Does dissemination mode for research make a difference to reaching in-service primary teachers?

Aim:- How can relevant education research reach in-service primary teachers? This paper evaluates the effectiveness of online and face-to-face dissemination modes for a key resource developed during the Teacher Assessment in Primary Science project, using King’s (2003) three levels of dissemination for education research. Content:- King (2003) suggests there are three levels of dissemination for the outputs of educational research. The first, dissemination for awareness, is considered least likely to result in long-term changes to practice, but yields the greatest potential audience. Online dissemination is an example of this. The second level, dissemination for understanding, results in more changes to practice but requires time and human resources to implement. The third level, dissemination for action, involves practitioners using the resource to change their practice in some way and requires the greatest investment of time and energy. The TAPS pyramid is a resource for primary teachers and school leaders to evaluate and improve their assessment practice (Earle et al., 2016). It was disseminated via an online downloadand face-to-face dissemination events. Dissemination for awareness is analysed through total downloads data for the resource, and also at country, county and local level. Dissemination for understanding is analysed by plotting known dissemination eventsagainst location download data. A strong relationship is demonstrated at a national level and county level. An online survey for teachers attempting to use the resource closes in March 2017. Inferential statistics generated from non-parametric analyses of this data will demonstrate the relationship between dissemination mode and subsequent use in more detail. Contextual factors enabling or obstructing a teacher’s intention to use the resource are also presented in the context of dissemination for action, King’s third level of dissemination. The implications of the analysis for colleagues’ research dissemination strategies are summarised at the end. Thinking deeply about teacher education:- What dissemination strategies should be considered when disseminating education research on a limited budget to in-service teachers? What contextual factors might obstruct or enable in-service teachers to act upon research outputs, and to what extent can these be mitigated? The country/ies to which the presentation relates:- The data for this paper come from a mixed methods study of primary schools mainly based in England. However, the internet is an internationally available resource, and effective dissemination of research findings is a perennial issue faced by researchers from all countries

Diversity of assessment literacy among in-service primary teachers.

Recent changes to assessment policy in England have brought the development of teachers’ assessment literacy to the fore. The Carter Review of Initial Teacher Training (DfE, 2015) highlighted the variability in assessment training however, leaving schools to plug gaps in knowledge and competency. Dwindling professional development budgets have led some head teachers to develop bespoke in-house interventions, but do these serve all teachers equally well? A tool called the TAPS pyramid (Earle et al., 2016) was developed to help teachers and school leaders evaluate and improve their use of assessment in primary science. It specifies the assessment activities at different reporting levels within a school, and has been downloaded over 5,700 times since August 2015. Little is known, however, about how teachers have used it to inform and improve their assessment practice, nor of how that use might vary between different groups. This study collected online survey data over a two month period from 96 teachers, science subject leaders, deputies and heads who had used the TAPS pyramid in English primary schools. Quantitative analysis revealed significant differences in use and impact upon assessment practice, according to job role and years’ experience of teaching. These differences are considered from the perspectives of assessment policy changes, initial teacher training and the fluctuating status of primary science within the curriculum, before a call is made for head teachers to formatively assess the assessment literacy of their workforce before designing an intervention to develop their staff

How is dissemination for action achieved amongst in-service primary school teachers?

It is the intent of many researchers to disseminate their findings. In the field of educational research, it is often hoped that the knowledge being disseminated will not only reach a target audience of in-service teachers, but also influence their practice. According to King (2003) there are three levels of dissemination for educational research outputs: dissemination for awareness, understanding or action. Dissemination for action is the most likely to result in the target audience effecting changes to their practice, but research outputs that require the target audience to disseminate them among teaching colleagues put this process beyond the control of the academic research team (Southwell et al., 2010). The processes and activities entailed in dissemination for action within a primary school are therefore of interest to the educational research community, but are currently under-specified in the literature. There is a need to improve academic research teams’ understanding of what dissemination for action by a member of their target audience might entail, and the conditions of a teacher’s workplace which might enable or inhibit these learning processes. This paper is drawn from a study of the dissemination and adoption of a resource intended to help Science Subject Leads to evaluate and improve their colleagues’ assessment practice in primary science. It was conducted within an explanatory sequential mixed methods design (Creswell, 2013). Using King’s levels of dissemination as a theoretical framework, it draws upon scholarship within the inter-related fields of knowledge transfer (Aalbers, Dolfsma and Koppius, 2014), communication theory (Harris and Nelson, 2008) and schools as workplaces (Hodkinson and Hodkinson, 2005) to explore and exemplify how dissemination for action takes place between colleagues within a primary school setting. Statistical analysis of online survey data from one hundred users of the resource identified expansive workplace characteristics (Hodkinson and Hodkinson, 2005) and social learning activities that were significantly associated with reports of whole school changes to assessment practice. Using the quantitative analysis results as the basis for further enquiry, two case study schools were drawn from the online survey participants. A systematic coding process within Braun and Clarke’s (2006) thematic analysis framework revealed a diversity among participants’ preferences for social learning opportunities. In doing so, the role of informal as well as formal contacts in effecting school-wide changes to assessment practice was also demonstrated. The analysis also suggested that the social learning opportunities and decision-making processes involved in the schoolwide adoption of this new assessment framework were underpinned by a transactional communication style (Harris and Nelson, 2008). This paper will use the study findings to argue that dissemination for action amongst colleagues in a primary school setting is therefore a social process of articulation, interpretation and negotiation. In specifying the activities entailed in dissemination for action within a primary school setting, it will also be argued that transactional communication between colleagues underpins and enables the social learning and decision-making processes involved in whole-school changes to practice. The extent to which the wider workplace characteristics enable or inhibit these social learning processes will be briefly considered. The paper will conclude with a summary of the implications for research teams attempting to achieve dissemination for action through their target audience, and considerations for school leaders wishing to facilitate ongoing professional development within their workplaces

How is a resource for changing teachers’ assessment practice in primary science successfully disseminated, shared and enacted within a primary school?

Many researchers in the field of education aim to inform and improve the pedagogical practice of in-service practitioners through the successful dissemination of their research outputs. Commonly used modes for dissemination include online availability and face-to-face presentation. It is not known which dissemination modes are most effective for a research team, nor what social learning opportunities, characteristics within a teacher workforce, or wider workplace factors might influence how practitioners respond to and engage with such research outputs. This three-part mixed methods study addresses these wider issues through the evaluation of the dissemination of the TAPS pyramid, a resource designed to help primary practitioners to evaluate and improve their assessment practice in primary science. It is situated within sociocultural assumptions of learning as a socially constructed process and draws upon King’s (2003) three levels of dissemination activity as a theoretical framework. Quantitative analyses of download and dissemination event data demonstrate a positive interaction between both online dissemination and dissemination by event; analyses of survey data show variation in engagement with the resource based on job role and experience; expansive workplace characteristics are shown to be significantly linked to reports of whole school use; transactional communication is shown to enable the transfer of new knowledge; and informal learning contacts are valued by participants. The findings are used to elaborate King’s model of dissemination by specifying the activities, inhibitors and enablers of dissemination for action. It is concluded that dissemination of research outputs is facilitated by interactive communication at each stage, entails formal and informal learning opportunities, and its success can be enhanced by the evaluative and leadership skills of the knowledge broker, as well as the wider characteristics of the school as a workplace

Teachers' attempts to improve assessment practice in primary science are influenced by job role and teaching experience

Recent changes to assessment policy in England have brought the development of primary teachers’ assessment literacy in science to the fore. The TAPS pyramid is a tool to help teachers and schools improve their assessment practice in primary science. It has been downloaded thousands of times across 45 countries, but little was known until now about its impact upon the assessment practice of the teachers using it. This report analyses quantitative data from an online survey of 96 teachers using the TAPS pyramid to show that changes in practice vary across job role and teaching experience. These differences are explored with reference to changes in national assessment policy, but also the wider international research into developing primary teachers’ assessment literacy. Finally, an argument is made for school leaders to consider the diversity in assessment literacy present among their teachers when developing primary science assessment practice

What's happening in primary schools where schoolwide changes to teacher practice are possible?

Primary school teachers are increasingly expected to operate as reflective practitioners, using research to inform and improve their practice, while school leaders, with limited budgets for professional development, provide more in-house training to support them. But what mediating factors within a school can influence in-service primary teachers’ attempts to improve their practice? And what provisions can school leaders make to support their professional learning? This paper presents key findings from a mixed methods study into the dissemination of a resource designed to help teachers improve their assessment practice. It draws upon scholarship from inter-related fields of communication theory (Harris and Nelson, 2008), workplace learning (Hodkinson and Hodkinson, 2005) and knowledge transfer (Aalbers et al., 2014) to demonstrate: the interactive nature of communication that supports change; the importance of informal contacts between colleagues in the transfer of new knowledge; and the overarching workplace characteristics which facilitate schoolwide changes to practice. It is concluded that changing teachers’ practice is a complex, ongoing and interactive social learning process, enabled or inhibited by the expansive nature of the workplace. Recommendations are made for school leaders to facilitate professional learning

The TAPS pyramid: where, who and how?

The TAPS pyramid was developed in late 2014 and has been available as a download on the Primary Science Teaching Trust website since August 2015. But where has it gone since then? Who is using it? And how is it being used in schools to change primary science assessment practice? This article will attempt to answer these questions with data from an ongoing study into its impact and reach

Learning on your doorstep: stimulating writing through creative play outdoors for ages 5-9

As the Forest School movement gains popularity among UK educators, teachers are increasingly recognising the benefits of creative outdoor play. But how can busy primary school teachers fit regular, high quality outdoor learning into an already crowded timetable? How can they plan a range of rich, imaginative and creative experiences that build up into full topics? And how can they translate the excitement and engagement that they find out doors into increased enthusiasm and attainment indoors? Learning on Your Doorstep integrates creative outdoor play with curricular attainment, while increasing the challenge, enjoyment and professional development of the teachers using it. The book presents a series of topics which channel the children's outdoor experience into writing outcomes to reflect the current Primary Framework for Literacy. Using child-led, kinaesthetic teaching and learning techniques, each topic helps teacher and class build an imaginary world to explore and includes: Session plan tables to enable teachers to easily access relevant information; collaborative activities, games and drama to stimulate discussion; photo-copiable items such as letters, imaginary maps and animal fact jigsaws; optional classroom follow-up activities and a final writing task; tips on how to prepare and resource each session. Guidance on adapting for different abilities and ages is also given, along with curriculum links and pedagogical rationale, to let primary teachers put creative outdoor play at the centre of the primary teaching timetable

Outdoor play for 1-3 year olds: how to set up and run your own outdoor toddler group

We are all mindful of the increasing news coverage of outdoor play and its benefits, but how can you go beyond the sandpit and hopscotch to create a magical and creative experience for the children in your care? This book provides all the encouragement you will need to set up and run an outdoor toddler group. It provides a step-by-step guide to selecting an appropriate site, resourcing the outside area, devising age-appropriate activities, planning activities and the legal requirements involved. Including an overview of the developmental milestones of babies and toddlers, it shows you how you can meet their specific needs