Students as partners in the learning process

Amanda Roberts

University of Herfordshire

Lifelong Learning Programme and Youth in Action Programme Launching Conference

11 November 2010

Students as partners in the learning process

Agenda for this session

Why involve students?

Student voice? Student participation? Student leadership?

Creating participative learning cultures through student leadership

Programme 1: Supporting Students as Researchers

Programme 2: Supporting Students as Leaders

Challenges and opportunities – for us and for you

Why involve students?

The legislative imperative:• Article 12 of the 1989 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UN, 1989)

• Every Child Matters framework (DfES, 2003)

• A New Relationship with Schools (DfES, 2004)

• Working Together (DCSF, 2008)

The moral imperative:• Students as the ‘unconsulted majority’ (Frost et al, 2009)

• Students as full partners in the enterprise of learning (Frost and MacBeath, 2010)

The pragmatic imperative:• Students as experts on learning and teaching

• Structured approach to mobilising 95% in the school improvement process

Students as partners in the learning process

Student voice? Student participation? Student leadership?

What language is used to talk about student engagement in your organisation?

Does the language used matter?

Student voice/consultation: the provision of opportunities for students to express their views, with the expectation that someone will listen although not necessarily act (Rudduck and McIntyre, 2007).

Student participation: a development of voice referring to the active involvement of students in decision-making, in evaluating their own learning and in taking on positions of responsibility within the school (Demetriou and Rudduck,2004).

Student research: a development of participation where students identify and respond to something which matters to them, rather than just commenting on the concerns of others.

Student leadership: a further development of participation, where students are supported in exercising leadership and become partners in the learning, teaching and school improvement process.

Students as partners in the learning process

Creating participative learning cultures through student leadership

Student leadership:

an aspect of distributed leadership: recognises that leadership involves collaborative and interactive behaviour

involves capacity building: developing a professional culture in which self-evaluation, innovation and improvement are both valued and facilitated

challenges notion that leadership arises from hierarchical positioning, focusing on leadership roles rather than leadership positions

based on premise that a successful school is one in which the maximum degree of leadership is exercised by the maximum number of people including teachers, pupils, support staff, etc (Sergiovanni, 1992)

not about authority to take decisions but about influence

(Frost, 2010)

Students as partners in the learning process

Programme 1:

Students as Researchers

Students as partners in the learning process

Aims of the programme

The Students as Researchers programme is designed to:

• provide an opportunity for students to articulate their views about learning and teaching, developing their understanding whilst

working in partnership with teachers

• develop students’ ability to influence school policy and practice in a positive manner

• develop students’ confidence and self-esteem

Students as partners in the learning process

The role of the co-researcher

Co-researchers work alongside students to help them to:

• Formulate their plans at each step of the journey

• Make contact with staff and students whose views they are interested in

• Organise the gathering of their data

• Produce a report/poster/powerpoint presentation etc. to share what they have learned

• Plan how they will use what they have learned to contribute to make a difference

Students as partners in the learning process

Symbols to support students’ learning journey

Using the iconic representation of new learning to build student understanding at a conceptual level (Bruner, 1966)

I want my maths teacher to listen to what students say about learning. I also hope we get to do more fun activities in maths

I want my maths teacher to listen to what students say about learning. I also hope we get to do more fun activities in maths

Students as partners in the learning process

Supporting teachers on the journey

• Programme led by a lead teacher

• Teachers’ notes and resources are set out in the programme

• Resources are provided on a CD

Students as partners in the learning process

Emphasising impact

Students as partners in the learning process

Action planning to make a difference

• Students assess the impact of their work so far to help them to plan for the future

• Students share what they have discovered with the school community

• Teachers feed back to student researchers – what they (teachers) have agreed to do; what the students have agreed to do

Students as partners in the learning process

Evaluative comments

We have to use learners more successfully to help us to develop our understanding of learning and teaching. There’s a recognition that we (students and teachers) need to work together on this

We have to use learners more successfully to help us to develop our understanding of learning and teaching. There’s a recognition that we (students and teachers) need to work together on this

Headteacher, School A

When there is a joint conversation about what students value and what they believe could be developed, then the school has moved forward

When there is a joint conversation about what students value and what they believe could be developed, then the school has moved forward

Headteacher, School B

This is real learning, not like what we do in lessons. You don’t have views on things in normal lessons. We do work and that’s it. We don’t have choice, the teacher decides

This is real learning, not like what we do in lessons. You don’t have views on things in normal lessons. We do work and that’s it. We don’t have choice, the teacher decides

Student, School B

Student, School B

We have started to break down the barrier between staff and students and initiated conversations between them about learning and teaching that just didn’t happen before

We have started to break down the barrier between staff and students and initiated conversations between them about learning and teaching that just didn’t happen before

She (the student researcher) was in control of her project. I just listened and made the odd suggestion

Co-researcher, School CLead teacher, School D

Students as partners in the learning process

Reviewing the programme: where to now?

• How could we support the development of the emerging staff/student dialogue?

• How could we better support student understanding of learning and leadership?

• How could we further support the development of staff/student collaborative partnerships?

• How could student participation be developed to impact more effectively on the school improvement process?

• How could we support students in developing as leaders rather than participators?

Students as partners in the learning process

Programme 2:

Students as Leaders

Students as partners in the learning process

Aims of the programme

• provide an opportunity for students to articulate their views about learning and leadership, developing their understanding whilst working in partnership with teachers

• develop students’ and teachers’ understanding of, and skills in, this partnership working

• support the development of strategies to enable students to take an active role in leading learning

• develop students’ confidence as learners and leaders of learning

• develop students’ ability to influence school policy and practice

Students as partners in the learning process

Reviewing organisational context and practice

Students as partners in the learning process

Adapted from Shier (2001)

Children are supported in expressing their views

Children are listened to

Children’s views are taken into account

Children share power and responsibility for

decision-making Children are involved in

decision-making processes

Supporting student/staff dialogue

Students as partners in the learning process

Developing student understanding of learning and leadership

Students as partners in the learning process

From principles to leadership strands

Students as partners in the learning process

Evaluative comments

The collaboration between schools has forged student relationships which have really broken down barriers

The collaboration between schools has forged student relationships which have really broken down barriers

Lead teacher, School A

I think the students have got a huge amount form the programme but some teachers still need to be convinced this is a good idea

I think the students have got a huge amount form the programme but some teachers still need to be convinced this is a good idea

Lead Teacher, School B

It taught me how to analyse lessons and to feed back to teachers in a polite way, being honest and constructive but not offensive

It taught me how to analyse lessons and to feed back to teachers in a polite way, being honest and constructive but not offensive

Student, School A

Student, School B

I feel prepared now to start to do student leadership but I still haven’t got much confidence

It has made me see that there is more than one way of learning and that I can improve mine and other students’ learning

Teachers have a lot to handle!

Student, School B

Student, School A

Students as partners in the learning process

Challenges and opportunities?

What might be the challenges posed and opportunities offered by developing student leadership?

Students as partners in the learning process

For further reference

http://www.edu.cam.ac.uk/centres/lfl/SupportingStudentsasResearchers

http://www.leadershipforlearning.org.uk/resources-and-academic-papers/223-supporting-the-growth-of-students-as-leaders-a-studentteacher-partnership-approach

Roberts, A. and Nash, J. (2009) ‘Enabling students to participate in school improvement through a Students as Researchers programme.’ Improving Schools, 12 (2) pp. 184-187

Students as partners in the learning process

References

Bruner, J. (1966) Towards a Theory of Instruction. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

DCSF (2008) Working Together: Listening to the Voices of Children and Young People. London: DCSF.

DfES (2003) Every Child Matters: Change for Children. Online: http://www.everychildmatters.gov.uk [accessed 12 April 2006].

DfES (2004) A New Relationship with Schools. London: DfES.

DCSF (2008) Working Together: Listening to the Voices of Children and Young People. London: DCSF.

Demitriou, H. & Rudduck, J. (2004) Pupils as researchers: the importance of using their research evidence. Primary Leadership Paper 11, 31–4.

Frost, D. (2010) Creating participative learning cultures through student leadership in J. MacBeath and T. Townsend (eds) International Handbook on Leadership for Learning, New York: Springer Publishing

Frost, D., Frost, R., MacBeath, J. & Pedder, D. (2009) The influence and participation of children and young people in their learning (IPiL) project. A paper presented at ICSEI 2009, the 22nd annual meeting of the International Congress on School Effectiveness and Improvement, Vancouver, Canada, 4–7 January.

Frost, D. and MacBeath, J. (2010) Learning to Lead: an evaluation. Cambridge: Leadership for Learning, University of Cambridge Faculty of Education.

Roberts, A. and Nash, J. (2009) ‘Enabling students to participate in school improvement through a Students as Researchers programme.’ Improving Schools, 12 (2) pp. 184-187

Rudduck, J. & McIntyre, D. (2007) Improving Learning through Consulting Pupils. Abingdon: Routledge.

Sergiovanni,T. (1992) Moral Leadership: Getting to the heart of School Improvement. San Fransisco, CA: Jossey-Bass

UN (1989) Convention on the Rights of the Child. Geneva: UN.

Non-original images from Stock.xhng: http://www.sxc.hu/

Students as partners in the learning process