Key strategies for planning for challenge For further school friendly resources visit www.curee.co.uk

Key issues addressed by the study This study explored the extent to which students are challenged in their work the most effective strategies for promoting challenge teachers’ perceptions about challenging students

The key elements of the study This study included a survey which found out about students’ perceptions about challenge a literature review which looked at the evidence for constructing challenge in the curriculum focus groups where teachers discussed their experiences of constructing challenge

The survey: students’ experience of challenge A significant proportion of students felt that they were under-challenged in their school work from 2008-2010. In 2008, 31% of secondary students said that lessons were not too difficult for them. By 2010, this had risen to 58%. However, 16% were finding lessons too easy. There was some correlation between students finding lessons hard and their (self-reported) attainment level. So those reporting a higher attainment level were less likely to say that they found lessons too difficult.

The literature review: promoting challenge A number of strategies were found to be effective for promoting challenge These were teachers using strategies such as collaborative enquiry and problem solving encouraging students to take responsibility for their learning building on students’ starting points

The literature review: collaboration and enquiry Using collaborative enquiry and problem solving was found to be effective for promoting challenge This involved establishing areas of the curriculum that can be explored with investigation changing students perceptions of learning from being about receiving knowledge to investigating issues developing students’ group work and thinking skills For example, teachers encouraged students to generate their own questions and enquiries in science lessons. They discussed their ideas with their peers and used a computerised database to help them with their investigations.

The literature review: taking responsibility Encouraging students to take responsibility for their learning was found to be effective for promoting challenge This involved teachers taking a more facilitative role planning tasks that revealed the points at which it was possible to step back and let students work independently

The literature review: students’ starting points An effective way of promoting challenge was building on students’ starting points which involved finding out what students knew and could do already by using diagnostic tasks designing tasks and resources that built on this For example, teachers used a test to find out about students’ understanding of a concept in algebra. They then provoked ‘cognitive conflict’ by asking the students to do the same task using a different method. The teachers helped the students resolve the ‘conflict’ by organising group discussion of the new concepts and methods.

The focus groups: teachers’ experiences of planning for challenge The teachers identified a number of issues in planning for challenge These included the difficulties in identifying students’ starting points concerns about over-challenging students knowing when to step- back

The focus groups: identifying students’ starting points The teachers thought that identifying students’ starting points could be difficult because of a lack of time to listen to students’ explanations in depth observe students carrying out activities

The focus groups: strategies for identifying starting points The teachers suggested a number of strategies which could support the identification of students’ starting points These included refraining from doing most of the talking asking probing questions planning structured written tasks that ask students to record what they already know developing students’ skills so that they can work independently whilst the teacher carries out observation

The focus groups: over challenging students The teachers thought that over challenge could result in the students: losing confidence and self-esteem becoming disinterested behaving disruptively developing misconceptions particularly in mathematics and science

The focus groups: strategies for overcoming the risk of over-challenge The teachers suggested a number of strategies which could help reduce the risks of over-challenge These included developing an ethos where it is ‘okay’ to be stuck or ‘fail’ at a task initially building up a relationship of trust by being upfront about the nature of the challenge stepping the challenge so that it gets progressively more difficult

The focus groups: stepping back The teachers thought that knowing when to step-back could be difficult because it was hard to let go there was a lack of time to help students develop the independent learning skills that they needed the students might develop misconceptions

The focus groups: strategies for stepping back The teachers suggested a number of strategies for stepping back These included helping students develop independent learning skills explaining to students that they were expected to work things out for themselves structuring tasks so that the learning was scaffolded and students were not completely left to their own devices in the early stages

What was the size of the study? The surveys involved over 2000 students from over 60 schools in 2008 and 2009, and over 8,000 students from over 100 schools in 2010 The literature review involved consideration of 7000 studies from which 45 studies were identified in-depth data extraction 52 teachers from across England took part in the focus groups and included teachers with a primary and secondary background who had responsibilities for mathematics, English or science

How was the information gathered? Three online surveys of students were carried out over consecutive years A review of research into how teachers construct challenge was carried out for which 45 studies were systematically identified and synthesised 6 focus groups were held with teachers to explore the findings from the review First

How can teachers use the evidence in this study? Encouraging students to take responsibility for their learning was found to be effective for promoting challenge which involved helping students to develop independent learning skills You might like to discuss with a colleague how you have you made these skills explicit to students. Which skills do you think your students particularly need to develop? Which skills do your students think they need to develop?

How can school leaders use the evidence in this study? A significant proportion of students felt that they were underchallenged To what extent do the students in your school feel challenged? You might want to work with your leadership group to design a questionnaire or classroom activity which will help you gather this information or use the one CUREE developed for this research Teachers found it difficult to step-back and let students take responsibility for their learning Could you provide opportunities for staff to discuss strategies for stepping back? How could you support staff in using these strategies?

References CUREE (2010) QCDA Building the evidence base-Constructing challenge in the curriculum: teachers’ views of the difficulties and risks involved and ways of overcoming them (unpublished report) CUREE (2010) QCDA Building the evidence base student data- final report (unpublished report) CUREE (2009) QCDA Building the evidence base – challenge review report Coventry: CUREE. Available here http://www.curee.co.uk/our-projects/qcda-building-evidence-base