In recent years, there has been much interest in the potential benefits of both group work and of mixed attainment grouping, but also recognition that these are hard to get right and that they may also have negative consequences. In this article, the author reflects on a piece of action research she undertook to understand […]
We had teachers from different stages and phases of their career ready to answer all your questions, from how to cope with an increased timetable to their top behaviour management strategies.
It’s important to develop well-formulated and answerable questions when you start to look at research so that you use your time efficiently. What does it mean? The right question helps you to: develop effective search strategies focus on evidence that directly addresses your needs communicate more clearly with colleagues when requesting support and guidance. PICOT […]
You will not be short of challenges to which you will want to turn your attention, so once you have developed your challenges into well-formulated questions, you then need to identify the most important question on which to focus. What does it mean? There are a couple of models you can use to prioritise where […]
With so much research evidence available, it can be helpful to use a hierarchy of evidence to help you make a judgement on how much weight to give different types of research. What does it mean? The hierarchy of evidence is an attempt to rank different types of studies based on the rigour of the […]
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; […]
