Learning to Learn Project - Phase 4

September 2007 saw the start of Phase 4 of our Learning to Learn project. This phase has 44 schools from Cornwall, Cheshire, Enfield and Northumberland and they are a diverse group. Our partner schools in each authority include primary, secondary and special schools, large urban and small rural schools, schools with mainly English speaking children and schools with hundreds of languages spoken. Some of the schools have been involved in the previous phase but many are newly engaging in the process of enquiry.

This action research project aims to explore the ways in which teachers and learners can gain a new understanding of what is going on in classrooms so that teaching and learning can be more creative, more inclusive, more successful and more enjoyable. In each year, every teacher involved will ask him or herself a research question, will explore it across the year and write a case study about it. The questions are as diverse as the contexts, but they all relate to the 5 R's for lifelong learning: Reflectiveness, Responsibility, Readiness, Resourcefulness and Resilience.

We are currently looking at this year's research questions in three broad groups: Learning to Learn approaches, where the focus is on specific techniques or strategies for change, which may be overarching or with a specific curricular focus; Learner Autonomy, where the focus is on an attitudinal change and a greater responsibility for learning being taken on by the learner; and Talk about Learning, where the discourse of Learning to Learn is what shapes the change and the project.

Below are examples of the type of things the project schools have chosen to look at under each of the headings.

Overarching

• What is the impact of Learning to Learn on the dispositions and attainment of a group of Year 9 students?
• Will amending subject content to follow Claxton's wild topics principles increase the engagement, interest and relevance of the curriculum for students?
• Improving behaviour and self esteem through creating a Nurture Group and developing a model for Circle Time
• How can the development of a cross curricular thematic approach impact upon pupils attitude and success in learning?
• Do higher ability children tackle problems more successfully in single sex groups?

Curriculum focused

• What strategies are most successful in supporting the learning of students underachieving in maths at KS4?
• Does using active techniques in science help improve children's ability to transfer and embed their knowledge?
• Are children able to transfer knowledge of grammar from a structured lesson to their writing?
• How will cooperative learning combine to impact on the development of Assessment for Learning, group work and social interaction in Design and Technology?
• What impact does the 'Activate' programme have on pupils? What impact does formative assessment have on pupil's progress in ICT?

Learner autonomy

• Does involving learners in negotiating curriculum outcomes and methods of learning have an impact on motivation, involvement and attainment?
• Will students, who have more ownership in planning their learning, make better progress and have increased enjoyment?
• Will developing students' awareness of their learning strategies through self and peer assessment and co-operative learning raise motivation and achievement?
• By involving children in the process of learning and assessment, how can we develop a language for learning?
• How will co-operative learning impact on the development of Assessment for Learning and responsibility for our own learning and mature social interactions?

Talk about learning

• Does increasing a child's spoken vocabulary and communication skills have a positive effect on their academic performance?
• How will the promotion of speaking and listening skills across the curriculum impact on pupils' ability to take responsibility for and reflect on their own learning?
• An investigation of pupil voice in the development of a progression in skills (academic/non-academic) challenge based curriculum.
• To develop personalized learning in question and answer sessions for pupils with various communication difficulties, focusing on the use of application and analysis based questions.
• Does parental understanding and use of L2L tools and language at home increase positive attitudes to learning and attainment in school?

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