Haywood Engineering College Nurturing & Inspiring Learners through Action Research

Nurture outstanding learners who are fully motivated and aspire to achieve their personal best

– From Haywood Engineering College School Vision.

Giving it a Go
Keen to explore a range of approaches to support students with learning challenges Sian Hughes, Haywood's Head of Inclusion, has added further dimensions to her curriculum delivery through the use of innovative technologies to enhance learning and teaching. Through an RM supported Action Research Project, which focussed on the use of technologies to promote Assessment for Learning and to encourage independent thinking and lesson participation, Sian has achieved encouraging results. Feedback from students suggests that Sian's willingness to 'have a go' with the technology to promote learning has been mirrored by her students who have embraced the approach with enthusiasm.

Everyone has to be involved and have a go...

– Year 11 student

The vote pads are good to use because they make the lesson more interesting and fun. I also learn a lot by using them because I have to pay attention. My answer will be on the board and you don't want to get it wrong in front of everyone

– Year 11 student

Sian used the technologies in a variety of imaginative ways to achieve the aims of the project. She used visualisers to provide instant feedback to students and combined the visualiser and the interactive whiteboard to annotate student work, modelling the assessment process. Voting pads were used to encourage peer review and to facilitate both formative and summative assessment. Mobile slates were used to encourage participation by all.

'I was surprised by how even the most reluctant students were willing to engage more fully with the lesson and to get actively involved through the medium of technology,' noted Sian.

They give me more confidence in my work because I know that 'Miss' will go through our answers first before we start doing the written work. If I don't understand or misunderstood in the first place, I 'get It' afterwards when I see everyone else's answers

– Year 11 student

Technology Reaches Out

They are good for questions as they make you think as you have to give an answer. Sometimes in a normal lesson you wouldn't bother, you'd just wait until the teacher said the answer or another student

– Year 11 student

Often with harder to reach students, explains Sian, the issue is one of low self-confidence, self-esteem and an unwillingness to participate. Using the technologies such as the voting pads and the slate means that students are much more engaged in the lesson and willing to contribute. Being able to track the student's responses means that I have an even clearer idea of their level of understanding and I am able to target intervention more rapidly and effectively. Her students agree.

I like using the true / false / don't know options when we are looking at text. It's really straight forward but at the same time, it makes it much easier. If I put 'don't know' a couple of times, my teacher comes to check I understand properly

– Year 11 student

This project was made possible,' says Sian, 'through the CPD and guidance provided by our RM Educational Consultant, Robyn Stanyon, who offered both ideas for use of the technologies to enhance the delivery of the curriculum and practical support in the use of the technologies. Nothing was made to seem complicated or arduous. I never felt rushed but I was able to achieve what I wanted, in a short time frame as both the support I received and the Action Research Project were focussed on what I wanted to achieve in the classroom.'

Sian's Advice

When asked for her advice for other BSF staff regarding the use of technology to enhance learning and participation in Action Research Projects, Sian's responded, 'Give it a go! You need to commit to using the technology regularly but the CPD support offered is reassuring and effective and the outcomes for students worth the effort. If I can do it anyone can.'

Our congratulations go to Sian and her students for the results they have achieved.

Action Research Projects

Action Research Projects have formed an integral part of the bespoke Haywood and RM Change Management CPD Programme agreed with Haywood Assistant Head, Paula Pinson.
ARPs are a means of taking practical research into the classroom and are learning led. Designed to address specific teaching and learning outcomes identified by the teacher to support the school vision and subject development plans, they explore how technology can support those targets within a framework of identified success criteria and agreed review and evaluation processes. They are also useful in supporting BSF schools to make best use of the budgets available to them though assisting them to make even better informed choices about the technologies they select. ARPs are offered as part of each BSF schools bespoke Change Management CPD Programme negotiated with RM Education.

Katrina Hay Educational Development Manager RM Stoke