The Education Manager for the Rochester Bridge Trust has confirmed her commitment to learning by going back to university.
Caroline Chisholm, who is a former teacher and leads the Trust’s award-winning education programme, is undertaking a Masters in STEM Education to further her understanding of the theoretical debates and approaches to teaching science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).
The part-time course, which is being run by King’s College London, involves a mix of remote and in-person learning and runs for two years.
Caroline explained: “When carrying out education activities, one of our most regularly repeated phrases is ‘children are never too young to start learning’. In a similar way, adults are never too old to continue learning.
“It’s incredibly challenging to return to formal study after so long, but I’ve already found it’s positively affected my approach to teaching, as I question my previous assumptions and learn about other people’s experiences of education here and abroad, in different settings and at all levels.”
For her first year Caroline is working towards three modules, covering the topics of principles and policy; leading practice; and making and creating. These are all coursework-assessed.
She added: “There have been some pretty hefty assignments from the start, however the lecturers are very supportive and there are lots of ‘learning to learn’ opportunities, with feedback and discussion. This is similar in some ways to how we work with children involved in Trust-organised activities, as we encourage them to look back over their activities and respond to feedback to improve their learning outcomes.
“It’s also a great experience to learn with people who are obviously dedicated in their role as educators.”
To find out more about the MA in STEM Education, visit the university website.