Tried and Tested means Trusted!�Translational Research in Education for Knowledge Mobilisation: A study of use and teacher perception in primary schools in England, UK

Dr Tanya Ovenden-Hope

School of Education and Professional Development, Cornwall College

Professor Linda la Velle

Plymouth Institute of Education, University of Plymouth

ECER Conference Education and Transition,

Budapest, 8-11 September, 2015

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© Ovenden-Hope and la Velle

“The results from TALIS suggest that in many countries, education is still far from being a knowledge industry in the sense that its own practices are not yet being transformed by knowledge about the efficacy of those practices.” OECD (2009:3)

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NB: TALIS = The Teaching and Learning International Survey run by the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development)

Shulman’s Pedagogical Cycle�After Baggott la Velle et al, 2000

Translational research and the mobilisation of knowledge

MESH guides propose the use of translational research, more often associated with medicine, but here refer to evidence-based resources for educational practitioners enabling knowledge mobilisation.

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Smith and Helfenbein (2009) identified that translational research

‘creates a space for collaborative, co-constructed inquiry that values and utilizes the expertise of all stakeholders involved’.

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MESH Guides provides that ‘space’ for co-created, peer reviewed, evidence-based, internationally sourced educational resources.

Using MESH Guides for School Improvement: CPD

Teachers (Trainee teachers and all educational professionals) have open online access to:

• research-based pedagogic knowledge
• Evidence-based pedagogical tools, such as explanations, demonstrations, modelling and case studies

MESH guides are developed by international education professionals collaborating to develop a quality assured wikipedia (edupedia) type resource for teachers’ professional development

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MESH guides:

• underpin professional judgement/s with research based and peer reviewed evidence
• raise learner attainment through informed professional teaching

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MESH is a system, sustainable within current resources, supporting educators to:

• pool, build, test and publish knowledge in new ways through world wide collaborations
• access to research based advice to improve teaching and so improve learning outcomes
• to work cost-effectively to revisit, update research and republish research in ways previously not possible.

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��How can MESH guides support professional development in teaching?�

��MESH Guide on Spelling�Teaching and learning Spelling in English� �

• Link: http://www.meshguides.org/category/literacy-mesh-guide/spelling-literacy-mesh-guide/
• Author: Professor Colin Harrison and Professor Greg Brooks
• Affiliation: University of Nottingham, University of Sheffield
• Date Created: 18/9/2013
• Date Reviewed: 17/9/2016
• Validated by: English Editorial Board

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MESH Spelling Guide

• 4000+ users from age 6 to senior university academics
• From 158 countries world-wide
• Google Analytics able to pull out fine-grained data, such as which reference teachers use most

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Method

A qualitative investigation examining teachers’ perceptions of the impact of using MESH Guides on literacy (spelling ) for their teaching and curriculum planning.

A case study approach was used with a sample group of 120 primary schools in socio-economically disadvantaged areas in the South West of England (Cornwall and Devon). Head Teachers asked their teaching staff to consider using the Spelling MESH guide to inform their curriculum planning at the beginning of the academic year.

At the end of the academic year an online survey was sent to schools for distribution to teachers about their use of, and the impact of MESH guides on their practice.

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Findings

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• 97 teachers responded to the online survey from 120 schools

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• There is a willingness in primary teachers to engage in evidence based CPD when it is perceived as tried and tested and therefore expected to improve teaching and learning outcomes

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• Teachers are not aware of the presence of MESH guides. Only 5.51% of teachers at the time of our survey had accessed MESH guides. Of these 66.67% used it to inform their curriculum/lesson planning and noticed a change in the quality of student learning as a result. All the respondents who used the MESH spelling guide found it useful and helpful as a reference with a ’thorough’ approach.

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• Of those respondents who provided information on why they did not use MESH guides, 94.4% had not heard of MESH guides and 5.6% chose to use other resources.

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• 24.7% of teachers surveyed use online resources for curriculum and lesson planning, such as TES resources, internet phonics sites, Education City, sentence doctor, phonics play, Collins, Inspire curriculum, Hamilton trust.

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• 38.1% of teachers responded when asked to comment on the value of evidence based and research informed resources for teachers. The majority could see the importance of tried and tested methods that support better learner outcomes.

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Teachers in the survey said…

[evidence based research is] “becoming more important as education changes and we all become more accountable – before it was all about happy children who had a wide, varied curriculum, now it’s about how to achieve stunning grades whilst still offering the children an enjoyable experience – requires deeper thinking and planning on the part of the teacher”

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“evidence based and research informed resources have been tried and tested so are of great value to the busy teacher, who can use them/adapt them for the class’s needs.”

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“I find that by using these resources, my planning is led by pedagogy in a much better way”

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“when you know it works, despite your own opinions. Research means truth!”

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Discussion points�

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• Evidence based resources, when used do help in planning curriculum and lessons, are thought to add value in two ways:

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1. pedagogy –improve opportunities for learning;

2. practice –reduce time in planning and give confidence to the teacher that the resources are appropriate and effective, thus having high efficacy.

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“really important to use evidence based resources – tried and tested is better than a stab in the dark!”

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“ it gives you the confidence to know that the materials are of a higher quality”

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“proves if something works, so it should work for us”.

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• Importance of marketing and web presence for quality resources for teachers – how to become the ‘go to’ site?

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• A small number of teachers were sufficiently interested in the MESH concept as to express interest in involvement in writing guides.

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Acknowledgement

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Professor Colin Harrison

(University of Nottingham)

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Professor Greg Brooks 

(University of Sheffield)

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References

• Baggott la Velle, LM, Watson, KE and Nichol, JD (2000) Otherscope – The Virtual Reality Microscope – can the real learning experience in practical science be simulated? Int J Health Technology Management 2 (5/6) 539-556

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• OECD Education at a Glance 2009: OECD Indicators. http://www.oecd.org/edu/skills-beyond-school/educationataglance2009oecdindicators.htm

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• Smith, J. S. and Helfenbein Jr. R. J. (2009) ‘Translational Research in Education: Collaboration and Commitment in Urban Contexts’ in Gershon, W. S. (Ed.) The Collaborative Turn: Working Together in Qualitative Research. Rotterdam, Sense Publishers.

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Contact details

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Thank you for your interest.

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Please don’t hesitate to contact us:

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Dr Tanya Ovenden-Hope tanya.ovendenhope@cornwall.ac.uk

Twitter @unieducator

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Professor Linda la Velle linda.lavelle@plymouth.ac.uk

Twitter @lindalavelle

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www.meshguides.org

Twitter @meshguides

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