Develop the skills you need to contribute to the teaching and learning activities at the University, as well as for a potential career as an academic.
“The Preparing to Teach courses are excellent and greatly enhance participants' academic teaching profiles.”
Michael Dzandu
PhD in Business and Management
About the programme
Preparing to Teach is designed to provide you with the training you need to effectively contribute to the delivery of teaching and learning activities to students across the University.
In particular, it will meet your training needs if you are involved in any of the following:
- laboratory or computer classes
- demonstrating
- running problem-solving sessions
- taking tutorial classes or seminars
- giving lectures
- performing assessments
- providing feedback.
The programme also represents an ideal opportunity to gain some of the key teaching skills that you will need if you are considering a career as an academic.
Completing the Preparing to Teach programme counts as one session towards your overall ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏÍø Researcher Development Programme participation requirements.
Content
The Preparing to Teach programme will cover four key areas:
- introduction to teaching and learning
- effective teaching and learning
- effective practice
- assessment and feedback.
Further information is available in the Preparing to Teach brochure.
Booking information
As a doctoral student at ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏÍø, you can attend this programme free of charge.
For 2024/25 the Preparing to Teach programme will be delivered via two different modes: remotely online and face to face. The online option will run in October and May; the face to face option will run once in January.
To request a place on Preparing to Teach, please go to the Doctoral and Researcher College booking page on the RISIS web portal.
Gaining Associate Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (AFHEA)
Professional recognition of teaching is important, and many employers expect new colleagues to have Associate Fellowship or to be working towards it during their probationary period. Associate Fellowship status is recognised across the higher education sector in the UK, and increasingly internationally, as confirmation of knowledge, skills and experience gained in teaching and learning.
Doctoral researchers who teach or support learning, and who meet the eligibility criteria, may be able to apply for AFHEA through the ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏÍø's FLAIR Framework. The Framework is supported by the Academic Development and Enhancement team in the Centre for Quality, Support and Development.
The AFHEA pathway for doctoral students consists of:
- an application for selection onto the scheme
- full participation at three compulsory taught sessions
- School-based support (through a mentor)
- Centre for Quality, Support and Development (CQSD) Academic Development and Enhancement (ADE) support around writing an application
- submission of an application under the FLAIR scheme which is reviewed by a panel.
The scheme is offered once a year. The AFHEA Pathway will launch in early 2025 with the deadline for applications for consideration for selection in March 2025 (specific dates to be confirmed) .
Information on last year's pathway can be found on the CQSD AFHEA website.