The Evidence People
On the 11th July, 2016, Philippa presented at the Cambridge and Suffolk Schools Alliance (CASSA) annual Research and Professional Development conference.
To access the slides from her presentation, 'What we know about the contribution of effective CPD to pupil progress and school improvement (CPDL)', contact joe.askew@curee.co.uk
There are plenty of opportunities to get involved with our exciting work in the coming months, be it face-to-face at any of the conferences we're attending or by signing up to our new programme of CPD set to begin this Autumn!
To accompany the release of the Teach First Gaining and Sustaining Momentum Report, Philippa Cordingley has produced a special blog which can be found below.
Some young children seem able to infer rules about using apostrophes without being taught directly about them, but most need to be taught how to use them. The authors of this study tested a total of 312 pupils in four state primary schools in the South East of England. They found that teaching children about the use of apostrophes produced clear and positive benefits, yet the overall levels of correct use of apostrophes, even after explicit instruction, were low. The authors suggested that children may need more opportunities to consolidate their understanding and to practise the correct use of apostrophes.
Why are children highly motivated and engaged in some classes, but not others? What causes pupils to go off-task? To find out, the researchers of this US study analysed literacy lessons in classes of children aged 5-8 years from 13 primary schools in which there was considerable off-task behaviour.
The researchers found that lack of engagement was not simply a case of poor classroom management and discipline, but a reflection of the way in which literacy was taught. A number of key factors led to low engagement. These included pupils experiencing lack of choice, challenge, control over their own learning, and opportunities to work with other pupils. Off-task behaviour was particularly apparent during lessons in which pupils were expected to conform to certain prescribed procedures and undertake closed tasks. Such lessons also had an adverse effect on pupils’ feelings of success and the teachers’ relationships with their pupils.
People routinely gesture with their hands when they talk, and these gestures often convey additional information not found in their speech. This study investigated the impact on teaching and learning when 8-9-year-olds used hand gestures to solve maths problems
The authors wanted to know if gesturing would bring out implicit knowledge during problem solving; that is the knowledge that can be observed in pupils’ behaviour but which they cannot not express verbally or explain.
As a result of a two-part experiment, involving over 170 children, the researchers found that telling children to gesture while explaining their solutions to novel maths problems can be beneficial in two ways. Firstly, some of the children were able to identify new and correct problem-solving strategies. Secondly, gesturing made the children more receptive to teachers’ instructions on how to solve the problems, thus leading to learning.
The researchers’ results and conclusions about problem solving will be interesting to all school practitioners particularly those involved with SEN children.
"Over the next five years implementing the curriculum, assessment and qualification reforms will present significant challenges to teaching and learning. Schools will need to:
So says the Guidance Paper recently published by the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) - with CUREE and TDT – setting out why its members should be as aspirational about the development of their professional colleagues as they already are for their students
Launched on 9th June at the House of Commons, this new report builds on earlier work identifying even more clearly how, and under what conditions, teachers' professional development and learning benefits pupils and students.
