Organic grassland: the foundation stone of organic livestock farming

In organic farming, the components of the whole farm system interact closely and grassland plays the central role in this intricate web, including the arable cropping phase. Grassland is important particularly in relation to nitrogen supply via its influence on N-fixation, soil organic matter, structure and biological activity and it also has a major role to play in restricting the build-up of arable weeds and soil-borne crop diseases in arable rotations. Ruminant livestock share this central role with grassland on most successful organic farms, and the success of the livestock enterprise is intimately tied up with the management and productivity of the grassland

Grass clover ley species, variety selection and management

Grass clover leys form the basis of most organic farming systems yet the selection of seed mixtures is often founded on tradition or cost. Based on a review of recent and past research this review provides a wealth of information on grass and legume species and varieties, mixture selection, ley establishment and pasture management. The objective of the Grass Clover Ley research review are: 1. To identify all the relevant research undertaken 2. Collate the results of the research 3. Draw on farm and commercial experience 4. Summarise the practical implications of the research for organic farming 5. Facilitate access to the results of research to advisers in a form which allows easy transfer to farmers. The report presents key conclusions about the choice of legume and gras species and varietes, the management of swards and their role for fertility building

Effect of calcified seaweed application on grazing preference by dairy cows

This report was presented at the UK Organic Research 2002 Conference. An experiment was carried out to determine whether the application of calcified seaweed improved the preference of organic dairy cows for pasture. Two treatments were applied in May 2001; calcified seaweed applied at 625kg/ha (C+) or no application (C-). The number of cows grazing within individual plots was recorded in July and August 2001. A significantly higher number of cows were recorded in C+ plots than in C- plots. This effect could not be explained by changes in soil or herbage analysis. There may have been additional unknown effects of the C+ treatment on herbage palatability but the results may also have been influenced by external factors such as the location of water troughs

The development of an inclusive model to construct teacher’s professional knowledge: pedagogic content knowledge for sound-based music as a new subject area

The file attached to this record is the author's final peer reviewed version.This paper outlines a systematic process for developing the different knowledge domains required for teaching sound-based (electroacoustic) music as a new subject area. As a new area within the discipline of music, teachers are novices to the field. This requires epistemological deconstruction of what knowledge teachers need in this new field. Then the analysis outlines how to develop teachers’ new knowledge; which can be constructed as: subject content knowledge (SCK), pedagogic content knowledge (PCK) and technology pedagogic content knowledge (TPACK). This epistemological analysis informed our creation of teaching materials that develop these different knowledge domains and take account of the complex interplay between them. This process was demonstrated through the ElectroAcoustic Resource Site Projects to: build first subject content knowledge; then create teacher’s packs to build pedagogic content knowledge; and a bespoke CPD programme to embed their inter-relationships and build technology pedagogic content knowledge. Most importantly, creating the teacher’s packs employed a user-centred design approach, putting teachers and pupils in the centre of the development process, thereby giving them voice. Voice is an integral part of empowerment in our model, which is conceptualised as practicing ‘communicative action’ (Habermas 1984) and disrupts the hegemonic grip of the academic curriculum dominated by the tradition music canon. This paper adds to the knowledge-base regarding how to develop the different domains required for teaching a new subject. We argue that sound-based music is accessible to all teachers and learners, thereby increasing inclusivity. This in turn can radically disrupt ways of teaching music in schools and the model created provides the necessary scaffolding for a paradigm shift in music teaching on an international level

Trainee teachers’ engagement in a cross-curricular news project: impact on professional identity

On 7th September at BERA, the above ITTE members presented the findings from their ITTE evaluation project, funded by the TDA into the impact of the BBC News School Report project on trainee teachers. In short, the project found that the professional identity of trainee teachers, is, in part, defined by their relationship to those who mentor and tutor them. As teachers in training they are in a role with less power than those who are responsible for their training, support and development. The ITTE evaluation focused on the impact of trainee teachers’ engagement in the BBC News School Report project and how this helped to form their professional identity. This was examined through the roles taken by trainee teachers in the project while on placement in schools, the activities they were consequently engaged in and the types of evidence generated for their assessment against the Standards for Qualified Teachers in England. The evaluation of the project for Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA), the government agency responsible for teacher training in England, involved the following instruments of data collection - surveys, focus groups and written reports. Respondents included trainee teachers themselves, their tutors as representatives of teacher education providers and their mentors as representatives of schools in which they were placed. The methodological approach was interpretative and phenomenological with qualitative and quantitative data being analysed for emergent themes. The paper presented at BERA focused on one of the themes found, that of the impact on the professional identity of trainee teachers exposed to taking up leadership roles. The research showed that their professional identity is enhanced through their being in a leading role in respect of curriculum and working with other staff. Their self perception of role was modified to one in which they saw themselves, and were seen, as equals to qualified staff rather than subservient or dependent on them. Furthermore, engagement in such projects led them to collecting richer, more holistic evidence for meeting the Standards as they took greater ownership for this process, situating it in their leading role in the project. Their identity became defined less by the articulation of Standards and by their relationship to others and more by their own notions of professionalism. A new more equal power relationship developed as they took on responsibility for the project

National models for CPD: The challenges of C21st knowledge management

Teacher quality is the most critical factor in improving educational outcomes (McKinsey, 2007). This paper proposes analytical frameworks for national models for continuing professional development (CPD). It examines the unacknowledged problem of the quality and extent of the evidence base underpinning teachers’ CPD. In the 21C through the use of ICTs the research and evidence base underpinning educational practice surely could be made accessible to all teachers and all providers of initial teacher training and CPD. The evidence base available internationally appears to be patchy. Yet this is taken for granted in the literature, and is rarely if ever acknowledged in the discourse about school and system improvement. This lack of research based professional knowledge, is a particular problem for subject specialist issues and is further compounded by the fact that research published in journals is not generally designed around questions teachers want answered. In short, the knowledge that is produced and the management of it within the education sector is lacking systemic organisation and dissemination. The paper outlines opportunities which exist for low cost interlinked national and international e-infrastructures to be developed to support knowledge sharing, but such collaboration may pose an insurmountable challenge for national and international agencies

The use of open education resources in higher education programmes of academic practice

Digital technologies provide a wide range of tools which research shows can enhance and support teaching and learning. However, this knowledge is not uniformly available across disciplines. This paper reports on a project which aims to provide materials that are cross-disciplinary, applied in an online context and which are used to support the development of understanding of the power of collaboration and the re-purposing of open educational resources (OERs)

GERMS JOURNEY: co-creation of resources for addressing UN Sustainable Development Goals in education & health in developing countries

Following a Participatory Action Research (PAR) model, this study evaluates whether specifically developed resources (‘A Germ’s Journey’) aid children in India’s understanding of hand-hygiene principles. Furthermore, it discusses how the findings can inform the future development of culturally relevant resources for developing countries. Educational health-hygiene workshops were conducted with schools and community centres in collaboration with organisations in Ahmedabad, India in areas of considerable socio-economic disadvantage. Children’s and teacher-trainer workshops were delivered to ten Case Studies. Mixed-method data was collected from children using quasi-experimental methods, using pre-workshop questions, follow-up questions, observations and baseline and post-workshop assessments. Data was collected from teachers using questionnaires. Following teacher-trainer workshops during Phase 1 of the study, 100% of teachers stated that they would use the resources with their pupils in the future. Two months after participating in the workshops, 60-73% of children knew how germs can cause illness, and 76-80% knew how to remove germs from hands. When assessed during Phase 2 of the study, 55% of children scored higher after the intervention, showing an increased understanding of microbiology after using the resources. The results indicate that children have an improved understanding of the cause of bacterial disease and the health implications of not using adequate health-hygiene practices. Recommendations for the future development of resources include adopting a PAR model of research, co-creation with end users and working alongside local organisations and participants in order to access the ‘hard-to-reach’ areas

An Evaluation of the BBC News School Report Project in Initial Teacher Education for the Training and Development Agency (TDA) 2010

Executive summary Overall, the project greatly enhanced trainees’ experiences of initial teacher education, in terms of collecting robust evidence for particular standards and enhancing employability. The project provided opportunities for accelerated professional development of trainees in terms of enhancing leadership and enabled trainees to be graded 1 in Ofsted criteria. The evaluation indicated the following: • Taking part in the project offers new models of partnership in terms of consortia and rhythms of placement. • The project resulted in enhancement of trainees’ subject knowledge and technical skills, providing evidence for standard Q14. • The project exposed trainees to working in cross-curricular and extracurricular contexts, providing evidence for standards Q17 and Q23. • Trainees engagement in the project led to greater independence of learning (and concomitant personalisation) than in other forms of coursework due to their ownership of tasks. This provided evidence for standard Q31. • The professional profile of trainees was enhanced, as was that of the school. The former led to increased perception of employability. • Trainees were given more freedoms, encouraged to take risks and to engage with authentic tasks. This provided evidence for standards Q8, Q10 and Q30. • The project led to richer reflections on practice than other teaching the trainees had undertaken. • The project accelerated the trainees’ confidence and professional development as evidenced for standard Q7 and led to different relationships between trainees and other school staff

Translational research principles applied to education: the mapping educational specialist knowhow (MESH) initiative

MESH is a part of a research project applying knowledge management principles which are well known in other sectors, public and private, to the education sector (Leask, 2011, 2012; Leask and Younie 2013, Leask and Preston 2012). The goal is to develop and test out the new ways of working now possible with digital technologies which can address long standing improvement challenges faced by education sectors in all countries