Principles into practice: A teacher's guide to research evidence on ...

CONTENTS3468101317182022242627The learning cultureLearning how <strong>to</strong> learnHow teacher learning affectschildren’s developmentLet’s thinkBuilding cognitive skillsConsulting pupils about teachingand learningEducation for the whole personHow children negotiate their waythrough schoolingWhat makes an inclusive school?All <strong>to</strong>gether nowWhat makes groupwork work?A secondary with a visionTen principles of effectiveteaching and learningHow they were formulatedEvidence from TLRP projectsChildren at the centreA primary with a visionA treasure chest of TLRPresourcesResearch <strong>in<strong>to</strong></strong> <strong>practice</strong>Secondary <strong>research</strong>Thinking about sciencePrimary <strong>research</strong>How meaning helps spellingHome-school linksTeaching intensive quantitiesEarly years <strong>research</strong>Defining qualityICT in the nurseryTLRP and national policyThe projects’ influenceList of schools projectsFind out moreDon’t miss your10 <strong>Principles</strong>poster, at the centreof this magazineGETTY IMAGES

4 LEARNING COMMUNITIESEvery teachermattersTERI PENGILLEYAs a formerassistant edi<strong>to</strong>rof The TimesEducationalSupplement, I washeavilyinfluenced bysomething the educational<strong>research</strong>er and former teacherMary Jane Drummond oncesaid <strong>to</strong> me. She said she’d like <strong>to</strong>read about teachers thinking.Not necessarily reachingsolutions, but examiningquestions very hard, tryingthings out and sharing theirreflections.In recent years, some haveargued that it is possible for<strong>research</strong> <strong>to</strong> determine “whatworks” in teaching – offeringcategoric answers <strong>to</strong> the knottydilemmas of <strong>practice</strong> and policy.The Teaching and LearningResearch Programme and itsmany projects are more modestand realistic. In addition <strong>to</strong> theinsights from particularprojects, they propose <strong>evidence</strong>informedprinciples <strong>to</strong> help withreflection and analysis, butrarely hard and fast answers.They recognise that one-sizefits-allsolutions are much likeone-size-fits-all garments – theydon’t actually fit anyone exceptthat mythical average child.What comes across clearlyfrom every project, though, isthe importance of fostering thewhole school as a learningcommunity, for teachers,parents and of course children.Findings from across theprogramme demonstrate thatteacher learning is essential <strong>to</strong>children’s learning. In order <strong>to</strong>help children <strong>to</strong> becomereflective learners, teachers firsthave <strong>to</strong> develop this dispositionfor themselves.There are even statistics <strong>to</strong>support this idea. Performancetables for 2002-4 comparingpupils from Learning How <strong>to</strong>Learn project schools with theprogress of those in similarschools show that three of thefour schools with the highestvalue added had high levels ofengagement with the projectand explicit strategies <strong>to</strong> supportteachers’ professionaldevelopment and networking.The <strong>research</strong>ers argue thatteacher learning is bothindividual and collective.Teachers need <strong>to</strong> gain newknowledge and skills within aculture that supports newthinking and innovation. Theyneed <strong>to</strong> learn how <strong>to</strong> evaluate<strong>evidence</strong> and <strong>to</strong> have “theconfidence <strong>to</strong> challenge takenfor-grantedassumptions,including their own”.In celebration of suchpersonal exploration, let mequote some of Mary JaneDrummond’s account of“Janice”, an infant teacher, inthe forthcoming LHTL book(see right):“As she discusses thetransition from the FoundationStage <strong>to</strong> Key Stage 1, sheexpresses some of her doubtsand uncertainties:“Does it actually help them ifthey are sitting how you wantthem <strong>to</strong> sit?“I don’t know whether theyare learning about learning orthey’re learning what I’m tellingthem.“Looking at the children andthinking whatever we’re doingisn’t working and thinking this isnot right for them… I think wefeel in a rush… and there’s notenough time <strong>to</strong> talk <strong>to</strong> thechildren or <strong>to</strong> think about howthey are going <strong>to</strong> learn best; it’sall been about what I’m going <strong>to</strong>teach them.”And later, the account goes on:“She continues <strong>to</strong> brood aboutthe human, emotionaldimension of her own learning,and the difficulty, even pain, ofworking outside the comfortzone: trying <strong>to</strong> do thingsdifferently. She is moving <strong>to</strong>wardswhat she calls a more holisticapproach <strong>to</strong> learning: ‘Learningconnects my mind, body and soul<strong>to</strong> understanding… as teacherswe seek for wider understandingof the whole person’.”Diane HofkinsDiane Hofkins is edi<strong>to</strong>r of this <strong>guide</strong>Teachers can bring their beliefsand pratice <strong>in<strong>to</strong></strong> harmonyTeachers need <strong>to</strong> appearcalm and confident in theclassroom, but inside,many are engaged in a tugof-warwithin their ownhearts and minds. Theirprinciples are pulling them in onedirection, but they believe thedemands of league tables andperformance targets are draggingthem in another.How can there be time for openenquiry, for pupils <strong>to</strong> set their owngoals or for experimentation? You’vegot <strong>to</strong> do well in national tests, sohow can you squeeze in other typesof assessment as well, even if youthink they are important?The work of Learning How <strong>to</strong>Learn and other TLRP projectsshows that teachers do not have <strong>to</strong>choose between teaching well andgetting good results.They found that the morereflective teachers came <strong>to</strong> be, theeasier it was for them <strong>to</strong> align theirbeliefs with their teaching.This was true of whole schools aswell. “Those schools that refused <strong>to</strong>be passive but worked – reflectively,strategically, intentionally andcollaboratively – on thecontradictions, <strong>to</strong> resolve them,showed signs of learning how <strong>to</strong>learn in much the way that weconceptualised LHTL by pupils andteachers” say TLRP deputy direc<strong>to</strong>rMary James and the project team intheir forthcoming book, ImprovingLearning How <strong>to</strong> Learn in Classrooms,Schools and Networks (Routledge).The central aim of this <strong>research</strong>and development project was <strong>to</strong>help children become selfmotivated,au<strong>to</strong>nomous learnerswho enjoyed the process of learningand unders<strong>to</strong>od what they needed<strong>to</strong> do <strong>to</strong> meet new challenges.Assessment for learning was apowerful way <strong>in<strong>to</strong></strong> learning how <strong>to</strong>learn, say the <strong>research</strong>ers, whoworked with 40 primary and

5CASE STUDY: PERFORMANCE ARTSSecondary English teacher Angelaasked her Year 8s <strong>to</strong> consider adramatic rendition of a 19 thcentury poem, seeking <strong>to</strong> engagethem in the question of what makes forquality in a piece of work. She beganthe lesson by asking the pupils <strong>to</strong> drawup a list of criteria for performing apoem. Suggestions all came from thepupils while she probed, challengedand polished their contributions. Forexample:PupilYou could speed it up and slowit down.Angela Yes – pace, that’s veryimportant in reading.Angela and the classroom assistantthen performed the poem and invitedpupils <strong>to</strong> critique their performancebased on the criteria. A similar form ofprobing <strong>to</strong>ok place.PupilIt was boring.Angela What do you mean “boring”?PupilThere wasn’t enoughexpression in your face whenthe poem was being read or inthe reading.Angela So what could I have done <strong>to</strong>make it better?PupilYou could have looked andsounded more alarmed.secondary schools. But it is difficult<strong>to</strong> shift from reliance on specifictechniques <strong>to</strong> <strong>practice</strong>s based ondeep principles.As with any shift in <strong>practice</strong>, asurface interpretation (for examplea teacher using “traffic lights” sochildren can show whether or notthey have unders<strong>to</strong>od, withoutreally coming <strong>to</strong> terms with thephilosophy behind them) may onlybring about surface changes.Teachers need the intellectualresources <strong>to</strong> “know what <strong>to</strong> do whenASSESSING AFLAssessment for learningis effective when pupils:• Show changes in theirattitudes <strong>to</strong> learningand in their motivation,self-esteem,independence, initiativeand confidence• Show changes in theirresponses <strong>to</strong> questions,in contributions <strong>to</strong>plenary sessions andin explanations anddescriptions• Improve their attainment• Ask relevant questionsthey don’t know what <strong>to</strong> do”.Children, teachers and the schoolcommunity all need time <strong>to</strong> absorband use new ways of working.The innovations introduced <strong>in<strong>to</strong></strong>classrooms through the LHTLstudies incorporated somecombination of:• Developing classroom talk andquestioning. Teachers need <strong>to</strong> spendtime planning good diagnosticquestions, possibly with colleagues.Pupils can learn <strong>to</strong> ask questions<strong>to</strong>o, and reflect on answers. They• Are actively involved insetting targets, in peeror self-assessment,and in recognisingprogress in theirwritten work, skills,knowledge andunderstanding.will need more thinking time inorder <strong>to</strong> come up with moreprofound ideas.• Giving appropriate feedback. Carefulcommenting has been shown <strong>to</strong>work better than marks or evenmarks with comments.• Sharing criteria with learners. Thisincludes expectations, objectives,goals, targets and success criteria.• Peer- and self-assessment. Researchhas shown the greatest gains forchildren previously assessed ashaving weak basic skills. This maysuggest children didn’tunderstand what was expected,rather than that they lacked ability.• Thoughtful and active learners.Children need <strong>to</strong> understand thedesired outcomes and theprocesses of learning.Website www.learn<strong>to</strong>learn.ac.ukSee also “Getting <strong>to</strong> the heart of children”p 17, “A treasure chest of ideas” p 18The three tasks in Angela’s lesson –the creation of the criteria, theperformance of the poem and theapplication of the criteria <strong>to</strong> theperformances – governed both thepupils’ thinking about what wasneeded when they acted out the poemthemselves and the peer assessmen<strong>to</strong>f those performances.In interviews with <strong>research</strong>ers,Angela always described assessmenttasks as opportunities for the pupils <strong>to</strong>improve their performance.In this way the activities had anopen, fluid feel which correspondedwith the notion of promoting pupilau<strong>to</strong>nomy. It reinforced a sense oflimitless progress wherebyassessment is always seen as a <strong>to</strong>olfor changing future performancerather than for judging what has beendone already.From Improving Learning How <strong>to</strong> Learnin Classrooms, Schools and Networks(out this year)

6 PUPIL CONSULTATIONChildrenshould beseen andheardFinding out what they’ve got <strong>to</strong> sayfor themselvesGETTY IMAGESThe UN Convention onthe Rights of the Child(1989) includes the right<strong>to</strong> be heard as one of itsfour basic principles. Thisright is also enshrined inthe Every Child Matters legislation,under the guarantee that youngpeople should be able <strong>to</strong> makea positive contribution <strong>to</strong> theircommunity and society.Since the TLRP’s ConsultingPupils about Teaching andLearning project began in 2000, theidea of Pupil Voice has taken holdacross the UK and has even beenformalised in the Children Act2004. This has dangers as well asbenefits, warn the <strong>research</strong>ers.When schools only follow the letterof the law and consult pupils in a<strong>to</strong>kenistic way, asking them onlyabout unimportant issues, or worse,failing <strong>to</strong> carry through on theirideas, this “can lead <strong>to</strong> cynicism anddisengagement.”Rules from on high canunintentionally limit innovationand improvement. As the<strong>research</strong>ers say, “Policy-makersknow something aboutconsultation, about when it isgenuine and when simply symbolic.”On the other hand, “Beingconsulted genuinely can help pupilsfeel that they are respected asindividuals and as a body within theschool and that they can make a realcontribution.”One ambitious scheme isBedfordshire’s Students asLearning Partners, built on theproject’s work, in which discussionbetween staff and children iscontinual. One aspect involvesparticular students observinglessons and giving constructive andtactful feedback <strong>to</strong> the teachers.The Consulting Pupils <strong>research</strong>team brought six projects <strong>to</strong>gether<strong>in<strong>to</strong></strong> a network of 43 schools,coordinated by the respectedCambridge Faculty of EducationProfessor Jean Rudduck, who diedthis year.The team found that:• If pupils feel they matter and arerespected in school, they are morelikely <strong>to</strong> commit themselves <strong>to</strong>learning• Pupils’ accounts of what helpsthem <strong>to</strong> learn and what gets in theway of their learning can provide apractical agenda• Examples of <strong>practice</strong> and pupiltestimony can feed powerfully <strong>in<strong>to</strong></strong>whole school policy and planning.As can be seen in many TLRPfindings spotlighted in thispublication, finding out fromchildren what helps them orPUPIL CONSULTATION: SOME CAUTIONSConsultation cansometimes fail <strong>to</strong> make areal difference becausepupils are not truly “heard”.It’s important <strong>to</strong> be alive <strong>to</strong>the following issues:• Hearing the quiet voicein the acoustic of theschool• Avoiding the creation ofa “pupil voice élite”• Maintainingauthenticity.Consultation needs<strong>to</strong> be on importantmatters and must havea result.• Sharing data and“ Being consultedgenuinely can helppupils feel they arerespected asindividuals”s<strong>to</strong>ps them from learning buildsrelationships and provides teacherswith crucial information.Consulting Pupils project<strong>research</strong>ers say that teachers gain adeeper insight <strong>in<strong>to</strong></strong> young people’scapabilities, the capacity <strong>to</strong> see theoffering feedback <strong>to</strong>pupils• Trust and openness.Pupils need <strong>to</strong> feel theirideas are welcomeand not simply“accommodated” so asnot <strong>to</strong> disturb existingorthodoxies.familiar from a different angle, apractical agenda for improvementand, perhaps most important,a renewed sense of excitementin teaching. The process helpsschools develop a more partnershiporiented relationship between staffand students.Schools consult pupils in a varietyof contexts. These include:• Spotlighting issues of concern forparticular groups, such as girls orthe disengaged• Clarifying generalised issues, forexample a referendum on a keyschool matter• Moni<strong>to</strong>ring and evaluating newstrategies• Supporting individual learners• As part of self-review

7• Establishing a more democraticschool system or puttingcitizenship education <strong>in<strong>to</strong></strong> action.The project’s work has beenextended by a Northern Irelandstudy, Consulting Pupils on theAssessment of their Learning(CPAL) which is looking at how <strong>to</strong>engage children in assessment forlearning and at the potential of anannual pupil profile.The Consulting Pupils team has produceda wealth of books and materials includingConsulting Pupils: A Toolkit for Teachers,MacBeath, Demetriou, Rudduck and Myersand Students as Researchers: Making aDifference, Fielding and Bragg (Pearson).Visit www.consultingpupils.co.uk andwww.cpal.qub.ac.ukBuilding thinking skills for thinking classroomsWhen they grow up,<strong>to</strong>day’s children aregoing <strong>to</strong> have <strong>to</strong> beextremely skilledthinkers in order <strong>to</strong> tackle theglobal problems facing them.Traditional approaches <strong>to</strong>learning will not be enough.The ACTS (ActivatingChildren’s Thinking Skills)<strong>research</strong> team in NorthernIreland worked in juniorclassrooms <strong>to</strong> develop andanalyse the sort of classroom talkthat would help children “<strong>to</strong>think about their thinking”. Acentral aim was for lessons <strong>to</strong>blend subject content withthinking skills, an approach the<strong>research</strong>ers, led by CarolMcGuinness and Noel Sheehy,call “infusion”.The principle of makingthinking explicit is valuable forboth children and teachers.ACTS used “thinking diagrams”<strong>to</strong> clarify the steps in a thinkingprocess. For example, a diagramfor decision-making invites thestudents <strong>to</strong> first consider andwrite down all the options. Eachis taken in turn, pros and consare listed and then weighed upbefore an action is decidedupon. Students can evaluateboth their own decisions andthose of literary or his<strong>to</strong>ricalfigures in this way. Usingdiagrams also slows down thethinking process, giving studentstime <strong>to</strong> grasp what is involved.ACTS builds on the idea thatgood thinking may have as much<strong>to</strong> do with creating a disposition<strong>to</strong> be a good thinker as it has <strong>to</strong>do with acquiring specific skillsand strategies.THE LONG AND SHORT OF ITEight and nine-year-oldshad been comparing andcontrasting two pieces ofclassical music. At the endof the lesson, the teacherinvited them <strong>to</strong> makeconnections between thepattern of thinking(comparing andcontrasting) that they hadbeen engaged in and newcontexts.T Can anybody think of asituation in their ownlives where it might beuseful <strong>to</strong> compare andGetthosebrains<strong>in<strong>to</strong></strong>gearResearchers developed aframework setting out differentkinds of thinking which can beapplied <strong>to</strong> different situations or<strong>to</strong>pics. For example,“sequencing” is among the“Searching for meaning” skills,and can be applied readily <strong>to</strong>science or his<strong>to</strong>ry. The othercategories are critical thinking,decision-making, problemsolving and creative thinking.The <strong>research</strong>ers found thatteachers needed support:• <strong>to</strong> recognise the need <strong>to</strong> beexplicit about the process ofthinking as well as the content• <strong>to</strong> sharpen their ownunderstanding of a range ofthinking skills• <strong>to</strong> readily identify contexts or<strong>to</strong>pics within the curriculumwhich can be matched withparticular thinking skills• <strong>to</strong> develop lesson plans andteach lessons which meet bothhigh quality thinking skills andcurricular content objectivescontrast two things?The real life situationthat I <strong>to</strong>ld you about atthe beginning of thelesson was comparingtwo pupils who mightbe class captain.(short silence)P1 If you were looking for ajob, so let’s say you haveT Two job offers...P1 ...and you don’t knowwhich one <strong>to</strong> choose,and by looking at thesimilarities anddifferences it mighthelp you understandwhich job is right foryou.P2 Buying a houseT Explain...P2 You’re looking at twohouses, and there isone that is cheap but itisn’t so good, it hasn’t agarden and things likethat...TSo it would help youweigh up two things likechoosing a house...P3 (from the back of theroom) If you got• <strong>to</strong> develop a vocabulary fortalking about thinking which issuitable for the age and abilitylevels of their pupils.Teachers who <strong>to</strong>ok part in a CPDprogramme reported that theirimages of themselves as teacherschanged. Their own thinkingsharpened, their planningimproved, their expectations ofchildren were raised and theydeveloped better questioningstrategies. Time was the mainconstraint.Researchers found thatteachers using these approachesneed <strong>to</strong> pay special attention <strong>to</strong>lower ability children. Althoughthese children’s strategiesimproved, their self-imageappeared not <strong>to</strong> be enhanced.By and large, though, childrenbecame more self-motivated andactive as learners. Teachers saidtheir pupils gained betterreasoning powers and greatercreativity. They were more able<strong>to</strong> clarify and structure thinkingand <strong>to</strong> see links betweencurriculum areas. Theirconfidence increased and theyexpected <strong>to</strong> be “pushed”.In lessons, children wereengaged in cognitivelydemanding tasks.Teachers usedvisual <strong>to</strong>ols such as diagrams andwall charts <strong>to</strong> help thinking andreflection.The programme has also beentrialled in Wales, England andScotland, and used successfullyat key stage 3.A Teachers’ Handbook will join theTLRP’s Improving Practice Series.www.sustainablethinkingclassrooms.qub.ac.ukTaccepted by twouniversities you couldsee which one wasbetter and it would helpyou decide which one <strong>to</strong>go <strong>to</strong>...That’s a goodexample....P4 (hesitantly but gainingin confidence) I gotinvited <strong>to</strong> two birthdayparties and they wereon the same day – and Ihad <strong>to</strong> decide which one<strong>to</strong> go <strong>to</strong>...TVery good...

8 INCLUSIONThe social world of schoolIn a series of books, Pollard and Filer have <strong>to</strong>ld the engaging and revealings<strong>to</strong>ries of individual children as they negotiate their way through theacademic and social challenges of their school years. The Social World ofSecondary Education (Continuum, forthcoming) includes comparison ofthe careers of two girls from the same middle-class primary who went on<strong>to</strong> comprehensives with more working-class environments.SALLYSally had been a star in primaryschool – popular with teachers andchildren, good at sports and dramaand a <strong>to</strong>p student. She enjoyedbeing the caretaker’s daughter, aufait with all aspects of the school.Within days of starting at StMargaret’s Comprehensive, shewent home ill and miserable, andthings did not improve for a longtime. “From being the high status,popular pupil of her primary schoolyears, Sally had become a pupilwith no real friends. Moreover, ittranspired that she was beingbullied... However, through thatdifficult and distressing time, Sallymaintained as<strong>to</strong>nishing levels ofacademic success.”Socially, she had lost the“specialness” she had at primary,but she retained her image as an“ideal pupil” for teachers – makingher peers even more resentful. Itwas devastating because, as herfather said, “Sally likes <strong>to</strong> be liked”.She was actually quitevulnerable, needing approval.Eventually, she did makefriends – working-class girls whoaccepted her, rather than themiddle-class ones who made herlife a misery. She became muchhappier, broadened her accent,and began <strong>to</strong> do less well in school,dropping from straight As <strong>to</strong> a mixof As, Bs and Cs by Year 11,although she retained goodrelationships with teachers.The <strong>research</strong>ers conclude:“Whilst she was socially adept inthe context of her primary school,she had few strategic resourcesfor adapting <strong>to</strong> different peerexpectations or shaping a differentidentity... When she finallyrelinquished her former peeridentity and conformed <strong>to</strong> the peerculture, so also she relinquishedher high-achieving academicidentity.” Teachers could considerwhat might have helped her <strong>to</strong>respond differently.Six years after GCSEs,Sally istraining as a transport companyjunior manager.WHOAREYOU?GETTY IMAGESHAZELHazel also suffered from peerhostility and bullying when she got<strong>to</strong> Southwater Comprehensive, butshe had the resources <strong>to</strong> managethe situation, and “she did so bystrengthening and elaborating,rather than compromising, herdistinct identity”.Her (middle-class) parents hadsought out a secondary schoolwith a pas<strong>to</strong>ral and social ethos“likely <strong>to</strong> be sensitive <strong>to</strong> theemotional vulnerability and socialmarginality that Hazel had shownthrough her primary years”, andwhich would also support herartistic talents, which had beenless well-appreciated at primary.At Greenside she’d believed artwas her only talent, but “Thenwhen I went <strong>to</strong> Southwater, I foundI was good at lots of differentthings, and art,” she said in Year 9.Teachers valued her individualityand her out-of-school interestswere known and recognised.Her Y9 art teacher said of her,“An exceptional artist, real talent.An eccentric – we need people likethat, though I can see it causesproblems with her peers.”Hazel was someone who knewwho she was, and wasn’t interestedin conforming <strong>to</strong> the norm, quitehappily dismissing popular music orTV as “a load of rubbish”. However,she sought out the unusual, artisticpeople, and brought them <strong>to</strong>getherin a friendship group.“Of course, this may have beenlargely due <strong>to</strong> her owntemperament and <strong>to</strong> parentalsupport and endorsement for herindividuality,” say Pollard andFiler. “However, Hazel’s accountscertainly suggest that the schooland its curriculum also supportedthe development of her identityand for academic and socialgrowth in areas that were of greatimportance <strong>to</strong> her.”Hazel has now graduated fromart college and has held her firstsolo exhibition.Children build their own identitiesas learners. How can teachers andschools make a difference?Personalised learning.What does that phrasemake you think of? A newand confusing demandfrom the Government? Anexciting opportunity?Children studying in their own littlebubbles? Or do you just go blank?According <strong>to</strong> the Identity andLearning Programme, children arecreating their own personalisedlearning every day, as they activelynegotiate their way throughschooling. And it is not always whatthey really want or what is best forthem.Children create their own schooland learning identities in response<strong>to</strong> the way they are treated byteachers and other students, and thesuccessive experiences they have asthey move through education.Researchers Andrew Pollard, nowTLRP direc<strong>to</strong>r, and Ann Filer,followed small cohorts of workingclass and middle class children in anEnglish city through their “pupilcareers” from ages four <strong>to</strong> 16. “Themost fundamental form ofeducation, the process of becominga person, requires carefulconsideration as well as the

9acquisition of knowledge and skills,”they conclude.However, if a child’s ownbackground, personality andstrengths fit in well with the ethosand curriculum of their school, theyare more likely <strong>to</strong> succeed. Pollardand Filer found that middle classchildren attending independent orselective schools had a moreconsistent identity whether theywere at home, at school or out withfriends. But children incomprehensives “often experienceddisparities in the discourse, valuesand expectations of significan<strong>to</strong>thers in their homes, schools andpeer groups.” This meant theydeveloped more “fragmentedidentities”, which could make itharder for them <strong>to</strong> learn andsucceed in school.One of the lessons is that childrenneed <strong>to</strong> be seen more in the round,difficult though this may be in aworld which “presses remorselesslyfor short-term performance”. The<strong>research</strong>ers insist that: “Maximisingthe potential of children and youngpeople calls for a more appropriateunderstanding of them as socialac<strong>to</strong>rs within their cultures andcommunities, and of how educationfits <strong>in<strong>to</strong></strong>, and contributes <strong>to</strong>, theirlives as a whole”.Identity and Learning ProgrammeBooks associated with the programmeinclude:The Social World of Children’s Learning,Pollard and Filer (Cassell)The Social World of Pupil Career, Pollardand Filer (Continuum)The Social World of Pupil Assessment inPrimary School, Filer and Pollard(Continuum)Reflective Teaching, Pollard(Continuum)Towards schoolswhere everyonebelongsTeachers often thinkabout inclusion in termsof children with specialeducational needs, but<strong>research</strong>ers on the Understandingand DevelopingInclusive Practices in Schoolsproject sought <strong>to</strong> broaden thedefinition. They worked overthree years with a network of25 schools <strong>to</strong> help groups ofstaff engage with <strong>evidence</strong>about pupils’ experience ofschool and about their own<strong>practice</strong>.Staff in the participatingschools came <strong>to</strong> recognisethat barriers <strong>to</strong> pupil-learningoften stem from teachers’misplaced assumptions aboutwhat their pupils can do andhow best <strong>to</strong> teach them. What’sneeded is not just new waysof working, but new ways ofthinking – and this takes time.Researchers found that itcan be more useful for aschool enquiry <strong>to</strong> focus on aspecific issue of concernrather than whole schoolchange. For example, oneprimary school was concernedbecause children’s languageskills were holding them back.They devised a questionnaireafter consulting the children.Answers <strong>to</strong> “What don’t youlike about writing?” includedCREATING INCLUSIVE CULTURESThe Index forInclusion was used<strong>to</strong> inform the action<strong>research</strong> This is anexample of theindica<strong>to</strong>rs it uses:Building community• Everyone is made<strong>to</strong> feel welcome.• Students help eachother.• Staff collaboratewith each other.• Staff and studentstreat one anotherwith respect.• There is apartnershipbetween staff andparents/carers.• Staff andgovernors workwell <strong>to</strong>gether.• All local communitiesare involved inthe school.Establishinginclusive values• There are highexpectations for allstudents.• Staff, governors,students andparents/carersshare a philosophyof inclusion.“It hurts my hand” and “Ittakes me a long time <strong>to</strong> thinkwhat I’m going <strong>to</strong> write”. Whatchildren did like about writingcentred on the chance <strong>to</strong> usetheir imaginations.A teacher commented: “Itmade me try <strong>to</strong> analysethings… because we couldlook at the children’s answersand so started <strong>to</strong> think, well ifthey’re thinking this way…how do we have <strong>to</strong> think <strong>to</strong> getthem <strong>to</strong> change their mindsabout what they’re doing?”Teachers saw that teachingthe curriculum harder andlonger wouldn’t improve manypupils’ learning outcomes.Rather, they needed <strong>to</strong> thinkabout fac<strong>to</strong>rs that underpinlearning, such as pupils’ selfesteem,enjoyment and theirview of themselves as learners.The <strong>research</strong>ers concluded:“Addressing both underachievementand inclusionrequires that the nationalfocus on highly measurableoutcomes of school bebroadened <strong>to</strong> include theseunderlying fac<strong>to</strong>rs.”Project contact mel.ainscow@man.ac.ukFurther reading: Improving Scools,Developing Inclusion, Ainscow,Booth and Dyson (Routledge)• Students areequally valued.• Staff and studentstreat one anotheras human beingsas well asoccupants of a ‘role’.• Staff seek <strong>to</strong>remove barriers <strong>to</strong>learning andparticipation in allaspects of theschool.From the Centre forStudies on InclusiveEducation (CSIE)inclusion.uwe.ac.uk/csie/indexlaunch.htm

10 COLLABORATIVE LEARNINGGETTY IMAGESWhen group thinkWhileis a good thingIndividual success ishighly valued, andcompetition encouraged,so why is it important<strong>to</strong> get children <strong>to</strong> workeffectively <strong>to</strong>gether ingroups?here are a few reasons1 Behaviour improves2 Attainment goes up3 Teachers have more time <strong>to</strong> thinkWhen groups ofchildren are workingproductively, withreal engagement,genuinely listening <strong>to</strong> each otherand developing ideas <strong>to</strong>gether, ittransforms the teacher’s job. “Aspupils demonstratedgroup-working skills, teachersreported that they had been ‘freed’from many of their ordinaryprocedural duties and they werenow able <strong>to</strong> reflect on their teachingand think strategically about it,”say <strong>research</strong>ers from the TLRP’sSPRinG project.But getting the class <strong>to</strong> that pointis not easy. In classrooms across theUK children are seated in groups,but working as individuals. Thisseating arrangement can distractchildren from their learning ratherthan help with it as children gooff-task <strong>to</strong> chat <strong>to</strong> their neighbours.Groups in classrooms are oftenformed without a strategic view oftheir purpose.The SPRinG <strong>research</strong>ers arguethat children can’t just be placedin groups and expected <strong>to</strong> workeffectively <strong>to</strong>gether; they have <strong>to</strong>be trained. “It is well-known thatRESULTSAlthough teachersinvolved were initiallyworried that group workmight hinder curriculumcoverage, SPRinG (SocialPedagogic Research<strong>in<strong>to</strong></strong> Group work) is thefirst study in the UK <strong>to</strong>show that when it is wellplannedand unders<strong>to</strong>odby pupils and teachers,this approach <strong>to</strong>classroom organisationleads <strong>to</strong> higher gains inindividual attainmentthan other types ofteaching and learning.At key stage 1, benefitswere seen in reading andmaths. At KS2, all types ofchildren need <strong>to</strong> have the skills <strong>to</strong>communicate effectively throughlistening, explaining and sharingideas. But pupils also have <strong>to</strong> learn<strong>to</strong> trust and respect each other,and they need skills in how <strong>to</strong> plan,organise and evaluate their groupwork.The project stresses supportiverelationships between pupils andbetween teachers and pupils. A keyaim is the development of pupilindependence and the need <strong>to</strong>address difficulties betweenpupils.”Teachers, <strong>to</strong>o, need <strong>to</strong> learn <strong>to</strong>work differently, operating more as“the <strong>guide</strong> on the side” than as “thesage on the stage”.The project’s direc<strong>to</strong>rs, PeterBlatchford (Institute of Education,London) Maurice Gal<strong>to</strong>n(Cambridge) and Peter Kutnick(formerly at Brigh<strong>to</strong>n and now atKings College London), say theSPRinG <strong>research</strong> shows that weneed <strong>to</strong> rethink current teachingtheories, which appear <strong>to</strong> favourteacher-led situations andindividual work. It also hasimplications for school disciplinepolicies, which are usually designed<strong>to</strong> control rather than eliminate theproblem.They say wider use of theirfindings could transform theenvironment of classrooms acrossthe country. Groupwork “deserves<strong>to</strong> be given a much more centralrole in educational policy andschool <strong>practice</strong>.”Improving the Effectiveness of PupilGroupwork in Classrooms:www.spring-project.org.ukContact p.blachford@ioe.ac.ukAlso www.groupworkscotland.orgscience knowledgebenefited, butparticularly conceptualunderstanding andinferential thinking.Meanwhile, in KS3,success depended on thetype of <strong>to</strong>pic, butappeared <strong>to</strong> benefithigher order thinking.manyschools paylittle morethan lipservice<strong>to</strong>collaborativelearning, it has been anessential feature of life a<strong>to</strong>ne Suffolk comprehensivefor almost two decades. Yet<strong>to</strong> understand how pupilsat Kesgrave High, on theoutskirts of Ipswich, are able<strong>to</strong> work successfully in groupsfor large parts of every lesson,it is necessary <strong>to</strong> understandkey aspects of the school’sorganisation.“There were two things Iwanted <strong>to</strong> change when I camehere in 1986,” says GeorgeThomas, the head, “and theywere both <strong>to</strong> do with climate,culture and the capacity <strong>to</strong>learn.”At that time, pupils weredivided <strong>in<strong>to</strong></strong> three abilitybands along crude lines thattied them <strong>to</strong> their alloted bandright across the curriculum. Aconversation with the deputyhead girl in which the 16-yearoldsaid that she felt she was“still in the B band really”despite having been moved up<strong>to</strong> the A band convinced himthat the school should godown the mixed-ability road.Having abolished banding,Mr Thomas then turned hisattention <strong>to</strong> the timetable,which he felt was “all aboutchopping up the curriculum<strong>in<strong>to</strong></strong> bits and then having <strong>to</strong>have lots of periods <strong>to</strong> sort i<strong>to</strong>ut”. He set about replacingthe seven-period day with amuch simpler system,comprising two long periodsbefore lunch and a singlelesson in the afternoon. Andsoon, the benefits becameapparent.“A bi-product has been thatthe school is calm,” heexplains. “You don’t havelateness <strong>to</strong> lessons, and peopleget on task within a minute ofthe bell. But the real essence ofthe 95-minute slot was that itenables real learning <strong>to</strong> takeplace, rather than ‘chalk andtalk’, or the kind of passivelearning which is easy <strong>to</strong> do ifyou’ve got 40-minute lessons.“It’s very easy in a shortlesson <strong>to</strong> use a passivestructure <strong>to</strong> get yourbehaviour sorted. Kids are lessthreatening if they’re satTOGETdown, writing notes or doingwork off the blackboard.“But the essence of a longsession is that the teacher ischallenged au<strong>to</strong>matically <strong>to</strong>look at what you’re doing inthat lesson — <strong>to</strong> look at variety,pace and the involvement ofpupils in the learning. Gettingkids <strong>to</strong> talk about things iscrucial. You need kids <strong>to</strong> beembedding their learning,and it’s this internalising thatthey get from group work andtalking, not from doingendless examples.”In most lessons, pupils atKesgrave will spend some timeworking either in pairs, or inlarger groups, depending onthe nature of the task. Staffwill occasionally intervene in

11HER WE STANDthe formation of each group,but pupils themselves say thatthey quickly learn fromexperience how <strong>to</strong> formgroups and operate withinthem - a process which they sayincreases their confidenceboth in themselves asindividuals, and also in theirown ability <strong>to</strong> learn.“We have lots of childrenwho go <strong>to</strong> university and comeback and say: ‘We weresurrounded by people whodidn’t know how <strong>to</strong> learnindependently,’” says MrThomas. “They’d been spoonfed,and when <strong>to</strong>ld <strong>to</strong> go offand <strong>research</strong> something, theydidn’t know what <strong>to</strong> do. Bu<strong>to</strong>ur kids do. They have thatculture right from Day One.”Group-work is central <strong>to</strong>Kesgrave High School’sphilosophy. David Newnhamtalks <strong>to</strong> headteacher GeorgeThomas about making surestudents are engaged,empowered andenjoying schoolWhat sixth formers atKesgrave High sayabout group learningou probably work“Ybetter when you’rehappier, so if you’reworking in a group, havinga kind of friendship thinggoing on with other peoplein the group means yourwork will be better.”t’s less stressful doing“Ia particular piece ofwork in a group. If you don’tunderstand something,you can ask other peoplefor advice. And you canusually come up with abetter product becauseit’s everyone’s ideas ratherthan just your own.”he teachers here are“Tquite open, so you canpull them <strong>to</strong> one side andsay, ‘Look, this person herewon’t shut up, can you dosomething about it?’”ou learn who’s good at“Ywhat, and where yourspeciality lies.”find that in some“I theory-based subjectslike English or philosophy,when you’re working withpeople you don’t normallywork with, you seedifferent points of view thatmaybe you haven’t seenbefore. By working withpeople like that, you canadd their view <strong>to</strong> your ownand have a wider diversityin your outlook. I’mconscious of doing that.”ou learn it first,“Ythen in a group youget <strong>to</strong>gether and bounceideas around and putwhat you’ve learned <strong>in<strong>to</strong></strong><strong>practice</strong>.”f we hadn’t worked in“Igroups since Year 7, Idon’t think I’d find it easy<strong>to</strong> talk in front of otherpeople. I’ve learned <strong>to</strong>talk <strong>to</strong> people or listen <strong>to</strong>people or react <strong>to</strong> whatthey’re saying. And I’vebeen able <strong>to</strong> use that indifferent circumstancesoutside school — even justwhen you’re talking <strong>to</strong> yourfamily. You can react <strong>to</strong> itbecause you’re doing it atschool all day.”ou come in, you sit“Ydown, they talk <strong>to</strong> us,you work in groups and talkabout it again. You do yourthing on your own, thenyou get <strong>to</strong> talk about it withother people. And in a way,they re-teach it <strong>to</strong> you. Andif you don’t understandjust a little bit of it, they canexplain it <strong>to</strong> you in termsyou understand becausethey’re on your level andthey’ve just learned it andthey’re also your friend.”like working in a“I group — it’s easier andmore interesting, althoughI tend <strong>to</strong> not write thingsdown as much as when I’mbeing taught. I’m a bit prone<strong>to</strong> that.”t helps me remember“Ithe things we’ve donein class. When I’m doingrevision, I think: ‘Oh, that’sthe thing we did in thatgroup,’ and I remember thatmore than something I’vedone on my own becauseI’ve enjoyed it.”he not-so-bright“Tpeople woulddeliberately tag along withpeople that they thoughtwould do all the work. I gotthe impression it was aneasy way out for them.But they do learn from itas well.”was always the person“I who didn’t really domuch and let everyone elseget on with it. But I think I’velearned from that and nowI find that I’m doing morework than the rest of them.And it’s definitely a lot morefun working in a group.”

12 COLLABORATIVE LEARNINGGETTY IMAGESHow <strong>to</strong> makegroups workSPRinG has developed six key points <strong>to</strong><strong>guide</strong> the planning of group-work1The classroom andgroups should beconstructed strategicallyand flexibly.The classroom should bearranged <strong>to</strong> allow groupworkas well as individualand whole class work.the number of groupsThese should maximiseeffective interactionbetween pupils as well aswith the teacher. Balancebetween the size and thenumber of the groups isimportant – butchallenging! Lots of smallgroups or pairs may workwell over short time periodswith a deadline (e.g. around5 minutes). A few largegroups lead <strong>to</strong> higherpotential for pupildistraction and disruption.Flexibility is needed.group sizeIt is important <strong>to</strong> make thesize of groups relevant <strong>to</strong> thetask at hand and the age andability of pupils.PairsThey can be good forcollaborative high levelthinking tasks (i.e.decision making, problemsolving) and for peertu<strong>to</strong>ring.Small groupsUnits of 4-6 pupils aregood for manygroup-work activities andfor reducing groupdomination by one childbut there is greateropportunity for somemembers <strong>to</strong> do less andquiet children may be lesswilling <strong>to</strong> contribute. Thelarger the group theharder it is <strong>to</strong> plan andorganise work, roles, andinteraction and engage inconversation.Large groupsGroups of 7-10 pupils maybe useful where the aim is<strong>to</strong> bring many viewpoints<strong>to</strong> a debate on issues, butthey are problematic.group compositionThis should be strategic. Arandom allocation allowsproblems <strong>to</strong> run free butalso lets children work withpeople they might notnormally work with. Ashared teacher-pupildecision is often a goodsolution.Same or mixed ability?In same ability groups(high or middle only)pupils can push each otherand come up with ideasthat individuals would notthink of alone. But it is wellknown that low abilitygroups are unlikely <strong>to</strong> besuccessful. The best formof mixing is probablyputting high and middleability pupils and low andmiddle ability pupils<strong>to</strong>gether.Friendship groupsIt may be best <strong>to</strong> balancefriends with non-friendsin a group.Personality and working styleWe all know that somepupils have conflictingpersonalities or may notwork well <strong>to</strong>gether. Butthese situations may beused <strong>to</strong> encouragechildren <strong>to</strong> learn how <strong>to</strong>deal with different people.Integrating children withspecial needs, eals, isolates etcThis may be problematic,for example. the child maycontribute little <strong>to</strong> groupworkor disrupt. Carefulconsideration is required.2Group-work should bedesigned <strong>to</strong> maximiseinteractions that are linked<strong>to</strong> effective group-workoutcomes.3Pupils should have thesocial, communicationand problem solving skillsthat support effectivegroup-work and encouragethem <strong>to</strong> take an active rolein their own learning.Group-work is effectivewhen it encourages pupils <strong>to</strong>think and talk about theirunderstanding, <strong>to</strong> questionideas and get ideas fromothers. Social skills,communication andproblem solving skills need<strong>to</strong> be developed. Theyshould be approacheddevelopmentally, i.e., socialskills first, thencommunication skills, thenproblem solving.social skillsChildren need skills whichhelp build up anunderstanding of what isinvolved in being a memberof a group, and increaselevels of mutual <strong>to</strong>leranceand trust, mutual respect,and sensitivity <strong>to</strong> others.Activities encourage pupils<strong>to</strong> see situations from otherpeople’s perspectives.communication skillsThe most beneficial aspectsof group talking are:• Taking turns at talk• Active listening• Asking and asking forquestions• Making and asking forsuggestions• Expressing and requestingideas and opinions• Brains<strong>to</strong>rmingsuggestions, ideas andopinions• Giving and asking for help• Giving and asking forexplanations• Explaining and evaluatingideas• Making group decisionsand coming <strong>to</strong> consensus• Summarisingconversations• Persuasive talk.problem-solvingstrategiesThese allow the group <strong>to</strong>plan and organise effectivelyso that they are not relian<strong>to</strong>n adults. Some suchstrategies are:• How <strong>to</strong> organise/plan thegroup-work• Working out the time scale• Brains<strong>to</strong>rming• Deciding whether someindividual activity orthinking prior <strong>to</strong>group-working is needed• Whether <strong>to</strong> create roles(e.g. leader, scribe,reporter, observer etc.)within the group orallocate aspects of the task<strong>to</strong> different members• Whether achievingconsensus is a necessarypart of the task .These activities should besupported by pre- andde-briefing.4Adults should act in away that supportseffective group-workingand positive outcomes.Class teaching and/orbriefing should includediscussion about what is <strong>to</strong>be achieved and learnt andhow whole class instructionis connected <strong>to</strong> thegroup-work. Briefing shouldalso remind pupils aboutthe skills, strategies andrules that they should beusing.Adult intervention shouldbe <strong>to</strong> the point, and shouldmodel suitablecommunication skills. Moresupport is likely <strong>to</strong> beneeded in the early stages.At the end of a session pupilsshould be encouraged <strong>to</strong>reflect.5Tasks and activitiesshould be constructedstrategically <strong>to</strong> encourage/warrant effective groupworkingand be used <strong>to</strong>develop high level learning,thinking andunderstanding.Group work can be6 used in all curriculumareas.Tasks which encouragegroup-work include: problemsolving, project work, groupdiscussion of issues, decisionmaking tasks, tasks thatinvolve sharing information,<strong>research</strong>ing an issue,collecting data/information/views.Tasks can vary in terms ofhow open-ended they are.They are most effective whenthe path <strong>to</strong> the solution/decision is not obvious.structuring group workGroup-work can bestructured in terms ofsub-activities or ways ofinteracting, by givingparticular pupils roles (e.g.scribe, chair, leader,decision maker/s,discussers) or broken down<strong>in<strong>to</strong></strong> sub-tasks. Putting anexpert with a novice is themain way <strong>to</strong> set up peertu<strong>to</strong>ring.Group-work tasks can bestructured <strong>in<strong>to</strong></strong> phases, e.g.brains<strong>to</strong>rming, followed byjustifying/explaining andevaluation/ reducing ideasdown. Tasks can bestructured by sequencingthe size of groups, e.g.,moving from individualwork <strong>to</strong> dyads, then groups.Briefing and de-briefinghelp pupils know why theyare doing the task.Group work tasks can beapplied <strong>to</strong> all curriculumareas. It is important not <strong>to</strong>marginalise it.

AND THEN THEREWERE...THE PRINCIPLES 13Can you boil down the principles of effective teaching and learning <strong>in<strong>to</strong></strong> ashort and lucid list? Mary James explains how it was doneLearning is more than acquiringnew knowledge and skills. It isalso about making sense of theworld and creating newknowledge. It involves testing newexperience against previouslylearned ways of thinking and doing things,and changing habits of mind. And itinvolves using the ideas of other peopleexpressed through what they say, write ormake. New knowledge is always, in thissense, a joint production.Developing the 10 principles ofteaching and learning was an act oflearning itself and had thesecharacteristics. As Deputy Direc<strong>to</strong>r ofTLRP, with responsibility for 22 schoolsprojects, one of my tasks was <strong>to</strong> try <strong>to</strong>come <strong>to</strong> some overview of their findingsso that we might be able <strong>to</strong> answer thequestion: What has TLRP found outabout effective teaching and learning inschools? There is still a long way <strong>to</strong> go withthis but I started by reading the reportsand publications that projects hadproduced <strong>to</strong> date and began <strong>to</strong> get a senseof the points of similarity and difference.But then I needed some structure <strong>to</strong>organise these thoughts. I wantedespecially <strong>to</strong> find some way <strong>to</strong>communicate these <strong>to</strong> busy teachers.Andrew Pollard, the ProgrammeDirec<strong>to</strong>r, had developed a simple way ofarranging ideas: moving out from thoseat the heart of classroom processes (aims,curriculum, teaching, assessment andrelationships) <strong>to</strong> those that support theseprocesses, such as teacher learning andMary JamesDeputy Direc<strong>to</strong>rTLRP“It’s throughcommunicationthat we find outwhat we think”policy structures.“Ten” had a niceresonance so we stuck with that. In theirsimplest form, we chose <strong>to</strong> present theprinciples in the round <strong>to</strong> show that,although there is a logic, there is nonecessary hierarchy.We completed this initial work ratherhurriedly because we wanted <strong>to</strong> issue theprinciples in a Commentary from theTLRP at the time when the SchoolsWhite Paper, proposing more specialistschools and academies (now theEducation and Inspections Act 2006),was being discussed. We especiallywanted <strong>to</strong> emphasise that improvementcomes from teaching and learning ratherthan simply changing school structures.The principles didn’t hit us in sudden“Eureka” bursts; rather, we watchedthemes and overlapping findings emerge.Often they chimed with what we knewfrom prior <strong>research</strong>. For instance, theSPRinG project on what makes effectivegroupwork was built on the Oracleproject of the 1970s, and their findingssupport the old cliché that two (or evenmore) heads are better than one. Thevalue of thinking with other people isdemonstrated throughout TLRP’s work,from the high quality talk whichcharacterises the best early years<strong>practice</strong>, as shown by the Effective Preschooland Primary Education project, <strong>to</strong>the benefits of peer review found byTowards Evidence-Based ScienceEducation. It’s through communicationthat we find out what we think.Evidence from numerous projects alsoconfirmed the need for consistent policyframeworks. Repeatedly, <strong>research</strong>ershave found that teachers’ willingness <strong>to</strong>experiment and their progress inbringing in forms of assessment whichhelp children learn have been inhibitedby a climate of testing and league tables.While Ministers on the one handencourage assessment for learning, onthe other, they continue <strong>to</strong> put pressureon schools <strong>to</strong> raise their results in highstakessummative tests. This can militateagainst the use of other, voluntary typesof assessment, even when they are shownnot only <strong>to</strong> boost children’s learning skillsand au<strong>to</strong>nomy, but also <strong>to</strong> raise theirscores in national exams.So how do we know that the principleswe have pinpointed are universal? Theshort answer is that we can never be sure.As the best scientists will say, knowledge isalways provisional. However, theprinciples are drawn from a large numberof recent, highly-regarded <strong>research</strong>projects. People seem <strong>to</strong> find theminteresting and helpful. The first 8,000copies of the Commentary flew off theshelves in a matter of weeks and, and45,000 copies were downloaded from theTLRP website in six months.We have asked our project teams <strong>to</strong>critique the principles so that we canrefine them. Some of the <strong>research</strong>ers haveproblems with the word “should” in eachprinciple, as represented on the poster,finding it <strong>to</strong>o prescriptive, but theyunderstand that teachers seek advice andguidance. So, for now, “should” remains.s

14 THE PRINCIPLESWhat’s the <strong>evidence</strong>?The 10 principles grew out of anextensive and ever-expanding bodyof <strong>research</strong> findings about whatreally makes a difference in theclassroom. Diane Hofkins looks atthe data and the philosophy behindthe ideas on the pull-out posterequips learners for life in itsbroadest sense1School is about more thanpassing exams and“delivering thecurriculum”. Whathappens in school needs <strong>to</strong>connect with the outsideworld, both by relating whatchildren are learning <strong>to</strong> events athome and abroad and by helpingthem develop the skills, strategiesand courage they will need in anuncertain future.Collaboration will becomeincreasingly important. Learningshould aim <strong>to</strong> help individuals andgroups <strong>to</strong> develop the intellectual,personal and social resources thatwill enable them <strong>to</strong> participate asactive citizens and as workers able <strong>to</strong>adapt.Flexibility of mind – the ability <strong>to</strong>transfer skills and <strong>to</strong> thinkmethodically but creatively – will bean increasingly hot intellectualproperty.The TLRP’s SPRinG andScotSPRinG projects helpedschools develop effective groupworkin which children didn’t just sit<strong>to</strong>gether, they thought <strong>to</strong>gether.Activities were specifically designed<strong>to</strong> encourage children <strong>to</strong> explain“GETTY IMAGESEffective teaching and learningthings <strong>to</strong> each other and <strong>to</strong> promotejoint reasoning. Other activitiesdeveloped social skills byencouraging pupils <strong>to</strong> see situationsfrom other people’s points of view.The “A for attitude” culture hasbeen sneered at; it implies that therecipient really wasn’t very good atthe subject, but tried. In fact,<strong>evidence</strong> from across the TLRPshows that that attitude is crucial.Starting with the early years, themassive EPPE (Effective Pre-schooland Primary Education) studyshows that <strong>to</strong>ddlers need <strong>to</strong> developa “disposition” <strong>to</strong> learn.Other projects, such as ACTS IISustainable Thinking Classroomsfrom Northern Ireland,demonstrated how learning andthinking skills help boostconfidence, au<strong>to</strong>nomy andattainment. More broadly, the 12-year Identity and LearningProgramme showed how childrenand young people develop a“learning identity” from the socialinfluence of parents, teachers andpeers as they progress through theirschool careers. Attitudes <strong>to</strong> lifelonglearning are founded on eachpupil’s experiences of schoolingand on the strategic biographieswhich make sense of these.engages with valued forms ofknowledge2In the justifiable swing<strong>to</strong>ward emphasising theprocesses of learning andaway from the pressure <strong>to</strong>pack in content and facts,it is important <strong>to</strong>remember that every subject has atits heart elements that make itunique. Teaching and learningshould engage with the big ideas,key processes, modes of discourseand narratives of subjects so thatthey understand what constitutesquality and standards in particulardomains. This precept iswell-supported by the EPSE(Evidence-based Practice in ScienceEducation) studies. Leadingscientific thinkers were able <strong>to</strong> agreebroadly on what constitutes thenature of scientific knowledge (suchas what has been established beyondreasonable doubt and what is stillopen <strong>to</strong> debate) and the keyelements of scientific method. Thebest way for students <strong>to</strong> understandthese concepts is through classroomdiscourse. This means a change inteachers’ role from transmitter ofinformation <strong>to</strong> facilita<strong>to</strong>r ofopportunities for children <strong>to</strong>understand the various dimensionsof science.Skills cannot be taught in avacuum; the Learning How <strong>to</strong>Learn <strong>research</strong> shows that learning<strong>practice</strong>s are best developed whenchildren are learning aboutsomething significant and specific.The process is part of subjectteaching, not a course of its own.This theme also chimes withGovernment guidance. For instancethe proposed Key Stage 3framework says children shouldbecome successful learners whoknow about big ideas and eventsthat shape our world andunderstand how they learn andlearn from mistakes.Scaffolding is about teachers recognising when they should interv

15recognises the importance ofprior experience and learning3Few people these daysthink that children arriveat school as “empty vessels”<strong>to</strong> be filled withknowledge. The principleof starting where children“are” and helping them <strong>to</strong> moveon is widely recognised.Never-the-less, with a class of 25 or30, it can be difficult <strong>to</strong> determineeach one’s starting point. The EPSEproject has found that carefullydesigned <strong>to</strong>ols, underpinned bysolid <strong>research</strong>, can quickly“diagnose” children’sunderstanding of key scienceideas and inform what the teacherdoes next.Pressure <strong>to</strong> cover an overloadedcurriculum makes it harder forteachers <strong>to</strong> find the time <strong>to</strong>diagnose individual chidren’sneeds, and a number of TLRPprojects challenged teachers’assumptions about some groups ofchildren. Teachers involved in theDeveloping Inclusive Practices inSchools project in England andWales began <strong>to</strong> see that they couldhelp change pupils’ attitudes, selfesteemand engagement withlearning; these were not fixed.National policy is beginning <strong>to</strong>recognise that local culture andenthusiasms can be built <strong>in<strong>to</strong></strong> thecurriculum. Excellence and Enjoyment,the 2003 Primary Strategydocument, encouraged this, as doesthe revised KS3 programme.TLRP’s Home-School KnowledgeExchange aimed <strong>to</strong> tap andrecognise the fund of knowledgethat children can draw on in theirhomes, communities and ethniccultures. Meanwhile the Scottishstudy, learning with ICT in Pre-School Settings found that the socalled“digital divide” between welloffand poorer families is not assignificant as is sometimes assumed.requires the teacher <strong>to</strong>scaffold learning4Scaffolding in teachingis like scaffolding inbuilding work; itsupports theconstruction until thehouse (or the child’slearning) is secure enough <strong>to</strong> standon its own. This scaffold is built ofteachers’ knowledge of howchildren learn.Scaffolding is about teachersrecognising when they shouldintervene <strong>to</strong> help the child move on<strong>to</strong> a higher level of understanding.The TLRP ‘s Learning with ICT inPre-school Settings study found thatyoung children’s encounters withcomputers and other technologywere enhanced when practitionersstepped in <strong>to</strong> <strong>guide</strong> them. Teachersin turn learned more effectiveways <strong>to</strong> scaffold children’s learningthrough CPD.The InterActive Education studyalso concluded that ICT in theclassroom will not help learning onits own. “Without the support of ateacher, students are unlikely <strong>to</strong>develop their knowledge ofmathematical proof from theireveryday reasoning, knowledge ofthe Italian Renaissance fromknowledge of popular culture… orknowledge of science from gamelikesimulation software,” the<strong>research</strong>ers say.They found that students workingon computers on their own for anextended period of time may comeup with odd information, ormisapply rules. For instance somesecondary pupils using the internet<strong>to</strong> <strong>research</strong> the Renaissance werereading about somewhere calledFlorence in the USA.needs assessment <strong>to</strong> becongruent with learning5Assessment should helpadvance learning as well asdetermine whetherlearning has taken place.This may sound obvious,but many teachersinvolved in TLRP projects havecomplained that the assessmentsystem in England militates againstgood learning. When staff end up“teaching <strong>to</strong> the test” rather thanteaching <strong>to</strong> the principles theybelieve in (and the government saysit endorses), something is not right.However, TLRP findings havebegun <strong>to</strong> influence policy. The new21 st Century Science GCSE courselaunched in September 2006, isbased on EPSE <strong>research</strong>, and meldscontent and assessment in acoherent way.The project on pupil consultation,in England, has shown that beingable <strong>to</strong> talk about their own learninghelps students become better able <strong>to</strong>manage it, more confident andpositive about education and able <strong>to</strong>contribute <strong>to</strong> the development of theschool. This pupil engagement givesteachers a deeper insight <strong>in<strong>to</strong></strong> theirpupils’ capabilities. A relatedproject, on assessment in NorthernIreland, makes the point that suchconsultation is an obligation underthe UN Convention on the Rights ofthe Child.The Learning How <strong>to</strong> Learnstudy concluded that the ultimategoal of assessment for learning is <strong>to</strong>promote learning au<strong>to</strong>nomy so thatpupils can reflect on where they areand where they need <strong>to</strong> go, and thenact in such a way as <strong>to</strong> get there.ene <strong>to</strong> help the child move on <strong>to</strong> a higher level of understanding”s

16 THE PRINCIPLESpromotes the activeengagement of the learner6If a key goal of educationis <strong>to</strong> promote students’au<strong>to</strong>nomy and encouragethem <strong>to</strong> have positiveattitudes <strong>to</strong> learning, itneeds <strong>to</strong> start at theyoungest age. The EPPE <strong>research</strong>shows the importance ofencouraging child-initiatedactivities as well as ones set in trainby adults.The Learning How <strong>to</strong> Learnproject showed – perhaps ironically– that teachers who <strong>to</strong>okresponsibility for their pupils’ selfmotivation(and did not blamehome circumstances oradolescence) had the most engagedgroups of students. The mosteffective teachers organised open,fluid activities. The pupilconsultation studies found thatchildren develop a stronger sense ofself-worth when they are able <strong>to</strong> talkabout their learning. Classroomtasks allowed students <strong>to</strong> enter thesubject community, <strong>to</strong> behave as ascientist, an his<strong>to</strong>rian or an artist.In addition, pupils are more likely<strong>to</strong> be engaged with schooling whenthey are consulted and their viewstreated with respect.fosters both individual andsocial processes and outcomes7Learning is a socialactivity. It demandsinteraction with otherminds. TLRP studies ongroupwork, teacherlearning and inclusion,among others, show that whenschools function as genuinelearning communities, students andteachers thrive both collectively andas individuals. Pupils who workedeffectively in groups also didmeasurably better on individualexams than those who had otherforms of teaching and learning. TheSPRinG and ScotSPRinG projectsfound that in key stages 2 and 3,children who worked effectively<strong>to</strong>gether made gains in theirinferential thinking and theirhigher cognitive understanding.Groupwork also improved socialrelationships among pupils andbetween pupils and teachers. InFrom Black Boxes <strong>to</strong> Glass Boxes,experiments carried out with olderstudents, using concept-mappingsoftware, also showed tha<strong>to</strong>pportunities for students <strong>to</strong> discusstheir maps with others was thesignificant fac<strong>to</strong>r in raisingattainment.The dramatic impact of teachersGETTY IMAGESlearning <strong>to</strong>gether is also beingrecognised throughout the world ofeducation.recognises the signifcance ofinformal learning8Everyone now recognisesthat parents are children’sfirst educa<strong>to</strong>rs, but it canstill be difficult <strong>to</strong> connecthome learning withschool learning. In theHome-School KnowledgeExchange primary pupils <strong>to</strong>okpho<strong>to</strong>s <strong>to</strong> show the maths andliteracy activities they were doing athome. Maths activities includedcooking, shopping, playing boardgames, setting timers andconsulting timetables.Children were also asked <strong>to</strong>compile a shoebox of artefacts fromhome called All about Me, whichenabled teachers and other pupils<strong>to</strong> find out about their interests andabilities.The EPPE <strong>research</strong> has shownthat when parents engage withyoung children in learning activitiesat home, children do better later on.In fact, parents’ educational andeconomic backgrounds are lessimportant than whether or not theyprovide enriching learningenvironments at home for children.Tellingly, boys tend <strong>to</strong> receive lesshome learning than girls, and thiscould be one reason why they do lesswell when they get <strong>to</strong> school.Children’s lives outside schoolhave a huge impact on who they areas learners. The Identity andLearning Programme, whichstudied small numbers of childrenfrom middle- and working-classbackgrounds over time makes clearhow family relationships at homeand peer friendships in thecommunity affect the selfconfidenceand belief in themselvesas learners which children andyoung people bring <strong>to</strong> thechallenges of school.depends on teacher learning9This was a consistenttheme throughout TLRPfindings. The need forteachers <strong>to</strong> develop theirknowledge and skills andinitiate their ownclassroom-based <strong>research</strong> should berecognised and supported both bygovernment and within schools.Improving outcomes for pupils,however they are defined, oftenrequires teachers <strong>to</strong> change theirclassroom <strong>practice</strong>, sometimesradically. But these innovations canonly occur if teachers themselveshave learned. It’s also important forthem <strong>to</strong> be willing <strong>to</strong> examine theirown <strong>practice</strong>. The Learning How <strong>to</strong>Learn project found collaborativeclassroom-based inquiry <strong>to</strong> becrucial and the project on UsingResearch Study Lessons shows aspecific way of doing this.Researchers also found thatteachers valued materials andcourses which would help themimplement new ways of learning ornew content. For instance, many ofthose involved in the project on whymorphemes are useful in primaryschool literacy had <strong>to</strong> learn aboutmorphemes (units of meaning inwords) themselves. They alsolearned new teaching methods.The Development of InclusivePractices in Schools studyconcluded that “at the heart of thisprocess of change were groups ofstaff involved in generating andengaging with <strong>evidence</strong> about<strong>practice</strong>, and about outcomes forpupils.”The government has been <strong>to</strong>ldthis before. A much-publicisedlongitudinal study it commissionedfrom the University of Ontario onthe implementation of the NationalLiteracy Strategy said deep learningwas necessary if teachers’ grasp ofthe new policy was <strong>to</strong> be more thansuperficial. However, as the VITAE(Variations in Teachers’ Work andLives and their Effects on Pupils)project emphasises, teachers’ levelsof commitment and resilience are avital condition for change.demands consistent policyframeworks with support forteaching and learning as theirprimary focuspolicy should notchop and changeevery year or two,and ministers10Governmentshould act on theunderstanding that good pedagogyand pupil engagement will do more<strong>to</strong> raise standards than league tablesand catch-up classes.If effective teaching and learningare the core functions of schools(and what else could be?) theyshould be the focus of policy atschool and national level. This wouldgive coherence <strong>to</strong> other policies.Teachers in a number of TLRPstudies believed progress was beingmade despite government policyrather than because of it. TheLearning How <strong>to</strong> Learn studies, forexample, found that “The currentperformance-orientated climate inschools in England seems <strong>to</strong> make itdifficult for teachers <strong>to</strong> <strong>practice</strong>what they value.” And the Inclusionstudy concluded that school leadersshould be selected and developednot only on the basis of theirmanagerial skills, but on theirvalues. It said national policy shouldsupport teachers who are workingcollaboratively <strong>to</strong> use a range of<strong>evidence</strong> about their teaching(including pupils’ attitudes andengagement) “which goes beyond arelatively narrow range ofperformance indica<strong>to</strong>rs”.

17Getting<strong>to</strong> theheart ofchildrenHeadteacherJanet English tellsDiane Hofkins aboutbuilding a learningcommunityTERI PENGILLEYYear 2 teacher Chris Starkl’s class hasbeen asked: “What will make mehappy <strong>to</strong> learn?” The resulting mindmapshows answers such as: Whenmy teacher helps me, When I trymyself, Interesting books, It’s OK <strong>to</strong>make mistakes, Fun activities, Drawing, Whenmy teacher is happy – and my friends – andmyself.At Malvern Way Infant and Nursery nearWatford in Hertfordshire, everyone, down <strong>to</strong> theyoungest child, is thinking about learning. It’s aschool that embodies the TLRP’s 10 principles ofeffective teaching and learning, both indoorsand out. For instance, <strong>to</strong> reinforce pupilau<strong>to</strong>nomy, child-size sheds were put up in theplayground <strong>to</strong> allow youngsters <strong>to</strong> get their ownequipment.Teachers and children work <strong>to</strong>gether <strong>to</strong>discover how they learn best, and children’s ideasare incorporated <strong>in<strong>to</strong></strong> the planning of <strong>to</strong>pics. Inthe Don’t S<strong>to</strong>p Moving <strong>to</strong>pic, Y1 children wanted<strong>to</strong> learn about: bubbles in bottles, dinosaursunder attack, water moving, how we move, howanimals move, how does the world turn, windand clouds, how we make things move, andmaking moving models.“It all fits in exactly with national curriculumplanning,” says headteacher Janet English. “Wealso have an unplanned area in our planning,which we never had before.” Its purpose is widerand deeper than simply allowing time forchildren <strong>to</strong> take advantage of a snowfall or newlyhatchedchicks. “We don’t want <strong>to</strong> just make it a<strong>to</strong>ken input for children,” she explains. “It will bea genuine response <strong>to</strong> the children’s learning.”When Mrs English became head of the 300-pupil school in 2004, her “burning desire” was <strong>to</strong>bring the principles of assessment for learning<strong>in<strong>to</strong></strong> <strong>practice</strong>. “We started from the <strong>research</strong> fromthe TLRP’s Learning how <strong>to</strong> Learn project, andused their CPD” (see “A treasure chest”, page19).What chimed with the teachers? “Thedifference it makes <strong>to</strong> children.” Teachers saidthat what altered their <strong>practice</strong> the most was achange in climate, so that it was OK <strong>to</strong> take a risk.She encouraged staff <strong>to</strong> look at the <strong>research</strong><strong>evidence</strong>, develop an idea for themselves andthen share it with other people.“AFL makes everything cohesive and reallygets <strong>to</strong> the heart of children,” she says. “That’swhat teachers like; it’s giving them permission <strong>to</strong>really focus on the children.”In the summer term of 2007 Malvern Way staffwere looking at the difference between alearning objective and its context. “What we havegot really good at is all the skills-basedobjectives,” says Mrs English. In literacy, forexample, these include using interestingadjectives or putting full s<strong>to</strong>ps at the end of asentence. “They have got <strong>to</strong> be there, but what wereally want <strong>to</strong> look at is the quality underlying allthat – imagination, the way they describe acontext for a s<strong>to</strong>ry. We need <strong>to</strong> delve a bit deeper“ We encourage them <strong>to</strong> go <strong>to</strong> their peers, share their successes ”s

18 TLRP RESOURCESGETTY IMAGESPROBLEM PIGI CAN TELL MYFRIENDS HOWTO SOLVE THEPROBLEM*AM I CORRECT?HOW WELLDID I DO?*IS IT WORKING?YES OR NO?**I UNDRESTANDTHERE’S APROBLEMWHATHAVE ILEARNEDFROMTHIS?WHAT IS THEBEST WAY TOSOLVE THEPROBLEM?**WHAT DO IALREADYKNOW?*WHAT DO INEED TOFIND OUT ORUSE TO HELPME SOLVETHEPROBLEM?This chart is designed <strong>to</strong> help infantsthink about how <strong>to</strong> solve problems andmake sure they have unders<strong>to</strong>od.Teachers at Malvern Way are still refining“Problem Pig”, asking themselvesquestions such as: is it the rightsequence? or should it be a mind-map?for what it is that makes quality inwriting.”Or when it comes <strong>to</strong> problemsolving,“Not just, can they count intwos, but when they’re faced with anew situation, can they apply that ina problem?”There are learning posters inevery classroom, asking children <strong>to</strong>think about what they know already,and then find out something new.Everyone is responsible not just fortheir own learning but for helpingothers, <strong>to</strong>o. “We encourage children<strong>to</strong> go <strong>to</strong> their peers, share theirsuccesses and the things they need<strong>to</strong> develop, and <strong>to</strong> recognise thateverybody has specific strengthsthat may be different <strong>to</strong> their own,”says Mrs English.At weekly Celebration ofLearning assemblies, children talkabout something they’reparticularly pleased about havinglearned at home or school.Teachers have a responsibility <strong>to</strong>help children reach for newaccomplishments. “We ask, ‘Wheredo you think you can get <strong>to</strong>?’”And they assess children’slearning all the time, trying <strong>to</strong>discern who has unders<strong>to</strong>od andwho needs more support. “What wehave found is that children who aredoing well tend <strong>to</strong> get morefeedback,” says Mrs English. “Thosewho aren’t get less because teachersdon’t want <strong>to</strong> hurt their feelings. Butwe are saying, they need <strong>to</strong> have justas much specific feedback, butperhaps based on smaller steps.”National policy-makers oftenunderestimate teachers’professionalism, she feels. “I do notthink some of them give teachersthe credit they deserve for theirknowledge and understanding.”Brain hurt?Take sixof theseWorried about <strong>evidence</strong>-based principles ofofsted? What effective teaching and learning.someone in Longer interviews with some of theWhitehall might participants, who have all beenthink? That the involved in TLRP development andschools police will <strong>research</strong> projects, are also included.arrest you unless you triple-mount The DVD can be shown in full, or itsthose displays? You need a support components used individually ingroup. And the down-<strong>to</strong>-earth CPD sessions.teachers on the TLRP’s Teaching The lessons and interviews shownand Learning DVD (enclosed with are not intended as examples of howthis magazine) might be the place <strong>to</strong> teach; they’re meant <strong>to</strong> raise<strong>to</strong> start.questions and encourage reflection.Belfast primary headteacher Similarly, a booklet <strong>to</strong> go with theHelen Farrimond has got a pep talk DVD poses open-ended questionsfor you. “Teachers need <strong>to</strong> be brave <strong>to</strong> complement each segment.and confident,” she says, “and risktaking.”It’s OK <strong>to</strong> have your “Learning should involve andIn the section illustratinglearning outcomes pinned up engage the learner”, Bol<strong>to</strong>nhaphazardly around the classroom, headteacher Tony Purcell tells usrather than having beautiful that without pupil consultation, thedisplays which may be no more than school would miss out on 2,000decoration, she argues. And when people’s ideas. And a student adds,the inspec<strong>to</strong>r comes, you don’t have “Pupil voice is important. Otherwise<strong>to</strong> have all your <strong>evidence</strong> on paper. it’s the teachers’ school, not theIf you know the children have children’s school.”learned, tell the inspec<strong>to</strong>r <strong>to</strong> ask To add <strong>to</strong> this, the booklet offersthem about it.questions such as: “How can theShe appears in one of six episodes quiet or disaffected be heard? Andfilmed in different parts of the UK how can the creation of a ‘pupilillustrating some of the TLRP’s 10 élite’ be avoided?”A treasure chest of ideasEnter through the magic portalwww.tlrp.org and prepare<strong>to</strong> be amazed by the richesthat await you. You can findauthoritative <strong>evidence</strong> about aspectsof teaching and learning rangingfrom subjects such as maths andscience <strong>to</strong> social issues such asinclusion and pupil voice.There is a wealth of practicalideas, <strong>to</strong>o, through many of theprojects’ own websites (a full list ofschools projects is on page 27) andthe large collection of PractitionerApplications (see far right).Click on Projects, on the left ofthe screen, and you can find yourway <strong>to</strong> gems such as the ConsultingPupils about Teaching andLearning website, with its hoard ofideas you can use in your school(http://www.tlrp.org/proj/phase1/phase1dsept.html).A related book in the TLRP’sImproving Learning series is soon<strong>to</strong> be published by Routledge. It willlook at the role of consultation in amore partnership-orientedrelationship between teachers andpupils. It will cover the problems offinding time <strong>to</strong> consult and ofcoping with the uncertainty that thechange in power relationshipsbrings.Books in the Improving Learningseries are explicitly designed <strong>to</strong>“Books in theImprovingLearningseries support<strong>evidence</strong> --informeddecisions”

19Food for thoughtAmong the many resources you can find at www.tlrp.org/search/pa/is a largecollection of activities <strong>to</strong> help teachers reflect. These “practitionerapplications” have been created by CUREE (Centre for the Use of Researchand Evidence in Education) for the TLRP for areas ranging from assessment andbehaviour <strong>to</strong> relationships and social inclusion.Here are two of them.What do pupilsunderstand aboutthe criteria forgood work?Research tasterMany pupils have little oreven no understanding ofwhat precisely makeswork “good”. Pupils oftenthink that “workingharder” involvessuperficial issuesperpetuated by teachers’responses in lesson time,along the lines of talkingless, completing work ontime and presenting itneatly.Your <strong>evidence</strong>To help studentsunderstand the criteriafor good work it is firstimportant <strong>to</strong> make clear<strong>to</strong> them how they cananalyse their own work.You might want <strong>to</strong> find away <strong>to</strong> do this informally,e.g., when a s<strong>to</strong>ry isbrought for marking astudent can be asked forhis or her opinion on it. Oryou may wish <strong>to</strong> be moreformal, perhaps by askingpupils <strong>to</strong> fill in a commentform at the completion ofa project <strong>to</strong> indicate whatthey had liked best/leastabout it, what they hadfound easy/difficultabout it, what they hadlearned from it (contentand skills), what theythink they need <strong>to</strong>practise more or tryharder at etc.Alternatively, if thechildren can write freely,you could ask them <strong>to</strong>keep a journal in whichthey can review theirachievements on aregular basis. You canthen use comment formsor journals <strong>to</strong> help youidentifymisunderstandings orareas where moreclarification is needed.Moving forwardThis is perhaps one of themost important aspectsof pupil voice as a <strong>to</strong>pic. Ifpupils can be properlyinformed about thecriteria for good workthere can be a seriouseffect on most of theirschool life. You might want<strong>to</strong> find ways of looking<strong>in<strong>to</strong></strong> pupils’ ideas aboutassessment criteria <strong>to</strong>help them in re-examiningdifferent aspects of theirwork. How can you do thisin such a way that theyare still working out forthemselves how <strong>to</strong>improve their work?Find out moreThe project is ConsultingPupils about Teaching andLearning. Its website is at:www.consultingpupils.co.uk TLRP Research Briefon pupil voice is at: www.tlrp.org/pub/<strong>research</strong>/no5.pdfand inspirationsupport “<strong>evidence</strong>-informed”decisions in educational <strong>practice</strong>and policymaking. Improving Schools,Developing Inclusion, by Mel Ainscow,Tony Booth and Alan Dyson takesthe view that marginalisation,exclusion and underachievementtake many forms and affect manydifferent kinds of child.Another jewel in the treasurechest is the Learning How <strong>to</strong> Learnproject, which has published a bookof Tools for Schools (Routledge). Itprovides ideas and materials forteacher workshops and other inserviceactivities developed withteachers by some of the best-knownnames in educational <strong>research</strong>. Andthere is much more besides athttp://www.tlrp.org/proj/phase11/phase2f.html.The TLRP website will also leadyou <strong>to</strong> printable posters for many ofthe projects and a set of <strong>research</strong>briefings summarising their mainfindings and recommendations.There are many ways <strong>to</strong> search,including by themes such asCurriculum or Learning Processes.These will take you <strong>to</strong> briefings,articles and other publicationsacross different projects. Amongthem are Commentaries fromTLRP on Personalised Learning,Effective Teaching and 14-19Reforms.What role doteachers play indirecting learningwith ICT?Research tasterAlthough ICT changes theways in which teachersdirect learning, it doesn’treplace them. Developingan understanding of how<strong>to</strong> support students whoare completing learningactivities using ICT, in order<strong>to</strong> ensure that they arebeing challenged and theirlearning tested, is clearlyan important ingredient inthe development ofteachers’ roles.Your <strong>evidence</strong>Would it be helpful for you<strong>to</strong> explore yourunderstanding of yourrole in supporting ICT inthe classroom? Couldyou identify an ICTactivity you use regularlyand feel confident with,then ask a colleague <strong>to</strong>observe a lesson in whichyou use this activity <strong>to</strong>give you a more detailedpicture of the differentroles you take thanordinary recall provides?You might like <strong>to</strong> ask them<strong>to</strong> consider:• the instructions yougave <strong>to</strong> your students;• the support that youoffered <strong>to</strong> your studentsduring this activity.Moving forwardDo you need <strong>to</strong> do somediagnostic work <strong>to</strong>establish which ICT skillsget in the way of learningabout core objectives inyour lessons? Could youplan, for example, anintensive activity <strong>to</strong>ensure that all studentsknow how <strong>to</strong> s<strong>to</strong>re dataand generate a graphau<strong>to</strong>matically, or use allthe available formatting<strong>to</strong>ols <strong>to</strong> improvepresentation?Find out moreThe full project isInterActive Education:teaching and learning inthe information age. Theproject website is at:www.interactiveeducation.ac.ukYou might like <strong>to</strong> read areview of 42 studiesabout the use of ICT:Scrimshaw, P. (2004)Enabling teachers <strong>to</strong>make successful use ofICT. Becta. This article isavailable online at: www.becta.org.uk/page_documents/<strong>research</strong>/enablers.pdf

What’s the big ide20 SECONDARYVic<strong>to</strong>ria Neumark explores waysthat teachers can get their studentsthinking about scienceGETTY IMAGESWhat science dochildren need <strong>to</strong>learn at school? Andhow best should it betaught? Terms like“scientific literacy”,“ideas about science” and “morediscursive” teaching are frequentlyinvoked by curriculum planners.Internationally, experts worry overhow wide and how deep scientificunderstanding needs <strong>to</strong> penetratefor modern societies <strong>to</strong> function. Inthe UK, universities and employersworry over a large and continuingdrop in students wishing <strong>to</strong> studyscience at advanced levels. It all addsup <strong>to</strong> pressure on the scienceclassroom. The tests press: teach <strong>to</strong>the tests!What can teachers do? And how?Research shows that over-testing offactual recall likely overestimatesunderstanding of key concepts: itdoes not improve it. Crudely, ifstudents memorise facts for tests,they will not necessarily be able <strong>to</strong>use the concepts behind the facts inother contexts: the teacher mayhave transmitted information butnot true knowledge.Yet taking more time <strong>to</strong> establishpupil understanding, through openTHE BIG CIRCUITWhen the second wirefrom the battery isconnected up <strong>to</strong> the bulb,what will happen?Pupils may assume thatthere is a delay, following a“source-consumer” model.Yet the bulb lights upinstantaneously. If theteacher sets the circuit upwith a wire stretchingaround the wholediscussion and focused questioningcan, paradoxically, pay off in moreefficient learning. Particularly whenteaching “ideas about science”,teachers need <strong>to</strong> expand beyondtheir own expertise on the nature ofscience and learn how <strong>to</strong> managestudents’ progress in handlingideas. It’s a big challenge for adultswho have grown up mastering abody of subject knowledge.classroom, the livelydiscussion which ensueswhen the bulb lights upenables the teacher <strong>to</strong>challenge their conceptionand makes pupils try <strong>to</strong>devise a new model <strong>to</strong>explain the phenomenon.The new GCSE specifications arebuilt around a dual demand: that allpupils should be “scientificallyliterate” whilst those who need <strong>to</strong> beare equipped with a sound basis insubject knowledge for advancedstudy. How should the content bedivided up?So-called “science wars” havehotly debated what science needs <strong>to</strong>be known by whom. Research from

21a?themEPSE (Evidence-based Practice inScience Education)has synthesisednine themes (see box) abstractedfrom international experts andtested with practising teachers, withwhich everyone, be they futurescientists or future non-scientistcitizens, ought <strong>to</strong> be familiar.To teach these themes, say EPSE<strong>research</strong>ers, teachers had <strong>to</strong> havethe confidence <strong>to</strong> be able <strong>to</strong> developtheir pupils’ reasoning skill as wellas impart facts. Pupils needed space<strong>to</strong> ask their own real questions,rather than shooting for the “right”answer. If they really felt that theirown enquiries were valid, theybecame far more engaged.The down side is that suchteaching is challenging, particularlyfor those who are highly competentin “proper” scientific skills andunderstanding. Schools urgentlyneed <strong>to</strong> invest in CPD <strong>to</strong> helpteachers lead open discussion inwhich students reflect on their ownemergent understandings: neither afree-for-all nor rote-learning.What kind of materials could helpsuch CPD? EPSE <strong>research</strong>ersworked with teachers at key stages 2,3, and 4, devising diagnosticquestions and <strong>research</strong>-informedactivities. They scored significantlybetter than traditional teachingsequences in establishing pupils’understanding of key concepts.Special “probe” questions aimed<strong>to</strong> establish correct understandingand misconceptions in specificareas: electrical circuits, lifeprocesses and forces and motion.The questions were in two stages:one <strong>to</strong> predict and one <strong>to</strong> ask for anexplanation. For instance, key stage3 pupils were asked <strong>to</strong> predict whatthe reading on an electrical circuitwould be at given points, and then<strong>to</strong> choose an explanation for theirprediction. Some pupils werefollowed up <strong>to</strong> probe understandingfurther.Depressingly, then, less than halfof the sample at age 14 knew thatelectric current is the sameeverywhere on a circuit;disturbingly, the proportion at age16 was well nigh the same. Ideasbuilt on this, such as therelationship between voltage,current and resistance, weregrasped by fewer than 20 per cent of16-year olds.Such findings are not new: theyare almost exactly the same as thosepre-dating the national curriculum.But they do indicate that decades ofinnovative science teaching havedone little for generalunderstanding – and that currentmeasures of student performancedo not highlight this gap.Teachers in the study found theprobes useful, be they as “goodquestions: we’re so short of usefulquestions” or as end-of-<strong>to</strong>pic tests.Most interestingly, the probes couldbe used <strong>to</strong> open up discussion andbring misconceptions <strong>to</strong> light. “I gotan entire unplanned lesson,” saidone. Their clear structure enabledteachers <strong>to</strong> begin dialogues withoutfearing classroom anarchy.Multiple-choice answers promptedmore discussion than openresponseones as they made studentsconsider other viewpoints: “theymade real progress with theirthinking”.Even non-specialists found thattheir teaching was enhanced by theuse of the probes, which enabledNINE THEMES EVERYONE SHOULD GRASPTHE NATURE OFSCENTIFIC1KNOWLEDGEScience and certaintyHow far somescientific knowledge,particularly that in schoolscience, is beyond allreasonable doubt andhow far other ideas areopen <strong>to</strong> question. Thisincludes: The nature oftheory: that new <strong>evidence</strong>can always affectinterpretation.2 His<strong>to</strong>ricaldevelopmentStudents should be awareof some of the his<strong>to</strong>ricalbackground.4Analysis andinterpretation of dataScientific analysis is morethan sheer data; itrequires sophisticatedtheory building.Disagreements areentirely5legitimate.Hypothesis andpredictionThis process is essential<strong>to</strong> developing newknowlege about naturalphenomena.6Diversity of scientificthinkingThere is no singlescientific method orapproach.7CreativityAs much as any otherMETHODS OF SCIENCEScientific methods activity, science involves3 and critical testing imagination, inspirationThe experimental method, and 8passion.the use of controls andScience andhow a single experiment is questioningrarely conclusive.Science is a process ofEPSE has also produced:• Large banks of<strong>research</strong>-informeddiagnostic questions,which have influencedand been incorporated<strong>in<strong>to</strong></strong> several nationalinitiatives.• Research-informedlesson sequences andteaching materials forseveral key scienceideas.• Research-informedquickly <strong>to</strong> assess theunderstanding of the whole class,rather than a few individuals whomight answer open-responsequestions. Practically, the banks ofquestions produced requireddetailed analysis of content <strong>to</strong>extract learning objectives. Thesecould be broken down <strong>in<strong>to</strong></strong>differentiated learning tasks, <strong>to</strong> sif<strong>to</strong>ut who unders<strong>to</strong>od each point.This process tested traditionalsequences of ideas, particularly inthe area of mechanics, where somekey ideas (like the fact that all forcesarrive from interactions and soalways come in pairs) are undulydelayed and some other criticalaspects (like the need clearly <strong>to</strong>identify which object each force actson) are insufficiently emphasisedfor pupils <strong>to</strong> grasp.Teachers found that “going back<strong>to</strong> basics” in this way, so far fromboring pupils, actually led <strong>to</strong> theirbeing more deeply engaged.Activities based on an analysis of thestructure of scientific concepts canalso help teachers be more versatile.Researchers who developed lessoncontinual and cyclicalquestioning, out of whichnew theories andtechniques emerge <strong>to</strong> betested in their turn.INSTITUTIONS ANDSOCIAL PRACTICES INSCIENCE9Cooperation andcollaboration in thedevelopment of scientificknowledgeScientists work bothcommunally andcompetitively, often inmulti-disciplinary groups.New knowledge claimsare shared and, if they are<strong>to</strong> be accepted by thescientific community,have <strong>to</strong> survive peerreview.Wording is adapted fromthe EPSE <strong>research</strong>reportslessons on ‘ideas-aboutscience’.• Improving SubjectTeaching by Millar, Leach,Osborne and Ratcliffe,part of TLRP’s ImprovingLearning series.activities for teachers built in arange of types of communication:teacher-led demonstration, opendiscussion, small group work withteacher support. There is theinformation – for instance, theformation of starch granules when apho<strong>to</strong>synthesising organism is keptin the dark – and there is the need <strong>to</strong>use scientific concepts <strong>to</strong> formulatean explanation. Different parts ofthe lesson call for differentmethods.Generally, teachers tend <strong>to</strong> feelthat external tests rely excessively onfactual recall <strong>to</strong> test pupils’understanding. But the good newsis that more innovative approaches,using questions based on <strong>research</strong><strong>in<strong>to</strong></strong> how pupils learn, is as good or,mostly, better than traditionalapproaches even in questions basedon factual recall. Perhaps this isbecause it is easier <strong>to</strong> rememberfacts if you know why they aretrue. Revolutionary: but it mightcatch on!Website www.tlrp.org/proj/phase1bsept.html

GETTY IMAGES24 EARLY YEARSHow do we begin?Giving children the right start makes a big differenceThe EPPE project hasrobustly demonstrated theimportance ofhigh-quality pre-school inchildren’s intellectual andsocial development. It haspinpointed what makes good preschoolteaching, what makes a goodcentre and what difference parentscan make.Its findings have been instrumentalin formulating the Sure Startprogramme as well as governmentguidance for early years curricula.Teaching: good <strong>practice</strong>Most important forearly-years teachers is that,through careful studyof settings which weremeasurably successful,EPPE found that there wereseven characteristics ofeffective provision.They are:sustained sharedthinkingHigh-quality interactionbetween adult and childor between two childrenrequires one-<strong>to</strong>-one workbetween two individuals, orhighly focussed group work.Both or all participants mustjoin in, working <strong>to</strong>gether<strong>to</strong> solve a problem, extenda s<strong>to</strong>ry or carry out someother intellectual activity.Allied <strong>to</strong> this is open-endedquestioning from staff <strong>to</strong>children.initiation of activitiesIn good provision,children and adults eachsuggest about half of theactivities. In addition,child-initiated activitieswere often extendedin ambition by adultsuggestion. These findingssuggest that the best wayfor children <strong>to</strong> learn ina pre-school setting isfor them <strong>to</strong> initiate anactivity <strong>to</strong> which an adultEPPE found that children who don’treceive pre-school provision sufferin their development. Children whoattended the higher-quality centresshowed less anti-social and worriedbehaviour and more independencewhen they started school.The biggest impact comes fromhaving qualified teachers workingwith young children, and the fourkey curriculum areas which need <strong>to</strong>be included are maths, literacy,science and the environment anddiversity.then suggests extensions,although teacher-initiatedgroup work also has arole. There appears <strong>to</strong>be a correlation betweensuccessful cognitivedevelopment and theamount and quality ofplanned and focussedgroup work undertaken.curriculumknowledgeWorkers in pre-schoolsettings need a goodknowledge of thecurriculum.WHAT IS EPPE 3-11?The Effective Pre-School andPrimary Education Project isthe most significant Europeanstudy <strong>to</strong> date on the impact ofpre-school and the contributionof family background onchildren’s developmentbetween three and 11. Thestudy is funded by England’sDepartment for Educationand Skills and is an associateproject of the TLRP.Researchers collectedlongitudinal data on more than3,000 children and theirparents, home environments,pre-school settings andachievement once they enteredschool. They examined 141pre-school settings in rural,pedagogic knowledgeThe same staff need<strong>to</strong> be aware of howchildren learn. Thisis a complex field andtheir knowledge may bedated or incomplete. Itshould be enhanced bycontinuous professionaldevelopment. There hasbeen a long-runningdebate over whether preschoolchildren should bein a setting that is more orless formal, a distinctionoften summarised aswhether it is based on“play.” However, EPPE hasshown that children canlearn from activities theyhave chosen providedmetropolitan, shire county andinner city settings, providingboth social and economicdiversity in the sample. EPPEhas produced 12 TechnicalPapers (available from theEPPE office 0207 612 6219) aswell as a Final Report and anumber of <strong>research</strong> briefs (alldownloadable from the DfESResearch Website or orderedfrom DfES Publications, PO Box5050, Sherwood Park, AnnesleyNottingham, NG15 0DJ.email dfes@prolog.uk.comTel: 0845 602 2260)More information is available onthe EPPE website:www.ioe.ac.uk/schools/ecpe/eppeImportantly, it concludes that“what parents do matters more thanwho they are.” Engaging in learningactivities at home is more importantthan having a university degree.The <strong>research</strong> shows that theactions of children’s parents andcarers, such as reading with a child,visiting the library or teaching lettersand numbers are associated witheducational and social attainment.The study has found that the gainsfor children from good pre-schools lastwell <strong>in<strong>to</strong></strong> the primary years.they have the right adultintervention.adult skillsThe best adult staffprovide more activitiesconcerned withcurriculum learning, suchas maths and literacy,and encourage morepurposeful interaction.More highly-qualifiedstaff perform more andbetter interventions. Inthe presence of trainedteachers, less qualifiedstaff also become moreactive and effective.parental involvementStaff seek out informationfrom them about thechildren, and involve themin decisions. More significantstill is the provider’swillingness <strong>to</strong> engageparents in its educationaland other aims. This allowsparents <strong>to</strong> add <strong>to</strong> the preschoolcentre’s provisionwith appropriate activitiesand materials at home.discipline and behaviourThe most effectivepre-school centres applysubstantial humanresources <strong>to</strong> these issues,especially by helpingchildren <strong>to</strong> discuss andrationalise their behaviour.Less well-consideredapproaches involve simplysilencing or distracting thechild.What doessharedthinkinglook like?These vignettes are fromResearching Effective Pedagogyin the Early Years by IramSiraj-Blatchford, Kathy Sylva,Stella Mut<strong>to</strong>ck, Rose Gilden andDanny BellFROM TINY ACORNSBoy We found a coconut Miss!Teacher Well done! Oh it’s anacorn, if we planted it what doyou think would grow?Girl A flowerTeacher Not quite, if it came offthat tree what would grow?Child Don’t know!Teacher Ok, lets get a pot, somes<strong>to</strong>nes and soil and plant it <strong>to</strong>see. (goes with 5 children) Whichway up do you think? I think onits side it will have the most

chance. What do you think it willgrow <strong>in<strong>to</strong></strong>? (Using opportunitypresented by children <strong>to</strong>model growth/wonder and <strong>to</strong>investigate. Children now havean investment in it.)Child A tree.Teacher Mmmm, I wonder whatkind?IN THE BEGINNINGThis interaction shows whatmay be achieved when childrenare supported and encouraged:Boy How did God make himself?Teacher Well in most of thebooks about God, it says Godjust is.Boy Well how did God make us?Teacher I don’t know. What doyou think?Boy I don’t know.Teacher Well how would youmake yourself?Girl I would make myself happy.Boy I think when God made us,we made God.Girl He putted (sic) our bonesin first and then he putted ourblood on the bones and then heputted our skin on.Boy No – he opened up ourbones and put the blood in us.Girl No – if he put it in ourbones, the blood wouldn’tcome out.Girl (drawing) He’s got longarms <strong>to</strong> let him make his dinner.‘Cos my mum’s got long armslike me. (pauses and thinks)... If the blood was inside yourbones...Boy (interrupting) I know yourblood is out of your bones...Girl (ignoring Boy’s commentand pointing <strong>to</strong> a blood vesselin her finger) Look! So Why areyou telling me blood’s in thebones?...I know God’s got blood.Boy No he hasn’t.Girl Yes he has. Why do youthink we have blood andeverybody has blood and hedoesn’t?... (Showing her picture<strong>to</strong> Zoe) Look I done (sic) God.[The following week the teacherbrings in a dog’s skull and thefollowing week a skele<strong>to</strong>n - thediscussion about bones andblood continues in detail and inan equally dramatic fashion!]Groovy moves for mini-geeksThe use of ICT may atfirst seem contrary <strong>to</strong>the sort of play-basedactive learningassociated with the bestearly-years education – but itdoesn’t have <strong>to</strong> be.Extending the defiinitionof ICT <strong>to</strong> include digital stilland video cameras, mobilephones, electronickeyboards and <strong>to</strong>ys thatsimulate technologies suchas lap<strong>to</strong>ps and barcodereaders can enhance earlylearning in all sorts of ways.They also tend <strong>to</strong> be betterfor collaborative use, easier<strong>to</strong> integrate <strong>in<strong>to</strong></strong> play andmore fun than desk<strong>to</strong>pcomputers at this age.This expanded definitionof ICT has implications forproviding resources innurseries. Practitioners wereable <strong>to</strong> look again attechnology such as thelistening centre or <strong>to</strong>ytelephones and think aboutusing them in differentways. They also bought newequipment, such as acomputer microscope, akaraoke machine,disposable cameras, walkietalkies, a dance mat and anelectronic music keyboard.ICT can help developchildren’s dispositions <strong>to</strong>learn by increasing selfesteemand confidence or bysupporting independenceand persistence in the faceof initial difficulties.Practitioners can help <strong>guide</strong>children’s learning throughquestioning, modelling andsupport. It’s also importantfor staff <strong>to</strong> recognisechildren’s competence withICT at home, and not <strong>to</strong>make assumptions aboutclass and experience withtechnology.Teachers make this sort oflearning real for childrenwhen they deploy itthemselves, for instance byusing digital pho<strong>to</strong>graphyand video <strong>to</strong> documentpupils’ development.Researchers found thatyoung children weredeveloping technicalcompetence – the ability <strong>to</strong>switch items off and on, andconduct other operations –and cultural competence –an understanding of ICT’ssocial roles and an ability <strong>to</strong>use it for communication,self-expression or entertainment.They found that ICTwas being used at home <strong>to</strong>support early literacy andnumeracy, communicationand musical skills, and alsohad a role <strong>to</strong> play in helpingchildren learn how <strong>to</strong> learn.Interplay: Play, learning and ICTin pre-school education is atwww.tlrp.org/proj/phase111/Scot _extc.html

26 POLICYHow are policy-makers using TLRP findings? Diane Hofkins investigatesThere would be no pointin spending millions oneducational <strong>research</strong> if thefindings did no more thanappear in learned journalswritten in language onlyunders<strong>to</strong>od by academics.Fortunately, a foundation principle ofTLRP has been <strong>to</strong> engage withpractitioners and policy-makersthroughout the <strong>research</strong> process. Thepayoff is that the work of the TLRP is nowhaving an influence across the UK andeven abroad, through the schools it hasworked with, their local authorities andnational agencies and governments.In England, much, though not all,government policy has come <strong>in<strong>to</strong></strong>alignment with the principles underlyingTLRP projects. For instance, “pupil voice”is now a requirement in every schoolunder the Every Child Matters agenda,and the pupil consultation projects help<strong>to</strong> indicate ways <strong>to</strong> make it genuine. ThePrimary and Secondary NationalStrategies, the Qualifications andCurriculum Authority, the NationalCollege for School Leadership and theGilbert Review, 2020 Vision, have all madeuse of the findings.Pete Dudley, a <strong>research</strong> trainee fellowwith the TLRP, is direc<strong>to</strong>r of the PrimaryNational Strategy. “One of the areas ofdevelopment in the coming year will bemaths and assessment for learning,”he says. The programme’s primarymaths projects will be influencingthat work, and they will bestudying the Learning How <strong>to</strong>Learn findings “<strong>to</strong> understandthe kind of teacher learning thatmakes a difference in classrooms”.The strategies are also looking atTLRP findings on groupwork,and the new Primary Framework,published in 2006, incorporatesinformation on assessment forlearning from the LHTL work.Meanwhile, his own <strong>research</strong>study, using “<strong>research</strong>lessons” <strong>to</strong> helpimprove teaching, isbeing taken onboard by the NCSL.Teachers work<strong>to</strong>gether <strong>to</strong> identifya point forimprovement inteaching, pinpoint amultiple of threechildren in the class“We were directlytesting<strong>research</strong>findings right<strong>in<strong>to</strong></strong> thedevelopmen<strong>to</strong>f policy”of differing abilities and plan the lessonaround the anticipated responses of thosechildren. One then teaches while anotherobserves the selected pupils, after whichthe teachers compare the actualresponses with what they expected.In Northern Ireland, “we had a superbdirect link between <strong>research</strong> and policy”,says Carmel Gallagher, developmentmanager for curriculum assessment at theCouncil for Curriculum, Examinationsand Assessment (soon <strong>to</strong> become theEducation and Skills Authority).“Professor Carol McGuinness (direc<strong>to</strong>r ofACTS II, Sustainable ThinkingClassrooms) had thirty per cent of hertime seconded <strong>to</strong> our curriculumdevelopment team for three years, so wewere directly testing the <strong>research</strong>findings right <strong>in<strong>to</strong></strong> the development ofpolicy.” She worked directly withCCEA on embedding thinkingskills from ages four <strong>to</strong> 16. Inaddition, LHTL findings havehelped form NorthernIreland’s forward-lookingassessment for learning policies.TLRP <strong>research</strong>ers in Scotland havebeen invited by the Scottish ExecutiveEducation Department and Her Majesty’sInspec<strong>to</strong>rate for Education’s Learningand Teaching Forum <strong>to</strong> provide briefingson peer learning and collaborative groupwork.“There is no doubt that the ideasexpressed in the documentationsurrounding the curriculum review 3-18taking place in Scotland at present, ‘ACurriculum for Excellence’ are consistentwith TLRP <strong>research</strong> messages”, saysProfessor Donald Christie of StrathclydeUniversity. “The emphasis is clearlyshifting from content of the curriculum<strong>to</strong>wards processes of learning andteaching, with elements such as pupilvoice, inclusion and leaning <strong>to</strong> learnfiguring strongly in the declaredintentions of ACfE, which are<strong>to</strong> help all Scottish childrenbecome ‘successful learners,confident individuals,effective contribu<strong>to</strong>rs andresponsible citizens’.”In Wales a curriculum andassessment officer at theDepartment for Education,Lifelong Learning and Skills,says the TLRP’s <strong>evidence</strong>informedprinciples ofeffective teaching andlearning have fed <strong>in<strong>to</strong></strong> thedevelopment of the newcurriculum.“Our programme ondeveloping thinkingand assessment forlearning has drawnheavily on the TLRPprojects LearningHow <strong>to</strong> Learn andSustainable ThinkingClassrooms.Professors Mary Jamesand Carol McGuinnessare members of oursteering group andhave made importantcontributions <strong>to</strong> thework.”Other projects arealso contributing <strong>to</strong> newthinking, for instance, onscience education, spellingin key stage 2, how teacherscan best use new technology andon home-school liaison at primarysecondarytransfer.

New opportunities, new challengesThe present trend of education policy, taken as a whole, is awayfrom central prescription and <strong>to</strong>wards a more trusting approach<strong>to</strong> the teaching profession.England In England, the recent emphasis on ‘personalisedlearning’ in schools affirms the centrality of teaching andlearning processes, and the Department for Education and Skills seeks<strong>to</strong> maintain this priority through the National Strategies and initiativessuch as Every Child Matters. A recent review of teaching and learningin the future, 2020 Vision, has affirmed the importance of pupilconsultation, learning how <strong>to</strong> learn and assessment for learning.Scotland In Scotland, the new Curriculum for Excellence is intended<strong>to</strong> produce a de-cluttered 3-18 curriculum with more space forresponsive teaching and learning. Consistent with Scotland’s NationalPriorities, the provision is intended <strong>to</strong> be both more challenging andmore enjoyable for pupils.Wales In Wales, teaching and learning issues were prioritised byThe Learning Country and are being developed through Aiming forExcellence, a programme of guidance and support for schools, as well asthrough other initiatives. Assessment reform <strong>to</strong> ensure that it directlysupports learning is well advanced and a National Pedagogy initiativehas been launched <strong>to</strong> affirm and spread good <strong>practice</strong>.Northern Ireland Northern Ireland’s Curriculum Review againproposes <strong>to</strong> reduce statu<strong>to</strong>ry prescription, building on newunderstandings of how children learn, and is intended <strong>to</strong> make it easierfor teachers <strong>to</strong> respond <strong>to</strong> specific pupil needs.However, both policy and <strong>practice</strong> are now expected <strong>to</strong> be informed bythe best available <strong>research</strong> <strong>evidence</strong> on how <strong>to</strong> improve teaching andlearning. This is where TLRP’s findings should help <strong>to</strong> inform keyjudgements.The Teaching and Learning Research Programme is the largesteducational <strong>research</strong> programme ever mounted in the UK. Starting in2000, 22 school-focused development and <strong>research</strong> projects have beenfunded. The findings now emerging from these projects have helpedTLRP <strong>to</strong> identify 10 general, <strong>evidence</strong>-informed educational principleswhich we believe <strong>to</strong> be of particular significance in achieving highquality teaching and learning. These principles, which feature in this<strong>guide</strong>, also have implications for national and local policy and for themany agencies who mediate between policymakers, <strong>research</strong>ers andteachers.We hope that this Teacher’s Guide <strong>to</strong> TLRP’s findings, <strong>Principles</strong> <strong>in<strong>to</strong></strong>Practice, <strong>to</strong>gether with the associated DVD and all the supplementaryweb-resources and publications of the Programme, will be helpful <strong>to</strong>you in rising <strong>to</strong> these challenges both <strong>to</strong>day and in the future.More information onTLRP projectsResearch BriefingsSummaries of eachof the major projects’findings:http://www.tlrp.org/pub/<strong>research</strong>.htmlBooksImproving Learningand ImprovingPractice series.These provideaccessible overviewsof the work of eachproject:www.routledge.comWebsitesEach project:http://www.tlrp.org/proj/expand.htmlPractitionerApplicationsThese offerclassroom activitiesbased on TLRP projectfindings:http://www.tlrp.org/search/pa/CommentariesThese relate <strong>to</strong>contemporary issues.Download from:http://www.tlrp.org/pub/commentaries.htmlTLRP’s website Offerssophisticated searchfacilities leading<strong>to</strong> more advancedacademic materials:http://www.tlrp.org/search/ContactTLRPInstitute of Education20 Bedford WayLondonWC1H 0ALTel: +44 (0)20 79115577Email: tlrp@ioe.ac.ukWeb: www.tlrp.orgwww.tlrp.org