Learning how to Learn Learning how to Learn A project of the ESRC Teaching and Learning Research Programme Four Universities Six LEAS 43 Schools About 20 HE-based Staff Hundreds of Teachers, Thousands of Children Running from Builds on prior work: –Black and Wiliam (1998) –KMOFAP –Assessment Reform Group –School Improvement and Leadership/Leadership for Learning

Learning how to Learn The Project Focus: Formative Assessment Children need to know: –Where they are –Where they are going –How to get there Black and Wiliam identify four areas of classroom practice: –Questions –Sharing criteria –Providing criterion-referenced feedback –Promoting peer- and self-assessment But there is evidence of broader ‘formative culture’ in schools which goes beyond classroom practice.

Learning how to Learn Project Overview Three Levels – each with a key research question: Classroom Level (King's College London) –What can teachers do to help children learn how to learn? School Level (Cambridge) –What characterises the school that successfully manages how teachers create the knowledge and skills of learning how to learn for both teachers and pupils? Network Level (Reading/OU) –How can the knowledge and skills of learning how to learn effectively transferred within educational networks?

Learning how to Learn Research and Development Researching Development A Design Experiment? From the School Perspective: –Project makes initial input and offers support –Schools develop project strategies, ‘dovetailing’ with other priorities and developments –Schools, LEAS and Networks are research sites Parallel Projects: M.A/M.Ed., M.Phil./Ph.D. Projects, LEA Work, Networked Learning Communities, Research Lessons …

Learning how to Learn Doing ‘Big’ Research: the Network Using network technologies: –to inform ‘users’ –to allow communication between sites –for project management –for data collection –to coordinate data analysis –archiving and ‘repurposing’ Information Communication Collaboration Technical Developments

Learning how to Learn Doing ‘Big’ Research: Mixed Methods 17 different research instruments + online ‘logs’ Quantitative data –Questionnaires –Effect Data Qualitative data –Interviews (Heads, Coordinators, Teachers, Children) –Classroom Observation –Document Collection –Network ‘mapping’ Designed to provide us with a rich picture of classrooms, schools and networks, and to triangulate with and illuminate each other.

Learning how to Learn Some Early Findings Based on a double-scale questionnaire addressing –Beliefs about learning –Patterns of professional learning –Management Structures and Practices –Communication and Networking Three versions each in Primary and Secondary –Managers –Teachers without managerial responsibility –LSA’s These findings based on 558 questionnaire returns from primary and secondary teachers without managerial responsibility

Learning how to Learn Factor Analysis Three robust and ‘orthogonal’ factors were identified: –Factor 1: Making Learning Explicit: eliciting, clarifying and responding to evidence of learning; working with students to develop a positive learning orientation –Factor 2: Promoting Learning Autonomy –Factor 3: Emphasising a Performance Orientation in Teachers’ Planning and Assessment

Learning how to Learn Factor 1: Making Learning Explicit Assessment provides me with useful evidence of students’ understandings which they use to plan subsequent lessons Students are told how well they have done in relation to their own previous performance. Students’ learning objectives are discussed with students in ways they understand. I identify students' strengths and advise them on how to develop them further. Students are helped to find ways of addressing problems they have in their learning. Students are encouraged to view mistakes as valuable learning opportunities. I use questions mainly to elicit reasons and explanations from their students. Students’ errors are valued for the insights they reveal about how students are thinking. Students are helped to understand the learning purposes of each lesson or series of lessons. Pupil effort is seen as important when assessing their learning.

Learning how to Learn Factor 2: Promoting Learning Autonomy Students are given opportunities to decide their own learning objectives. I provide guidance to help students assess their own work. I provide guidance to help students to assess one another’s work. I provide guidance to help students assess their own learning. Students are given opportunities to assess one another’s work.

Learning how to Learn Factor 3: Performance Orientation The next lesson is determined more by the prescribed curriculum than by how well students did in the last lesson. The main emphasis in my assessments is on whether students know, understand or can do prescribed elements of the curriculum. I use questions mainly to elicit factual knowledge from my students. I consider the most worthwhile assessment to be assessment that is undertaken by the teacher. Assessment of students’ work consists primarily of marks and grades. Students’ learning objectives are determined mainly by the prescribed curriculum.

Learning how to Learn Cluster Analysis Further analysis of the factors across the entire cohort of teachers revealed several clusters with different patterns of values an practice about the items loading onto each factor. Schools often contained teachers from different clusters – but there were some schools in which characteristic patterns of values and practices were consistently observed. On the whole: –practice exceeded values in relation to performance orientation –values exceeded practice in relation to pupil autonomy Caution! Teachers don’t ‘belong’ to one factor, they have varying dispositions towards each

Learning how to Learn Cluster 1 (n=97)

Learning how to Learn Cluster 2 (n=87)

Learning how to Learn Cluster 3 (n=110)

Learning how to Learn Cluster 4 (n=115)

Learning how to Learn Cluster 5 (n=108)

Learning how to Learn Over to You The analysis above suggests that Secondary Science (n = c.70) has a specific profile: Value MLE > Practice MLE Value PLA >> Practice PLA Value PO < Practice PO Why might this be? Departmental cultures with specific sets of values and practices exist. Science Departments are ‘key constituencies’ within schools.

Learning how to Learn Where Now? One year to go! Current priorities: –Further analysis of questionnaire data –Use of Factor Analysis to develop classroom observation instruments and analytical frameworks for qualitative data –Case studies in focal schools –Exit interviews –Effect data –Building capacity at school and LEA level - “Leaving things behind” –Informing policy

Learning how to Learn Thank You Any Questions? Remember to visit the website!