Evidence-based teaching: advancing capability and capacity for enquiry in schoolsCase Study

April 2017

Hayley Herbertson

Harton Teaching School Alliance

ContentsExecutive Summary 3

Introduction 5

Context 5

Literature Review 5

Background to our Initiative 6

Project Aim 7

Project Participants 8

Data Collection Methods 8

Method 9

Analysis of Teacher Data 10

Conclusion 11

What have I learnt? 11

Key Learning Points 11

Key Successes 12

Key Challenges 13

Future Recommendations 13

Appendix 1 – Invitation to partner schools 14

Appendix 2 – 8 Research Projects 15

2

Executive SummaryThis report synthesises the findings about staff engagement with Evidence-Based Research and the need to create more ‘Research-Focused’ Teaching School Alliances.

Establishing a more ‘Research-Focused Alliance’The main purpose of this educational research project was to explore how teachers engage with the process of educational research, their perception of potential barriers when engaging with educational research and considering how findings can then be disseminated across various educational organisations.

The overall aim of this research project was to create a more ‘research focused’ alliance that encourages staff to:

Evaluate the use of joint practice development as a tool to engage in evidence-based teaching.

Share findings with other colleagues so that evidence-based teaching becomes sustainable and embedded within the Teaching and Learning community of the alliance.

Although this report identifies that the use of educational research to inform and improve practice is in its infancy, it also suggests that there is recognition within the profession of its potential to become embedded, sustainable and to improve educational outcomes. The debate about the need for an evidence-informed teaching profession is not new. David Hargreaves’ lecture to the Teacher Training Agency in 1996 is considered to be fundamental in creating an awareness of why there is a need for teachers to engage with the process of educational research and why evidence-based teaching is fundamental in moving the teaching profession forward (this is sometimes referred to as knowledge mobilisation). This debate about engaging with educational research has been strengthened following the publication of Ben Goldacre’s paper: Building Evidence into Education (Goldacre, 2013).

Gathering support from teachers is one of the most important considerations when encouraging the staff to actively engage with educational research and share their findings with other colleagues so that evidence-based teaching becomes sustainable and embedded within the Teaching and Learning community. Educational research is meaningless if it is kept in the isolated environment of a single classroom. In order that the research process becomes embedded, it is important that ‘the people on the ground’ (i.e. the teachers) are engaged with the process and that they are able to take ownership of the research process.

3

The findings from this report provide some starting points (techniques, approaches and strategies) for developing a research-engaged culture within schools. The study also highlights challenges, for example that the enthusiasm for research engagement within schools is by no means universal. There is therefore a need for a systematic approach that allows teachers to act on robust evidence when appropriate or contribute to teacher-led enquiry, each in their appropriate place. One of the greatest challenges when establishing a more research-focused alliance is creating the time and space so that teachers are able to engage with the educational research process.

Project ParticipantsWe are a Teaching School Alliance based within the North East of England and as an alliance we are fully committed (with a designated R&D Lead) to engaging with the process of evidence-based teaching to enhance the teaching and learning process. A team of ten Research Practice Partners was established (from both primary and secondary schools) and, led by a Specialist Leader of Education (SLE) and/or a Lead Practitioner, eight evidence-based teaching projects have been implemented. Although within the alliance some staff are involved with the educational research process, much of their findings are not routinely shared across the alliance so as part of this project we hoped to establish a more research-focused alliance which would enable staff to routinely carry out evidence-based research; share findings; evaluate impact and embed this into

their practice.

4

IntroductionThis report aims to outline how Evidence-Based Teaching has been implemented within our Teaching School Alliance. Burns and Schuller (2007) consider that all ‘professional practices such as education should be based upon or at least be informed by evidence’ As a Teaching School we are passionate about creating a culture of research that has a real impact on learning and that enables staff to develop both the capability and capacity to engage with this process. Goldacre (2013) identifies that ‘by collecting better evidence about what works best, and establishing a culture where this evidence is used as a matter of routine, we can improve outcomes for children, and increase professional independence.’

Context

As a Teaching School Alliance we are made up of 40 schools (19 Primary schools, 21 secondary schools) and two universities, all of which are based within the North East of England. As an alliance we are fully committed (with a designated R&D Lead) to using evidence-based teaching to enhance the teaching and learning process. We are aware that ‘evidence-based practice isn’t about telling teachers what to do: in fact, quite the opposite’ Goldacre (2013). In response to this, our Teaching School believes in establishing a collaborative and flexible approach to embed research across our alliance. Teachers from the lead Teaching School engage routinely with educational research and the CPD programme is designed around the Kolb Learning Cycle. This challenges thinking and develops knowledge to consistently improve standards and outcomes for all pupils to help ‘narrow the gap’ in attainment. Although within the alliance some staff are engaged with the research process, much of their research and findings are not routinely shared across the alliance, so as part of this project we aim to create a partnership between teachers, schools and other organisations (such as universities) to work together ‘through effective interaction and collaboration between teaching professionals and researchers, and/or via intermediary organisations’ Nelson & O’Beirne (2014) towards a shared ethos and improve practice for the benefit of all students.

Literature Review

There is now a shift within the educational world to think differently, with schools wanting to have a more thorough understanding of what is effective, rather than relying on instinct or assumption. Too often education research is ‘ideologically driven’ Hendrick (2014) and ‘a problematic concept’ Stenhouse (1981). Researching what happens in the classroom can be very difficult, because there are so many variable factors and so many different ways in which the outcomes can be assessed or quantified. Although there is much enthusiasm for conducting educational research in some parts of teaching, much of this enthusiasm decreases before it gets to do any good. One of the reasons for this is because the ‘basic structures needed to support evidence-based practice are lacking’ Goldacre (2013). It is hoped that by creating a more research focused alliance staff will be encouraged to make the use of evidence part of their everyday life and share their

5

findings to support their colleagues. Kincheloe (2012) argues ‘that only by engaging in complex, critical research will teachers rediscover their professional status, empower their practice in the classroom and improve the quality of education for their pupils.’ There is a vision for Teaching Schools to become ‘a kind of laboratory’ Hendrick (2014) with the alliance testing out ideas and creating its own research.

Ebbutt (2006) identifies that schools can be categorised as being in one of three groups when creating a research focused alliance. Schools could belong to the ‘emergent research culture’ where a small amount of research is carried out, they could be described as being a school that has a culture of ‘embedded’ research or even ‘established-embedded’ research (the next stages in developing a research-focused alliance.) If teachers are supported and encouraged to take an active role in the process of educational research then an ‘established-embedded’ school will quickly be created. In order that teachers embrace the use of educational research and positively engage within this process (creating an ‘established-embedded’ research centre) it is suggested that they should be given time to work together and support each other when addressing the possible problems that arise when participating in the process of education research within an educational setting Wenger et al. (2002). It is suggested that by providing teachers with time and opportunity to understand and embrace education research (either by becoming the researcher and conducting a research project or by evaluating existing education research) their enthusiasm will grow, encouraging fellow colleagues to participate in this process Goldacre (2013).

From reviewing the literature it became apparent that, in order to allow staff to build both the capacity and capability to confidently carry out research and or evaluate existing research claims, ‘ownership’ and ‘support’ would be crucial to ensure that staff remain engaged throughout the process. With this in mind a cross-curricular / cross-phrase Research and Development working party was established, Goodnough (2008) describes this idea as ‘cultivating communities of practice’.

Background to our Initiative

The BERA-RSA inquiry into research and teacher education concluded that that the UK ‘lacks a coherent plan for teacher research and development.’ The report goes on to say that teachers’ experience of professional development in most parts of the UK is ‘fragmented’ and ‘insufficiently informed by research.’ With this in mind we (as an alliance) have been described as having an ‘emergent research culture’ Ebbutt (2006). Small scale research projects are continually carried out by individual teachers within individual schools. However, the results of this research often remain unread, so, as a consequence have little or no impact upon both teaching practice and student learning across the alliance. The challenges we face are ‘how do we establish a more research-focused alliance?’ and ‘how do we not only engage more staff (from across the alliance) with the process of educational research, but also routinely share findings to enhance good practice that has an impact on learning across the alliance?’

6

From the beginning, this project was designed to not only create a more research-focused alliance but also create a more research-friendly environment and to break down barriers to carrying out and using educational research routinely within a school setting. Our aim was to create a partnership between schools to work towards a shared ethos and improve practice for the benefit of all students. The hope was to encourage staff to willingly engage in the education research process and evaluate its effectiveness. With this in mind and using evidence-based teaching as the focus staff from across the alliance were invited to join a R&D working party (see appendix 1). The invitation created a sense of interest and staff who responded were invited to an initial meeting so that they could find out more.

Project Aim

Our project sought to create a more research-focused alliance by establishing ‘Research Practice Partners’ (RPP) across our alliance (including staff who were already experienced in undertaking educational research and staff who had little or no experience when working with education research). We aimed to create the ‘3 Rs Model’ (please see figure 1) which would enable staff to routinely carry out evidence-based research; engage with joint practice development; share findings; evaluate impact and embed this into their practice. We hope to share any findings by creating an ‘R&D Journal’ (to summarise each research project) which is to be shared with Leadership Teams from partner schools within the alliance.

7

Staff review and evaluate the impact that their work has had on learning.

Evidence-based research recognised.

Staff share their findings (based on evidence) and resources with colleagues.

Staff to demonstrate how their practice has been developed and identify how their theme could be adapted and applied to other curriculum areas.

SLE will lead R&D groups (based upon an EEF theme.) Groups identify key issues, engage with JPD, carry out research,

collect evidence, clarify their understanding by identifying the key points of their research.

Resources developed. Staff involved will reuse techniques/material to embed this into their

practice.

Results

Recycle

Research

Figure 1: The 3Rs Model

The overall aim of this project was to create a more ‘research-focused’ alliance that encourages staff to:

Develop a clear understanding of effective pedagogy as a result of Joint Practice Development (JPD) to enhance their teaching practice further through observing and reviewing teaching practice.

Share findings with other colleagues so that evidence-based teaching becomes sustainable and embedded within the Teaching and Learning community of the alliance.

Project Participants

A team of ten Research Practice Partners (RPP) has been established (from both primary and secondary schools within our alliance) and, led by a Specialist Leader of Education (SLE) and/or a Lead Practitioner, eight evidence-based teaching projects have been identified and linked to themes from previous research conducted by the Educational Endowment Fund (EEF). A summary of the eight projects are summarised in appendix two.

In order to support staff capability and capacity to engage with evidence-based research confidently, the ten RPP attended three R&D workshops. The first workshop (in November 2014) was delivered by a Lead Educational Researcher from a neighbouring Teaching School, focused on the theme of ‘What is Practitioner Enquiry and why is it important’ As part of this workshop, staff were introduced to the idea of educational research, why it is important and the different approaches/methodologies that can be used. The second workshop (in January 2015) had the focus of how to lead staff through a mid-point review and input on data collection. The final workshop (in April 2015) was focused on encouraging staff to review and reflect upon their research and how to disseminate findings to ensure that the projects have an impact across the alliance. As a result of this, it has been decided that an Alliance Research Journal will be created to inform fellow colleagues about the research.

Data Collection Methods

In order to measure the effectiveness of staff engagement in evidence-based research, pre and post-project questionnaires were completed by the 10 RPPs. The aim of this questionnaire was to establish a baseline about the use of research for individuals and assessing levels of confidence and knowledge when engaging with the research process. In addition to this, both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods were used across all eight projects. These methods have varied depending on and reflective of the needs of each project.

8

MethodHow is information / evidence to be collected?

Information about the use of evidence-based teaching has been and is being collected from the staff involved through the use of questionnaires. All participants have completed a pre and post-project questionnaire, where they had to scale their use of routinely carrying out educational research within their teaching practice. Staff have not only scaled their use but they have had to support their ‘scaling’ with a comment to explain their thinking about the ‘mark’ awarded. Staff have then reviewed this questionnaire and assessed each aspect again to identify if their practice of using education based research has developed further. By asking staff to complete the pre-project questionnaire a baseline of understanding was quickly established.

Participants were encouraged to create an Action Plan to summarise their objectives, action points, expected impact and a time scale for each objective. Staff can record specific details throughout this process which enables anecdotal information to be collected (figure 2 highlights part of a completed Action Plan).

Figure 2: Action Plan Exemplar

The main strength of using the pre and post-questionnaire was to encourage staff to reflect on the use of educational research within the classroom and encourage them to link existing evidence to their practice. The questionnaire uses a number format for staff to record their responses and the benefit of using this is to enable numerical data to be collected as well as anecdotal information. However, there are some limitations with this method as it is not collecting ‘hard’ data that can be easily analysed.

9

There has been an increase in cross school collaboration through the use of the cross curricular meetings (where the focus is on Research and Development) that have taken place. These meetings have enabled all the participants to share their findings, consider their next steps and consider how any findings could be developed further.

A variety of both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods (depending on and reflective of the needs of each project) were used by the 10 RPPs across all eight evidence-based research projects. As mentioned in section one, each data collection method is summarised in appendix 2.

Analysis of Teacher Data It was apparent from reviewing staff responses to the pre and post-questionnaire and comments made at the cross curricular meetings that staff had benefited from participating in the educational research process. It was interesting from listening to staff discussions that many now feel they have a deeper understanding of the use, value and purpose of education research. 100% of the participants indicated the use of education research had increased within their teaching and as part of their job. One participant indicated that at the start of this process they graded their use of research as 4 out of 10 as they “occasionally carried out independent research.” However, when reviewing their postquestionnaire, the same staff member had increased their grading to a 9 as there is a need to “allow ideas to settle and be fully implemented before initiating new ideas and creating further change.”

Teacher responses have all been very positive. One participant commented that they had “enjoyed the trial” and because “it has proven very successful” they were “more inclined to want to carry out research more often.” Another participant commented that by being engaged with research, their teaching practice would not become “stagnant” and that they can now see “how research can impact positively on my students.” Further to this, another participant commented that “as much as I feel this research journey has helped me develop professionally, the most attractive part of the project was to demonstrate that a research-based approach to lesson planning and approaches had a positive impact for students. Finding out what engages children with a particular subject is no exact science and using research allows for fresh ideas and innovative approaches that ensure lessons are not only engaging but are fun and exciting too.” Overall, staff engagement with the research process has had a positive impact on both teaching practice as well as student learning. Colleagues from the alliance (who have not been involved in this process) have commented that they feel that a more research-centred alliance is starting to develop. So if engaging in evidence-based teaching is to function effectively and at a high level, then it needs to be collaborative and changeable. By ensuring that it is collaborative everyone will feel that they have a responsibility to engage with educational literature and carry out any research to a high standard.

10

ConclusionThe growth of Teaching School Alliances and increasing numbers of collaborative partnerships that exist within the world of education have created the potential for greater collaboration and implementation of education research that improves the outcomes for all learners. The main purpose of this research project was to explore how teachers engage with the process of educational research, what they feel are some of the potential barriers when engaging with this process are and considering how findings can be shared across various educational organisations. The overall aim of this research project was to create a more ‘research-focused’ alliance that encouraged staff to work collaboratively and share findings with other colleagues so that evidence-based teaching would become sustainable and embedded within the Teaching and Learning community of our alliance.

What have I learnt?Evidence-based teaching is considered to have the potential to transform the world of education, gaining the support from teachers (from different key stages and curriculum areas) is key when encouraging the active implementation and sharing of evidence based teaching. Educational research and innovation are meaningless if kept in the isolated environment of a single classroom or within one school. Hattie discusses that if teachers work collaboratively to gather evidence of student learning and follow this up by analysing the evidence gathered, then the subsequent impact for learners can be significant. In order that the research process becomes embedded it is important that ‘the people on the ground’ (i.e. the teachers) feel supported throughout the research process and that they have access to high quality research. It is essential that teachers need to be driving the research agenda by identifying questions that need to be answered and methods that can be used.

Key Learning Points This project has done exactly what it set out to do: it has explored approaches to engaging with educational research and investigating how we can create a research-focused alliance. The results of the exploration have demonstrated that, even when the most research-engaged teachers are involved, approaches to evidence-informed education are at their inception. There is a considerable way to go before the majority of teachers underpin practice with evidence. Currently the use of research evidence is patchy and dependent on individuals’ enthusiasm.

As an active participant in the use of evidence-based teaching, I feel that one of the main ways to ensure that the use of educational research becomes routine is to allow teachers to take the lead in initiating its use to create a sense of ownership. So if engaging in evidence-based teaching is to function effectively and at a high level, then it needs to be

11

collaborative and changeable. By ensuring that it is collaborative everyone will feel that they have a responsibility to engage with educational literature and carry out research to a high standard. Using and sharing evidence-based practice saves time, creates focus, provides opportunities for professional learning and collaboration and ultimately leads to better outcomes for learners. Schools (particularly teachers) no longer have to work in isolation; they now have opportunities through the wealth of professional networks and collaborations to work creatively to embed strategies based on high quality educational research. Systems can only improve if we embrace this brave new world and create a profession which is reflective, re-energised and makes a difference to all students.

Key Successes Staff who have participated in this project were all asked to complete a post-questionnaire to review the current use of evidence-based teaching, the barriers that they face and the benefits (for both teachers and students) of engaging in educational research.

All participants identified that by having the time to engage with educational research has allowed them to feel empowered and confident to share their findings with colleagues, not only from their own curriculum area, but with colleagues from across the school as well as the alliance. One participant commented that “one of the benefits of engaging in research is that it creates a platform for analysing the effectiveness of various methods/techniques for improving pupil progress.” Another participant commented that ‘the benefits of engaging in research is being able to lead your own research and finding out what works in your school for your children, this way you can adapt and make changes where necessary before sharing your findings with others.’ One of the most interesting comments provided by all the participants was that ‘staff need to use educational research / findings to simplify, streamline and increase efficiency of work to ease staff workloads at the same time as ensuring that student learning is always at forefront of a teacher’s agenda.’ Another participant has described that ‘although this research journey has helped me to develop professionally, the most attractive part of the project was to demonstrate that a research-based approach to lesson planning had a positive impact for students. Finding out what engages children with a particular subject is no exact science and using research allows for fresh ideas and innovative approaches that ensure lessons are not only engaging but are fun and exciting too.’

In summary, staff involved with this project felt that by using evidence-based teaching as a tool to encourage more teachers to engage with the educational research process then three simple steps must be considered:

1. Research and findings must be simple.

2. Colleagues should be encouraged to take risks and experiment.

12

3. Where possible, students should take an active role with the research process, in other words they could be involved as co-researchers.

Key ChallengesOften, a resistance to change acts as a barrier in itself and this is made worse by a lack of resilience which is evident when attitudes to failure mean people are reluctant to continue with a research-based approach, instead preferring to stick with the status quo. Time is another barrier, with many practitioners considering themselves too busy to attribute sufficient time to research.

One of the greatest challenges faced during this project was how to disseminate research findings to help create a more ‘research-focused’ alliance. In other words how could staff feel rewarded for their work, be prepared to continue with their role as a RRP and ultimately encourage more colleagues to participate in the process of educational research. Findings have been disseminated by all participants at termly research meetings where all participants have been invited to describe their individual project, share their research methods, their findings and discuss the next steps for their project. From each meeting staff were then encouraged to report back to their schools and curriculum areas about each project. But how could we ensure that all schools from across the alliance were made aware of the benefits and findings of each individual report - especially when each school from across the alliance did not have a member of staff involved with the research project? It was decided that a research and development learning journal would be produced and shared will all senior management teams from all schools within the alliance. As part of this journal each group participant would create a summary of their project to highlight aims, methods used and overall findings. It is hoped that this research and development journal with be the key document that will raise staff awareness of evidence-based teaching, help to disseminate any research findings across the alliance and in turn create a more research-focused alliance.

Future Recommendations Research shows that evidence-based teaching strategies are likely to have one of the largest impact on student results. However, for this to be consistent across an alliance, time needs to be devoted to the research agenda and staff need to be trained in what evidence-based teaching is and the research methods that could be used as part of this process. It is essential that a network for experience-sharing is created so that staff (across the alliance) are aware of research that is taking place and the impact that this is having on student learning.

13

Appendix 1 – Invitation to partner schoolsInvitation to partner schools

14

Appendix 2 – 8 Research Projects The 8 research projects conducted across the Alliance

Project

Project Context Questions Asked Research Methods to be Used

1 Assessment for Learning

Feedback strategies (marking)

How can marking be made more manageable yet achieve higher impact on student assessments

How can we address volume, duplication, bureaucracy and detail of marking to reduce teacher workload but increase effectiveness on student assessments?

Does frequency of marking impact on progress?

How important to students is regular marking?

Student opinion/attitudinal surveys at start and end of project

Staff opinion/attitudinal surveys at start and end of project

Student baseline questionnaires at start of project

Students baseline assessments Staff verbal feedback at end of project Student end of project questionnaires End of project student assessments

2 Aesthetic feedback through videos for Year 8 PE – assessing impact on pupil progress

How effective is digital technology in providing feedback which engages learners and accelerates progress?

- Will digital feedback by video to control group of students accelerate progress at higher rate than those receiving more traditional feedback?

Baseline observation/video of students Student and staff verbal feedback End of project observation/feedback

3 Teaching through metacognition

- Developing higher order thinking skills in Year 10 Science students (A* A) to raise achievement

Will deepening understanding of student improve abilities to effectively apply knowledge to problem solving and raise achievement and results?

How does evaluating own learning impact on student progress?

Which methods are most effective in teaching learners to self-regulate?

Existing teacher assessments of target students

Predicted grades Student and staff surveys A Level results of target group compared

to predictions at start of project

4 Improving progress in reading age and well-being through extended sports participation

Will increased participation in regular exercise before school impact positively on student reading ages, attitude to school and social and cultural well-being?

How can impact on progress in the classroom be measured?

Importance of planning sessions which are structured with clear outcomes

How to evidence progress in the sport?

latest available reading ages Staff verbal feedback through student

observations at start and end of project Student attitudinal survey at start and end

of project

5 “Aspirations” - how can providing background knowledge support achievement of student aspirations in Maths, Science, English through feedback methods.

Will different form of feedback raise student aspiration and motivate students to achieve?

Can raising aspiration be accredited to any learning gains which result?

Existing teacher assessments and predictions

Re testing of students at end of project Attitudinal surveys from students at start

and end of project

15

How can progress of low ability classes be accelerated?

6 Can characters be used within the primary classroom 94-7 years) to improve children’s awareness and use of punctuation within their independent writing,

to engage and motivate students into using punctuation independently and embed in daily writing tasks to raise standards

How do we ensure a high quality intervention by all participating staff?

How do we ensure consistency is assessment of impact across implementation teams?

Baseline teacher assessments (spelling grammar and punctuation)

Independent writing tasks End of year teacher assessments (spelling

grammar and punctuation) Verbal feedback from staff and students Work sampling Written staff feedback

7 Impact on student achievement of SLT mentoring for students at risk of not achieving 5A* - C including English and Maths at GCSE Level

Is there an impact of mentoring target students in the final 6 months of Year 11 on GCSE results?

Is mentoring a worthwhile intervention strategy for students identified as being at risk of not achieving 5 A* - C including English and Maths

Is mentoring worth focusing on for as a successful additional strategy?

What training and support do mentors need to ensure quality, consistent mentoring?

How do we ensure any benefit is sustained beyond mentoring?

How do we avoid mentor drop out?

Student opinion/attitudinal surveys Staff opinion/attitudinal surveys Verbal feedback from students and staff Predicted grades Existing student assessments

8 Investigating the effective delivery of intervention by support staff to support development of mathematical basic skills

How do we ensure a high quality intervention by all participating staff?

How do we ensure consistency is assessment of impact across implementation teams?

What training will support staff need to implement the intervention effectively?

Baseline data on students ability to use number bonds and recognise and understand place value

Similar data collected midway and at end of project

Comparative data for non-intervention group of students

Student testing for both raw skills, factual memory and application to problem solving

Staff verbal feedback

16

Crown copyright 2017

The views expressed in this report are the authors’ and do not necessarily reflect those of the Department for Education.

Any enquiries regarding this publication should be sent to us at: college.research@education.gov.uk or www.education.gov.uk/contactus

17