and challenges. The adults involved in the pilot enjoyed the sessions and felt able to show their maths skills. They said they learned new maths during the sessions, and some of them enjoyed being able to work together without time pressure. Analysis of the work produced


suggests that, despite being given a free choice of tasks and topics, most adults met at least half the ‘coverage and range’ statements for Functional mathematics at Level 2 (Ofqual 2011). This is very encouraging and indicates potential for developing accreditation in the future using this connected assessment model.


RECONNECT WITH LEARNERS As a teacher educator working largely in a higher education setting it has been very valuable for me to reconnect with adult learners in their own communities. As a next step, I will continue to work with the Adult Education provider to explore ways that this model of assessment could be incorporated into their existing non-accredited courses. Debates around assessment usually


involve policy makers, academics and sometimes teachers, but rarely the learners themselves. Working with these adult learners was a very positive experience for me and this research has clearly highlighted the benefits of encouraging adults to choose assessment tasks that speak to their interests and strengths rather than sitting a ‘one size fits all’ examination.


HOW TO... RESEARCH METHODS...DECIDE ABOUT


By Andrew Morris There’s a growing expectation that to be a professional you need to engage with research in some way. At the most general level this eans an orsel aare o te state o researc n or el  as is common practice for, say, building surveyors or health professionals. For some, it also means getting involved in research themselves. You may well have carried out a small-scale research project during your degree or diploma and, in the process, learned something about research methods. Now, as a practising professional, and lacking the support of a tutor, the task can seem more challenging. Your understanding of methods may seem a bit thin when it comes to investigating a real classroom issue rigorously. Fortunately, a range of user-friendly resources has become available


in recent years to help. Many books, some tailored to further education, guide you through the technicalities of various methods, with their respective merits and drawbacks. Empowering Researchers in FE and The Researcher’s Toolkit are


examples of many books on the subject. These cover practical issues such as questionnaire design, interview technique and statistical analysis, as well as considerations such as ethics, objectivity and inference. Online resources are also available. The NFER ‘How to’ Guides


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 was research


This article is based on a paper written by Rebecca, ‘Assessment: fast or slow? Alternatives to a timed test for adult mathematics/numeracy’, which gained her an award in SET’s Researching Numeracy Teaching and Learning Competition in 2017.


manager at the former Learning and Skills Development Agency. Contact Andrew at a.j.morris@ ucl.ac.uk


cover topics such as focus groups, surveys and randomised trials, while the Education Endowment Foundation’s DIY guide helps with small-scale evaluation. The Education and Training Foundation (ETF) has a load of resources online. The Coalition for Evidence-Based Education (CEBE) guide, Leading Research naeent, offers ace abot departmental and college/school level leadership of research. Being in touch with a wider


community of practice-based researchers can be supportive and motivating. Try linking with people at your institution, or a linked university, or through meetings organised by the Society for Education and Training, the Learning and Skills Research Network or ResearchEd.


RESOURCES


• Empowering Researchers in FE by Yvonne Hillier and Jill Jameson, Trentham Books (2003).


• The Researcher’s Toolkit, edited by David Wilkinson, Routledge Falmer (2000). • See NFER How to Guides here goo.gl/3ntMa2 • See the Education Endowment Foundation’s DIY guide here: goo.gl/CjjTE5 • See CEBE’s guide, Leading Research Engagement, here: goo.gl/B1Dtu4


INTUITION ISSUE 31 • SPRING 2018 21


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