EQI launches report on ground-breaking cross-community educational-initiative
A report on a ground-breaking, cross-community educational initiative on effective professional learning, involving a network of over 50 schools across Northern Ireland, was launched last Thursday (28th of February) at Stormont Buildings, Belfast.
The report, ‘Sharing the Impact of Shaped Professional Learning Networks in Challenging Times’ comprises a series of research projects in primary, post-primary, controlled and maintained schools throughout Northern Ireland, and was conducted over the last three years by Dublin City University’s Centre for Evaluation Quality and Inspection (EQI).
Coordinated by Dr Patrick Shevlin and Dr Martin Brown from EQI this is the first time a self-evaluation study of this nature and scale has been conducted across Northern Ireland that has been led by a University-based team.
Among the 30 topics analysed and collated as individual case studies in the report is ‘Supporting parents with their child’s use of electronic devices’ at Holy Cross Boys’ Primary School, Belfast.
The report outlines how a strategy devised as part of this specific research resulted in:
80% of parents recording a noticeable improvement in their sons’ mood/attitude;
77% of parents recording an improvement in their sons’ attitude to homework;
72% of parents recording an improvement in their sons’ willingness to become involved in other activities;
88% of parents recording an improvement in their sons’ ability to ‘switch off’;
80% of parents recording a noticeable improvement in their sons’ bedtime routine.
A second research topic undertaken was ‘Benchmarking using Data Boards’ at West Winds Primary School and Nursery Unit located in Newtownards, Co. Down.
According to the School, the roll-out of targeted initiatives within this school community has resulted in “Pupils themselves giving a far greater input to their own learning than they did prior to the project taking place”.
Another area examined as part of the research was ‘Evaluating the Impact of Targeted Marketing to Improve Pupil Attendance’ at Crumlin Integrated College, Co. Antrim, where pupil enrollment had rapidly declined and the threat of closure loomed large in recent years.
The following actions and progress were among those achieved as part of EQI's engagement with the school:
Creation of a new school logo, uniform and mission statement (resulting in 100% of pupils opting to wear the new school uniform);
New website created and the introduction and use of social media;
Launch of Ten-Point Plan for Decade of Growth (attended by over 250 people and coverage in a range of leading local publications);
Engagement in Extended Schools Programme and Shared Education Project; Effective benchmarking of Year 11 and 12 pupils; Pupil enrollment has increased (to date, nearly 40 pupils have expressed an interest in enrolling);
Pupils are consistently achieving targets in GCSE examinations (5A*-C) over the last three years; STEM and creativity days have broadened to STEAM and Creativity, resulting in additional school attendance.
Commenting on the report, Dr Martin Brown, EQI, School of Policy and Practice at DCU’s Institute of Education, said:
“The key focus of our research was targeted school improvement in a variety of forms, together with the use of innovative techniques for self-evaluation and continuing professional learning.
Schools can often encounter barriers to improvement when working in isolation. We undertook this large-scale collaborative initiative with the simple aim of improving the life chances of learners from all school types and from all sections of society in Northern Ireland.”
Dr Brown also said that while, traditionally, there has been “some reluctance by schools to become actively engaged with self-evaluation”, the evidence emerging from the report’s research has been that “the model of professional learning used with this network has resulted in changing positive attitudes towards self-evaluation.”
Dr Brown added:
“Participants in the network of schools now view self-evaluation as a powerful and continuous process to improving the quality of teaching and learning in their schools. A clear but rigorous focus on quality learning as distinct from an undue focus on teaching was a key factor in the willingness of teachers to engage in the work of this network, often at their own expense and in their own time.”
One of the key learning points identified from the research journey was the gradual transfer of responsibility over that period from the researchers conducting the study to the leaders and teachers in the network.
Dr Shevlin explained: “Staff involved from the various schools reported that because they were able to take the advice given and contextualize the advice given to their school situations, including a strong link with their school development plans, this empowered not just the staff attending the professional learning sessions, but also those back in participants’ individual schools to take ownership of their own professional learning throughout the period of the action research.”
Dr Shevlin also said that the enthusiasm for participation in the cross-community initiative was evidence of an appetite for further engagement and lessons for prospective participants into the future:
“This collaborative endeavour has essentially been about schools taking ownership of evaluation for improvement in their own school communities. The success of the research is an excellent example of the power of education and how a shaped professional learning network can transcend some of the boundaries that exist in a society. School management released teachers from school to engage in the work, providing cover within their own schools and from their own school budget. There are clear messages, therefore, for the dissemination of this network practice to schools throughout Northern Ireland and, indeed, further afield. It is our hope that this will become an annual event that will expand and incorporate additional Northern Ireland schools as well as schools in other jurisdictions throughout the coming years."
In conclusion, Professor Joe O'Hara (EQI) stated:
"This report marks the culmination of a long-term commitment on behalf of EQI and DCU to school communities. We have long held the view that when supported, schools and communities can develop unique and targeted solutions to challenges facing them.
This is ultimately transformational at an educational and social level and provides a blueprint for future engagement at all levels; local, regional, national and international."
About (EQI) Centre for Evaluation, Quality and Inspection
The Centre for Evaluation, Quality and Inspection (EQI) is a multidisciplinary research group based at DCU Institute of Education. It brings together evaluators, policy analysts, and economists and explores the thematic areas of School Evaluation and Inspection and Culturally Responsive Evaluation and Assessment (CREA). It also hosts the Irish Evaluation Network (IEN) – the national database for evaluators working on the island of Ireland.
Twitter: @EQI_DCU
Pictured; Dr Anne Looney, Executive Dean of the Institute of Education delivering the keynote address at the Long Gallery, Stormont Buildings For a copy of the report click here