Flagship Volume 5 - 2023

w: ags.bucks.sch.uk

Flagship Journal for Evidence Engaged Practice Issue 5

Flagship

Journal for Evidence Engaged Practice Issue 5 Published by Aylesbury Grammar School 2023

Aylesbury Grammar School Walton Road Aylesbury Bucks HP21 7RP Assistant Headteacher Vanessa Beckley vbeckley@ags.bucks.sch.uk

AGS Research Team @AGSResearchEd AGS Headmaster @AGSHeadmaster www.ags.bucks.sch.uk

Front cover artwork by AGS A Level art student.

2

Flagship: Journal for Evidence Engaged Practice

Foreword by the Headmaster “Research is creating new knowledge.” Neil Armstrong “One of the most gratifying results of intellectual evolution is the continuous opening up of new and greater prospects.” Nikola Tesla Through the evolution of a research engaged professional body, the collaboration with local and international friends, and the consistent drive for excellence, Flagship is a definitive publication from our great School on the power of knowledge, its application, and the richness of our staff.

Our research aims to explore the demanding and pertinent issues of the day, through the lens of our School community. To learn from the experience of our students and families, and to share. To share with interested readers, with fellow professionals and alongside educators from around the world.

The topics covered demonstrate the maturity and complexity of these issues as well as the scale and application of the findings.

Exploring wide cultural issues, digital competence, and classroom practice, the staff of 2022-2023 continue to set the pace and legacy for the future.

The growth and impact of not only Flagship but also the research itself, and our involvement in global action research through the International Boys’ Schools Coalition, has led to the appointment of a dedicated Research Lead. We hope that this will continue to grow our own expertise, challenge our thinking and practice, and allow us to collaborate across the world for the betterment of boys’ education.

In 1598, Sir Henry Lee lay the foundations of our School. 425 years later, we’re still educating boys and still preparing young people for their future. Through our custodianship of AGS, we aim to leave the School enhanced, evolved and engaged. It is through this research and more, that we recognise, applaud, and develop our staff and the life chances of our students.

To the editing team, the leadership, the students and the staff, we thank you. All Aylesburians thank you.

Mark Sturgeon Headmaster Aylesbury Grammar School

Our research aims to explore the demanding and pertinent issues of the day, through the lens of our School community.

2

Flagship: Journal for Evidence Engaged Practice

Editor’s note What do the Indian Space Research Organisation’s recent Chandrayaan-3 moon landing, the completion of the Wicked filming on set (based in the beautiful, local Buckinghamshire countryside), the recent Lionesses’ achievements, and the milestone of 425 years of Aylesbury Grammar School have in common? The success in each of these different fields (no pun intended), have inevitably been due, in part, to teamwork and collaboration.

As Charles Darwin shared: “it is the long history of humankind (and animal kind, too) that those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed.”

In the past three editions of Flagship, reference has been made to the impact of Covid on schools and education as a whole and how as a community we had to adapt to the challenges presented. During the ‘Covid years’ we found novel ways to bring people together; I remember well staff briefings during lockdown with over a hundred thumbnails on my screen as we embraced technology to meet remotely as a team! Whether the pandemic is truly behind us or not remains to be seen but we have, this year, had our first school year fully in person since.

The theme that has also run through for the AGS research team in recent years is one of collaboration. Finding ways to work together to continue the fantastic work that had been initiated pre-pandemic. This year we have continued to do just that. Not because of a pandemic but because we want to further develop and share our work as researched-engaged professionals. With this in mind, as you read this issue of the AGS Flagship journal, you will see we have researched wider opportunities for collaboration: student researchers have been recruited and supported to conduct their own research project, and we have engaged with local and national schools and organisations to learn from each other. You will read about the research a group of our students conducted looking at take-up of extra-curricular activities, and you will also read how one staff member has worked with the International Boys’ Schools Coalition, developing an outstanding research project on helping boys explore masculinity through art, which was recognised as one of the top reports from her cohort. You will also a read a guest article as we look to share research and expertise with other schools.

Staff have also continued to undertake research within our context too, including: the exploration and development of digital resources for a wide audience across the student and staff body; the impact of different methods of low stakes testing on student learning; plus one of our new staff members continued to develop their research on the teaching of the Holocaust. So, you will see it has been another busy and productive year again for the AGS research team, which would not have been possible without the unwavering commitment, determination and collaboration of everyone involved.

As we continue into next year as an ever-evolving team, we are already looking forward to new horizons. For example, we will be exploring primary/secondary school collaboration, investigating the impact of AI on education, and continuing to keep abreast of latest research, and its potential application and impact within our context. We also plan to expand our student researcher programme and will also develop further opportunities for more people to be involved with our work.

I hope you enjoy this edition of our journal, and if you want to find out more about our work, to ask questions or to challenge us, or to find out how we can work together, please do get in contact. We look forward to hearing from you.

Katrina Blunt Research Lead, Aylesbury Grammar School

w: ags.bucks.sch.uk

3

RACHAEL JACKSON Rachael Jackson has been teaching French at Aylesbury Grammar School since 2019 and is also a Digital Learning Leader and Professional Tutor. She has also been newly appointed to the role of Head of Phillips House for September 2023.

Rachael was selected by the International Boys’ School Coalition (IBSC) to conduct an action research project on “Shattering Stereotypes: Helping Boys Cultivate Healthy Masculinity” and presented her work at the IBSC conference on “Kia Moemoeā, Dream Beyond Limits” in Auckland, New Zealand in June 2023 with 500 educators from around the globe.

Rachael’s recommended reading on the topic of masculinities starts with the academic works of Raewyn Connell. Rachael also encourages the work of Matt Pinkett, who as both an author and teacher in the UK shares relatable experiences and practical ideas. Above all, Rachael recommends looking at the work of Corbin Shaw and Grayson Perry, who through their art, tell us so much about the beauty and infiniteness of masculinities.

RAY CHAMBERS Ray Chambers joined the school in September 2022 as Director of Computer Science and Technology. He began teaching right after university and has always had a passion for using technology innovatively. In 2015, he helped launch the BBC Micro-bit, providing free programming computers to schools across the country.

Ray won the 2015 UK National Teaching award and a BAFTA for mentoring young programmers. He was also a top 10 finalist for the global teacher prize in 2017, the only UK finalist. Ray has trained and showcased how staff use technology use in various countries, including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Croatia, Portugal, and Spain. Ray has enjoyed his first year at AGS and is looking forward to supporting the School in its digital literacy in the future. Ray is excited to look towards the future at how AI will impact education.

JAMES TAYLOR James Taylor is a member of the History and Classics Departments, and has been teaching at Aylesbury Grammar School since 2019. This year, he has developed the research culture at AGS further through the creation of a Student Research Group, guiding a group of Year 9 students through the process of action research as they investigated extra-curricular participation, culminating in the pilot of a ‘Give It A Go’ initiative. James is keen to enhance participation and involvement in the range of opportunities AGS has to offer, and is excited to explore this both in the continuation of the Student Research Group in the future, as well as his new role as Head of Hampden House.

4

Flagship: Journal for Evidence Engaged Practice

Meet The Research Team

MARCUS TRAVERS Marcus Travers is a geography and politics teacher who has been at Aylesbury Grammar School since 2017.

He is also the pupil premium coordinator, where the main focus of the role is to maximise the learning and attainment of disadvantaged students. This is his second piece of research, having previously investigated the link between academic attainment and participation in extra-curricular activities. Since Covid, he has become increasingly interested in the value of low stakes testing as a learning tool. In his investigation, Marcus explores how best to utilise low stakes testing to improve learning.

KATRINA BLUNT Katrina Blunt is a teacher of mathematics and Head of Year 7 at AGS. She has been working with the Research Working Party since its inception and her passion for and commitment to educational research led to her continue her studies by recently completing an MA in Education from UCL IoE. Katrina has become increasingly interested in behavioural economics and its potential influence and application within schools, and so recommends a number of books in this field including ‘Misbehaving: the making of behavioural economics’ by Richard Thaler, ‘Predictably irrational: the hidden forces that shape our decisions’ by Dan Ariely, and ‘Nudge’ by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein. Katrina is excited to have been appointed as the new Research Lead at AGS and hopes to both continue and expand the research work and opportunities within AGS and beyond.

HELEN MALTBY Helen Maltby joined AGS in 2022 as Examinations Officer. Prior to this she spent thirteen years as Head of Religious Studies at another Buckinghamshire school. During this time, she became heavily involved in Holocaust Education, taking the lead in a cross-curricular approach to teaching the topic. She has done extensive training with the Holocaust Education Trust, which has included their ten day residential course at Yad Vashem in Israel. She has also completed a ‘Holocaust in the Curriculum’ Masters module with UCL. In 2020 she was awarded a Farmington Scholarship from the University of Oxford to carry out research in how Holocaust Education might help to combat antisemitism. The final project was presented at a conference in Oxford in June 2023 and is designed to help advise Religious Studies teachers on how to approach the Holocaust within the RS curriculum.

w: ags.bucks.sch.uk

5

Contents 8

RACHAEL JACKSON Express yourself: the power of art to unleash boys’ exploration of masculinity

22

MARCUS TRAVERS Does the use of anonymous low stakes testing improve learning in Year 10 more than non-anonymised Google forms?

30

JAMES TAYLOR How can a Student Research Group contribute to a wider culture of research?

38

RAY CHAMBERS To what extent does a digital literacy resource library improve digital competence at KS4?

46

HANNAH GALBRAITH: Guest Article Pen-on-paper versus stylus-on-tablet: an investigation into the effect of surface texture on vocabulary learning in Chinese

52

KATRINA BLUNT How research-engaged should we be at AGS and why?

62

HELEN MALTBY To what extent can Holocaust Education help to combat antisemitism and how can Religious Studies contribute to this aim?

Express yourself: the power of art to unleash boys’ exploration of masculinity

ABSTRACT Society’s pervading and restrictive hegemonic masculinity is handed down from generation to generation and established whilst our students are still young (Driscoll, 2016). As educators, we are uniquely positioned to furnish our students with the tools for them to start to unshackle themselves from this unhelpful schema. Working with a Year 8 class of 31 boys, I wanted to know if art could be a way for them to question what masculinity means to them. Art is undeniably a visual language and has been used throughout history to help people process and reflect on traumatic and taboo topics (Boyle, 2012; Orr, 2oo2). A natural extension for me was to examine how art might help our boys to explore and express their masculinity. Inspired by contemporary artist, Corbin Shaw, whose work explores masculinity using bold slogans on flags, I designed a 12-week programme that combined discussion and art, and culminated in hosting Corbin Shaw who presented in person to 190 Year 8 students and ran two art workshops. Through the course of the programme and art workshops, the boys created their own slogans on flags; the art-making process being just as important as the final product. In the words of one boy: “I thought it was going to be just drawing and just thinking freedom in their art to express their feelings and thoughts on what would otherwise have been a difficult subject to talk about. They used their drawings and slogans to challenge hegemonic masculinity and redefine masculinity for themselves. The power of art to provide a safe space for them to explore, express, and redefine masculinity for themselves was overwhelmingly clear in their art responses.

Move aside “Man Box”: the brush is mightier than “the Box.”

Rachael Jackson

Teacher of French, Digital Learning Leader, Professional Tutor

about it; it was quite a lot other.” The boys discovered

Flagship: Journal for Evidence Engaged Practice

Express yourself: the power of art to unleash boys’ exploration of masculinity

CONTEXT Most people can point to a story they have read or know, where the difference between a life well-lived or not is the ability to express oneself fully. Whether male or female, right from birth, all babies cry. The erosion of male emotions to fit the hegemonic Man Box construct, however, sets in as soon as the Man Box societal norms start to bite (Driscoll, 2016). The Man Box norms do not stop there; they erode and reduce the male to a narrow set of acceptable physicalities, sexual preferences, responsibilities and interests (see Appendix 1).

Living according to the narrow Man Box construct can have an impact on mental and physical health. Reiner (2020) suggests that society is witnessing a male suicide epidemic, where men are “subjugated by a gender identity that they’re afraid to challenge, let alone liberate themselves from” (p.

The classroom is an ideal place to examine this research question. Mertler (2020) describes action research as focusing on solving a “problem of practice” (p. 15) which is a sizeable and complex problem that is nonetheless actionable and within the professional’s sphere of practice and according to Reiner (2020), schools are “the defining space” (p. 52) and teachers perform the role of “surrogate parents and social workers for their students” (p. 52).

Choosing to focus my action research on the power of an art-based and student-led masculinity programme, I explored how the boys might create their own more expansive definitions of masculinities. My action research connected well to our School Improvement Plan and was of school-wide interest. It also organically developed into collaborative action research, due to my close working relationships with the Art Department and pastoral leaders.

12). In England, for example, 75% of all suicides are male (Office for National Statistics, 2022), which Pinkett and Roberts (2019) attribute to males not talking “about their feelings” (pp. 63-64) and refer to “despair deaths” (p. 66) induced by alcohol and drug use.

Art is a naturally expressive tool and the literature is filled with examples of the reflective and healing power of art in times of disaster (Orr, 2002). My action research sought to understand whether, and to what extent, art could be combined with a masculinity programme to help our boys explore, express, and redefine masculinity for themselves.

This led me to formulate the research question: How can a Masculinity Programme, reflected through art, help Year 8 boys redefine the traditional “Man Box”?

LITERATURE REVIEW Art has been used therapeutically to synthesise and reflect on challenging topics throughout time; from famous artists, such as Picasso, who responded to the Basque bombings in his work Guernica, to art projects supporting children to process traumatic experiences in the West Bank conflicts, Nazi concentration camps, and September 11 2001 attacks (Orr, 2002). Art is a visual language and gives total freedom to explore ideas and taboo subjects uncensored (Boyle, 2012). Art also galvanises feelings (Quigley et al., 2017) and acts as a buffer to share emotions that students “perhaps could not otherwise express” (Orr, p. 10). Furthermore, journals used alongside art for students to record their feelings and ideas (Orr, 2002) can facilitate an “inward

The power of art to provide a safe space for them to explore, express, and redefine masculinity for themselves was overwhelmingly clear in their art responses.

journey of awareness” (De Beer, 2009, p. 92).

The art collective, “Boys Don’t Cry,” was founded in 2018 by a group of artists at the prestigious London-based art school Central Saint Martins. Through their art, these contemporary artists ask the question: “What does masculinity look like today?” and believe that in answering this question, “the process of producing art is just as important as art itself” (Walsh, 2020, para. 14). Corbin Shaw, one of the founding artists, has used art to help him understand his own idea of masculinity (Sidhu, 2019) and challenge masculinity stereotypes through reimagined football flag slogans. Shaw references Grayson Perry as one of his inspirations. Grayson Perry, Turner Prize winner and author of “The Descent of Man” (2017), describes a masculinity “beyond crisis” (Perry,

w: ags.bucks.sch.uk

9

Flagship: Journal for Evidence Engaged Practice

Express yourself: the power of art to unleash boys’ exploration of masculinity

cited in Driscoll, 2016, para. 24) and uses his art to challenge

The omnipresent fear of not attaining or losing Man Box

the straitjacket of emotional self-sufficiency and the narrow

credibility drives men to strive, protect, and police their

traditional masculinity that is taught from a young age

sense of masculinity. Indeed, Willer et al. (2013) suggest that

and benefits only a minority elite (Driscoll, 2016). Instead,

“the standards of true masculinity are so exacting as to be

Grayson Perry and the art collective champion the right of

virtually unattainable” (p. 983).

men to be “vulnerable, weak, uncertain and wrong” (Driscoll, 2016, para. 35) and believe that “when you make yourself vulnerable, you set yourself free” (Walsh, 2020, para. 15).

One of the greatest concerns with the Man Box concept is its link to high rates of suicidal ideation (Heilman et al., 2017; Men’s Project & Flood, 2018; Rice et al., 2017). The mismatch

The concept of hegemonic masculinity links back to the

of the outward bravado that “all is fine” carries a weighty

1950s and the work of Freud. It was first defined by Connell

burden of “insecurities, depression and frequent thoughts

(1987) in the 1980s, who went on to work with Messerschmidt

of suicide” (Heilman et al., 2017, p. 12). Although some

to redefine the hegemonic concept and juxtapositioned it

men have reported comfort and confidence in belonging

against the alternative concept of plurality of masculinities

to the Man Box, the rigidity of the norms is nevertheless

(Connell & Messerschmidt, 2005). Hegemonic masculinity

detrimental to them and others, by higher association

is not representative of the majority of men, but it is

with poorer mental well-being, lower self-esteem, higher

the idealised, superior, socially dominant normative

risk-taking, lower interpersonal social functioning, and

model against which all males are measured. Hegemonic

propensity to violence as either perpetrator or victim

masculinity evolves over time according to social and

(Courtenay, 2000; Heilman et al., 2017; Pinkett, 2022; Rice et

cultural change (Connell & Messerschmidt, 2005; Courtenay,

al., 2017; Wong et al., 2017).

2000) and is not easily defined (Whitehead, 1998).

Berkowitz (2011) describes the Man Box as a self-policed

Society norms have shifted so that men today are expected

“guy code” or “guyland,” where men protect each other from

to play a role helping within the household while still

being held accountable. They perceive perpetual threats to

expected to be the main breadwinner (Harper, 2004) and

their masculinity and experience high levels of self-stigma

be comfortable around gay men, but not be gay themselves

and shame (Reiner, 2020; Rice et al., 2017). The Man Box

(The Men’s Project & Flood, 2018). These norms are

thrives on the false assumption that the disbelievers are the

constructed and reinforced not just by men, but by women,

minority or they fear reprimand should they act against the

family, and friends (Connell & Messerschmidt, 2005; Reiner,

Man Box. The sad irony is that a minority enforce the Man

2020; The Men’s Project & Flood, 2018).

Box and the majority “secretly disagree with how we have

Sometimes referred to as “hypermasculinity” (Courtenay, 2000, p. 1391), the Man Box is “a set of socially reinforced rules about what ‘real men’ should do” (Heilman et al., 2017, p. 16) and “can be viewed as a state that requires

been taught to be men” (Berkowitz, 2011, p. 161). Berkowitz notes that men are measuring their masculinity according to “what they think other men think, not what they think women think” (p. 164).

ongoing social proof” (Rice et al., 2017, S10). The Men’s

The Masculinity Programme I designed for my Year 8 class

Project & Flood (2018) studied 1,000 Australian men aged

took the Man Box seven pillars (Heilman et al., 2017; Men’s

18 to 30 years old and built on the study of Heilman et al.

Project & Flood, 2018) and moulded them into five aspects:

(2017) in the US, UK, and Mexico. The Men’s Project drew on

Physicality, Emotions, Hypersexuality and Heterosexuality,

five decades of scholarship that document how “gender

Responsibilities, and Interests (see Appendix 1 for details).

is socially constructed” (p. 46). These two key studies

These five aspects provided a broad and positive framework

reveal the Man Box rules of today, described as “seven

that was straightforward for the Year 8 boys to understand.

pillars,” namely: “self-sufficiency, acting tough, physical attractiveness, rigid gender roles, heterosexuality and homophobia, hypersexuality, and aggression and control over women” (p. 47).

w: ags.bucks.sch.uk

11

RESEARCH CONTEXT Aylesbury Grammar School is an all-boys selective state school in South East England, with a current intake of 1,400 students aged from 11 to 18 years old. My role as a French teacher enables me to teach every year group and to see the journey students go on from boy to man.

I worked with 31 students, aged 12 to 13 years old, in one Year 8 Tutor Group; 26 of them consented to participate in the research. I had never met or taught these boys before, which meant I had to additionally build trust and rapport throughout the programme.

environment and forum where any views could (and were) shared. Each session concluded with quiet time for the boys to record their reflections (both through writing and drawings) in their journal (see Appendix 3). In this way, the boys were able to develop and articulate their thoughts about the different pillars in the Friday Discussions.

Every Tuesday lunchtime, for 12 weeks, I hosted a voluntary art session in the modern, spacious, and luminescent art room, where between six and 14 students would attend each week. The boys, inspired by Corbin Shaw’s exemplar work combining art and masculinity into flags, each transformed a section of a Union Jack flag with their slogans and drawings.

Before commencing the programme, I requested written

The work, when combined, created their collective voice

consent from the boys and their parent/carer to participate

on masculinity in the shape of large Union Jack flags (see

in the research and for their data (artwork, survey

Appendix 4). The boys were allowed to sit where they

responses, journal reflections, verbal comments and

wanted, listen to music, and use any art materials. One of

photographs/videos/recordings) to be collated and shared

the boys explained, “it’s not a normal lunch; you can do art

anonymously in the presentation of the research findings.

and learn about different sorts of stuff. It was really fun to go to a lunchtime club that I actually enjoyed.”

THE ACTION Galvanised by both the literature pointing to art as a means to explore taboo subjects, and influenced by the work of contemporary artists using art to explore masculinity, I designed an action that presented the boys with the opportunity to explore their thoughts and feelings on masculinity through their own art.

On concluding the 12-week programme, Corbin Shaw visited our school and addressed my research cohort of 31 boys, together with all 190 boys in Year 8 in the main school hall.

Shaw shared with gentle, unadorned simplicity and honesty, his life’s journey from boy to man, navigating his way through masculinity stereotypes and how he now uses art to talk about masculinity and identity. Shaw was immediately relatable to them, as he stood before them as a young

The first part of the action was a 12-week programme that

person, looking cool in his beanie and jewellery. Inspired by

ran from September 2022 to January 2023 and comprised

Shaw’s presentation, all the Year 8 boys then participated in

a weekly discussion (Friday Discussions) and a weekly art

two art workshops, to produce several Union Jack flags and a

session (Tuesday Art). The second part of the action was the

giant flag tapestry, all voicing their take on masculinity today

hosting of Corbin Shaw at Aylesbury Grammar School on

(see Appendices 4 & 5).

27th January 2023, to speak to my research cohort of 31 boys, together with all of Year 8, about how he uses art to express masculinity. Shaw’s presentation was followed by two art

DATA COLLECTION

workshops that he facilitated.

Before launching the programme, and on its completion,

Drawing on the pivotal seven pillars Man Box construct

I collected qualitative and quantitative data, using free-

defined by The Men’s Project & Flood (2018), I created the Friday Discussions programme (see Appendix 2) to introduce a new article or video each week that underpinned the seven pillars organised into five aspects (see Appendix 1) and designed to activate the boys’ reflections and discussions. Every Friday morning registration, the Head Boys, as relatable mentors, and I co-facilitated the

format and Likert-scale questionnaires and Gingerbread drawings (see Appendix 6). Throughout the programme, I gathered additional qualitative data through the boys’ journals and art, my field notes, and the Corbin Shaw workshop art. Finally, I conducted four focus groups, capturing the voices of 26 boys in small groups of six to eight students.

20-minute sessions. We purposefully restrained from giving our views or any judgements and established an 12

Flagship: Journal for Evidence Engaged Practice

Express yourself: the power of art to unleash boys’ exploration of masculinity

DATA ANALYSIS

DISCUSSION OF RESULTS

I collated vast and diverse qualitative and quantitative data

Through my analysis of the data, I identified three major

throughout the programme and achieved polyangulation

themes. The first theme was how art liberated the boys

(Mertler, 2020) through mixed-methods data analysis. I used

to explore and to express their thoughts and feelings on

inductive analysis to spot patterns and identify themes,

the subject of masculinity. The second theme was how

which I then confirmed back and forth across the range of

art helped the boys to challenge hegemonic masculinity

data (journals, focus groups, art, questionnaires, my field

and the Man Box stereotypes, and to redefine masculinity

notes) to distil a robust instructive narrative. The boys’

for themselves. The third theme emerged from the

responses revealed (in hindsight) how important it was to

questionnaire analysis and handful of contradictory voices,

have provided the journals and art to explore and express

to caution that there is still work to be done in expanding

themselves because some of the students only revealed

perspectives on masculinities.

their thoughts and feelings in these mediums, choosing not to say anything in the more vocal platforms of the Friday discussions or focus groups.

To ensure rigour in these data, before collecting them, I constructed and checked all the questions for clarity and impartiality with expert colleagues in the school and with my IBSC mentors. I produced several iterations of the wording in the questionnaires (both free-format and Likert scale designs) and the questions for the structured focus groups.

Additionally, I reminded the boys before they completed each questionnaire or participated in the focus groups, that their data would be confidential and anonymous and that they could withdraw consent for its use at any point. I did not deviate from the agreed questions and did not respond positively or negatively to anything the boys said to ensure that I did not inadvertently lead their responses.

For the qualitative data, I transcribed and coded all the focus group discussions, the slogans on the art, the journal writing and drawings, the labels and drawings on the Gingerbread drawings, and the free-format questionnaire responses. I used thematic coding schemes to identify repeated words and sentiments and then polyangulated these data with the qualitative data of my field notes and the quantitative questionnaire responses.

Pursuant to Mertler’s (2020) guidance on rigorous inductive analysis, I welcomed and analysed data that contradicted the emerging patterns and included detailed commentary from all three boys who shared opinions in support of the Man Box.

ART FREED THE BOYS TO EXPLORE AND EXPRESS MASCULINITY The boys discovered the freedom that art gave them and the power of art to express themselves. When describing the art sessions, 14 of the boys described a sense of freedom and feeling free, or referenced the relaxed setting of the art sessions. One boy described his hopes for a future where he would be “free, because we’re not supposed to be trapped.”

The boys described again and again how art helped them to express themselves and the word “express” was reported by 14 of the 26 boys. One boy said, “it showed me how much you can actually express yourself through art,” and another, “I liked expressing my feelings in the way I drew it.” Many boys felt it was “easier to draw” and preferred the art sessions because it was a “way to say our thoughts” and “it’s easier to express yourself without having to say words because your art can say all it needs.”

My field note observations captured that the boys at times appeared awkward, embarrassed, or reticent to share their opinions, and this was further evidenced by the boys’ questionnaire responses, where seven boys said they felt masculinity was a difficult subject to talk about. In contrast, I noted that the boys appeared at ease in the art setting and would chat easily and sometimes dance. Art provided a comfortable place to explore masculinity, with one boy saying, “the biggest thing I got out of [the art sessions] was just speaking about [masculinity] because not many people actually speak about it in modern day.” For another boy, the comfort was in the brush: “Masculinity is quite a complex topic … it’s a bit difficult to express it in words but expressing in pictures is usually easier.”

w: ags.bucks.sch.uk

13

The boys discovered how art could help them reflect on the topic of masculinity because it is such a personal and meditative process. One boy said it was easier to explore his ideas in the art sessions because unlike writing, where “you could have the help of other people, what you should write down, it was just all on yourself and you could get more of an idea of what you think.” Many also found comfort in the small-sized group, with seven students mentioning peacefulness and quiet, with “time to say what you think”, “listen to others,” and “share more things.”

In addition to giving them a space for exploration, the boys also discovered the power of art as a means of expressing their thoughts and feelings on masculinity. Without realising, the boys used Boyle’s (2012) language when they described how art “visualises your opinion” and is “a kind of free art form.” When the boys struggled to find the words to discuss masculinity either because their sentiments were too complex or writing it felt “almost like rude,” they preferred expressing themselves through art. As one boy said, “some things you can’t put into words.”

Just as Corbin Shaw shared how art helps him “to understand [his] own idea of masculinity” (Sidhu, 2019, para. 6) and the art collective “Boys Don’t Cry” stated, “the process of producing art is just as important as art itself” (Walsh, 2020, para. 14), so too did the boys flourish in exploring and expressing masculinities through their art.

For example, one of the boys revealed only via his art and his journal, his personal perspective. His art slogan stated, “BALLET IS FOR MEN” and in his journal, he wrote “dance is not gay, nor feminine. My dad … is a ballet dancer but to me, he’s very masculine and shows it often.” He was one of many boys who said art helped him to express his thoughts and feelings on masculinity.

The boys discovered the freedom that art gave them and the power of art to express themselves.

14

Flagship: Journal for Evidence Engaged Practice

Express yourself: the power of art to unleash boys’ exploration of masculinity

w: ags.bucks.sch.uk

15

ART HELPED THE BOYS TO CHALLENGE AND REDEFINE THE

instead: “SUPPORT SAVES,” “RELEASE YOUR FEELINGS,” “MEN

HEGEMONIC “MAN BOX”

CAN CRY,” and “MEN DO CRY.” (Figure 1). Summed up perfectly

Art provided a mechanism for the boys to challenge hegemonic masculinity and offer alternative perspectives.

Empowered by the examples we studied of contemporary

by one boy: “a man can have any emotions he wants when he escapes the man box”.

Figure 1: Example Art Slogans Championing Vulnerability

artists using art to dismantle male stereotypes, 17 of the boys similarly used their art to unpick the Man Box. When listening to Corbin Shaw talk about his personal story of navigating Man Box stereotypes, the interest amongst the boys was palpable. One boy captured how meaningful it was to “hear from someone who is recognised for challenging the Man Box and things like that in person.”

The boys challenged the Man Box in a variety of ways. Some began by questioning traditional masculine stereotypes.

For example, one boy drew a “New Man Box” in his journal with the following words crossed out: “cool,” “attractive,” and “muscular.” Several boys drew pictures in their journals of men escaping boxes. One boy said they call it a Man Box “because basically you’re boxed up in a cage with all those rules,” and another described it as “something that you should be able to break out.” Nine students also countered the stereotype of a man needing to be “tough” in their art slogans (Appendices 4 & 5) by championing vulnerability

16

Flagship: Journal for Evidence Engaged Practice

Express yourself: the power of art to unleash boys’ exploration of masculinity

Other boys celebrated an unshackling from the Man Box

responsibilities for children (16). Furthermore, more boys

through art slogans (see Appendices 4 & 5) that encourage

disassociated fighting (16), number of sexual partners (16),

boys to be themselves instead of following societal

and physical appearance from success (14). The pressure to

stereotypes: “BE YOU,” “DEFINE YOURSELF,” “MY PERSON, MY

be the breadwinner dipped (-2); the association between

DECISIONS!” and “LIVING LIFE AS A MAN MYSELF” (Figure 2).

sport and masculinity was weaker (-2), and the relationship

Ten of the 26 boys noted, “you shouldn’t let other people

between music and masculinity, stronger (+2), which

decide what a man is.” Poignantly one boy said, “I know that

reflected a more balanced perspective.

society would tell you to do ‘this stuff’ and ‘that stuff’ … but I didn’t know that you can have your own choice.”

When the boys wanted to express something they considered potentially “rude”, they turned to drawing rather than writing as a more comfortable way of expressing themselves.

Figure 2: Example Art Slogans Celebrating Unshackling from the Man Box

The boys attributed their broader perspectives about the Man Box to both the art sessions where “you’d get loads of different opinions” and the Friday discussions.

Captured eloquently by one boy: “I feel like now I’m less narrow-minded … There are lots of definitions and there’s not really a big solid Google definition of them to be a man.”

The questionnaire responses confirmed that the majority of boys had progressed and broadened their thinking.

The measures across the seven pillars (Heilman et al., 2017; Men’s Project & Flood, 2018) showed a positive shift away from all of the Man Box stereotypes. Following the programme, the 26 questionnaire responses indicated that more boys supported sharing worries (19), crying in front of friends (13), being taught chores (20), and sharing w: ags.bucks.sch.uk

17

ART PROVIDED THE PLATFORM FOR NEW PERSPECTIVES BUT THERE IS STILL WORK TO BE DONE Despite the positive shifts in their thoughts and actions, the boys still reported in their questionnaires that they want to be described by their friends as strong and tough, rather than gentle, kind, and honest. They still felt it was less okay for a boy to be sensitive, vulnerable, and scared.

Despite the 18 Gingerbread drawings that said, “[you] can be anything … allowed to cry … any sexuality,” it is premature to celebrate because eight Gingerbreads appeared to sustain the Man Box stereotypes of muscles and violence, and hypermasculinity sentiments found their way into their art: “DON’T BE SIGMA,” “HIT THE GYM NO EXCUSES,” and “MEN ARE MEN.” Even though all the boys gained new perspectives from the programme, three boys in particular shared reservations that may help explain the persistence of the Man Box stereotypes. The first boy reflected, “we might all be on the same page now but then tomorrow everybody’s parents might say something different.” He added that the discussions on masculinity in school are just one voice and we must recognise “everybody has different views.” The second boy stated that “now my Dad does the dishes too.”

His thoughts echo today’s societal norms that men are now expected to help at home whilst preserving the other Man Box stereotypes (Harper, 2004). The third boy shared that the programme “hasn’t really changed my opinion

CONCLUSIONS The power of art to unleash the boys’ exploration of masculinity was a prodigious realisation for me. Even though this point is amply evidenced in the literature, seeing it manifest itself so emphatically within my action research was a revelation. The boys voiced again and again in focus groups how art had allowed them to “express” their thoughts and feelings on masculinity.

When the boys wanted to express something they considered potentially “rude,” they turned to drawing rather than writing as a more comfortable way of expressing themselves. Some boys’ thoughts would never have been heard, had it not been for the art or journals (both private mediums to reflect and share thoughts) because they chose not to share in more open mediums (class discussions and focus groups).

All the boys’ perspectives on masculinity started from a different place, shaped by their experiences to date.

Through a combination of the Friday discussions, Tuesday Art, and the Corbin Shaw workshops, all the boys progressed their thinking on masculinity. My deliberate design of a non-teaching, non-leading programme, which instead presented well-evidenced material for their inward reflection and peer perusal, allowed each of them to go on their own inward journey of reflection and refine their personal views on masculinity.

about [masculinity].” He said, “we do need people who will

The implications for my own future practice are to now be

partially follow the Man Box” to maintain labour for the

cognisant of the power of art and journaling for reflective

“mines, the power plants”– a viewpoint traceable to the

and expressive learning, and how these techniques might

1950s (Connell & Messerschmidt, 2005).

be used in a multitude of ways and disciplines. There is

Despite their reservations, the three boys acknowledged that the programme challenged them to think more critically about their views. As the second boy stated, the Friday discussions “challenged what I thought is just normal” and now “it’s made masculinity feel optional instead of a mandatory requirement.” These comments highlight the

an appetite to re-run the programme and Corbin Shaw workshops for future boys. In the words of Shaw, “this has truly been the most important project of [my] entire career.”

Finally, the very visual and lasting feature of my action research will be the display of the boys’ flags and giant flag tapestry in the school.

importance of keeping open discussions and continuing

Rachael’s full report, reflection and appendices are

the programme.

accessible whilst published on the IBSC website and can be found at https://www.theibsc.org/uploaded/IBSC/Action_ Reseach/AR_2022-23/Reports/Final_Jackson-R.pdf

18

Flagship: Journal for Evidence Engaged Practice

Express yourself: the power of art to unleash boys’ exploration of masculinity

w: ags.bucks.sch.uk

19

REFERENCES Berkowitz, A. (2011) Using how college men feel about being men and “doing the right thing” to promote men’s development. In J. A. Laker and T. Davis (Eds.), Masculinities in higher education: Theoretical and practical considerations (pp. 161–176). Routledge. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/ Alan-Berkowitz/publication/239614954_How_College_Men_Feel_about_Being_

Lu, A., & Wong, Y. (2013). Stressful experiences of masculinity among U.S.-Born and Immigrant Asian American men. Gender & Society, 27(3), 345–371. https:// doi.org/10.1177/0891243213479446 Martino, W. (1999). “Cool boys”, “party animals”, “squids” and “poofters”: Interrogating the dynamics and politics of adolescent masculinities in school.

British Journal of Sociology of Education, 20(2), 239–263. ​​

Men_and_Doing_the_Right_Thing/links/5731008008ae08415e6a8546/How-

Mertler C. A. (2020). Action research: improving schools and empowering

College-Men-Feel-about-Being-Men-and-Doing-the-Right-Thing.pdf

educators (6th ed.). SAGE Publications.

Boyle, S. (2012). Vitreous fragility: Reimagining women through art. In E. A.

Office for National Statistics (2022, September 6). Suicides in England

Sheehy (Ed.), Sexual Assault in Canada: Law, Legal Practice and Women’s

and Wales.

Activism (pp. 313–330). University of Ottawa Press. http://www.jstor.org/ stable/j.ctt2jcb92.18 Brozo, W. G., Walter, P., & Placker, T. (2002). “I know the difference between a real man and a TV man”: A critical exploration of violence and masculinity through literature in a junior high school in the ’hood. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 45(6), 530–538.

Connell, R. W., & Messerschmidt, J. W. (2005). Hegemonic masculinity: Rethinking the concept. Gender and Society, 19(6), 829–859. http://www.jstor. org/stable/27640853 Connell, R. W. (1992). A very straight gay: Masculinity, homosexual experience, and the dynamics of gender. American Sociological Review, 57(6), 735–751.

Connell, R. W. (1989). Cool guys, swots and wimps: The interplay of masculinity and education. Oxford Review of Education, 15(3), 291–303.

Connell, R. (1987). Gender and power: Society, the person and sexual politics. John Wiley & Sons.https://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&i

https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/ birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/bulletins/ suicidesintheunitedkingdom/2021registrations Orr, P. P. (2002). Exploring the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attack through an expressive mural project. Art Education, 55(2), 6–10. https://doi. org/10.2307/3193984 Perry, G. (2017). The descent of man. Penguin Books Pinkett, M. (2022, July 18). Porn panic? The impact of pornography viewing on boys and masculinity [Webinar]. Eventbrite 16:00-17:00 https://www.dropbox. com/s/cf9zgkdg16ncflf/video1322224617.mp4?dl=0 Pinkett, M., & Roberts, M. (2019). Boys don’t try? Rethinking masculinity in schools. Routledge.

Porter, T. (2018, 22 March). Teaching our boys to be men. [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzvM35BWJiQ

d=DoZuDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR3&ots=S4Fk2eXBZi&sig=KDbkmTGTHgG1-

Quigley, C., Harrington, J., & Herro, D. (2017). Moving beyond STEAM: Art as

KPYy0iebqino84&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false

expression. Science Scope, 40(9), 32–39. http://www.jstor.org/stable/26389165

Courtenay, W. (2000). Constructions of masculinity and their influence on

Reiner, A. (2020). Better boys, better me. HarperOne.

men’s well-being: A theory of gender and health. Social Science & Medicine, 50(2000), 1385-1401

Rice, S. M., Purcell, R., & McGorry, P. D. (2018). Adolescent and young adult male mental health: Transforming system failures into proactive models of

de Beer, M. (2009). CHAPTER FIVE: Memory-based expressions of the

engagement. The Journal of Adolescent Health: Official publication of the

self: Demonstration/expression of identity through the art of making.

Society for Adolescent Medicine, 62(3S), S9–S17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.

Counterpoints, 357, 77–95. http://www.jstor.org/stable/42980339

jadohealth.2017.07.024

Driscoll, B. (2016, November 19). Grayson Perry on why old-school masculinity

Roper, M. (2005). Between manliness and masculinity: The “War Generation”

is man’s greatest enemy. HuffPost. https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/

and the psychology of fear in Britain, 1914–1950. Journal of British Studies,

grayson-perry-masculinity-descent-of-man_uk_582f6899e4b0c6c8bc15aa4f

44(2), 343–362. https://doi.org/10.1086/427130

Flood, M., Dragiewicz, M. and Pease, B. (2020). Resistance and backlash to

Sidhu, T. J. (2019, December 17). Art lads: The young British artists grabbing

gender equality. Australian Journal of Social Issues, 56(3), 393-408.

masculinity by the balls. The Face. https://theface.com/culture/lad-culture-

GQ (2019). The state of masculinity now (A GQ Survey) https://www.gq.com/ story/state-of-masculinity-survey Harper, S. (2004). The measure of a man: Conceptualizations of masculinity among high-achieving African American male college students. Berkeley Journal of Sociology. 48, 89–107.

Heilman, B., Barker, G. & Harrison, A. (2017). The Man Box: A study on being a young man in the US, UK, and Mexico. Washington, DC and London: Promundo-

mental-health-contemporary-art-photography-corbin-shaw-trackie-mcleodsam-harris Shover, N., Norland, S., James, J., & Thornton, W. E. (1979). Gender roles and delinquency. Social Forces, 58(1), 162–175. https://doi.org/10.2307/2577791 Sinacore, A., Shaofan, B., & Cheng, P. (2020). Responsible sexual citizenship in today’s world: The challenges confronting boys. International Boys’ Schools Coalition.

US and Unilever. https://mankindproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/ TheManBox-Full-EN-Final-29.03.2017-POSTPRINT.v2.pdf

Flagship: Journal for Evidence Engaged Practice

Express yourself: the power of art to unleash boys’ exploration of masculinity Swain, J. (2000). “The money’s good, the fame’s good, the girls are good”: The role of playground football in the construction of young boys’ masculinity in a junior school. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 21(1), 95–109. http:// www.jstor.org/stable/1393361 The Men’s Project & Flood, M, (2018). The Man Box: A study on being a young man in Australia. Jesuit Social Services. https://apo.org.au/sites/default/files/ resource-files/2018-10/apo-nid197286.pdf Walsh, S. (2020, July 24). The softboi series: Creatives tackling male mental health. SHOWstudio. https://www.showstudio.com/news/softboi-seriescreatives-tackling-male-mental-health Wong, Y. J., Ho, M. R., Wang, S. Y., & Miller, I. S. (2017). Meta-analyses of the relationship between conformity to masculine norms and mental healthrelated outcomes. Journal of counselling psychology, 64(1), 80–93. https://doi. org/10.1037/cou0000176

w: ags.bucks.sch.uk

21

Does the use of anonymous low stakes testing improve learning in Year 10 more than non-anonymised Google forms?

ABSTRACT Ensuring that our students are learning is the most important aspect of a teacher’s job and thus it is something we all want to maximise. One of the most widely used tools teachers draw on to ensure this is low stakes testing (LST).

It has been widely proven in the academic literature that low stakes testing does improve the learning of students, but low stakes testing can take many forms. There is dispute within the academic community as to how ‘low’ the stakes should be in low stakes testing. Some argue that it should be anonymous and not scored, in order for students to feel free to make mistakes and to reduce test anxiety (Dominguez et al, 2019), while proponents of scored and non-anonymous low stakes testing argue that this encourages more effort out of students and thus they learn more (Eklof, 2010). I wanted to find out which is the most effective. I carried out this research with two Year 10 geography classes who happened to have the exact same target grades. One was given a series of anonymous low stakes tests on blank pieces of paper, the other was a non-anonymous Google Form. Over the course of 8 weeks, the students were given a low stakes test each week. At the of module test. Both classes were also asked to give their feedback on their experience of the low stakes testing, mainly on how useful they found it and how it made them feel.

Marcus Travers

Teacher of Geography and Politics, Pupil Premium Coordinator

end of the 8 weeks, both classes were tested with an end

22

Flagship: Journal for Evidence Engaged Practice

Does the use of anonymous low stakes testing improve learning in Year 10 more than non-anonymised Google forms?

The results were interesting although not entirely conclusive. Both groups achieved improved results in the high stakes test compared to their previous results earlier in the term. Furthermore, this difference was statistically significant. Students completing the non-anonymous Google forms achieved better results and improved more than the anonymous low stakes class, however the difference was small and not statistically significant. Finally, students

CONTEXT Aylesbury Grammar School is a selective all boys’ school in Buckinghamshire. The majority of students do very well at A-level and GCSE, with the average GCSE grade in 2022 being a 7.6. Most students are motivated to do well and so finding the most effective strategies to improve learning is a high priority.

found the non-anonymous Google forms more useful,

The use of low stakes testing is nothing new and has

but also enjoyed them slightly less and found them more

numerous benefits. Firstly it improves knowledge recall,

emotionally taxing.

particularly for things like key terms, definitions and

Time is in short supply in teaching so I’ve included the main takeaways teachers should take both from my research and from the academic literature below.

•

Low stakes testing should be incorporated into your

examples (Agarwal et al., 2013). Secondly it can be great at addressing misunderstandings that students might have, as the low stakes atmosphere makes the students feel comfortable enough to make mistakes (Agarwal et al., 2013).

Thirdly it has been found to reduce test anxiety, as students

subject to improve knowledge recall and

address misunderstandings. (Agarwal et al., 2013)

•

Low stakes testing is most effective when a range

can create Low Stakes Tests (LSTs) that replicate the real

of question types are used, such as multiple choice,

exams and thus this provides students with exam practice

short response and longer response. (Pools and

and marker feedback. Finally, it can allow a teacher to

Monseur, 2021)

find gaps in the knowledge of an individual or a group of

•

A minimum of 3 low stakes tests are needed before

a major assessment for a significant improvement

in attainment. (Brame & Biel, 2015)

are more prepared and are more acclimatised when they face a summative assessment (Agarwal et al., 2014). Teachers

students (Roediger et al., 2011). This is the main reason why I have increased the amount of LSTs I’ve used in the classroom over the last three years. During and after Covid, it became clear that many students had large gaps in their

•

Creating Google Quizzes is time consuming. Some

understanding, and the first job was to find out where they

strategies to overcome this are to share resources

were and which ones to prioritise. I found non-anonymous

within your department, find preexisting examples

Google forms ideal as it gives you all the useful data, meaning

on the internet, or use AI to create them, free

I could target particular topics to individual students. It was

services such as QuestionWell are quite good.

also useful during lockdowns as a way of judging progress.

However, many students didn’t like them as they felt I was trying to ‘catch them out’ or judge them, undermining many of the benefits of low stakes testing. A lot of academic research (Agarwal et al., 2013) indicates that LSTs should be used to improve learning, not judging progress. However the counter argument is that learning only takes place when effort levels are high, something which there is little incentive for in LSTs (Pools and Monseur, 2021). What this research aims to find out is whether anonymised low stakes testing improves learning more than the less low stakes testing in the form of a non-anonymised Google form quiz.

w: ags.bucks.sch.uk

23

LITERATURE REVIEW

METHODS

There is a strong consensus within the academic community

1.

that low stakes testing is highly beneficial to learning, with

many benefits to all ages. Firstly, it is an excellent tool for improving knowledge recall, with more difficult LSTs eliciting longer lasting retrieval among students (Agarwal et al., 2013).

On top of this, it improves how students organise knowledge and allows them to apply that knowledge to new situations more effectively (Roediger et al., 2011). Furthermore, regular low stakes testing improves confidence (Meer and Chapman,

2.

Does low stakes testing improve academic attainment in the context of AGS? Does the use of non-anonymised Google forms

in low stakes testing improve academic attainment

more than anonymous low stakes testing?

3.

4.

Which form of low stakes testing do students value more as a learning tool?

How do the emotional responses of students differ

2014) and reduces test anxiety (Agarwal et al., 2014) as

between non-anonymised Google forms and

students are more prepared and conditioned for high stakes

anonymous low stakes testing?

assessments. Finally, perhaps the most useful benefit to the teacher is that it identifies gaps in knowledge and thus can inform teaching (Roediger et al., 2011).

However, there is less consensus on the most effective method of low stakes testing. Non-anonymous testing is more effective at informing teachers of gaps in knowledge.

On top of this, it is argued that anonymous LSTs provide little incentive for students and thus they put in less effort, leading to less learning (Thelk et al., 2009). However, many argue that LSTs should be anonymous and unscored as this provides a lower stakes environment more conducive to learning (Agarwal et al., 2013).

I selected two geography classes in Year 10 to conduct my research on. One of the reasons for this was that they happened to have the same number of students (29) and the exact same average target grade (7.69), which was worked out using the YELLIS test. In theory this isolated at least two variables, being academic ability and class size which would make the findings of this research project more valuable.

I also chose to start a new module of plate tectonics as they had not covered this topic before at school and this should help isolate a lot of the differences in preexisting topic knowledge. Each class took part in a weekly low stakes test for a period of eight weeks. The reason for this time

In contrast, many academics argue that this distinction is

frame was that previous research had shown that low stakes

not of primary importance, instead it is imperative that

testing only yielded greater attainment when completed at

the method is regularly changed as student engagement

least three times before an assessment (Brame & Biel, 2015).

decreases after time (Pools and Monseur, 2021). Thus, using

Each low stakes test contained between 8-12 questions

different types and difficulty of question as well as altering

which allowed for all elements of a subtopic to be covered,

the medium used to deliver the LST is good practice.

as well as a range of question types to be included such as multiple choice, short response and more open long response questions. I did this because low stakes testing has been shown to be most effective when a range of question

Low stakes testing did improve the educational outcomes of both groups of Year 10 students in a statistically significant way.

types are used (Brame and Biel, 2015). The questions each class received along with the mark scheme were exactly the same. Both classes had their LST under exam conditions and received the exact same amount of time to complete the LST. The big difference was that one class completed their answers on paper and their answers were anonymous, while the other class completed their answers on a Google form quiz that was not anonymous.

24

Flagship: Journal for Evidence Engaged Practice

Does the use of anonymous low stakes testing improve learning in Year 10 more than non-anonymised Google forms?

ANONYMOUS PAPER LOW STAKES TESTING The anonymous LST class received their questions from

DOES LOW STAKES TESTING IMPROVE ACADEMIC ATTAINMENT IN THE CONTEXT OF AGS?

the board, which I also read out, creating a more informal

For this I compared the students’ results from the end

atmosphere. The students wrote their answers on a piece of

of module tectonics test to previous end of module tests

paper without their names on it and folded it once. I then

they had already done. I then used the Mann-Whitney U

collected the answers, shuffled them thoroughly and then

test to ascertain whether this relationship was

distributed them across the class where they were peer

statistically significant.

marked. Afterwards I would take them in and check they were marked correctly and adjust marks accordingly. The students did not get their own answers back.

NON-ANONYMOUS GOOGLE FORM LOW STAKES TESTING

DOES THE USE OF NON-ANONYMISED GOOGLE FORMS IN LOW STAKES TESTING IMPROVE LEARNING MORE THAN ANONYMOUS LOW STAKES TESTING? For this I compared the plate tectonics end of module test

The non-anonymous LST class received their questions

results (HST) of both classes and used the Mann-Whitney

via a Google form quiz that they could access on their

U test to see if the difference between the two classes was

Chromebook. I monitored the screens using a piece of

statistically significant.

software called Senso while standing at the back of the room so I could see their desks. The students were informed that once they submitted the Google form, I would see their score for each question and total score.

The reason for having two variables was that when I was conducting my pre-research with another set of classes, many students remarked on how they perceived Google forms as higher stakes and more anxiety inducing and so their inclusion would help provide an effective way of increasing the gulf in stakes between the two types of test.

On top of this, since Covid, there has been a significant shift towards the use of Google form quizzes and I wanted to see whether the additional time needed to create them was warranted by greater learning outcomes. In hindsight it would have been better to isolate these two variables.

Instead I should have tested the use of paper quizzes versus

WHICH FORM OF LOW STAKES TESTING DO STUDENTS VALUE MORE AS A LEARNING TOOL AND HOW DO THE EMOTIONAL RESPONSES OF STUDENTS DIFFER BETWEEN GOOGLE FORMS AND ANONYMOUS LOW STAKES TESTING? For this, I gave students an anonymous questionnaire to fill out containing the questions below. Questions 4-11 were scored from a scale of 1-5 with a written mark scheme for each value to best ensure consistency in scoring from student to student.

1.

2.

3.

Google form quiz, and anonymous Google form quiz versus

non-anonymous Google form quiz. Unfortunately, this was

4.

something I simply did not have the time for, but would be an interesting research project for the future. Both classes then sat the exact same high stakes end of module test in the form of a past GCSE exam paper. Both classes

Please use 3 terms to describe how you feel about doing the quizzes.

What do you like to have in a quiz? Are there certain features you think make a good quiz?

What do you dislike about quizzes? Are there certain questions you find unhelpful? formats? Etc. How useful do you find the quizzes for

remembering things?

5.

How useful do you find the quizzes for correcting misunderstandings?

sat the exam under the same conditions with the same

6.

How stressful do you find the quizzes?

time constraints.

7.

How focused are you when doing the quizzes?

I analysed the data by comparing several elements which I

8.

How tempted are you to cheat in quizzes? (This is

have split up by key aims.

9.

anonymous so please be honest.)

How much pressure do you feel when doing the quizzes? 3 = what you would normally feel in

a lesson

w: ags.bucks.sch.uk

25

10. Do you enjoy the quizzes? (In the context of this

being a lesson so we have to do work.)

11. How much do you worry about your score compared

to your friends/ classmates?

DOES THE USE OF NON-ANONYMISED GOOGLE FORMS IN LOW STAKES TESTING IMPROVE LEARNING MORE THAN ANONYMOUS LOW STAKES TESTING? While both groups saw a significant improvement in their attainment, the increase was not equal. The group that had

FINDINGS

used non-anonymised Google forms as their form of LST saw a greater improvement of 4.5 percentage points, compared

DOES LOW STAKES TESTING IMPROVE ACADEMIC

to the other group’s 4 percentage point increase. While this

ATTAINMENT IN THE CONTEXT OF AGS?

isn’t a large difference, a half percentage point increase in

Students in both classes saw significant improvements in their high stakes test score as can be seen in figure 1.

attainment across eight weeks would be very significant and would add up to a full grade boundary across the course of a GCSE. However, the Mann-Whitney U test indicated that the difference was most likely a coincidence and so we must reject the hypothesis that ‘non-anonymised Google forms improve academic attainment more than anonymised low stakes testing’. This is somewhat in keeping with previous research, which is very divided on whether low stakes testing should be anonymous, proctored or even no stakes.

On top of this I also looked to see whether LSTs were good predictors for success in high stakes assessments. The idea being that if they were then the data we can collect from

Figure 1

On average, the students improved from an average score of 69% before the LST, to 73.25% afterwards. Not only is this a sizable improvement but the difference is statistically significant, meaning that we can say with 97% certainty that the improvement seen in test results is not a coincidence.

This is not overly surprising as it matches the findings of the literature and is encouraging. However, it is very difficult to ascertain how much of this improvement is down to the low stakes testing. There are many other variables that could have played a role and are not possible to isolate.

The students have had more chances to practise their exam technique since the previous tests, perhaps some revised harder after doing poorly in their Year 10 mocks. Thus, while

them is valuable and would thus be another benefit of non anonymised low stakes testing. The results can be seen in figure 2, where a weak positive correlation between the LST score and high stakes assessment score can be seen.

However, I used Spearman’s rank coefficient to see if there was a statistically significant relationship between the two and alas there is not. This means that while LSTs do improve learning, they do not accurately predict who will do well in high stakes assessments, and so are not overly useful pieces of data when it comes to tracking student progress. This supports the study of Agarwal et al. (2013), that low stakes testing should be used for knowledge recall as opposed to an assessment tool, thus there is little point in having students put their names on their LSTs.

LST has improved the learning and academic attainment of my Year 10s, it is not clear how significant it has been in promoting this.

Figure 1

26

Flagship: Journal for Evidence Engaged Practice

w: ags.bucks.sch.uk

27

WHICH FORM OF LOW STAKES TESTING DO STUDENTS VALUE

Figures 4 and 5 show a wordcloud of the most common

MORE AS A LEARNING TOOL AND HOW DO THE EMOTIONAL

feelings students felt when completing the LSTs, the larger

RESPONSES OF STUDENTS DIFFER BETWEEN GOOGLE FORMS AND ANONYMOUS LOW STAKES TESTING? As you can see in figure 3, for most of the eight categories, there is not a significant difference in the students’ perception of either type of LST. As a learning tool, the two methods are perceived as virtually identical, with the non-anonymised Google form being seen as slightly better

the word, the more common a response it was.

Then most frequent terms across both groups generally refer to LSTs being useful and interesting learning tools. However, there is noticeably more negative emotional language present in the non-anonymised Google form LST group, which is in keeping with the rest of the data.

for fixing misunderstandings and knowledge recall. From later interviews, this was likely due to the students being unable to pinpoint or remember their mistakes in the anonymous LSTs, while the Google form was able to give instant feedback. The anonymous paper LST was perceived as a more focused experience that was less tempting to cheat on. Further discussions with students revealed that the presence of a laptop makes focus harder and cheating easier, which is not overly surprising, but still worth considering when we are thinking of the aims of our low

Figure 4

stakes testing.

Figure 3

Figure 5

The difference in emotional experience is much greater, with the non-anonymous Google form eliciting more stress, embarrassment and being seen as a higher pressure situation. At a first glance this is a clear negative for nonanonymised Google forms as a high stress and high pressure environment is not conducive to learning. However, the mean scores are never greater than a 3 out of 5 (with 5 being very stressful/ embarrassing) and thus it could be argued that for most this is not a stressful situation. Further, the higher stress indicates that the stakes are higher for the students and thus greater motivation, leading to greater learning (Eklof, 2010).

28

Flagship: Journal for Evidence Engaged Practice

Does the use of anonymous low stakes testing improve learning in Year 10 more than non-anonymised Google forms?

CONCLUSION

REFERENCES

Low stakes testing did improve the educational outcomes of

Agarwal, P. K., D’antonio, L., Roediger III, H. L., McDermott, K. B., & McDaniel,

both groups of Year 10 students in a statistically significant

M. A. (2014). Classroom-based programs of retrieval practice reduce middle

way. However, while it was possible to isolate some of the variables, such as lesson content, homework, student ability, it was not possible to isolate others and so it is hard to say how much of the 4.25 percentage point improvement was due to the LSTs. Furthermore, while non-anonymous Google forms did yield higher results and a greater improvement in attainment, the difference was small and not statistically significant. Thus, in the context of Year 10s at AGS, non anonymised Google forms do not improve learning more than anonymous low stakes testing. There were minimal differences in the emotional toll and enjoyment of each LST method, although anonymous testing came out marginally on top. Ultimately, both methods are excellent learning tools and their utility comes down to preference and circumstance. If your aim is to identify struggling students and tailor your support to them, then a non-anonymised Google form is more useful, however it may be less useful on a highly strung group of students about to take their GCSEs or A levels. The important thing is to use low stakes testing regularly throughout the year, vary the method and use a variety of question types.

school and high school students’ test anxiety. Journal of applied research in memory and cognition, 3(3), 131-139.

Agarwal, P. K., Roediger, H. L., McDaniel, M. A., & McDermott, K. B. (2013). How to use retrieval practice to improve learning. Saint Louis, MO: Washington University in St. Louis.

Brame, C. J., & Biel, R. (2015). Test-enhanced learning: the potential for testing to promote greater learning in undergraduate science courses. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 14(2), es4.

Domínguez, C., López-Cuadrado, J., Armendariz, A., Jaime, A., Heras, J., & Pérez, T. A. (2019). Exploring the differences between low-stakes proctored and unproctored language testing using an Internet-based application. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 32(5-6), 483-509.

Eklöf, H. (2010). Skill and will: Test-taking motivation and assessment quality.

Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, 17(4), 345-356.

Pools, E., & Monseur, C. (2021). Student test-taking effort in low-stakes assessments: Evidence from the English version of the PISA 2015 science test.

Large-scale Assessments in Education, 9(1), 1-31.

Roediger III, H. L., Putnam, A. L., & Smith, M. A. (2011). Ten benefits of testing and their applications to educational practice. Psychology of learning and motivation, 55, 1-36.

Thelk, A. D., Sundre, D. L., Horst, S. J., & Finney, S. J. (2009). Motivation matters: Using the Student Opinion Scale to make valid inferences about student performance. The Journal of General Education, 58(3), 129-151.

The important thing is to use low stakes testing regularly throughout the year, vary the method and use a variety of question types.

w: ags.bucks.sch.uk

29

How can a student research group contribute to a wider culture of research?

ABSTRACT At Aylesbury Grammar School, there is strong evidence of a growing culture of research within staff. Flagship is on its fifth volume, and action research conducted by staff within School has already, in the past, led to change and further development in areas such as diversity and inclusion within the curriculum, and the promotion of literacy across all subject areas. However, as much as student voice is reflected often within data collection and the findings of our research, how much of a role can students play in the action research?

The answer to this question may be found in what is described as ‘participatory action research’ by researchers such as Michelle Fine (2021). The prospect of students, particularly boys, participating in action research alongside faculty has already proven successful internationally, with institutes such as the CCBE (Crescent Centre for Boys’ Education) in Canada incorporating it into their research offering. In an interview from 2004, Fine stated that, “One of the first things we learned in our work with young people is how differently they frame issues from adults or administrators”. For example, students conducting projects through the CCBE were choosing key issues that were central to their priorities, as well as the wider school development, such as addressing loneliness and a sense of belonging following Covid, and the effectiveness of their House System.

My project this year has proven this principle effectively, with the creation of a Student Research Group at Aylesbury Grammar School, incorporating students into the action research cycle and encouraging them to undertake a project within a theme that matters to them. Working alongside a team of Year 9s, we have collaborated to investigate extra-curricular participation, and explored the potential prompts exciting prospects for the group to drive change within School, and highlights the potential of student action research to form teams of ‘game changers’ that can implement their ideas within an evidence-informed context.

James Taylor

Teacher of History and Classics

of a ‘Give It A Go’ initiative to increase involvement. This

30

Flagship: Journal for Evidence Engaged Practice

How can a student research group contribute to a wider culture of research?

CONTEXT Aylesbury Grammar School is a selective boys’ grammar school in Buckinghamshire, founded in 1598. It prides itself on not only achieving outstanding results at both GCSE and A Level, but offering a wide ranging extra-curricular provision to encourage access to a full and expansive curriculum. This is underpinned by a commitment to nurturing character development both in terms of learning character, comprising the five broad characteristics of Ownership, Courage, Resilience, Innovation and Motivation, as well as emotional character.

Student leadership forms a large part of life at the school, with opportunities available to become a Buddy in Year 8, Junior Prefects in Year 10, as well as Prefects and Senior Prefects in the Sixth Form. In addition, there have been some recent additions that also seek to develop student voice and leadership, namely the Student Committee for Change and the Student Character Group. In terms of research, students

That said, there are areas for improvement in participation, and not all students are accessing the full range of opportunities offered at Aylesbury Grammar School.

A survey conducted by Mr. Singh, Assistant Headteacher, exploring extra-curricular activities in the Autumn Term highlighted some key findings. Most notable of these was a decline in engagement in extra-curricular activities in Year 9/10, as well as less importance placed on taking part in activities. Those that did take part were primarily taking part in sporting activities, and those that weren’t identified some barriers to their engagement, most commonly a lack of confidence, with lack of time and interest also areas that were frequently cited. This prompted some questions that the Student Research Group were able to discuss, as we considered why there might be a dip in Year 9, and what could be done to increase student participation, especially for those who felt they didn’t have as much confidence to try things that might be new to them.

are often aware that research is being undertaken in School, as staff frequently participate and contribute to the Flagship journal, although the prospect of students conducting action research themselves had yet to be considered.

The creation of a Student Research Group therefore serves a number of purposes. It is designed to sit within and alongside the existing research programme conducted by staff, while also being led and guided by student agency over the issues and topics they wish to research. Targeting Year 9 to become members of the group is a deliberate choice, in that there are comparatively fewer opportunities for leadership within the School for that year group, and affording students the chance to step up and take the lead on a significant initiative that would have a whole-school impact could be very powerful. Finally, it seeks to bring in a greater sense of student voice, with students themselves driving key decisions in the research process, as well as providing recommendations which emerge that can be implemented further over time.

The Student Research Group ultimately decided to delve into the issue of extra-curricular participation. Following a period of largely minimal extra-curricular provision due to Covid restrictions, this year especially has seen a broadening of the gambit of activities on offer, ranging from sports and music to a considerable range of academic societies, some of which are even driven by Sixth Form students.

w: ags.bucks.sch.uk

31

LITERATURE REVIEW

STUDENTS AS ‘GAME CHANGERS’

IS THE EDUCATION SYSTEM BUILT TO HEAR STUDENT VOICES?

In 2012, LSIS (Learning and Skills Improvement Service)

One of the central ideas behind students participating in action research is to grant them more agency and voice in decision-making within schools. Over recent decades, there has been a shift in approach towards incorporating student voice, with researchers citing a discourse aiming to develop “greater self-esteem, heightened self-confidence, interpersonal and political skills, and self-efficacy” (Frost, 2008). It is useful to consider this principle, especially in light of recent policy implications, such as the statutory

reflected upon 30 case studies across the country, from a variety of institutions sharing experiences of learner voice strategies. This included students collaborating on schemes of work, involved in teaching observations, councils, staff recruitment as well as participating in student research. LSIS were keen to highlight the “potential role learners can play as game changers” (p.3) and feedback from Exeter University, one of the institutions involved recognised the importance of student agency:

guidance provided by the DfE (2014) stating that schools

There is a subtle, but extremely important,

have to “provide opportunities for pupils to be consulted on

difference between an institution that ‘listens’

matters affecting them or contribute to decision making in the school”.

‘Student voice’ has therefore become more reified, and institutions have created responsibilities and positions that enable students to engage. Fielding (2009) argues that this has led to a two-sided narrative - student voice as democratic and transformational; and student voice

to students and responds accordingly, and an institution that gives students the opportunity to explore areas that they believe to be significant, to recommend solutions and to bring about the required changes. The concept of ‘listening to the student voice’ – implicitly if not

as policy - or, perhaps better described by Ruddock

deliberately – supports the perspective of student

(2006), as either ‘transformational’ or ‘tokenistic’. This

as ‘consumer’, whereas ‘students as change agents’

disparity highlights the issue of agency; Frost’s questions

explicitly supports a view of the student as ‘active

of the format in which student voice is expressed prompt

collaborator’ and ‘co-producer’, with the potential

consideration of how a more meaningful dialogue can be

for transformation. (Dunne and Zandstra, 2011)

created between student voice and school decision-making.

Action research, by its evidence-informed nature, might just

Student voice is clearly important, and it is important that

be the answer.

schools listen to their opinions, but it is also vital that students are able to be active in their role, and able to enact change as well as suggest.

One of the central ideas behind students participating in action research is to grant them more agency and voice in decision-making within schools.

THE DANGER OF ‘PROFESSIONAL STUDENT VOICE’ While it is clear that there is potential for students to be ‘game changers’ and engage actively, there are traps to be found in student voice initiatives, such as that of the ‘professional student voice’. As Breslin (2011) states, we are aware that “it is the same students who sit on the school council, act as student researchers, gain appointment as prefects” and therefore have greater “ability to get their voice across”. Therefore, student action research needs to ensure that it is transformative, through gathering evidence and information from a wide range of participants in surveys and questionnaires, as well as encouraging students to contribute to these discussions.

32

Flagship: Journal for Evidence Engaged Practice

How can a student research group contribute to a wider culture of research?

RESEARCH QUESTION The Student Research Group was formed following an application process opened to Year 9s. Applicants were asked for a potential area of research to investigate, and a number cited extra-curricular activities as an area that was important to them. During our early meetings, we considered the data within the Autumn Survey and how this

The question of ‘What impact does a ‘Give It A Go’ initiative have on extra-curricular participation in Year 9?’ was reached: this would explore the potential ways in which this idea could be implemented within our context, and how much this would improve extra-curricular participation.

Within this, smaller questions were posed including: 1) Would this increase extra-curricular participation

might be implemented. We came across the concept of ‘Give

in terms of the number of students taking part?

It A Go’, primarily used within a university context, as a way

2) Would this encourage students to ultimately do

to encourage trying new activities and opening up access for all, by making sessions more accessible and inclusive.

This became the area in which we considered our focus as a

more activities?

3) Would students respond positively to the initiative?

method of targeting involvement.

w: ags.bucks.sch.uk

33

METHODOLOGY The study focused on the implementation of ‘Give It A Go’ within Year 9 only, at the start of the Summer term for two weeks. Within this, all staff were asked to contact the Group to indicate which clubs and societies were running for Year 9 during the term, and to welcome new members in the two week window. From this, a timetable was created, which showed the times and locations, and these were put up in form rooms as well as select locations around the School.

were only required to be answered if they had said ‘Yes’ to this first question. Any student that had indicated they hadn’t taken part in any activities, but then answered subsequent questions on the quality of the sessions were discounted from those data sets, as their data was unlikely to be accurate and representative.

Overall, the data collected provided lots of scope to compare with previous surveys conducted, as well as qualitative data that could give valuable insight into student voice, with which the Student Research Group could then explore future recommendations and implementation.

FINDINGS When compared with the Autumn engagement survey, data on involvement during ‘Give It A Go’ indicated a positive impact in student involvement. Whilst during the Autumn, 67% of students stated that they had taken part in at least one extra-curricular activity per week, 73% of students stated the same during the ‘Give It A Go’ - whilst an increase of only six percentage points isn’t substantial, it does indicate that around 15% of those that didn’t take part in any activities in the Autumn found something to get involved in during the two weeks.

The Student Research Group also found interesting variation when comparing Houses, ranging 13.3% (as seen below in Table 1). This could be down to a number of factors, such as It was further promoted within Year 9 assembly as

whether or not the Tutor of the respective groups emphasised

well as the daily bulletin, and following the two week

the initiative regularly or not, the presence of the poster

period, students were invited to complete a Google Form

within their form groups, peer preconceptions and more.

questionnaire. This collected both quantitative data, important for tracking numbers involved and useful comparison to the Autumn data, as well as qualitative data, which gathered more feedback (initially on a Likert scale, 1-5 from ‘strongly disagree’ to ‘strongly agree’) on what students enjoyed, anything they didn’t enjoy, and what they thought could be done to improve the initiative or boost extracurricular activities further.

With regards to ethical considerations, student feedback was collected anonymously, the only verifiable detail being their tutor group, which meant we could compare participation between Houses and establish any variation between form groups. In addition, the survey required students to confirm whether they had taken part in any activities, and then subsequent questions asked about the activities themselves

34

House

% taking part during GIAG

Denson

80

Hampden

73.1

Lee

72

Paterson

63.2

Phillips

68.4

Ridley

66.7

Table 1

When it came to the amount of activities that students got involved in, there seemed to be a less noticeable increase.

While it was clear to see that more were doing something, it didn’t appear to be the case, as Table 2 below shows, that everyone was doing more activities, but certainly that more students were participating in something.

Flagship: Journal for Evidence Engaged Practice

How can a student research group contribute to a wider culture of research?

0

1

2

3

4

5

>5

Mean

Autumn

33

24

22

8

6

4

3

1.5

‘Give It A Go’

27

31

19

8

10

2

2

1.5

Table 2

When evaluating the reasons why students didn’t get involved in lots of activities, some potential limitations appear. During the two weeks of ‘Give It A Go’, there were

Further data indicated some other interesting findings

only eight school days in which Year 9 were in school, partly

regarding how students responded to the ‘Give It A Go’

due to a Bank Holiday Monday, but also due to the impact

initiative. Amongst the feedback of what students enjoyed

of industrial action. The effect that this might have had

were comments such as:

on those that didn’t participate in any activity is hard to determine, but it may have limited those that wished to take

‘All activities were open to new members’

part in a number of activities over the two week period.

‘The amount of opportunities available’

Of the students who did take part in activities during

‘The fact we were encouraged to go’

the two weeks of ‘Give It A Go’, feedback was very positive, with 82% of students stating that they enjoyed

‘Awareness of activities’

the activities they took part in, and 91% stating that

‘It encouraged people to get outside their

staff made the sessions inclusive and accessible. Both of these are very encouraging and demonstrate the benefits that students found of getting involved.

Some slightly more mixed feedback was found when students were asked about the effectiveness of ‘Give It A Go’: on whether the timetable was helpful, and whether students felt more encouraged to take part, only 40% agreed with the former, and 30% with the latter.

That said, when asked whether ‘Give It A Go’ should be introduced to other year groups, or times of year, 87% indicated that they agreed or strongly agreed with this statement. This provides a mandate for the initiative to continue, and indicates that while there may have been areas to improve upon from the pilot iteration, students

comfort zone’ When asked for any aspects of the initiative they didn’t enjoy, there were also some interesting points raised:

‘More people went to clubs so they were more crowded than usual’ ‘My friends didn’t go too’ ‘I wasn’t interested in most clubs’ ‘I felt pressured to try more clubs’ ‘Aside from the assembly notice and poster there was no real encouragement’

recognised the benefits that it can bring to all students.

Students were the ‘game changers’ in the process, actively collaborating alongside staff in driving change and progress within the school.

w: ags.bucks.sch.uk

35

Finally, students were asked to offer suggestions of

• More deliberate and consistent form time discussions

what else the school could do to encourage

during the ‘Give It A Go’ period to highlight

extra-curricular participation:

involvement and importance of activities

‘Advertise clubs more’ ‘To keep up the list of extra curricular activities and display it online as well’ ‘More variety of extra-curricular activities’ ‘Put the posters in more areas’ ‘More separated timings for each club so people can attend more clubs in a week’ ‘Make it compulsory to do at least 1 club a half term’ ‘More information, especially in form’

• More promotion of activities generally (e.g. a poster showcasing the activities, or area of the website dedicated to a timetable for clubs and societies) STUDENT RESEARCH - WAS IT SUCCESSFUL? Being the first iteration of the Student Research Group, it was exciting to see the plans unfold, and it is clear through the success of the ‘Give It A Go’ project that the group achieved a great deal this year.

Working alongside the Group, it has truly felt like a ‘transformational’ experience, as Ruddock (2006) suggested.

Throughout, students expressed their agency and made key decisions, such as how data was collected, how best to promote the initiative, and were instrumental in presenting

This data was perhaps the most useful, as it prompted

and communicating the successes of the project to staff.

further discussions in the Student Research Group of how

A truly meaningful dialogue through research has been

this could be taken further. Students in the group mentioned

created, with student voice able to drive future change

how form groups had different levels of discussions about

through recommendations. In many respects, students

extra-curricular involvement, as well as how some students

were the ‘game changers’ in the process, actively

weren’t as aware of ‘Give It A Go’ as they could have been.

collaborating alongside staff in driving change and progress within the school.

CONCLUSIONS

It is clear that there is a place for the Student Research

‘GIVE IT A GO’

some recommendations and ideas for taking this idea

The data collected by the Student Research Group highlighted a number of key findings: • The ‘Give It A Go’ initiative was a broadly successful concept in both boosting extra-curricular involvement as well as raising awareness of activities taking place • Year 9 overall enjoyed the initiative and would recommend it be implemented further across the school

Group within a larger culture of research, and thus future include: • Expanding the Student Research Group further in the future with a new cohort of Year 9 • Building on the momentum of the ‘Give It A Go’ initiative, enable the current Student Research Group to implement their recommendations further • For all staff, consider how we seek to encourage and engage with student voice. Promote

• Issues raised by students regarding how it could be

opportunities for leadership and agency within

improved could be implemented in future iterations

the school (e.g. Committee for Change, Student

From this, the Student Research Group provided some recommendations for future implementation, following

Research) or support the implementation of their recommendations.

their research: • Expand the ‘Give It A Go’ initiative across further year groups, and more regularly (e.g. every term)

36

Flagship: Journal for Evidence Engaged Practice

How can a student research group contribute to a wider culture of research?

REFERENCES Breslin, T., Czerniawski , G., & Kidd , W. (2011). Beyond ‘Student’ Voice: The School or College as a Citizenship-rich, Human Scale and Voice-Friendly Community. In The Student Voice Handbook: Bridging the Academic/ Practitioner Divide (pp. 57–72). essay, Emerald Group Publishing Ltd. Department for Education. (2014). Listening to and involving children and Young People : Statutory Guidance from the Department for Education. Digital Education Resource Archive (DERA). https://dera.ioe.ac.uk/id/eprint/19522 Dunne, E., & Zandstra, R. (2011). (rep.). Students as change agents: new ways of engaging with learning and teaching in higher education. Exeter: University of Exeter.

Fielding, M. (2009, April 22). Student voice, democracy and the necessity of radical education. [Keynote address]. Listening to Learners: Partnerships in Action Conference, University of East London, London, United Kingdom.

Fine, M., & Torre, M. E. (2021). Essentials of critical participatory action research. American Psychological Association.

Frost, R. (2008). Developing student participation, research and leadership: The HCD Student Partnership. School Leadership & Management, 28(4), 353–368. https://doi.org/10.1080/13632430802292308 Learning and Skills Improvement Service. (2012). (publication). Talking Student Voice: Collaborating with and empowering learners in quality improvement - a practice guide for leaders, managers and practitioners. LSIS. Recognizing the Knowledge of Young People: An Interview with Michelle Fine and Maria Elena Torre on Youth Action Research. What Kids Can Do. (2004). https://www.whatkidscando.org/featurestories/previous_years/color_of_ learning/interview.html Rudduck, J. (2006). The past, the papers and the project. Educational Review, 58(2), 131–143. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131910600583993

w: ags.bucks.sch.uk

37

To what extent does a digital literacy resource library improve digital competence at KS4?

ABSTRACT When assuming the role of Director of Computer Science and Technology, it became evident that Aylesbury Grammar School possessed a proficient group of programmers.

Despite the fact that many students exhibited considerable problem-solving abilities and coding skills, it left me wondering about the overall digital literacy of students throughout the school. Upon conducting an assessment of the previous computing curriculum, it became apparent that a larger inquiry needed to be addressed: to what extent does the implementation of a digital literacy resource library enhance digital competence at KS4?

BBC News reports that employers are facing difficulties in recruiting candidates with fundamental skills. According to the Learning and Work Institute’s research, 70% of young people expect employers to provide training in digital skills, but only half of the surveyed employers are capable of offering such training. Consequently, it falls to us as educators to address this gap and prepare our students for the demands of the workforce.

The article also highlights concerns regarding the integration of coding in the curriculum. Kevin Howell, as quoted by the BBC, explains that many intelligent and innovative individuals, even those from esteemed institutions such as Cambridge and Oxford, lack practical knowledge of how technology is applied in real-world business settings. This discrepancy in application illustrates a nationwide issue in

This year, my project has served as the initial groundwork for the development of an online resource. It has the potential to benefit not only our student body but also our staff. Collaborating with teachers and students, I have created a digital platform aimed at enhancing digital literacy for students who no longer study IT-related subjects throughout the school. The resource aims to instigate change and empower students to independently develop these skills should they desire to do so.

Ray Chambers

Director of Computer Science and Technology

student education.

Flagship: Journal for Evidence Engaged Practice

To what extent does a digital literacy resource library improve digital competence at KS4?

CONTEXT Aylesbury Grammar School has an esteemed reputation for its commitment to fostering computational thinking.

Previous leaders in my faculty have successfully implemented robust routines and opportunities that have contributed to exceptional Computer Science GCSE and A-level results. However, the current offering of solely Computational Theory and Coding has prompted me to question how we are adequately preparing our students for future challenges.

During my initial investigation, it became apparent that computational thinking serves as the foundation for the majority of the Computing Curriculum at AGS. However, what is lacking is the incorporation of Digital Literacy, a crucial aspect for future employment prospects. It was evident, upon redeveloping the KS3 curriculum, that our Year 10 students were missing essential skills due to their shift away from Computer Science. This observation was substantiated by a student voice survey, which revealed a deficiency in various skill sets among the students.

w: ags.bucks.sch.uk

39

LITERATURE REVIEW It is crucial to adopt the perspective of other teachers and students when considering the integration of technology in education. Often, technology is taught alongside computer science. However, teachers who are not specialists in information and communication technology (ICT) may

The views and understanding of teachers also play a significant role in the effective use of technology in the classroom.

encounter various barriers.

According to Mudra (2020), digital literacy necessitates young learners to engage with messages, illustrations, videos, and recorded audios, such as podcasts. To accomplish this, young learners must possess specific digital literacy skills. It is no longer sufficient for students to merely comprehend written text; they are expected to comprehend and work with illustrations, videos, and podcasts as well.

Additionally, the Mudra (2020) article emphasises the importance of equipping students with the ability to engage in digital storytelling and create web-based content. The recommended tools include Teacher Tube, iMovie/MovieMaker, and Google Maps.

An interesting approach discussed in the Mudra (2020) article involves the use of blogs to stimulate English writing among young learners. Students were encouraged to write poems and express opinions on blogs designed by their teachers. This presents an opportunity to utilise comment boxes in Google Classroom at AGS. However, it is important to acknowledge the potential barriers associated with technology. Mudra (2020) suggests that access to technology can be challenging for many students, particularly those without a stable internet connection at home. Furthermore, some digital tools can be expensive to explore. The views and understanding of teachers also play a significant role in the effective use of technology in the classroom. Addressing different levels of comprehension among teachers is an essential aspect of implementing this project.

40

Flagship: Journal for Evidence Engaged Practice

w: ags.bucks.sch.uk

41

RESEARCH QUESTION Out of a carefully chosen group of 16 pupils, 15 pupils actively participated in the initial surveys. An overwhelming 93 percent of students expressed a lack of confidence in their ability to utilise appropriate keywords when conducting searches on search engines. Moreover, only 53 percent of students demonstrated an understanding of the importance of validating research using multiple websites.

Surprisingly, 66 percent of students displayed a lack of knowledge in developing a spreadsheet model.

To address these concerns, the development of a comprehensive digital resource is necessary. This resource will not only cater to the individual needs of the students, but it will also enable them to enhance their digital skills whenever they require assistance. The target audience for this initiative is Year 10 students, as the existing curriculum has failed to provide them with these valuable opportunities.

Additionally, it is critical to create a resource that can be utilised by the staff at Aylesbury Grammar School. By doing so, we can foster professional growth among the staff members and empower them to integrate digital content into their respective lesson plans. Ultimately, this resource aims to be a dynamic and expansive tool that serves the dual purpose of enhancing staff knowledge while also

suggested, and the second was the development of a curriculum that would address these needs.

During term two, a new curriculum was developed for Year 9 students to prepare them for the world of work and to help them understand online safety. The curriculum required students to develop their own music festival, which involved creating letters to sponsors, mail merges, research for costings, budgeting spreadsheets, and presentation skills.

Although there was no formal evaluation of this unit of work, it was clear from the student interaction with the unit of work that they could see the value of the skills. Students who knew that they would no longer be going on to develop their computer science skills completed the work with spreadsheets using industry-standard skills. When it comes to developing curricula, it is important to consider the skills that students need to succeed in the workforce.

According to the National Education Technology Plan in the US: (2017), teachers should be prepared to teach effectively with technology, and students should have access to devices and the internet to support their learning • In addition, web development projects can be an

effective way to teach students valuable skills, such as

HTML, CSS, and JavaScript • Other curricula, such as physical education, can also

providing opportunities for the seamless integration of

be designed to teach students relevant scientific

digital content into the teaching process.

knowledge and help them develop and maintain

The development of the website involved several areas

individual fitness

based on the importance of the skills that students

• Ultimately, the goal of any curriculum should be

requested. These areas included spreadsheet models, basic

to prepare students for success in their

skills, and website development, as these were the skills

future endeavours.

that were most likely to be used in lessons. For example, students could develop their own revision website for content, develop a graph in a maths, business, or science lesson to plot the data that they need to analyse, or budget for resources if they are working on their own independent research project.

A survey conducted by Mr. Singh, Assistant Headteacher, with the Old Aylesburians highlighted a similar feeling with previous students. Some students suggested that they would have liked more focus on implementing IT into dayto-day work, while others suggested less compulsory coding and more compulsory basic skills, such as Microsoft Suite.

This led to the development of two areas of the project parallel to each other. The first was the website, as

42

Flagship: Journal for Evidence Engaged Practice

To what extent does a digital literacy resource library improve digital competence at KS4?

METHODOLOGY

FINDINGS

When it comes to implementing a digital strategy, I chose

After completing the website, I analysed the number of

to follow the systems life cycle methodology commonly

views on the videos to assess student engagement. The

used for IT systems. This involved several stages: analysis,

spreadsheet videos were accessed multiple times, with the

design, implementation, testing, and evaluation. To begin,

Basic Formula video being the most popular, viewed

I conducted analysis through audits and surveys to gather

63 times.

information. For instance, I found that 38.9% of the Old Aylesburians felt ill-equiped with their digital skills. This data informed the development of the website. During the design phase, I visited primary schools and observed that some schools required students to use tablets and relied heavily on online tools for computing lessons.

Recognising the lack of basic skills like Microsoft Word usage, I designed a curriculum and then the Year 10 website to address these gaps.

The popularity of the image editing videos was partly due to Year 8 students accessing them. To ensure more accurate findings, I would create separate videos in the future. To gather feedback, I conducted surveys among students who used the website. The students provided honest and accurate feedback about their experience.

Unfortunately, only 10 students responded to the final survey regarding their feelings about the digital resource.

Out of these, only one student mentioned that their

After analysing my findings, I implemented key features

teachers referred to the website during lessons. Factors such

requested by the Year 10 students. This included creating

as staff training and the relevance of the skills taught may

videos on image editing, website development, and

have influenced this outcome.

spreadsheets using industry-standard tools like Excel and Google Sheets. These videos were made accessible via YouTube.

As part of the testing and implementation process, I shared the website link with all staff members and emailed the Year 10 students the link for their use during lessons.

Finally, the project required an evaluation of its effectiveness and considerations for future development.

The findings from this evaluation will be shared. It’s important to note that this was only the first iteration of the project, and future iterations will further highlight other skills that students need.

Some students mentioned that they didn’t revisit the website because they didn’t need it at the time. However, it was promising that all students stated they would return to the website when they needed the skills.

Based on student feedback, there is a demand for video editing skills and desktop publishing. These skills will be implemented in the second iteration of the project.

It is crucial to evaluate the effectiveness of the project and identify areas for future development. Staff training, resource relevance, and student needs will be further explored to improve the project moving forward.

Implementing a digital strategy involves careful planning, analysis, design, testing, and evaluation. By addressing the specific needs of students and utilising industry-standard tools, the website aims to enhance digital skills and support effective teaching and learning.

w: ags.bucks.sch.uk

By addressing the specific needs of students and utilising industry-standard tools, the website aims to enhance digital skills and support effective teaching and learning.

43

CONCLUSION In conclusion, I would deem the website to be a modest success. By the end of the project, I successfully created a fully functional website that catered to the needs of the students. This encompassed various aspects such as spreadsheet usage, image editing, website building, and enhancing fundamental ICT skills. Prior to the investigation, I had generated multiple graphs to depict the findings. For instance, graph 1 demonstrates that a significant number of students lacked proficiency in spreadsheet modelling.

Upon conclusion of the project, I requested students to review their experience with the website. Unfortunately, only 2 out of 10 respondents stated that they had returned to the website. When prompted further, they explained that teachers had not mentioned it again. I acknowledge that part of the responsibility lies with me for not adequately Many students openly expressed their unfamiliarity with

promoting the resource.

image editing and expressed a desire to learn video editing.

During the middle stages of the research, I sent an email

Analysing the YouTube views of the educational videos

to all staff members notifying them about the resource’s

created for the students, it is evident that 63 students

availability but failed to announce it in person. I understand

revisited the spreadsheets videos and effectively utilized the

that teachers are occupied with their daily challenges

‘Photo Pea’ image editing tool.

and emails may not always be an effective form of communication. Moving forward, I plan to utilise teacher forums to announce updates and ensure that I send followup reminders to facilitate their visits. Additionally, I aim to expand the resource to provide teachers with continuous professional development (CPD) support as well. It is vital to include resources that will train both teachers and students.

There is some positive outcome amidst the challenges.

When students were asked about their utilisation of the digital resource, 100% stated that they would revisit the website whenever they encounter difficulties while using the computer. Furthermore, students have expressed a need for the resource to assist with desktop publishing, creating revision materials, and improving file management skills.

I will continue to enhance this resource for students who are no longer studying Computer Science at GCSE level. I have also updated the curriculum for the KS3 students as a result of this project and have included a table which showcases the before and after.

44

Flagship: Journal for Evidence Engaged Practice

To what extent does a digital literacy resource library improve digital competence at KS4?

NOTES

BIBLIOGRAPHY Hooker, M.A.R.& L. (2021). UK ‘heading towards Digital Skills Shortage Disaster’, BBC News. Available at: https://www.bbc. co.uk/news/business-56479304 (Accessed: 17 July 2023).

Reimagining the role of technology in education (2017). Available at: https://tech.ed.gov/files/2017/01/ NETP17.pdf (Accessed: 17 July 2023).

Heri, Mudra (2020) - Digital Literacy among young learners: How do EFL Teachers and Learners view its benefits and barriers? - Teaching English with Technology - Volume 20, Issue 3.

Available at : https://cejsh.icm.edu.pl/cejsh/element/ bwmeta1.element.desklight-b96ae22d-d0db-4654-8326ff613391cb2a/c/ARTICLE1.pdf (Accessed 20 March 2023)

w: ags.bucks.sch.uk

45

Pen-on-paper versus stylus-on-tablet: an investigation into the effect of surface texture on vocabulary learning in Chinese

As part of our research work at AGS we continue to look for opportunities to collaborate with other schools and institutions. After attending Berkhamsted School’s Evening of Teaching and Learning at Berkhamsted School in June 2023, we were keen to include a guest article from one of their researchers in this edition of Flagship.

Hannah Galbraith is Head of Mandarin at Berkhamsted School. She has researched whether there was any impact on vocabulary learning depending on whether students were using pen and paper or a stylus on a tablet. This article is of particular interest to AGS as personal devices have been introduced over the past two years. As all students in Years 7-11 now use Chromebooks, and Years 12 and 13 bring in their own devices, many of whom are writing notes on tablets, we may look to conduct further research into the area of personal devices

Head of Mandarin

Hannah Galbraith

in school.

46

Flagship: Journal for Evidence Engaged Practice

Hannah Galbraith

INTRODUCTION The introduction of Digital Device Provision (DDP) at Berkhamsted School in September 2019 offered many opportunities for teachers and learners to explore new modes of instruction. It also raised important questions about the future of teaching and learning within an

paper or with stylus on tablet. It concludes that pupils’ vocabulary test scores are not affected by the medium on which they revised, and that the pupils’ baseline ability had a greater effect. A further study which controls more effectively for baseline ability is suggested to confirm these results.

increasingly digital landscape. One such question is whether learning is affected by whether pupils write with a stylus on a tablet or with a traditional ink pen on paper.

The Chinese writing system uses characters, each with their own pronunciation and meaning, which for early learners of Chinese are difficult to deduce, though this can be achieved once a learner has amassed a vocabulary of sufficient breadth and depth (Lai et al. 2020). Therefore, when set vocabulary to learn in Chinese, pupils at the beginning of their studies in the language must memorise a word’s meaning, its written form, and its pronunciation.

The present study asks the question: Is learning affected by whether students write using pen on paper or a stylus on a tablet screen? It uses memorisation of vocabulary in Chinese as a proxy for memorisation processes across all subjects.

METHODOLOGY The study took inspiration from Gerth et al. (2016). It identified the texture of the writing surface as the key variable, and compared vocabulary test results between two groups, one practising with pen on paper, and the other with their stylus on their smooth device screen.

In order to control for baseline ability, the two groups were selected alphabetically by surname, essentially random in terms of baseline ability. Both groups were to swap revision methods at the mid-point of the data gathering period.

Because all pupils trial both methods (pen on paper and stylus on tablet) across the full study period, both revision methods comprised equal data from all pupils, and neither method would be skewed towards the upper or lower

The majority of studies concerning the benefits of

baseline abilities within the class. This approach had the

handwriting explore contrasts between writing with pen on

ethical advantage of allowing all pupils to use both methods

paper versus typing. Behavioural studies such as those by

for revision for equal time, disadvantaging none should one

Longcamp et al. (2006) and James and Atwood (2009) find

method prove significantly more effective.

that letter recognition in language learning is helped more

National and school interventions for managing the Covid-19

by handwriting practice than with typing practice.

outbreak created practical challenges that impacted the

Studies into the differences between writing with pen on

study. The most major challenge presented was a delay

paper and with stylus on tablet are growing. A study by

in data collection of almost five months (October 2020 to

Gerth et al. (2016) recommended that tablet devices should

March 2021) caused by the school’s policy of restricting the

not be used in schools for writing acquisition due to an

use of paper handouts to avoid transferring the Covid-19

absence of motor control on the smoother tablet surface.

virus among pupils and teachers, which was very important

The study identified surface friction as being the significant

for managing the spread of the virus at this time in the

variable between paper and tablet screens as writing

outbreak. This restriction meant the inability to hand

surfaces (ibid.), and this variable has been adopted for the

out and take in paper tests from pupils. It was felt that

present study.

changing this aspect of the study would affect its value.

In contrast with Gerth’s findings, Osugi et al. (2019) found that ‘for those familiar with its use, writing with a digital pen may improve learning relative to the use of the ink pen’. The

Data collection was deferred until April 2021, after the Easter break, once routines could be re-established following the return to physical school midway through the Lent term.

authors suggest that among familiar users of the digital pen,

The study was supplemented with a qualitative survey,

it is ‘more fun to use’ (ibid.) and creates less of a workload,

which pupils completed in December 2021, a full term after

compared with unfamiliar users.

the test period. This survey asked pupils which medium or

The present study examines whether vocabulary test scores in Chinese are higher when the pupil revises using pen on w: ags.bucks.sch.uk

media they continue to use for their Chinese vocabulary revision, and their perceived advantages and disadvantages of the two media tested in the study.

47

48

Flagship: Journal for Evidence Engaged Practice

Hannah Galbraith

A single Year 7 set was selected as the test group, as it could

The mean MidYIS scores and skills scores for both groups

be expected with reasonable certainty that all pupils begin

are given below.

the year with no prior knowledge of the subject, as none of Berkhamsted’s feeder schools offer primary level Chinese.

RESULTS FROM THE QUANTITATIVE STUDY Group 1 used pen-on-paper revision for the first three weeks, and then switched after week three to revising with their stylus on their touch screen. Group 2 revised for the

MidYIS Score

Skills Score

Group 1

104.2

97.7

Group 2

89.9

93.0

Group 1 have higher MidYIS and Skills scores than Group 2.

This aligns with Group 1’s consistently higher test scores, shown in figure 1. It is therefore very likely that baseline ability has a greater influence on vocabulary test scores than revision medium.

first three weeks with a stylus on their touch screen, then

As the key variable between the two test media of pen

swapped to revising pen-on-paper after week three.

on paper and stylus on tablet is understood to be texture

Figure 1 is a bar chart which shows the average percentage score for Group 1, shown with diagonally striped bars, and Group 2, shown with dotted bars, for each week’s test (Test 1 – 6). The revision medium used by each group for each test

following Gerth et al. (2016), the data can be interpreted as demonstrating that surface texture is less significant than baseline ability for memorising vocabulary, if it has any effect at all.

is indicated by colour: bars in orange indicate revision with pen on paper, and bars in blue show revision with a stylus on a touch screen.

RESULTS OF THE QUALITATIVE STUDY Following a delay of one term, the test class completed a questionnaire regarding their choice of revision medium. The results are shown below.

Following a delay of one term, pupils’ main method of revising characters for vocabulary tests is split as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 1. A bar chart showing the mean test scores for Groups 1 and 2 per weekly vocabulary test, indicating revision medium.

The data show that Group 1 outperformed Group 2 in all vocabulary tests, regardless of revision medium.

Observation: Group 1 outperformed Group 2 in all vocabulary tests, regardless of revision medium This observation suggests that the revision medium was

Figure 2. A pie chart showing pupils’ main media of revision following a

not the most significant factor influencing vocabulary

one-term delay

test performance. Group 1 having achieved test scores

The data show that following their experience of trying both

consistently higher than Group 2, regardless of test medium,

methods for the qualitative study the previous term, pupils

suggests that another attribute of Group 1 besides revision

settled on a diverse array of strategies, some opting for a

medium enables them to memorise characters with

hybrid approach, others preferring a single method, and a

greater success.

minority choosing neither. Stylus on tablet was a slightly more popular method than pen on paper.

w: ags.bucks.sch.uk

49

POSITIVES AND NEGATIVES OF USING PEN ON PAPER

POSITIVES AND NEGATIVES OF USING STYLUS ON TABLET

The questionnaire also elicited free text responses

Pupils were then asked to give their personal views, both

and offered pupils the opportunity to expand on

positive and negative, on using their stylus on their tablet to

their preferences between the two revision media.

revise characters for vocabulary tests.

Pupils were asked to give their personal views, both positive and negative, on using pen on paper to revise characters for vocabulary tests. Inviting free text responses, rather than multiple choice, enabled pupils to express their own views freely and fully.

Common themes were drawn out from the answers.

The positive themes given for using pen on paper to revise, and the frequency with which each was cited, is shown in Figure 3, and the negative themes in Figure 4.

Figure 5. A bar chart showing the frequency with which positive themes were cited for using a stylus on a tablet to revise

Figure 3. A bar chart showing the frequency with which the positive themes were cited for using pen on paper to revise

Figure 6. A bar chart showing the frequency with which negative themes were cited for using a stylus on a tablet to revise

The positives given by pupils for revising using stylus on tablet were diverse, and the most often cited positive theme, raised by five pupils, was that revising using their stylus on their tablet devices offered greater freedom with layout.

A narrower range of negatives were raised by pupils in their responses, including the dissimilarity of revising using Figure 4. A bar chart showing the frequency with which negative themes were cited for using pen and paper to revise

The closer simulation to the conditions of vocabulary tests of revising with pen on paper was the most frequently cited

stylus on tablet to their actual vocabulary tests, the method being less helpful than pen on paper for committing characters to memory, and pupils’ work being less neat on the smoother surface.

positive for revising with this medium, cited by ten pupils.

Six pupils said that pen on paper helped them to memorise characters. By contrast, four pupils found that using pen on paper to revise takes longer than stylus on tablet.

50

Flagship: Journal for Evidence Engaged Practice

Hannah Galbraith

CONCLUSION

REFERENCES

The quantitative study found that the revision medium,

Forster, N., and Metcalfe, I., (n.d.). Using MidYIS Individual Pupil Records (IPRs)

be it pen on paper or stylus on tablet, had no effect on

to Inform Teaching and Learning. Durham University: Centre for Evaluation and

vocabulary test scores. This result contrasts with both Gerth et al. (2016) who conclude that children find the smooth surface of a tablet screen a challenge for writing, and Osugi et al. (2019) who suggest that the smoother surface of a tablet screen compared to paper is easier to use, for those already familiar with the use of a digital pen.

However, vocabulary test scores aligned with the mean

Monitoring. Available at: https://trak.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/ Using-MidYIS-IPRs-Booklet.pdf Department for Education, (2013). National Curriculum in England: languages programme of study – key stage 3 (DFE-00195-2013). Available at: https://www. gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-languagesprogrammes-of-study Gerth, S., Klassert, A., Dolk, T., Fliesser, M., Fischer, M.H., Nottbusch, G., and Festman, J., (2016). Is handwriting performance affected by the writing surface?

baseline ability of each group, and therefore more effective

Comparing preschoolers’, second graders’, and adults’ writing performance on

controlling for baseline ability was needed to form a firm

a tablet vs. paper. Front. Psychol, 7. 1308, 1-18

conclusion. This was a significant limitation of this study,

James, K.H., and Atwood, T.P., (2009). The role of sensorimotor learning in the

which if repeated, would employ the control initially

perception of letter-like forms: Tracking the causes of neural specialization for

planned, which grouped pupils to include a representative

letters. Cognitive Neuropsychology, 26(10). Pp.91-110

spread of MidYIS scores for each test medium.

Kennedy, Graeme D., (1990). Collocations: Where Grammar and Vocabulary

The qualitative study found that one term after the quantitative study, pupils employed a variety of revision strategies, across both media.

Pupils liked pen and paper for its simulation of real test conditions, and felt that this medium was more helpful for memorising vocabulary, even if this was not shown to be

Teaching Meet, in Sarinee, Arivan (ed.). Language Teaching Methodology for the Nineties. Anthology Series 24, 215-229 Lai, C., Qi, X., Lü, C., & Lyu, B. (2020). The effectiveness of guided inductive instruction and deductive instruction on semantic radical development in Chinese character processing. Language Teaching Research, 24(4), 496-518.

Longcamp, M., Boucard, C., Gilhodes, J.C., and Velay, J.L., (2006). Remembering the orientation of newly learned characters depends on the associated

true in their vocabulary test results. However, pupils found

writing knowledge: A comparison between handwriting and typing. Human

that revising using pen on paper was slow.

Movement Science, 25.4. 646-656.

The greatest benefit cited by pupils of revising using stylus

Osugi, K., Ihara, A.S., Nakajima, K., Kake, A., Ishimaru, K., Yokota, Y., and Naruse,

on tablet was the freedom of layout on their page, on

Y., (2019). Differences in brain activity after learning with use of a digital pen

OneNote and other applications. Some pupils described the infinite space available as helpful to their revision. Greater

vs. an ink pen – an electroencephalography study. Front. Hum. Neurosci.

13.275, 1-9

speed was another commonly cited positive of this medium.

While further studies are recommended to further investigate these findings, this study has shown that pupils find positives and negatives for both media. With no discernible benefit to vocabulary learning shown in the data gathered, pupils can be allowed to choose the revision medium which best suits their needs and preferences.

w: ags.bucks.sch.uk

51

How research-engaged should we be at AGS and why?

ABSTRACT Five issues of the Flagship journal, over thirty completed research projects, hundreds of research papers and articles read, scores of questionnaires, interviews and focus groups completed, and a (roughly) estimated five hundred rounds of sandwiches at our fortnightly meetings later, the Research Programme at AGS is well and truly up and running!

The Flagship Journal is the tangible output of the many hours of work for all involved over the years, it’s a shining beacon of all the hard work, it’s a fascinating read and looks great on your coffee table, but it’s everything else it represents and what it has led to for AGS and its staff researchers that has been the real success story.

Starting as a vision in 2018, the AGS Research Programme has successfully developed and grown, even continuing to thrive when a pandemic was thrown into the mix. It brings together enthusiastic, like-minded professionals all with the aim of improving professional practice by engaging with research and sharing it with others. It has led to benefits individually for staff and it’s facilitated whole school development.

Not wanting to rest on our laurels, thoughts turned to ‘what next?’. Should we simply continue what we’re doing each year, or could there be ways to develop our research further and take it in directions we may not know about yet?

So my research has looked a bit different this year. A project that needed me to look beyond the boundaries of AGS and consider the strategic direction for our research programme based on reading I’ve been doing and conversations I’ve

What you’re about to read is the journey I’ve been on this year, and my recommendations based on research in this area, and meeting and discussing with a growing network of professionals across schools, spanning geographical borders, against the backdrop of the past five successful years of research at AGS.

Katrina Blunt

Head of Year 7, Teacher of Mathematics

been having.

52

Flagship: Journal for Evidence Engaged Practice

How research-engaged should we be at AGS and why?

CONTEXT AGS has been running a successful research programme for the past five years since a vision was set back in 2018 to be ‘at the cutting edge of educational research’. It started with a senior member of staff visiting other schools to find out more about what was happening elsewhere.

A working party was set up at AGS and I remember a

been building a greater appreciation of the work that is being undertaken across other schools and how AGS can look externally to develop our own research programme further. We are also in a position to support other schools who are starting out in their more formal engagement with research. I’ve been particularly interested in finding out more about what research engaged schools look like, and what areas AGS can develop as we look ahead to the future.

conversation I had with the member of staff running the group, asking if I could join as I had completed a couple of small educational research projects previously. The group

LITERATURE REVIEW

started with eight members of staff all conducting research

There are a number of key parties in the debate regarding

projects over the course of the academic year, ranging from individual classroom projects to whole school initiatives.

Staff projects covered areas such as the impact of different revision strategies, teaching problem solving in maths, whole school approach to literacy and the impact of a wellbeing programme in Year 11 and much more. Since then, additional projects have been completed in many areas,

schools becoming more research engaged, with sometimes differing views (for example, Wiliam, 2015; Hattie, 2023; Firth, 2019; Bennett, 2015; McAleavey, 2015).

Reviewing the literature has uncovered five key areas of interest and these will be considered in turn during this literature review:

including positive masculinity, character development, use

1. How evidence-informed is education?

of technology, and diversity and inclusion.

2. What do research engaged schools look like?

As part of the AGS research working party I have conducted

3. What are some of the barriers to teachers

two research projects. My first was within my maths classroom looking at whether ‘teaching domain-specific knowledge by direct instruction improves students’ problem-solving skills’, and my second was for my MA Education dissertation which was entitled ‘Teachers’ Perceived Challenges of Adapting Formative and Summative

becoming research-engaged? And what are some of the enablers?

4. Why should schools look to become research engaged?

5. Is there a place for practitioner research (action research) in schools?

Assessment for Emergency Remote Teaching: the Covid-19 Pandemic in a UK Secondary Grammar School’. I have also more recently been supporting our staff researchers with their projects in areas such as ethics, data collection and analysis, and referencing.

In November 2022, I attended a research forum hosted by Eton College. At the forum I met several professionals all engaged in research in their areas, across the state and private sectors. At the event I attended presentations covering collaborative networks, cross-sector partnerships, becoming a more evidence-informed school, and one Academy Trust’s experience of implementing instructional coaching.

Not wanting to rest on our laurels, thoughts turned to ‘what next?’. Should we simply continue what we’re doing each year, or could there be ways to develop our research further and take it in directions we may not know about yet?

Being involved in the research working party for five years, with a keen interest in educational research, I think it’s important to take a step back and reflect on how research engaged we really are as a school within the teaching profession. Over the course of this academic year, I have w: ags.bucks.sch.uk

53

HOW EVIDENCE-INFORMED IS EDUCATION?

WHAT DO RESEARCH ENGAGED SCHOOLS LOOK LIKE?

There is evidence to suggest that the education sector is

There are many examples of what the Department for

becoming increasingly research informed. For example, the

Education calls ‘research engaged’ schools (Department

ITT Core Content Framework (2019), Early Career Framework

for Education, 2017). In their definition, ‘schools and

(2022), the National Professional Qualification (NPQ)

teachers are referred to as more or less ‘research-engaged’

Frameworks (2022) and the New Ofsted Framework (2022)

depending on the extent to which they support and

are all underpinned by the latest educational research

undertake evidence-informed practice, specifically teaching’

(Ofsted, 2023). Those who are currently training or who

(ibid, p. 5). The NFER has also produced a self-audit tool

have recently trained to become teachers, those who are

which gives insight into what it sees as important when

completing one of the NPQs or who have read and re-read

defining a research-engaged school (NFER). Between these

the Ofsted framework, will have been immersed in research.

two institutions and other academics (for example Wilkins,

A review of the number of educational books available,

2011; Godfrey, 2014), there are a number of characteristics

many written by teachers themselves, some in conjunction

cited in the literature that help demonstrate to what extent

with psychologists or academics (Guardian, 2017), the

a school is research engaged. These include: an ethos of

growth of ‘edu-twitter’, and networks such as ResearchEd,

continuous improvement and reflection; research and

and the development of the Chartered College of Teaching,

evidence being integral to school improvement; senior

plus international organisations such as the International

leaders building awareness and prioritising research; critical

Boys’ Schools Coalition (IBSC), suggest a growing interest in

engagement with research and reflection on relevance to

getting research into the hands of those who are best placed

school context; alignment of CPD, performance management

to implement it for the benefit of students.

and evidence informed teaching; national and international

A significant amount of academic research is completed in the field of education ‘because the topic of teaching effectiveness is of considerable importance and peren­nial

research collaborations; evaluating the impact of research and embedding it; and providing opportunities for the whole school to engage with research and enquiry.

interest internationally, it deservedly has been the focus of a vast amount of prior research and publications’ (Maulana, Helms-Lorenz & Klassen, 2023). However, it can be difficult for schools and teachers to access the research, to enable meaningful implementation of the findings (Goldacre, 2013).

Transferability of research is also under debate, as although studies may provide statistically significant results, these may lie only within the context and limitations of the individual studies, rather than mean the results can be replicated elsewhere (Wiliam, 2015).

Whilst the debate into how and why schools should become more research engaged, at AGS we have realised several benefits at the staff-and whole school-level.

54

Flagship: Journal for Evidence Engaged Practice

How research-engaged should we be at AGS and why?

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BARRIERS TO TEACHERS

Access to research, trust in research and ability to

BECOMING RESEARCH-ENGAGED? AND WHAT ARE SOME

mobilise findings

OF THE ENABLERS? Barriers: A number of barriers to schools becoming more research-engaged have been identified in the literature: Time/opportunity cost Teachers are very busy with heavy and increasing workloads (DfE, 2023; Guardian, 2023; Bennett, 2015). Finding and reading research is time consuming and asking teachers to spend their time doing something new or in addition

A plethora of academic research continues to be published however this can be very difficult to access unless you are working or studying at a University or other institution, or have an unlimited budget to subscribe to every relevant journal (Learning Scientists, 2021; Bennett, 2021). It can therefore be difficult for schools and individual teachers to access research. However, teachers reading academic research papers may not be the best use of time. As Goldacre (2013) explains:

It’s clear that we need better systems for

to their current responsibilities can reduce the time they

disseminating the findings of research to teachers

have available for something else. Opportunity cost is an

on the ground. While individual studies are

important consideration here (Pickering, 2022). As Dylan

written up in very technical documents, in

Wiliam explained ‘opportunity cost is the single most

obscure academic journals, these are rarely read

important concept in educational improvement. Every hour teachers spend doing one thing is an hour they don’t have for something else’ (Wiliam, 2021).

w: ags.bucks.sch.uk

by teachers. And rightly so: most doctors rarely bother to read technical academic journals either. (p. 16)

55

There is a lack of evidence of how to implement academic

in research, it can allow teachers to stop spending time

research findings.

in areas that are not proven to make a difference to

Even with access to papers and journals these can be difficult to digest and understand, and it can be even more difficult to translate the findings into an implementation plan for the classroom (Goldacre, 2013; BERA, 2022; DfE, 2017).

student outcomes. Benefits can therefore be both through introducing proven initiatives or stopping unnecessary ones.

As Firth (2019, p. 1) argues: ‘if education is not informed by research, what is it informed by? All too often the answer will be traditions and assumptions, some of which will be

Enablers:

flawed (and we won’t even know which ones)’.

According to the DfE (2017), there are a number of enablers

IS THERE A PLACE FOR PRACTITIONER RESEARCH (ACTION

to becoming more research engaged in schools including: encouraging evidence-informed risk taking, having willing staff to act as champions, teachers observing impact or hearing trusted colleagues discussing improvement in practice and outcomes, and developing structures and processes such as: INSET/CPD, staff meetings/forums, CPD libraries, peer observations, lesson study, research groups, group reading activities, and external networks. It is their suggestion that by putting some of these in place, schools can further develop their research engagement.

WHY SHOULD SCHOOLS LOOK TO BECOME RESEARCH ENGAGED?

RESEARCH) IN SCHOOLS? Research undertaken by teachers in schools, known as action research, has its origins back in 1946 (Lewin, 1946; Adelman, 1993; Munn-Giddings, 2012). It is the process undertaken by teachers to research an area of practice in order to achieve ‘more deliberate, substantial, and critical reflection that can be documented and analysed to improve an educator’s practice’ (Clake et al., 2022).

There is however, a debate in the literature around the worth and use of action research with some expressing the view that projects are limited in size and can lack the statistical significance to be transferable as discussed

There are challenges for teachers in implementing proven

above. Goldacre’s (2013, p. 17) view of these projects are that

approaches from academic research, including the ability

they are ‘too small, being run by one person in isolation,

to access research, understand the research and formulate

in only one classroom, and lack the support necessary to

an actionable plan from the research as discussed above.

ensure a robust design’. McAleavy (2015, p. 9) has described

Also, context plays a part in how successful a new approach

the debate between some academics who ‘think that

or initiative is within a particular school. As Wiliam (2023)

teachers should not do their own research but should adopt

suggests, teachers should aim to be ‘critical consumers’

pedagogical approaches that are proven to work as a result

of research where the application of research in a

of the work of professional researchers’, against a different

particular context should always be seen as key to its

view where ‘others advocate not less but better practitioner

potential success.

research using more rigorous research methods.’ (ibid. p. 10)

Hattie (2008; 2023) has written several publications giving the effect size of various interventions in the classroom suggesting what could make a positive difference to

Others advocate for action research in schools, for example, the view of Manfra (2019) is that:

students’ achievement and attainment. However, this

Action research offers a systematic and

has been challenged by others (Wiliam, 2010; 2016) when

intentional approach to changing teaching.

questioning the ability to use meta-analyses to determine

When working as part of a community of

what interventions are most successful. This brings the

practice, action researchers engage in sustained

debate back to the transferability of research results within

professional learning activities. They explore

an individual school or classroom context.

Becoming more research engaged within schools has its benefits (DfE, 2017; NFER) as discussed below. Wiliam and Leahy (2014) also point to a number of pedagogical approaches which are now not supported by research, for example ‘learning styles and brain gym’. By engaging 56

issues of everyday practice and work to bring about change. (p. 163) Whilst the debate into how and why schools should become more research engaged, at AGS we have realised several benefits at the staff - and whole school - level, as action Flagship: Journal for Evidence Engaged Practice

How research-engaged should we be at AGS and why?

research has enabled our staff to research areas they are

context of the School which they can then choose to engage

interested in, then reflect and present on the outcomes of

with further.

their research.

ALIGNMENT OF CPD, PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT AND EVIDENCE INFORMED TEACHING

HOW RESEARCH-ENGAGED ARE WE AT AGS?

As discussed above, the research work that staff are doing is

When reviewing the characteristics of researched engaged

working party set up. For some staff, research also forms

schools published by the DfE and NFER (DfE, 2017; NFER), an

part of performance management.

informal audit of how research engaged we are at AGS can be undertaken. The NFER also offers a more formal audit

fully aligned with CPD within AGS as an integral part of the

NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH COLLABORATIONS

process which we can look to use to assess our position in

AGS has been involved with the IBSC action research

the future. Below are a number of areas where AGS appears

programme for a number of years. This enables a staff

to have strengths, and also some areas where further

member to join the programme and undertake a research

development could be beneficial.

project within the theme of the year set by the IBSC. We

RESEARCH AND EVIDENCE BEING INTEGRAL TO SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT AGS has a number of working parties in addition to the Research Working Party. Each year staff members are encouraged to become a member of one or more working parties as part of their professional development and to aid

have had three members of staff complete projects within the areas of student agency, use of technology in the classroom, and positive masculinity.

EVALUATING THE IMPACT OF RESEARCH AND EMBEDDING IT AND PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE WHOLE SCHOOL TO ENGAGE WITH RESEARCH AND ENQUIRY

school development. These include areas such as behaviour

Through our annual Research Forum, staff researchers

management, curriculum, learning and teaching, and more.

present their research projects and findings. All AGS staff

The aim of the working parties is to bring together staff

attend the forum and attend the presentations for the

from across the School to engage in discussion leading to

research that they are most interested in that year. The staff

school development and improvement, many with a focus

researchers also write up their research for the Flagship

on research to underpin their work.

journal which is published each year. It is my opinion that

SENIOR LEADERS BUILDING AWARENESS AND PRIORITISING RESEARCH As discussed above, research at AGS started with the

this has helped to accelerate our position of developing towards a fully research engaged School as staff have heard from our staff researchers and seen what research activity has been possible in School.

Headmaster’s vision in 2018. Since then, the level of support and priority for research has been demonstrated by research being included as an integral part of the School Development Plan and the annual Research Forum being fully supported and championed by senior leaders.

CRITICAL ENGAGEMENT WITH RESEARCH AND REFLECTION ON RELEVANCE TO SCHOOL CONTEXT Through the Research Working Party, staff members review literature and develop research to test in their classroom and/or across the School. This enables them to understand the applicability of the research to the AGS context. Other staff hearing the design and results of the staff research can also clearly see the research being tested within the

w: ags.bucks.sch.uk

57

BENEFITS OF BECOMING RESEARCH-ENGAGED AT AYLESBURY GRAMMAR SCHOOL

Alongside the benefits seen at a whole School level, the staff

We have several successful outcomes that have been driven

development through working party participation,

through the Research Working Party at AGS: • Following a two-year research project conducted by two members of staff in the English department, a whole school Literacy Lead role was created. From this role, whole year group and whole staff reading books have been launched along with a number of other literacy initiatives, including each department across the school having a literacy representative.

• Through a research project looking at diversity in our student and staff body, a staff Action Committee for Equality was set up, and from this our Student

involved in research have also gained a number of benefits: • These have been within their own professional many have undertaken research at a whole School level, they have had the ability to present to the rest of the staff body and also write up their research which is then published in the Flagship journal. Many staff researchers have also had the opportunity to present to the Senior Leadership Team and Governors.

• Some members of the team have gone on to further study, for example at master’s level and through research scholarships.

• One staff member also had her research published as a book chapter (Gruar, 2023).

Committee for Change group was launched. Student Committee for Change helps shape the ethos of AGS through listening to the views of others and taking action to promote and celebrate diversity.

• There have been changes to our academic curriculum including, for example, to the maths curriculum following the completion of an ethnomathematics research project.

• Several teachers have also developed their classroom practice as a result of the research projects, for example in areas such as retrieval practice, low stakes testing, use of technology, and more.

• We have engaged in collaboration and networking with external schools and organisations, for example Challenge Partners, the International Boys’ Schools Coalition, Chartered College of Teaching, Eton College/Holyport, Berkhamsted School, Royal Grammar School (High Wycombe), Princes Risborough Primary School, The Misbourne School, Altrincham Grammar School, St. Christopher’s School (Richmond, Virginia).

WHAT NEXT FOR AGS? Building on the successes of the past five years of research at AGS there are a number of areas we are looking to develop further: • In September 2023 we will launch the new year of the Research Programme. There are already research projects that are being explored in advance.

• Following the first student research group this year, this is an area that we will look to develop further.

• We are looking to develop opportunities for wider staff engagement with research at AGS beyond the action research projects.

• We are keen to continue to build a research-engaged network and are always looking to connect and engage with other schools. One area of particular interest is looking at conducting joint projects or exploring the testing of previous research projects in a different context, either AGS research within other schools or research conducted elsewhere being trialled at AGS. • We are also well positioned to support other schools as they conduct action research and/or strive to become more research engaged.

• Formal appointment of an AGS Research Lead, a role which I am delighted to be assuming from September 2023.

58

Flagship: Journal for Evidence Engaged Practice

How research-engaged should we be at AGS and why?

For the last two areas of development above we are particularly interested to connect with schools who are keen to collaborate or be supported as we all strive to become even more research engaged, for the benefit of our students, staff and wider community. If you are reading this, and this is you, please do get in contact with me.

We are particularly interested to connect with schools who are keen to collaborate or be supported as we all strive to become even more research engaged, for the benefit of our students, staff and wider community.

w: ags.bucks.sch.uk

59

REFERENCES Adelman, C. (1993). Kurt Lewin and the origins of action research. Educational action research, 1(1), 7-24.

Adams, R. (2023, Apr 3). Teachers in England and Wales facing ‘unmanageable’ workload, survey finds. The Guardian

Hendrick, C. (2017, Aug 15). Ten books every teacher should read. The Guardian. Available at https://www.theguardian. com/teacher-network/2017/aug/15/ten-books-everyteacher-should-read (Accessed 9/7/2023) Kuepper-Tetzel, C. (2021, Sept 30). Understanding Research Papers: A Guide For Teachers. Learning Scientists. Available

Bennett, T. (2015). The School Research Lead. Education

at: https://www.learningscientists.org/blog/2021/9/30-1.

Development Trust. Highbridge House, 16-18 Duke Street,

(Accessed 9/7/2023)

Reading Berkshire, England RG1 4RU, United Kingdom.

Clark, J. S., Porath, S., Thiele, J., & Jobe, M. (2020). Action research.

Lewin, K. (1946). Action research and minority problems.

Journal of social issues, 2(4), 34-46.

Maulana, R., Helms-Lorenz, M., & Klassen, R. M. (Eds.). (2023).

Coldwell, M., Greany, T., Higgins, S., Brown, C., Maxwell, B.,

Effective Teaching Around the World: Theoretical, Empirical,

Stiell, B., ... & Burns, H. (2017). Evidence-informed teaching:

Methodological and Practical Insights. Springer Nature.

an evaluation of progress in England. Research Report.

Department for Education.

McAleavy, T. (2015). Teaching as a Research-Engaged Profession: Problems and Possibilities. Education

Department for Education (2023). Working lives of teachers

Development Trust. Highbridge House, 16-18 Duke Street,

and leaders - wave 1. Available at https://assets.publishing.

Reading Berkshire, England RG1 4RU, United Kingdom.

service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/ attachment_data/file/1148571/Working_lives_of_teachers_ and_leaders_-_wave_1_-_core_report.pdf. (Accessed 9/7/2023) Department for Education (2022). National professional qualifications frameworks: from Autumn 2021. Available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ national-professional-qualifications-frameworks-fromseptember-2021 (Accessed 7/7/23) Department for Education, (2019). ITT Core Content Framework. Available at https://assets.publishing.service. gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_ data/file/974307/ITT_core_content_framework_.pdf.

(Accessed 7/7/2023) Godfrey, D. (2014). Creating a research culture–lessons from other schools. SecEd. Goldacre, B. (2013). Building evidence into education (p. 31).

London: Department for Education.

Gruar, A. (2023). Student perceptions of BAME people in the Roman world: A comparison of Latin textbooks. In Expanding Classics (pp. 56-71). Routledge.

Hattie, J. (2008). Visible learning: A synthesis of over 800 meta-analyses relating to achievement. London: Routledge.

Morrison McGill, R (2021, Feb 18). 5 Tips for Teachers Engaging with Research. Teacher Toolkit. Available at: https://www. teachertoolkit.co.uk/2021/02/18/teachers-engaging-withresearch/. (Accessed 9/7/2023) Munn-Giddings, C. (2012). Action research. Research methods and methodologies in education, 71-75.

NFER self-audit tool. Available at https://www.nfer.ac.uk/ for-schools/products-services/research-in-schools/selfreview/about-self-review-tool. (Accessed 9/7/2023) Ofsted, (2023), Independent review of teachers’ professional development in schools: phase 1 findings. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/teachersprofessional-development-in-schools-phase-1-findings/ independent-review-of-teachers-professional-developmentin-schools-phase-1-findings. (Accessed 9/7/2023) Pickering, T. (2022, Dec 12), Understanding Opportunity Costs in Educations. Getting Smart. Available at https://www. gettingsmart.com/2022/12/12/understanding-opportunitycosts-in-education/. (Accessed 9/7/2023) Pigott, T. D., Tocci, C., Ryan, A. M., & Galliher, A. (2021). Quality of research evidence in education: how do we know?. Review of research in education, 45(1), vii-xii.

Watkins, R., Pegram, J., Hughes, J., Hoergoer, M., 2022, Jul 22),

Hattie, J. (2023). Visible learning: The sequel: A synthesis of

Evidence-based practice in schools: What’s really going on?

over 2,100 meta-analyses relating to achievement. Taylor &

BERA blog. https://www.bera.ac.uk/blog/evidence-based-

Francis.

practice-in-schools-whats-really-going-on

60

Flagship: Journal for Evidence Engaged Practice

How research-engaged should we be at AGS and why?

Wiliam, D. (2010). An integrative summary of the research literature and implications for a new theory of formative assessment. In H. L. Andrade & G. J. Cizek (Eds.), Handbook of formative assessment (pp. 18-40). New York, NY: Taylor & Francis.

Wiliam, D. (2015), The research delusion. TES. Available at: https://www.tes.com/magazine/archive/research-delusion, accessed 07/07/23 Wiliam, D., (2016), Leadership [for] teacher learning : creating a culture where all teachers improve so that all students succeed. Learning Sciences International Wiliam, D., @dylanwiliam, (2021, Mar 11). This is why I think opportunity cost is the single most important concept in educational improvement. Every hour teachers spend doing one thing is an hour they don’t have for something else… Twitter. https://twitter.com/dylanwiliam/ status/1370099308532531200 Wiliam, D. (2023, June 23). The role of research in improving education. The Chartered College of Teaching’s Inaugural Annual Lecture.

Wilkins, R. (2011). Research Engagement for School Development. Institute of EducationLondon. 20 Bedford Way, London, WC1H 0AL,

w: ags.bucks.sch.uk

61

To what extent can Holocaust Education help to combat antisemitism and how can Religious Studies contribute to this aim?

ABSTRACT Over the last decade I have seen a lot of Religious Studies (RS) teachers unsure as to how to cover the Holocaust at KS3, and indeed questioning whether they should teach it at KS3. Is this a topic that should be left to the History curriculum given the time constraints within RS? I believe that it does indeed have a place within the RS curriculum, and I believe that there is a very important role that RS can play.

All of this led me to my research and my Farmington proposal. The Farmington Institute is part of Harris Manchester College, Oxford. It awards scholarships to Religious Studies teachers – both at primary and secondary level – which gives them 30 days out of the classroom to carry out research that will help other RS teachers or education as a whole. I was very fortunate to be awarded a scholarship in February 2020 to start in September 2021. As I discussed my project with my Farmington tutor it started to focus in on one specific issue: antisemitism. As I’ll discuss later, antisemitism is on the rise and we do not appear to have ‘learnt the lessons’ from the Holocaust.

This is not the full write up of my research. That falls outside of the space afforded me here. Once completed it will be downloadable from the Farmington Institute website.

Instead I will outline the content of my full project, looking at the current state of Holocaust education in English schools and whether or not the current aims within the

Helen Maltby

Examinations Officer

classroom are effective at combating antisemitism or not.

Flagship: Journal for Evidence Engaged Practice

To what extent can Holocaust Education help to combat antisemitism and how can Religious Studies contribute to this aim?

CONTEXT THE PROBLEM OF ANTISEMITISM Antisemitism is sometimes described as ‘humanity’s greatest hatred’. Prager and Telushkin (2003), are clear to point out that it is not the only form of hatred in the world but that no other hatred is ‘as universal, as deep, or as permanent’.

Hitler and the Nazis did not invent antisemitism.

Now this might sound obvious to us, but many students complete their study of the Holocaust without understanding this. This can have serious consequences which I’ll discuss later.

The earliest non-Jewish recording of antisemitism occurred in the 2nd century BCE in Alexandria in Egypt. The Muslim world also saw antisemitism as early as the 7th century when the Jews in the area failed to accept Muslim teachings.

In Europe antisemitism started as a Christian response to

in October 2022. At the same time as these attacks were taking place a new play called ‘Jews. In their own words’ was running at the Royal Court Theatre – written and performed

by Jews and explaining what life was like for them in 21st Century Britain. This new play was commissioned by the Royal Court Theatre as a response to their production of a new play entitled ‘Rare Earth Mettle’. One of the characters was a greedy, manipulative billionaire called Hershal Fink. The character was not Jewish but the name clearly has Jewish origins and the theatre was embroiled in an antisemitism row. The name of the character was changed but it remains a case of the perpetuance of antisemitic tropes. To try and address this, the new play – which explored the most common antisemitic tropes – was staged. Ironically when the theatre announced this production they were faced with abuse on the phone and via social media – most of which was antisemitic.

the Jews. In 1190 in York, Jews were forced to convert or be

HOLOCAUST EDUCATION AND ANTISEMITISM

killed. In 1290 Edward I issued the Edict of Expulsion which

So, can teaching the Holocaust help to combat antisemitism?

banned Jews from England and they were not allowed to return until Cromwell nearly 400 years later. Antisemitism has remained constant since then. Communities in Europe blamed the Jews for the plague with the mistaken belief that they were poisoning the wells. In Strasbourg many Jews were killed to prevent this from happening but of course this did not stop the plague from striking there. Nearly 700 years later there are groups who blame Jews for Covid-19.

Antisemitism has become part of our culture. The tropes of Jews having power and money, Jews killing Jesus, and the blood libel (killing Christian children and using their blood to make matzah at Passover) still persist. Even people who would not consider themselves racist subscribe to some of these tropes. They have become part of our works of fiction.

From Shakespeare’s Shylock in The Merchant of Venice to Dickens’ Fagin in Oliver Twist. If we look at some of the Nazi propaganda in the 1930s we can see similarities to ideas that

Certainly, the much-quoted mantra ‘Never Again’ suggests that this may be the aim of teaching students about the Holocaust. However, even though we have been teaching about the Holocaust for the last few decades, antisemitism still exists.

In their 2020 book ‘Holocaust Education: Contemporary Challenges and Controversies’, Pearce, Foster, and Pettigrew (2020) discuss the fact that teaching the Holocaust is not a ‘one-size fits all approach to countering all and any instance of prejudice and ignorance’. They suggest that we cannot assume that just because we have taught them about the Holocaust that they will know and understand what antisemitism is and how to stop it.

They also warn against conflating antisemitism with the Holocaust as if the latter is the automatic consequence of the former.

are part of our subconsciousness.

Antisemitism today is sadly on the increase. Baddiel’s (2020) recent book ‘Jews Don’t Count’ explains why this form of hatred is deemed to be acceptable by many who would decry other forms of hatred. From March 2021 to March 2022, 1,919 reports were made of antisemitic attacks in England and Wales – up 49% from the same period the previous year.

Rich’s (2023) book ‘Everyday Hate’ lists an alarming number of antisemitic events that took place within just one week w: ags.bucks.sch.uk

63

THE HOLOCAUST IN THE CURRICULUM

EXISTING RESEARCH...

Having laid this groundwork I’ll now turn to the Holocaust

As part of undertaking UCL’s Masters module I came across

in the Curriculum, and we shall start with History. The

research carried out by the Institute of Education (IOE) in

Holocaust holds a unique position in the National

2009 looking at the state of Holocaust Education in England.

Curriculum as it is the only topic that must be taught.

A questionnaire was completed by 2,108 teachers. Of these

However, there is no specific guidance in the National

25% said that they primarily taught about it in RS. My final

Curriculum on how the Holocaust should be taught and like

report will go into this research in more detail, but it is

all subjects, History teachers are bound by time constraints

interesting here to note that teaching the Holocaust in RS is

with so much content to cover – especially in schools which

not unusual.

have a two year KS3.

In RS the situation is different. There is no National Curriculum and schools (except free schools and academies) are expected to follow their Locally Agreed Syllabus. Some of these do include reference to the Holocaust. This may be as part of a study on Judaism or Remembrance, or prejudice and discrimination.

I carried out a small-scale study in July 2021 of 337 RS teachers. Only 24% do not teach it at all. Others teach it either as a standalone unit, as part of a unit on prejudice

...AND MY OWN RESEARCH In the Spring/Summer of 2022 I carried out my own research.

I put a questionnaire online which was completed by 44 History teachers and 40 RS teachers. Participants were recruited by Twitter and two Facebook groups – one aimed at History teachers and one at RS teachers.

The questions asked to which year group they primarily taught the Holocaust and how many hours they dedicated to it.

and discrimination, part of a unit on the problem of evil, or

They were then asked what topics within the Holocaust they

as part of a study of Judaism.

covered. I largely used the previously mentioned IOE study

WHAT RESOURCES ARE OUT THERE TO HELP TEACHERS? The Holocaust is obviously a huge topic and knowing where to start can be an issue. For any teacher – History or RS – who wants to teach the Holocaust there are resources available. The two main organisations are the Holocaust Education Trust (HET) and UCL’s Centre for Holocaust Education.

HET provide their own suggested scheme of work which supports a cross-curricular approach. They also run the well-established ‘Lessons from Auschwitz’ programme where sixth form students are given the opportunity to

as the basis for the topics I included as I wanted to see if there had been a change over the intervening 13 years.

Finally, they were asked what their main aims were when devising their schemes of work, and what did they want their students to take from studying the Holocaust.

Teaching the Holocaust alone will not bring an end to antisemitism, but it can play a role.

visit Auschwitz-Birkenau and encouraged to share their experiences with other students in their school. They also run a teacher version of this. For teachers there is also a UK residential school, visits to other sites in Europe associated with the Holocaust, and their 10-day residential at Yad Vashem.

UCL offer twilight sessions, a textbook that can be used as a complete scheme of work in History, suggested lessons for KS3, and a free Masters module for teachers – Holocaust in the Curriculum - which asks them to develop their own rationale for teaching the Holocaust.

Both organisations also run bespoke sessions.

64

Flagship: Journal for Evidence Engaged Practice

To what extent can Holocaust Education help to combat antisemitism and how can Religious Studies contribute to this aim?

FINDINGS I will just give you a taster now of my findings – full details will be published in my report.

When it comes to what was covered, there were some predictable differences between History and RS. Topics such as the Warsaw Ghetto uprising and the Nuremberg Laws were far more likely to be covered in History than in RS. Topics such as Jewish theological responses to the Holocaust and the concept of suffering were more likely to be covered in RS than History.

However, there were surprises too. When it comes to the history of antisemitism and pre-war Jewish life, these were both more likely to be covered in History than RS. This surprised me for two reasons. In the HET scheme of work, both topics have been placed in the RS strand rather than the History strand. In addition, part of teaching about a religion is how its adherents live, and how their religion plays out in their daily lives. Learning about this would also help build empathy – a soft skill often associated with RS.

HAS THE TEACHING OF THE HISTORY OF ANTISEMITISM CHANGED SINCE 2009?

As mentioned earlier I based my list of content on the list used by the IOE in 2009. I was particularly interested in whether there has been an increase in the teaching of the history of antisemitism.

In 2009 524 teachers reported that they were more likely than not to cover the history of antisemitism. This equates to 44%. In my research 91% of History teachers and 68% of RS teachers were more likely than not to cover it. This would suggest that there has been an increase in the teaching of the history of antisemitism – which could be down to the increase in resources available as both HET and UCL provide resources for teachers on this topic. Obviously, my numbers are small and so a bigger study would be required to say for certain.

Another topic worth mentioning is pre-war Jewish life. In 2009 22% of teachers were more likely than not to cover this. In my research the figures were 93% for History and 68% for RS.

Teachers were asked what their main aims were when it comes to teaching the Holocaust – or what did they want their students to gain. They were presented with a list of possible aims and were not restricted on how many they could select.

As you would expect, aims connected with human rights and theology were more likely to be selected by RS teachers.

However, given my previous knowledge of how RS teachers are likely to cover the Holocaust as part of a scheme of work on prejudice and discrimination or the concept of remembrance, I was surprised that more History teachers selected these.

This of course may have been down to the fact that I did not restrict the number of options they could select, and if I was to repeat this study, I would probably do that.

w: ags.bucks.sch.uk

65

SO CAN TEACHING THE HOLOCAUST HELP TO END

It is also important that our students see the victims of the

ANTISEMITISM?

Holocaust as individuals, and not just a statistic. This is

I want to return to the idea of teaching the Holocaust with an aim to stopping antisemitism. As previously pointed out, this will not happen automatically. If this is to be one of the aims, then it needs to be built into our curriculum design.

Key to this is covering both the history of antisemitism and antisemitism today. Without this, students are left with the impression that antisemitism began and ended with the Nazis. Nothing Hitler did was new (including yellow stars and ghettos). He just took it to a different level going from not wanting Jews to live in the country, to not wanting Jews to live.

one area where RS can help. My research showed that the desire to build empathy with the victims was a common aim and this is certainly one that seems to fit well within the RS curriculum. My view is that a cross-curricular approach is by far the best method, with History and RS complimenting each other with their curriculum strengths.

TO CONCLUDE I doubt my findings are that revolutionary, and there are people who have done far more research on this than I have.

My intention here is raise awareness of the pedagogical

In my research 15% of those who selected ‘to prevent

issues surrounding Holocaust Education, specifically the

antisemitism’ as one of their aims selected ‘never’ or

role of curriculum design to support an aim. Teaching the

‘unlikely’ when asked if they would teach the history of

Holocaust alone will not bring an end to antisemitism, but it

antisemitism which I thought was interesting.

can play a role.

A study carried out by UCL in 2016 showed that even after studying the Holocaust only 25.9% of students aged 11-16 correctly identified it as ‘prejudice against Jews’. 93% recognised Jews as the victims of the Holocaust but many were unaware of why Jews were targeted – even though they had studied the Holocaust. Antisemitic tropes persisted when students tried to explain why they thought they were targeted and were of course unaware that these were

It is also important that our students see the victims of the Holocaust as individuals, and not just a statistic.

antisemitic tropes.

The vast majority of these students were not aware of the history of antisemitism, and I would agree with Pearce et al.

(2020) when they say that without understanding the long history of antisemitism they cannot fully appreciate and understand antisemitism today.

As teachers we need to ensure that they understand that it did not begin and end with the Nazis. If they think it has ended, then they won’t recognise it in society today.

AND SO, TO THE ROLE OF RELIGIOUS STUDIES Which brings me to how RS teachers can best contribute to this. I believe that the Holocaust does have a place in the RS classroom, but we need to be careful not to conflate Judaism with the Holocaust. Judaism is a rich tradition with complex beliefs and practices. It is not defined purely by the events in the 1930s and 1940s, nor is it defined by antisemitism.

My final report will go into this in more detail. The Board of Deputies of British Jews strongly advise that the Holocaust is not taught within a unit on Judaism.

66

Flagship: Journal for Evidence Engaged Practice

To what extent can Holocaust Education help to combat antisemitism and how can Religious Studies contribute to this aim?

BIBLIOGRAPHY Baddiel, David, (2021). Jews Don’t Count. TLS Books.

Lynn, Guy, (2022). Antisemitism Row: Royal Court Theatre apologises “unreservedly”. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-englandlondon-60575719 Pettigrew, Alice, Foster, Stuart, (2009). Teaching about the Holocaust in English Secondary Schools: An empirical study of national trends, perspectives and practice. Institute of Education, University of London.

Pearce, Andy, Foster, Stuart, Pettigrew, Alice, (2020). Holocaust Education: Contemporary Challenges and Controversies. Institute of Education, University of London Prager, Dennis, Telushkin, Joseph, (2003). Why the Jews?: The Reason for Antisemitism, 2nd ed. Touchstone.

Rich, Dave, (2023). Everyday Hate: How antisemitism is built into our world and how you can change it. Biteback Publishing.

Weiner, Alyssa, (2020). Global trends in conspiracy theories linking Jews with coronavirus. https://www.ajc.org/news/global-trends-in-conspiracy-theorieslinking-jews-with-coronavirus Farmington Institute – www.farmington.ac.uk

w: ags.bucks.sch.uk

67

68

Flagship: Journal for Evidence Engaged Practice

.

Flagship

Journal for Evidence Engaged Practice

Issue 5 Published by Aylesbury Grammar School 2023

Flagship is a definitive publication from our great School on the power of knowledge, its application, and the richness of our staff.

w: ags.bucks.sch.uk

71