Why educational research is so Important and why it is having so

little impact

Peter Tymms

www.cemcentre.org

Outline• The potential of research• Changing policies• Structures

– Hierarchical nature of our system– Learning progress over the years– Male/female differences

• Conclusions - throughout

Research potential• Understanding

– Underlying causes– Theory– Prediction

• But:– Interaction– Complexity

• Nevertheless …..

Can you date this?

“Learning, alas will someday be smothered by … examination, competition, the calculation and publication of results.”

J.E.C. Welldon

Reasons

• Dissatisfaction with the old system

• Forgetting the lessons of history

• New evidence and new theories

• New technology

• New politicians

Impact of Policies on Standards• Primary schools

– Hundreds of millions £– Impact on reading

• Tiny

– Impact on maths• Modest

• Secondary– ….

Changes in proportion gaining five A*-Cs at GCSE1

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

19

75

19

80

19

85

19

90

19

95

20

00

Pe

rce

nta

ge

of

'15

ye

ar

old

s'2

Leaving Certificates

Summary

• Massive efforts to raise standards• More students staying on• More gaining qualifications• Levels of basic skills have remained fairly

constant• Higher grades are easier to obtain

Hierarchy within Education

SchoolsClusters

Classes

Pupils

Countries

Which matters most?

1. Country2. Cluster 3. School 4. Teacher5. Pupil

Relative importance

Country

Cluster ClusterSchool

SchoolTeacher

Teacher

Pupil

Pupil

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Raw Value-added

Which matters most?

1. Country ?2. Cluster 3. School 4. Teacher 5. Pupil

Learning – growth pattern

With more detail

With year group X age interaction

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

In Summary• There are patterns to learning

– General growth curve– Learning follows teaching– Specific patterns by

• SES• Subject matter

• Delays can be problematic• Forcing the pace can be counterproductive• Little and often is best

Sex Differences• Gender differences in school performance

– How big are they?• By subject• By ages?

• Choice

Age 3-18

• Official data– A level– GCSE– End of KS3 & KS2

• CEM projects– ALIS– YELLIS– MidYIS– PIPS– ASPECTS

Mathematics

English Vocabulary, Reading and Writing

Science

A Complication: Maths

-5 0 5

Choices pre-university: Most Female

0 5000 10000 15000 20000 25000

Sociology

Psychology

English Literature

Art and Design

Drama And Theatre Studies

Eng Lang and Lit

Male

Female

Pre-university: Most Male

0 2000 4000 6000 8000 10000 12000

Computing

Music Technology

P hysics

Mathematics (Further)

Economics

Information AndCommunications Technolog

Male

Female

Summary

• Attainment– Male Female But– Mathematics spread: Male > Female– Language based areas: Female > Male

• Choices – heavily gender based

Why do we see differences?

• Nature

• Nurture

• Or the two together

Evidence from monkeys