There are multiple routes into teaching. Whist Get Into Teaching is predominantly a postgraduate initial teacher training service, we have information about other routes on the site.
We know from our previous research that users are confused about which routes are right for them.
User need: As someone interested in becoming a teacher I need to understand the different routes available to me So that I can choose the best one for me
Our approach
We conducted research into lots of different styles of components that guided users through a process. These were things like ‘wizards’ or step-by-step quizzes where you answer some questions and get a result back. We also looked at other gov.uk services where you can check your eligibility.
We initially designed two different options. The first was using a filter pattern, where a user could refine the routes by various filters, such as course length or qualifications needed.
The second was to ask the user some questions and give them options based on their answers. We felt this approach met the user need of being guided to the right route, rather than having to filter and find it themselves.
Defining the questions
We already had research findings about the types of questions users expected to be asked. But we also needed understand what we would need to ask to give the right options back. To do this, we mapped all the various routes into teaching, based on the eligibility criteria and took these to the policy teams to validate.
We also discussed what we could design and build for a minimum paired back version. We did this so we could learn quickly about whether our solution was meeting user needs and consider what iterations might be beneficial in the future.
Our initial questions for the ‘Find your route into teaching’ feature are: 1. Do you have an undergraduate degree? This question helps us to present either postgraduate or undergraduate options 2. Have you worked as an unqualified teacher? This question determines whether we show the assessment only route 3. Do you live in England? This question determines whether we show the international QTS route
The results page
Our results page design shows the answers someone has given and the option to change those answers if they need to.
It then shows the available routes into teaching in individual results boxes. We chose to use a summary box design showing the headings of course fee, length and funding. This mirrors the headings people use to compare courses on ‘Find Teacher Training Courses’ and allows users to compare routes based on the information we know is the most important to them.
For postgraduate teacher training we used a yellow border and caption stating, “popular route”. This is the route where our users will have the most chance of success if they are eligible.
We also included a next steps area where you can sign up to the mailing list. We chose this as our initial design for next steps as the mailing list provides information about all the different services we provide. Finally, we included a link to a case study using our new quote component as research has shown that our users need to see real life examples for inspiration and reassurance.
Promoting the new feature
We have placed a promo on the homepage to direct users to the feature. We are trailing this out as our initial placement before considering adding it to other areas of the site.
Future iterations
Our designs and discussions have looked at various iterations such as:
- Asking someone’s location to show available courses
- Asking what subjects someone is interested in studying
- A way to return to the options without having to answer questions again
- Enabling a quick way to sign up to our mailing list based on the answers given
- Asking about someone’s circumstances to provide appropriate content
But for now, we are monitoring usage of the feature and incorporating it into future research, so that we can learn and iterate based on the things our users need and make the right iterations as we go.