Discovering Credit Where Credit is Due: Using autobiographical writing as a tool for voicing growth

While much has been written about teachers' stories, and variants of this genre, perhaps less has been made of them within the academic accreditation of professional growth and study. This paper reports the process and outcomes of the development of a post-graduate module (The Professional Biography Module) that was designed to offer teachers a route to accreditation within a Masters scheme through supported autobiographical writing. The writers trace the history of this development from their sharing of initial concerns around the quality of teacher reflection and their sense of need to give a real opportunity for teacher empowerment and to help teachers find a personal voice with which to express the coherence and meaning attaching to their own personal professional development. The implications of adopting such an approach to professional development are discussed in terms of module design, the role of the tutor and the awarding of credit. In keeping with the emphasis on empowerment, this paper also gives voice to a number of teachers who have worked through this process within the Masters programme (M.Ed.) and who have something to say about its impact and significance. While continuing this work in their institution's Masters programmes, the authors are also currently engaged, as part of a research study, in supporting a small group of B.Ed. Honours students who have chosen reflection through the use of autobiographical method as the focus of their final thesis.