
Mrs Catherine Whitley
Principal Teaching Fellow
Education
Prize And Awards
- Principle Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
- Recipient
- 2020
- Strathclyde Medal
- Recipient
- 2019
- Excellence in Professional Learning
- Recipient
- 2019
Qualifications
B.Sc.(Hons) Psychology
PGCE.
Post Graduate Diploma in Professional Studies (Chartered Teacher)
M.Ed. Ways in which students conceptualise behaviour management and how their conceptions change over the duration of ITE courses
PgCert Supporting Teacher Learning
Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
Publications
- Student Placement Management Group Constitution
- Whitley Catherine
- (2022)
- Student Placement System (SPS)
- Whitley Catherine
- (2022)
- Podcast #17 : Meet a course team: PGDE
- Whitley Catherine, Hunter Sharon
- (2021)
- COVID-19 Guidance : Student Teacher Professional Placements in Scotland
- , , , , Whitley Catherine
- (2021)
- COVID-19 Guidance Student FAQ : Student Teacher Professional Placements in Scotland
- , , , , Whitley Catherine
- (2021)
- COVID-19 Guidance on Student Teacher Professional Placements for Teacher Education Institutions in Scotland - August to December 2020
- , , , , Whitley Catherine
- (2020)
Teaching
Since Catherine led and coordinated the development and implementation of the Strathclyde Enhanced Partnership Initiative (SEPI) and coordinated the team of tutors and associated school-based staff involved during the 2012-13 SEPI pilots, many of the features of the initiative have been adopted as standard practice in the School of Education. In fact, some features have been so highly acclaimed nationally that they are being included in the Scottish Government’s National Framework agreement for partnership.
The focus of Catherine's career remains firmly on the learning and teaching aspects of the student experience and as such she is proud to have been nominated annually for the Teacher Excellence awards and the Strathclyde medal. She is glad to have accepted the role of Deputy PGDE course leader quickly followed by the role of PGDE course leader itself; leading a course serving over 900 students from across the world. Catherine was instrumental in the design of the current PGDE however the rapidly changing landscape of teacher Education in Scotland means that she has had to oversee and instigate change and enhancement within the bounds of the accredited course. Catherine is beginning the process of curriculum review and is preparing to launch the new PGDE with Integrated Masters in response to calls from the Scottish Government. She will ensure that, despite the condensed nature of the new course, there is rigour and equivalence demonstrated across all modules.
The importance of combining the “on-campus” learning with that gained on school experience is crucial to the conceptualisation of teacher education in Scotland. To that end Catherine leads on the Pedagogy and Placement Learning (PL) modules within the BA and PGDE courses. Catherine developed the BA year 2 PL module and evaluates that with students annually. Catherine also co-wrote the PGDE PL module and currently leads on the re-write of the Nursery component of this module.
All the above ensure that Strathclyde offers a high quality and distinctive student experience and indeed the PGDE was commended as such by GTCS upon its accreditation.
Research Interests
Post Teaching Scotland’s Future (Donaldson, 2011) the National Implementation Board has been tasked with monitoring partnership arrangements in the Early phase of Teacher Education.
Catherine has been steeped in the partnership agenda since the publication of the Donaldson review of Teacher Education and was a driver and shaper of early pilots.
The partnership agenda and the impact partnerships have on student teachers’ school experiences provide the focus for Catherine’s current research interest.
Professional Activities
- Education (Organisational unit)
- Chair
- 1/6/2022
- Education (Organisational unit)
- Chair
- 1/6/2022
- Education (Organisational unit)
- Chair
- 2022
- Initial Teacher Education: Autism Immersion
- Chair
- 17/2/2020
- Annual Conference of the Association of Heads and Deputes in Scotland
- Keynote/plenary speaker
- 14/11/2014
- WERA
- Speaker
- 5/11/2014
Projects
- Increased Opportunities for Teachers to Undertake Masters level learning 19-20
- Whitley, Catherine (Principal Investigator)
- 01-Jan-2019 - 31-Jan-2023
- HND New Route to Teaching
- Whitley, Catherine (Principal Investigator)
- 01-Jan-2018 - 29-Jan-2020
- Distant and rural PGDE placement opportunities support
- Whitley, Catherine (Principal Investigator)
- 01-Jan-2017 - 31-Jan-2018
- Increased opportunities for teachers to undertake professional learning
- Whitley, Catherine (Principal Investigator)
- 01-Jan-2015 - 31-Jan-2019
Contact
Mrs
Catherine
Whitley
Principal Teaching Fellow
Education
Email: catherine.whitley@strath.ac.uk
Tel: 444 8095