BERA conference presentation

1
BERA conference presentation

• September 12th 2003

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The Douay Martyrs School

• Building capacity for improvement
• Quantifying improvement
• Effecting cultural change
• Community of practice

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The research projects

• MA programme 2001-2003

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Kerry Rooney

• Developing approaches to learning using ICT at
  Key Stage 3

5
Kevin Brady

• Investigating the impact of authentic sources on
  literacy in History at Key Stage 3

6
Deborah Syme

• Evaluating the reasons for the under-achievement
  of Gifted and Talented students at Key Stage 4

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Julie Noctor

• Developing approaches to Peer tutoring and
  mentoring to raise attainment at Key Stage 4

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Derren Gray

• Evaluating the NQT induction provision over the
  course of an academic year

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To what extent is ICT being Integrated into
Learning?Policy into Practice!

• Kerry Rooney
• MA CPD School Improvement
• Module 5
• St Marys College

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BPRS Focus

• To what extent is I.C.T being integrated into
  learning?
• Aims
• Access to ICT facilities both at home and at
  school
• How is ICT implemented/used within homework
• Teachers ability to deliver the ICT curriculum
  effectively
• Students perceptions of lessons-motivation
• Differentiation of tasks and development of
  skills
• Attainment levels within ICT over 3 terms
• Dissemination of findings for academic 2003/2004

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Micro political issue

• School development plan SELF, COMMUNITY,
  ATTAINMENT
• Self The improvement of students and staff ICT
  skills.
• Community A community of practice, teacher
  researchers.
• Attainment The raising of attainment through
  increased use of ICT within departments
  increasing Key Stage Three levels.
• Nationally The development of the Key Stage
  Three Strategy now turns its focus to ICT within
  schools. It is important that all schemes of work
  are in line with the key stage three strategy and
  the delivery is successful. ICT will be a major
  focus in an OfSTED inspection.

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Research Review

• Several issues regarding ICT implementation
• Development of Cross Curricular SOW
• Students are keen to use ICT
• Staff have issues which are now being addressed
  unwilling to become change agents.

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• Agency is providing teachers to have the scope
  to make a difference in their professional life
• Frost, 2001

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Significant Findings

• Staff have been unwilling to deliver the ICT in
  their subject area - resistance
• The quality distribution of skills and
  knowledge varied greatly across and within
  departments.
• Perceptions of ICT by staff were greatly diverse.
  ICT was regarded as a motivational factor by all
  teacher responses.
• The greater the number of people, students
  departments involved the more problematic the
  research became.
• Movement in the right direction

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Implications for practice / policy

• Review of ICT SOW to incorporate new key stage 3
  strands lesson plans
• Increased resources within departments
• Training for staff
• Review of assessment
• Increased use of ICT across Key Stage 3

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• Action research is the
• cyclical process of strategic planning,
  implementing the plan, observation, evaluation
  self-evaluation, critical self critical
  reflection on the results making the decisions
  for the next cycle of action research
• Zuber-Skerritt, 1996

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Research

• DfES (2003) ICT It Works. Freshness, relevance,
  independence, change the way in which teachers
  teach, Learning, sustainability management of
  personnel.
• Ewing, (2000) identifies two major forces
  operating in the ICT field.
• 1. Financial pressures
• 2. Competence and confidence of teaching staff in
  the use of ICT in their teaching.
• Inside and outside expectations of ICT.
• Learning is personal growth
• Learning is through collaboration of others
• Conceptual learning is through active involvement
• Learning is context based

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Recommendations

• Increased training of all staff incorporating ICT
  termly meetings INSET
• Create an updated handbook
• Increased use of laptops and ICT suite

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• Learning-centred leadership allows an
  institution to construct and create knowledge
  rather than transmit it. A communal desire to
  research and find out how learning works in
  different contexts exists.
• MacBeath, (2003)

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Benefits of the policy

• Initiate increase training for staff within
  across departments
• Create an update ICT handbook
• Standardise the assessment policy for level
  descriptors
• Develop a mentoring system within departments
  with an ICT focus
• Chair of the e-learning school development
  working party.

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Phases Timeframes

• Schedules and meeting organised and finalised by
  1st July 2003
• Updated handbook with HODs coordinators by 4th
  September 2003
• Review of level descriptors with guidelines
  explanations by September 2003
• ICT coordinators meet termly. Review of SOW by
  May 2004.

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Resource allocations

• Training implications with increased funds
• Departments to allocate resources
• Training whole school with INSET and possibly
  cover due to observations.
• Courses either externally or internally

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• Innovation is multidimensional 3 dimensions at
  stake in implementing any new policy
• Possible use of new or revised materials
• Possible use of new teaching approaches
• Possible alteration of beliefs. Change must occur
  in practice in order for it to affect the
  outcome.
• Fullan (1991)

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SUMMARY LITERATURE REVIEW

• Organizations that excel in the future will be
  the organizations that discover how to tap
  peoples commitment and capacity to learn at all
  levels in an organization
• Zuber-Skerrit (1996)

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• Effective co-ordination strageties attention
  to the potential benefits of enquiry
  reflection lead to the concept of developing
  the capacity for innovation in workgroups or
  communities of practice
• Trowler, Saunders, Knight (2003)

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• Human agency is the fundamental aspect of
  self-hood and that human kind is distinguished
  not simply by the capacity to initiate and
  sustain activity of our on volition, but most
  crucially by the capacity to construct
• Frost, (2000)

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• At the heart of successful leadership
• must be a passion for learning.
• Brighouse, (2000)

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BIBLOGRAPHY
Zuber Skerritt,O. (1996) New Direction in Action Research Falmer press Temperley, J Horne, M (2003) Networked Learning Communities Paper presented at Sydney 2003
Frost, D (2000) Teacher-led school improvement agency and strategy part 1 Management in Education, Vol 4 Issue 4. Bird, M. Hammersley, M (2000) Educational Research in Action The Open University E835
Frost, D Durrant, J (2003) Bottom up? Top down? Inside out? Joined up? International congress for School Effectiveness Improvement Sydney. Hopkins, D (2002) A Teachers Guide to Classroom Research Open University Press
Fullan, M (1991) The New Meaning of Educational Change Cassell Educational Limited Melrose, M (1996) Got a Philosophical Match? Does It Matter? In Zuber, O (Ed) New Direction In Action Research Falmer Press
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MacBeath, (2003) The Alphabet Soup of Leadership InFORM, Learning for Leadership, Vol 2
Bhindi, N Duignan, P (1997) Leadership for a New Century Educational Management Administration Vol 25 (2) 117 - 132
Brighouse, T (2000) Passionate Leadership CEO/CP NCSL

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Agency and Strategy

• Derren Gray
• June 2003

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Proverbs 2818

• Where there is no Vision,
• the People perish.

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Aim of the Research

• The aim of the research is to improve the
  induction provision for NQTs within the school.

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Agency

• Teachers have the scope
• to make a difference
• in their professional life.

Frost, D (2002)
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Context of the Research

• BPRS funded.
• Six NQTs at the school (4 used)
• 30 minute semi-structured interviews.
• How they would respond to various scenarios.
• Follow up interviews.

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Policy and Practice

• Internal
• The School
• Departments
• External
• The LEA
• The Government
• Internationally

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Internal Policy and Practice

• How is the induction course structured?
• Historical context
• Who takes responsibility for induction?
• Tutor, Head, HoDs
• How is induction resourced?
• Rights and responsibilities.
• Reviewing change.
• Who does it and when?

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External Policy and Practice

• Timeline of Government reform
• Government agenda
• Recruitment and retention
• Professionalism
• Accountability
• Statutory requirements and deadlines
• LEA advisors and monitoring procedures
• New initiatives
• Linking QTS and Induction standards

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Edwards, A. (2002)

• Educational researchers are practitioners engaged
  in social science.

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Rossman et al (1988)

• Culture therefore, defines effectiveness.

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Research Action Points

• Validity of the meeting schedule.
• Allocation/ training of departmental mentors.
• The need for an NQT induction handbook.
• Which are the best ways to deliver the induction
  programme?

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Brighouse, T. (2000)

• Learning is,
• in itself,
• change.

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Dissemination of Findings

• MA group mentor, school mentor and MA critical
  friends
• Reports to SLG and Governors
• Reports to external professional linked to school
• Reports to link Beacon school
• Leading staff INSET on research findings and
  common strategies for improving the quality of
  teaching and learning
• Report to LEA advisory group

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Dissemination of Findings

• Publish research findings for professional
  teaching and research institutions
• Disseminated on St Marys University College
  Intranet
• NQT handbook distributed to all relevant staff
• Research findings posted on school website
• Dissemination through policy formulation
• Research conference at St Marys College
  September 2003
• BERA Conference, Edinburgh, September 2003

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Innovation isMulti-dimensional

• Fullan, M (2001)

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Timescale for Changing Policy and Practice

• Change the timing and structure of the induction
  meetings.
• Training programme for departmental mentors.
• Creation of an NQT induction handbook.
• Standardise the generic provision programme.

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Resourcing the Changing Policy and Practice

• Timing and structure of the induction meetings.
• Training programme for departmental mentors.
• NQT induction handbook.
• Standardise the generic provision programme.

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Senge, P (1990)The Fifth Discipline.

• The organisations that will truly excel in the
  future will be the organisations that discover
  how to tap peoples commitment and capacity to
  learn at all levels

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Research Modifications

• Can I improve the interviewing process?
• Dedicated room
• Regular time
• External transcription
• How can the research methods be changed?
• Is the scenario method the best way?
• Shorter but regular interviews?
• Build interview time into the NQTs timetable?
• Straight talking!

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Where to now withthe Research?

• Extension to another school and LEA.
• Organise a second NQT conference.
• Application for Phase 3 funding for
  dissemination.
• Review dates for the policy changes.

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Fullan, M. (1991)

• Leadership is the Management of Change

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Deborah Syme

• Action ResearchDoes it really work?

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Action research Aims and methods

• To identify through CATS, Midyis scores and staff
  consultation , the able underachievers (year 10
  boys)
• To compare and contrast (quantitatively) the able
  achievers and the able underachievers
• To interview and observe (qualitatively) the able
  underachievers, in order to draw out reasons for
  their falling grades.

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Context of research

• G and T co-ordinator
• Govt. initiative (1999)
• Support underachieving gifted and talented
  pupils, especially those from disadvantaged
  backgrounds
• No school policy , no school action
• Tackle underachievers to raise attainment within
  remit of SDP.
• Vision to move from the current 19th century
  factory model, to a 21st century hospital
  (Caldwell 1997)

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(No Transcript)
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Policy main points

• To identify and MONITOR a cohort of G and T
  students from year 6-13
• To identify and MONITOR underachieving G and T
  students especially in year 9,10,11
• Improve quality of provision made for G and T
  students
• Ensure all staff have the skills and resources to
  deliver extensions for G and T students
• Ensure a learning culture is valued

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Policy into practice

• Leadership
• Learning culture
• Working structure
• Commitment and cohesion
• Risk taking
• A good idea is not enough, micro political
  networks vital

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Policy into practice

• Carrot
• There have to be proven benefits , theres
  something in it for you
• Advertising Publicise success (results)
• Let me make it easy for you

• Stick
• Monitoring If you dont do this I will have
  to
• Meetings If you dont come to this I will have
  to.
• Squeaking door

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(No Transcript)
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The Carrot The easy life

• X (extension with targets)
• Questions that stimulate what if .
• Library independent research
• Expectations/quiet word/target setting
• Boy/girl seating

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(No Transcript)
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Why action research doesnt work

• Todays Friday, conference began on Wed.
• Can we be leaders and managers and classroom
  practitioners?
• Its not directly useful in other circumstances,
  most action research being context specific.
• Action research cycles need to be longer, short
  term solutions only delay the problem
• Too many cooks ?
• Teachers are still too isolated.
• Do action researchers have a team?
• Does the energy match the outcome?

63
Why action research does work

• Action research starts with agreement, a values
  statement, and results in professional
  development.
• Action research gives ownership of the process.
• The process of action research leads to
  distributed leadership.
• The process of action research creates new
  knowledge..it encounters and questions culture.
• Action research builds capacity

64
The future?

• Chaos
• Flat hierarchies
• Hospital
• Business
• Communities of practice
• MORE CHANGE
• Thankyou

65
Action research

• Does it really work?

66
Action research Aims and methods

• To identify through CATS, Midyis scores and staff
  consultation , the able underachievers (year 10
  boys)
• To compare and contrast (quantitatively) the able
  achievers and the able underachievers
• To interview and observe (qualitatively) the able
  underachievers, in order to draw out reasons for
  their falling grades.

67
Context of research

• G and T co-ordinator
• Govt. initiative (1999)
• Support underachieving gifted and talented
  pupils, especially those from disadvantaged
  backgrounds
• No school policy , no school action
• Tackle underachievers to raise attainment within
  remit of SDP.
• Vision to move from the current 19th century
  factory model, to a 21st century hospital
  (Caldwell 1997)

68
(No Transcript)
69
Policy main points

• To identify and MONITOR a cohort of G and T
  students from year 6-13
• To identify and MONITOR underachieving G and T
  students especially in year 9,10,11
• Improve quality of provision made for G and T
  students
• Ensure all staff have the skills and resources to
  deliver extensions for G and T students
• Ensure a learning culture is valued

70
Policy into practice

• Leadership
• Learning culture
• Working structure
• Commitment and cohesion
• Risk taking
• A good idea is not enough, micro political
  networks vital

71
Policy into practice

• Carrot
• There have to be proven benefits , theres
  something in it for you
• Advertising Publicise success (results)
• Let me make it easy for you

• Stick
• Monitoring If you dont do this I will have
  to
• Meetings If you dont come to this I will have
  to.
• Squeaking door

72
(No Transcript)
73
The Carrot The easy life

• X (extension with targets)
• Questions that stimulate what if .
• Library independent research
• Expectations/quiet word/target setting
• Boy/girl seating

74
(No Transcript)
75
(No Transcript)
76
Why action research doesnt work

• Todays Friday, conference began on Wed.
• Can we be leaders and managers and classroom
  practitioners?
• Its not directly useful in other circumstances,
  most action research being context specific.
• Action research cycles need to be longer, short
  term solutions only delay the problem
• Too many cooks ?
• Teachers are still too isolated.
• Do action researchers have a team?
• Does the energy match the outcome?

77
Why action research does work

• Action research starts with agreement, a values
  statement, and results in professional
  development.
• Action research gives ownership of the process.
• The process of action research leads to
  distributed leadership.
• The process of action research creates new
  knowledge..it encounters and questions culture.
• Action research builds capacity

78
The future?

• Chaos
• Flat hierarchies
• Hospital
• Business
• Communities of practice
• MORE CHANGE
• Thankyou

79
Agency and Strategy

• Derren Gray
• June 2003

This presentation should be read in conjunction
with my module 5 evidence based policy proposal.
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Literature References
Bird, M. Hammersley, M. (2000) Educational Research in Action The Open University E835 Brown, M. et al (2000) Good Practice in Educational Research Writing. BERA website www.bera.ac.uk 14/11/2002 Edwards, A (2002) Responsible Research ways of being a researcher. British Educational Research Journal, Vol. 28, No. 2.
Blaxter, L. Hughes, C. Tight, M. (2002) How to research second edition Open University Press Cameron, L. (2002) Metaphors in the Learning of Science a discourse focus. British Educational Research Journal, Vol. 28, No. 5. Frost, D (2003) Building the discourse through evidence informed collaboration 16th International Congress for School Effectiveness and Improvement
Brighouse, T. (1994) Teaching to Change Society Exeter Society fo Curriculum Studies Vol.16 No. 3 Cohen, L. Marion, L. (1994) Research Methods in Education Routledge Fullan, M (2001) The New Meaning of Educational Change Cassell
81
Literature References
Halliday, J. (2002) Researching values in education. British Educational Research Journal, Vol. 28, No. 1. Leach, J. Andrews, R. Williams, J. (Eds.) (2002) British Educational Research Journal Carfax Publishing Vol. 28 (5) Mason, J. (1996) Qualitative Researching Sage.
Hammersley, M. (2001) On Systematic Reviews of research Literatures a narrative response to Evans and Benefield. British Educational Research Journal, Vol. 27, No. 5. Lodge, C and Reed, J. (2003) Improvement in Action Sustainable Improvements in Learning through School-based, Teacher-led Enquiry 16th International Congress for School Effectiveness and Improvement Melrose, M. (1996) Got a Philosophical Match? Does It Matter? New Directions in Educational Research, Falmer Press
Hopkins, D. (2002) A Teachers Guide to Classroom Research Open University Press Lomax, P. (1995) Action Research for Professional Practice 1 British Journal of In-service Education Vol. 21 (1)
82
Literature References
Partington, G. (2001) Qualitative research interviews Identifying problems in technique Issues in Educational Research Vol. 11 Strauss, A Corbin, J (1990) Qualitative Analysis for Social Scientists. Cambridge University Press Stoll, F. and Fink, D. (1995) Changing our schools Open University Press
Senge, P (1990) The Fifth Discipline Doubleday, New York Taber, K (2002) Intense, but its all worth it in the end the co-learners experience of the research process. British Educational Research Journal, Vol 28, No. 3.
Smith, A. Sykes, C. (2000) Qualitative research in education, The soft fruits of school improvement Management in Education Vol. 14 (4) Zuber-Skerritt (1996) Emancipatory Action Research for Organisational Change and Management Development. New Directions in Educational Research, Falmer Press
83
Literature References
www.bera.ac.uk 14th November 2002 www.salis.ubc.ca 4th December 2002 www.hartman-group.com/interviews.html 4th December 2002
www.groundedtheory.com 4th December 2002 www.scu.edu.au 4th December 2002 http//ibs.derby.ac.uk 4th December 2002
www.psych.ucalgary.ca 4th December 2002 www.fao.org 28th November 2002 www.chalkface.net 7th January 2003
84
Literature References
http//brs.leeds.ac.uk 8th January 2003
www.nfer.ac.uk 7th March 2003

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Agency and Strategy

• Derren Gray
• June 2003

86
Quotes Fullan, M The New Meaning of Educational
Change

• Change works or doesnt work based on the
  individual and collective responses to it
• Real change involves changes in conceptions and
  role behaviour.

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Evaluation and questions

• Dr R Penny- St Marys University College