Enriching pupil and professional learning through engaging with

evidence – what makes a difference?Philippa Cordingley

Centre for the Use of Research and Evidence in Education

Session outline

A case study to unpack

Research about teacher use of research

Research about effective CPDL and the role of evidence

Research about leadership ( of use of evidence )

The nature and role of effective tools

A metaphor

A case study – making algebra meaningful by changing classroom culture (Alf Coles)

• notice and write about what they are doing;

• think for themselves;

• ask why things work;

• look for patterns etc.

Alf designed learning tasks to generate

/make visible these behaviours & fie tuned them in the light of evidence re how they were working over 15 weeks...

Aim: deep engagement with algebra

Alf, his class, an HE tutor and a colleague, researched what great algebraists had achieved and done e.g.

Classroom culture changes via:

Key approach was establishing Common Boards where pupils individually and collectively:

• posted & picked up each others’ work to complete;

• posted work for peer marking against frameworks;

• recorded results and thinking for others to analyse/classify and

• identified patterns in working strategies and common mistakes.

Alf’s learning

• Alf – Used initial research to analyse barriers and

identify principles for overcoming them

– Collected photos of the work on the common boards;

– Explored the results with his colleague and his HE tutor who observed some of the lessons; and

– Used the resulting evidence to refine iteratively the way he used the common boards, the tasks he set his pupils and the levels of challenge he offered.

Results

After 15 weeks all the pupils were:

• recording and thinking about their mathematical thinking;

• using symbols to express their own ideas;• asking “can we do this for n” in problem solving;• understanding algebraic statements in different

contexts and identifying what was useful and efficient and

• achieving the equivalent of GCSE level in algebra in year 7.

http://www.ntrp.org.uk/node/205

Systematic Review Methodology• Comprehensive electronic literature search;

• Screened titles & abstracts against the published criteria;

• Retrieved full studies applied 3 levels of filtering

• Completed a map of the literature;

• Double blind data extraction - 50% (98) of initial trawl; 100% ( 25) for synthesis;

• Explicit assessment for weight of evidence for synthesis

• Synthesised evidence for review questions

• Commissioned anonymous peer review

• Findings tested with policy makers, practitioners and researchers

FINDINGS: A Spectrum of Engagement

Engagement with Research Engagement in

Research

The engagement spectrum - education

At one end of the spectrum - Practitioners engaging with research involved:• research was planned, analysed and

reported by researchers or school leaders• Practitioners were actively involved in

research implementation, data collection and review

• Teachers introduced to research findings and underpinning rationale/ theory, by researchers or CPD leaders

• Teachers were supported to interpret findings and adapt them for their contexts.

The Engagement Spectrum - education

At the other end, practitioner engagement in research:• research activities wholly planned,

implemented, analysed and reported by practitioners

• teachers drew on support from (eg) HEIs, Local Authorities and specialist organisations.

• practitioners involved in data collection, usually including observation, review and refinement of questions and evidence

• analysis; and• reporting

Findings: outcomes in education

• Practitioner engagement in and with research is linked to positive outcomes for educators and for pupils

• Impacts spread fairly evenly among improvements in:

– knowledge and skills

– behaviour for learning; and

– attitudes/motivation for learning

Findings: important processes

Processes that matter include• Identifying goals in relation to pupil outcomes

• Experimenting with new approaches with support from specialists - form and content key for :

• Selecting the most effective approaches

• Modelling new approaches

• Designing research tools, analysis and reporting

• Reviewing and refining results with support from peers and in light of evidence from classrooms

• Processes and outcomes consistent- and relate closely to professional learning and development

Comparing health & social care and education

Health research tends to focus on quality of impact, usually in clinical settings.

Education research focuses more on how things work in context but weaker re impact data

• In health obstacles reported as take up and compliance, strategies to support use focus on communication...

• In education

– obstacles mainly evidencing impact & time

– Processes interpreting evidence, contextualisation, fidelity?

• Teachers often had more scope for managed risk taking

Are classrooms more conducive practitioner research environments than we thought?

Eight key CPDL processes to support change in classrooms

Systematic reviews show that effective CPDL involves sustained, iterative, aligned combinations of evidence-rich:• Access to specialist expertise e.g. via

research/evaluation

• Dialogue with peers re learner responses to change

• Exploration of disruptions, assumptions & beliefs

• Development of practice and theory side by side• http://www.curee.co.uk/news/2015/06/developing-great-teaching-

new-report-effective-teachers-professional-development

Eight key CPDL processes to support change in classrooms

Sustained, iterative, aligned combinations of evidence rich:

• Activities focused on aspirations for learners/students;

• AFL for teachers;

• Support via professional learning tools and protocols and

• All contextualised for subjects and specific sub groups of pupils – NOT generic pedagogic CPD.

http://www.curee.co.uk/news/2015/06/developing-great-teaching-new-report-effective-teachers-professional-development

Robinson on leadership

• Best Evidence Synthesis (BES) of the research about leadership contributions linked with learner success

• No clear measures of leadership effectiveness –leadership research is always challenging

• Key things to remember about systematic reviews:

– The care taken to be comprehensive

– Process of selecting, analysing and filtering the most reliable studies – included studies not just any old studies

– Transparency

– Are accurate at scale; individual experiences may differ

• So this is the best evidence we have.

Effect sizes for leadership interventions

• Ensuring an orderly and supportive environment

• Establishing goals and expectations

• Planning, coordinating and evaluating teaching and the curriculum

• Promoting and participating in teacher learning

• Strategic resourcing- alignment and tools

http://www.curee.co.uk/resources/publications/robinson-summary

Effect sizes for leadership interventions

• Promoting and participating in teacher learning (0.84)

• Planning, coordinating and evaluating teaching and the curriculum ( 0.42)

• Establishing goals and expectations (0.35)

• Strategic resourcing - alignment and tools ( 0.34)

• Ensuring an orderly and supportive environment (.27)

http://www.curee.co.uk/resources/publications/robinson-summary

A metaphor for the role of tools and evidence

24

Collaboration, exploration, tools and shared risk taking represent stepping stones...

... and the evidence generated and explored create a handrail

A Tool - the performance review cycle

The School Development Plan

A use of evidence/ CPDL tool

Development plan

Development Strategies

CPDL findings How Alf generated and used evidence to make a difference

Which tools in our contexts generate useful evidence and could be enhanced?

Focus on aspirations for learners

AFL for teachers via tools and protocols

Peer support

Access to specialist expertise

Exploration/refinement ideas, assumptions & beliefs

Developing theory and practice side by side

Contact details

philippa.cordingley@curee.co.uk

www.curee.co.uk

Twitter @PhilippaCcureeTwitter @curee_official

Centre for the Use of Research and Evidence in Education

8th FloorEaton House1 Eaton Road

Coventry CV1 2FJ

024 7652 4036