Poverty and closing the gap: Adastra research consultancy projects

A fundamental principle which underpins all our teaching and research is the integration of theory and practice, and this principle is vividly exemplified within all the research consultancy projects. The longstanding successes in teacher training of Bishop Grosseteste University are founded upon the strength of our partnership with schools and educational settings. A key strand, that links our research ambitions with our commitment to teacher education, is the engagement in research consultancy and action research with partnership schools. The following reports all embed this approach of teachers working alongside researchers, integrating theory with practice, and focusing upon school-specific issues. They also represent excellent examples of how research can genuinely impact the prospects and life chances of young people. At the heart of our partnership is a focus on learners and learning, which the projects here also clearly share, alongside their key contribution in helping to close the educational attainment gap. Specifically, the research projects will enable the individual schools to develop further good practice, for the benefit of their own pupils, but also with potential applicability to other schools and settings. Furthermore, it is hoped they may motivate and inspire other teachers or schools to embark upon action research projects, driving further improvements in teaching and learning. Finally, for the individual teachers involved, the experience will hopefully stimulate an on-going theory-practice dialogue and provide impetus for further CPD and/or action research

Reclaiming the secular: developing dialogic skills for a post-secular society

This research paper addresses secularization from both political and religious perspectives. One of its manifestations in the political sphere is that of globalization that can lead to alienation within society; and in the United Kingdom this is exemplified by Brexit. Within the religious sphere secularization is usually couched in oppositional terms. This paper reclaims the original use of the word secular as envisaged in a three realms’ model of society comprising profane, sacred and secular realms. The secular realm acts as a buffer between the profane and sacred realms and in this neutral, public sphere the power of reason prevails. An educational starting point for such creation is pedagogy and through linguistic, psychological and cultural analysis, this paper identifies the development of reasoning through the dialogic skills of building consensus (cumulative talk) and constructive criticism (exploratory talk). Sixty-five students from a varied background of UK secondary schools have participated in the development of these dialogic skills

Stars and saints: professional conversations for enhancing classroom practices

This paper explores a reflective activity - professional conversation. In so doing, it recalls the recent experience of working alongside 'starring' teachers who are dedicated to serving the poor in areas of deprivation. And this recollection is framed around the advice of saints - secular, religious and philosophical

Dialogic skills in RE: recontextualising the dialogue school

As the Catholic Church encounters secularism and pluralism, one of her main responses has been dialogue. Some of the prime manifestations have been the political initiative of the Courtyard of the Gentiles and the plea from the Congregation for Catholic Education for a grammar of dialogue as envisaged in the recent document Educating for fraternal humanism. Arguably, the most developed response is to be found in the Australian Dialogue School model mooted by theologians from the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium. This paper outlines some of the fndings from a recent PhD thesis that examines the dialogic skills of building consensus through cumulative talk and constructive criticism through exploratory talk. It is advocated that teachers use the medium of paired conversations between students in the secondary stage of schooling in order to develop such dialogic skills

Closing the attainment gap in schools: progress through evidence-based practices

Closing the Attainment Gap in Schools explores the experience and history of teachers who have a determined, no-nonsense approach to providing an excellent standard of education to all young people from differing backgrounds. Using professional conversations, voices are given to schools and teachers striving successfully to address this important issue through evidence-based practices. Linked with the Ad Astra Primary Partnership, what these teachers do with their schoolchildren will resonate with all schools in any location. From Superstar Assemblies to encourage their dreams and aspirations; to Munch ‘n Mingle sessions to encourage healthy eating; to Marvellous Me software to encourage the use of open-ended questions and parent-child conversations at home; and through to the use of skilled specialists to develop their handwriting skills, this book: Explores the rich complexity of teacher learning Contains numerous case studies and examples of success Reflects upon and considers evidence-based pedagogy, practical wisdom, teacher-research, self-improving school systems and social justice Proposes a rich array of approaches and suggests ways forward Offering first-hand, invaluable and practical advice this wide-ranging book will encourage and enable any teacher to develop their own practical wisdom and a ‘can do’ approach whilst never shying away from the very real issues within education

Initiating the creation of a procedurally secular society through dialogic RE. The three realms

The interim report of the Commission on Religious Education drew attention to the use of ‘safe space’ within schools to encourage the exchange of differing world-views. The doctoral research discussed herein builds upon previous action research that analysed the development of dialogic skills within a school’s safe space. This new research examines two types of talk – cumulative (building consensus) and exploratory (constructive criticism) – that are held to be at the heart of human reasoning. Sixty-five students from 10 different secondary schools in the UK undertook paired conversations that were analysed both qualitatively and quantitatively. Additionally, the students completed questionnaire surveys with respect to deep learning and these were analysed by means of a Chi-Square Test for statistical significance. The positive findings indicate that dialogic RE within a school’s safe space is an appropriate pedagogy for the creation of a procedurally secular society, such as the three realms model, that envisages a renewed public sphere in which citizens are encouraged to exchange world-views through reasoning

Dominican Thomist pedagogy for a post-secular society: developing dialogic skills in RE for UK secondary school students

A purpose of this thesis is to reclaim and rehabilitate the word “secular” for the Christian lexicon. In its original conception, society comprises three realms – sacred, secular and profane. The secular realm was the neutral area between the sacred and profane realms and all people are welcome to contribute within this public sphere. Today, “secular” is couched in terms that are oppositional to Christianity. There is much, though, in secularity to admire – and given that its liberal values have Christian roots – this should be unsurprising. The main purpose of this thesis is to determine how, in UK secondary school classrooms, within the subject domain of religious education – this secular realm can be reclaimed. Viewing the classroom as a microcosm of society a Dominican Thomist pedagogy is mooted. Such pedagogy is Thomist with regard to its focus on reasoning and it is Dominican with respect to its engagement with the secular spirit of the age. To prepare secondary school students to become enabled to fortify the secular realm they are encouraged to develop two dialogic skills: consensus building through cumulative talk and constructive criticism through exploratory talk. With a stimulus of two texts – one based on science and the supernatural and the other on New Testament scholarship – sixty-five students from ten UK secondary schools engage with paired conversations. Their conversations are recorded and transcribed and subsequently analysed for quality through word counts for both cumulative talk and exploratory talk. The students completed a questionnaire survey for adopting a deep approach to learning and the ten test items are analysed for statistical significance through medium of a Chi Square Test. They also wrote a one sentence comment reflecting upon their experience and the perceived value – pedagogical or social – of this dialogic RE intervention. The results indicate high levels of student engagement with paired conversations as demonstrated with thirty-nine of the sixty-two conversations graded as high quality, thirteen as mid-quality, and ten as low quality. To a statistically significant degree, the students’ self- reporting questionnaire survey indicates that they adopt a deep approach to learning. Their written comments furnish ample evidence that the students enjoy the experience of paired conversations and they cite, in the main, pedagogical reasons for their beliefs. In conclusion, there is sound evidence to indicate to schools and RE teachers that this dialogic intervention promotes quality conversations based on cumulative talk and exploratory talk. It is recommended that further research and curriculum development is undertaken with respect to new technologies to help embed these two types of talk within RE classrooms. Given that the two types of talk bear the Dominican Thomist hallmarks of reasoning, truth and engagement with secularity and that these hallmarks are found within the hermeneutical-communicative RE and critical RE pedagogies; then it is recommended that further research and curriculum development is undertaken here. Further, given the leading role of University of Glasgow scholars in advocacy of such pedagogies; then it is recommended that they liaise with the Catholic University of Leuven which houses the Continent’s leading exponents of hermeneutical-communicative RE. Such a partnership could prove fruitful in realising a vision whereby paired conversations within the safe space of a school prepare students to fortify the public sphere within a post-secular society

A culture of dialogue. vision, pedagogy and dialogic skills for the RE classroom

The Catholic Church has recently issued a call for “educating to fraternal humanism” that envisions a pluralist society in which all voices are to be heard. This contrasts with previously held positions of outright rejection of pluralist society (Augustinian Thomism) or Christianisation (Whig Thomism). This paper advances a Dominican Thomist vision of a post-secular society comprising three realms, namely sacred, secular and profane. Dominican Thomism is founded upon human reasoning whereby Catholic and liberal thinkers collaborate to build this society with a fortified secular realm that is a buffer against the other two realms. In such a secular realm the public sphere is pluralist and open to all voices. A socially productive pedagogy is the starting point and this paper points to a dialogic RE intervention in the classroom that offers much promise