Ian Selwood School of Education, The University of Birmingham

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Ian Selwood School of Education, The University
of Birmingham

• Using ICT to Reduce Teacher WorkloadsCan ICT
  play a role, or does it add to the burden?

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Transforming the School Workforce (TSW)
Pathfinder Project

• Launched in the spring of 2002.
• One-year project
• The data presented here is drawn from the
  evaluation of this project that was carried out
  by a team from the University of Birmingham.
• The aim of the project - to secure significant
  reductions in the weekly hours worked by teachers
  and increase the proportion of teachers working
  week that is spent teaching or on tasks directly
  related to the teaching.

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Support for TSW Schools

• Consultancy support (school workforce advisers).
• Training heads in change management.
• Funds for employing additional support staff.
• Funds for ICT.
• Funds for bursar training.
• Funds for capital building.

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The data collection methods

• Baseline questionnaire completed by all school
  staff.
• Interviews of cross-section of staff.
• Case studies of selected schools.
• End of project questionnaire completed by all
  school staff.
• End of project interviews of cross-section of
  staff.
• Results presented here draw on aggregated data
  from the approximately 900 teachers in the 32
  pilot schools.

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Results Concerning ICT 1.

• Reduction in working hours.
• Special 4.2hrs, Primary 4.1hrs, Secondary 1.3hrs
• (But can not say due to ICT contributory
  factor)
• Increased teacher access to laptop at home.
• Special 91 (51), Primary 91 (64), Secondary
  74 (49)
• (Also high levels of sole access at school)
• Increased access to Internet and Email.
• Primary Investment in Whiteboards.
• 85 of primary teachers had some form of access
• Teachers views on access to ICT improved

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Results Concerning ICT 2.

• Teachers believed they were competent users of
  ICT
• Aspired to higher levels of competency.
• However problems with training were highlighted
• Low levels of formal training
• Levels of satisfaction not high wrt quality of
  training (but improved)
• Teachers believe ICT can assist in reducing their
  workload and make them more productive.
• Became more positive over the year
• But would take time

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Areas were ICT might help

• Registration and monitoring attendance
• Lesson Planning
• As a lesson resource (e.g. web site)
• Resource/material preparation
• Presentations/demonstrations
• Marking and Assessment
• Report writing
• Records of achievement
• Monitoring pupil progress
• Record Keeping
• Special Educational Needs Coordination (SENCO)
• Exam entries and results
• School policy development

• Development planning
• Curriculum planning
• Timetabling
• Pupil contact (e.g. E-mail/intranet)
• Parent/Carer contact (e.g. E-mail)
• Staff contact (e.g. arranging meetings through
  E-mail/intranet)
• Partnership links Staff appraisal/supervision or
  mentoring
• On-line CPD/INSET
• On-line communities
• Financial records
• Budgeting
• On-line purchasing of services and/or goods

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Some sources of information - ICT and Workload

• PwC. (2001). Teacher Workload Study Final
  Report 5 December 2001. DfES, London.
  http//www.teachernet.gov.uk/wholeschool/remodelli
  ng/workloadstudy/
• Becta, 2002. What the research says about ICT and
  reducing teachers workloads. Becta. Warwick.
  http//www.becta.org.uk/page_documents/research/wt
  rs_workloads.pdf
• Case Studies from National Remodelling Team
  http//www.remodelling.org/case_studies.php
• Freedman, T. (????) Make time with IT
  http//easyweb.easynet.co.uk/7Eetfreedman/tasklis
  t.htm
• Information Management Strategy
  http//www.teachernet.gov.uk/management/tools/ims/
  
• DfES, (2003) Raising Standards and Tackling
  Workload a National Agreement.
  http//www.teachernet.gov.uk/_doc/3479/Agreement2
  0to20reform20school20workforce.doc
• Thomas H. et al, (2004). The Evaluation of the
  Transforming the School Workforce Pathfinder
  Project Research Report 541. DfES.

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The 25 tasks no longer to be done by teachers
The following common tasks according to the DfES
need not routinely be carried out by teachers and
should, as soon as practicable, be transferred to
support staff or ICT

• Collecting money
• Chasing absences
• Bulk photocopying
• Copy typing
• Producing standard letters
• Producing class lists
• Record keeping and filing
• Classroom display
• Analysing attendance figures
• Processing exam results
• Collating pupil reports
• Administering work experience
• Administering examinations
• Invigilating examinations

• Administering teacher cover
• ICT trouble shooting and minor repairs
• Commissioning new ICT equipment
• Ordering supplies and equipment
• Stocktaking
• Cataloguing, preparing, issuing and maintaining
  equipment and materials
• Taking minutes meetings
• Co-ordinating and submitting bids
• Seeking and giving personnel advice
• Managing pupil data
• Inputting pupil data