RfT

Teachers and school-based research

Teacher engagement in and with research can be a highly rewarding form of professional development. There is also evidence of beneficial outcomes for students. We have decided to summarise one example of such work in this TLA research summary. Because teachers' engagement in/with research involves a dynamic mixture of empirical enquiry, experimenting with new approaches and is often supplemented by peer observation and support, the work is not usually undertaken or reported in forms that are traditional for research.

Deprivation and education

Numerous studies have shown that the relationship between deprivation* and education is crucial for understanding the significant impact deprivation has on later outcomes in adulthood. Deprivation can leave young people with fewer qualifications and skills, which in turn can affect their future employment and earnings, health and social well-being.

Parental involvement

The importance of parental involvement in children's education is well evidenced. But how much difference does parental involvement make and what kind of involvement makes the difference?For this TLA research summary we have summarised a literature review of studies that explored the impact of parental involvement on children's educational progress and strategies for enhancing their involvement.The study is:Desforges, C. and A. Abouchaar. The impact of parental involvement, parental support and family education on pupil achievement and adjustment: a review of the literature.

Teachers' professional learning

CPD is high on the school improvement agenda. It's also a vital ingredient in the development of teachers' careers and an important aspect of school leadership. Our TLA research summary in February 2004 explored the evidence from a systematic review about effective professional development for teachers - at the time national interest in CPD was growing fast.

Effective classroom talk in science

Talk is a teacher's prime teaching tool, but how many of us stop to plan or analyse what we say, or think about how it affects pupil learning? This research summary features a project* that examined in detail how teachers use talk to promote meaningful learning in science.  The researchers analysed the interactions between 12 teachers (six primary and six secondary) and their pupils in science lessons to find out what strategic use of talk in teaching (often called 'dialogic teaching') looked like in science.

Positive alternatives to exclusion

growing number of pupils, including primary school pupils, who are permanently excluded from school. The authors recognised the position of many teachers whose unions were demanding protection for their members and for pupils by excluding unruly pupils from mainstream schools. The authors believed that many teachers did not see exclusion as an acceptable solution to the problems posed by the most challenging students.

Teaching methods in England and France: A comparison

When it comes to judging the progress of the nation's education system the media tends to focus on rankings provided by international educational surveys such as the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). More detailed comparative studies, on the other hand, go further in contrasting the processes and contexts in which learning takes place. These studies can be informative for teachers wanting to explore effective teaching and learning strategies.

Alternative curriculum provision

What difference can alternative curriculum programmes make to students at KS4? A minority of 14-16 year old students feel that GCSE courses are inappropriate to them. The reactions of such students to the KS4 experience range from lack of interest to disaffection, which in turn can lead to underachievement and truancy. Consequently, many schools offer some kind of an alternative to the KS4 curriculum to at least some of their students.

Promoting students' persistence in meeting challenges

The study summarised in this TLA research summary focuses on student motivation and achievement and explores how they relate to beliefs that students hold about themselves and about the nature of ability. The book, summarised in Self-theories: Their role in motivation, personality and development (Dweck 2000), aimed to explore why some young people exceed expectations and others fail to fulfil their potential.Carol Dweck has spent over thirty years researching how learners responded to experiences of difficulty and challenge.

Teaching phonics effectively

Should they be taught using the letter sounds (phonics), by learning whole words, or by both? If they are taught using phonics what is the most effective way to do so?   To help teachers find their way around the issue of phonics teaching this TLA research summary aims to highlight key features of phonics approaches in the context of literacy learning in England. We use the Rose report as the basis for the summary. This report was undertaken in the context of existing early literacy practices, including phonics, within the National Literacy Strategy in schools in England.