Overview of patseya

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Journal access - pdf copy required
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I need to lay my hand on this article: Must a Scholar of Religion Be Methodologically Atheistic or Agnostic?Source: Journal of the American Academy of Religion, Volume 84, Issue 2, June 2016, Pages 373–400. If you're able to download and share the pdf with me, please PM me. Thanks.


Article request
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Can someone help me download this article please, Thanks.
Franken, Leni. Religious Studies and Non-Confessional RE: Countering the Debates. Religion & Education (ifirst).

A Dr PhD yet jobless
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Quote From Drsomething:
Another Ph D lad in trouble:) I've been unemployed for one year now. I'm lost and don't know what to do. What really hurts me is the SILENCE. I have been sending emails to everybody. Out of 40 emails sent nationwide. I received one email saying " sorry I don't have funds" the second one saying" I have NO lab. NO position available" exactly like this. I am wondering what's going on. Is it the field? I have six publications and I was one of the best 5%. So why no one is looking at my resumes?
Another funny thing I asked my codirector for a recommendation letter and he refused. he said I don't need one from a codirector since I have one from my direct supervisor...
I'm doubting myself, I feel old and insecure..


I guess you're in a STEM field. Have you considered training to teach in schools. Irrespective of your subject, take a look at: 1. Researchers in Schools teacher training scheme: http://www.researchersinschools.org/ and 2. ITE funding: https://getintoteaching.education.gov.uk/funding-and-salary/overview

PS: If in the course of your training you find 11-18 year olds disengaged with, or disinterested in, their own education, move to the selective and fee paying sector, and you should enjoy teaching those children. A note of warning: don't expect those experienced teachers who have learned and mastered the ropes to respect you. Depending on where you find yourself, they might actually do everything to undermine you. But, don't let that deter you, you'll soon stop being a trainee teacher and move on to successfully complete your NQT year and become a fully qualified teacher. You can then quickly work your way up (salary wise) and earn what you would in the university without the pressure of publish or perish.

What I describe here is precisely my own post-PhD experience.

Is non-funded PGCE worth it?
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Quote From Maccle:
Patseya, have you seen this scheme? I finished my PhD last year and am now doing a two-year GTP at an FE college in order to get QTLS and probably move into secondary, but if I'd seen this last year I probably would have applied. Good luck with your search!



Thanks Maccle. I am aware of this scheme and exploring the possibility of getting on it. It's such a fantastic scheme which should enable me, if I get onto it, to continue with my research and publication plans whilst training to qualify to teach.

Is non-funded PGCE worth it?
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~~~~~~CONTINUATION
@ Timmy. I’ve always wanted to teach and I remain, as ever, committed to teaching either in the 11-18 Sector (i.e. Secondary Education, inclusive of post 16 or Sixth Form) or in the Higher Education Sector. I dreamt of pursuing my BA, MA and PhD successively and the dream came to a fruition. Having achieved my dream, I naturally wanted to pursue my career ambition: teaching at whatever level. University Lectureships in my field is dire, sometimes, non-existent. Whenever vacancies are advertised, the competition seems extremely fierce and the negative outcomes—in spite of me having a number of REF-able publications—seem to be soul-destroying. But, I’m not giving up! Conversely, whilst vacancies are always advertised for secondary and FE teaching in my field, lack of PGCE, QTS or QTLS meant that I was never shortlisted. As aforementioned, one thing is for the government to permit independent schools, academies and FE colleges to employ high calibre graduates with no teaching qualifications/certifications to teach their subjects in certain school/college categories. The stark reality, in my personal experience, is for these educational institutions to mandatorily require a teaching qualification and recent, relevant experience from applicants.

@ incognito: An agency is currently helping me find a school where I could work as an unqualified teacher seeking to gain the QTS through the Assessment Only (AO) Route to becoming a Qualified Teacher. Fingers crossed.

Is non-funded PGCE worth it?
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Thanks everyone! To set the record straight, and in my personal experience, in spite of the government’s directives that academies, independent schools and FE colleges are allowed to employ, as subject teachers, highly qualified graduates with no teaching qualifications, heads and HRs are simply not inclined to do so! Also, some seem to be confusing PGCert in Education (a 3rd of an MEd or MA in Education which requires no teaching placements) and PGCE/PGDE/i-PGCE (which requires substantial and compulsory teaching placements that must be passed to gain the qualification/certification. PGCert in Education and PGCE/PGDE/i-PGCE are different qualifications with different requirements.

@ wowzers: Broadly speaking, my discipline is classified under the subject area known as theological, religious and philosophical studies. More specifically my work focuses on religion and society. Drawing on sociological, legal, philosophical and educational theories, my work specifically focuses on: religious freedom in schools; the faith school controversies; religion in schools’ curriculum (e.g. whether or not beliefs like creationism, intelligence design, etc, should be accommodated/tolerated in science classrooms; how, if at all, religion could be taught in public schools) etc, etc. So, my teaching subject is religious and philosophical studies—a subject no longer funded by the government. Nonetheless, I’ll look closely at your suggestions. I’m already exploring some of them.
~~~~~~~CONTD.

Is non-funded PGCE worth it?
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Hello everyone, I’m in a dilemma here and would appreciate your suggestions. I sailed through my BA, MA and PhD degrees without owing a penny. I’ve always wanted to teach. Sadly, the government no longer funds PGCE in my subject area. And, because the government permits independent schools, academies and FE colleges to employ highly qualified graduates with no teaching qualifications to teach in those sectors as unqualified teachers, I have unsuccessfully sought positions on account of not having a PGCE+QTS. Lately, I started exploring non-traditional routes into obtaining the PGCE+QTS. Sadly, however, places on schemes like Schools Direct and Teach First, particularly in my field, have all but gone. Even so, I am awaiting decisions on two other non-traditional schemes.

The only green light I have, so far, is an unconditional offer of a place on a non-funded PGCE which would set me back (or leave my account in red) by £18,000 (9k in fees & 9k for maintenance). I recently received the Student Finance offer of approximately £14,000 (£12800 in loan; £1,200 as a grant), leaving me with a shortfall of £4000. My dilemma is this: if I gained my BA, MA and PhD without incurring a penny in debt why should I (or any graduates in similar situation) incur such a staggering debt in a bid to obtain a teaching qualification and certification. And, what happens if I can't secure a permanent position after obtaining the PGCE. The irony of this matter is that the very year I commenced my PhD, I turned down a fully funded PGCE place to enable me take up a fully funded PhD position. Absolutely no regrets, though!

Your advice, as ever, would be highly appreciated, folks.

Advice needed! PhD at Bristol, Sussex, Exeter or Cardiff? I'm Lucky enough to choose!
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All of them are world class unis. Besides, Bristol, Exeter and Cardiff are all in the Russell Group. Personally, I don't like the idea of doing undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in the same university. So, of I were you I'll move elsewhere. That said, choosing between all four, I'll place priority on the supervisors (what kind of person they are; how successful they are in supervising PhD students; how they get along with their students; and how instrumental they are in placing their students) and what quality of supervision you're likely to get. Best of luck.

revise and resubmit
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This sounds like pass with minor corrections with the revised thesis handed in in 6 months time - that's a pass in my book. Congratulations. Now, ensure you make a list of what changes are required and religiously make those changes and you should be fine. I would provide extra report detailing how those changes were effected. Once more, congratulations.

Article Request: Journal of Advanced Nursing
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Check your inbox, I've sent my email address. Thanks.

Against all odds - I passed my viva today!
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Congrats and best wishes for the future. If you have no jobs already lined up, then you're welcome to the real post-PhD world of job hunting. Once again, congratulations and best of luck for the future.

(easy) PHD in Biology with no prior knowledge?
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Must you guys bother with the OP? Please spend your precious time on precious issues! Cheers.

Transcript for grant application- difference between UK/USA
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Quote From TreeofLife:
Many classes taken by US PhD students are actually undergrad classes anyway.


Are you sure? I'm asking because in some US and Canadian universities these courses lead to MA or MPhil enroute PhD. Also, some of the US and Canadian PhD courses are taken after successfully completing stand alone MA and MSc degrees. Are these also undergraduate courses? I'm just curious to know! lol.

Quote From TreeofLife:
you'd be surprised the amount of US academics that don't know [that UK students don't take classes]


I'll add many of them display their ignorance about UK universities in general. Someone on this site once moaned that academics at a US university he applied to knew nothing about the University of Bristol, asking if it is a good uni. Can you imagine?

Article Request: Journal of Advanced Nursing
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Watkinson, G. E. (1995) ‘A study of the perception and experiences of critical care nurses in caring for potential and actual organ donors: implications for nurse education’, Journal of Advanced Nursing, Volume 22, Issue 5, pages 929–940.

MANY THANKS FOR YOUR HELP.

PhD In UK
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TheReal, welcome on board. Best wishes with your studies and 'am sure you'll find this site helpful. many of us do and still hang around here to support each other even after completing our PhDs.