Pupil voice: comfortable and Pupil voice: comfortable and uncomfortable for teachersuncomfortable for teachers

Key issue addressed by the studyKey issue addressed by the study

This study explored:This study explored:– pupils’pupils’ views about three lessons views about three lessons– teacherteachers’ reactions to their pupils’ comments s’ reactions to their pupils’ comments – how how the teachers used the pupils’ ideas with their the teachers used the pupils’ ideas with their

classesclasses

Ideas pupils gave for improving lessonsIdeas pupils gave for improving lessons Pupils suggested:Pupils suggested:

– interactiveinteractive teaching – teaching –‘If he asked more ‘If he asked more questions then we’d become more alert’ questions then we’d become more alert’

– linkinglinking new learning to something new learning to something familiar familiar

– beingbeing given greater independence - given greater independence - ‘We enjoyed writing stuff that we found ‘We enjoyed writing stuff that we found out ourselves …’out ourselves …’

– collaborativecollaborative learning to help them learning to help them express themselves and develop express themselves and develop understandingsunderstandings

Criteria teachers applied to the pupils’ Criteria teachers applied to the pupils’ ideas before using themideas before using them

Teachers needed the pupils’ suggestions to be:Teachers needed the pupils’ suggestions to be:– practicalpractical– popularpopular with the class with the class– likelylikely to be effective to be effective– educationallyeducationally desirable desirable

The suggestions teachers found The suggestions teachers found acceptableacceptable

Helpful suggestions were those that:Helpful suggestions were those that:– asked asked their teachers to extend existing their teachers to extend existing

or previous practices (e.g. or previous practices (e.g. investigational work)investigational work)

– encouraged encouraged teachers to persist with teachers to persist with innovative ideasinnovative ideas

– werewere sensible, practical and purposeful sensible, practical and purposeful (e.g. discussing wrong results more)(e.g. discussing wrong results more)

What happened when the teachers What happened when the teachers tried out their pupils’ ideastried out their pupils’ ideas Three different experiences:Three different experiences:

– two teacherstwo teachers grew increasingly enthusiasticgrew increasingly enthusiastic– two experienced success in the short-termtwo experienced success in the short-term– two teachers’ experiences were unsuccessfultwo teachers’ experiences were unsuccessful

Experiencing short-term successExperiencing short-term success

Two teachers:Two teachers:– decided to include e.g. decided to include e.g. more more

collaborative and practical workcollaborative and practical work– successsuccessfully incorporated the fully incorporated the

ideas into their teachingideas into their teaching– six monthsix months later their teaching s later their teaching

was no different to beforewas no different to before– felt constraints of normal school felt constraints of normal school

routines had made some ideas routines had made some ideas unrealistic unrealistic

Growing enthusiasm for pupil voiceGrowing enthusiasm for pupil voice

Two teachers:Two teachers:– initially initially had difficulty incorporating pupils’ suggestionshad difficulty incorporating pupils’ suggestions– persistedpersisted– felt felt the changes they had made had improved pupil the changes they had made had improved pupil

motivation and independencemotivation and independence– continuedcontinued to consult pupils to consult pupils

Encountering problems with using pupil Encountering problems with using pupil voicevoice Sometimes the teachers:Sometimes the teachers:

– overestimatedoverestimated their pupils’ capabilities –e.g. their their pupils’ capabilities –e.g. their group working skillsgroup working skills

– were were disappointed with the results – e.g. having more disappointed with the results – e.g. having more discussion created more noisediscussion created more noise

Comfortable learningsComfortable learnings There was no need for the teachers to feel There was no need for the teachers to feel

concerned about pupils commenting on their concerned about pupils commenting on their teaching because pupils:teaching because pupils:– made constructive suggestionsmade constructive suggestions– knew what helped them to learnknew what helped them to learn– often asked teachers to extend existing or past often asked teachers to extend existing or past

practicespractices

Challenges of pupil voiceChallenges of pupil voice

The researchers noted how:The researchers noted how:– the the pupils teachers most need to hear from are the most pupils teachers most need to hear from are the most

difficult to consult difficult to consult – genuinelygenuinely responding to pupil voice involves a change in responding to pupil voice involves a change in

the balance of classroom power the balance of classroom power – concernsconcerns about complying with statutory requirements about complying with statutory requirements

led some to view pupil voice less seriously e.g. relegating led some to view pupil voice less seriously e.g. relegating pupils’ ideas to the end of term rather than building them pupils’ ideas to the end of term rather than building them into lessonsinto lessons

Who were the children in the study?Who were the children in the study? Year 8 pupils from three secondary schoolsYear 8 pupils from three secondary schools Two English, two mathematics and two science classesTwo English, two mathematics and two science classes

How was the information gathered?How was the information gathered? Six pupils broadly representative of each class Six pupils broadly representative of each class

interviewed individually about three lessons interviewed individually about three lessons Transcripts of the interviews fed back to Transcripts of the interviews fed back to

teachers who were interviewed a few days later teachers who were interviewed a few days later about their reactions to the pupils’ ideas about their reactions to the pupils’ ideas

Researchers investigated teachers’ use of their Researchers investigated teachers’ use of their pupils’ ideas pupils’ ideas

Each teacher was visited again the following Each teacher was visited again the following academic year to see whether the teachers academic year to see whether the teachers were still using pupil voice, and if so, howwere still using pupil voice, and if so, how

How can teachers use the evidence in How can teachers use the evidence in this study?this study?

The teachers tended to act on practical suggestions which The teachers tended to act on practical suggestions which the pupils agreed withthe pupils agreed with

Would having a whole class discussion help your pupils to Would having a whole class discussion help your pupils to make practical and popular suggestions?make practical and popular suggestions?

Pupils wanted to be trusted to learn and to collaborate with Pupils wanted to be trusted to learn and to collaborate with their peers moretheir peers more

Would your pupils welcome more opportunities for Would your pupils welcome more opportunities for collaboration and greater autonomy in their learning?collaboration and greater autonomy in their learning?

How can school leaders use the How can school leaders use the evidence in this study?evidence in this study?

Some teachers in the study had more success Some teachers in the study had more success articulately when they persisted than others when articulately when they persisted than others when responding to pupil voiceresponding to pupil voice

Would collaborating with colleagues help teachers to Would collaborating with colleagues help teachers to evaluate and explore together their pupils’ suggestions evaluate and explore together their pupils’ suggestions and how they might respond to them?and how they might respond to them?

Would taking an interest in how pupils’ suggestions Would taking an interest in how pupils’ suggestions work out help colleagues to persist?work out help colleagues to persist?

Follow-up readingFollow-up reading

Study reference: Study reference: Pupil voice: comfortable and Pupil voice: comfortable and uncomfortable learnings for teachers McIntyre, D., uncomfortable learnings for teachers McIntyre, D., Pedder, D., & Rudduck, J. (2005) Pedder, D., & Rudduck, J. (2005) Research Papers in Research Papers in Education,Education, 20 (2) pp. 149-168 20 (2) pp. 149-168

Summary available at: Summary available at: www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/research/themes/pupil_voice/comfortable/

FeedbackFeedback

Did you find this useful?Did you find this useful? What did you like?What did you like? What didn’t you like?What didn’t you like?

Any feedback on this Research BiteAny feedback on this Research Bite

would be much appreciated. Please emailwould be much appreciated. Please email

your feedback to:your feedback to:

research.summaries@dcsf.gsi.gov.uk