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

Students As Researchers: How does being a student researcher affect learning?

Aim: From 1996 the school had tried to establish a Students as Researchers (SaRs) initiative to enable students to investigate, analyse and present student perspectives on aspects of school life and learning. This study records the attempts to evaluate the impact of participating in such research projects on the students learning. The aim of the research was to evaluate the impact of participating in such research projects on the students themselves in terms of: Their attitude to the SaRs initiative; Their social skills; and Their academic skills.

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.

Homework and Study Support in Year 7

Aim: To identify ways in which teachers can enhance student learning through homework, by examining homework, perceptions of it in Year 7, and support systems both in school and at home.

The impact of writing and questioning frames on the teaching and learning process

Aim: How do writing and questioning frames within a School Improvement Project impact on classroom practice and more effective teaching and learning?

Sustaining teacher researchers: what support really makes a difference?

Aim: The main aim of the project was to explore how to establish practitioner research as an effective and sustainable form of continuing professional development both for participating researchers and, through their research work, for colleagues within the schools and network.

A case study of effective teaching with and through the Internet

Aim: To investigate teacher and pupil attitudes towards the use of the Internet in teaching and learning.

The active engagement of teaching assistants in teaching and learning

Aim: The aim of this research was to cast light on the nature of the relationship between teachers and teaching assistants. We wanted to find out: How schools were deploying teaching assistants; What responsibilities teachers were giving to teaching assistants and what expectations they had of them; What contributions teaching assistants were making to enable teachers to carry out their tasks more effectively.

The Da Vinci project - Can we change pupils' perceptions of creativity in Science and Mathematics?

Aim: To explore pupils perceptions of creativity across the curriculum, to show that being a scientist and an artist aren't mutually exclusive and to measure the impact of the project on pupils perceptions of creativity in Science and Mathematics.

Improving teaching and learning with mentorship

Aim: To increase the record of achievement among Year 7 and Year 12 pupils in a girls comprehensive school through regular mentoring interviews between pupils and teachers.