Con-structing independenceA journey towards emancipated learning

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Relying on experts‘The irrelevance of Development Studies’ - Michael Edwards‘The idea that development [read education] consists of a transfer of skills or information creates a role for the expert as the only person capable of mediating the transfer of these skills from one person ... to another’

‘The purpose of education is to allow people to become subjects rather than objects’ – Charles Elliot on Paolo Freire

How can we demystify teaching and help students to be masters and mistresses of their own learning?

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80,000 expatriate development ‘experts’ in Sub-Saharan Africa – very limited development.

Releasing control – a 1st attemptAutumn 2009 year 10- Rapid deregulation of lesson plans, activities and behaviour.- Students to learn through failure (trusting in ultimate desire to succeed) how to construct an effective learning environment.- Utter failure, with lasting fallout.

Autumn 2009 year 13- Rapid deregulation of lesson plans, activities and behaviour, though with increased support. - Provision of comprehensive university-style reading lists and suggested activities; students encouraged to discuss and formally plan lessons according to a set timetable ending in clear assessment.

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Releasing control – a 1st attemptStudent response

- E: Good learning on your own as increased pressure to

understand ... But difficult to know what you need to know.

- X: feeling of pressure associated with specific thing to

prepare to share was good.

- T (very able): loved it ‘we’re overturning 15 years of

orthodoxy’.

- M (very able): need to cover the basics to get motivation

to study more.

- A (less able): valued group activities which students found

difficult to orchestrate. Would prefer to be taught.Con-s

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Releasing control – a 1st attemptStaff assessment

- Increased sense of pupil ownership, in some cases leading

to wider and deeper learning

- Students forced to reflect on how they learn best, and

respond to their evaluation.

- Some discussions and presentations less focused /

productive due to teacher withdrawal; time wasted.

- Can leave some students isolated. Conversely could lead

to greater mutual student responsibilty.

- Much clearer structure needed for KS4 students.

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Releasing control – legacyKS5- Structured student led learning with prepared resources.- Knowledge tests; this is the test that you’re going to get at the end. - Student decisions making lost.

KS4- P&E research project encouraging wider thinking around the subject. Linked to testing. Pushing beyond the bounds of the syllabus to support syllabus work.- Limited evaluative / analytical use. - Citizenship project – structured, independent, self-chosen, purposeful activity.

KS3- Year 7 – How do you see the world research project. Starting with student questions. - Structured research.- Multiple resources: visits; classmates; books; internet.

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Enhancing ... C

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Follows Vygotsky in emphasising the value of play – purposeful, open, non-summative activities – for developing understanding. Includes choice and focus.

Vygotsky also emphasises the importance of the authentic and meaningful.

e.g. PG’s science and religion activity

Professor Anne Edwards

Quadrant A:

Explanation

e.g.

DemonstrationQuadrant B:

Structured processing

e.g. Targeted practice

Quadrant C:

Play

e.g. Open activity

Quadrant D:

Display

e.g. Exam

... and developing self-regulation

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Guy Claxton’s split screen – the importance of both teacher and pupils having an explicit focus on both.

Professor Anne Edwards

Contente.g. Christian views on abortion

Metacognitive skills / learning capacitye.g. Ability / willingness to plan effectively

... and developing self-regulation

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Within the realm of purposeful play, the metacognitive focus is particularly on self-regulation. Without self-regulation activities will lose focus and momentum.

Students need structured support, and to be encouraged to reflect on, and develop, their skills of self-regulation.

We have seen aspects of this in some of the fantastic work done in citizenship projects, with students taking advantage of clear structure to engage in significant change-making activities.

Professor Anne Edwards

Contente.g. Christian views on abortion

Metacognitive skills / learning capacitye.g. Ability / willingness to plan effectively

+

Ongoing con-structionC

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- Purposeful play: students have free choice of research question - Self-regulation: required to make plans & evaluate progress- Explicit recognition and regular evaluation of meta-cognitive skills

The Big Project

Asking questions

Planning

Researching

Monitoring

Checking

Explaining

Revising

Self-testing

Can Buddhists, who follow ahimsa, fight in war? Is there any justification for the Hindu caste system?

Initial reactionsC

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- Mixed response.- Some very positive:‘It’s allowing me to research and compile information independently, without relying on others to help’.‘Its flexibility allows me to study what interests me’‘I have to do everything on my own and organise my time correctly’‘We have been given a lot of guidance but we are still doing independent research’‘We don’t normally do things like this’

- Some clearly struggling‘[I’ve’] not understood much of my research’‘The lessons aren’t structured at the moment so I don’t get much done’.‘Don’t see how research is going to help me develop in year 10’‘I don’t hardly get any of this [don’t understand]’‘Hard to find information’

High challenge – no easy package. Used to structure.Schooling suggests learning is cut and dry – this goes against that artifice.

BibliographyEdwards, Michael (1989) ‘The irrelevance of Development Studies’. Third World Quarterly 11(1)Claxton, Guy (2007) ‘Expanding young people’s capacity to learn’ British Journal of Educational Studies 55 (2)Eilam, Billie and Aharaon, Irit (2003) ‘Students planning in the process of self-regulated learning’ Contemporary Educational Psychology 28,304–334

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ing independence Potential obstacles

- Preparation – needs significant careful structuring

- Content pressure. Do we have time to let pupils play? Do we have time to let them make mistakes?

- ‘Epistemic culture’ change. Skill employment does not transfer automatically. Needs to be encouraged in multiple contexts.