Welcome to the second edition of Ignite, where we continue to explore the intersection of research, reflection and classroom practice
This edition invites us to look beyond academic achievement and consider the broader development of students - as thoughtful, ethical and reflective learners
We begin with practical strategies for embedding Character Education across school life, from subject teaching to co-curricular involvement
We then turn to the power of reflective thinkinghow we can explicitly teach it, make it social and embed it as a habit Finally, a teacher’s narrative challenges us to see our lessons through the eyes of our students, prompting reflection on what really supports learning
As always, we round off with ideas for further reading and opportunities for professional growth
Andy Beard teaches History and Politics at KGS, where he is also the Assistant Head responsible for Co-curricular and Character Education He is interested in how co-curricular opportunities shape resilience, leadership and personal growth and the transformative power of education both within and in particular beyond the classroom
Beth Kandemir teaches in the English Department at KGS She recently completed a doctorate in Education at the University of Sheffield, investigating reflective thinking and online teaching and learning practices Research interests include curriculum design, education policy and the application of both cognitive science and emerging technologies in education
Tim Benson is Head of STEAM at KGS, teaching Physics and Computer Science He is particularly interested in improving student engagement through Physical Computing and discovery learning
Andy Beard - Assistant Head Co-Curricular and Character Education
Character Education is the process of teaching students core ethical values, attitudes and behaviours that contribute to their moral and civic development It focuses on fostering traits such as respect, responsibility, honesty, empathy and perseverance but also in developing confidence, communication, team and leadership skills The goal is to help students develop as people, so that they have a strong moral compass and the skill and ability to make ethical decisions in their personal and academic lives moving forwards
As educators, we can recognise that success is not defined by academic achievement alone but also by the cultivation of ethical behaviour Embedding character education into teaching and wider school life ensures that students develop into well-rounded individuals equipped to face life’s challenges with integrity and emotional intelligence Moreover, in highly academic environments, where pressure and competition can be intense, character education can serve as a balancing force, promoting wellbeing and a supportive school culture
How can we embed Character Education into learning both inside and outside of the classroom?
1 Academic subjects can provide a rich context for discussions about character
Students can explore themes of integrity and empathy through character analysis in English literature For example, Macbeth’s downfall is arguably caused by his moral corruption and unchecked ambition, whilst in A Christmas Carol, Scrooge’s transformation highlights the power of self-reflection and change
History lessons can address moral courage and justice through the study of influential leaders and movements For example, William Wilberforce, Emmeline Pankhurst, Mohandas K Gandhi, Sophie Scholl, Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela Or by utilising Primary Sources to examine moral reasoning in speeches, letters and other documents Science classes can emphasise ethical responsibility in research and innovation in, for example, Animal Testing, or the development of CRISPR and Genetic Engineering By highlighting these connections, teachers can reinforce the relevance of character alongside academic content.
2 Model positive behaviours
Teachers can play a critical role as role models Demonstrating kindness, patience, fairness and respect in daily interactions sets a powerful example Consistently showing ethical behaviour, admitting mistakes and treating students with empathy and respect helps establish a classroom culture grounded in integrity and compassion
3 Fostering a respectful and inclusive environment
A supportive classroom environment where every student feels safe and valued is essential for character development In discursive subjects like RP and Politics, for instance, it is essential that students are encouraged to engage in respectful dialogue, with active listening and empathy during discussions, where a range of varied opinions might expect to be expressed Teachers should set ground rules from the outset and address instances of disrespect or exclusion promptly and constructively, reinforcing the importance of kindness and understanding
4 Encourage reflection and self-awareness
These are key components of character education Providing opportunities for students to reflect on their behaviour, choices, and personal growth is important. Some of this work has already begun through the use of selfassessment tools However, opportunities for students to reflect and self-critique are important in their development and can be included when work is returned to them For example, what areas have they identified themselves in terms of where they need to focus on for improvement next time
5 Promoting service and community engagement
Service and community engagement initiatives encourage students to apply their values in realworld contexts. This can be done via House cake sales, participation in tea parties for care home residents, via teaching languages to primary school students or from delivering Maths challenges or through volunteering opportunities within DofE or food and hygiene bank collections All of these activities and more besides help to instil a sense of social responsibility and empathy Moreover, these experiences help students understand the impact of their actions and the importance of contributing to the greater good
6 Embedding Character Education
Co-curricular clubs, sports teams and other activities offer rich opportunities to reinforce character development Leadership roles through CCF or DofE, and team-based experiences in sport, drama and music, all help to develop responsibility, collaboration and perseverance.
7 Provide consistent reinforcement and recognition
This can help to motivate students to uphold strong character Staff should aim to “catch students doing the right thing” and to encourage this with positive recognition This means celebrating acts of kindness, integrity, and resilience through commendations, awards, shout-outs or simple verbal acknowledgment in the classroom Consistent reinforcement helps emphasise the value placed on ethical behaviour and can help cultivate a culture of positivity and respect
8 Collaborate with parents and the community Character Education thrives when it is reinforced beyond the classroom Partnering with parents and community organisations helps to create a unified approach to character development This can be seen through events, collaborative initiatives or involvement with parent-led interest groups to organise and deliver activities that help to align home and school efforts and ensure consistent messaging and support.
For Character Education to be effective, it must be an ongoing and fully integrated aspect of daily teaching practice In essence it must be ‘ everyone ’ s business’ Lessons might begin with a character-related question or quote to stimulate thoughtful discussion Equally, use of real-life scenarios and ethical dilemmas can be useful in lessons, to encourage critical thinking and moral reasoning This might involve exploring the Trolley Problem, looking at whether civil disobedience can be justified if the law is unfair (e g Gandhi, Martin Luther King) or environmental ethics vs people’s jobs in Geography by exploring deforestation of the Amazon
Staff might also look to create opportunities for student leadership and responsibility outside of the classroom This could be via assigning roles that require students to demonstrate reliability, collaboration, and initiative, e.g. by taking on leadership or representative roles within the community or through participation in collaborative projects Encouraging students to take on these responsibilities, along with roles such as peer mentorship or support for younger peers, helps to build interpersonal skills and empathy
Embedding character education into everyday life helps ensure the intellectual and moral development of students By integrating core values into teaching and fostering a supportive, reflective and service-oriented culture, educators prepare students for both academic success and ethical leadership in their future lives and careers In a world that increasingly demands emotional intelligence, resilience and social responsibility, Character Education is not just an addition to the curriculum - it is a vital foundation for lifelong success and fulfilment
Find out more: The University of Birmingham’s Jubilee Centre for Character Education is dedicated towards developing a better understanding of what works in schools in terms of Character Education with over ten years of research on the ground within schools From this experience, they have developed the ‘Character Teaching Inventory’ which identifies a range of strategies which schools and teachers can utilise to embed character
https://www jubileecentre ac uk/wpcontent/uploads/2023/07/TheCharacterTeachin gInventoryPoster Final pdf
https://www kgs org uk/character-education
Reflective thinking: having the experience without missing the meaning
Dr Beth Kandemir - Teacher of English
“We learn not from experience. We learn from reflecting
on experience.
” (John Dewey, 1933,
p 118)
If John Dewey’s paradigm of learning is correct, reflection enables all learning This validates educators giving more attention to reflective thinking (the process of how we learn), above learning experiences (what we do to learn) and even above curriculum content (what we learn about) Reflection is a high-order skill with the possibility of far transfer - applying a skill acquired in one context to another very different context (Tanner & Jones, 2000) This is learning at its most enabling Practising reflection enables the individual to engage with and express their beliefs and experiences - and so learn from these - making them a more effective learner, irrespective of the context in which that learning is taking place and what is being learnt (Boud et al , 1985) As educators, we therefore need to explicitly teach reflective thinking, so students are aware of and deliberate about thinking reflectively and have the language to describe their thought processes
So how is it that experience can be converted into learning? Carol Rodgers builds on Dewey’s
definition to describe reflection as “a meaningmaking process that moves a learner from one experience to the next, with deeper understanding of its relationships with, and connections to, other experiences and ideas” (Rodgers, 2002, p. 845). Rodgers – like Habermas (1972) before her - presents reflective thinking as a collaborative social act which happens through communication with others, attesting that it necessitates an outlook that “value[s] the personal and intellectual growth of oneself and others” (ibid ) This is key to the consideration of reflective thinking in school contexts, as a mainstay of classroom-based teaching and learning which enables academic success and the development of social or soft skills Reflective thinking at its most impactful is a social act which acknowledges, interacts with, and should be undertaken alongside others
In my own research, teacher and student preferences were for reflective thinking which was very much a social act, using collaborative and discursive strategies (Kandemir, 2023) There was particular disdain for reflective tasks which moved attention towards the technical demands of written work rather than processes of metacognition There was also a strong sense of reflective thinking being connected to selfimprovement, personal identity, independence and the ability to both form and sustain relationships with others
The findings of my doctoral research highlight the importance of reflective thinking as a social act and the academic motivation this coincides with They foreground the value placed by students and educators upon reflective conversations which are collaborative The implications for practice are a recommendation that space and therefore time is afforded for reflective thinking in the curriculum in secondary education contexts as it results in students’ confidence to work with their peers, as well as on their agency and ability to advocate for themselves
Reflective thinking is something with which learners must re-engage and re-engage It has to be a habit The pervasive pattern across models of reflective thinking is that they are cycles (Zimmerman, 2000a; 2000b; 2002; Lewin, 1946; Gibbs, 1988; Kolb, 1984; Jasper, 2003; & Rolfe et al , 2001; 2011) The idea of learning as a cyclical process is strongly connected to regarding reflective thinking as integral to an ongoing learning process which is needed to evaluate progress and enable next steps Revisiting an experience makes reflection habitual and cumulatively builds an awareness and understanding of reflective thinking This gradually upskills students to become proficient reflective thinkers, and in turn, expert learners
Boud, D , Keogh, R , & Walker, D (1985)
Reflection: turning experience into learning London: Croom Helm
Dewey, J (1933) How we think: A restatement of the relation of reflective thinking to the educational process Lexington, Massachusetts: D C Heath and company
Gibbs, G (1988) Learning by doing: a guide to teaching and learning methods London: Further Education Unit
Habermas, J (1972) Knowledge and Human Interests London: Heinemann Educational Jasper, M (2003) Beginning reflective practice Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes Kandemir, B (2023)Storying 2020-21: Experiences of Reflection in an International School Community EdD thesis, University of Sheffield.
Kolb, D A (1984) Experiential learning: experience as the source of learning and development New Jersey: Prentice Hall Lewin, K (1946) Action research and minority problems in G W Lewin (Ed ) Resolving Social Conflicts New York: Harper & Row (1948)
Rodgers, C (2002) Defining Reflection: Another look at John Dewey and reflective thinking Teachers College Record, 104(4), 842-866
Rolfe, G , Freshwater, D , & Jasper, M (2001) Critical reflection for nursing and the helping professions: a user ' s guide. Basingstoke: Palgrave
Rolfe, G , Freshwater, D , & Jasper, M (2011) Critical reflection in practice: generating knowledge for care Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan
Tanner, H , & Jones, S (2000) Scaffolding for Success: Reflective discourse and the effective teaching of mathematical thinking skills Research in Mathematics Education, 2(1), 19-32
Zimmerman, B J (2000a) Attaining SelfRegulation: A Social Cognitive Perspective In B. J. Zimmerman, Handbook of SelfRegulation (pp 13-39) Cambridge, MA: Academic Press
Zimmerman, B J (2000b) Handbook of SelfRegulation (M Boekaerts, P R Pintrich, & M
Zeidner, Eds ) San Diego, California: Academic Press
Zimmerman, B J (2002) Achieving academic excellence: A self-regulatory perspective in The pursuit of excellence through education (M Ferrari, Ed ) Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum
Tim Benson - Head of STEAM
As a trainee teacher I attended an INSET called “Wants and needs”, which encouraged us as young teachers to imagine a lesson through the eyes of a student Over the many years since, the specific strategies have faded but the idea of this flip in perspective has stayed with me. To play around with this idea, join me as I try to imagine the tables turned in one of my lessons:
“I have been chosen for a question, I assume because I wasn’t paying attention just now As I wasn’t paying attention I don’t know the answer, but even if I did know the answer, Mr Benson appears to have made his point, I feel suitably embarrassed, and he has now moved on to someone else They hesitate, too late, he’s off again, I guess he’s in a hurry, he has been saying that we are behind. How reassuring.
We have moved on to one of Mr Benson’s favourite activities, the structured (tedious) transfer of information from one place to another We have a very organised table to fill; I like this, it will look very neat in my book ‘You have just got to learn this’ we are told, I figured as much, but it is strange that moments later we attempt a question and I am unable to recall anything I suppose I will ‘just have to learn this’ later, but in the meantime I have highlighted it
Ah this is better, now we have moved on to an exam question, this is what I need, focused exam practice I look at the question but am not sure where to start, I pause and look around It looks like the others haven’t started yet either, maybe I’ll just wait for a bit What I really want is a model answer, I’d rather not get it wrong
Yep, he’s cracked and made a start for us, we are pushed for time after all Still it’s good to have a model answer here, I make a mental note to learn this later, better highlight it for now
We have some more questions to do now, I find these ok, it’s basically just using the formula There are some ‘extension’ questions here so I have a read, I want to try this I think but it is so much harder I need some time to think but it’s hard to concentrate as Mr Benson has started going through the easy questions, maybe he’ll give us a bit longer after I used to like doing the harder stuff but it takes me a while to work things out, I think maybe I’m just a bit too slow I should try again at home, but I still have a lot of content to make notes on ”
I am sure many will be tutting at the basic pedagogical mistakes made here, if not my creative writing skills. Nonetheless, I have chosen these examples as, despite being an experienced teacher, I still make mistakes like these far too often, prioritising content delivery over student engagement or using questioning as a behaviour management tool
Often the core issue, as that INSET reminded me years ago, is failing to truly see the lesson from the student's perspective It's too easy to assume 'learning' will happen outside the classroom, neglecting the opportunity to develop it in lesson time
The student in this scenario also highlights the disconnect between perceived 'wants' and actual 'needs ' A student might 'want' neat, structured notes and quick answers, a sense of immediate accomplishment But what they 'need' is to grapple with complex ideas, to make mistakes, and to develop genuine understanding Considering things again from the student viewpoint I think demonstrates the main thing we would want in this situation: time Not always easy within the confines of a tight curriculum, but usually worthwhile
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