University Learning in

Schools (ULiS) 

Twilight sessionJuly 2 2015

About ULiS

ULiS began life with a question:

Could a partnership between researchers - who possess exceptional subject knowledge - and teachers - who possess the pedagogical experience - help improve student outcomes?

• University Learning in Schools (ULiS) is an innovative pilot project, funded by the Greater London Authority and based on The Brilliant Club model of partnering outstanding doctoral and post-doctoral researchers with schools.

• Key outcomes:• enhance KS3 teachers’ subject knowledge • increasing pupil achievement in subjects

Project Background

Development• Year 1: 5 doctoral and post-doctoral researchers matched with 5

teachers within 5 subject areas (Humanities and STEM). • Year 2: 10 doctoral and post-doctoral researchers matched with

10 teachers within 10 subject areas (Humanities and STEM). • With a focus on the researcher’s own research and knowledge

of critical academic skills, the teacher and researcher created an academic unit of work.

Testing • The teacher and researcher trialled the unit of work and learning

resources within the teacher’s school over a 6 week period, further developing the module and resources afterwards to quality assure the unit of work.

How has it worked?

• Enhances teacher subject knowledge• Develops teacher confidence in existing and

development of subject knowledge• Opportunity to develop curriculum design skills• Develops researcher’s pedagogy skills• Develops researcher’s awareness of subject-

specific National Curriculum requirements• Opportunity to develop curriculum design skills

Development Opportunities for Teacher and Researcher

Sharing

• The teacher and PhD researcher pairs will deliver their academic module tonight and share their learning resources.

• You will receive a USB with all 10 modules on at the end of the twilight session.

• The resources will be available for download.

How has it worked?

• Research indicates that teacher subject knowledge is one – possibly the only – factor associated with a growth in student achievement.

• However we know that teachers in England are lagging behind their counterparts in undertaking CPD in subject knowledge.

• Recent figures show that only 57% of teachers in England embarked on this, compared with 88% of teachers in Singapore / Japan and an OECD average of 72%.

Why is there a need for ULiS?

Year 1: 5 modules

Year 1: Outcomes

• Teacher subject knowledge• 3 out of 5 teachers felt that their subject knowledge had

increased as a result of taking part in the programme:  

• “I feel that I have increased my subject knowledge… I do feel that it’s definitely tidied up some loose ends, things that I was never quite sure about.”

• The project helped the same teachers to be more confident about their existing subject knowledge, as well as confident in taking on new knowledge.

Year 1: Outcomes

• Teacher subject knowledge• Two of the teachers didn’t feel they had increased their

subject knowledge. However, they did report learning new terminology and techniques, and felt they had benefited from working outside their comfort zone by teaching different material or using different sources:

• “It moved me out of my comfort zone of texts that I would normally choose and things I would normally do during the unit. So it definitely made me think, other than what I would normally teach.”

Year 1: Outcomes

Pupil engagement

Good level of student engagement reported and observed during the teaching of the units:• Pupils quickly settling down onto task• A large proportion of the class taking the opportunity to

ask questions or offer answers during Q&A sessions• Pupils asking questions unprompted• Pupils asking higher-level questions• Pupils making positive comments to each other (for

instance: “awesome” “wow” “that’s pretty cool”)• Pupils talking about the unit outside of class

Year 1: Outcomes

• Pupil comments

• “It was a bit more challenging - we had to, like, think about it more, whereas other times we just, like, write it down. Whereas this we had to think about it, and get engaged with it.”

• “I liked it cos it was really different to everything else we did. Cos, like, when you keep on doing the same stuff it’s a bit boring. But cos you’re doing something different it was kind of fun.”

Year 1: Outcomes

• Pupil outcomes• The teachers involved in the ULiS project report feeling the

benefit of this approach in preparing KS3 pupils for the new GCSE qualifications.

• Two of the five teachers felt that pupil progress had been faster during this unit of work than in a normal unit of work. Teachers reported this was due to two main factors:

The unit was shorter/more condensed than usual

The unit content was more challenging/stretching than usual

Year 1: Outcomes

• Pupil outcomes• Whilst the remaining teachers felt that their pupils had

made expected progress, they identified particular forms of progress that were attributable to the content of the unit:

• “On balance it feels like it has encouraged a more exploratory approach, which will be crucial for them in their GCSEs and A Levels, it’s the way to get the higher grades.”

• “It was making them start to think about issues they wouldn't normally think about day to day in the classroom.”

English Literature

Stories of the Great North Road: Rogues, Riders and Runaways

Mathematics 3D geometry: the shape of the everyday world

Chemistry The Engineer’s Guide to Cleaning an Oil Company’s Mess

Biology What happens in my brain during the day?

Physics Exoplanets: Discovering and Characterising Planets Orbiting Other Stars

History The First World War: Trauma and Memory

Computer science

How programming and the creation of algorithms can be used to solve problems

Psychology Mythbusting - the brain

Economics Do I Need an i-Phone???

RE Buddhists in the world

Year 2: 10 modules

I’d like to be involved!

• Use the resources in your classrooms• Share the modules with your colleagues• Contact us if you have feedback or comments or

ideas

What to do now?

Lisa.Knowles@afa3as.org.uk