Between 2007 and 2011, CUREE conducted a wide range of surveys, focus groups, probes and synthesis work involving over 15,000 learners and 570 teaching staff.
For the 2011 BERA conference we present a summary of our findings from across the different separate technical reports. We describe the approaches taken in each of the three research strands in more detail in the second section of this report. Together, these evidence strands have yielded a consolidated body of data and a range of findings about curriculum development.
The evidence from the different strands are synthesised and summarised here under seven themes which emerge as important components of curriculum design and development linked to effective outcomes for learners. Within each theme, our synthesis provides evidence about:
- the benefits (mostly from the literature review evidence);
- the extent of existing practice, where possible (based largely on the survey data); and
- examples of how practice is developing on the ground in successful schools (from the school-based research and from the review studies).
We then identify some conclusions and implications from the three year dataset.
The reports are available on the CUREE products and services microsite at http://www.curee.org.uk/catalog/3