As Drucker (2001, p. 195) states: ‘One alternative is always the alternative of doing nothing.’ What does it mean? You have done your research and think you’ve found an intervention or change which has a sound base. However, just because the evidence base appears to be sound, that in itself is not a good enough […]
The Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) Cycle is a tool for planning, implementing, refining and improving an intervention or change. What does it mean? The PDSA Cycle is designed to help you answer three questions: What are you trying to accomplish? How will you know whether the change is an improvement? What changes can you make that will […]
An essential part of being a research-informed practitioner is assessing the outcome of the decision you have taken. What does it mean? Initially developed by the U.S. army, an after-action review (AAR) is a group process designed to give you clear steps to review activities and identify the lessons learned. The AAR consists of four […]
What’s the idea? An essential part of being an evidence-based practitioner is being able to judge the quality and trustworthiness of research. However, not being an expert in research, and without some kind of aide-memoire or heuristic, this can be difficult. Thankfully, there are frameworks in place to help you do this. For example, Professor […]
What’s the idea? Whether you are planning to implement an intervention or are thinking about how to carry out an evaluation, it is essential to have a clear understanding of what you are trying to do. A logic model is one way to help you do this. What does it mean? A logic model graphically […]
What’s the idea? Evidence-informed practitioners are often faced with educational fads or fashion which may have little or no evidence to support their introduction. Randomised Controlled Trials (RCTs) are often referred to as the ‘gold standard’ of educational evidence because many sources of bias are removed from the research process. They provide the chance to […]
What’s the idea? An effect size is a “way of quantifying the difference between two groups” (Coe, 2017, p. 339). It allows us to move beyond the question of whether or not an intervention works and toward an understanding of how well it works in different contexts. What does it mean? The formula for an […]
What’s the idea? Evidence-informed practitioners will want to find the best available evidence. While individual studies may be limited in scope or flawed in design, a systematic review can provide a robust overview of research in a particular field. What does it mean? Gough et al. (2017) define a systematic review as ‘a review of […]
What’s the idea? When deciding whether to implement a teaching strategy or intervention, you should take into account any potential adverse side effects – alongside the reported benefits (Zhao, 2017). What does it mean? In his work, Zhao uses the Cambridge Online Dictionary definition of a side effect as ‘an unwanted or unexpected results or […]
What’s the idea? Meta-analysis is a way of combining results from a range of different studies in one particular area. What does it mean? A meta-analysis collects together a range of quantitative studies around a particular intervention. It converts the results of each study into a common metric – effect size, for example – and […]
What’s the idea? A key aspect of being an evidence-based practitioner is to reflect, at the end of the process, not just on the outcomes of your actions, but also on how you did as an evidence-based practitioner (Straus et al, 2011). Indeed, before you start undertaking evidence-based practice related activities, you may wish to […]
Curriculum design: The curriculum design process This series of Compact Guides provides an overview of a range of curriculum models. This is not a definitive list, as even within a particular model there can be numerous variations. Rather, the aim is to offer insights into some of the curriculum models that exist – including their […]
What’s the idea? The aim of an area-based curriculum is to enhance the educational experiences of young people ‘by creating rich connections with the communities, cities and cultures that surround them and by distributing the education effort across the people, organisations and institutions of a local area.’ (RSA, 2012) What does it mean? The idea […]
What’s the idea? A problem-centred curriculum is a cross-curricular, inquiry-based, student-centred approach that is built around real-world problems. Within a problem-centred curriculum, learning transcends subject disciplines and brings together elements of the curriculum that would otherwise be separate. It is designed to develop skilful, knowledgeable, collaborative, self-regulated and self-determined lifelong learners (Casey and Tucker, 1994; […]
What’s the idea? A play-based curriculum is informed by children’s interests and needs (as they emerge). The teacher has fixed learning goals, but these are achieved holistically, responsively and flexibly as the children grow and develop (Van Oers and Duikers, 2013). What does it mean? A play-based curriculum puts play and activity at the centre […]
What’s the idea? An aims-based curriculum focuses on the needs and wants of students, equipping them to lead ‘personally flourishing’ lives and to help others to do so too (Reiss and White, 2013, p. 1). What does it mean? Reiss and White (2013) outline three interlinked and broad aims at the heart of an aims-based […]
What’s the idea? Selective marking involves selecting one section of work to mark in depth and using this to give specific feedback with focused, manageable improvement targets. What does it mean? With this strategy, rather than trying to mark everything a student writes, teachers ‘zoom-in’ and specifically focus on smaller sections of work and particular […]
What’s the idea? Teachers read a whole set of books – without marking each individual student’s work – and then share feedback as a whole-class activity in the following lesson. What does it mean? Originally inspired by the Michaela Community School (where the belief is that marking forces an over-reliance on teachers and wastes valuable […]
What’s the idea? Activities involving students assessing their own work, using mark schemes and checklists, to support learning. What does it mean? This is a feedback method where students assess their own work using checklists and mark schemes. This form of self-assessment can empower students by shifting the focus away from teachers (and examiners) as […]
What’s the idea? Structured, whole-class feedback sessions where a group of students collectively critique a piece of work, offering suggestions and guidance to help its owner improve. What does it mean? In An Ethic of Excellence (2003), Ron Berger makes the case for accepting only the highest standards of ‘excellence’ in students’ work. One way […]
