Introduction: Why focus on unstructured time?
“The true measure of a student’s character lies not in how they behave when under the watchful eyes of authority, but rather in the choices they make and the values they uphold when no one is there to see”.
Anonymous
This quote from an unknown educator captures the idea that true character is demonstrated in moments of independence and autonomy, where individuals have the freedom to choose their actions without immediate consequences or external scrutiny. It suggests that the integrity and moral fibre of a student become apparent when they are not bound by the presence of authority figures, as this is when their genuine beliefs and principles come to the forefront.
In this way, understanding how students behave outside of lessons is important to gain a sense of
the impact of policies aimed at creating a calm, orderly, positive and respectful culture in a school. How well do students go beyond superficial, externally motivated behaviour and consider the choices they make when they think they are not being observed.
To what extent:
• is the ethos calm and orderly
• do students behave respectfully towards each other?
The challenges of observing unstructured time and the principles of getting it right
Expressed in the most general terms, the Heisenberg effect refers to those research occasions in which the very act of measurement or observation directly alters the phenomenon under investigation.
Dean Keith Simonton, Sage Research Methods
The insights afforded by knowing how students behave in unstructured times can be powerful. However, getting to these insights can be tricky. Simply by us being there to observe students in unstructured time means that they are no longer unsupervised. Therefore, they may not behave as they typically would when left to their own devices.
Ensuring that the: right people look at the
• right things in the
• right places at the
• right times can make all the difference to what you find out.
Our guiding principles - right people, right things, right places, right times
Be clear about what you want to find out:
Consider what aspect of the school’s culture and ethos you are looking into. This will determine your choices about who, what, where and when. It may be that you are checking compliance with rules about moving between lessons etc. In which case, it would be appropriate to stand at the end of corridors to see the big picture, or at key pinch points where students might not see you until they turn the corner, etc. However, if you were looking into the culture of respect that exists between students, that approach would give little useful information. To get to the heart of this aspect, you would need to think about how to get close enough to the interactions students have between themselves to hear what they are saying and to observe the impact that students’ words and actions have on each other.
Identify how, where and when you are most likely to see this in action:
Think about the sorts of behaviours you would associate with different spaces. Choose the ones that lend themselves most to what you are looking at. For example, the canteen may be a place where you are more likely to get a sense of whether students swear at or speak disrespectfully towards each other. It can also show how they respond to catering staff or support staff on duty. Alternatively, observing who spends what time in the toilets at breaktime might be a useful way of understanding students’ views about how comfortable they find the experience of using them. The key here is to look in the right places for the right things to get beyond the surface features of students’; behaviour to gain genuine insights as to what happens underneath.
Think about how students might behave in front of different staff:
Once you have decided where and when you will go to get the information you are looking for, consider who might be best placed to see or hear what is typical. Ask yourself how students are likely to behave if they see a particular person in the corridor, or sitting near them at lunch, for example. Arguably, students may feel less inclined to show their true colours in the presence of senior leaders. Support staff, supply teachers or ECTs may have a very different experience when asking students to tuck in shirts than would the headteacher. The language students use might be very different if they perceive that the ‘only’ adult present is the science technician or a midday supervisor. Be brave enough to stand back and let the right person find out and report back what might be an uncomfortable truth.
Think about what behaviours/attitudes you hope to see, and the indicators of them happening (or not):
Observing students’ behaviour in unstructured times is a quality control activity. Your expectations for how students behave will be set out in agreed policies and systems. In this way, the conception of quality has been established. By looking at the day-to- day reality, you are building a picture of the actual quality of their behaviour and comparing it with the agreed acceptable standard. In this way, you can identify any shortfalls. Once identified, you can go further to diagnose why students’ behaviour is falling short of agreed standards, and take the actions needed to assure its quality moving forwards.