The Teacher Development Trust joins two unique projects in partnership with the Education Endowment Foundation and the University of Bristol.
The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) has awarded grants to the University of Bristol to deliver an assessment of the impact of cutting edge strategies with pupils and parents through two recently announced projects: Physically Active Lessons and Texting Parents.
Following on from the success of the National Teacher Enquiry Network (NTEN) and its Lesson Study model for schools, the Teacher Development Trust is working alongside the University of Bristol to support the development and implementation of both projects, utilising the Trust’s experience in the field of practitioner research.
Physically Active Lessons
Six primary schools will take part in the Physically Active Lessons project this year, measuring the impact of short bursts of physical activity on pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills. The Trust will lead on recruitment and work with academic experts to support and train schools.
To enable teachers to engage fully with the research and evaluate the impact on learners, the Trust will be helping them to use a Lesson Study-style approach, modelled around teacher-led collaborative enquiry.
Texting Parents
Texting Parents will examine the impact that text message prompts have on parental engagement and pupil attainment. Ten secondary schools for the coming pilot year will be recruited by the Trust, identifying the teachers and staff willing to embrace the different types of intervention. In cooperation of the study’s expert technology body, the Trust will also assist with initial staff training and administrative support.
Speaking about the upcoming projects, David Weston, CEO of the Trust said: “The Trust is dedicated to improving the educational outcomes for children by ensuring they experience the most effective learning. As passionate supporters of evidence- and research-informed approaches in schools, these two projects will enable the development of tools and approaches that could potentially help schools achieve even greater success for all of their pupils.”
The interventions across both projects will be independently evaluated by Queens University Belfast, with feasibility tests conducted during this pilot feeding into a national-level expansion for academic year 2014/15.
For the official announcement of these and other EEF funded projects click here.