed in two phases: 1) self study (Hamilton 1998) by the project leader and LILTS to understand and articulate how we teach. This process will provide the basis for developing an informed and shared pedagogy with a clear rationale. 2) Collaborative action research involving the project leader and LILTS to survey the academic staff / support staff in their discipline / area to see what they think about how they teach and how they learned to teach. This will inform the development of the MALT and the professional standards framework for UEL. It will also inform a framework and guidance for curriculum planning at UEL.

Murray and Male (2005) make a distinction between first order teachers or practitioners as she calls them and second order teachers, the teacher educators. In a survey of the Inservice Journal of Education, Swennen (2007) notes that there is no research or discussion about how teacher educators teach. This is indicative of the wider literature where the focus is upon first order teaching. Swennen argues a case for ‘congruent teaching’ where the teacher educator has to be able to model good teaching, be explicit about it and legitimize it (Loughran 1997 )This research project aims to develop the teacher educators (LILTS) through exploring and developing their understanding and practice of congruent teaching. This will be managed in two phases: 1) self study (Hamilton 1998) by the project leader and LILTS to understand and articulate how we teach. This process will provide the basis for developing an informed and shared pedagogy with a clear rationale. 2) Collaborative action research involving the project leader and LILTS to survey the academic staff / support staff in their discipline / area to see what they think about how they teach and how they learned to teach. This will inform the development of the MALT and the professional standards framework for UEL. It will also inform a framework and guidance for curriculum planning at UEL.

The focus of this paper will be upon the first phase of the project which is currently underway. Data has been collected through learning journals, transcripts of discussions, and recording from group activities structured around the use of literature to promote the analysis and understanding of teacher educator practice. This paper will explore the impact upon practice of self study and the use of self study as a research tool to inform the second phase of the project..