Masters of teaching

This academic year sees the first cohort of teachers undertaking the masters in teaching and learning (MTL) qualification, developed by the Training and Development Agency (TDA) for schools. Is the MTL something chemistry teachers should be aspiring to?

The masters in teaching and learning (MTL), launched last April, is a three-year, classroom-based, professional development programme for teachers. Currently available, as part of a pilot phase, to newly qualified teachers (NQTs) and newly appointed heads of departments of 'challenging schools' in the North West of England, the MTL is being hailed by the Government as a way of raising the status of teachers and ensuring that they get the recognition they deserve. In time, the Government expects the qualification to be available to all teachers, and that teaching would become a masters-level profession.