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

Consulting pupils about teaching and learning

This TLA research summary is based on the work of a three-year network project on consulting pupils about teaching and learning. It was part of the Economic and Social Research Council's (ESRC) Teaching and Learning Research Programme (TLRP).

Secondary School mathematics

Students' views on their learning can have much to tell us about effective teaching. For this TLA research summary we selected and summarised a richly detailed, three-year study of the teaching of mathematics, which takes account of the students' own perceptions of their learning experiences.The study examines in considerable depth approaches to mathematics in two English secondary schools that were using markedly different approaches to the teaching of mathematics. It was conducted in England between 1992 and 1995 and was first published in 1997.

Gender differences

Not all researchers agree about the level and extent of the 'problem' of boys' underachievement or even (see Gorard, 2001) whether the 'problem' exists at all; nevertheless teachers have expressed considerable concern about this issue. The research featured in this summary shows how some schools are tackling perceived differences in achievement between boys and girls by drawing on the experiences of teachers in 19 case study schools. The researchers explore three approaches in a way in which we hope teachers will find interesting and potentially useful for their own practice.

Jerome Bruner's constructivist model and the spiral curriculum for teaching and learning

In response to the popularity of our TLA research summary about Lev Vygotsky, we decided to feature the work and contemporary relevance of another influential educational thinker - Jerome Bruner (1915- ).Bruner has made an enormous contribution to our understanding of the education process. As a professor of psychology at Harvard, he was particularly interested in the cognitive development of children and what appropriate forms of education might be.

Special educational needs and inclusion

What impact does inclusion have on pupils' achievement - both those with diagnosed special needs and those without - and how could schools manage inclusion so that they reduce any possible negative impact that inclusion might have? The study we have chosen for this TLA research summary sheds some light on these key issues.The study is: Dyson A., P. Farrell, G. Hutcheson and F. Polat. Inclusion and pupil achievement.

Effective teaching and learning in humanities

This research summary features a study which looked at the evidence for effective strategies in humanities, and most importantly why they worked:Aitken, G. and Sinnema, C. (2008) Effective pedagogy in social sciences: Best Evidence Synthesis Iteration (BES) , New Zealand Ministry of Education, Wellington, New Zealand The researchers looked for evidence of teaching and learning approaches that made a difference to student learning.

Leading learning effectively

Learning leadership is not, of course, solely the province of school leaders. The learning and work of every pupil and teacher is influenced by (and influences) the work of school leaders.

Strategies for improving pupils' writing skills

Concerns about pupils' achievements in literacy in England are not new. This is particularly the case with writing, especially where boys are concerned (Bearne & Warrington, 2003; Kingdon & Cassen, 2007). Raising boys' literacy standards, especially their writing skills, has been a key part of English educational policy for some time.The authors of the research selected for this TLA research summary remind us that writing well is more than just an educational issue; it is a necessity if young people are to participate fully in social and economic life.