POLICY AND PRACTICE Change across a local authority
Results and conclusions The analyses produced a clear conclusion. Cross-age peer tutoring stood out as positively enhancing cognitive attainment for both reading and mathematics in two differently aged cohorts, for both tutors and tutees. It suggests that the approach is robust against the vagaries of implementation. Although the impact was modest, this might be improved through attention to detail, for example in extending or improving CPD. No other interventions had as great an impact on reading or maths, and there was no real benefi t to using reading and maths together. In terms of LEA-wide school reform in the
UK, the Fife Peer Tutoring Project provided a number of important lessons. Many of these relate to the process of school reform. A feature of the project was the ability of the project team to engage with the LEA. The LEA was a partner in the research/ school reform process, and CPD days were co-ordinated and funded in partnership with the LEA with the director of education in the LEA introducing each event. Also important was the project team’s wider engagement with head teachers, teachers, and parents as partners in the school reform process. Head teachers included the process in their individual school development plans and prioritised teacher attendance at the CPD events. CPD events also facilitated the establishment and development of networks of teachers, who met to discuss related issues. Our perception is that the high-level involvement of the LEA and the professional development of teachers gave a collective purpose and shared conceptualisation regarding the aims and purposes of the project.
The challenge for school reform in Scotland and beyond will be to fi nd ways of facilitating systematic change at the school district level where there is often increasing devolution of school management and power. This is particularly prevalent in England, where the establishment of the new academy status for schools may need different ways of working. An EEF-funded follow-up to the Fife project, funded by the Education Endowment Foundation, is being led by Allen Thurston, Christine Merrell, and Andy Wiggins from Durham University, and will attempt to scale-up peer tutoring to work in four LEAs in a randomised controlled trial in 90 schools taking place over the next four years. The disparate nature of LEA context and wide variety of LEA-level support should provide fresh challenges to gauge the ability of peer tutoring to promote school reform at scale-up.
What we know
● Cross-age peer tutoring was effective at raising attainment in reading and mathematics in schools across a whole LEA.
● Same age tutoring, whilst easier to organise, was not effective.
● It is possible to work with schools on a wide basis on a clustered randomised controlled trial.
● Schools benefi t from careful and systematic support from LEA managers to help them develop new ways of working.
About the authors Allen Thurston is a reader at the School of Education, Durham University. His research interests are peer tutoring, co-operative learning, science and mathematics education, learning with information and communications technology, elementary/primary education and social inclusion in respect of visual impairment. He is a fellow of the Wolfson Research Institute and a member of the Scottish Parliament Cross-party Standing Committee on Visual Impairment (
allen.thurston@
durham.ac.uk). Peter Tymms is a professor of education and Head of School of Education, Durham University. His research interests are: monitoring, assessment, peer learning, ADHD, Rasch measurement and research methodology (
peter.tymms@cem.dur.ac.uk).
Christine Merrell is the Director of Research at the Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring, Durham University. Her research interests are assessment development and monitoring the progress of children through primary school (
christine.merrell@cem.dur.
ac.uk). Nora Conlin is an education offi cer at Fife Council. Her interests include school management and school improvement, and peer learning (
Nora.Conlin@fi
fe.gov.uk).
Acknowledgement The research project was supported by a grant from the Economic & Social Research Council, Knowledge Transfer Partnerships scheme. Keith Topping and David Miller from the University of Dundee were co- investigators on the grant.
Further reading
Tymms P et al (2011), Improving Attainment Across a Whole District: School Reform Through Peer Tutoring in a Randomized Controlled Trial. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 22(3): 265–289.
Higgins S, Kokotsaki D, and Coe R (2011), Toolkit of Strategies to Improve Learning: Summary for Schools Spending the Pupil Premium. Sutton Trust/Durham University: Durham, UK.
www.suttontrust.com/ research/toolkit-of-strategies-to-improve- learning/
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