Teacher Training Agency Teacher Research Grants Scheme 1997: Application for Research Grant

Section 1 - Applicant’s Details:

This application is submitted jointly by three members of staff of

Calversyke Middle School Broster Avenue Guard House KEIGHLEY West Yorkshire BD22 6JG

Phone 01535 210155 Fax 01535 210156

Calversyke is a Bradford LEA 9 to 13 Middle School with 270 pupils on roll.

Applicants:

David Fox Deputy Headteacher

20 years experience in middle schools across Bradford. I.T. and English Specialist teacher Background in staff development Previously involved in Investors in People work and NCET Portables in the Classroom project. Currently studying part time for M.Sc in Education Leadership with University of Lincoln and Humberside

Tina Clayton Senior Teacher

15 years teaching experience in Bradford middle schools. English specialist Responsibility for assessment, Key Stage 2 Co-ordinator Currently leading a project to raise standards of achievement in Key Stage 2 SATs

Susan Holmes History and Geography Co-ordinator

20 years experience in Bradford middle schools 2 years spent as full time director of software firm She has been granted one year’s unpaid leave of absence to undertake full time M.Ed. course at University of Leeds for academic year 1997 - 1998

Section 2 - Research Details:

How have we shown an interest?

We share a common interest in raising standards of attainment in our school. We have each approached this bid from different backgrounds:

Tina + David work on Teaching Quality Initiative (a Bradford LEA initiative aimed at raising standards of teaching through highly structured INSET activities and classroom monitoring)

Tina- Raising standards in Key Stage 2

David - Work with University of Lincoln and Humberside, focusing on radically rethinking existing practices

Susan - GEST Courses on History and Geography co-ordination, Innovative work in History + Geography, Unpaid leave of absence for MEd (University of Leeds) next school year, history of setting demanding challenges for children

Section 3 - Proposed Research:

3.1 Focus: Aims of Project

We are undertaking a whole-staff drive to raise standards of teaching. This is underpinned by the Bradford LEA "Teaching Quality Initiative". We want to investigate, in this context, how we can increase children’s ability to tackle enquiry-based activities at Level 4 and 5 of the Geography and History National Curriculum in Key Stage 2.

We will investigate the possibility of establishing a cross-curricular framework of preferred methods for enabling children to access and use source materials; this will lead to practical guidelines for teachers.

We will investigate the classroom effect of the Teaching Quality Initiative - INSET aimed at developing and fostering across our staff a coherent working theory of teaching quality, which will underpin classroom practice.

Key Questions:

a) To what extent do standards in Key Stage 2 History and Geography rise as a result of intensive work on higher order enquiry skills ? Can we develop tests or activities to measure progress in these areas?

b) What effect does the Teaching Quality Initiative (which involves promoting awareness of quality issues, monitoring by colleagues, focusing on the needs of the child as client etc.) have on the classroom experience of children in Key Stage 2 History and Geography lessons, and how is any change reflected in standards of achievement, particularly Levels 4 and 5?

c) How do children’s and teachers’ attitudes to the subjects change as a result of the work described above? Are there differences between genders or ability groups?

d) Is it possible to develop a cross-curricular framework for teaching the skills needed for success in enquiry-based learning activities in all areas of the curriculum?

What will be the outcome of the project?

a) Improved understanding, in school and outside, of the factors affecting children’s learning in History and Geography, particularly above Level 3.

b) Evaluation of the classroom effect of the Teaching Quality Initiative. We should be able to demonstrate the effect of INSET on quality and a programme of classroom monitoring on teachers’ practice and children’s experience.

c) Portfolio of approaches to enquiry-based learning.

d) Guidelines for subject leaders to use in promoting colleagues’ awareness of enquiry based learning activities.

Tangible outcomes:

a) Increase in number of children achieving Levels 4 and 5 in Key Stage 2 History and Geography.

b) Report to all staff in Calversyke and other interested parties.

c) Cross-curricular framework for promoting enquiry-based learning.

d) Report to TTA

e) Report to Bradford LEA Inspectors responsible for Teaching Quality Initiative.

f) Article in Bradford Education Newsletter

3.2 Arrangements for accessing and building on existing knowledge

1. The research builds on two bodies of theory:

a) Theory and research on Total Quality (e.g. Davies and West-Burnham 1997 Re-engineering and Total Quality in Schools - Pitman). This is complemented locally by the work of the Bradford Teaching Quality Initiative team.

b) Theory and research on higher order reading skills and teaching methodology (e.g. the work of Roger Beard et al.)

2. We see this initiative as an application of Quality Assurance, which was identified in our OFSTED action plan as a key area for development. The work planned will let us investigate how theory and philosophy of Total Quality may translate into improvements in attainment and attitudes in classrooms.

3. Our work will be informed by the body of knowledge described above; the outcomes should enable us to build on the theories and translate them into day-to-day practice in our school.

3.3 Research Methods

The project will involve collecting numeric and qualitative information about teaching strategies and children’s experiences over time. We will collect information from 60 year 6 children in three mixed ability classes.

We are in a fairly unusual situation as our History and Geography co-ordinator, Susan Holmes, will be on leave of absence for the duration of the project. She knows the children and the teachers well, and has done much of the groundwork for the units of learning being taught during our investigation. She will be able to visit classes once a month, and will be able to make a qualitative evaluation of changes in standards, attitudes and practices. She should be able to detect trends which are harder to see for those directly involved in the teaching.

In addition we intend to involve the LEA Inspectors involved in TQI in a steering role and to observe lessons during the project using an OFSTED-based framework to provide a harder-edged evaluation of trends.

We will seek to develop an evidence-based activity which will test ability to do enquiry work at levels 4 and 5 in History and Geography and compare results at the beginning and end of the project. Numbers of pupils achieving higher levels will show the effectiveness of enquiry-based teaching strategies and INSET on teaching quality.

Within school we will survey opinions of staff and children involved, probably three times, and tabulate responses to questionnaires. Preliminary self-evaluation sheets for teachers are attached in Appendix. Systematic analysis of responses over the sample of 60 children will enable us to detect and investigate trends in attitudes over the course of the project. The use of questionnaires and databases to investigate pupil’s attitudes in a similar context is described by Trotter in Davies and West-Burnham 1997 (see above). We will identify a group of pupils who are, at the start of the project, just bordering level 4 and analyse their progress in detail through observation, diaries and group work with Susan Holmes.

Teachers involved in the project will be released from classes to undertake diagnostic activities with target pupils in order to identify key features of childrens’ learning processes at this level. This information will be recorded in diaries, and compared with observations of the other participants and the test information.

The methods described will enable us to describe change in teachers’ practice and children’s experience. We will have subjective information provided by pupils and teachers. Changes will be described in diary form. These personal descriptions will be corroborated by the reports of the "distanced insider" - Susan Holmes - and externally corroborated by LEA Inspectors. Global trends in attitude and attainment will be measured and graphed by before-and-after testing of attainment and tabulating the results of questionnaire and interview.

Our methodology may be summarised as follows:

· survey children’s attitude to History / Geography in each Year 6 class at start, middle and end of the project. Use spreadsheet / database to produce analysis of responses. Look for changes in responses over the period of the project and seek explanations. 60 children involved, in 3 classes.

· The 3 teachers involved keep a diary in which they reflect on their practice. They fill in questionnaire at start, middle and end.

· Children undertake a test of ability to respond to source materials at beginning and end of project. Compare results, seek explanation for changes.

· Susan Holmes visits classes once a month and keeps a record of findings using a structured observation schedule.

· Susan Holmes interviews teachers and records her impressions of developing attitudes and practice.

· Susan Holmes monitors the progress of a target group on a middle ability pupils on her monthly observation visits.

· LEA Inspectors visit at beginning, middle and end of project and report on standards, practice and attitudes using OFSTED based criteria.

· Children’s attainment is measured through the project and compared with previous years.

The chart below shows the four aspects of the research:

The methodology proposed will result in a set of impressions which we will be able to analyse to identify trends, themes and influences. These will be compared with the statistical data collected in order to identify changes in attitude, experience and attainment over the course of the project; by comparing the two types of information we should be able to match teachers’ developing practices with changes in children’s learning, and seek to ascribe causes.

3.4 Dissemination

We have regular meetings at which initiatives are discussed. We will keep colleagues informed of our developing understanding through the following methods:

· in school through staff meetings · by producing improved teaching quality guidelines · neighbouring upper and middle schools through our regular pyramid liaison meetings · conclusions will be shared with Guardhouse First School (our main feeder first school) and their staff may visit our classrooms · other interested schools through Bradford LEA TQI meetings, newsletter etc. · We may possibly use the research in MEd and M.Sc. assignments · publication?

Section 4 Steering

Bradford LEA Inspectors Kevan Collins / William Varley / Pat Copperthwaite will share steering role.

The research builds on aspects of the LEA Teaching Quality Initiative and we will use its structures to support our research.

We have an informal understanding the Bradford LEA may be able to support us by providing inspectors’ steering time free of charge. We plan for three visits to perform OFSTED-style classroom observations, but anticipate more frequent steering meetings. The LEA team above has so far supported our developing thinking informally. We will build on this understanding to steer us through the project.

We have the further potential to involve contacts at the Universities of Leeds and Lincoln, but have not included them in the preparation of this bid. The ideas in this proposal come from team work in our school as a response to our children’s needs. This is not a university assignment.

Bradford LEA Inspectors may be contacted at

Bradford Education Flockton House Flockton Road Bradford BD4

Phone 01274 751840