Secondary | Centre for the Use of Research & Evidence in Education (CUREE)

Every child matters: Empowering the student voice

Aim: The aim of this project was to involve students as researchers on classroom practice, as part of a wider school policy of increasing student voice, and including their views in school planning processes.

Reservoirs of Hope as a metaphor for spiritual and moral leadership in headship, and why some headteachers leave headship early 'when reservoirs run dry'

Aim: The study aimed to: Describe the perceived spiritual and moral bases of headship in a range of heads; Explore the use of the metaphor of reservoirs of hope in describing the preservation of individual values and institutional self-belief against external pressures; Promote practitioner reflection on critical incidents when spiritual and moral leadership was tested; Codify heads individual strategies for sustainability, replenishment and development; and Analyse why some headteachers leave headship early due to the possible failure of their sustainability strategies when reservoirs of hope

Using Assertive Mentoring to counter laddishness

Aim: The study set out to explore the effects of a particular style of mentoring that aims to tackle issues of laddishness and macho image. It set out to provide ways for the students to opt out of laddish behaviour (prevalent amongst some girls as well as lads) without threatening their status in the eyes of their peers.

Use of Two-Dimensional Pepresentations to aid the Transition from Arithmetic to Algebra

Aim: To investigate the extent to which use of a teaching approach based on the concept of area would help students overcome key difficulties in the transition from arithmetic to algebra.

Promoting behaviour for learning

Aim: The aim of this project was to find a more effective approach to managing behaviour than the schools existing structured system of consequences. In particular, the research focused on how positive behaviour strategies could be used to improve students behaviour for learning. This stemmed from my personal concern that whilst the system of consequences was a helpful way of managing poor behaviour, there was little acknowledgement given to students who behaved well.

Promoting students' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development through specific teaching and learning strategies across the curriculum

Aim: To identify teaching and learning strategies within the whole curriculum which promote the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils.

Conclusions from user feedback on use of learning platform

Aim: A great deal of effort and expense is currently being expended in schools and Local Authorities on Learning Platforms (LPs). This study set out to explore how schools and students are using LPs. The report is intended to help inform readers about how teachers are using LPs and to describe students' experience of one mature installation.

Effective questioning: stepping-stones to meta-cognition?'

Aim: There were two main, linked, aims of this project. The primary aim was to investigate the role of effective questioning by the teacher in a History class. The second aim explored the usefulness of this meta-cognitive strategy in enhancing higher-order thinking skills in the classroom. These are the skills that characterise higher achievement at Key Stages 3 and 4 (11-16 years of age).

The use of ICT in Music Composing

Aim: To raise awareness of the potential of ICT in music composition by investigating strategies teachers can use to raise pupil performance.

Making the strange familiar: emphasising the role of mathematics across the curriculum

Aim: By working collaboratively with other departments and concentrating on the language and processes used in the teaching and learning process, the Knowledge Network aims to enable learners to better apply their mathematics to unfamiliar situations.