University of Strathclyde

The School of Education at the University of Strathclyde is my host institution through the UK-US Fulbright Commission and is the leading provider of teacher education in Scotland. Since my inquiry project uses a cross-disciplinary approach to examine how music can help develop student agency, creativity and well-being, I was excited to learn that Strathclyde School of Education focuses its research on these nine themes:

• additional support needs and autism
  
• educational and societal practices in curricular subjects
  
• equity and achievement
• health and well-being
• languages education
• methodologies for change
• professional learning, identity and enquiry
• rights, citizenship and dialogue
• education, philosophy and culture

They also have three centres residing within the college: the Confucius Institute for Scotlandʼs Schools, SCIL: Scotlandʼs National Centre for Languages, and Autism Network Scotland. As part of this sponsorship, I can audit courses, help teach classes and give presentations. The two courses I am taking are Informal Learning and Positive Psychology. In the short week that Iʼve been here, I already can see how the college approaches learning through a scholar-practitioner, cross-disciplinary, international and lens. Linda Brownlow, the Head of School, has connected me with faculty across the college who might be able to help me with my inquiry project.

Paul Wickham, my university host, also has been extremely helpful and is a secondary music teacher on secondment, which means he has been released from his secondary school teaching duties for two years to teach music courses for Strathclydeʼs music education teacher program. This arrangement allows school teachers to bring practical experience and application to college courses, while giving time for them to engage in scholarly work before returning to their school assignment. Through this arrangement, both institutions and their students can benefit. This video from the University of Strathclyde shares why studying in Glasgow is such a rewarding one.  I have to agree!