Research Summaries from the Teacher Research Conference 2004
Below is list of all the Teacher Research Conference themes. You can see descriptions of all the summaries in all the themes by scrolling down the page, or you can jump straight to a particular theme by clicking one of the links directly below.
If you don't see the theme you are looking for, or if the summaries within a theme are not quite relevant to you, it is worth scanning the other themes to see what is available. A summary on gender and maths, for instance, may be filed under Gender but not under Maths.
Assessment
Continuing Professional Development
Creativity and the Curriculum
Drama
English as an additional language
Engaging with research
Exercise and movement
Gender
Gifted and talented
ICT
Initial teacher training
Leadership and management
Literacy
Maths
Modern foreign languages
Special Educational Needs
Student support, mentoring and Home-School relationships
Teacher and pupil engagement in research
Thinking skills
ASSESSMENT
Developing strategies to improve formative assessment in secondary science teaching and learning
Keith Whitehouse
This research involved a head of science and a head of physics supported by the county science inspector and built on previous research in other schools within the county. The research sought to identify and implement effective diagnostic strategies to improve learning and to develop students' skills in self-assessment of their work. These strategies enabled teachers to get a 'window' into what was going on in pupils' minds. Part of this diagnostic process was the development of a pack to support EAL pupils who were experiencing difficulties with three-dimensional thinking.
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Children's perspectives on formative assessment: an action research approach
Janice Gill, Connaught Junior School
Janice introduced a Year 6 class to various strategies of formative assessment with a view to develop pupils’ skills in meta-cognitive thinking; reflection on their work, self-assessment and self-monitoring. She then followed their progress through Years 7-11 to track if these skills were transferable, and if their perspectives changed during this time. The research provides interesting and encouraging insights into children’s views of formative assessment and assessment for learning.
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Raising standards in narrative writing in KS2
Robin Cowen
The aim of this research project was to study the impact of ICT-based formative assessment linked to pupil self-assessment in narrative writing. The teachers' approach led to the development of formative assessment which was both low on bureaucracy and high on information and analysis. Around 800 children between Years 3 and 6 were involved in the project. The presenters will show how they made above-average progress, particularly in the areas of purpose and organisation.
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CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Developing and sustaining professional dialogue about teaching and learning
Marie Butterworth, Heaton Manor School and Vivienne Baumfield, Newcastle University
This summary reports on the collaborative partnership between 6 secondary schools, 3 LEAs and a University in developing and sustaining professional dialogue about teaching and learning, including some of the mechanisms and processes used in schools to encourage teachers to make their teaching and learning explicit and open to dialogue as a vehicle for school improvement. It is a first hand experience of growing and sustaining partnerships across a range of contexts and how this worked in practice.
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"Engaging with each other": how between-teacher interactions inform professional practice
Simon Letman, The Royal Hospital School
Simon explores how interactions between teachers in the workplace might inform the development of professional knowledge. He clarifies the range of formal and ad hoc interactions which can take place and the different effects of these on informing practice. Of course, finding the time for this is a question of major importance, and Simon suggests ways in which teachers and leaders at all stages in their careers could encourage the right conditions for constructive interaction.
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CREATIVITY AND THE CURRICULUM
Developing a creative curriculum
Martin Casserley, Black Firs Primary School
This reports on an ongoing action research project on developing a creative curriculum. Using the National Advisory Committee on Creative and Cultural Education (NACCCE) as a starting point, the project, which began five years ago, concentrates on analysing the pedagogy employed to develop the creative curriculum in Black Firs Primary School and Wybunbury Delves CE School. The summary highlights the leadership issues for supporting teaching and learning in this environment, and explore the philosophy behind the creative curriculum. It also draws attention to strategies and processes that were used to develop a creative culture in the schools and shows how existing practice can be challenged so that change can occur.
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How can we teach Year 7 pupils to work creatively and independently across the curriculum?
Alison Parr and Ros Thomas, The Grove School
The use of a "Blue Planet" project was the basis for this study of improving pupils' creativity in RE and Science in particular across Year 7. Ros and Alison's project found that research empowered teachers in the study to make their lessons more effective and engaging - their work has already encouraged 11 colleagues to undertake BPRS projects at their school. The summary demonstrates how learning theories can be translated into classroom practice across the curriculum and to show progression of learning. It also gives details of tried and tested strategies which enabled students to gather data effectively and creatively, both independently and co-operatively.
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DRAMA
Improving creative writing through Drama at KS2
Alison Stowe, Priestmead Middle School
Through observation and evaluation of lessons, Alison discovered how children's writing improved when drama teaching was used in literacy lessons. Alison found that all children who took part enjoyed the structured approach to lessons where they worked in groups and pairs. Her own involvement in a previous project and observations of her teaching from a drama specialist and the LA drama co-ordinator helped her to adjust lesson plans and improve teaching quality accordingly. This summary suggests a structure for a lesson that engages all ability ranges, showing teachers how to nurture a safe environment for children to learn in.
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ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE
How the science curriculum at KS3 could be made more accessible for EAL learners
Julie O'Connor, De Ferrers Specialist Technology College
Three secondary schools were involved in this research project. Julie as an EMAG (Ethnic Minority Attainment Grant) support teacher developed teaching and learning strategies in science by focusing on meaning, language and use. The materials used were based on both students' comments and Julie's theoretical knowledge, and then evaluated by student comment, end of module tests and classroom observation. Difficulties experienced by students focused on language, and students' reluctance to ask too many questions about the meaning of words in case this was thought to reflect on their ability in the subject. Julie used DART (Directed Activities Related to Text) to form worksheets to help the students, and devised a Science dictionary of key words from the Year 7 syllabus.
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ENGAGING WITH RESEARCH
Teachers engaging in and with research: creating professional user reviews
Andy Clarke and Sandra McCleod (primary teachers), Lara Dawson (secondary teacher) and Leone Burton, British Educational Research Association
This summary explores how research reviews may be used as a springboard for engagement both with and in research. Four teachers of Education for Sustainable Development became engaged with a research review in their field of interest and went on to take ownership of the research, using it to enhance their own teaching and learning, and that of their colleagues.
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Teacher motivation practice and learning in an international collaborative learning community
Kathy Seddon
This summary reports on a six year online collaboration between teachers in seven European countries from the 'Arctic to the Mediterranean'. The international and online context provided some unusual challenges and opportunities. The methodology used was an emancipatory action research process. Data collection included the six years of email correspondence between partners, website 'captures' as well as interviews and questionnaires. The core of the research looked at teacher motivation, practice and learning and some of the findings will be presented for debate. The summary also explores how the collaboration was set up and how such collaborations can impact on the curriculum.
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Creating a research culture in school – with an insight from a teacher new to research
Judy Arrowsmith and Sue Hay, St George's School for Girls
At St George's School, research is a part of everyday life for both students and teachers. After the appointment of Judy as Research Fellow five years ago, engagement in and/or with research was stimulated amongst all members of the school. From the early years onwards, with appropriate support, students become used to pooling their ideas and receiving critical feedback. Teachers have contributed regularly to newspaper and journal articles and many are also undertaking Masters and Doctorates as part of their professional development. The summary aims to show teachers how they can both model and encourage "the curious lifelong learner" and apply it to their own school contexts. Itl also shows that lack of experience in formal research is no barrier, as Sue's example demonstrates.
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EXERCISE AND MOVEMENT
Investigating the impact of using exercise and movement on learning in Foundation Stage and KS1 and 2
Celia O'Donovan, Pat Preedy, and Ruth Wolinski, Knowle CE Primary School
This engagement with research tested whether exercises devised at the Institute of Neuro-Physiological Psychology (INPP) positively affected childrens' learning and achievement. The exercise programme is designed to inhibit early childhood reflexes, enabling children to develop and improve their balance, co-ordination, and auditory and visual systems. The 15-minute programme was used by the selected group of pupils at the beginning of each day, over a period of 6 months. The researchers found a significant improvement in concentration, behaviour, reading and writing skills, and self-esteem as a result of using the exercises in class.
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GENDER
Effective teaching to promote boys’ literacy at Key Stage 2
Katie Brown, Wormholt Park Primary School, Leoni Jones, Brunswick Park Primary School, and Olivia O’Sullivan, Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
This project was funded by the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation and the summary presents evidence and findings from literacy teaching interventions undertaken in six KS2 classrooms to improve the motivation and attainment of underachieving boys. The interventions involved interactive and oral approaches to literacy such as purposeful talk, peer support, drama and using ICT to communicate.
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Gender and mathematics: what can research tell us about how we teach mathematics to boys and girls?
Robin Bevan, King Edward VI Grammar School
Robin's research looked at how teachers engaged with research to improve mathematics teaching. Robin explored the literature on 'gender and mathematics' and then compared these findings with the views of colleagues from his school. These discussions were used to promote best practice in the classroom. This research illustrates how making 'academic research' accessible can stimulate and sustain professional discussion focused on enhancing classroom practice.
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GIFTED AND TALENTED
Using data to ensure gifted and talented students achieve their full potential in Design and Technology
Christine Arthington
Christine carried out an action research study into the use of software to identify and support her gifted and talented pupils in design and technology. Her research was informed by the work of Sheffield Hallam University with ITT students and pupils in an Inequality Challenge project.
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The impact of rigorous school self-evaluation, in creating quality action planning, on the learning and teaching of able, gifted and talented pupils
Jude Parsons
This summary explores how 17 schools are using a whole-school Challenge Award/Self-Evaluation Framework focused on excellence in learning and teaching which meets the needs of the more able and challenges all pupils. The Challenge Award is an accreditation from NACE which recognises and celebrates effective practice. The research arose from the need for a valid Framework of criteria which outlines quality provision for able, gifted and talented pupils and a structure that would engage whole school staff in supported self-evaluation. It gives a standard by which schools can audit, evaluate and plan for continuous whole-school development.
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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
Interactive education: teaching and learning in the Information Age
Dan Sutch, St Michael's CE VC Primary School, Simon Mills, Teyfant Community School, and Ros Sutherland, University of Bristol
This summary reports on the ongoing ESRC InterActive Education Project which is investigating the relationship between ICT and learning in schools. The project is based on the view that ICT alone does not enhance learning, but the way in which ICT is incorporated into learning activities is important. Children in the project are entering new "knowledge worlds", such as the world of History, or the world of English, by entering into the linguistic and symbolic practices of these new worlds. The evidence so far shows that ICT has been used in the classroom to enhance learning if teachers designed the learning situation appropriately and used the language of their subject when interacting with students.
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Perspectives of One to One laptop access
Danny Doyle, Les Landes School
Les Landes School in Jersey is in its fifth year of the Microsoft "Anytime, Anywhere Learning" programme (AAL). There is one-to-one laptop computer access for all children in Years 5 and 6 at the school. Danny investigated how children felt about using ICT and found that it empowered them to become independent learners. He illustrates how a constructivist approach to teaching can encourage independence and collaboration, metacognition, and higher order thinking skills.
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INITIAL TEACHER TRAINING
Identifying the attributes of effective ITT mentors
Kieran McGrane Ashington Community High School, Rob Kitching and Sue Lyle
This research was carried out following an initial Ofsted inspection of the North East Partnership SCITT (School Centred Initial Teacher Training). The researchers felt that it was important to select mentors through an evidence-based process rather than relying purely on experience. The project aimed to identify key qualities, behaviours, and attributes of ITT mentors, considering them from both the trainees' and mentors' perspectives. The SCITT course was also compared with a Durham University-based course to inform the planning of future mentor training.
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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT
'Reservoirs of Hope' as a metaphor for spiritual and moral leadership in headteachers: what happens when the reservoirs run dry?
Alan Flintham, Quarrydale School
This research was based on interviews with 25 headteachers to explore how heads sustain their schools and themselves through spiritual and moral leadership based on hope. For the purpose of this research the term 'spirituality' did not have exclusively religious connotations, but embraced a broader concept of 'secular spirituality'. The research summary shows how heads described a range of sustainablity strategies without which their effective functioning would be impaired. Alan describes the concept of internal 'reservoirs of hope' where leaders maintain an internal 'calm centre' which makes effective interpersonal engagement possible no matter what the external pressures, and external 'reservoirs of hope' where the head acts as the directional focus for the school.
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Is there a case for re-engineering the role of the middle level leader?
Nicholas Ware, The Priory School
This project arose from an interest in whether beginning headteachers were fully prepared to deal with the transition to a formal leadership position. The research explored the characteristics of the middle managers’ role in terms of leadership and management together with their role in developing the school as a learning organisation. A focus group of middle managers from three case study schools were interviewed in addition to the headteachers. The summary explores the concept of the school as a learning organisation and the potential impact on the leadership and management of the school.
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Organisational Culture in Independent Schools
John Newton, Eastbourne College
This is a study of management practices and their underlying values, and an examination of the transmission and acceptance of organisation culture as perceived by headteachers and staff members. Eighty schools representing a wide range of size, location, gender and type, within the independent sector, participatated in the study. Findings indicated the importance of collegiality, the use of structures to support decision making and the search for consensus. The study reports on delegation, consultation, appraisal and transmission of values. Findings from this study should be of interest to leaders and teachers across all educational sectors.
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Learning centred leadership
Lizzie Maddison, deputy head and Katy Patrick, National College for School Leadership
This project is being jointly conducted with the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation to examine what learning-centred leadership looks like in practice. The project focuses on the role and practice of middle leaders in secondary schools because of an identified lack of evidence in this field. 21 schools are involved in the project and the work is supported by 7 research associates all of whom are middle leaders in secondary schools. The summary reflects on what a learning centred school looks like and the middle leaders’ role in developing such a community.
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School planning: What can we learn from project management?
Paul Hammond, Headteacher, Denbigh High School
Familiar models of change management emphasise the importance of starting developments in an appropriately structured, considered and well researched way. Paul investigated whether project management skills can in fact offer school leaders an effective tool for managing change in an often turbulent planning environment. The summary includes case study evidence from a multi-ethnic urban secondary school in Luton, and shows how an 'at risk register' was used to draw up contingency plans for anticipated difficulties, how low cost software was used to pace the work of key individuals and how succession planning operated.
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Developing Student Leadership: pupils leading learning in a networked learning community
Ingrid Cox, Rivington and Blackrod High School
This project involved the students from Bolton's 16 secondary schools in networking good practice and sharing the roles of leaders of learning in their schools. The focus is on developing student leadership to empower these students to take a greater role not only in their school, but also in the wider community.
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LITERACY
Use of drama and story telling techniques to improve writing at KS2, with an emphasis on boys' achievement
Jean Palmer, Paddock Junior, Infant and Nursery School
This summary shows how drama and story telling techniques were used to enable pupils to explore a range of oral communication skills, including persuasion, description and narrative. This resulted in an improvement in the overall standard of the children's writing, particularly their character and action description in narrative, as indicated in before and after comparisons.
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Developing tasks for teaching and learning of basic rules and concepts in spelling: a multisensory approach
Hilary Cook and Sue Dobbing, Lauriston Primary School
This project developed tasks for teaching and learning basic rules in spelling and to assess the impact of these tasks on children's learning. The research involved three teachers and 66 pupils in Y4 and Y5. The project explored a multisensory approach to learning, including computer software, powerpoint presentations and the use of puppets. Visually stimulating material was found to engage the children's attention and enabled them to concentrate for extended periods on tasks requiring careful listening. The effects of these interventions were measured through pre and post testing and indicated significant gains for pupils.
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Thinking skills in the classroom: Using the odd one out to develop and understanding of fiction
Babs Anderson, Parkview Primary School
Babs' extensive research work in the field of thinking skills for young children covers the ‘odd one out’ strategy and its potential use in understanding fiction texts. The summary explores how the odd one out strategy works, and considers the learning gains made by her pupils.
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"What goes on inside my head when I’m writing?" and how does this affect the teaching of writing in lower KS2?
Kate Ruttle, Ditton Lodge First School
Kate explored the idea that to improve the way we teach children to write we need to improve our understanding of children as writers. Her research investigated children's thought processes and understanding of the language that teachers use. Her findings include identification of the 'language gap', revealing that pupils can recite the 'mantra' without necessarily understanding the concepts involved in writing tasks in any depth.
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MATHS
Mathematics curriculum discontinuity on secondary transfer
Robin Bevan, King Edward VI Grammar School
Existing research evidence highlights significant loss of progression in pupil learning on transfer to secondary school. Robin sought to explore the suitability of the current Year 7 mathematics curriculum in one school, to measure the extent to which students covered the work that was already known and to develop an approach to Year 7 teaching that addresses these shortcomings. This summary is likely to be of interest to all teachers concerned with meeting pupils' needs in Year 7 mathematics.
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An inclusive multi-sensory approach to teaching arithmetic
Romey Tacon and Tony Wing, Peacehaven Infant School
Peacehaven Infant School has a strong background of classroom-based research. This summary illustrates why so many children fail to substantially understand number and arithmetic. The authors' visually-based strategies for teaching mental arithmetic have raised children's achievement at all levels of ability. Now, the strategies are also being put to effective use with children with Special Educational Needs (SEN). The summary describes a multi-sensory approach to teaching number and arithmetic using visual structured imagery such as Numicon, Stern Patterns, and number rods.
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MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES
Developing learning strategies in writing French at KS4
Belinda Bartley, Lord Williams’ School
Belinda aimed to determine whether explicitly teaching learning and checking strategies in writing French at KS4 helped pupils to progress and become more independent and accurate writers. Strategies used included checking the use of verbs through colour coding, monitoring the effective use of dictionaries, brainstorming before starting to write, and whole class writing activities. Belinda found that the training did help most pupils, particularly the more able, and more pupils have gone on to study AS level French in her school. She believes that if training started earlier in the MFL experience it would lead to greater benefits for more pupils.
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SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS
Helping profoundly deaf children to learn English literacy through morphology
Diana Burman, Heathland School for Deaf Children
Pre-lingual, profoundly deaf children will not have English as a language for thought or 'inner speech'. As a consequence, few will possess skills that will enable them to readily learn and write in English. Diana will share her research into the use of morphology to teach profoundly deaf children English. The summary details the problems that many deaf children, including those in mainstream schools, have with literacy, as well as Diana's scoring system to assess deaf children’s early attempts at English Literacy.
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STUDENT SUPPORT, MENTORING, AND HOME-SCHOOL RELATIONSHIPS
Raising achievement at GCSE through mentoring partnerships
Judith Hartland, The Beauchamp College and Janet Waters, Specialist School Trust
This project on mentoring to support year 11 C/D borderline students, begun in 1998, evolved to include non teaching staff as mentors and to foster home-school links. The research findings include raised self esteem for the students and adults involved, and improved attendance. The summary shows how mentoring can be used as an effective tool for raising achievement and how adults other than teachers can be involved in the mentoring process.
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Exchanging knowledge between home and school
Leida Salway, Cwrt-yr-Ala Junior School, Mary Scanlan and Vicki Stinchcombe
This summary is based on the ongoing Home School Knowledge Exchange Project, funded by the TLRP, which aims to see if the exchange of information between home and school can change practice at home and at school, and whether this change in practice leads to increased pupil attainment. The research spans three Key Stages (1-3), and 16 schools, focusing variously on Literacy, Numeracy and Transfer. The summary draws attention to the differences between formal and informal learning, and shows how parents can take a positive role in teaching and learning through describing practical activities that can bring home and school together, and the use of video, photographs and artefacts to promote the exchange of knowledge between home and school.
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TEACHER AND PUPIL ENGAGEMENT IN RESEARCH
How does being a student researcher affect learning?
Aileen Naylor, Queen Elizabeth's Girls' School and Non Worrall, Networked Learning Communities
This summary describes the effects of a whole school initiative involving students as researchers, on individual attitudes, motivation and learning. It explains the philosophy underpinning students as researchers and explores how one school has developed a 'student as researcher' programme.
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THINKING SKILLS
Creative thinking in a Community of Enquiry
Hanneke Jones, Mickley First School
Hanneke investigated how a Community of Enquiry approach can stimulate and support creative thinking in young children. She facilitated twenty Community of Enquiry sessions in her mixed Y1/ Y2 class. She found two main strands of creative thinking: originality and fluency. The summary described the criteria Hanneke uses to categorise her children's responses in terms of creative thinking.
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KS4 Literacy: raising achievement at GCSE
Maggi Fisher, Kingsmead School
Maggi's research grew out of a need to test whether or not a literacy intervention programme at KS4, which used thinking skills approaches, was having any impact on the quality of students' written responses in their English examinations. This evaluation involved both tracking 'hard-edged data' and close analysis of students' work. The research found clear areas of improvement in some unexpected ways.
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Thinking actively in a social context (TASC)
Simon Chandler, Headteacher, Belmont Primary School and Belle Wallace, Project Advisor
A previous Ofsted report declared this school to be in 'serious weakness'. The action research project began in September 2000, as Simon was newly appointed headteacher, and is still ongoing. The research is focused on teachers' development of their own professionalism in order to raise standards, pupil motivation and self-esteem. In the words of two teachers 'the TASC wheel gives a structure for the children's thinking and planning... the higher ability children really flew'. The summary describes the experience of developing a whole school curriculum which is centred on problem solving and thinking skills.
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"Please sir, is there truly a shirt of happiness or not?" Developing thinking through a Community of Enquiry
Helen Rose and Michael Potter, National Junior School
Would you like your pupils to ask deeper, more thought provoking questions? Would you like your pupils to discuss issues they’ve identified in a civilised manner? Would you like your pupils to develop more in-depth written responses? This summary explores how thinking skills were developed in Year 5 and 6 Literacy classes through a Community of Enquiry. The researchers found signs of transfer of skills into other curriculum areas, and both teachers have become more aware of their roles in rewarding not just correct answers, but also evidence of thinking.
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Using mind-maps to raise standards in literacy and improve confidence and positive attitudes towards learning
Maureen Cain and Gill Davies, Newchurch Catholic Primary School
Mind-maps were used in an action research programme to improve classroom practice and raise pupils' attainment in literacy by improving their confidence and attitude to learning. The project's subsequent development throughout the school has been regarded as a contributory factor in raising achievement and SATs scores. The research demonstrates that mind-mapping could be effectively used by all levels of learners, allowing them ownership of their learning, and providing strategies for organisation and higher order thinking.
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Using thinking tools to improve reading and writing skills in KS2
Kirsteen McCrory, Lynncroft Primary School
Kirsteen's experiment in employing Edward de Bono's CoRT 1 Thinking tools for Year 4 pupils resulted in 80% of the group exceeding targets in reading SATs, and 67% exceeding the writing targets. Other positive outcomes were also noted, including the children’s useful acquisition of transferable skills. Children also enjoyed using Thinking tools in their work, demonstrating greater confidence and understanding.
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