SASPA Workshop

Using practitioner inquiry as

a driver for change

August 2019

Reynella East College, Victor Harbor High School,

Australian Science and Maths School

Caroline Green, 2019

Practitioner Inquiry

Practitioner Inquiry, Caroline

Green

……a systematic

approach to inquiry

into educational

practice has the

potential to inform

practice, policy and

direction at all levels.

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Reid A

2004Practitioner Inquiry, Caroline

Green

………… provides a

rigorous and

systematic process

for inquiring into

educational practice

for individuals and

teams.Reid A

2004Practitioner Inquiry, Caroline

Green

It is an approach that

understands educators as

people who learn from

teaching rather than as people

who have finished learning

how to teach Darling-Hammond (2000)

Practitioner Inquiry, Caroline

Green

Many studies identify factors associated with

effective inquiry teams. Two such factors are

leadership and norms that support

collaboration and data useMarsh, Pane & Hamilton, 2006; Young 2006

Practitioner Inquiry, Caroline

Green

A commitment to listen to more

than one view and to give full

consideration to different

perspectives and alternative

possibilities

Meet Our

Team

Open-mindedness

A commitment to support and

challenge each other, to give

and receive constructive

feedback and to commit fully to

professional learning and critical

inquiry into educational practice

A commitment to critically

examine our assumptions and

beliefs, as well as the results of

our actions, with the intention of

learning something new.

Professional Protocols

Collegial Responsibility Whole-heartedness

Practitioner Inquiry, Caroline

Green

INQUIRY RESEARCH

MODEL

Clarify the inquiry questionSTEP 2

Initial researchSTEP 3

Gather dataSTEP 4

Analyse & theorise the data: collation and analysisSTEP 5

Revisit & clarify the research questionSTEP 6

Identify the possible strategiesSTEP 7

Implement & evaluate strategiesSTEP 8

Review/reassess strategies on the basis of evaluationSTEP 9

Identify the issue/problem/puzzle/dilemma/concernSTEP 1

Practitioner Inquiry, Caroline

Green

The stages should

include a to-and-fro

movement from

discussion and

questioning, reading

and research,

observation, data

collection, action,

analysis and reflection.

Practitioner Inquiry, Caroline

Green

03

01

02

Strengthen individual and

collective understanding of the

inquiry process

Further develop practice of the

dispositions of inquiry

Further develop inquiry skills

including developing inquiry

questions, research,

evaluation………

Practitioner Inquiry, Caroline

Green

So why use practitioner inquiry as a driver of change?

Let’s hear from the principals and leaders involved in this project

Victor Harbor High School

Amanda

Why use practitioner inquiry? What have I learnt?

● Teachers as creators of their own knowledge○ Importance of the question/s

● Deepened teachers’ understanding of ….○ the complexities of learning (neuroscience)

○ Data (achievement, Engagement & Well Being)

○ Greater discernment about the Carol Dweck’s mindset work

● Learning collaboratively beyond the school○ Network beyond the school

○ Not forced

● Use of protocols to scaffold discussions

Beliefs about

Learning:

Self - Efficacy

When I find something hard I try another way

Amanda O’Shea, Lindsey Cowper, Jude Boyle

History and Context

The

Practitioner

Inquiry Cycle

Initial Assumption:

The Specialist Classes (Arts and AFL) have ‘a level’ of Self-

Efficacy in terms of their Specialist subjects(s)

Initial focus:

How do these students use failure to improve and can

this/does this transfer to learning in other subjects, using

Science as ‘another subject’?

Using the questions

from the WEC and

a 5 point scale from

Strongly Disagree

to Strongly Agree

students from the 4

Specialist Classes

(Specialist Arts 8

and 9, Specialist

Sport (AFL) 8 and 9)

were surveyed.

The majority of specialist

students either agreed or

strongly agreed with the

statements from the WEC

The focus of inquiry was expanded to compare the 4

Specialist classes with 4 other classes from the Middle School

The same questions were asked and results compared ...

...changes to our Inquiry Question

Why don’t students try another way when something is hard?

What strategies/actions do successful students use to find another way when

they find something is hard?

What interventions do teachers use to support students to try another way

when they find something is hard?

When I find something hard I try another way

Consulted with experts

Looked at existing

research

The Experiment

Pre-loaded students with Growth Mindset YouTube clip

Students attempted an open ended task in Science lesson

Allowed students to productively struggle

Observed Engagement

Post-activity: student interviews

Student engagement matrix

Student Interviews

What strategies do students use when

they find something hard?

Outcomes of the Project

Beliefs about

Learning:

Self - Efficacy

When I find something hard I try another way

The End

EXTRAORDINARY LEARNING

DRIVEN BY CURIOSITY AND CHALLENGEINSPIRING PASSION AND CONFIDENCE

www.asms.sa.edu.au asms.edu @asms_edu

AUSTRALIAN SCIENCE & MATHS SCHOOL

Jayne Heath

www.asms.sa.edu.au

ASMS Practitioner Inquiry

What can we do about

parent Positive Beliefs

About Learning?

www.asms.sa.edu.au

Inquiry Question

How can we develop

partnerships with parents and

families that support positive

and consistent beliefs about

learning?

www.asms.sa.edu.au

What are positive and consistent

beliefs about learning?

Development of our understanding of “positive beliefs about learning”1. Self-efficacy

2. Self-driven motivation

3. Incremental theories of intelligence

4. Productive failure, taking risks and learning from mistakes, avoiding self-handicapping

5. Valuing development of skills and capabilities

6. Valuing active construction of understanding, deliberate and reflective practice, effort,

metacognition and strategies for learning

7. Controllable attributions

8. Perception of student autonomy

9. Learning orientation/goals (valuing process of learning rather than external indicators like

grades)

www.asms.sa.edu.au

Parent communication- How does it current occur?

Inquiry Process

Content analysis

on 2017

approaches

Content analysis

on 2018

approaches

Data collection from

parents to determine

impact on partnership for

learning:● What are the key

messages you heard

tonight about Year 12?

● What do you think are the

keys to success in Year 12

2017

Content

Analysis

Modification

of 2018

Messaging

2018

Content

Analysis

Survey

Data

Collection

Analyse the messaging from what was presented in 2017

Supporting staff to make measurable changes to 2018 approaches.

www.asms.sa.edu.au

2017 Analysis - Pre Inquiry

www.asms.sa.edu.au

Change in messaging to parents

www.asms.sa.edu.au

Pre and post data Yr11 into 12 information night

2017 2018

www.asms.sa.edu.au

Feedback from parents

How did parents describe:

- the key messages from the night?

- their understanding of the keys to success

for their child in year 12?

www.asms.sa.edu.au

Total Received Messages:2018 Year

11-12 night

www.asms.sa.edu.au

Messages received by catergory

www.asms.sa.edu.au

Recommendations

1. Use consistent and explicit whole school language about

positive beliefs about learning (with students, staff, and

families)

2. Review all whole school communication to ensure use of

consistent and explicit language and enact changes as

required.

3. Expanding the data collection and analysis to different parent

groups (eg prospective parents, Year 12 parents, parents of

students at risk) and different events/communications to allow

for deeper levels of analysis on school-wide approaches.

www.asms.sa.edu.au

Next steps

1. Increase staff awareness about messaging to parents/families

2. Choose other school events/communications to target

3. Refine processes as we go - action research each time we do it

4. Develop guidelines about school communication that provides

perspective on how to communicate positive beliefs about learning.

5. Shift school culture about focus on assessment/grades/ATAR

Beliefs about LearningReynella East College

Problem of Practice1. Low levels of student agency

a. Middle Years Indexb. Wellbeing surveys c. TfEL surveys

2. Varying engagementa. Behaviour datab. TfEL surveysc. Staff discussions

3. Challenges in achieving further grade band shift a. Achievement data

Co-DesignFeatures of co-design - Concept attainment model

● Focus on achievement

● Focus on cross-curricular

● Skills and capabilities

● Graduate qualities

● Inquiry Questions to begin unit and see where

students want to go

● Collaborative design

● Teach on

● Democratic process for selecting topics

● Co-design of non-googleable questions

● Authentic experiences / key-roles on

committees and forums

● Allows students to find solutions in different

ways

● Open-questioning - 'ask not tell'

● Discovery

● Multiple perspectives

● Opportunity for feedback

● Student leadership - curriculum arranged

● Collab design of assessment

● Peer assessment

Initial FocusInitial inquiry question: How can co-design support student agency and teacher efficacy?

Initial research:

▹ Middle Years Index Survey 2016▹ Learner Wellbeing Survey 2017▹ A-E Distribution analysis▹ TfEL Student Data▹ Student interviews▹ Flinders Researchers - Stella Vosniadou, Mike Lawson▹ Growth mindset▹ Identified features of co-design▹ Literature Review on Co-design▹ Aligned with inquiry learning approach▹ Professional development on the inquiry process

Clarified QuestionHow does co-design support student agency, student engagement and higher achievement for middle school students?

Zac - How can the use of student folios promote student agency?

Emma - How can ‘tuning in’ promote intellectual stretch and develop student voice?

Kristen - How can the co-construction of English units increase task engagement and subsequently, their achievement?

Dan - How can deconstructing the curriculum with students create more engagement and academic achievement?

Zac Marshall

How can the use of student folios promote co-design and student

agency?

Folios using Google SitesShow me how you know...

Key Findings: Student

Agency

How does co-design support student agency, student engagement and higher achievement for middle school students?

Key Findings: Student

Agency

How does co-design support student agency, student engagement and higher achievement for middle school students?

“Choice of how we learn important, but folios were confusing”

“Some people like using new styles of learning, but many just prefer doing tests and what the

teacher tells them”

“We have google classroom, SEQTA, folios… it is difficult to understand all of them”

Emma Searle

How can ‘tuning in’ promote intellectual stretch and develop

student voice?

Tuning In

What do I know about the topic?

How do I know it?

What experiences do I have with this topic?

What do I want to know?

What ideas am I interested in?

What am I wondering?

What are my questions?

Key Findings: Higher

Achievement

How does co-design support student agency, student engagement and higher achievement for middle school students?

Key Findings: Higher

Achievement

How does co-design support student agency, student engagement and higher achievement for middle school students?

Key Findings: Student

Agency

How does co-design support student agency, student engagement and higher achievement for middle school students?

Key Findings: Student

Agency

How does co-design support student agency, student engagement and higher achievement for middle school students?

“This is a lot more fun because we can

relate to it”

“Working with friends and learning to

cooperate to build the structures that we

need to”

“I think my grades will be better because

its stuff we actually like doing”

“I like it because we get to be creative”

“This is a lot more fun because we can relate to it”

Key outcomes

- Improved understanding of co-design

- Knowledge and practical experience of practitioner inquiry

- Interaction with researchers

- Sharing of practice with colleagues

- Further embedding open-mindedness and collegiality

Table Options

What: Jude, Lindsey, Andrew & Karla

Why: Caroline

How: Jayne

What if: Amanda