Camtree Digital Library (Univ. of Cambridge)
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Choice and Motivation in the Art Classroom
No full textThis research focuses on the effects of autonomy on motivation and year 7’s perspectives on choice-based art projects. It explores the implications and possible contradictions of autonomy in the context of a diverse, ‘requiring improvement’ school in East Anglia. Data from questionnaires, interviews and participant observation revealed that a choice-based project had a positive impact on students’ attitudes towards materials, outcomes, teacher
exemplars, perceptions of competence, general interest and external recognition. Implications for future research and classroom practice are also discussed
A mentoring and coaching approach to staff development
No full textAim:
The main aim of the mentoring and coaching approach to staff development is to facilitate thoughtful reflection and prompt developmental thinking within the teacher’s own mind, in a spirit of collaboration and respect.
Methods:
The participants in the mentoring and coaching approach to staff development are the teacher, two mentor-coaches, and the target learners (all staff and pupils). Mentoring-coaching is a reflective and questioning process that supports teachers to develop key areas of teaching and learning through their own reflection. It involves pre-lesson dialogue, observation, and post-lesson dialogue, with active listening and evidence-based questioning.
Findings:
Mentoring-Coaching has had a great impact on teaching and learning, leading to improved teaching and improved learning. All four of our IoE trainees achieved outstanding, and five Ofsted inspections have reported Outstanding. Learning walks demonstrate the impact.
Implications:
The findings suggest that the mentoring-coaching approach has had a positive impact on teaching and learning, leading to improved pupil achievement and an outstanding OFSTED rating. It has also enabled the school to develop its own culture in a short time
Re-visiting the Reluctant Writer: Exploring the writing-composing behaviours of boys and girls in a Year Two class, contextualized through the use of pupil perspectives
No full textDisparities between the performance of boys and girls in school writing assessments continues to be a focus in current discourse (Alexander, 2016). Following on from an earlier study with Reception children (Hadley, 2015), this project sought to investigate the cognitive-behavioural implications for next-level boy and girl writers of the ‘multi-conscious manoeuvring of content and form’ involved in composition (Meek Spencer, 2001, p.10). Three boys and girls in a year two class were observed engaging in independent writing. Focus group discussions before and after this activity contextualized the children’s performances via ‘reflective conversation with the situation’ (Schön, 1983, p.77). Findings broadly suggested a lack of reluctance on the part of the boys who exhibited the ‘rapid-switcher’ writer-profile more commonly associated with the most successful writers (Jones, 2007). Transcriptional considerations were pre-eminent in the mindsets of all the writers with minimal negative impact on ideation for either gender
Writing on the go
No full textContext: In Arequipa, Peru, an English teacher worked with high-performing 4th-grade students at a high-performance school (COAR) where students must achieve a B2 level in English for the International Baccalaureate (IB) program. While generally adept in English, students struggled with writing, particularly with grammar, vocabulary, and task completion. These challenges led the teacher to focus on strengthening students' writing skills for academic success.
Aims: The study aimed to understand students' attitudes towards writing, identify their key writing challenges, and determine how the teacher's feedback and support affected their improvement. By pinpointing these factors, the teacher hoped to create an approach to enhance students' writing skills, especially regarding pre-writing techniques and error awareness.
Methods: A questionnaire on students' attitudes and writing processes, peer observation, and a mock writing task were used to gather data. The peer observation focused on the teacher's feedback methods, students' writing errors, and how classroom support impacted the writing process. Additionally, the teacher analysed students' written work for common mistakes to inform instructional adjustments.
Findings: Results showed that students were generally positive about writing but often felt nervous. Grammar, vocabulary, and subject omission were common challenges. While students had some familiarity with pre-writing techniques, these were underused, contributing to incomplete task responses. The peer observation suggested that feedback was generally clear, but pre-writing guidance and handwriting clarity could improve.
Implications: The implementation of structured pre-writing strategies, peer correction, and feedback on specific errors resulted in reduced student anxiety and more complete and accurate writing. This experience highlights the benefits of reinforcing pre-writing techniques and peer-based correction for improved writing quality and independence. Teachers facing similar challenges may find these strategies beneficial in supporting student autonomy and reflective learning in writing
Linking nutrition, growing food and developing cooking skills to improve healthy behaviours.
No full textAim:
The purpose of the study was to improve the health and wellbeing of children and families, promote sustainability, and foster a love of cooking by introducing a planned programme of cooking and nutrition education, providing learning opportunities, and developing enterprise skills.
Methods:
The participants are pupils from year 2 to year 6, teaching assistants, the Design and Technology Lead, the Cookery School Lead, and local Wahaca branch staff. Methods used include: cooking and nutrition education, mixed year group cooking classes, weekly after school cooking club, Food Waste Cafe, assemblies, visits to local shops, and working with a local Wahaca branch.
Findings:
Pupils have developed cooking skills, knowledge of nutrition, and awareness of sustainable development goals. They have also gained confidence in talking about food and allergies, and have a heightened understanding of the need for a balanced diet.
Implications:
Pupils also developed increased confidence and self-esteem, healthy eating knowledge, enterprise skills and a love of cooking. Children can relate their own behaviour to broader issues and speak with insight about the Sustainable Development Goal for responsible consumption
Fostering better writing skills
Get PDFContext: In Toquepala, Peru, a third-grade English class faced challenges in developing students' writing skills despite progress in speaking. Students, mostly at an A2-B1 level, lacked formal writing abilities and demonstrated weak sentence structures and limited vocabulary. Recognizing these gaps, the teacher sought to foster writing skills through targeted strategies.
Aims: The project aimed to improve students' writing competence by enhancing support strategies, increasing student confidence, and addressing difficulties in vocabulary and grammatical structures. The teacher also sought to understand students' emotional responses to writing tasks and identify effective methods of providing feedback.
Methods: Data collection involved a student questionnaire, peer observation, and a focus group interview. The teacher used these tools to explore classroom dynamics and assess student perceptions of writing tasks, focusing on strategies students employed, their emotional responses, and the type of support they needed. A peer observer provided additional insights on classroom interactions, noting teacher feedback patterns and student independence.
Findings: The data highlighted that students primarily used brainstorming and planning as pre-writing strategies but required extensive teacher support, particularly for vocabulary and grammar. While students felt challenged and motivated to write, they also reported stress, especially due to vocabulary limitations. Observations showed that feedback was not sufficiently provided to all students, often only to early finishers. Additionally, students frequently asked how to express certain phrases in English, revealing a dependence on teacher input for language support.
Implications: The study suggests that integrating structured feedback and independence-building strategies, such as bilingual dictionaries and peer feedback, may help students develop greater autonomy and confidence in writing. The observed success of the "hamburger model" writing frame and mind maps indicates these tools can effectively support students in organizing ideas and expanding vocabulary, lessons that may inform other contexts in teaching writing
Using Thinking Cards to improve mental wellbeing
Get PDFAim:
The aim was to develop a learning tool to help young people identify and challenge negative thinking, reduce anxiety, and improve resilience.
Methods:
The participants are Key Stage 2-4 pupils with mental health challenges, as well as those in mainstream settings who are struggling to develop resilience. The cards are used to teach young people to identify their negative and positive thought patterns. They have a high quality finish and visuals that appeal to young people, combined with simple yet powerful messages to enable them to identify and challenge negative thinking.
Findings:
The Thinking Cards helped the pupils to identify and challenge negative thinking, resulting in reduced anxiety and improved resilience. Qualitative feedback and quantitative data show positive changes in thinking and feeling.
Implications:
The outcomes suggest that the use of Thinking Cards can help young people to identify and challenge negative thinking, leading to reduced anxiety and improved resilience both outside and inside school
A critical analysis of the use of ‘Sumaze!’ within a secondary school mathematics classroom
No full textThis case study examines the usefulness of the Sumaze! game for teaching mathematics in secondary school. The game was recently released by Sigma jointly with MEI in December 2015. The study consisted of two lessons which were taught to a year 9 class as part of their usual mathematics lessons. The first was taught in exam conditions and students were given questions to answer on paper. For the second lesson students had the choice of working in small groups and had no questions to answer on paper. Selected students were then interviewed and their knowledge of the topics that they had explored was assessed via a set of questions. Findings suggest that students found the game engaging and were interested in playing the game again. However, there was little evidence to suggest that they learnt mathematics from it in either of the formats that it was presented to them
The confidence to speak
No full textContext: At San Agustin University in Arequipa, Peru, a language teacher faced challenges with mixed-level classes, where students displayed varying degrees of confidence in speaking English. Noticing that students who lacked confidence often avoided participation, the teacher sought to create a more inclusive environment that would encourage all students to engage and express their ideas comfortably.
Aims: The primary aim was to identify factors affecting students' confidence in speaking and to explore teaching practices that could foster a supportive classroom atmosphere. The teacher focused on understanding students' perceptions about speaking and their challenges, along with evaluating his own teaching methods to better facilitate active participation for all learners.
Methods: Data collection included an initial anonymous questionnaire on students' confidence and preferences for speaking activities, as well as peer observations and feedback slips completed by students at the end of each lesson. Peer observers evaluated both the teacher's methods and student interactions, providing insights into student comfort levels and participation. Implementing structured vocabulary support, diverse activities, and group reorganization led to increased student confidence and inclusion. Regular modelling and varied speaking exercises encouraged students to practice more naturally.
Findings: The data revealed that many students felt nervous or frustrated about speaking, particularly due to limited vocabulary and fear of peer judgment. Peer observations confirmed that while some students were confident, others felt excluded, particularly during group activities. The teacher recognized that he needed to improve his approach to promoting inclusive participation, including through modelling and pre-teaching vocabulary.
Implications: This study highlights the value of responsive teaching practices in addressing confidence issues, especially in mixed-level classes, and underscores the importance of creating a collaborative classroom atmosphere to support language learners
Developing writing skills in young students
No full textContext: In Santa Clara, Lima, a primary teacher observed that young students (ages 7-8) struggled with writing skills in English, often relying on memorization rather than understanding. This led to frustration, especially when they couldn't recall vocabulary or proper spelling. To support these learners, the teacher sought to explore more effective methods for developing foundational writing skills.
Aims: The study aimed to help students produce simple, grammatically correct sentences and feel more confident in writing. Specifically, the teacher wanted to understand students' perspectives on writing activities, assess her teaching practices, and determine what support could make writing in English more meaningful and accessible for her students.
Methods: Data were collected through a questionnaire, peer observation, and a group interview. The questionnaire allowed students to express how they felt about writing and what methods they found helpful. Peer observation by a colleague provided additional insights on classroom dynamics, revealing areas where students might need more contextual or visual aids for writing. In the group interview, students shared preferences for specific learning supports, such as visual aids and bilingual references.
Findings: The questionnaire responses showed that many students felt confused about writing, mainly due to challenges in remembering vocabulary and spelling. Students indicated that looking at books or visual prompts helped them. During peer observation, the teacher's colleague noted that the students were not receiving sufficient context-based support or guidance for sentence construction. Based on these findings, the teacher implemented visual aids like a picture dictionary, sentence modelling, and a mural with English words and images.
Implications: This exploration highlights how visual aids, contextual vocabulary support, and modelled sentence structures can effectively support young learners' writing skills. Teachers working with similar age groups could consider introducing resources like a picture dictionary and regular sentence modelling to build students' writing confidence and competence