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New to Teaching in Bahrain (NTB) Program

The New to Teaching in Bahrain (NTB) Program is one of the faculty development programs offered by the Unit for Teaching Excellence and Leadership (UTEL) at the University of Bahrain (UOB). It is accredited by the Higher Education Academy (HEA) in the UK. It is designed to nurture and develop the professional teaching skills of early career academics or experienced staff joining the HE in Bahrain during their first year of teaching. It focuses on two areas that are found to be challenging in HE; namely, teaching and assessment. In addition, it also helps them achieve professional recognition from the UK HEA at Descriptor 1 (Associate Fellowship).

  • The New to Teaching in Bahrain (NTB) program is an on job faculty training and development program available for academic faculty at the UoB (or any other HEI).
  • It is part of the Faculty Development programs accredited by the UK Higher Education Academy (HEA) and leads to certification by the HEA at Descriptors 1.
  • It is designed to nurture and develop the professional teaching skills of early career academics or experienced staff joining the UoB (or any other HEI) during their first year of teaching.
  • It focuses on the two areas that most new teacher in HE find challenging, teaching and assessment, and provides the required practical training and scaffolding for development.
  • Completers of the program achieve professional recognition (professional certification) awarded by the HEA UK at Descriptor 1 (ie. at the level of Associate Fellowship of HEA).

The program has two objectives:

  1. To support the participant to start developing their teaching skills in relation to Area 2 and Area 3 of the UKPSF during their first year of teaching.
  2. To guide the participant in applying for professional recognition for successful engagement with the UKPSF at the level of Descriptor 1: Associate Fellowship.

Upon completion of this program, the participants will be able to:

  1. Critically evaluate the effectiveness of contemporary teaching and learning strategies used both in a wide range of educational settings and in their specific discipline.
  2. Critically evaluate various forms of assessment and feedback in order to identify the most effective approach that facilitate learning in their specific discipline.
  3. Critically evaluate their practice in relation to the three dimensions of the UKPSF at the level of Descriptor 1.
  4. Demonstrate a theoretically informed approach to reflection and sustained engagement with the literature to inform the development of practice.

  • This program is mostly an independent self-development route, requiring reflection on already successful academic teaching practices. Therefore, the participants are required to attend two types of workshops: compulsory and optional.
  • Once registered in the program, the participants will be assigned to a mentor support for one academic year. Mentors will provide their participants with means of guidance and support throughout the academic year.

NTB-outline-1

NTB-outline-2

Once registered in the program, the participants are required to attend several functions that will help them develop their practice and prepare for a successful application for recognition. The functions are:
  1. Six compulsory workshops: Four at the beginning of the first semester and two at the beginning of the second semester of the academic year.
  2. A tutorial on creating Blog entries and the use of the Blackboard Learning management system.
  3. Three compulsory follow-up days evenly distributed through the academic year.
  4. Mentor group meeting to support their development and application.
The following are details of the events the participants are required to attend:
Compulsory Workshops
The participants are required to attend six compulsory workshops: Five at the beginning of the first semester and one at the beginning of the second semester of the academic year.
  1. Introduction to the UKPSF for NTB:
    This workshop serves as an introductory workshop for the participants to:

    1. The New to Teaching in Bahrain (NTB) program.
    2. The UK Professional Standards Framework for teaching and supporting learning in HE.
    3. The differences between descriptors of the HEA, with special emphasis on Descriptor 1.
  2. Reflective practice and reflective writing:
    This workshop will introduce the participants to the concept of reflective practice and to the skills of a reflective practitioner. The workshop aims to develop their reflective skills in order to sustain continuous professional development.
  3. Account of Professional Practice(APP)
    This workshop helps the participants prepare their APP for each area which will lead to their professional recognition at Descriptor 1. It guides the participants to create their reflective account based on the UK HEA guidelines.
  4. Delivery Methods Workshop
    This workshop is related to Area 2 in the UKPSF. It introduces the participants to some contemporary approaches to teaching and delivery and their implication for teaching and learning in their classroom.
  5. Assessment Workshop
    This workshop is related to Area 3 in the UKPSF. It introduces the participants to different types of assessment, summative and formative.
  6. Feedback Workshop
    This workshop is also related to Area 3 in the UKPSF. It introduces the participants to concept of feedback.
Compulsory Follow up Days
Participants are required to attend three compulsory follow up days. During these sessions they will receive thorough support, guidance and advice to keep on the right track for achieving HEA recognition.
Additional Developmental Workshops
In addition to the compulsory workshops, participants are required to attend other developmental workshops offered by the UTEL. Topics are related to the dimensions of the UKPSF

  • The assessments for this program will be both formative and summative:Formative Assessment
    The participants are required to prepare three blog entries of 200 words each reflecting on three different incidents or issues each semester.

    Summative Assessment
    The participants are required to collate the three blog entries they prepared during the semester into a 750 word reflective commentary pertaining to A2 in the first semester and A3 in the second semester.

The participants, who successfully satisfy the requirements of the NTB program, will be entitled to professional recognition from the UK HEA for Descriptor 1 (Associate Fellowship).

CONTACT US

Director’s office
Dr. Diana Al Jahromi
E-mail: daljahrami@uob.edu.bh
utel@uob.edu.bh