Challenging your learners in KS3 geography with the Royal Geographical Society
How do you ensure all learners are challenged and stimulated in your KS3 geography classes? This free live webinar will share practical strategies to provide challenge for all, within mixed ability groups. It will highlight a range of free online resources, with examples of how these could support and enrich your geography department’s provision. Jointly […]
It’s alright for some: Are the effects of school exclusion heterogeneous?
In this seminar, Andrew estimates the direct effects of school exclusion on pupils’ academic achievement as well as whether they are heterogeneous by pupils’ socio-economic status (SES). The research looks at exclusion and achievement, sibling fixed effects, and population-wide data on English secondary pupils. His findings suggest there is a negative relationship between exclusion and […]
Closing the SEND gap through targeted interventions: Findings from the MetaSENse study
By Jo Van Herwegen, Professor of Developmental Psychology and Education, UCL’s Institute of Education Recent evidence shows that students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) have lower educational outcomes compared to their peers and that this gap continues to increase (Tuckett et al., 2021). Although previous reviews have addressed how these students can benefit […]
Inspiring a Passion for Innovation-STEAM conference
Location: British School of Bucharest, Romania will be hosting a conference for Teachers, Middle Leaders, and Senior Leaders on 15-16 November 2024. STEAM fundamentally requires a significant amount of hardware alongside excellent teaching. This conference will provide an opportunity for Teachers, Middle Leaders, and Senior Leaders to come together to explore how STEAM can be successfully delivered to students and schools. The […]
From the Editor
PROFESSOR TANYA OVENDEN-HOPE, PROFESSOR OF EDUCATION AND DEAN OF PLACE AND SOCIAL PURPOSE, PLYMOUTH MARJON UNIVERSITY; BERA COUNCIL MEMBER AND BERA SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP CONVENOR, UK Evidence-based and evidence-informed teaching have become increasingly important aspects of educational practice and policy in the UK, with a growing emphasis on teachers as researchers and schools as research collaborators. […]
Schools as learning organisations: A framework to improve research engagement
MARK LESWELL, RESEARCH LEAD, SWALE ACADEMIES TRUST, UK Introduction As the education system in England strives to become more evidence-informed, the role of research engagement in schools has become increasingly important. However, despite growing interest and efforts to include research in decision-making processes, the effectiveness of research use and the evaluation of evidence bases remain questionable. […]
Leading quality use of research in schools
JOANNE GLEESON, MARK RICKINSON, LUCAS WALSH AND BLAKE CUTLER, FACULTY OF EDUCATION, MONASH UNIVERSITY, AUSTRALIA Introduction Internationally, educators and education systems are becoming increasingly aware that using research can improve their work (e.g. OECD, 2022). Previous studies provide powerful reasons for educators to use research, showing links to better teaching skills and improved and more equitable […]
A distributed leadership approach to evidence-informed practice: How one school widens staff engagement with teaching and learning research
Emily Giubertoni, Bishop Challoner Training School Alliance SCITT The aim: To develop an evidence-engaged and informed culture In this case study, we will see how one school puts the components of distributed leadership into practice and how, in doing so, it builds a sense of equity and community among the staff body around the use […]
Criticality in evidence-informed teaching: Expansive learning with Rosenshine
CHRISTIAN BOKHOVE AND ROSALYN HYDE, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON, UK As educators, we have noticed that there is sometimes an uncritical adoption of evidence since what some have called an ‘evidence-informed revolution’. A case in point can be found in the work of Barak Rosenshine, which has been extremely influential in schools, especially in the context […]
How teacher-led research can meaningfully contribute to appraisals
LISA EDMENSON, GEOGRAPHY TEACHER, DOWDALES SCHOOL, UK EMMA AUBREY, HEADTEACHER, DOWDALES SCHOOL, UK The appraisal process is one in which educational establishments participate across the country and has been a legal requirement for schools across England since 2012 (DfE, 2012). The appraisal process is a means of monitoring teacher performance and supporting individuals with their continued […]
Teacher inquiry questions: A trust-wide shift
JO STAWMAN, Head of School, Quest Primary School, UK GEMMA PARKER, Director of School Improvement, The Collegiate Trust, UK Using research evidence is integral to school improvement and good teaching (EEF, 2024). There are multiple sources of research evidence, and in the UK, the 1960s and 1970s saw an emergence of the teacher as researcher, […]
From well-intentioned to evidence-informed: Making the shift on a large scale
MARGARET (MEG) LEE AND MIKE MARKOE, FREDERICK COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, USA The challenge of becoming evidence-informed Moving a school to become more informed by evidence about how learning happens and how that evidence is best applied is a huge undertaking, which requires a commitment of time, dedication to focused professional growth and collective will to […]
Using research to embed an evidenced-informed pastoral curriculum to support whole school behaviour policies
MOHAMED IBRAHIM, SECONDARY SENDCO, HARRIS FEDERATION, UK Introduction The concept of a ‘hidden’ pastoral curriculum has long been advocated as a solution to the growing national concerns about student misbehaviour. Numerous behaviour experts suggest a curriculum that explicitly teaches positive behaviours rather than merely sanctioning those who fall short. While various models have illustrated effective pastoral […]
Creating a research-engaged school: One school’s experience of making it a reality
KATRINA BLUNT, RESEARCH LEAD, AYLESBURY GRAMMAR SCHOOL, UK Introduction Throughout six years of conducting research at Aylesbury Grammar School – from small-scale classroom studies to whole-school projects – we have investigated how research can be applied to our context. By undertaking research projects, our staff have sought to test published research to solve an issue, challenge […]
Case study: A unique and innovative MAT-led model for EAL students
EMILY PREECE, CORE HELLO, CORE EDUCATION TRUST, UK With approximately 20 per cent of the student body in England learning English as an additional language (Statista, 2023) and ‘learners from all parts of the world… speaking over 360 languages between them and representing every combination of educational, economic and geographical trajectories’ (Sharples, 2021, p. 11), schools […]
Embedding a culture of research in school to engage staff and empower organisational change
GRAHAM CHISNELL FCCT, EDUCATION CONSULTANT AND AUTHOR, UK Developing a culture of research in school empowers staff at every level to influence practice and play an active role in the strategic development of the organisation. Research can enhance the climate of a school in four ways. Relationships strengthen, the learning environment is enhanced, the quality of […]
Cultivating critical expertise: Balancing teacher agency and evidence-informed practice in schools
ANDREW B JONES, THE REACH FREE SCHOOL, UK; THE OPEN UNIVERSITY, UK Introduction The evolving landscape of educational ‘best practice’ emphasises evidence-informed practice (EIP), particularly in its scientific form, for enhancing teaching and learning outcomes (Perry et al., 2021). However, balancing EIP with teacher agency presents challenges. Proponents of EIP argue that teaching should align with […]
The BERA Teacher Network: A positive learning network for collaborative research practice
Luke Donnelly, Head of Year at Pinner High School and BERA Teacher Network Co-Lead, UK Learning networks and why they are important for teacher researchers Learning networks are essential collaborative spaces where professionals connect to share insights, solve problems, and innovate. These networks exist both online and offline, providing a flexible and borderless environment for […]
Facilitating journal clubs for teachers and teaching assistants: Professional collaboration as a route to more effective CPD for supporting students with SEND
Steve Murray, Trust Lead for Data Insights and Research, Trust in Learning Academies (TiLA), Bristol, UK Practitioner effectiveness has long been recognised as a key driver of student achievement (Slater et al., 2012) and thus necessitates impactful continued professional development (CPD). Teaching assistants (TAs) often experience an inconsistent quality of CPD and lack co-planning time […]
Designing a trust-wide professional development programme
RICHARD HARVEY-SWANSTON, SENIOR LECTURER, UNIVERSITY OF BRIGHTON, UK KERRI BURNS, SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT ADVISOR, UNIVERSITY OF BRIGHTON ACADEMIES TRUST, UK TIFF COLE, FACULTY LEAD COACH, UNIVERSITY OF BRIGHTON ACADEMIES TRUST, UK Introduction Teacher professional development (PD) is a critical factor influencing student outcomes (Cordingly, 2015) and teacher retention (EEF, 2023). While research has extensively explored the characteristics of […]