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Research Update
for teaching schools This update explores what it means to be a research-engaged school or teaching school alliance, how this can be achieved and what benefits it can bring to teachers and pupils. It also shows how NFER can help schools engage with research and in enquiry through our practitioner guides and products. SUMMER 2016
I know students have benefited from their teachers finding things out, sharing and discussing knowledge. Sue Hunt, Deputy Head, Wilmington Grammar School, Dartford.
NFER Self-Review Tool A free online tool to help you review how research-engaged your school is, using eight key statements. The tool generates a personalised chart, action plan and then signposts to resources to help you move forwards. Use it to do a quick review, or set up an account for your school to involve all your staff and get a whole-school picture.
Over 1000 users!
www.nfer.ac.uk/selfreviewtool
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elcome to NFER’s Research Update. Written for teaching schools who want to provide their alliance partners with access to the latest research to enable evidence-informed practice, it showcases some of our research and practitioner guides. It also brings together the latest information on our resources and products designed to help you engage with research and in enquiry.
The Government’s recent White Paper, ‘Educational Excellence Everywhere’, emphasises the importance of building a strong, evidence-informed profession to help drive up standards in schools. NFER has decades of experience researching and supporting the development of research-engaged schools. Today, we continue to be at the forefront of this work, and have developed a suite of products and services designed to help schools become more evidence-informed. We also have an active research programme with recent publications on supporting the attainment of disadvantaged pupils, flipped learning and NEET prevention.
We don’t claim to have all the answers, but what we do offer is a strong belief in the importance of this work, practical and recent experience of undertaking research in this area, and a desire to work with you to help realise an evidence-informed education system that benefits all teachers and learners. If you would like to know more about our work please visit our website www.nfer.ac.uk/eie
Ben Durbin Head of Impact
FREE WEBINAR Tuesday 14 June at 3.45pm You are invited to join our free webinar on ‘How research engaged is your teaching school alliance?’ by Gareth Mills, Head of Enquiring Schools. For more information on the webinar and to register, visit www.nfer.ac.uk/ts1
How re engag search e teach d is your ing sc hool allianc e? June
2016
What is an evidence-informed education system?
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The term evidence-informed education allows us to think about the ways in which you, the expert practitioners, use evidence, alongside your own ‘tacit’ professional knowledge, to make decisions that help to improve teaching and learning. Evidence can include research evidence as well as pupil performance and other management data. Thus research forms a key part of an ‘evidence-informed education’ system, but it is not the only part.
Things to consider
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• To what extent are you supporting staff across your alliance to critique research findings, conduct their own enquiry and work with others to implement evidence-based approaches to teaching and learning?
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The research cycle
Why? Having an understanding of where you are in the journey, helps you identify the next steps. It gives you a framework to work around. How? The NFER Self-Review Tool is free and online, helping you to review your school’s research engagement by using eight key statements. Resources to support you: • NFER Self-Review Tool (FREE) • NFER ‘How to create a research engaged school’ guide (FREE)
Think about how and why you want to engage with research, and plan it thoroughly Why? So you can ensure it meets your objective (ideally linked to a school improvement goal). How? Decide your challenge or area of focus. Ask yourself whether you know everything needed to tackle the problem, or whether there is a gap in your knowledge or understanding. Consult the existing evidence base to explore strategies most likely to help before embarking on your own enquiry projects. Resources to support you: • NFER Headteacher guides (FREE) • EEF’s Teaching and Learning Toolkit (FREE) • NFER Direct for Schools (FREE) • NFER publications (FREE)
Consider conducting your own enquiry project Why? Teacher enquiry can potentially: fill gaps in existing knowledge; test the effectiveness of existing or new approaches to teaching and learning; and motivate your staff, by giving them evidence that their work has made a real difference in their students’ lives. It can be a useful way of testing if something is working in the classroom. How? Use objective, systematic and rigorous approaches. Resources to support you: • NFER ‘How to’ guides • NFER web pages on ‘Topics to research’ and ‘Methods of research’ (FREE)
Working alongside teachers and other education professionals, NFER has identified eight key features of a research-engaged school:
1. Leadership and vision 2. Learning and participation
What do we mean by ‘engaging with research and in enquiry’?
4. Setting priorities
• When we say ‘with research’, we mean how you access, understand and apply academic or professionally produced research across your alliance.
6. Measuring impact
Apply your learning Why? The application of your findings, in conjunction with various other sources of evidence, can help you to make more informed decisions about teaching and learning. How? Consider from the outset how the learning your staff have undertaken will be used and shared. Key to this will be your original purpose for engaging with the research and/or enquiry. The robustness of the methods used should inform how widespread the learning should be shared and applied. Resource to support you: • NFER Enquiring Schools
Research-engaged schools are self-critical, evaluative and adaptive. Research is embedded in whole-school improvement processes and continuing professional development (CPD). They access and apply findings from others’ research, may conduct their own enquiry and often work in collaboration with other schools and/or researchers.
3. Managing resources
• When we say ‘in enquiry’, we mean practitioner-led research or action research as a way to bring about improvements in teaching and learning.
You might find it helpful to think of research engagement as a five-stage process
Review how research-engaged your school and/or alliance is
• To what extent are you developing your staff’s research literacy through ITT and CPD?
What does a research-engaged school look like?
Celebrate your achievements and look to the future Why? Your staff will be proud of their achievements and the learning that comes through research engagement. Look for opportunities to give recognition for your school’s/alliance’s achievements and plan your next steps. How? Results can be shared locally and we recommend that the purpose of the research or enquiry, and the methods used, are always communicated clearly. Consider how you can embed a culture of enquiry and research engagement in your school/alliance. Resource to support you: • NFER Research Mark
5. Rigorous methodology 7. Embedding and sustaining 8. Working collaboratively To see the detailed statements behind each of these features, visit www.nfer.ac.uk/selfreviewtool
Support for your Teaching School Alliance Research Spotlight Supporting the attainment of disadvantaged pupils: briefing for school leaders This free briefing document aims to help school leaders take stock of their approaches to supporting disadvantaged pupils’ achievement. It summarises seven ‘building blocks of success’, describes schools’ pathways to improvement, and includes a set of relevant resources. www.nfer.ac.uk/publications/PUPP02
Research reports available free online at www.nfer.ac.uk/publications NFER Practitioner Guides Free guides based on formal research reports, written specifically for school leaders and practitioners www.nfer.ac.uk/practitionerguides
NFER Enquiring Schools By using these methods we empowered teachers to use research in a way that was of practical use to them in the classroom. Carole Thomas, Assistant Headteacher, Paget Primary School, Birmingham. Awarded the NFER Research Mark.
Top Tips for senior leaders in schools and colleges:
How to provide meaningful experience of the world of work for young people as part of 16 to19 study programmes
NFER Research Mark The mark of quality research engagement in your school. Get recognition for your school’s achievements in engaging with research and in enquiry. An NFER Research Associate visits your school to see evidence of your school using research and then provides a report with valuable feedback. The price of £800 +VAT includes the visit and report. www.nfer.ac.uk/researchmark
NFER ‘How to’ Guides A series of downloadable guides introducing research methods in an easy-to-understand format. Written by NFER researchers, they ensure your own enquiries are based on professional guidance. Prices start from £4.00 +VAT.
A tailored CPD programme built around enquiry-based projects. Staff look at the latest evidence about effective practice, design disciplined enquiry projects and measure the impact of those changes, all supported by an NFER facilitator. Quotes available on request. www.nfer.ac.uk/enquiringschools
Online support Free online ideas of topics for enquiry and methods of research, as well as many case studies and videos from practitioners. www.nfer.ac.uk/ris
www.nfer.ac.uk/howtoguides
Contact us Our dedicated phone line and email enquiry service is open 08.45–17.15 every working day. Telephone 01753 637007 or email
[email protected]
NFER Direct for Schools A free monthly e-newsletter for schools and teachers, containing the latest research and product news. www.nfer.ac.uk/subscribe
