Teaching and Learning Research Programme

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• Teaching and Learning Research Programme

TLRP a simple review and the significance of
underlying conceptions of learning and teaching
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• Teaching and Learning Research Programme

• Background issues
• Criticisms of education research
• (More positive views of TLRP, but continuing
  general issues. NERF review. TLRP alliances with
  research associations and many others)
• Pressure for economic competitiveness
• (Unrelenting, but TLRPs relevance being
  promoted)
• Reform throughout the education system
• (But public service delivery problems
  accumulating)
• Aspirations for evidence-informed policy
• (A rhetoric which opens doors for researchers)
• New researcher/practitioner/user alliances
• (Offering many opportunities to influence policy
  and practice)

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• Teaching and Learning Research Programme

Positive statements? Social science should be at
the core of public policy making. In my field
of education, and others, we want to work with
social scientists on how we can do better. I
commit myself to trying to work with
you. Charles Clarke, MP, Secretary of State for
Education and Skills (ESRC Summer Reception,
Millbank, 24th June 2003)
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• Teaching and Learning Research Programme

Events to increase user engagement and awareness
of TLRP Westminster Showcase, 25th June
2003 Scottish Showcase, 17th November 2003 (
annual conference) Welsh Showcase, Tuesday 24th
February 2004 ( capacity building
conference) Northern Irish Showcase (tbc),
Wednesday 26th May 2004 ( award holders
conference)
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• Teaching and Learning Research Programme

• Still large (26m, 40 investments etc, 300
  researchers)
• UK-wide (England, Scotland, Wales, N. Ireland,
  with new extensions)
• All phases of education covered (but some
  important issues omitted, hence associated
  project opportunity)
• Empirical work 2000-7 (with particular impact
  emphasis 2008)
• RCBN (Gareth Rees, Chris Taylor and colleagues)
  (new initiative 05/08)
• Media Fellow (Martin Ince)
• Chair (David Watson to Bob Burgess) and Steering
  Committee
• Directors Team (Andrew Pollard, Mary James,
• Alan Brown, Kathryn Ecclestone, John
  Siraj-Blatchford)

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• Teaching and Learning Research Programme

• AIMS
• Learning
• Outcomes
• Lifecourse
• Enrichment
• Expertise
• Improvement

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• Teaching and Learning Research Programme

A dilemma encouraging creative diversity and
coordination to maximise overall effect?
Many independent, but interlocking and
cumulative, research activities
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PROJECTS
2000
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
2008/9
Phase I
Phase II
Scottish extensions
Welsh extensions
Phase III
Northern Irish extensions
Associated projects
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SECTORS
2000
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
2008/9
Early Years education
Phase I
Primary education
Secondary education
Through schooling
Further and post-16 education
Higher education
Phase II
Workplace education
CPD
Lifelong learning
Scottish extensions
Welsh extensions
Phase III
Northern Irish extensions
Associated projects
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THEMES
2000
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
2008/9
User engagement
Capacity building
Phase I
Neuroscience
Learning outcomes
Lifecourse
Phase II
Impact
ICT
International
Scottish extensions
New Thematic seminars?
Welsh extensions
Phase III
Task Groups?
Northern Irish extensions
Associated projects
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• Teaching and Learning Research Programme

• PROGRAMME DEVELOPMENT
• Early user engagement
• Knowledge generation by project teams
• Knowledge synthesis by thematic groups and
  seminar activity
• Knowledge transformation with further user
  engagement and proactive task groups
• Outputs for impact

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• Teaching and Learning Research Programme

• TLRP offers added value through
• analysing key issues
• responding to contemporary events
• building international cooperation
• conceptualising key factors in teaching and
  learning

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• Teaching and Learning Research Programme

• 1. Analysing key issues thematic groups,
  commissioned reports, etc
• User engagement and research
• Defining and researching outcomes
• Learning though the life-course
• Developing research capacity
• Multi-disciplinary research
• Transformation and impact
• The use of ICT in teaching learning
• Neuro-science and education

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• Teaching and Learning Research Programme

2. Responding to contemporary events task
groups
Short-term groups supported by the Media Fellow
and Directors Team, to work at short notice
across the Programme on issues of immediate
relevance to policy and/or practice, and to
rapidly publish the outcomes
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• Teaching and Learning Research Programme

3. Building international cooperation
ERA-NET proposal being in preparation Many other
international links
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• Teaching and Learning Research Programme

4. Conceptualising key factors in teaching and
learning
An overarching challenge? The most enduring
difference we could make would be to influence
the basic ways in which people think about
learning and teaching
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• Teaching and Learning Research Programme

To even begin to offer a conceptual framework, we
would need

• A parsimonious set of key factors
• Cumulative evidence of their empirical
  significance
• Conceptual clarity

To influence everyday thinking, we would need

• An accessible language of description
• Imaginative anchors into existing culture

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• Teaching and Learning Research Programme

Informal learning contexts Formal learning
contexts Learners Learning Teachers Teaching Curri
culum Interaction Information technology Assessmen
t Outcomes Educational issues
CONCEPTUALISATION? (cross-Programme
analysis) DATA-BASE DESIGN (areas of
expertise/particular interests) META-TAGGING
(data-retrieval/integration)
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• Teaching and Learning Research Programme

Conceptions of learning and teaching
What conceptions of learning and teaching,
broadly interpreted, underpin each project and
the Programme as a whole?
To explore and understand the similarities,
differences and opportunities across the
Programme as a whole, and to develop foundations
for new thematic work in the future
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• Teaching and Learning Research Programme

Lewis Macdonald, MSP Deputy Minister for
Enterprise and Lifelong Learning, Scottish
Executive
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• Teaching and Learning Research Programme

Conceptions of learning and teaching
What conceptions of learning and teaching,
broadly interpreted, underpin each project and
the Programme as a whole?
To explore and understand the similarities,
differences and opportunities across the
Programme as a whole, and to develop foundations
for new thematic work in the future
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• Teaching and Learning Research Programme

A directive mode thematic seminar competition?

• To be structured following the Edinburgh
  Conference
• To focus on and synthesise enduring
  cross-Programme issues with long-term analytic
  power
• To contribute to the development of an
  empirically-based conceptual framework in respect
  of teaching and learning
• Competition Spring/Summer 2004. Selection
  Summer/Autumn 2004. Start - 2004/5 academic
  year. End by December 2007
• Provisionally, maybe six awards of up to 45k
  over three years?
• Selection by peer review and Steering Committee
  decision