HOW TO...
may display an unquestioning respect towards the written word. Therefore welcome critique and facilitate discussion. Encourage students to make judgements about the reliability of sources. Devise questions so they move up Bloom’s Taxonomy. This elevates learning beyond ‘teaching to the test’ and encourages evaluation.
• Expose students to a breadth of resources and modes. Inequality also translates to the ‘digital divide’, where economic factors can impede access to, or the impact of, digital technologies and communication. Try to provide a range of written materials e.g. online materials, websites, blogs, textbooks, leaflets, news articles, research documents and political publications.
• Finally, challenge power dynamics in the classroom. The same inequality between student and printed text is replicated in classroom relationships, with the teacher ‘at the top’ and the student ‘at the bottom’. This can act as a barrier to learning (Brookfield, 1995). Apple (2004) warns against teacher tolerance of unequal power structures. To avoid being agents of ‘cultural and ideological hegemony’ we must view ourselves as much more than conduits of knowledge, and instead take on a pedagogical style that supports Dewey’s concept of the democratic classroom. This could mean nurturing equality between students and teachers, facilitating tolerant debate and encouraging Critical Thinking at every opportunity.
...FOSTER A CULTURE OF RESEARCH
By Andrew Morris Is the leadership team actively supporting research in your organisation? Many studies confirm that they play a key role in determining whether research evidence gets used in practice. A project set up by practitioners, leaders and academics under the Coalition for Evidence-Based Education (CEBE) recently reviewed the evidence about the role of leaders in fostering a culture of research. Based on this, CEBE has put forward a set of key factors (a selection is listed below) for leaders who want to develop effective strategies supporting evidence informed practice. • Spell out the advantages that evidence informed practice might offer their organisation. For example: the ability to make better judgments about new initiatives; helping staff focus on the most productive aspects of teaching and learning.
• Identify ‘champions’ who can influence and support different groups of staff through modelling and mentoring.
• Encourage staff to see how evidence best fits with their own area of responsibility.
• Feature research evidence in meetings of staff, governors and parents and in CPD.
• Demonstrate that local policies are founded on evidence by, for example, using evidence relating to priorities identified in development plans.
• Encourage practitioners to set up small-scale projects using their knowledge and experience.
• Cultivate an atmosphere of trust and co-operation to support staff as they change their practices in the light of evidence.
Katya Kitchingman MEd is programme leader for post-secondary education and training at University Centre, Bradford College. She is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
Andrew Morris is an honorary senior lecturer at the UCL Institute of Education and a member of the national planning group of the Learning and Skills Research Network. Andrew is president of the education section of the British Science Association. Contact Andrew at:
a.j.morris@ucl.
ac.uk
• Engage with others who share an interest in using research evidence, such as: other providers locally; a local university’s education department; organisations such as the Society for Education and Training (SET), the Learning and Skills Research Network (LSRN) and the Education Endowment Foundation. The CEBE team is building on this study by addressing the difficulties organisations face in trying to achieve this. If you want to participate in this or find out more, please email me (see left).
USEFUL LINKS
• McCloskey, S. (2017). ‘Brexit, Trump and Development Education’.
• OECD (2015). ‘In it Together: Why less inequality benefits us all.'
•Weis, L., McCarthy, C & Dimitriadis, G. (eds) (2006). Ideology, Curriculum and the New Sociology of Education.
• Key factors for leaders are listed at end of the CEBE report at
bit.ly/CEBELeadershipReport
• Society for Education and Training
set.et-foundation.co.uk/publications/research/
• Learning & Skills Research Network
lsrn.wordpress.com • Education Endowment Foundation
bit.ly/EEFImplementationReport
inTUITION ISSUE 39 • SUMMER 2020 21
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