Upload
others
View
1
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
London Review of Education DOI1018546LRE14202Volume14Number2September2016
Using design-based research to improve the lesson study approach to professional development in Camden (London)
ChrisBrownandCarolTaylorUCL Institute of Education University College London
LornaPonambalumHaverstock School Camden London
The Haverstock Primary to SecondaryTransition Project was designed to improve theexperienceoftransitiontosecondaryschoolforvulnerablepupilsinCamden(London)Theprojectusedlessonstudytohelpprimaryandsecondarypractitionersworkcollaborativelyto develop effective cross-phase pedagogical approaches to teaching Englishliteracy andscienceThispaperhasthreespecificaimsinrelationtotheprojectFirstitreportsonhowadesign-basedresearch(DBR)methodwasusedtotailorthelessonstudyapproachtotheCamdencontextinordertomaximizeitsbenefitsandensureitssustainabilityandscalabilitySeconditillustrateshowaDBRapproachtoimpactassessmentledtoaradicalrethinkandunderstandingofhow impactmightbemeasuredwithregardtoprojects that involve jointpracticedevelopmentSpecificallycollaborativeapproachestopracticedevelopmentrelyonmoreiterativeevolvingapproachestounderstandingandcollectingbaselinedatadevelopingstrategies andunderstanding thegoals tobereachedFinally itprovides initialdataon theimpactoftheDBR-ledlessonstudyapproach
Keywords design-based research (DBR) lesson study professional development jointpractice development (JPD) impact measuring impact primary to secondary transitiontransition
Introduction
ThispaperreportsonHaverstockSchoolrsquosprimarytosecondarytransitionprojectTheaimoftheprojectwastoimprovevulnerablepupilsrsquotransitionexperiencefromprimarytosecondaryschoolusingalessonstudyapproachSpecificallytheprojectinvolvedsmallgroupsofprimaryand secondary teachers working collaboratively to design and test cross-phase pedagogicalapproachestoteaching EnglishliteracyandscienceAdesign-basedresearch(DBR)methodologywasadoptedtotailorthisapproachtothecontextofschoolssituatedinCamden(London)inrelationtothespecificneedsofworkinginacross-phasewayandtodemonstratehowengaginginacollaborativeDBRprocessensuredthescalabilityofthelessonstudyapproach
ThispaperillustrateshowaDBRapproachtoimpactassessmentledtoaradicalrethinkandunderstandingofhowimpactmightbemeasuredwithregardtoprojectsthatinvolvejointpractice development (JPD Fielding et al 2005) Compared to the more traditional linearapproachestoassessingimpactthatrelyonascertainingbaselinesettingavisionordestinationtobereachedandthecorrespondingdevelopmentofastrategytoreachthisvision(egseeEarleyandPorritt2013)collaborativeapproachestopracticedevelopmentdependonmoreiterativeevolvingapproachestounderstandingandcollectingbaselinedatadevelopingstrategies
Correspondingauthorndashemailchrisbrown14uclacuk copyCopyright2016BrownTaylorandPonambalumThisisanOpenAccessarticledistributedunderthetermsoftheCreativeCommonsAttributionLicencewhichpermitsunrestrictedusedistributionandreproductioninanymediumprovidedtheoriginalauthorandsourcearecredited
London Review of Education 5
andanunderstandingofthegoalstobereachedResultsofthisresearchprovideinitialdataontheimpactoftheDBR-ledlessonstudyapproachaswellasthebenefitsgenerallyofapplyingDBRmethodswhenattemptingtoconnectresearchtopractice
Design-based research
DBRisanapproachspecificallydevelopedasameanstoconnecteducationalresearchtopractice(Penuelet al2011Coburnet al2013)ForexampleVanderlindeandvanBraak(2010)notethattheexplicitaimofDBRapproachesshouldbetolsquoclosetheresearchndashpracticegaprsquoThetheoryofactionunderpinningDBR is thatbetter linksbetweenresearchandpracticeshouldresultinimprovedteachingandlearningoutcomesThisisexpressedforexamplebyAndersonandShattuck(201216)whoindescribingDBRsuggestthatitisanapproachlsquodesignedbyandforeducatorsthatseekstoincreasetheimpacttransferandtranslationofeducationresearchintoimprovedpracticersquoAndersonandShattuckgoontosuggestanumberofattributesspecifictoDBRinparticularisthatitlsquostressestheneedfortheorybuildingandthedevelopmentofdesignprinciplesthatguideinformandimprovebothpracticeandresearchineducationalcontextsrsquoFurtherimportantdefinitionalattributesare(ibid16ndash17)
bull DBRmustbesituatedinarealeducationalcontextbull DBRshouldfocusonthedesignandtestingofasignificantinterventionbull DBR involves iterativerefinementof that intervention to improve itsoperationand
buildonironoutpastmistakesbull DBRmustinvolveacollaborativepartnershipbetweenresearchersandpractitionersbull the process of DBR leads to the development of design principles reflecting the
conditionswithinwhichtheinterventionoperates
VitallyDBRrepresentsashiftfromthetraditionalperspectiveofresearchandpracticebeingtwodistinctactivitieswiththeformerbeingabletounambiguouslyinfluencethelatter(VanderlindeandvanBraak2010)towardsthesimultaneousbuildingandstudyofsolutionsAsCoburnet al(20138)suggestlsquo[DBRhas]twogoalsofequalimportancehellipdevelopmaterialsandinstructionalapproachesthatcanbeimplementedinclassroomsschoolsanddistrictsAtthesametimehelliptoadvanceresearchandtheory[inrelationtohowsuchinitiativescanbeimplemented]rsquo
Lesson study
LessonstudyhasbeendescribedasalsquoteachingimprovementprocessrsquoIthasitsoriginsinJapaneseelementaryeducationwhereitisawidelyusedprofessionaldevelopmentpractice(Dudley2014CheungandWong2014)Asaprocess lessonstudyinvolvesteacherscollaboratingnormallyingroupsof three toprogresscyclesof iterativepracticedevelopmentSuchcycles typicallyinvolvethefollowingsteps(1)adiscussionofstudent learninggoalsandthe identificationofa teaching strategy thatmightmeet these (2) planning an actual classroom lesson (called alsquoresearchlessonrsquo)thatemploysthisstrategy(3)observinghowthelessonworksinpracticeand(4)discussingandembeddingrevisionstoenableimprovement(Lewis2000)Inadditionthreepupilswhorepresentwidergroupsofinterestareobservedandtheirprogressmonitoredascasestudiesoftheimpactoftheapproach(Dudley2011)IntheJapanesemodelteachersalsoreportonndashandoftenholdpublicdemonstrationsofndashthelessonsothatotherteacherscanbenefitfromtheirlearning(ibidDudley2014)andit isnotedbyLewis(2000)thatJapaneseteacherscreditresearchlessonsasthekeytoindividualschoolwideandnationalimprovementsinteaching
6 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
While in lessonstudyteacherstakeanactiveroleaslsquoresearchersrsquotoexploreandrefinelessons (CheungandWong2014)Lessonstudy itself canbeconsidereda formof JPD thatis a process that comprises practitioners developingways ofworking through collaborativeengagementthatasaresultleadstotheopeningandsharingofpracticeswithothers(Fieldinget al 2005)And although lesson studydoeshave a numberof distinctive characteristics itsunderpinningmechanismaswithotherJPDapproachesinvolvesaprocessviewedaseffectivebecause it is trulymutual rather thanone-waywith thepracticeconcernedbeing improvedrather than simply moved from one person or place to another (ibid Dudley 2011)Thisunderpinningapproachalsoservesasthemaincritiqueoflessonstudyhoweverthatisintryingtoengageinlessonstudybusyandunder-pressureteacherscanoftenstrugglewiththedemandsof collaboration Likewise unless in trusting environments it can be off-putting for teachersknowingthattheirlessonsandteachingwillobservedandcritiqued(egseeTschannen-Moran2004Gero2015)Aswenotelaterthiscritiquewassubstantiatedinthisstudy
Issues associated with childrenrsquos transition from primary to secondary school
Thetransition fromprimarytosecondaryschool isan importantevent inthe livesofpupilsandtheirfamilies(Evangelouet al2008)theygofrombeingtheoldesttotheyoungestintheirschoolmovearoundforlessonshaveamyriadofteachersinsteadofoneandstarttobegivenincreasedamountsofhomework(ShepherdandRoker2005)Althoughthemajorityofpupilsattheendoftheirprimaryschoolingfeelpreparedfortheirmovetosecondaryschoolandthree-quartersarehappyafteraterm(eg84percentof550pupilssurveyedattheendoftheirfirsttermatsecondaryschoolbyEvangelouet al2008)thereisnonethelessageneraldeclineintheacademicachievementofpupilsfollowingthischange(Galtonet al1999McGeeet al 2004Evangelouet al2008)
Proposedreasons for thishiatus include theargument that for somepupils thisperiodcanbestressfulandthatinadditionmorevulnerablepupilswillneedeffectivesupportpriortotransition(McGeeet al 2004)Galtonet al(199922)suggestthatvulnerablegroupsincludelsquothoseonfreeschoolmealspupilswithspecialeducationalneedspupilswhowerelessfluentinEnglishandpupilsfromsomeethnicgroups(whichonesdependedontheparticularsubjectbeingassessed)rsquoTree(2011)addstothislistthosewhodisplaychallengingbehaviourItisalsoarguedthatpupilsrsquoacademicprogressfaltersfollowingtransitionbecauselsquomanyschoolsarestillputtingtheirenergyandmoneyintoeffortstosmooththetransferprocessratherthanensuringthatpupilsrsquo commitment to learning is sustainedand theirprogressenhancedrsquo (Galtonet al19996)AsaresultofthesedivergentargumentsanabundanceofrecommendationsmaybefoundintheextantliteraturetohelpsmooththeprocessoftransitionTheseinclude
bull Transitionsareattheirstrongestwhenlsquothesocialemotionalcurricularandpedagogicalaspectsoflearningaremanagedinordertoenablepupilstoremainengagedwithandhavecontroloftheirlearningrsquo(DCSF20085alsoseeMcGeeet al 2004Evangelouet al2008)
bull Thereisaneedtoensurecurriculumandpedagogiccontinuityattransfer(Galtonet al1999)Suchcontinuityserves tomaintainpupilsrsquo interest in learningallowsthemtoprogressintheirlearningandsohelpsthemavoidtheinternationallyobservedlearninghiatusthatseemstoaccompanytransition(McGeeet al 2004Evangelouet al2008)
London Review of Education 7
Setting and context
TheCamdenPartnershipforEducationalExcellence(CPEE)wassetupinApril2012withthevision tomake the LondonBoroughofCamden lsquothe best borough for educationrsquo (CamdenCouncil2016)The CPEEaimhasbeentodriveforwardtherecommendationsoftheCamdenEducation Commission (London Borough of Camden 2012) which highlighted key issuesand opportunities forCamden schools in the light of the changes to the English educationlandscape In 2013 theCPEE board invited schools colleges partners and stakeholders tobidforfundsfromapound2millionpotsetuptosupport innovativeprojectscentredonraisingachievement and attainment and in particular to findways of improving outcomes for theboroughrsquosmostvulnerablegroupsofstudentsAkeyrequirementoftheCPEErsquosbidcallwasthatschoolimprovementprojectsshouldbebasedonthelessonstudyapproachThisfollowedtheappointmenttotheCamdenLocalAuthorityCPEEboardofastaunchlessonstudyadvocatewhohadbeeninvolvedintheprocessforanumberofyearsbothintheUKandabroad(seeDudley2014)
AkeyfindingfromtheCamdenEducationCommissionrsquosfinalreportwasthatparticularlyforvulnerablestudentslsquotransitionarrangements[withinCamden]atpresentarenotconsistentlygoodenoughrsquo(20115)correspondinglyitarguedthatenhancingtheseshouldbeacentralfocusofimprovementeffortsmovingforwardInparticularitsuggestedthatthereshouldbeabetterunderstandingbetweenyear6andyear7teachers(teachersofstudentsaged11ndash12)of thepedagogyandpracticeofteachingandlearningineachotherrsquosinstitutionswhichwouldassistthembothinpreparingstudentsforsuccessandinsupportingstudentstoflourishintheirnewenvironments(201136)InresponsetothereportandtheinvitationbytheCPEEboardfororganizationstobidforfundingforprojectscolleaguesfromHaverstockSchool(Camden)andtheInstituteofEducationUniversityCollegeLondon(IOE)teameduptodevelopaprojectthatmightservetoaddresssomeofthecommissionrsquosconcernsinrelationtotransition
OurfirststepwastoundertakeareviewoftheinternationalliteratureontheissueofprimarytosecondarytransitionSeekingoutliteratureempiricalstudiesandmeta-analysesrelatingtoschoolsystemsbroadlysimilar tothatofEnglandandWales (eg theUSACanadaAustraliaNewZealand etc) involved the use of databases (JSTOR ERICWeb of Knowledge BritishEducationIndex)theIOElibrary(includingdoctoralandmasterrsquostheses)andrecommendationsonseminalliteratureprovidedbycolleaguesOverallthisresultedinatotalof21studiesbeingreviewed
FollowingthereviewweconnectedkeythemesandfindingsemergingfromtheliteraturetopreviousinitiativescarriedoutinCamden(throughconsultationwithCPEEstaffaswellaswithheadteachersandteachersfromschoolswithintheborough)CorrespondinglywedecidedtocentreourproposedbidtoCPEEontheneedforpedagogiccontinuity(Galtonet al1999McGeeet al 2004Evangelouet al2008)InotherwordssinceourdiscussionsindicatedthatthesocialandemotionalaspectsoftransitionseemedalreadywellcateredforwedecidedtoconcentrateonanareathatwasrecognizedasimportantbutintermsoftheCamdencontextwhererelativelylittleefforthadyetbeenplacedThatisfromourdiscussionswithstakeholdersitwassuggested that thegreatest impacton transitionmightemerge fromthedevelopmentofcommonapproachestoteachingEnglishandscience(prioritysubjectareasdeterminedbyCPEE)
Asaresult theHaverstockPrimarytoSecondaryTransitionProjectwasconceivedwiththepurposeofbringingtogetherprimaryandsecondaryteachersfromtheLondonBoroughof Camden in order that they might employ lesson study to develop effective cross-phasepedagogicalapproachesstrategiestoteaching Englishliteracyandscienceinordertosupportthetransitionofyear5toyear8 studentsInparticulartheprojectfocusedonthoselsquovulnerablersquo
8 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
studentsmostatriskintermsoftheirprogresspost-transitionHereweconsiderlsquovulnerabilityrsquoascontingentonpupilsrsquoabilitytomakeasuccessfulacademicsocialandemotionaltransitionfromyear6toyear7InparticularwefocusonpupilsentitledtofreeschoolmealsandwhiteBritishstudents(closingthegapforwhiteworking-classstudentsisahighprioritybothwithinCamdenLocalAuthorityandwithintheEnglishcontext)Wealsosoughttoincludemoreablepupilsnotfulfillingtheirpotential
JointlydirectedbycolleaguesfromHaverstockSchoolandtheIOEthespecificaimsoftheprojectweretoimprovestudentandteacheroutcomesinrelationto
bull more robust challenging and innovative ndash but also consistent ndash pedagogic practiceatnationalcurriculum levels1ndash8 inEnglishandscience (levelsrepresenthowpupilsprogressinrelationtoEnglandrsquosnationalcurriculumDepartmentforEducation2011)inyears567and8(ages10throughto13)
bull sharedteacherconfidenceusingthesepracticesintheirsubjectinEnglishandsciencefromlevels1to8
bull improved rates of progress and attainment for lsquovulnerablersquo pupils within each ofyears 3ndash8(ages8throughto13)
bull agroupofteachersabletouselessonstudyapproachestoimproveclassroompracticeandimpactonstandardsthusbuildingtransferablecapacity
Theprojectcomprisedapilotandmainphasewiththelatterinvolving18practitionersfromnineschoolsengagedinninelessonstudysessionsthroughoutthecourseoftheacademicyearandthreeworkshopsFurtherdetailsontheparticipantsaresetoutinTable1(anditshouldbe noted that individually noneof the participants hadworked together before)Adetailedoverviewofwhateachworkshopcomprisedissetoutinthefollowingsections
Table 1 Participantcharacteristics
Primary teachers
Secondary teachers
Total
FocusingonEnglish 5 4 9
Focusingonscience 7 2 9
Total 12 6 18
Methods
A DBR approach to lesson study
PrimaryandsecondaryschoolshavetheirownparticularwaysofworkingandwhenconsideringtheteachingofindividualsubjectssuchasEnglishorsciencethesearenotnecessarilywellsuitedtofosteringcross-phasecollaborationForinstanceprimaryteacherswillteachallsubjectstoonecohortofpupils foranentireyear IncontrastsecondaryschoolteacherswillspecializebysubjectareaandsowillteachthatonesubjecttoanumberofdifferentclassesInadditionusinglessonstudyisanewphenomenoninEnglishschoolsandusingitinacross-phaseway(totackleissuesoftransition)israretonon-existentBearinginmindtheparticularwaysofworkingofeachphasendashandthatneithertheresearchersnorpractitionersinvolvedintheprojecthadengagedinlessonstudyactivitybeforendashitwasdecidedthatapilotphaseoffivemonthswithasmallgroupofschoolsberuntoallowresearchersandpractitionerstocollaborateintrialling
London Review of Education 9
theapproachandascertaininghowitmightbestbemadefit forpractice inotherwords toenableaDBRapproachtothedevelopmentandimplementationofthelessonstudymodelforthisprojectCorrespondinglyinkeepingwithAndersonandShattuck(2012)theprojectteam(ieparticipatingteachersfromtheseschoolstheAssistantHeadprojectleadfromHaverstockSchoolandresearchersandfacilitatorsfromtheIOE)soughtasacollaborativepartnershiptodesign testandrefinecross-phase lessonstudy inarealeducationalcontextwithaviewtomeetingtheprojectrsquosaimandestablishingabasisforitsfutureroll-out
Developing a theory of action for lesson study
AkeyaspectofemployingaDBRapproachwas theestablishmentofa theoryofaction forlesson study that is to determinewhich aspects of lesson studywere an integral part of alogicalchainleadingtoimprovedstudentoutcomesandwhichweremoreopentocontextualmanipulation(ArgyrisandSchoumln1996)AmutuallydevelopedtheoryofactionhasbeenshowntohavesignificantlypositiveimpactsontheeffectivenessofinterventionstheyrelatetoandsoisavitalaspectofDBRAsnotedaboveitisarguedthatasaformofJPDlessonstudyinvolvescollaborativeengagementthatservestoopenupandsharepractices(Cohen-Vogelet al2015)Assuchthedevelopmentofourtheoryofactionforlessonstudycentredonhowadultscanlearnfromandbuilduponthebestpracticeoftheirpeersthroughinteraction
Inordertofacilitatethetypeofinteractivelearningweenvisagedweturnedtotheliteratureonprofessional learningcommunities Inparticularwe lookedat thenatureandstructureofthelsquolearningconversationsrsquothattakeplaceaspartofprofessionallearningcommunityactivityDescribedaslsquotheway thateducatorsmakemeaning togetherand jointlycomeupwithnewinsightsandknowledgethat leadto intentionalchangetoenhancetheirpracticeandstudentlearningrsquo (Stoll 2012 6) learning conversations comprise considered thoughtful (rather thansuperficial)discussionandchallenge focusedonmattersof teachingpracticewhichconsiderevidenceofactualandpotential formsofpracticeandwhichareundertakenwithaviewtodevelopingbothimprovedpracticeandasaresultoutcomesforstudents
Movingdeeper into this area Stoll (20126ndash11) suggests that the following features arecharacteristicofhigh-qualitylearningconversationsbetweenadults(1)afocusonevidenceandideas(includingbothexistingandeffectivepracticewithintheschoolnetwork)andalsopotentialinnovations and transformations (eg creativeways to engage learners and extend learning)(2)experienceandexternalknowledgetheorytostimulatereflectionchallengethestatusquoandextendthinking(3)theuseofprotocolsandtoolstoframelearningconversationsmoreclearlyandguidelinesthathelpparticipantsstructuretheirdialogueandinterrogateevidenceorideasand(4)facilitationtoelicitandsupportintellectualexchangeaswellasmaintainingopendialogue
Operationalizing lesson study
These fourelements plus the four stepsoutlinedearlier thus formed thebasis forhowweinitiallysoughttostructureandoperationalizelessonstudyactivityAsaresultitwasdecidedbytheprojectteamthatthepilotphaseshouldcommencewithaone-dayfacilitatedworkshopin which practitioners held data-informed discussions about the key issues their vulnerablestudentsfacedinrelationtoEnglishliteracyandsciencePriortotheworkshoptheAssistantHeadprojectleadfromHaverstockSchoolandresearchersandfacilitatorsfromtheIOEspentadaydevelopingprotocolsandtools to facilitate learningconversationsandplanningactivitywithintheworkshop(basedonapproachesusedbyStollegseeStollandBrown2015)Using
10 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
theseparticipantsworkedthroughaseriesofactivitiesdesignedtohelpthemdecideupononefocusarea(atopicbeingtaughtthatencapsulatedtheissue)andtoalsothinkaboutacommonapproachtoteachingthetopicinrelationtotheconceptthattriadscouldadoptimplementanditerativelyimproveFollowingthisparticipantswereaskedtoidentifythreestudentswithineachschoolwhorepresentedthefocus(vulnerable)studentsandtothencollaborativelyplanthefirstresearchlessonthatwouldbetaughtobserved
Inkeepingwith thenotion that it is expertisewith respect to a given intervention thatenablespractitionerstotailorinterventionstotheirspecificsituationandthatthedevelopmentofexpertiseinvolvesbothaspectsofeffectivelearningandsustainedskillrefinement(iepractice)(seeBryket al2011Penuelet al2012BrownandRogers2015)thepilotphasetheninvolvedthreefulllessonstudydaysTheseinvolvedpractitioners
(1) revisitingthepurposeofthelessonandthefocusareathatitlinkedto(2) beingtalkedthrough(bytheteacherwhowasteachingbeingobserved)eachphaseof
thelessonandwhatitsaimsandgoalswere(3) observinghowthelessonworkedinpractice(withafocusonthecasechildren)(4) interviewingthecasechildrenfortheirperspectivesontheissues(5) undergoingafacilitateddiscussiontoevaluatethelessonbasedonobservationsand
datacollection(6) buildingonwhathadhappened(iecollaborativelyestablishinglsquohowtorsquo)andplanning
forthenextlessonstudyresearchclass
Againbeforethefirst lessonstudydaytheprojectteamspentadaytogethercollaborativelydevelopingprotocolstoolsandanoutlineforthedaytofacilitatethelessonstudyprocessThelessonstudyactivitywasalsoobservedbytheprojectteaminordertogiveusanunderstandingofhowitwasbeingenacted
Collaboratively reviewing and improving lesson study activity
ThroughoutthepilotphasetimeandspacewerecreatedtoenableresearchersandpractitionerstodeliberateanddiscusswhateachhadlearnedandtheirexperiencesinrelationtolessonstudyThroughthisdialogicprocesswewereabletoconstructcommonunderstandingandmeaningwithregardtobothaspectsoftheprocessandintermsoftheuseoftoolsandprotocolstofacilitatetheprocessAsaresultwewerethenabletounderstandwhichaspectsoftheapproachwere successful inhelpingparticipantsdevelop theirpracticeand improveoutcomes for themostvulnerableandwhichappearedtoprovidelimitedvalueInotherwordsasGutierrezandPenuel (201420)suggestlsquo[s]tudying theldquosocial lifeof interventionsrdquo [helpedus]moveawayfromimagininginterventionsasfixedpackagesofstrategieswithreadilymeasurableoutcomesandtowardsmoreopen-endedsocialorsociallyembeddedexperimentsthatinvolveongoing[ieiterative]mutualengagementrsquoToensurethelearningfromthepilotphasewascarriedoverintothemainprojectattheendofthethreelessonstudydaysaone-dayworkshopwasheldsothatthemainphasecouldbecollaborativelydevelopedAspectshereincludedthegroupingandsequencingoflessonstudydaysthroughouttheyear(bearinginmindthedistinctwaysofworkingthateachphaseofschoolinghas)thenature(runningorder)ofeachlessonstudydaythenatureofthetoolsandprotocolstobeemployedaspartofeachmainphaselessonstudysessionandhowimpactshouldbeconceivedofandmeasured(seebelow)
Whatwasalsoviewedas importantbybothparticipantsandtheprojectteamhoweverwasthataswescaledtheprojectupfrompilottomainphasethedialogicprocessthatenabledustounderstandanditerativelyimprovetheoperationoflessonstudycouldcontinueatscale
London Review of Education 11
PerhapsoneofthemainissuesoftheDBRapproachascurrentlyconceivedisthatit isveryresearcher intensive in other words it requires researchers working intensively with smallnumbersofpractitionersWewerethusconcernedwithfindingwaysofexamininghowtheDBRapproachcouldhaveimpactformaximalnumbersofteachersToovercomethispractitionersand researchers jointly agreed on the need for distributed ownership ifDBR at scale is anunmanageabletaskforresearchersalonethenresearcherscannotbetheonlyactorsinvolvedincreatingmeaningndashpractitionersexperiencedinthedeliberativeprocessshouldalsobeabletomovebeyondtheirtraditionalrolesandengage inthiswaytoo(Coburnet al2013)Thisagreeduponapproachtocapacitybuildingthereforemeantthatwewereabletousetheoriginalpilotgroupmembersaspractitioner-researcherswhocouldformnewtriadsandengagewithpractitionersinvolvedintheprojectrsquosmainstageThisfreeduptimefortheresearcherstoworkwithothergroupsoflsquomainstagersquopractitionersndashandbothsetsofresearcherscouldthenmeetperiodically to considerongoing improvements and changes thatneeded tobemade to thelessonstudymethodology
A DBR approach to measuring impact
Vitaltounderstandingtheeffectivenessofourapproachwasameaningfulwaytoassessimpact(Bryket al2011)thatistoseewhetherwemettheaimsoftheprojectOurinitialapproachtomeasuringimpact(whichwastestedduringthepilotproject)involvedpractitionersestablishingcommon understanding and thus alsquobaselinersquo through the analysis of data and insight abouttheir settings current practices and key issues in relation to the teaching of EnglishliteracyandscienceaswellasissuesoftransitioninrelationtothesesubjectsTheyweresubsequentlyinvitedtoestablishwhattheywantedtoachievebytheendoftheprojectandhowtheymightdosondashspecificallyfollowinganapproachsetoutbyEarleyandPorritt(2013)ndashandlsquostartingwiththeendinmindrsquo(thegoaltheywishedtoachieve)practitionerswereaskedhowtheymightdevelopteachingstrategies(basedonacommonfocusarea)thatmightbeobservedandrefinedviaaprocessoflessonstudytoreachadesiredendpoint(ieonethatwouldtackletheseissues)
GutierrezandPenuel (2014) argue thatpartnershipapproaches to impactmeasurementare also likely to result in more robust and nuanced understandings of the differences aninterventionhashadThistooprovedtobethecaseforthisprojectInparticularitbecameclearthatndashbecausepractitionerswereengagingincross-phaseapproachestopedagogyandsohadtodevelopacommonissueanddecideonatopicsubjectmatterthatencapsulatedtheissuebeingtaughtndashinessencealsquonaturalrsquobaselinedatadidnotexistInotherwordsaskingteachersndashwhoteachatdifferentstagesofthecurriculumandwhoteachdifferentagegroupsindifferentschoolsndashtocollaboraterequiredthemtofindalevelofcommonalitythatordinarilydidnotexistThismeantthatbaselinedatacouldnotbeascertainedinadvanceofthelessonstudybuthadtobeascertainedasadirectresultofthelessonstudyprocessthefirstlessonbecamethebaselineforpractitionerone the second study forpractitioner two and soonThis alsomeant thatbothbaselineandpedagogicapproachesalsonecessarilydevelopedasaresultofcollaborativeactivity that ispractitioner tworsquos approach to teaching the lesson studyclass shouldbenefitfromengaginginthelessonstudyrelatedtopractitioneroneandsoonBaselinesandstartingapproaches to implementing the strategywere thus relative Similarly desired endpoints andimprovementstowardsthesecouldonlybesetandorcomparedinabsolutetermsfromeachpractitionerrsquosstartingposition
Inadditionthismeantthattheimpactprocessmovingforwardnecessarilyhadtoinvolvetwostagesthefirststagebeforelessonstudyactivityinvolvedeachtriadestablishinganissueanddecidingonamutualtopicorlessontoteach(andhowitshouldbetaught)Desiredimpact
12 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
(the future goal to be aimed at) however couldonly be established after each baseline hadbeenestablishedcorrespondinglyaswiththepilotakeyaspectofthemainstagekick-offwasto ensure that themain stage participants discussed (in their lesson study triads) commondifficultiesandissuesinrelationtotheteachingofEnglishliteracyandscienceinthecontextof transition and that they identified areas for improvementTriads then decided upon onefocusarea(atopicbeingtaughtthatencapsulatedtheissue)andtoalsothinkaboutacommonapproachtoteachingthetopicthatmight inrelationtothe issue leadto improvedteachingpracticesandstudentoutcomesWealsoengagedparticipantswithwaysofunderstandingandmeasuringbothbaselineandimpactspecificallyweintroducedthemtoamyriadofhardandsoftdata types (fromstudentoutcomes toobservationsofpractice) andwaysofmeasuringbaselineandimpactsuchasthelsquoLeuvenrsquoscaleParticipantstheneachidentifiedthreecasestudychildrenandcollaborativelyplannedthefirstlessonstudyclassFollowingkick-offforthefirstthreelessonstudyclassesthemainstageparticipantsobservedpracticeandstudentbehavioursaswellascollectingengagingwithotherpupildata
AfurtherworkshopwasheldafterthefirstthreetoenableparticipantstocometogetherandestablishafirmbaselineforthethreepupilsforeachoftheteachersintheirtrioHavingestablished this baseline they then determinedwhat they would like practice to be (ie toestablishtheir ideal)ParticipantsthenspenttheremainderoftheworkshopcollaboratingtofurtherrefinethepedagogicapproachesthatmightgetthemtothisidealThismeantthatlessonstudysessionsfourtoninewerestructuredusingthesixstepsasdiscussedabovewithlessonstudysessionsusedtoascertainwhetherpracticeandoutcomeswereprogressingtowardstheirideal impact goal inorder todecidewhethercorrectivechanges in approachwererequired(Bryket al2011)
A finalworkshopwas then held to enable trios to bring together the endline data forthe project and so establish a firm impact picture specifically in relation to the aimsof theprojectHereprotocolsweredevelopedbytheprojectteamtocapturedatathatemergedfromthelearningconversationsheldwithintheworkshopsSpecificallyproformaswerecreatedtohelpparticipantsrecordtheirresponsestothefollowingquestions(1)Howhasyourpracticechangedasaresultofthisprojectand(2)WhathaveyoulearnedaboutlessonstudyandhowtouseittodevelopteachingpracticeWealsodevelopedaproformatorecordtheperceiveddifferences inpupiloutcomesbetweenthestartandendoftheproject(alongwithevidencefromthetriadastowhytheseassessmentsweremade)
Results
Asoutlinedabovetheaimsoftheprojectweretoachieve
bull morerobustchallengingandinnovativendashbutalsoconsistentndashpedagogicpracticeatnationalcurriculumlevels1ndash8inEnglishandscience
bull sharedteacherconfidenceusingthesepracticesbull improved rates of progress and attainment for lsquovulnerablersquo pupils within each of
years 3ndash8(ages8throughto13)bull agroupofteachersabletouselessonstudyapproachestoimproveclassroompractice
andimpactonstandardsthusbuildingtransferablecapacity
To understand how successfulwe had been in relation to eachof these in the final impactworkshopweworkedwithparticipantstoaddressthefollowingthreequestions
bull Howhasyourpracticechangedasaresultofthisprojectbull Whatimpacthasthischangedpracticehadonpupils
London Review of Education 13
bull What have you learned about lesson study and how to use it to develop teachingpractice
Impact on teacher practice
Webeganthefinalworkshopbyfirstaskingparticipantstoengageinalearningconversationcentred on how their practice had changed as a result of their participation in the projectAll teachers participated in the exercise andused the pro formaoutlined above to indicatewhethertherehadbeenanychangeintheirpracticeWhenanalysingtheresults itwasclearthatresponsesdividednaturallyinto(1)changesinknowledgeunderstandingintermsofhowfocuspupilslearn(2)changesinpracticeand(3)whychangesinpracticearemakingadifferenceExamplesoftheverbatimresponsesaresetoutinTable2whichencapsulatesthemainthemesthatemergedAcommonfocusacrossallgroupswashowtheymightemploylsquotalkforwritingrsquondashaprocesswherechildrenorallyengagewiththelanguagetheyneedforaparticulartopicbeforereadingandanalysingitthenwritingtheirownversionPotentiallythecommonalityofthisfocusderivedfromlsquotalkforwritingrsquobeingahottopicwithinCamdenduringthetimeoftheprojectAsaresultthiscouldbeareasonwhythemajorityofteacherparticipantshadbroadlyfocusedontalkandthebalancewithintheirlessonsbetweentalkingandwritingaswellasontheuseofpairingandgroupinginordertofacilitatethis
Table 2 ExampleresponsestothequestionlsquoHowhasyourpracticechangedasaresultofthisprojectrsquo
Question Responses
Changesinknowledgeunderstandingintermsofhowfocuspupilslearn
bull lsquoHowdifficultitistounderstandscientifictermsandconceptswithoutcontextrsquo
bull lsquoThebenefitsofusingascriptforpeerfeedbackrsquobull lsquoPupilsneedstructuredtalkwithwell-chosenpartnersrsquobull lsquoPupilfindkeywordsdifficulttouseinapieceofwritingeven
iftheyunderstandthemeaningofthewordsitisdifficulttolinkmorescientificwordstogetherrsquo
bull lsquoGroupingcanmakeabigdifferencetolearningrsquosimilarlylsquoPartnersreallymakeadifferencetotheoutcomersquo
Changesinpractice bull Rehearsalofkeynewscientificvocabularybull Useofspeakingandwritingframesbull Makinglessonsmoreoralandgivingmoreoralscaffoldsbull lsquo[Providing]moretimetotalkandthinkaboutwhatthey
wanttowritersquobull lsquoMixingtalkpartnerssochildrenareworkingwithdifferent
partnersrsquo
Whychangesinpracticearemakingadifference
bull Pupilslikespeakingframesaslsquoitgivesthemastartingpointtostructuretheirspeechrsquo
bull lsquoMakingspeechahighpriorityresultsinmuchbetteroutcomesrsquo
bull lsquoSpendingmoretimelearningnewvocabulary[meansthatpupilsarebetterat]unpickingmeaningsandprocessesrsquo
bull Partneringlowerachievingchildreneitherwithhigherachievingormiddleachievingpupilsreallymakesadifferenceasthehigherabilitychildrenchallengepushandstretchthelowerachievers
14 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
Pupil impact
WehavedescribedabovethatinkeepingwiththeDBRunderpinningsoftheprojectparticipantswere able to determinewhat changes theywanted to see in their pupils as a result of theprojectandhowthesemightbemeasuredAssuchavarietyofmetricswereusedtoascertainimpactrangingfromteacherobservationsandmarkingtotheirexpertiseandknowledgeofthechildBecauseparticipantspredominantlychosenottouselsquohardrsquoattainmentdatainordertoexamineimpactacrossallparticipantswehadtofindacommonwayofderivingandpresentingwhatimpactifanyresultedfromtheprojectTodothisweaskedparticipantsworkingintheirtriadstoscoreeachoftheirthreefocuschildren(inrelationtothefocusoraimsoftheirtriadandinrelationtothedatatheyweremeasuring)bothintermsoftheirlsquoperformancersquoatthebeginningoftheprojectandattheendScoresbothatthebeginningandendwereoutoftenandparticipantstriadshadtoprovidesupportingevidenceforselectingtheirscoresAsaresultthisprovidedresearcherswithperceptionsofpupilimpactandreasonsfortheseperceptionsbecauseallpupilimpactperceptionswerescoredinthesamewayhoweverwewerealsoabletonormalizethesescoresbylookingatthepercentagedifferencesinthelsquobeforersquoandlsquoafterrsquoscoresThescoresandrangesofthesedifferencesaresetoutinFigure1whereasTable3providesadistributionofthepercentagescoresAfulltableofresponsesshowingbeforeandafterscoresandreasonsevidencefortheseisprovidedintheAppendix
Figure 1 Pupilsbeforeandafterscoresandpercentagechange
London Review of Education 15
Table 3 Distributionofpercentagechangeinpupilsbeforeandafterscores
Question Number Percentage
Greaterthan100change 3 7
91ndash100change 7 17
81ndash90change 0 0
71ndash80change 4 10
61ndash70change 1 2
51ndash60change 0 0
41ndash50change 6 14
31ndash40change 12 29
21ndash30change 2 5
11ndash20change 1 2
1ndash10change 0 0
Nochange 4 10
Pupilsdroppedout 2 5
Total 42 100
TheblockedareainFigure1representsthestudentperformancescoresatthebeginningoftheprojectwhilethecontinuouslinerepresentstheirscoresatprojectendThedotsmeanwhilerepresentthepercentagedifference(iethechangeinpupilperformancesincethestartoftheproject)Ascanbeseenofthe42focusgrouppupilsforwhomteachersprovideddatateachersreported a change in the behavioursattitudesoutcomes of all but six For some pupils thischangewassubstantiveAssetoutinTable3whichprovidesthedistributionofthesepercentagechangesteacherssuggestthatfortenpupilstheirperformancehadeffectivelydoubledormore(ietherewasa100percent(orgreater)changeintheirscore)Thebiggestsingleimprovementhowevertendedtobebetween30and40percent Inthemainthiswascausedbylsquoaveragersquopupils(scoring5ndash6)nowscoringtwopointshigher(7ndash8)orbyinitiallylowperformingpupilsndashwhooriginallyscored3ndashincreasingtheirperformancescoreto4
Naturallyintheabsenceofhardandobjectiveattainmentdataweneedtobecircumspectin the levelofsignificanceaffordedtowhataresubjectivelydeterminedresultsNonethelesssupportingevidencewasprovidedandthefiguresweretriangulatedwithothermembersofthetriad(whowerethemselvesengagedinprolongedobservationofthesepupils)Inadditionnotallpupilswerereportedashavingbenefitedfromtheproject fourpupils(10percent)werereportedasnotbenefitingatallwhileafurthertwodroppedoutoftheschooltheywereinConsideringLincolnandGubarsquos(1985)criteriaforestablishingthetrustworthinessofsubjectivedatathereforealthoughtheexactchangeinpupilsrsquoperformancescanbedebatedtheresearchteamhaveconfidencethatsomepositiveimpactonpupilshastakenplacendashandthatthisimpactcanbeattributabletotheprojectItshouldalsobenotedthatthisdatarelatestothethreepupils(perclass)representingwidergroupsofinterestsuchasvulnerablechildren(Dudley2011)Intheorythentheimpactoftheprojectshouldstretchbeyondthe42childrenanalysedherebutwedonothavedatatosubstantiatesuchaclaim
16 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
Learning about lesson study
FinallyweaskedparticipantstoanswerthefollowingquestionlsquoWhathaveyoulearnedaboutlessonstudyandhowtouseittodevelopteachingpracticersquoResponsesheredividednaturallyintothebenefitsandchallengesofusinglessonstudyandaresetoutinTable4
Table 4 Benefitsandchallengestousinglesson study (responsetoquestionlsquoWhathaveyoulearnedaboutlesson studyandhowtouseittodevelopteachingpracticersquo)
Question Responses
lsquoWhathaveyoulearnedaboutlessonstudyandhowtouseittodevelopteachingpracticersquo(Benefits)
bull lsquoObservingcolleaguesteachandpickingupideasstrategiessharingpracticeetcinrelationtoprimarytosecondarytransitionsrsquo
bull lsquoSharinggoodpractice[andfacilitateideasgeneration]rsquobull lsquoObservingin[other]schoolsandseeingthedifferencebetween
teachinginprimaryandsecondaryschoolsrsquobull lsquoChancetoseeotherCamdenclassesofthesameagersquobull lsquoIgetabetterunderstandingofhowImightstretchmoreable
year7studentsrsquobull lsquoExposuretootherteachersrsquostylesandpracticesrsquobull lsquoSupportivefeedbackandobservationsfromcolleaguesrsquobull Perspectiveseglsquothatyouwouldnotbeabletopickupabout
yourchildrenrsquoslearningfromthefrontoftheclassrsquoandlsquoafocusonchildrenwhomightslipunderteachersrsquoradarrsquosimilarlylsquohavingothersbeingabletowatchthechildrenhellip[and]noticingsomething[youhadnrsquot]rsquo
bull lsquoBecauseitrsquosplannedcollaborativelyyougettoseeyourworkinactionrsquo
lsquoWhathaveyoulearnedaboutlessonstudyandhowtouseittodevelopteachingpracticersquo(Challenges)
bull TimeeglsquoLotsoftimeoutofschoolrsquobull TimetablinglsquoFindingdatesthataremutuallyconvenientforthe
triorsquobull lsquoIncreasedworkloadinrelationtoplanningpreparingand
hostingthesessionrsquobull lsquoImmediateprogressnot[always]visiblersquobull lsquoNeedsbuy-infromSLTtohavemaximumimpactrsquosimilarly
lsquoLessonstudyislessimportantinsomeschoolsrsquobull lsquo[Thistypeofprocesscannotbeanadd-on]ifitcouldreplace
[currentprogrammeofobservations]wouldbegreatrsquobull lsquoThereisalreadytoomuchtotryandgetthroughinprimaryrsquo
InconsideringthechallengesitcanbeseethatinkeepingwithGero(2015)forlessonstudytobecarriedoutsuccessfullyrequiresthebuy-inandcommitmentofseniorleadersInparticularlessonstudyndashasa formofschool improvementndashneedstobeprioritizedbyschool leadersover other school improvement initiativeswith time and space given to enable teachers tomeaningfullyengageinlessonstudyactivityAswellasthecommentsinTable4thismessageisalsoreinforcedbythefactthatthreeschools(sixteachers)droppedoutafterthefirstlessonstudy citing competing pressures and priorities as well as involvement in too many schoolimprovementinitiativesInpartthisisbecausethebenefitsofengaginginthisapproachwerenotimmediatelyapparent
London Review of Education 17
Significance
From analysing the results it is clear that our approach has been effective in both changingteacherunderstandingandteachingpracticeandbuildingteachercapacitysothatparticipantsareabletoruntheirownprojectsmovingforwardStartingwiththefirstascanbeseeninTable2teacherswereabletoarticulatealogicalchainndashstartingwithwhattheywerelearningabouttheirpupilsthechangestheyweremakinginresponseandendingwithargumentsformakingthesechangesForexampleoneparticipantnotedlsquohowdifficultitis[forpupils]tounderstandscientifictermsandconceptswithoutcontextrsquoasaconsequencetheywerenowrehearsingnewscientificvocabularybecauselsquospendingmoretimelearningnewvocabulary[meansthatpupilsarebetterat]unpickingmeaningsandprocessesrsquoSimilarlyanotherteacherindicatedthatshenowknowsthatlsquopartnersreallymakeadifferencetotheoutcomersquoThiswasbecausethelessonstudyprocesshadhelpedherseethatpartneringlowerachievingchildrenwitheitherhigherachievingormiddleachievingpupilscanleadtothehigherabilitychildrenchallengingpushingandstretchingthelowerachieversAsaresultshewasmuchmoreactivelylsquomixingtalkpartnerssochildrenareworkingwithdifferentpartnersrsquoItseemsclearthereforethatourapproachtolessonstudydevelopedviaaDBRapproachndashwhichactivelypromotesreflectivedialogueviaaprocessof learningconversationsndashhasbeensuccessful inhelpingpractitionersreflectnotonlyonpupillearningbutalsowhatneedstochangeintermsoftheirteachingtofacilitatethislearning
Intermsofcapacitybuildingitisclearthatparticipantssawnotonlythebenefitsofengagingin lesson study but also the challenges that needed to be overcome in order to ensure itseffectiveoperation(Table4)Havingknowledgeof the former(combinedwithexperienceofa number of cycles of lesson study)means that participants now know how best tomakelessonstudyworkforthemInotherwordsbybuildingontheDBRelementoftheprojecttheteachersinvolvedcanensurethatmovingforwardtheytailorhowtheyfocuslessonstudytoachievemaximalbenefitforthemselvesandtheirpupilsLikewiseintermsofrollingouttheirownprogrammeoflessonstudyparticipantswillalsobeawareofthechallengesthatneedtobemetiftheyaretogetmostvaluefromtheprocessTheseincludeinparticulartherequirementtobuy-infromseniorleadersandtheneedforamodelofleadershipwithintheirschoolwhichpromotes the vision for and ensures the fosteringof a cultureof professional developmentbasedoncollaborativepeer-to-peersupport(includingthepromotionofthevaluesrequiredforlearningcommunitiestooperate)Alsokeywillbetheneedforseniorleaderstoprovidethenecessaryresourceandstructures(egtimeandspace)forsustainedandmeaningfullessonstudytobecomeareality(StollandFink1996Leithwoodet al2006)
Ourrevisedapproach tomeasuring impact toohasbeeneffectiveusing teacher-definedmeasuresofimpactprovidesamoreaccuratewayofunderstandingthedifferencethatlessonstudyactivityhasmadeInotherwordsunlikewithattainmentdatandashwhereitwouldbehardtoattributechangesinpupiloutcomesspecificallytolessonstudyactivity(asopposedtootherchangesincontextorintheteachingandlearningenvironment)ndashourapproachenabledteachersto focuson threepupils andhow they responded tovery specificchanges inapproaches topedagogicpracticebasedonanunderstandingandanassessmentofthesepupilsrsquobehavioursandattitudesbothbeforeandaftertheuseofthepracticeImportantlythisimpactdataisalsolsquotriangulatedrsquosincethepractitionerwhoisteachingaswellasthoseobservingmustcometoanagreementastowhathappenedandwhyLikewisethentheoverallperceptionsofimpactscoreswerediscussedandagreeduponintriadsgivingweighttotheirvalidityGiventhisitisencouragingtonotethatmostscoresprovidedsuggest that the lessonstudyapproachdoesimpactpositivelyonpupilbehavioursandattitudestolearningAscanbeseeninTable385per
18 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
centofpupilsbenefitedfromtheirteachersengagingintheprojectwithoverathird(36percent)benefitingbyanincreaseintheirperformancescoreby50percentormore
Summary
FortheHaverstockPrimarytoSecondaryTransitionProjectweemployedaDBRapproachtothedevelopmentand implementationof lessonstudy inordertohelppractitionersexamineandbegintotacklesomeoftheissuesassociatedwithprimarytosecondarytransitionDoingsoenabledtheprojectteamandparticipantstocollaborativelydevelopatheoryofactionfortheprojectwhichenabledustoconsidernotionsoflearningandlearningconversationsaswellasameansofdeliveringlessonstudyinkeepingwiththistheoryofactionAswellasthiswewerealsoabletoestablishawayofmeasuringimpactforsituations(suchaswhenprimaryandsecondaryteachersworkonjointprojects)wherebecausethereisnoday-to-dayinteractionandcollaborationthereisnonaturallyoccurringbaselineandnocommonapproachtopedagogy
InlightoftheaboveweconcludethatusingDBRhasbeenvitalnotonlytothesuccessoftheprojectbutalsotoitslong-termsustainabilityfollowingtheprojectrsquosendHoweverweasresearchershavealsobenefitedfromengaginginDBRforinstancewehavegainedabetterunderstanding of how to engage in lesson study in a cross-phase way In addition the newapproachtomeasuringimpactthatemergedcannowbetriedandtestedinothercontextsascanourrevisedtheoryofactionforandapproachestooperationalizinglessonstudyThatisinkeepingwithAndersonandShattuck(2012)movingforwardwecantakewhatwehavelearnedandcontinuetocollaborativelyanditerativelyrefineourapproachsothatitiseffectiveineachnewcontextweintroduceittothushelpingtoservetoimprovethesystemrsquosoverallcapacityforsustainedchange
Notes on the contributors
ChrisBrown isaSeniorLectureratUCLInstituteofEducationUniversityCollegeLondon(DepartmentforLearningandLeadership) Chrishasextensiveexperienceofleadingarangeoffundedprojectsmanyofwhich seek tohelppractitioners to identify and scaleupbestpractice andwas recently awardedasignificant grant by the Education Endowment Foundation toworkwith over 100 primary schools inEnglandtoincreasetheiruseofresearch
CarolTaylor iscurrentlytheStrategicLeaderforCPDattheLondonCentreforLeadershipinLearningSheworkswithschoolsalliancesandlocalauthoritiesndashboth locallyandnationallyndash insupportingtheprofessionaldevelopmentoftheschoolworkforceCarolrecentlyco-ledtheNationalCollegeTeachingSchools Research and Development project involving over 60 schools across England She is activelyinvolvedinsupportingschoolsacrossLondontoembedpractitionerresearchandenquiryintopractice
LornaPonambalum isascienceteacherandAssistantHeadteacheratHaverstockSchoolCamdenLondonwheresheisalsoDesignatedSafeguardingOfficerLornahasbeeninvolvedinanumberoflessonstudyprojectsincludingtheprojectcoveredinthispaperwhichexaminedapproachestoimproveprimarytosecondarytransition
London Review of Education 19
Appendix Pupiloutcomesatstartandendofprojectwithevidencefromthetriadastowhytheseassessmentsweremade
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
4 Myanalysisoftheirworkbookandmyknowledgeoftheirin-classcontributions
6 Someimprovementswhenthechildismotivated
4 Under-confidentStruggleswhenworkingwithapartner
7 Moreconfidenceofownabilityandrecognizessupportfrompartner
4 AloofIssuesathome 4 Stillstrugglestopayattentionwhenworkinginpairs
5 Struggleswithusingsomeofthekeywords
7 Usesmorekeywordsinherwrittenwork(almostall)Expressingideasinabetterway
4 Struggleswiththekeywords 6 Bettersentencestructureandbetterlinkingofideas
3 Lacksconfidenceinspeakingandwriting
6 MoreconfidenceinverballyansweringquestionsputshandupmoreoftenWritingcanstillbeaproblem
3 NeverraiseshandsRefusedtospeakinpublicNosentencestructure
6 Leftbeforeendofprojectbutwasdemonstratingimprovedvocabularyconfidenceandwrittenwork
4 Notengagedvocabularyandliteraryworkpoor
9 REALLYengagedandimprovementinvocabularyandliterarysentencesimproved
5 Doesnrsquotusevocabularyaccuratelyandnotableintermsofwrittenwork
9 Vocabularyuseismoreaccurateandismuchmoreableintermsofwrittenwork
4 bull Didnotlistenoncarpetortoteachertalk
bull Firstcycleshowssignsofdisengagementinfeedback
bull Writingdifficulttounderstand
7 bull Morefocusedonthetaskonthecarpet
bull Betterqualityofwritingbetterfeedbackascycleprogressed
6 bull Toochattybull Distractedtalkpartnerbull Forgottocheckthroughand
punctuatebull Couldnotpeerassesswell
8 bull Betterlearningbehaviourbull Moreownershipofown
learningandcanselfandpeerassess
6 bull Pronetodistractionbull Unabletofollowaseriesof
instructions
7 bull Handuptoofferideasmorebull Slowlyandcarefullygetson
withataskbull Knowshowtopeerassess
20 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
3 Textsnotproducedwelldistractedanddistractingothers
6 Useofmetalanguagetextsproducedusingappropriategrammar
4 Paucityofideasworknotalwaysmakingsense
7 Takingcontrolofownlearningorganizingideasaboutgrammareffectivelymoreconfidenttostartwritingandproducingcompletetexts
5 Generallackofconfidencedespitebeingahighachiever
7 Textsproducedfullofideasinterviewswithobserversshowconfidencemoreconfidenceinhisideasprovidedheispartneredwithsomeonewhohefindssupportive
5 LackofinvolvementinlessonsPoorwritingandconfusedbymosttasks
7 HavingestablishedthatheappreciatesbeingprobedchallengedbyteachersIdedicatemoretimetoenablinghimtoprocessinformationthroughquestioningHenowoftenstartstasksquickerandtakesmorerisksHeisstillshyanddoesnrsquotusuallyvolunteer
3 Withdrawnndashnevercontributingandoptingoutoftasks
6 TriestasksndashnotalwayswithoutpromptingBeginningtotakerisksandoccasionallyvolunteersideas
7 VerylowconfidenceConsistentlypoorliteracyReluctancetocontributeWrittenworkwaspoorbutreflectedeffortofstudent
9 TriesreallyhardtocompleteworktothebestofherabilityStillrarelycontributesherideas
3 CompletelydisengagedseesnovalueinschoolNotansweringquestionsandtalkingaboutanythingelse
8 Nowfocusesonthefrontputshanduptalksaboutthetopicmostofthetime
6 Easilydistractedwillputhandupbutoftendoesnrsquothaveananswerwhenasked
8 Morefocusedwillstilloftennotlistenoninputbutisabletoasksomeoneelseratherthananadultorjustsittingthere
1 bull Getsoutofseatbull Shoutsoutbull Disturbsothers
na Pupilleftschool
9 Priorattainmentandclassroomobservations
9 Nodifferenceinliteracyattainmentwasconsistent
London Review of Education 21
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
3 Priorattainmentandclassroomobservations
4 Improvedconfidenceincomprehensionandwriting
3 Priorattainmentandclassroomobservations
4 Norealdifferencepossiblyslightlybetteratverbalizing
3 Effortscorelsquo3rsquoinfirstreportLeaningbackonchairnotfocuseddistracted
6 Morefocusmorelikelytoaskforhelpratherthanmisbehave
3 Effortscorelsquo3rsquoinfirstreportDistractingothers
3 NowrarelyinclassndashexclusionabsenceOnoccasionshowsexcellentprogressandcanworkindependently
4 Disengagedonwhole(althoughbaselineobservationswerecarriedoutonalsquogoodrsquoday)Rudenessnottrying
8 ReadingchallengingtextsandlookingupdifficultvocabularyindictionaryFewerdayswhenrefusestowork
3 Severallearningneedsandhashadtroublewithwriting
4 Increasedconfidenceinspellingandwriting(andenthusiasm)ndashespeciallycreativelyContinuestostrugglewithcomprehensionHasmadeprogressaccordingtoassessedwork
5 Asabovealthoughadisparitybetweenqualityandquantityofspokenandwrittenwork
na Haslefttheschool
3 MorewillingtowritethantalkatlengthWritingpoorqualityPoorattentionandbehaviouralissuesasbarrierstolearning
5 HasimprovedappreciablyintermsofspokencontributionstowrittenworkStillpresentsbehaviouralproblemsasmainbarriertoprogressHasmadetwosub-levelsofprogressthisyear(basedonanalysisofclasswork)
6 Readingfictionpooruseofsciencevocab
6 Nothingverydifferent
5 Noattempttousesciencevocab 7 Tryingtousesciencevocab
3 Verypoorengagementwithlargerwrittentasks
7 Betterengagementwithtaskandproductionofhigherlevelworkwithbettervocab
4 Unwillingtodiscusswithinterviewee
5 Writesmoretriestowriteindetailthoughremainsunwillingtoshareideaswritteninclassndashdependentonwork-partner
22 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
4 Willanswerquestionsifverysureofanswer
6 Stillunwillingtoshareideasinclassbutwilluseconnectvocabularyifithasbeenembeddedstronglywithinlesson
4 Notinitiallywillingtoshareknowledgethoughdidcometothefrontofclassandshareideas
6 AbletodiscusswithintervieweeindetailinformationaboutexperimentStillsomewhatunwillingtoshare
5 Hesitanttoshareideasoranswerquestionsunlessspecificallyasked
7 Taskdependent
6 Alwayswillingtoshareideasalthoughnotnecessarilyaccurateformalscientificlanguage
8 Attemptstochoosehiswordswhenansweringquestionswhichisgreateffortfromthisstudent
2 Performancedependingonwhoshepartneredwith
3 Moreefforttotalkingroupshoweverthisisonlyasmallstepstillveryhesitantandseeksreassurancefromothers
3 Quietlyengagedndashlistensbutrarelysharesideas
6 MakingalargerefforttotalkwithinagroupStillhesitanttoshareinfrontofclassunlesssheknowsitrsquosright
6 Veryengagedandwillgenerallytalkandshareideasalthoughnotalwaysusingaccuratelanguage
8 Activelysharingandtalkingideasndashbacksupherstatementsusingreasonscanrejectothersrsquoopinionsandjustifywhy
6 AppearsdisengagedhoweverwithprobingdoesknowtheanswersNotalwaystalkingaboutthesubjectndashdependsonpersonwhoheispartneredwith
9 LovessharingideasconstantlyputtinghandupTriestousescientificlanguagendashnotasengagedinwrittentasks
References
AndersonTandShattuckJ(2012)lsquoDesign-basedresearchAdecadeofprogressineducationresearchrsquoEducational Researcher41(1)16ndash25
ArgyrisCandSchoumlnD(1996)Organizational Learning II Theory method and practice ReadingMAAddison-WesleyPublishingCompany
BrownC andRogers S (2015)lsquoKnowledge creation as an approach to facilitating evidence-informedpracticeExaminingwaystomeasurethesuccessofusingthismethodwithearlyyearspractitionersinCamden(London)rsquoJournal of Educational Change16(1)79ndash99
BrykAGomezL andGrunowA (2011)lsquoGetting ideas intoactionBuildingnetworked improvementcommunitiesineducationrsquoInHallinanM(ed)Frontiers in Sociology of Education Frontiers in Sociology and Social ResearchDordrechtNetherlandsSpringer127ndash62
London Review of Education 23
CamdenCouncil(2016)lsquoCamdenpartnershipforeducationalexcellencersquoOnlinewwwcamdengovukccmcontenteducationschoolscamden-partnership-for-educational-excellenceen(accessed1April2016)
Camden Education Commission (2011) Camden Education Commission Final report London CamdenChildrenrsquosTrustPartnershipBoardandLondonBoroughofCamden
CheungWMandWongWY(2014)lsquoDoeslessonstudyworkAsystematicreviewontheeffectsoflessonstudyandlearningstudyonteachersandstudentsrsquo International Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies3(2)137ndash49
CoburnCPenuelWandGeilK(2013)Research-Practice Partnerships A strategy for leveraging research for educational improvement in school districtsNewYorkWilliamTGrantFoundation
Cohen-Vogel LTichnor-WagnerAAllenD Harrison C Kainz K SocolAR andWangQ (2015)lsquoImplementingeducationalinnovationsatscaleTransformingresearchersintocontinuousimprovementscientistsrsquoEducational Policy29(1)257ndash77
Department for Children Schools and Families (DCSF) (2008) The National Strategies Strengthening transfers and transitions Partnerships for progressOnlinehttpderaioeacuk74641str_tt_prtnshp_prgrss08308pdf(requiressubscriptionaccessed5September2013)
DepartmentforEducation(2011)How do Pupils Progress During Key Stages 2 and 3ResearchreportDFE-RR096 Online wwwgovukgovernmentuploadssystemuploadsattachment_datafile182413DFE-RR096pdf(accessed1April2013)
Dudley P (2011) lsquoLesson study development in England From school networks to national policyrsquoInternational Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies1(1)85ndash100
ndashndash (2014) Lesson Study A handbook Online httplessonstudycoukwp-contentuploads201401new-handbook-early-years-edition2014-versionpdf(accessed21July2014)
EarleyPandPorrittV(2013)lsquoEvaluatingtheimpactofprofessionaldevelopmentTheneedforastudent-focusedapproachrsquoProfessional Development in Education40(1)112ndash29doi101080194152572013798741
EvangelouMTaggartBSylvaKMelhuishESammonsPandSiraj-BlatchfordI(2008)What Makes a Successful Transition from Primary to Secondary School NottinghamDCSF
FieldingMBraggSCraigJCunninghamIErautMGillinsonSHorneMRobinsonCandThorpJ(2005)lsquoFactorsinfluencingthetransferofgoodpracticersquoOnlinehttpderaioeacuk210011RR615pdf(accessed21July2014)
GaltonMGrayJandRudduckJ(1999)The Impact of School Transitions and Transfers on Pupil Progress and Attainment NottinghamDepartmentforEducationandEmployment
GeroG(2015)lsquoTheprospectsoflessonstudyintheUSTeachersupportandcomfortwithinadistrictcultureofcontrolrsquoInternational Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies4(1)7ndash25
GutierrezKandPenuelW(2014)lsquoRelevancetopracticeasacriterionforrigorrsquoEducational Researcher43(1)19ndash23
LeithwoodKDayCSammonsPHarrisAandHopkinsD(2006) Successful School Leadership What it is and how it influences student learning Researchreport800 LondonDepartmentforEducationandSkills
LewisC(2000)lsquoLessonstudyThecoreof JapaneseprofessionaldevelopmentrsquoPaperpresentedatTheAnnualMeetingoftheAmericanEducationalResearchAssociationNewOrleansLA24ndash8April2000
LincolnYandGubaE(1985)Naturalistic InquiryNewburyParkCASagePublicationsLondonBoroughofCamden(2012)Camden Education Commission Final reportOnlinehttpdemocracy
camdengovukdocumentss16322Camden20Education20Commission20Final20Reportpdf(accessed1April2013)
McGeeCWardRGibbons J andHarlowA (2004)Transition to Secondary School A literature reviewHamiltonNewZealandTheUniversityofWaikato
PenuelW FishmanBHauganC and SabelliN (2011)lsquoOrganizing research anddevelopment at theintersectionoflearningimplementationanddesignrsquoEducational Researcher40(7)331ndash7
PenuelWSunMFrankKandGallagherA(2012)UsingsocialnetworkanalysistostudyhowinteractionscanaugmentteacherlearningfromexternalprofessionaldevelopmentrsquoAmerican Journal of Education119(1)103ndash36
Shepherd J andRokerD (2005)lsquoAn evaluation of aldquotransition to secondary schoolrdquo project run bytheNationalPyramidTrustrsquoOnline wwwyoungpeopleinfocusorguk_assetsphpreportphpfile=37(accessed4September2013)
StollL(2012) lsquoStimulatinglearningconversationsrsquoProfessional Development Today14(4)6ndash12
24 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
StollLandBrownC(2015)lsquoMiddleleadersascatalystsforevidence-informedchangersquoInBrownC(ed)Leading the Use of Research and Evidence in SchoolsLondonIOEPress
StollLandFinkD(1996)Changing Our SchoolsBuckinghamOpenUniversityPressTree J(2011)lsquoWhathelpsstudentswithchallengingbehaviourmakeasuccessfultransfertosecondary
schoolrsquoDEdPsydissUniversityCollegeLondonInstituteofEducationTschannen-MoranM(2004)Trust Matters Leadership for successful schoolsSanFranciscoCAJossey-BassVanderlinde R and van Braak J (2010)lsquoThe gap between educational research and practiceViews of
teachers school leaders intermediariesandresearchersrsquoBritish Educational Research Journal36 (2)299ndash316
Related articles published in the London Review of Education
In this issue
ThispaperwaspublishedinaspecialfeatureoneducationinLondoneditedbyTamjidMujtabaTheotherarticlesinthefeatureareasfollows(linksunavailableattimeofpublication)
Cajic-SeigneurMandHodgsonA(2016)lsquoAlternativeeducationalprovision inanareaofdeprivation inLondonrsquoLondon Review of Education14(2)25ndash37
JerrimJandWynessG(2106)lsquoBenchmarkingLondoninthePISArankingsrsquoLondon Review of Education14(2)38ndash65
MujtabaT(2016)EditoriallsquoEducationinLondonChallengesandopportunitiesforyoungpeoplersquoLondon Review of Education14(2)1ndash3
MujtabaT and Reiss M (2016)lsquoGirls in the UK have similar reasons to boys for intending to studymathematics post-16 thanks to the support and encouragement they receiversquo London Review of Education14(2)66ndash82
StandishAHawleyT andWillyT (2016)lsquoThe LondonGeographyAlliance Re-connecting the schoolsubjectwiththeuniversitydisciplinersquoLondon Review of Education14(2)83ndash103
WrightP(2016)lsquoSocialjusticeinthemathematicsclassroomrsquoLondon Review of Education14(2)104ndash18
By the same authors
BrownC(2013)lsquoCritiqueandcomplexityPresentingamoreeffectivewaytoconceptualisetheknowledgeadoptionprocessrsquoLondon Review of Education11(1)32ndash45
BrownCandRogersS(2014)lsquoMeasuringtheeffectivenessofknowledgecreationasameansoffacilitatingevicence-informedpracticeinearlyyearssettingsinoneLondonboroughrsquoLondon Review of Education12(3)245ndash60
Elsewhere in the journal
LevinB(2011)lsquoMobilisingresearchknowledgeineducationrsquoLondon Review of Education9(1)15ndash26OakleyA(2003)lsquoResearchevidenceknowledgemanagementandeducationalpracticeEarlylessonsfrom
asystematicapproachrsquoLondon Review of Education1(1)21ndash33WatkinsC(2005)lsquoClassroomsaslearningcommunitiesAreviewofresearchrsquoLondon Review of Education
3(1)47ndash64
London Review of Education 5
andanunderstandingofthegoalstobereachedResultsofthisresearchprovideinitialdataontheimpactoftheDBR-ledlessonstudyapproachaswellasthebenefitsgenerallyofapplyingDBRmethodswhenattemptingtoconnectresearchtopractice
Design-based research
DBRisanapproachspecificallydevelopedasameanstoconnecteducationalresearchtopractice(Penuelet al2011Coburnet al2013)ForexampleVanderlindeandvanBraak(2010)notethattheexplicitaimofDBRapproachesshouldbetolsquoclosetheresearchndashpracticegaprsquoThetheoryofactionunderpinningDBR is thatbetter linksbetweenresearchandpracticeshouldresultinimprovedteachingandlearningoutcomesThisisexpressedforexamplebyAndersonandShattuck(201216)whoindescribingDBRsuggestthatitisanapproachlsquodesignedbyandforeducatorsthatseekstoincreasetheimpacttransferandtranslationofeducationresearchintoimprovedpracticersquoAndersonandShattuckgoontosuggestanumberofattributesspecifictoDBRinparticularisthatitlsquostressestheneedfortheorybuildingandthedevelopmentofdesignprinciplesthatguideinformandimprovebothpracticeandresearchineducationalcontextsrsquoFurtherimportantdefinitionalattributesare(ibid16ndash17)
bull DBRmustbesituatedinarealeducationalcontextbull DBRshouldfocusonthedesignandtestingofasignificantinterventionbull DBR involves iterativerefinementof that intervention to improve itsoperationand
buildonironoutpastmistakesbull DBRmustinvolveacollaborativepartnershipbetweenresearchersandpractitionersbull the process of DBR leads to the development of design principles reflecting the
conditionswithinwhichtheinterventionoperates
VitallyDBRrepresentsashiftfromthetraditionalperspectiveofresearchandpracticebeingtwodistinctactivitieswiththeformerbeingabletounambiguouslyinfluencethelatter(VanderlindeandvanBraak2010)towardsthesimultaneousbuildingandstudyofsolutionsAsCoburnet al(20138)suggestlsquo[DBRhas]twogoalsofequalimportancehellipdevelopmaterialsandinstructionalapproachesthatcanbeimplementedinclassroomsschoolsanddistrictsAtthesametimehelliptoadvanceresearchandtheory[inrelationtohowsuchinitiativescanbeimplemented]rsquo
Lesson study
LessonstudyhasbeendescribedasalsquoteachingimprovementprocessrsquoIthasitsoriginsinJapaneseelementaryeducationwhereitisawidelyusedprofessionaldevelopmentpractice(Dudley2014CheungandWong2014)Asaprocess lessonstudyinvolvesteacherscollaboratingnormallyingroupsof three toprogresscyclesof iterativepracticedevelopmentSuchcycles typicallyinvolvethefollowingsteps(1)adiscussionofstudent learninggoalsandthe identificationofa teaching strategy thatmightmeet these (2) planning an actual classroom lesson (called alsquoresearchlessonrsquo)thatemploysthisstrategy(3)observinghowthelessonworksinpracticeand(4)discussingandembeddingrevisionstoenableimprovement(Lewis2000)Inadditionthreepupilswhorepresentwidergroupsofinterestareobservedandtheirprogressmonitoredascasestudiesoftheimpactoftheapproach(Dudley2011)IntheJapanesemodelteachersalsoreportonndashandoftenholdpublicdemonstrationsofndashthelessonsothatotherteacherscanbenefitfromtheirlearning(ibidDudley2014)andit isnotedbyLewis(2000)thatJapaneseteacherscreditresearchlessonsasthekeytoindividualschoolwideandnationalimprovementsinteaching
6 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
While in lessonstudyteacherstakeanactiveroleaslsquoresearchersrsquotoexploreandrefinelessons (CheungandWong2014)Lessonstudy itself canbeconsidereda formof JPD thatis a process that comprises practitioners developingways ofworking through collaborativeengagementthatasaresultleadstotheopeningandsharingofpracticeswithothers(Fieldinget al 2005)And although lesson studydoeshave a numberof distinctive characteristics itsunderpinningmechanismaswithotherJPDapproachesinvolvesaprocessviewedaseffectivebecause it is trulymutual rather thanone-waywith thepracticeconcernedbeing improvedrather than simply moved from one person or place to another (ibid Dudley 2011)Thisunderpinningapproachalsoservesasthemaincritiqueoflessonstudyhoweverthatisintryingtoengageinlessonstudybusyandunder-pressureteacherscanoftenstrugglewiththedemandsof collaboration Likewise unless in trusting environments it can be off-putting for teachersknowingthattheirlessonsandteachingwillobservedandcritiqued(egseeTschannen-Moran2004Gero2015)Aswenotelaterthiscritiquewassubstantiatedinthisstudy
Issues associated with childrenrsquos transition from primary to secondary school
Thetransition fromprimarytosecondaryschool isan importantevent inthe livesofpupilsandtheirfamilies(Evangelouet al2008)theygofrombeingtheoldesttotheyoungestintheirschoolmovearoundforlessonshaveamyriadofteachersinsteadofoneandstarttobegivenincreasedamountsofhomework(ShepherdandRoker2005)Althoughthemajorityofpupilsattheendoftheirprimaryschoolingfeelpreparedfortheirmovetosecondaryschoolandthree-quartersarehappyafteraterm(eg84percentof550pupilssurveyedattheendoftheirfirsttermatsecondaryschoolbyEvangelouet al2008)thereisnonethelessageneraldeclineintheacademicachievementofpupilsfollowingthischange(Galtonet al1999McGeeet al 2004Evangelouet al2008)
Proposedreasons for thishiatus include theargument that for somepupils thisperiodcanbestressfulandthatinadditionmorevulnerablepupilswillneedeffectivesupportpriortotransition(McGeeet al 2004)Galtonet al(199922)suggestthatvulnerablegroupsincludelsquothoseonfreeschoolmealspupilswithspecialeducationalneedspupilswhowerelessfluentinEnglishandpupilsfromsomeethnicgroups(whichonesdependedontheparticularsubjectbeingassessed)rsquoTree(2011)addstothislistthosewhodisplaychallengingbehaviourItisalsoarguedthatpupilsrsquoacademicprogressfaltersfollowingtransitionbecauselsquomanyschoolsarestillputtingtheirenergyandmoneyintoeffortstosmooththetransferprocessratherthanensuringthatpupilsrsquo commitment to learning is sustainedand theirprogressenhancedrsquo (Galtonet al19996)AsaresultofthesedivergentargumentsanabundanceofrecommendationsmaybefoundintheextantliteraturetohelpsmooththeprocessoftransitionTheseinclude
bull Transitionsareattheirstrongestwhenlsquothesocialemotionalcurricularandpedagogicalaspectsoflearningaremanagedinordertoenablepupilstoremainengagedwithandhavecontroloftheirlearningrsquo(DCSF20085alsoseeMcGeeet al 2004Evangelouet al2008)
bull Thereisaneedtoensurecurriculumandpedagogiccontinuityattransfer(Galtonet al1999)Suchcontinuityserves tomaintainpupilsrsquo interest in learningallowsthemtoprogressintheirlearningandsohelpsthemavoidtheinternationallyobservedlearninghiatusthatseemstoaccompanytransition(McGeeet al 2004Evangelouet al2008)
London Review of Education 7
Setting and context
TheCamdenPartnershipforEducationalExcellence(CPEE)wassetupinApril2012withthevision tomake the LondonBoroughofCamden lsquothe best borough for educationrsquo (CamdenCouncil2016)The CPEEaimhasbeentodriveforwardtherecommendationsoftheCamdenEducation Commission (London Borough of Camden 2012) which highlighted key issuesand opportunities forCamden schools in the light of the changes to the English educationlandscape In 2013 theCPEE board invited schools colleges partners and stakeholders tobidforfundsfromapound2millionpotsetuptosupport innovativeprojectscentredonraisingachievement and attainment and in particular to findways of improving outcomes for theboroughrsquosmostvulnerablegroupsofstudentsAkeyrequirementoftheCPEErsquosbidcallwasthatschoolimprovementprojectsshouldbebasedonthelessonstudyapproachThisfollowedtheappointmenttotheCamdenLocalAuthorityCPEEboardofastaunchlessonstudyadvocatewhohadbeeninvolvedintheprocessforanumberofyearsbothintheUKandabroad(seeDudley2014)
AkeyfindingfromtheCamdenEducationCommissionrsquosfinalreportwasthatparticularlyforvulnerablestudentslsquotransitionarrangements[withinCamden]atpresentarenotconsistentlygoodenoughrsquo(20115)correspondinglyitarguedthatenhancingtheseshouldbeacentralfocusofimprovementeffortsmovingforwardInparticularitsuggestedthatthereshouldbeabetterunderstandingbetweenyear6andyear7teachers(teachersofstudentsaged11ndash12)of thepedagogyandpracticeofteachingandlearningineachotherrsquosinstitutionswhichwouldassistthembothinpreparingstudentsforsuccessandinsupportingstudentstoflourishintheirnewenvironments(201136)InresponsetothereportandtheinvitationbytheCPEEboardfororganizationstobidforfundingforprojectscolleaguesfromHaverstockSchool(Camden)andtheInstituteofEducationUniversityCollegeLondon(IOE)teameduptodevelopaprojectthatmightservetoaddresssomeofthecommissionrsquosconcernsinrelationtotransition
OurfirststepwastoundertakeareviewoftheinternationalliteratureontheissueofprimarytosecondarytransitionSeekingoutliteratureempiricalstudiesandmeta-analysesrelatingtoschoolsystemsbroadlysimilar tothatofEnglandandWales (eg theUSACanadaAustraliaNewZealand etc) involved the use of databases (JSTOR ERICWeb of Knowledge BritishEducationIndex)theIOElibrary(includingdoctoralandmasterrsquostheses)andrecommendationsonseminalliteratureprovidedbycolleaguesOverallthisresultedinatotalof21studiesbeingreviewed
FollowingthereviewweconnectedkeythemesandfindingsemergingfromtheliteraturetopreviousinitiativescarriedoutinCamden(throughconsultationwithCPEEstaffaswellaswithheadteachersandteachersfromschoolswithintheborough)CorrespondinglywedecidedtocentreourproposedbidtoCPEEontheneedforpedagogiccontinuity(Galtonet al1999McGeeet al 2004Evangelouet al2008)InotherwordssinceourdiscussionsindicatedthatthesocialandemotionalaspectsoftransitionseemedalreadywellcateredforwedecidedtoconcentrateonanareathatwasrecognizedasimportantbutintermsoftheCamdencontextwhererelativelylittleefforthadyetbeenplacedThatisfromourdiscussionswithstakeholdersitwassuggested that thegreatest impacton transitionmightemerge fromthedevelopmentofcommonapproachestoteachingEnglishandscience(prioritysubjectareasdeterminedbyCPEE)
Asaresult theHaverstockPrimarytoSecondaryTransitionProjectwasconceivedwiththepurposeofbringingtogetherprimaryandsecondaryteachersfromtheLondonBoroughof Camden in order that they might employ lesson study to develop effective cross-phasepedagogicalapproachesstrategiestoteaching Englishliteracyandscienceinordertosupportthetransitionofyear5toyear8 studentsInparticulartheprojectfocusedonthoselsquovulnerablersquo
8 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
studentsmostatriskintermsoftheirprogresspost-transitionHereweconsiderlsquovulnerabilityrsquoascontingentonpupilsrsquoabilitytomakeasuccessfulacademicsocialandemotionaltransitionfromyear6toyear7InparticularwefocusonpupilsentitledtofreeschoolmealsandwhiteBritishstudents(closingthegapforwhiteworking-classstudentsisahighprioritybothwithinCamdenLocalAuthorityandwithintheEnglishcontext)Wealsosoughttoincludemoreablepupilsnotfulfillingtheirpotential
JointlydirectedbycolleaguesfromHaverstockSchoolandtheIOEthespecificaimsoftheprojectweretoimprovestudentandteacheroutcomesinrelationto
bull more robust challenging and innovative ndash but also consistent ndash pedagogic practiceatnationalcurriculum levels1ndash8 inEnglishandscience (levelsrepresenthowpupilsprogressinrelationtoEnglandrsquosnationalcurriculumDepartmentforEducation2011)inyears567and8(ages10throughto13)
bull sharedteacherconfidenceusingthesepracticesintheirsubjectinEnglishandsciencefromlevels1to8
bull improved rates of progress and attainment for lsquovulnerablersquo pupils within each ofyears 3ndash8(ages8throughto13)
bull agroupofteachersabletouselessonstudyapproachestoimproveclassroompracticeandimpactonstandardsthusbuildingtransferablecapacity
Theprojectcomprisedapilotandmainphasewiththelatterinvolving18practitionersfromnineschoolsengagedinninelessonstudysessionsthroughoutthecourseoftheacademicyearandthreeworkshopsFurtherdetailsontheparticipantsaresetoutinTable1(anditshouldbe noted that individually noneof the participants hadworked together before)Adetailedoverviewofwhateachworkshopcomprisedissetoutinthefollowingsections
Table 1 Participantcharacteristics
Primary teachers
Secondary teachers
Total
FocusingonEnglish 5 4 9
Focusingonscience 7 2 9
Total 12 6 18
Methods
A DBR approach to lesson study
PrimaryandsecondaryschoolshavetheirownparticularwaysofworkingandwhenconsideringtheteachingofindividualsubjectssuchasEnglishorsciencethesearenotnecessarilywellsuitedtofosteringcross-phasecollaborationForinstanceprimaryteacherswillteachallsubjectstoonecohortofpupils foranentireyear IncontrastsecondaryschoolteacherswillspecializebysubjectareaandsowillteachthatonesubjecttoanumberofdifferentclassesInadditionusinglessonstudyisanewphenomenoninEnglishschoolsandusingitinacross-phaseway(totackleissuesoftransition)israretonon-existentBearinginmindtheparticularwaysofworkingofeachphasendashandthatneithertheresearchersnorpractitionersinvolvedintheprojecthadengagedinlessonstudyactivitybeforendashitwasdecidedthatapilotphaseoffivemonthswithasmallgroupofschoolsberuntoallowresearchersandpractitionerstocollaborateintrialling
London Review of Education 9
theapproachandascertaininghowitmightbestbemadefit forpractice inotherwords toenableaDBRapproachtothedevelopmentandimplementationofthelessonstudymodelforthisprojectCorrespondinglyinkeepingwithAndersonandShattuck(2012)theprojectteam(ieparticipatingteachersfromtheseschoolstheAssistantHeadprojectleadfromHaverstockSchoolandresearchersandfacilitatorsfromtheIOE)soughtasacollaborativepartnershiptodesign testandrefinecross-phase lessonstudy inarealeducationalcontextwithaviewtomeetingtheprojectrsquosaimandestablishingabasisforitsfutureroll-out
Developing a theory of action for lesson study
AkeyaspectofemployingaDBRapproachwas theestablishmentofa theoryofaction forlesson study that is to determinewhich aspects of lesson studywere an integral part of alogicalchainleadingtoimprovedstudentoutcomesandwhichweremoreopentocontextualmanipulation(ArgyrisandSchoumln1996)AmutuallydevelopedtheoryofactionhasbeenshowntohavesignificantlypositiveimpactsontheeffectivenessofinterventionstheyrelatetoandsoisavitalaspectofDBRAsnotedaboveitisarguedthatasaformofJPDlessonstudyinvolvescollaborativeengagementthatservestoopenupandsharepractices(Cohen-Vogelet al2015)Assuchthedevelopmentofourtheoryofactionforlessonstudycentredonhowadultscanlearnfromandbuilduponthebestpracticeoftheirpeersthroughinteraction
Inordertofacilitatethetypeofinteractivelearningweenvisagedweturnedtotheliteratureonprofessional learningcommunities Inparticularwe lookedat thenatureandstructureofthelsquolearningconversationsrsquothattakeplaceaspartofprofessionallearningcommunityactivityDescribedaslsquotheway thateducatorsmakemeaning togetherand jointlycomeupwithnewinsightsandknowledgethat leadto intentionalchangetoenhancetheirpracticeandstudentlearningrsquo (Stoll 2012 6) learning conversations comprise considered thoughtful (rather thansuperficial)discussionandchallenge focusedonmattersof teachingpracticewhichconsiderevidenceofactualandpotential formsofpracticeandwhichareundertakenwithaviewtodevelopingbothimprovedpracticeandasaresultoutcomesforstudents
Movingdeeper into this area Stoll (20126ndash11) suggests that the following features arecharacteristicofhigh-qualitylearningconversationsbetweenadults(1)afocusonevidenceandideas(includingbothexistingandeffectivepracticewithintheschoolnetwork)andalsopotentialinnovations and transformations (eg creativeways to engage learners and extend learning)(2)experienceandexternalknowledgetheorytostimulatereflectionchallengethestatusquoandextendthinking(3)theuseofprotocolsandtoolstoframelearningconversationsmoreclearlyandguidelinesthathelpparticipantsstructuretheirdialogueandinterrogateevidenceorideasand(4)facilitationtoelicitandsupportintellectualexchangeaswellasmaintainingopendialogue
Operationalizing lesson study
These fourelements plus the four stepsoutlinedearlier thus formed thebasis forhowweinitiallysoughttostructureandoperationalizelessonstudyactivityAsaresultitwasdecidedbytheprojectteamthatthepilotphaseshouldcommencewithaone-dayfacilitatedworkshopin which practitioners held data-informed discussions about the key issues their vulnerablestudentsfacedinrelationtoEnglishliteracyandsciencePriortotheworkshoptheAssistantHeadprojectleadfromHaverstockSchoolandresearchersandfacilitatorsfromtheIOEspentadaydevelopingprotocolsandtools to facilitate learningconversationsandplanningactivitywithintheworkshop(basedonapproachesusedbyStollegseeStollandBrown2015)Using
10 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
theseparticipantsworkedthroughaseriesofactivitiesdesignedtohelpthemdecideupononefocusarea(atopicbeingtaughtthatencapsulatedtheissue)andtoalsothinkaboutacommonapproachtoteachingthetopicinrelationtotheconceptthattriadscouldadoptimplementanditerativelyimproveFollowingthisparticipantswereaskedtoidentifythreestudentswithineachschoolwhorepresentedthefocus(vulnerable)studentsandtothencollaborativelyplanthefirstresearchlessonthatwouldbetaughtobserved
Inkeepingwith thenotion that it is expertisewith respect to a given intervention thatenablespractitionerstotailorinterventionstotheirspecificsituationandthatthedevelopmentofexpertiseinvolvesbothaspectsofeffectivelearningandsustainedskillrefinement(iepractice)(seeBryket al2011Penuelet al2012BrownandRogers2015)thepilotphasetheninvolvedthreefulllessonstudydaysTheseinvolvedpractitioners
(1) revisitingthepurposeofthelessonandthefocusareathatitlinkedto(2) beingtalkedthrough(bytheteacherwhowasteachingbeingobserved)eachphaseof
thelessonandwhatitsaimsandgoalswere(3) observinghowthelessonworkedinpractice(withafocusonthecasechildren)(4) interviewingthecasechildrenfortheirperspectivesontheissues(5) undergoingafacilitateddiscussiontoevaluatethelessonbasedonobservationsand
datacollection(6) buildingonwhathadhappened(iecollaborativelyestablishinglsquohowtorsquo)andplanning
forthenextlessonstudyresearchclass
Againbeforethefirst lessonstudydaytheprojectteamspentadaytogethercollaborativelydevelopingprotocolstoolsandanoutlineforthedaytofacilitatethelessonstudyprocessThelessonstudyactivitywasalsoobservedbytheprojectteaminordertogiveusanunderstandingofhowitwasbeingenacted
Collaboratively reviewing and improving lesson study activity
ThroughoutthepilotphasetimeandspacewerecreatedtoenableresearchersandpractitionerstodeliberateanddiscusswhateachhadlearnedandtheirexperiencesinrelationtolessonstudyThroughthisdialogicprocesswewereabletoconstructcommonunderstandingandmeaningwithregardtobothaspectsoftheprocessandintermsoftheuseoftoolsandprotocolstofacilitatetheprocessAsaresultwewerethenabletounderstandwhichaspectsoftheapproachwere successful inhelpingparticipantsdevelop theirpracticeand improveoutcomes for themostvulnerableandwhichappearedtoprovidelimitedvalueInotherwordsasGutierrezandPenuel (201420)suggestlsquo[s]tudying theldquosocial lifeof interventionsrdquo [helpedus]moveawayfromimagininginterventionsasfixedpackagesofstrategieswithreadilymeasurableoutcomesandtowardsmoreopen-endedsocialorsociallyembeddedexperimentsthatinvolveongoing[ieiterative]mutualengagementrsquoToensurethelearningfromthepilotphasewascarriedoverintothemainprojectattheendofthethreelessonstudydaysaone-dayworkshopwasheldsothatthemainphasecouldbecollaborativelydevelopedAspectshereincludedthegroupingandsequencingoflessonstudydaysthroughouttheyear(bearinginmindthedistinctwaysofworkingthateachphaseofschoolinghas)thenature(runningorder)ofeachlessonstudydaythenatureofthetoolsandprotocolstobeemployedaspartofeachmainphaselessonstudysessionandhowimpactshouldbeconceivedofandmeasured(seebelow)
Whatwasalsoviewedas importantbybothparticipantsandtheprojectteamhoweverwasthataswescaledtheprojectupfrompilottomainphasethedialogicprocessthatenabledustounderstandanditerativelyimprovetheoperationoflessonstudycouldcontinueatscale
London Review of Education 11
PerhapsoneofthemainissuesoftheDBRapproachascurrentlyconceivedisthatit isveryresearcher intensive in other words it requires researchers working intensively with smallnumbersofpractitionersWewerethusconcernedwithfindingwaysofexamininghowtheDBRapproachcouldhaveimpactformaximalnumbersofteachersToovercomethispractitionersand researchers jointly agreed on the need for distributed ownership ifDBR at scale is anunmanageabletaskforresearchersalonethenresearcherscannotbetheonlyactorsinvolvedincreatingmeaningndashpractitionersexperiencedinthedeliberativeprocessshouldalsobeabletomovebeyondtheirtraditionalrolesandengage inthiswaytoo(Coburnet al2013)Thisagreeduponapproachtocapacitybuildingthereforemeantthatwewereabletousetheoriginalpilotgroupmembersaspractitioner-researcherswhocouldformnewtriadsandengagewithpractitionersinvolvedintheprojectrsquosmainstageThisfreeduptimefortheresearcherstoworkwithothergroupsoflsquomainstagersquopractitionersndashandbothsetsofresearcherscouldthenmeetperiodically to considerongoing improvements and changes thatneeded tobemade to thelessonstudymethodology
A DBR approach to measuring impact
Vitaltounderstandingtheeffectivenessofourapproachwasameaningfulwaytoassessimpact(Bryket al2011)thatistoseewhetherwemettheaimsoftheprojectOurinitialapproachtomeasuringimpact(whichwastestedduringthepilotproject)involvedpractitionersestablishingcommon understanding and thus alsquobaselinersquo through the analysis of data and insight abouttheir settings current practices and key issues in relation to the teaching of EnglishliteracyandscienceaswellasissuesoftransitioninrelationtothesesubjectsTheyweresubsequentlyinvitedtoestablishwhattheywantedtoachievebytheendoftheprojectandhowtheymightdosondashspecificallyfollowinganapproachsetoutbyEarleyandPorritt(2013)ndashandlsquostartingwiththeendinmindrsquo(thegoaltheywishedtoachieve)practitionerswereaskedhowtheymightdevelopteachingstrategies(basedonacommonfocusarea)thatmightbeobservedandrefinedviaaprocessoflessonstudytoreachadesiredendpoint(ieonethatwouldtackletheseissues)
GutierrezandPenuel (2014) argue thatpartnershipapproaches to impactmeasurementare also likely to result in more robust and nuanced understandings of the differences aninterventionhashadThistooprovedtobethecaseforthisprojectInparticularitbecameclearthatndashbecausepractitionerswereengagingincross-phaseapproachestopedagogyandsohadtodevelopacommonissueanddecideonatopicsubjectmatterthatencapsulatedtheissuebeingtaughtndashinessencealsquonaturalrsquobaselinedatadidnotexistInotherwordsaskingteachersndashwhoteachatdifferentstagesofthecurriculumandwhoteachdifferentagegroupsindifferentschoolsndashtocollaboraterequiredthemtofindalevelofcommonalitythatordinarilydidnotexistThismeantthatbaselinedatacouldnotbeascertainedinadvanceofthelessonstudybuthadtobeascertainedasadirectresultofthelessonstudyprocessthefirstlessonbecamethebaselineforpractitionerone the second study forpractitioner two and soonThis alsomeant thatbothbaselineandpedagogicapproachesalsonecessarilydevelopedasaresultofcollaborativeactivity that ispractitioner tworsquos approach to teaching the lesson studyclass shouldbenefitfromengaginginthelessonstudyrelatedtopractitioneroneandsoonBaselinesandstartingapproaches to implementing the strategywere thus relative Similarly desired endpoints andimprovementstowardsthesecouldonlybesetandorcomparedinabsolutetermsfromeachpractitionerrsquosstartingposition
Inadditionthismeantthattheimpactprocessmovingforwardnecessarilyhadtoinvolvetwostagesthefirststagebeforelessonstudyactivityinvolvedeachtriadestablishinganissueanddecidingonamutualtopicorlessontoteach(andhowitshouldbetaught)Desiredimpact
12 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
(the future goal to be aimed at) however couldonly be established after each baseline hadbeenestablishedcorrespondinglyaswiththepilotakeyaspectofthemainstagekick-offwasto ensure that themain stage participants discussed (in their lesson study triads) commondifficultiesandissuesinrelationtotheteachingofEnglishliteracyandscienceinthecontextof transition and that they identified areas for improvementTriads then decided upon onefocusarea(atopicbeingtaughtthatencapsulatedtheissue)andtoalsothinkaboutacommonapproachtoteachingthetopicthatmight inrelationtothe issue leadto improvedteachingpracticesandstudentoutcomesWealsoengagedparticipantswithwaysofunderstandingandmeasuringbothbaselineandimpactspecificallyweintroducedthemtoamyriadofhardandsoftdata types (fromstudentoutcomes toobservationsofpractice) andwaysofmeasuringbaselineandimpactsuchasthelsquoLeuvenrsquoscaleParticipantstheneachidentifiedthreecasestudychildrenandcollaborativelyplannedthefirstlessonstudyclassFollowingkick-offforthefirstthreelessonstudyclassesthemainstageparticipantsobservedpracticeandstudentbehavioursaswellascollectingengagingwithotherpupildata
AfurtherworkshopwasheldafterthefirstthreetoenableparticipantstocometogetherandestablishafirmbaselineforthethreepupilsforeachoftheteachersintheirtrioHavingestablished this baseline they then determinedwhat they would like practice to be (ie toestablishtheir ideal)ParticipantsthenspenttheremainderoftheworkshopcollaboratingtofurtherrefinethepedagogicapproachesthatmightgetthemtothisidealThismeantthatlessonstudysessionsfourtoninewerestructuredusingthesixstepsasdiscussedabovewithlessonstudysessionsusedtoascertainwhetherpracticeandoutcomeswereprogressingtowardstheirideal impact goal inorder todecidewhethercorrectivechanges in approachwererequired(Bryket al2011)
A finalworkshopwas then held to enable trios to bring together the endline data forthe project and so establish a firm impact picture specifically in relation to the aimsof theprojectHereprotocolsweredevelopedbytheprojectteamtocapturedatathatemergedfromthelearningconversationsheldwithintheworkshopsSpecificallyproformaswerecreatedtohelpparticipantsrecordtheirresponsestothefollowingquestions(1)Howhasyourpracticechangedasaresultofthisprojectand(2)WhathaveyoulearnedaboutlessonstudyandhowtouseittodevelopteachingpracticeWealsodevelopedaproformatorecordtheperceiveddifferences inpupiloutcomesbetweenthestartandendoftheproject(alongwithevidencefromthetriadastowhytheseassessmentsweremade)
Results
Asoutlinedabovetheaimsoftheprojectweretoachieve
bull morerobustchallengingandinnovativendashbutalsoconsistentndashpedagogicpracticeatnationalcurriculumlevels1ndash8inEnglishandscience
bull sharedteacherconfidenceusingthesepracticesbull improved rates of progress and attainment for lsquovulnerablersquo pupils within each of
years 3ndash8(ages8throughto13)bull agroupofteachersabletouselessonstudyapproachestoimproveclassroompractice
andimpactonstandardsthusbuildingtransferablecapacity
To understand how successfulwe had been in relation to eachof these in the final impactworkshopweworkedwithparticipantstoaddressthefollowingthreequestions
bull Howhasyourpracticechangedasaresultofthisprojectbull Whatimpacthasthischangedpracticehadonpupils
London Review of Education 13
bull What have you learned about lesson study and how to use it to develop teachingpractice
Impact on teacher practice
Webeganthefinalworkshopbyfirstaskingparticipantstoengageinalearningconversationcentred on how their practice had changed as a result of their participation in the projectAll teachers participated in the exercise andused the pro formaoutlined above to indicatewhethertherehadbeenanychangeintheirpracticeWhenanalysingtheresults itwasclearthatresponsesdividednaturallyinto(1)changesinknowledgeunderstandingintermsofhowfocuspupilslearn(2)changesinpracticeand(3)whychangesinpracticearemakingadifferenceExamplesoftheverbatimresponsesaresetoutinTable2whichencapsulatesthemainthemesthatemergedAcommonfocusacrossallgroupswashowtheymightemploylsquotalkforwritingrsquondashaprocesswherechildrenorallyengagewiththelanguagetheyneedforaparticulartopicbeforereadingandanalysingitthenwritingtheirownversionPotentiallythecommonalityofthisfocusderivedfromlsquotalkforwritingrsquobeingahottopicwithinCamdenduringthetimeoftheprojectAsaresultthiscouldbeareasonwhythemajorityofteacherparticipantshadbroadlyfocusedontalkandthebalancewithintheirlessonsbetweentalkingandwritingaswellasontheuseofpairingandgroupinginordertofacilitatethis
Table 2 ExampleresponsestothequestionlsquoHowhasyourpracticechangedasaresultofthisprojectrsquo
Question Responses
Changesinknowledgeunderstandingintermsofhowfocuspupilslearn
bull lsquoHowdifficultitistounderstandscientifictermsandconceptswithoutcontextrsquo
bull lsquoThebenefitsofusingascriptforpeerfeedbackrsquobull lsquoPupilsneedstructuredtalkwithwell-chosenpartnersrsquobull lsquoPupilfindkeywordsdifficulttouseinapieceofwritingeven
iftheyunderstandthemeaningofthewordsitisdifficulttolinkmorescientificwordstogetherrsquo
bull lsquoGroupingcanmakeabigdifferencetolearningrsquosimilarlylsquoPartnersreallymakeadifferencetotheoutcomersquo
Changesinpractice bull Rehearsalofkeynewscientificvocabularybull Useofspeakingandwritingframesbull Makinglessonsmoreoralandgivingmoreoralscaffoldsbull lsquo[Providing]moretimetotalkandthinkaboutwhatthey
wanttowritersquobull lsquoMixingtalkpartnerssochildrenareworkingwithdifferent
partnersrsquo
Whychangesinpracticearemakingadifference
bull Pupilslikespeakingframesaslsquoitgivesthemastartingpointtostructuretheirspeechrsquo
bull lsquoMakingspeechahighpriorityresultsinmuchbetteroutcomesrsquo
bull lsquoSpendingmoretimelearningnewvocabulary[meansthatpupilsarebetterat]unpickingmeaningsandprocessesrsquo
bull Partneringlowerachievingchildreneitherwithhigherachievingormiddleachievingpupilsreallymakesadifferenceasthehigherabilitychildrenchallengepushandstretchthelowerachievers
14 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
Pupil impact
WehavedescribedabovethatinkeepingwiththeDBRunderpinningsoftheprojectparticipantswere able to determinewhat changes theywanted to see in their pupils as a result of theprojectandhowthesemightbemeasuredAssuchavarietyofmetricswereusedtoascertainimpactrangingfromteacherobservationsandmarkingtotheirexpertiseandknowledgeofthechildBecauseparticipantspredominantlychosenottouselsquohardrsquoattainmentdatainordertoexamineimpactacrossallparticipantswehadtofindacommonwayofderivingandpresentingwhatimpactifanyresultedfromtheprojectTodothisweaskedparticipantsworkingintheirtriadstoscoreeachoftheirthreefocuschildren(inrelationtothefocusoraimsoftheirtriadandinrelationtothedatatheyweremeasuring)bothintermsoftheirlsquoperformancersquoatthebeginningoftheprojectandattheendScoresbothatthebeginningandendwereoutoftenandparticipantstriadshadtoprovidesupportingevidenceforselectingtheirscoresAsaresultthisprovidedresearcherswithperceptionsofpupilimpactandreasonsfortheseperceptionsbecauseallpupilimpactperceptionswerescoredinthesamewayhoweverwewerealsoabletonormalizethesescoresbylookingatthepercentagedifferencesinthelsquobeforersquoandlsquoafterrsquoscoresThescoresandrangesofthesedifferencesaresetoutinFigure1whereasTable3providesadistributionofthepercentagescoresAfulltableofresponsesshowingbeforeandafterscoresandreasonsevidencefortheseisprovidedintheAppendix
Figure 1 Pupilsbeforeandafterscoresandpercentagechange
London Review of Education 15
Table 3 Distributionofpercentagechangeinpupilsbeforeandafterscores
Question Number Percentage
Greaterthan100change 3 7
91ndash100change 7 17
81ndash90change 0 0
71ndash80change 4 10
61ndash70change 1 2
51ndash60change 0 0
41ndash50change 6 14
31ndash40change 12 29
21ndash30change 2 5
11ndash20change 1 2
1ndash10change 0 0
Nochange 4 10
Pupilsdroppedout 2 5
Total 42 100
TheblockedareainFigure1representsthestudentperformancescoresatthebeginningoftheprojectwhilethecontinuouslinerepresentstheirscoresatprojectendThedotsmeanwhilerepresentthepercentagedifference(iethechangeinpupilperformancesincethestartoftheproject)Ascanbeseenofthe42focusgrouppupilsforwhomteachersprovideddatateachersreported a change in the behavioursattitudesoutcomes of all but six For some pupils thischangewassubstantiveAssetoutinTable3whichprovidesthedistributionofthesepercentagechangesteacherssuggestthatfortenpupilstheirperformancehadeffectivelydoubledormore(ietherewasa100percent(orgreater)changeintheirscore)Thebiggestsingleimprovementhowevertendedtobebetween30and40percent Inthemainthiswascausedbylsquoaveragersquopupils(scoring5ndash6)nowscoringtwopointshigher(7ndash8)orbyinitiallylowperformingpupilsndashwhooriginallyscored3ndashincreasingtheirperformancescoreto4
Naturallyintheabsenceofhardandobjectiveattainmentdataweneedtobecircumspectin the levelofsignificanceaffordedtowhataresubjectivelydeterminedresultsNonethelesssupportingevidencewasprovidedandthefiguresweretriangulatedwithothermembersofthetriad(whowerethemselvesengagedinprolongedobservationofthesepupils)Inadditionnotallpupilswerereportedashavingbenefitedfromtheproject fourpupils(10percent)werereportedasnotbenefitingatallwhileafurthertwodroppedoutoftheschooltheywereinConsideringLincolnandGubarsquos(1985)criteriaforestablishingthetrustworthinessofsubjectivedatathereforealthoughtheexactchangeinpupilsrsquoperformancescanbedebatedtheresearchteamhaveconfidencethatsomepositiveimpactonpupilshastakenplacendashandthatthisimpactcanbeattributabletotheprojectItshouldalsobenotedthatthisdatarelatestothethreepupils(perclass)representingwidergroupsofinterestsuchasvulnerablechildren(Dudley2011)Intheorythentheimpactoftheprojectshouldstretchbeyondthe42childrenanalysedherebutwedonothavedatatosubstantiatesuchaclaim
16 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
Learning about lesson study
FinallyweaskedparticipantstoanswerthefollowingquestionlsquoWhathaveyoulearnedaboutlessonstudyandhowtouseittodevelopteachingpracticersquoResponsesheredividednaturallyintothebenefitsandchallengesofusinglessonstudyandaresetoutinTable4
Table 4 Benefitsandchallengestousinglesson study (responsetoquestionlsquoWhathaveyoulearnedaboutlesson studyandhowtouseittodevelopteachingpracticersquo)
Question Responses
lsquoWhathaveyoulearnedaboutlessonstudyandhowtouseittodevelopteachingpracticersquo(Benefits)
bull lsquoObservingcolleaguesteachandpickingupideasstrategiessharingpracticeetcinrelationtoprimarytosecondarytransitionsrsquo
bull lsquoSharinggoodpractice[andfacilitateideasgeneration]rsquobull lsquoObservingin[other]schoolsandseeingthedifferencebetween
teachinginprimaryandsecondaryschoolsrsquobull lsquoChancetoseeotherCamdenclassesofthesameagersquobull lsquoIgetabetterunderstandingofhowImightstretchmoreable
year7studentsrsquobull lsquoExposuretootherteachersrsquostylesandpracticesrsquobull lsquoSupportivefeedbackandobservationsfromcolleaguesrsquobull Perspectiveseglsquothatyouwouldnotbeabletopickupabout
yourchildrenrsquoslearningfromthefrontoftheclassrsquoandlsquoafocusonchildrenwhomightslipunderteachersrsquoradarrsquosimilarlylsquohavingothersbeingabletowatchthechildrenhellip[and]noticingsomething[youhadnrsquot]rsquo
bull lsquoBecauseitrsquosplannedcollaborativelyyougettoseeyourworkinactionrsquo
lsquoWhathaveyoulearnedaboutlessonstudyandhowtouseittodevelopteachingpracticersquo(Challenges)
bull TimeeglsquoLotsoftimeoutofschoolrsquobull TimetablinglsquoFindingdatesthataremutuallyconvenientforthe
triorsquobull lsquoIncreasedworkloadinrelationtoplanningpreparingand
hostingthesessionrsquobull lsquoImmediateprogressnot[always]visiblersquobull lsquoNeedsbuy-infromSLTtohavemaximumimpactrsquosimilarly
lsquoLessonstudyislessimportantinsomeschoolsrsquobull lsquo[Thistypeofprocesscannotbeanadd-on]ifitcouldreplace
[currentprogrammeofobservations]wouldbegreatrsquobull lsquoThereisalreadytoomuchtotryandgetthroughinprimaryrsquo
InconsideringthechallengesitcanbeseethatinkeepingwithGero(2015)forlessonstudytobecarriedoutsuccessfullyrequiresthebuy-inandcommitmentofseniorleadersInparticularlessonstudyndashasa formofschool improvementndashneedstobeprioritizedbyschool leadersover other school improvement initiativeswith time and space given to enable teachers tomeaningfullyengageinlessonstudyactivityAswellasthecommentsinTable4thismessageisalsoreinforcedbythefactthatthreeschools(sixteachers)droppedoutafterthefirstlessonstudy citing competing pressures and priorities as well as involvement in too many schoolimprovementinitiativesInpartthisisbecausethebenefitsofengaginginthisapproachwerenotimmediatelyapparent
London Review of Education 17
Significance
From analysing the results it is clear that our approach has been effective in both changingteacherunderstandingandteachingpracticeandbuildingteachercapacitysothatparticipantsareabletoruntheirownprojectsmovingforwardStartingwiththefirstascanbeseeninTable2teacherswereabletoarticulatealogicalchainndashstartingwithwhattheywerelearningabouttheirpupilsthechangestheyweremakinginresponseandendingwithargumentsformakingthesechangesForexampleoneparticipantnotedlsquohowdifficultitis[forpupils]tounderstandscientifictermsandconceptswithoutcontextrsquoasaconsequencetheywerenowrehearsingnewscientificvocabularybecauselsquospendingmoretimelearningnewvocabulary[meansthatpupilsarebetterat]unpickingmeaningsandprocessesrsquoSimilarlyanotherteacherindicatedthatshenowknowsthatlsquopartnersreallymakeadifferencetotheoutcomersquoThiswasbecausethelessonstudyprocesshadhelpedherseethatpartneringlowerachievingchildrenwitheitherhigherachievingormiddleachievingpupilscanleadtothehigherabilitychildrenchallengingpushingandstretchingthelowerachieversAsaresultshewasmuchmoreactivelylsquomixingtalkpartnerssochildrenareworkingwithdifferentpartnersrsquoItseemsclearthereforethatourapproachtolessonstudydevelopedviaaDBRapproachndashwhichactivelypromotesreflectivedialogueviaaprocessof learningconversationsndashhasbeensuccessful inhelpingpractitionersreflectnotonlyonpupillearningbutalsowhatneedstochangeintermsoftheirteachingtofacilitatethislearning
Intermsofcapacitybuildingitisclearthatparticipantssawnotonlythebenefitsofengagingin lesson study but also the challenges that needed to be overcome in order to ensure itseffectiveoperation(Table4)Havingknowledgeof the former(combinedwithexperienceofa number of cycles of lesson study)means that participants now know how best tomakelessonstudyworkforthemInotherwordsbybuildingontheDBRelementoftheprojecttheteachersinvolvedcanensurethatmovingforwardtheytailorhowtheyfocuslessonstudytoachievemaximalbenefitforthemselvesandtheirpupilsLikewiseintermsofrollingouttheirownprogrammeoflessonstudyparticipantswillalsobeawareofthechallengesthatneedtobemetiftheyaretogetmostvaluefromtheprocessTheseincludeinparticulartherequirementtobuy-infromseniorleadersandtheneedforamodelofleadershipwithintheirschoolwhichpromotes the vision for and ensures the fosteringof a cultureof professional developmentbasedoncollaborativepeer-to-peersupport(includingthepromotionofthevaluesrequiredforlearningcommunitiestooperate)Alsokeywillbetheneedforseniorleaderstoprovidethenecessaryresourceandstructures(egtimeandspace)forsustainedandmeaningfullessonstudytobecomeareality(StollandFink1996Leithwoodet al2006)
Ourrevisedapproach tomeasuring impact toohasbeeneffectiveusing teacher-definedmeasuresofimpactprovidesamoreaccuratewayofunderstandingthedifferencethatlessonstudyactivityhasmadeInotherwordsunlikewithattainmentdatandashwhereitwouldbehardtoattributechangesinpupiloutcomesspecificallytolessonstudyactivity(asopposedtootherchangesincontextorintheteachingandlearningenvironment)ndashourapproachenabledteachersto focuson threepupils andhow they responded tovery specificchanges inapproaches topedagogicpracticebasedonanunderstandingandanassessmentofthesepupilsrsquobehavioursandattitudesbothbeforeandaftertheuseofthepracticeImportantlythisimpactdataisalsolsquotriangulatedrsquosincethepractitionerwhoisteachingaswellasthoseobservingmustcometoanagreementastowhathappenedandwhyLikewisethentheoverallperceptionsofimpactscoreswerediscussedandagreeduponintriadsgivingweighttotheirvalidityGiventhisitisencouragingtonotethatmostscoresprovidedsuggest that the lessonstudyapproachdoesimpactpositivelyonpupilbehavioursandattitudestolearningAscanbeseeninTable385per
18 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
centofpupilsbenefitedfromtheirteachersengagingintheprojectwithoverathird(36percent)benefitingbyanincreaseintheirperformancescoreby50percentormore
Summary
FortheHaverstockPrimarytoSecondaryTransitionProjectweemployedaDBRapproachtothedevelopmentand implementationof lessonstudy inordertohelppractitionersexamineandbegintotacklesomeoftheissuesassociatedwithprimarytosecondarytransitionDoingsoenabledtheprojectteamandparticipantstocollaborativelydevelopatheoryofactionfortheprojectwhichenabledustoconsidernotionsoflearningandlearningconversationsaswellasameansofdeliveringlessonstudyinkeepingwiththistheoryofactionAswellasthiswewerealsoabletoestablishawayofmeasuringimpactforsituations(suchaswhenprimaryandsecondaryteachersworkonjointprojects)wherebecausethereisnoday-to-dayinteractionandcollaborationthereisnonaturallyoccurringbaselineandnocommonapproachtopedagogy
InlightoftheaboveweconcludethatusingDBRhasbeenvitalnotonlytothesuccessoftheprojectbutalsotoitslong-termsustainabilityfollowingtheprojectrsquosendHoweverweasresearchershavealsobenefitedfromengaginginDBRforinstancewehavegainedabetterunderstanding of how to engage in lesson study in a cross-phase way In addition the newapproachtomeasuringimpactthatemergedcannowbetriedandtestedinothercontextsascanourrevisedtheoryofactionforandapproachestooperationalizinglessonstudyThatisinkeepingwithAndersonandShattuck(2012)movingforwardwecantakewhatwehavelearnedandcontinuetocollaborativelyanditerativelyrefineourapproachsothatitiseffectiveineachnewcontextweintroduceittothushelpingtoservetoimprovethesystemrsquosoverallcapacityforsustainedchange
Notes on the contributors
ChrisBrown isaSeniorLectureratUCLInstituteofEducationUniversityCollegeLondon(DepartmentforLearningandLeadership) Chrishasextensiveexperienceofleadingarangeoffundedprojectsmanyofwhich seek tohelppractitioners to identify and scaleupbestpractice andwas recently awardedasignificant grant by the Education Endowment Foundation toworkwith over 100 primary schools inEnglandtoincreasetheiruseofresearch
CarolTaylor iscurrentlytheStrategicLeaderforCPDattheLondonCentreforLeadershipinLearningSheworkswithschoolsalliancesandlocalauthoritiesndashboth locallyandnationallyndash insupportingtheprofessionaldevelopmentoftheschoolworkforceCarolrecentlyco-ledtheNationalCollegeTeachingSchools Research and Development project involving over 60 schools across England She is activelyinvolvedinsupportingschoolsacrossLondontoembedpractitionerresearchandenquiryintopractice
LornaPonambalum isascienceteacherandAssistantHeadteacheratHaverstockSchoolCamdenLondonwheresheisalsoDesignatedSafeguardingOfficerLornahasbeeninvolvedinanumberoflessonstudyprojectsincludingtheprojectcoveredinthispaperwhichexaminedapproachestoimproveprimarytosecondarytransition
London Review of Education 19
Appendix Pupiloutcomesatstartandendofprojectwithevidencefromthetriadastowhytheseassessmentsweremade
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
4 Myanalysisoftheirworkbookandmyknowledgeoftheirin-classcontributions
6 Someimprovementswhenthechildismotivated
4 Under-confidentStruggleswhenworkingwithapartner
7 Moreconfidenceofownabilityandrecognizessupportfrompartner
4 AloofIssuesathome 4 Stillstrugglestopayattentionwhenworkinginpairs
5 Struggleswithusingsomeofthekeywords
7 Usesmorekeywordsinherwrittenwork(almostall)Expressingideasinabetterway
4 Struggleswiththekeywords 6 Bettersentencestructureandbetterlinkingofideas
3 Lacksconfidenceinspeakingandwriting
6 MoreconfidenceinverballyansweringquestionsputshandupmoreoftenWritingcanstillbeaproblem
3 NeverraiseshandsRefusedtospeakinpublicNosentencestructure
6 Leftbeforeendofprojectbutwasdemonstratingimprovedvocabularyconfidenceandwrittenwork
4 Notengagedvocabularyandliteraryworkpoor
9 REALLYengagedandimprovementinvocabularyandliterarysentencesimproved
5 Doesnrsquotusevocabularyaccuratelyandnotableintermsofwrittenwork
9 Vocabularyuseismoreaccurateandismuchmoreableintermsofwrittenwork
4 bull Didnotlistenoncarpetortoteachertalk
bull Firstcycleshowssignsofdisengagementinfeedback
bull Writingdifficulttounderstand
7 bull Morefocusedonthetaskonthecarpet
bull Betterqualityofwritingbetterfeedbackascycleprogressed
6 bull Toochattybull Distractedtalkpartnerbull Forgottocheckthroughand
punctuatebull Couldnotpeerassesswell
8 bull Betterlearningbehaviourbull Moreownershipofown
learningandcanselfandpeerassess
6 bull Pronetodistractionbull Unabletofollowaseriesof
instructions
7 bull Handuptoofferideasmorebull Slowlyandcarefullygetson
withataskbull Knowshowtopeerassess
20 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
3 Textsnotproducedwelldistractedanddistractingothers
6 Useofmetalanguagetextsproducedusingappropriategrammar
4 Paucityofideasworknotalwaysmakingsense
7 Takingcontrolofownlearningorganizingideasaboutgrammareffectivelymoreconfidenttostartwritingandproducingcompletetexts
5 Generallackofconfidencedespitebeingahighachiever
7 Textsproducedfullofideasinterviewswithobserversshowconfidencemoreconfidenceinhisideasprovidedheispartneredwithsomeonewhohefindssupportive
5 LackofinvolvementinlessonsPoorwritingandconfusedbymosttasks
7 HavingestablishedthatheappreciatesbeingprobedchallengedbyteachersIdedicatemoretimetoenablinghimtoprocessinformationthroughquestioningHenowoftenstartstasksquickerandtakesmorerisksHeisstillshyanddoesnrsquotusuallyvolunteer
3 Withdrawnndashnevercontributingandoptingoutoftasks
6 TriestasksndashnotalwayswithoutpromptingBeginningtotakerisksandoccasionallyvolunteersideas
7 VerylowconfidenceConsistentlypoorliteracyReluctancetocontributeWrittenworkwaspoorbutreflectedeffortofstudent
9 TriesreallyhardtocompleteworktothebestofherabilityStillrarelycontributesherideas
3 CompletelydisengagedseesnovalueinschoolNotansweringquestionsandtalkingaboutanythingelse
8 Nowfocusesonthefrontputshanduptalksaboutthetopicmostofthetime
6 Easilydistractedwillputhandupbutoftendoesnrsquothaveananswerwhenasked
8 Morefocusedwillstilloftennotlistenoninputbutisabletoasksomeoneelseratherthananadultorjustsittingthere
1 bull Getsoutofseatbull Shoutsoutbull Disturbsothers
na Pupilleftschool
9 Priorattainmentandclassroomobservations
9 Nodifferenceinliteracyattainmentwasconsistent
London Review of Education 21
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
3 Priorattainmentandclassroomobservations
4 Improvedconfidenceincomprehensionandwriting
3 Priorattainmentandclassroomobservations
4 Norealdifferencepossiblyslightlybetteratverbalizing
3 Effortscorelsquo3rsquoinfirstreportLeaningbackonchairnotfocuseddistracted
6 Morefocusmorelikelytoaskforhelpratherthanmisbehave
3 Effortscorelsquo3rsquoinfirstreportDistractingothers
3 NowrarelyinclassndashexclusionabsenceOnoccasionshowsexcellentprogressandcanworkindependently
4 Disengagedonwhole(althoughbaselineobservationswerecarriedoutonalsquogoodrsquoday)Rudenessnottrying
8 ReadingchallengingtextsandlookingupdifficultvocabularyindictionaryFewerdayswhenrefusestowork
3 Severallearningneedsandhashadtroublewithwriting
4 Increasedconfidenceinspellingandwriting(andenthusiasm)ndashespeciallycreativelyContinuestostrugglewithcomprehensionHasmadeprogressaccordingtoassessedwork
5 Asabovealthoughadisparitybetweenqualityandquantityofspokenandwrittenwork
na Haslefttheschool
3 MorewillingtowritethantalkatlengthWritingpoorqualityPoorattentionandbehaviouralissuesasbarrierstolearning
5 HasimprovedappreciablyintermsofspokencontributionstowrittenworkStillpresentsbehaviouralproblemsasmainbarriertoprogressHasmadetwosub-levelsofprogressthisyear(basedonanalysisofclasswork)
6 Readingfictionpooruseofsciencevocab
6 Nothingverydifferent
5 Noattempttousesciencevocab 7 Tryingtousesciencevocab
3 Verypoorengagementwithlargerwrittentasks
7 Betterengagementwithtaskandproductionofhigherlevelworkwithbettervocab
4 Unwillingtodiscusswithinterviewee
5 Writesmoretriestowriteindetailthoughremainsunwillingtoshareideaswritteninclassndashdependentonwork-partner
22 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
4 Willanswerquestionsifverysureofanswer
6 Stillunwillingtoshareideasinclassbutwilluseconnectvocabularyifithasbeenembeddedstronglywithinlesson
4 Notinitiallywillingtoshareknowledgethoughdidcometothefrontofclassandshareideas
6 AbletodiscusswithintervieweeindetailinformationaboutexperimentStillsomewhatunwillingtoshare
5 Hesitanttoshareideasoranswerquestionsunlessspecificallyasked
7 Taskdependent
6 Alwayswillingtoshareideasalthoughnotnecessarilyaccurateformalscientificlanguage
8 Attemptstochoosehiswordswhenansweringquestionswhichisgreateffortfromthisstudent
2 Performancedependingonwhoshepartneredwith
3 Moreefforttotalkingroupshoweverthisisonlyasmallstepstillveryhesitantandseeksreassurancefromothers
3 Quietlyengagedndashlistensbutrarelysharesideas
6 MakingalargerefforttotalkwithinagroupStillhesitanttoshareinfrontofclassunlesssheknowsitrsquosright
6 Veryengagedandwillgenerallytalkandshareideasalthoughnotalwaysusingaccuratelanguage
8 Activelysharingandtalkingideasndashbacksupherstatementsusingreasonscanrejectothersrsquoopinionsandjustifywhy
6 AppearsdisengagedhoweverwithprobingdoesknowtheanswersNotalwaystalkingaboutthesubjectndashdependsonpersonwhoheispartneredwith
9 LovessharingideasconstantlyputtinghandupTriestousescientificlanguagendashnotasengagedinwrittentasks
References
AndersonTandShattuckJ(2012)lsquoDesign-basedresearchAdecadeofprogressineducationresearchrsquoEducational Researcher41(1)16ndash25
ArgyrisCandSchoumlnD(1996)Organizational Learning II Theory method and practice ReadingMAAddison-WesleyPublishingCompany
BrownC andRogers S (2015)lsquoKnowledge creation as an approach to facilitating evidence-informedpracticeExaminingwaystomeasurethesuccessofusingthismethodwithearlyyearspractitionersinCamden(London)rsquoJournal of Educational Change16(1)79ndash99
BrykAGomezL andGrunowA (2011)lsquoGetting ideas intoactionBuildingnetworked improvementcommunitiesineducationrsquoInHallinanM(ed)Frontiers in Sociology of Education Frontiers in Sociology and Social ResearchDordrechtNetherlandsSpringer127ndash62
London Review of Education 23
CamdenCouncil(2016)lsquoCamdenpartnershipforeducationalexcellencersquoOnlinewwwcamdengovukccmcontenteducationschoolscamden-partnership-for-educational-excellenceen(accessed1April2016)
Camden Education Commission (2011) Camden Education Commission Final report London CamdenChildrenrsquosTrustPartnershipBoardandLondonBoroughofCamden
CheungWMandWongWY(2014)lsquoDoeslessonstudyworkAsystematicreviewontheeffectsoflessonstudyandlearningstudyonteachersandstudentsrsquo International Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies3(2)137ndash49
CoburnCPenuelWandGeilK(2013)Research-Practice Partnerships A strategy for leveraging research for educational improvement in school districtsNewYorkWilliamTGrantFoundation
Cohen-Vogel LTichnor-WagnerAAllenD Harrison C Kainz K SocolAR andWangQ (2015)lsquoImplementingeducationalinnovationsatscaleTransformingresearchersintocontinuousimprovementscientistsrsquoEducational Policy29(1)257ndash77
Department for Children Schools and Families (DCSF) (2008) The National Strategies Strengthening transfers and transitions Partnerships for progressOnlinehttpderaioeacuk74641str_tt_prtnshp_prgrss08308pdf(requiressubscriptionaccessed5September2013)
DepartmentforEducation(2011)How do Pupils Progress During Key Stages 2 and 3ResearchreportDFE-RR096 Online wwwgovukgovernmentuploadssystemuploadsattachment_datafile182413DFE-RR096pdf(accessed1April2013)
Dudley P (2011) lsquoLesson study development in England From school networks to national policyrsquoInternational Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies1(1)85ndash100
ndashndash (2014) Lesson Study A handbook Online httplessonstudycoukwp-contentuploads201401new-handbook-early-years-edition2014-versionpdf(accessed21July2014)
EarleyPandPorrittV(2013)lsquoEvaluatingtheimpactofprofessionaldevelopmentTheneedforastudent-focusedapproachrsquoProfessional Development in Education40(1)112ndash29doi101080194152572013798741
EvangelouMTaggartBSylvaKMelhuishESammonsPandSiraj-BlatchfordI(2008)What Makes a Successful Transition from Primary to Secondary School NottinghamDCSF
FieldingMBraggSCraigJCunninghamIErautMGillinsonSHorneMRobinsonCandThorpJ(2005)lsquoFactorsinfluencingthetransferofgoodpracticersquoOnlinehttpderaioeacuk210011RR615pdf(accessed21July2014)
GaltonMGrayJandRudduckJ(1999)The Impact of School Transitions and Transfers on Pupil Progress and Attainment NottinghamDepartmentforEducationandEmployment
GeroG(2015)lsquoTheprospectsoflessonstudyintheUSTeachersupportandcomfortwithinadistrictcultureofcontrolrsquoInternational Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies4(1)7ndash25
GutierrezKandPenuelW(2014)lsquoRelevancetopracticeasacriterionforrigorrsquoEducational Researcher43(1)19ndash23
LeithwoodKDayCSammonsPHarrisAandHopkinsD(2006) Successful School Leadership What it is and how it influences student learning Researchreport800 LondonDepartmentforEducationandSkills
LewisC(2000)lsquoLessonstudyThecoreof JapaneseprofessionaldevelopmentrsquoPaperpresentedatTheAnnualMeetingoftheAmericanEducationalResearchAssociationNewOrleansLA24ndash8April2000
LincolnYandGubaE(1985)Naturalistic InquiryNewburyParkCASagePublicationsLondonBoroughofCamden(2012)Camden Education Commission Final reportOnlinehttpdemocracy
camdengovukdocumentss16322Camden20Education20Commission20Final20Reportpdf(accessed1April2013)
McGeeCWardRGibbons J andHarlowA (2004)Transition to Secondary School A literature reviewHamiltonNewZealandTheUniversityofWaikato
PenuelW FishmanBHauganC and SabelliN (2011)lsquoOrganizing research anddevelopment at theintersectionoflearningimplementationanddesignrsquoEducational Researcher40(7)331ndash7
PenuelWSunMFrankKandGallagherA(2012)UsingsocialnetworkanalysistostudyhowinteractionscanaugmentteacherlearningfromexternalprofessionaldevelopmentrsquoAmerican Journal of Education119(1)103ndash36
Shepherd J andRokerD (2005)lsquoAn evaluation of aldquotransition to secondary schoolrdquo project run bytheNationalPyramidTrustrsquoOnline wwwyoungpeopleinfocusorguk_assetsphpreportphpfile=37(accessed4September2013)
StollL(2012) lsquoStimulatinglearningconversationsrsquoProfessional Development Today14(4)6ndash12
24 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
StollLandBrownC(2015)lsquoMiddleleadersascatalystsforevidence-informedchangersquoInBrownC(ed)Leading the Use of Research and Evidence in SchoolsLondonIOEPress
StollLandFinkD(1996)Changing Our SchoolsBuckinghamOpenUniversityPressTree J(2011)lsquoWhathelpsstudentswithchallengingbehaviourmakeasuccessfultransfertosecondary
schoolrsquoDEdPsydissUniversityCollegeLondonInstituteofEducationTschannen-MoranM(2004)Trust Matters Leadership for successful schoolsSanFranciscoCAJossey-BassVanderlinde R and van Braak J (2010)lsquoThe gap between educational research and practiceViews of
teachers school leaders intermediariesandresearchersrsquoBritish Educational Research Journal36 (2)299ndash316
Related articles published in the London Review of Education
In this issue
ThispaperwaspublishedinaspecialfeatureoneducationinLondoneditedbyTamjidMujtabaTheotherarticlesinthefeatureareasfollows(linksunavailableattimeofpublication)
Cajic-SeigneurMandHodgsonA(2016)lsquoAlternativeeducationalprovision inanareaofdeprivation inLondonrsquoLondon Review of Education14(2)25ndash37
JerrimJandWynessG(2106)lsquoBenchmarkingLondoninthePISArankingsrsquoLondon Review of Education14(2)38ndash65
MujtabaT(2016)EditoriallsquoEducationinLondonChallengesandopportunitiesforyoungpeoplersquoLondon Review of Education14(2)1ndash3
MujtabaT and Reiss M (2016)lsquoGirls in the UK have similar reasons to boys for intending to studymathematics post-16 thanks to the support and encouragement they receiversquo London Review of Education14(2)66ndash82
StandishAHawleyT andWillyT (2016)lsquoThe LondonGeographyAlliance Re-connecting the schoolsubjectwiththeuniversitydisciplinersquoLondon Review of Education14(2)83ndash103
WrightP(2016)lsquoSocialjusticeinthemathematicsclassroomrsquoLondon Review of Education14(2)104ndash18
By the same authors
BrownC(2013)lsquoCritiqueandcomplexityPresentingamoreeffectivewaytoconceptualisetheknowledgeadoptionprocessrsquoLondon Review of Education11(1)32ndash45
BrownCandRogersS(2014)lsquoMeasuringtheeffectivenessofknowledgecreationasameansoffacilitatingevicence-informedpracticeinearlyyearssettingsinoneLondonboroughrsquoLondon Review of Education12(3)245ndash60
Elsewhere in the journal
LevinB(2011)lsquoMobilisingresearchknowledgeineducationrsquoLondon Review of Education9(1)15ndash26OakleyA(2003)lsquoResearchevidenceknowledgemanagementandeducationalpracticeEarlylessonsfrom
asystematicapproachrsquoLondon Review of Education1(1)21ndash33WatkinsC(2005)lsquoClassroomsaslearningcommunitiesAreviewofresearchrsquoLondon Review of Education
3(1)47ndash64
6 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
While in lessonstudyteacherstakeanactiveroleaslsquoresearchersrsquotoexploreandrefinelessons (CheungandWong2014)Lessonstudy itself canbeconsidereda formof JPD thatis a process that comprises practitioners developingways ofworking through collaborativeengagementthatasaresultleadstotheopeningandsharingofpracticeswithothers(Fieldinget al 2005)And although lesson studydoeshave a numberof distinctive characteristics itsunderpinningmechanismaswithotherJPDapproachesinvolvesaprocessviewedaseffectivebecause it is trulymutual rather thanone-waywith thepracticeconcernedbeing improvedrather than simply moved from one person or place to another (ibid Dudley 2011)Thisunderpinningapproachalsoservesasthemaincritiqueoflessonstudyhoweverthatisintryingtoengageinlessonstudybusyandunder-pressureteacherscanoftenstrugglewiththedemandsof collaboration Likewise unless in trusting environments it can be off-putting for teachersknowingthattheirlessonsandteachingwillobservedandcritiqued(egseeTschannen-Moran2004Gero2015)Aswenotelaterthiscritiquewassubstantiatedinthisstudy
Issues associated with childrenrsquos transition from primary to secondary school
Thetransition fromprimarytosecondaryschool isan importantevent inthe livesofpupilsandtheirfamilies(Evangelouet al2008)theygofrombeingtheoldesttotheyoungestintheirschoolmovearoundforlessonshaveamyriadofteachersinsteadofoneandstarttobegivenincreasedamountsofhomework(ShepherdandRoker2005)Althoughthemajorityofpupilsattheendoftheirprimaryschoolingfeelpreparedfortheirmovetosecondaryschoolandthree-quartersarehappyafteraterm(eg84percentof550pupilssurveyedattheendoftheirfirsttermatsecondaryschoolbyEvangelouet al2008)thereisnonethelessageneraldeclineintheacademicachievementofpupilsfollowingthischange(Galtonet al1999McGeeet al 2004Evangelouet al2008)
Proposedreasons for thishiatus include theargument that for somepupils thisperiodcanbestressfulandthatinadditionmorevulnerablepupilswillneedeffectivesupportpriortotransition(McGeeet al 2004)Galtonet al(199922)suggestthatvulnerablegroupsincludelsquothoseonfreeschoolmealspupilswithspecialeducationalneedspupilswhowerelessfluentinEnglishandpupilsfromsomeethnicgroups(whichonesdependedontheparticularsubjectbeingassessed)rsquoTree(2011)addstothislistthosewhodisplaychallengingbehaviourItisalsoarguedthatpupilsrsquoacademicprogressfaltersfollowingtransitionbecauselsquomanyschoolsarestillputtingtheirenergyandmoneyintoeffortstosmooththetransferprocessratherthanensuringthatpupilsrsquo commitment to learning is sustainedand theirprogressenhancedrsquo (Galtonet al19996)AsaresultofthesedivergentargumentsanabundanceofrecommendationsmaybefoundintheextantliteraturetohelpsmooththeprocessoftransitionTheseinclude
bull Transitionsareattheirstrongestwhenlsquothesocialemotionalcurricularandpedagogicalaspectsoflearningaremanagedinordertoenablepupilstoremainengagedwithandhavecontroloftheirlearningrsquo(DCSF20085alsoseeMcGeeet al 2004Evangelouet al2008)
bull Thereisaneedtoensurecurriculumandpedagogiccontinuityattransfer(Galtonet al1999)Suchcontinuityserves tomaintainpupilsrsquo interest in learningallowsthemtoprogressintheirlearningandsohelpsthemavoidtheinternationallyobservedlearninghiatusthatseemstoaccompanytransition(McGeeet al 2004Evangelouet al2008)
London Review of Education 7
Setting and context
TheCamdenPartnershipforEducationalExcellence(CPEE)wassetupinApril2012withthevision tomake the LondonBoroughofCamden lsquothe best borough for educationrsquo (CamdenCouncil2016)The CPEEaimhasbeentodriveforwardtherecommendationsoftheCamdenEducation Commission (London Borough of Camden 2012) which highlighted key issuesand opportunities forCamden schools in the light of the changes to the English educationlandscape In 2013 theCPEE board invited schools colleges partners and stakeholders tobidforfundsfromapound2millionpotsetuptosupport innovativeprojectscentredonraisingachievement and attainment and in particular to findways of improving outcomes for theboroughrsquosmostvulnerablegroupsofstudentsAkeyrequirementoftheCPEErsquosbidcallwasthatschoolimprovementprojectsshouldbebasedonthelessonstudyapproachThisfollowedtheappointmenttotheCamdenLocalAuthorityCPEEboardofastaunchlessonstudyadvocatewhohadbeeninvolvedintheprocessforanumberofyearsbothintheUKandabroad(seeDudley2014)
AkeyfindingfromtheCamdenEducationCommissionrsquosfinalreportwasthatparticularlyforvulnerablestudentslsquotransitionarrangements[withinCamden]atpresentarenotconsistentlygoodenoughrsquo(20115)correspondinglyitarguedthatenhancingtheseshouldbeacentralfocusofimprovementeffortsmovingforwardInparticularitsuggestedthatthereshouldbeabetterunderstandingbetweenyear6andyear7teachers(teachersofstudentsaged11ndash12)of thepedagogyandpracticeofteachingandlearningineachotherrsquosinstitutionswhichwouldassistthembothinpreparingstudentsforsuccessandinsupportingstudentstoflourishintheirnewenvironments(201136)InresponsetothereportandtheinvitationbytheCPEEboardfororganizationstobidforfundingforprojectscolleaguesfromHaverstockSchool(Camden)andtheInstituteofEducationUniversityCollegeLondon(IOE)teameduptodevelopaprojectthatmightservetoaddresssomeofthecommissionrsquosconcernsinrelationtotransition
OurfirststepwastoundertakeareviewoftheinternationalliteratureontheissueofprimarytosecondarytransitionSeekingoutliteratureempiricalstudiesandmeta-analysesrelatingtoschoolsystemsbroadlysimilar tothatofEnglandandWales (eg theUSACanadaAustraliaNewZealand etc) involved the use of databases (JSTOR ERICWeb of Knowledge BritishEducationIndex)theIOElibrary(includingdoctoralandmasterrsquostheses)andrecommendationsonseminalliteratureprovidedbycolleaguesOverallthisresultedinatotalof21studiesbeingreviewed
FollowingthereviewweconnectedkeythemesandfindingsemergingfromtheliteraturetopreviousinitiativescarriedoutinCamden(throughconsultationwithCPEEstaffaswellaswithheadteachersandteachersfromschoolswithintheborough)CorrespondinglywedecidedtocentreourproposedbidtoCPEEontheneedforpedagogiccontinuity(Galtonet al1999McGeeet al 2004Evangelouet al2008)InotherwordssinceourdiscussionsindicatedthatthesocialandemotionalaspectsoftransitionseemedalreadywellcateredforwedecidedtoconcentrateonanareathatwasrecognizedasimportantbutintermsoftheCamdencontextwhererelativelylittleefforthadyetbeenplacedThatisfromourdiscussionswithstakeholdersitwassuggested that thegreatest impacton transitionmightemerge fromthedevelopmentofcommonapproachestoteachingEnglishandscience(prioritysubjectareasdeterminedbyCPEE)
Asaresult theHaverstockPrimarytoSecondaryTransitionProjectwasconceivedwiththepurposeofbringingtogetherprimaryandsecondaryteachersfromtheLondonBoroughof Camden in order that they might employ lesson study to develop effective cross-phasepedagogicalapproachesstrategiestoteaching Englishliteracyandscienceinordertosupportthetransitionofyear5toyear8 studentsInparticulartheprojectfocusedonthoselsquovulnerablersquo
8 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
studentsmostatriskintermsoftheirprogresspost-transitionHereweconsiderlsquovulnerabilityrsquoascontingentonpupilsrsquoabilitytomakeasuccessfulacademicsocialandemotionaltransitionfromyear6toyear7InparticularwefocusonpupilsentitledtofreeschoolmealsandwhiteBritishstudents(closingthegapforwhiteworking-classstudentsisahighprioritybothwithinCamdenLocalAuthorityandwithintheEnglishcontext)Wealsosoughttoincludemoreablepupilsnotfulfillingtheirpotential
JointlydirectedbycolleaguesfromHaverstockSchoolandtheIOEthespecificaimsoftheprojectweretoimprovestudentandteacheroutcomesinrelationto
bull more robust challenging and innovative ndash but also consistent ndash pedagogic practiceatnationalcurriculum levels1ndash8 inEnglishandscience (levelsrepresenthowpupilsprogressinrelationtoEnglandrsquosnationalcurriculumDepartmentforEducation2011)inyears567and8(ages10throughto13)
bull sharedteacherconfidenceusingthesepracticesintheirsubjectinEnglishandsciencefromlevels1to8
bull improved rates of progress and attainment for lsquovulnerablersquo pupils within each ofyears 3ndash8(ages8throughto13)
bull agroupofteachersabletouselessonstudyapproachestoimproveclassroompracticeandimpactonstandardsthusbuildingtransferablecapacity
Theprojectcomprisedapilotandmainphasewiththelatterinvolving18practitionersfromnineschoolsengagedinninelessonstudysessionsthroughoutthecourseoftheacademicyearandthreeworkshopsFurtherdetailsontheparticipantsaresetoutinTable1(anditshouldbe noted that individually noneof the participants hadworked together before)Adetailedoverviewofwhateachworkshopcomprisedissetoutinthefollowingsections
Table 1 Participantcharacteristics
Primary teachers
Secondary teachers
Total
FocusingonEnglish 5 4 9
Focusingonscience 7 2 9
Total 12 6 18
Methods
A DBR approach to lesson study
PrimaryandsecondaryschoolshavetheirownparticularwaysofworkingandwhenconsideringtheteachingofindividualsubjectssuchasEnglishorsciencethesearenotnecessarilywellsuitedtofosteringcross-phasecollaborationForinstanceprimaryteacherswillteachallsubjectstoonecohortofpupils foranentireyear IncontrastsecondaryschoolteacherswillspecializebysubjectareaandsowillteachthatonesubjecttoanumberofdifferentclassesInadditionusinglessonstudyisanewphenomenoninEnglishschoolsandusingitinacross-phaseway(totackleissuesoftransition)israretonon-existentBearinginmindtheparticularwaysofworkingofeachphasendashandthatneithertheresearchersnorpractitionersinvolvedintheprojecthadengagedinlessonstudyactivitybeforendashitwasdecidedthatapilotphaseoffivemonthswithasmallgroupofschoolsberuntoallowresearchersandpractitionerstocollaborateintrialling
London Review of Education 9
theapproachandascertaininghowitmightbestbemadefit forpractice inotherwords toenableaDBRapproachtothedevelopmentandimplementationofthelessonstudymodelforthisprojectCorrespondinglyinkeepingwithAndersonandShattuck(2012)theprojectteam(ieparticipatingteachersfromtheseschoolstheAssistantHeadprojectleadfromHaverstockSchoolandresearchersandfacilitatorsfromtheIOE)soughtasacollaborativepartnershiptodesign testandrefinecross-phase lessonstudy inarealeducationalcontextwithaviewtomeetingtheprojectrsquosaimandestablishingabasisforitsfutureroll-out
Developing a theory of action for lesson study
AkeyaspectofemployingaDBRapproachwas theestablishmentofa theoryofaction forlesson study that is to determinewhich aspects of lesson studywere an integral part of alogicalchainleadingtoimprovedstudentoutcomesandwhichweremoreopentocontextualmanipulation(ArgyrisandSchoumln1996)AmutuallydevelopedtheoryofactionhasbeenshowntohavesignificantlypositiveimpactsontheeffectivenessofinterventionstheyrelatetoandsoisavitalaspectofDBRAsnotedaboveitisarguedthatasaformofJPDlessonstudyinvolvescollaborativeengagementthatservestoopenupandsharepractices(Cohen-Vogelet al2015)Assuchthedevelopmentofourtheoryofactionforlessonstudycentredonhowadultscanlearnfromandbuilduponthebestpracticeoftheirpeersthroughinteraction
Inordertofacilitatethetypeofinteractivelearningweenvisagedweturnedtotheliteratureonprofessional learningcommunities Inparticularwe lookedat thenatureandstructureofthelsquolearningconversationsrsquothattakeplaceaspartofprofessionallearningcommunityactivityDescribedaslsquotheway thateducatorsmakemeaning togetherand jointlycomeupwithnewinsightsandknowledgethat leadto intentionalchangetoenhancetheirpracticeandstudentlearningrsquo (Stoll 2012 6) learning conversations comprise considered thoughtful (rather thansuperficial)discussionandchallenge focusedonmattersof teachingpracticewhichconsiderevidenceofactualandpotential formsofpracticeandwhichareundertakenwithaviewtodevelopingbothimprovedpracticeandasaresultoutcomesforstudents
Movingdeeper into this area Stoll (20126ndash11) suggests that the following features arecharacteristicofhigh-qualitylearningconversationsbetweenadults(1)afocusonevidenceandideas(includingbothexistingandeffectivepracticewithintheschoolnetwork)andalsopotentialinnovations and transformations (eg creativeways to engage learners and extend learning)(2)experienceandexternalknowledgetheorytostimulatereflectionchallengethestatusquoandextendthinking(3)theuseofprotocolsandtoolstoframelearningconversationsmoreclearlyandguidelinesthathelpparticipantsstructuretheirdialogueandinterrogateevidenceorideasand(4)facilitationtoelicitandsupportintellectualexchangeaswellasmaintainingopendialogue
Operationalizing lesson study
These fourelements plus the four stepsoutlinedearlier thus formed thebasis forhowweinitiallysoughttostructureandoperationalizelessonstudyactivityAsaresultitwasdecidedbytheprojectteamthatthepilotphaseshouldcommencewithaone-dayfacilitatedworkshopin which practitioners held data-informed discussions about the key issues their vulnerablestudentsfacedinrelationtoEnglishliteracyandsciencePriortotheworkshoptheAssistantHeadprojectleadfromHaverstockSchoolandresearchersandfacilitatorsfromtheIOEspentadaydevelopingprotocolsandtools to facilitate learningconversationsandplanningactivitywithintheworkshop(basedonapproachesusedbyStollegseeStollandBrown2015)Using
10 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
theseparticipantsworkedthroughaseriesofactivitiesdesignedtohelpthemdecideupononefocusarea(atopicbeingtaughtthatencapsulatedtheissue)andtoalsothinkaboutacommonapproachtoteachingthetopicinrelationtotheconceptthattriadscouldadoptimplementanditerativelyimproveFollowingthisparticipantswereaskedtoidentifythreestudentswithineachschoolwhorepresentedthefocus(vulnerable)studentsandtothencollaborativelyplanthefirstresearchlessonthatwouldbetaughtobserved
Inkeepingwith thenotion that it is expertisewith respect to a given intervention thatenablespractitionerstotailorinterventionstotheirspecificsituationandthatthedevelopmentofexpertiseinvolvesbothaspectsofeffectivelearningandsustainedskillrefinement(iepractice)(seeBryket al2011Penuelet al2012BrownandRogers2015)thepilotphasetheninvolvedthreefulllessonstudydaysTheseinvolvedpractitioners
(1) revisitingthepurposeofthelessonandthefocusareathatitlinkedto(2) beingtalkedthrough(bytheteacherwhowasteachingbeingobserved)eachphaseof
thelessonandwhatitsaimsandgoalswere(3) observinghowthelessonworkedinpractice(withafocusonthecasechildren)(4) interviewingthecasechildrenfortheirperspectivesontheissues(5) undergoingafacilitateddiscussiontoevaluatethelessonbasedonobservationsand
datacollection(6) buildingonwhathadhappened(iecollaborativelyestablishinglsquohowtorsquo)andplanning
forthenextlessonstudyresearchclass
Againbeforethefirst lessonstudydaytheprojectteamspentadaytogethercollaborativelydevelopingprotocolstoolsandanoutlineforthedaytofacilitatethelessonstudyprocessThelessonstudyactivitywasalsoobservedbytheprojectteaminordertogiveusanunderstandingofhowitwasbeingenacted
Collaboratively reviewing and improving lesson study activity
ThroughoutthepilotphasetimeandspacewerecreatedtoenableresearchersandpractitionerstodeliberateanddiscusswhateachhadlearnedandtheirexperiencesinrelationtolessonstudyThroughthisdialogicprocesswewereabletoconstructcommonunderstandingandmeaningwithregardtobothaspectsoftheprocessandintermsoftheuseoftoolsandprotocolstofacilitatetheprocessAsaresultwewerethenabletounderstandwhichaspectsoftheapproachwere successful inhelpingparticipantsdevelop theirpracticeand improveoutcomes for themostvulnerableandwhichappearedtoprovidelimitedvalueInotherwordsasGutierrezandPenuel (201420)suggestlsquo[s]tudying theldquosocial lifeof interventionsrdquo [helpedus]moveawayfromimagininginterventionsasfixedpackagesofstrategieswithreadilymeasurableoutcomesandtowardsmoreopen-endedsocialorsociallyembeddedexperimentsthatinvolveongoing[ieiterative]mutualengagementrsquoToensurethelearningfromthepilotphasewascarriedoverintothemainprojectattheendofthethreelessonstudydaysaone-dayworkshopwasheldsothatthemainphasecouldbecollaborativelydevelopedAspectshereincludedthegroupingandsequencingoflessonstudydaysthroughouttheyear(bearinginmindthedistinctwaysofworkingthateachphaseofschoolinghas)thenature(runningorder)ofeachlessonstudydaythenatureofthetoolsandprotocolstobeemployedaspartofeachmainphaselessonstudysessionandhowimpactshouldbeconceivedofandmeasured(seebelow)
Whatwasalsoviewedas importantbybothparticipantsandtheprojectteamhoweverwasthataswescaledtheprojectupfrompilottomainphasethedialogicprocessthatenabledustounderstandanditerativelyimprovetheoperationoflessonstudycouldcontinueatscale
London Review of Education 11
PerhapsoneofthemainissuesoftheDBRapproachascurrentlyconceivedisthatit isveryresearcher intensive in other words it requires researchers working intensively with smallnumbersofpractitionersWewerethusconcernedwithfindingwaysofexamininghowtheDBRapproachcouldhaveimpactformaximalnumbersofteachersToovercomethispractitionersand researchers jointly agreed on the need for distributed ownership ifDBR at scale is anunmanageabletaskforresearchersalonethenresearcherscannotbetheonlyactorsinvolvedincreatingmeaningndashpractitionersexperiencedinthedeliberativeprocessshouldalsobeabletomovebeyondtheirtraditionalrolesandengage inthiswaytoo(Coburnet al2013)Thisagreeduponapproachtocapacitybuildingthereforemeantthatwewereabletousetheoriginalpilotgroupmembersaspractitioner-researcherswhocouldformnewtriadsandengagewithpractitionersinvolvedintheprojectrsquosmainstageThisfreeduptimefortheresearcherstoworkwithothergroupsoflsquomainstagersquopractitionersndashandbothsetsofresearcherscouldthenmeetperiodically to considerongoing improvements and changes thatneeded tobemade to thelessonstudymethodology
A DBR approach to measuring impact
Vitaltounderstandingtheeffectivenessofourapproachwasameaningfulwaytoassessimpact(Bryket al2011)thatistoseewhetherwemettheaimsoftheprojectOurinitialapproachtomeasuringimpact(whichwastestedduringthepilotproject)involvedpractitionersestablishingcommon understanding and thus alsquobaselinersquo through the analysis of data and insight abouttheir settings current practices and key issues in relation to the teaching of EnglishliteracyandscienceaswellasissuesoftransitioninrelationtothesesubjectsTheyweresubsequentlyinvitedtoestablishwhattheywantedtoachievebytheendoftheprojectandhowtheymightdosondashspecificallyfollowinganapproachsetoutbyEarleyandPorritt(2013)ndashandlsquostartingwiththeendinmindrsquo(thegoaltheywishedtoachieve)practitionerswereaskedhowtheymightdevelopteachingstrategies(basedonacommonfocusarea)thatmightbeobservedandrefinedviaaprocessoflessonstudytoreachadesiredendpoint(ieonethatwouldtackletheseissues)
GutierrezandPenuel (2014) argue thatpartnershipapproaches to impactmeasurementare also likely to result in more robust and nuanced understandings of the differences aninterventionhashadThistooprovedtobethecaseforthisprojectInparticularitbecameclearthatndashbecausepractitionerswereengagingincross-phaseapproachestopedagogyandsohadtodevelopacommonissueanddecideonatopicsubjectmatterthatencapsulatedtheissuebeingtaughtndashinessencealsquonaturalrsquobaselinedatadidnotexistInotherwordsaskingteachersndashwhoteachatdifferentstagesofthecurriculumandwhoteachdifferentagegroupsindifferentschoolsndashtocollaboraterequiredthemtofindalevelofcommonalitythatordinarilydidnotexistThismeantthatbaselinedatacouldnotbeascertainedinadvanceofthelessonstudybuthadtobeascertainedasadirectresultofthelessonstudyprocessthefirstlessonbecamethebaselineforpractitionerone the second study forpractitioner two and soonThis alsomeant thatbothbaselineandpedagogicapproachesalsonecessarilydevelopedasaresultofcollaborativeactivity that ispractitioner tworsquos approach to teaching the lesson studyclass shouldbenefitfromengaginginthelessonstudyrelatedtopractitioneroneandsoonBaselinesandstartingapproaches to implementing the strategywere thus relative Similarly desired endpoints andimprovementstowardsthesecouldonlybesetandorcomparedinabsolutetermsfromeachpractitionerrsquosstartingposition
Inadditionthismeantthattheimpactprocessmovingforwardnecessarilyhadtoinvolvetwostagesthefirststagebeforelessonstudyactivityinvolvedeachtriadestablishinganissueanddecidingonamutualtopicorlessontoteach(andhowitshouldbetaught)Desiredimpact
12 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
(the future goal to be aimed at) however couldonly be established after each baseline hadbeenestablishedcorrespondinglyaswiththepilotakeyaspectofthemainstagekick-offwasto ensure that themain stage participants discussed (in their lesson study triads) commondifficultiesandissuesinrelationtotheteachingofEnglishliteracyandscienceinthecontextof transition and that they identified areas for improvementTriads then decided upon onefocusarea(atopicbeingtaughtthatencapsulatedtheissue)andtoalsothinkaboutacommonapproachtoteachingthetopicthatmight inrelationtothe issue leadto improvedteachingpracticesandstudentoutcomesWealsoengagedparticipantswithwaysofunderstandingandmeasuringbothbaselineandimpactspecificallyweintroducedthemtoamyriadofhardandsoftdata types (fromstudentoutcomes toobservationsofpractice) andwaysofmeasuringbaselineandimpactsuchasthelsquoLeuvenrsquoscaleParticipantstheneachidentifiedthreecasestudychildrenandcollaborativelyplannedthefirstlessonstudyclassFollowingkick-offforthefirstthreelessonstudyclassesthemainstageparticipantsobservedpracticeandstudentbehavioursaswellascollectingengagingwithotherpupildata
AfurtherworkshopwasheldafterthefirstthreetoenableparticipantstocometogetherandestablishafirmbaselineforthethreepupilsforeachoftheteachersintheirtrioHavingestablished this baseline they then determinedwhat they would like practice to be (ie toestablishtheir ideal)ParticipantsthenspenttheremainderoftheworkshopcollaboratingtofurtherrefinethepedagogicapproachesthatmightgetthemtothisidealThismeantthatlessonstudysessionsfourtoninewerestructuredusingthesixstepsasdiscussedabovewithlessonstudysessionsusedtoascertainwhetherpracticeandoutcomeswereprogressingtowardstheirideal impact goal inorder todecidewhethercorrectivechanges in approachwererequired(Bryket al2011)
A finalworkshopwas then held to enable trios to bring together the endline data forthe project and so establish a firm impact picture specifically in relation to the aimsof theprojectHereprotocolsweredevelopedbytheprojectteamtocapturedatathatemergedfromthelearningconversationsheldwithintheworkshopsSpecificallyproformaswerecreatedtohelpparticipantsrecordtheirresponsestothefollowingquestions(1)Howhasyourpracticechangedasaresultofthisprojectand(2)WhathaveyoulearnedaboutlessonstudyandhowtouseittodevelopteachingpracticeWealsodevelopedaproformatorecordtheperceiveddifferences inpupiloutcomesbetweenthestartandendoftheproject(alongwithevidencefromthetriadastowhytheseassessmentsweremade)
Results
Asoutlinedabovetheaimsoftheprojectweretoachieve
bull morerobustchallengingandinnovativendashbutalsoconsistentndashpedagogicpracticeatnationalcurriculumlevels1ndash8inEnglishandscience
bull sharedteacherconfidenceusingthesepracticesbull improved rates of progress and attainment for lsquovulnerablersquo pupils within each of
years 3ndash8(ages8throughto13)bull agroupofteachersabletouselessonstudyapproachestoimproveclassroompractice
andimpactonstandardsthusbuildingtransferablecapacity
To understand how successfulwe had been in relation to eachof these in the final impactworkshopweworkedwithparticipantstoaddressthefollowingthreequestions
bull Howhasyourpracticechangedasaresultofthisprojectbull Whatimpacthasthischangedpracticehadonpupils
London Review of Education 13
bull What have you learned about lesson study and how to use it to develop teachingpractice
Impact on teacher practice
Webeganthefinalworkshopbyfirstaskingparticipantstoengageinalearningconversationcentred on how their practice had changed as a result of their participation in the projectAll teachers participated in the exercise andused the pro formaoutlined above to indicatewhethertherehadbeenanychangeintheirpracticeWhenanalysingtheresults itwasclearthatresponsesdividednaturallyinto(1)changesinknowledgeunderstandingintermsofhowfocuspupilslearn(2)changesinpracticeand(3)whychangesinpracticearemakingadifferenceExamplesoftheverbatimresponsesaresetoutinTable2whichencapsulatesthemainthemesthatemergedAcommonfocusacrossallgroupswashowtheymightemploylsquotalkforwritingrsquondashaprocesswherechildrenorallyengagewiththelanguagetheyneedforaparticulartopicbeforereadingandanalysingitthenwritingtheirownversionPotentiallythecommonalityofthisfocusderivedfromlsquotalkforwritingrsquobeingahottopicwithinCamdenduringthetimeoftheprojectAsaresultthiscouldbeareasonwhythemajorityofteacherparticipantshadbroadlyfocusedontalkandthebalancewithintheirlessonsbetweentalkingandwritingaswellasontheuseofpairingandgroupinginordertofacilitatethis
Table 2 ExampleresponsestothequestionlsquoHowhasyourpracticechangedasaresultofthisprojectrsquo
Question Responses
Changesinknowledgeunderstandingintermsofhowfocuspupilslearn
bull lsquoHowdifficultitistounderstandscientifictermsandconceptswithoutcontextrsquo
bull lsquoThebenefitsofusingascriptforpeerfeedbackrsquobull lsquoPupilsneedstructuredtalkwithwell-chosenpartnersrsquobull lsquoPupilfindkeywordsdifficulttouseinapieceofwritingeven
iftheyunderstandthemeaningofthewordsitisdifficulttolinkmorescientificwordstogetherrsquo
bull lsquoGroupingcanmakeabigdifferencetolearningrsquosimilarlylsquoPartnersreallymakeadifferencetotheoutcomersquo
Changesinpractice bull Rehearsalofkeynewscientificvocabularybull Useofspeakingandwritingframesbull Makinglessonsmoreoralandgivingmoreoralscaffoldsbull lsquo[Providing]moretimetotalkandthinkaboutwhatthey
wanttowritersquobull lsquoMixingtalkpartnerssochildrenareworkingwithdifferent
partnersrsquo
Whychangesinpracticearemakingadifference
bull Pupilslikespeakingframesaslsquoitgivesthemastartingpointtostructuretheirspeechrsquo
bull lsquoMakingspeechahighpriorityresultsinmuchbetteroutcomesrsquo
bull lsquoSpendingmoretimelearningnewvocabulary[meansthatpupilsarebetterat]unpickingmeaningsandprocessesrsquo
bull Partneringlowerachievingchildreneitherwithhigherachievingormiddleachievingpupilsreallymakesadifferenceasthehigherabilitychildrenchallengepushandstretchthelowerachievers
14 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
Pupil impact
WehavedescribedabovethatinkeepingwiththeDBRunderpinningsoftheprojectparticipantswere able to determinewhat changes theywanted to see in their pupils as a result of theprojectandhowthesemightbemeasuredAssuchavarietyofmetricswereusedtoascertainimpactrangingfromteacherobservationsandmarkingtotheirexpertiseandknowledgeofthechildBecauseparticipantspredominantlychosenottouselsquohardrsquoattainmentdatainordertoexamineimpactacrossallparticipantswehadtofindacommonwayofderivingandpresentingwhatimpactifanyresultedfromtheprojectTodothisweaskedparticipantsworkingintheirtriadstoscoreeachoftheirthreefocuschildren(inrelationtothefocusoraimsoftheirtriadandinrelationtothedatatheyweremeasuring)bothintermsoftheirlsquoperformancersquoatthebeginningoftheprojectandattheendScoresbothatthebeginningandendwereoutoftenandparticipantstriadshadtoprovidesupportingevidenceforselectingtheirscoresAsaresultthisprovidedresearcherswithperceptionsofpupilimpactandreasonsfortheseperceptionsbecauseallpupilimpactperceptionswerescoredinthesamewayhoweverwewerealsoabletonormalizethesescoresbylookingatthepercentagedifferencesinthelsquobeforersquoandlsquoafterrsquoscoresThescoresandrangesofthesedifferencesaresetoutinFigure1whereasTable3providesadistributionofthepercentagescoresAfulltableofresponsesshowingbeforeandafterscoresandreasonsevidencefortheseisprovidedintheAppendix
Figure 1 Pupilsbeforeandafterscoresandpercentagechange
London Review of Education 15
Table 3 Distributionofpercentagechangeinpupilsbeforeandafterscores
Question Number Percentage
Greaterthan100change 3 7
91ndash100change 7 17
81ndash90change 0 0
71ndash80change 4 10
61ndash70change 1 2
51ndash60change 0 0
41ndash50change 6 14
31ndash40change 12 29
21ndash30change 2 5
11ndash20change 1 2
1ndash10change 0 0
Nochange 4 10
Pupilsdroppedout 2 5
Total 42 100
TheblockedareainFigure1representsthestudentperformancescoresatthebeginningoftheprojectwhilethecontinuouslinerepresentstheirscoresatprojectendThedotsmeanwhilerepresentthepercentagedifference(iethechangeinpupilperformancesincethestartoftheproject)Ascanbeseenofthe42focusgrouppupilsforwhomteachersprovideddatateachersreported a change in the behavioursattitudesoutcomes of all but six For some pupils thischangewassubstantiveAssetoutinTable3whichprovidesthedistributionofthesepercentagechangesteacherssuggestthatfortenpupilstheirperformancehadeffectivelydoubledormore(ietherewasa100percent(orgreater)changeintheirscore)Thebiggestsingleimprovementhowevertendedtobebetween30and40percent Inthemainthiswascausedbylsquoaveragersquopupils(scoring5ndash6)nowscoringtwopointshigher(7ndash8)orbyinitiallylowperformingpupilsndashwhooriginallyscored3ndashincreasingtheirperformancescoreto4
Naturallyintheabsenceofhardandobjectiveattainmentdataweneedtobecircumspectin the levelofsignificanceaffordedtowhataresubjectivelydeterminedresultsNonethelesssupportingevidencewasprovidedandthefiguresweretriangulatedwithothermembersofthetriad(whowerethemselvesengagedinprolongedobservationofthesepupils)Inadditionnotallpupilswerereportedashavingbenefitedfromtheproject fourpupils(10percent)werereportedasnotbenefitingatallwhileafurthertwodroppedoutoftheschooltheywereinConsideringLincolnandGubarsquos(1985)criteriaforestablishingthetrustworthinessofsubjectivedatathereforealthoughtheexactchangeinpupilsrsquoperformancescanbedebatedtheresearchteamhaveconfidencethatsomepositiveimpactonpupilshastakenplacendashandthatthisimpactcanbeattributabletotheprojectItshouldalsobenotedthatthisdatarelatestothethreepupils(perclass)representingwidergroupsofinterestsuchasvulnerablechildren(Dudley2011)Intheorythentheimpactoftheprojectshouldstretchbeyondthe42childrenanalysedherebutwedonothavedatatosubstantiatesuchaclaim
16 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
Learning about lesson study
FinallyweaskedparticipantstoanswerthefollowingquestionlsquoWhathaveyoulearnedaboutlessonstudyandhowtouseittodevelopteachingpracticersquoResponsesheredividednaturallyintothebenefitsandchallengesofusinglessonstudyandaresetoutinTable4
Table 4 Benefitsandchallengestousinglesson study (responsetoquestionlsquoWhathaveyoulearnedaboutlesson studyandhowtouseittodevelopteachingpracticersquo)
Question Responses
lsquoWhathaveyoulearnedaboutlessonstudyandhowtouseittodevelopteachingpracticersquo(Benefits)
bull lsquoObservingcolleaguesteachandpickingupideasstrategiessharingpracticeetcinrelationtoprimarytosecondarytransitionsrsquo
bull lsquoSharinggoodpractice[andfacilitateideasgeneration]rsquobull lsquoObservingin[other]schoolsandseeingthedifferencebetween
teachinginprimaryandsecondaryschoolsrsquobull lsquoChancetoseeotherCamdenclassesofthesameagersquobull lsquoIgetabetterunderstandingofhowImightstretchmoreable
year7studentsrsquobull lsquoExposuretootherteachersrsquostylesandpracticesrsquobull lsquoSupportivefeedbackandobservationsfromcolleaguesrsquobull Perspectiveseglsquothatyouwouldnotbeabletopickupabout
yourchildrenrsquoslearningfromthefrontoftheclassrsquoandlsquoafocusonchildrenwhomightslipunderteachersrsquoradarrsquosimilarlylsquohavingothersbeingabletowatchthechildrenhellip[and]noticingsomething[youhadnrsquot]rsquo
bull lsquoBecauseitrsquosplannedcollaborativelyyougettoseeyourworkinactionrsquo
lsquoWhathaveyoulearnedaboutlessonstudyandhowtouseittodevelopteachingpracticersquo(Challenges)
bull TimeeglsquoLotsoftimeoutofschoolrsquobull TimetablinglsquoFindingdatesthataremutuallyconvenientforthe
triorsquobull lsquoIncreasedworkloadinrelationtoplanningpreparingand
hostingthesessionrsquobull lsquoImmediateprogressnot[always]visiblersquobull lsquoNeedsbuy-infromSLTtohavemaximumimpactrsquosimilarly
lsquoLessonstudyislessimportantinsomeschoolsrsquobull lsquo[Thistypeofprocesscannotbeanadd-on]ifitcouldreplace
[currentprogrammeofobservations]wouldbegreatrsquobull lsquoThereisalreadytoomuchtotryandgetthroughinprimaryrsquo
InconsideringthechallengesitcanbeseethatinkeepingwithGero(2015)forlessonstudytobecarriedoutsuccessfullyrequiresthebuy-inandcommitmentofseniorleadersInparticularlessonstudyndashasa formofschool improvementndashneedstobeprioritizedbyschool leadersover other school improvement initiativeswith time and space given to enable teachers tomeaningfullyengageinlessonstudyactivityAswellasthecommentsinTable4thismessageisalsoreinforcedbythefactthatthreeschools(sixteachers)droppedoutafterthefirstlessonstudy citing competing pressures and priorities as well as involvement in too many schoolimprovementinitiativesInpartthisisbecausethebenefitsofengaginginthisapproachwerenotimmediatelyapparent
London Review of Education 17
Significance
From analysing the results it is clear that our approach has been effective in both changingteacherunderstandingandteachingpracticeandbuildingteachercapacitysothatparticipantsareabletoruntheirownprojectsmovingforwardStartingwiththefirstascanbeseeninTable2teacherswereabletoarticulatealogicalchainndashstartingwithwhattheywerelearningabouttheirpupilsthechangestheyweremakinginresponseandendingwithargumentsformakingthesechangesForexampleoneparticipantnotedlsquohowdifficultitis[forpupils]tounderstandscientifictermsandconceptswithoutcontextrsquoasaconsequencetheywerenowrehearsingnewscientificvocabularybecauselsquospendingmoretimelearningnewvocabulary[meansthatpupilsarebetterat]unpickingmeaningsandprocessesrsquoSimilarlyanotherteacherindicatedthatshenowknowsthatlsquopartnersreallymakeadifferencetotheoutcomersquoThiswasbecausethelessonstudyprocesshadhelpedherseethatpartneringlowerachievingchildrenwitheitherhigherachievingormiddleachievingpupilscanleadtothehigherabilitychildrenchallengingpushingandstretchingthelowerachieversAsaresultshewasmuchmoreactivelylsquomixingtalkpartnerssochildrenareworkingwithdifferentpartnersrsquoItseemsclearthereforethatourapproachtolessonstudydevelopedviaaDBRapproachndashwhichactivelypromotesreflectivedialogueviaaprocessof learningconversationsndashhasbeensuccessful inhelpingpractitionersreflectnotonlyonpupillearningbutalsowhatneedstochangeintermsoftheirteachingtofacilitatethislearning
Intermsofcapacitybuildingitisclearthatparticipantssawnotonlythebenefitsofengagingin lesson study but also the challenges that needed to be overcome in order to ensure itseffectiveoperation(Table4)Havingknowledgeof the former(combinedwithexperienceofa number of cycles of lesson study)means that participants now know how best tomakelessonstudyworkforthemInotherwordsbybuildingontheDBRelementoftheprojecttheteachersinvolvedcanensurethatmovingforwardtheytailorhowtheyfocuslessonstudytoachievemaximalbenefitforthemselvesandtheirpupilsLikewiseintermsofrollingouttheirownprogrammeoflessonstudyparticipantswillalsobeawareofthechallengesthatneedtobemetiftheyaretogetmostvaluefromtheprocessTheseincludeinparticulartherequirementtobuy-infromseniorleadersandtheneedforamodelofleadershipwithintheirschoolwhichpromotes the vision for and ensures the fosteringof a cultureof professional developmentbasedoncollaborativepeer-to-peersupport(includingthepromotionofthevaluesrequiredforlearningcommunitiestooperate)Alsokeywillbetheneedforseniorleaderstoprovidethenecessaryresourceandstructures(egtimeandspace)forsustainedandmeaningfullessonstudytobecomeareality(StollandFink1996Leithwoodet al2006)
Ourrevisedapproach tomeasuring impact toohasbeeneffectiveusing teacher-definedmeasuresofimpactprovidesamoreaccuratewayofunderstandingthedifferencethatlessonstudyactivityhasmadeInotherwordsunlikewithattainmentdatandashwhereitwouldbehardtoattributechangesinpupiloutcomesspecificallytolessonstudyactivity(asopposedtootherchangesincontextorintheteachingandlearningenvironment)ndashourapproachenabledteachersto focuson threepupils andhow they responded tovery specificchanges inapproaches topedagogicpracticebasedonanunderstandingandanassessmentofthesepupilsrsquobehavioursandattitudesbothbeforeandaftertheuseofthepracticeImportantlythisimpactdataisalsolsquotriangulatedrsquosincethepractitionerwhoisteachingaswellasthoseobservingmustcometoanagreementastowhathappenedandwhyLikewisethentheoverallperceptionsofimpactscoreswerediscussedandagreeduponintriadsgivingweighttotheirvalidityGiventhisitisencouragingtonotethatmostscoresprovidedsuggest that the lessonstudyapproachdoesimpactpositivelyonpupilbehavioursandattitudestolearningAscanbeseeninTable385per
18 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
centofpupilsbenefitedfromtheirteachersengagingintheprojectwithoverathird(36percent)benefitingbyanincreaseintheirperformancescoreby50percentormore
Summary
FortheHaverstockPrimarytoSecondaryTransitionProjectweemployedaDBRapproachtothedevelopmentand implementationof lessonstudy inordertohelppractitionersexamineandbegintotacklesomeoftheissuesassociatedwithprimarytosecondarytransitionDoingsoenabledtheprojectteamandparticipantstocollaborativelydevelopatheoryofactionfortheprojectwhichenabledustoconsidernotionsoflearningandlearningconversationsaswellasameansofdeliveringlessonstudyinkeepingwiththistheoryofactionAswellasthiswewerealsoabletoestablishawayofmeasuringimpactforsituations(suchaswhenprimaryandsecondaryteachersworkonjointprojects)wherebecausethereisnoday-to-dayinteractionandcollaborationthereisnonaturallyoccurringbaselineandnocommonapproachtopedagogy
InlightoftheaboveweconcludethatusingDBRhasbeenvitalnotonlytothesuccessoftheprojectbutalsotoitslong-termsustainabilityfollowingtheprojectrsquosendHoweverweasresearchershavealsobenefitedfromengaginginDBRforinstancewehavegainedabetterunderstanding of how to engage in lesson study in a cross-phase way In addition the newapproachtomeasuringimpactthatemergedcannowbetriedandtestedinothercontextsascanourrevisedtheoryofactionforandapproachestooperationalizinglessonstudyThatisinkeepingwithAndersonandShattuck(2012)movingforwardwecantakewhatwehavelearnedandcontinuetocollaborativelyanditerativelyrefineourapproachsothatitiseffectiveineachnewcontextweintroduceittothushelpingtoservetoimprovethesystemrsquosoverallcapacityforsustainedchange
Notes on the contributors
ChrisBrown isaSeniorLectureratUCLInstituteofEducationUniversityCollegeLondon(DepartmentforLearningandLeadership) Chrishasextensiveexperienceofleadingarangeoffundedprojectsmanyofwhich seek tohelppractitioners to identify and scaleupbestpractice andwas recently awardedasignificant grant by the Education Endowment Foundation toworkwith over 100 primary schools inEnglandtoincreasetheiruseofresearch
CarolTaylor iscurrentlytheStrategicLeaderforCPDattheLondonCentreforLeadershipinLearningSheworkswithschoolsalliancesandlocalauthoritiesndashboth locallyandnationallyndash insupportingtheprofessionaldevelopmentoftheschoolworkforceCarolrecentlyco-ledtheNationalCollegeTeachingSchools Research and Development project involving over 60 schools across England She is activelyinvolvedinsupportingschoolsacrossLondontoembedpractitionerresearchandenquiryintopractice
LornaPonambalum isascienceteacherandAssistantHeadteacheratHaverstockSchoolCamdenLondonwheresheisalsoDesignatedSafeguardingOfficerLornahasbeeninvolvedinanumberoflessonstudyprojectsincludingtheprojectcoveredinthispaperwhichexaminedapproachestoimproveprimarytosecondarytransition
London Review of Education 19
Appendix Pupiloutcomesatstartandendofprojectwithevidencefromthetriadastowhytheseassessmentsweremade
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
4 Myanalysisoftheirworkbookandmyknowledgeoftheirin-classcontributions
6 Someimprovementswhenthechildismotivated
4 Under-confidentStruggleswhenworkingwithapartner
7 Moreconfidenceofownabilityandrecognizessupportfrompartner
4 AloofIssuesathome 4 Stillstrugglestopayattentionwhenworkinginpairs
5 Struggleswithusingsomeofthekeywords
7 Usesmorekeywordsinherwrittenwork(almostall)Expressingideasinabetterway
4 Struggleswiththekeywords 6 Bettersentencestructureandbetterlinkingofideas
3 Lacksconfidenceinspeakingandwriting
6 MoreconfidenceinverballyansweringquestionsputshandupmoreoftenWritingcanstillbeaproblem
3 NeverraiseshandsRefusedtospeakinpublicNosentencestructure
6 Leftbeforeendofprojectbutwasdemonstratingimprovedvocabularyconfidenceandwrittenwork
4 Notengagedvocabularyandliteraryworkpoor
9 REALLYengagedandimprovementinvocabularyandliterarysentencesimproved
5 Doesnrsquotusevocabularyaccuratelyandnotableintermsofwrittenwork
9 Vocabularyuseismoreaccurateandismuchmoreableintermsofwrittenwork
4 bull Didnotlistenoncarpetortoteachertalk
bull Firstcycleshowssignsofdisengagementinfeedback
bull Writingdifficulttounderstand
7 bull Morefocusedonthetaskonthecarpet
bull Betterqualityofwritingbetterfeedbackascycleprogressed
6 bull Toochattybull Distractedtalkpartnerbull Forgottocheckthroughand
punctuatebull Couldnotpeerassesswell
8 bull Betterlearningbehaviourbull Moreownershipofown
learningandcanselfandpeerassess
6 bull Pronetodistractionbull Unabletofollowaseriesof
instructions
7 bull Handuptoofferideasmorebull Slowlyandcarefullygetson
withataskbull Knowshowtopeerassess
20 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
3 Textsnotproducedwelldistractedanddistractingothers
6 Useofmetalanguagetextsproducedusingappropriategrammar
4 Paucityofideasworknotalwaysmakingsense
7 Takingcontrolofownlearningorganizingideasaboutgrammareffectivelymoreconfidenttostartwritingandproducingcompletetexts
5 Generallackofconfidencedespitebeingahighachiever
7 Textsproducedfullofideasinterviewswithobserversshowconfidencemoreconfidenceinhisideasprovidedheispartneredwithsomeonewhohefindssupportive
5 LackofinvolvementinlessonsPoorwritingandconfusedbymosttasks
7 HavingestablishedthatheappreciatesbeingprobedchallengedbyteachersIdedicatemoretimetoenablinghimtoprocessinformationthroughquestioningHenowoftenstartstasksquickerandtakesmorerisksHeisstillshyanddoesnrsquotusuallyvolunteer
3 Withdrawnndashnevercontributingandoptingoutoftasks
6 TriestasksndashnotalwayswithoutpromptingBeginningtotakerisksandoccasionallyvolunteersideas
7 VerylowconfidenceConsistentlypoorliteracyReluctancetocontributeWrittenworkwaspoorbutreflectedeffortofstudent
9 TriesreallyhardtocompleteworktothebestofherabilityStillrarelycontributesherideas
3 CompletelydisengagedseesnovalueinschoolNotansweringquestionsandtalkingaboutanythingelse
8 Nowfocusesonthefrontputshanduptalksaboutthetopicmostofthetime
6 Easilydistractedwillputhandupbutoftendoesnrsquothaveananswerwhenasked
8 Morefocusedwillstilloftennotlistenoninputbutisabletoasksomeoneelseratherthananadultorjustsittingthere
1 bull Getsoutofseatbull Shoutsoutbull Disturbsothers
na Pupilleftschool
9 Priorattainmentandclassroomobservations
9 Nodifferenceinliteracyattainmentwasconsistent
London Review of Education 21
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
3 Priorattainmentandclassroomobservations
4 Improvedconfidenceincomprehensionandwriting
3 Priorattainmentandclassroomobservations
4 Norealdifferencepossiblyslightlybetteratverbalizing
3 Effortscorelsquo3rsquoinfirstreportLeaningbackonchairnotfocuseddistracted
6 Morefocusmorelikelytoaskforhelpratherthanmisbehave
3 Effortscorelsquo3rsquoinfirstreportDistractingothers
3 NowrarelyinclassndashexclusionabsenceOnoccasionshowsexcellentprogressandcanworkindependently
4 Disengagedonwhole(althoughbaselineobservationswerecarriedoutonalsquogoodrsquoday)Rudenessnottrying
8 ReadingchallengingtextsandlookingupdifficultvocabularyindictionaryFewerdayswhenrefusestowork
3 Severallearningneedsandhashadtroublewithwriting
4 Increasedconfidenceinspellingandwriting(andenthusiasm)ndashespeciallycreativelyContinuestostrugglewithcomprehensionHasmadeprogressaccordingtoassessedwork
5 Asabovealthoughadisparitybetweenqualityandquantityofspokenandwrittenwork
na Haslefttheschool
3 MorewillingtowritethantalkatlengthWritingpoorqualityPoorattentionandbehaviouralissuesasbarrierstolearning
5 HasimprovedappreciablyintermsofspokencontributionstowrittenworkStillpresentsbehaviouralproblemsasmainbarriertoprogressHasmadetwosub-levelsofprogressthisyear(basedonanalysisofclasswork)
6 Readingfictionpooruseofsciencevocab
6 Nothingverydifferent
5 Noattempttousesciencevocab 7 Tryingtousesciencevocab
3 Verypoorengagementwithlargerwrittentasks
7 Betterengagementwithtaskandproductionofhigherlevelworkwithbettervocab
4 Unwillingtodiscusswithinterviewee
5 Writesmoretriestowriteindetailthoughremainsunwillingtoshareideaswritteninclassndashdependentonwork-partner
22 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
4 Willanswerquestionsifverysureofanswer
6 Stillunwillingtoshareideasinclassbutwilluseconnectvocabularyifithasbeenembeddedstronglywithinlesson
4 Notinitiallywillingtoshareknowledgethoughdidcometothefrontofclassandshareideas
6 AbletodiscusswithintervieweeindetailinformationaboutexperimentStillsomewhatunwillingtoshare
5 Hesitanttoshareideasoranswerquestionsunlessspecificallyasked
7 Taskdependent
6 Alwayswillingtoshareideasalthoughnotnecessarilyaccurateformalscientificlanguage
8 Attemptstochoosehiswordswhenansweringquestionswhichisgreateffortfromthisstudent
2 Performancedependingonwhoshepartneredwith
3 Moreefforttotalkingroupshoweverthisisonlyasmallstepstillveryhesitantandseeksreassurancefromothers
3 Quietlyengagedndashlistensbutrarelysharesideas
6 MakingalargerefforttotalkwithinagroupStillhesitanttoshareinfrontofclassunlesssheknowsitrsquosright
6 Veryengagedandwillgenerallytalkandshareideasalthoughnotalwaysusingaccuratelanguage
8 Activelysharingandtalkingideasndashbacksupherstatementsusingreasonscanrejectothersrsquoopinionsandjustifywhy
6 AppearsdisengagedhoweverwithprobingdoesknowtheanswersNotalwaystalkingaboutthesubjectndashdependsonpersonwhoheispartneredwith
9 LovessharingideasconstantlyputtinghandupTriestousescientificlanguagendashnotasengagedinwrittentasks
References
AndersonTandShattuckJ(2012)lsquoDesign-basedresearchAdecadeofprogressineducationresearchrsquoEducational Researcher41(1)16ndash25
ArgyrisCandSchoumlnD(1996)Organizational Learning II Theory method and practice ReadingMAAddison-WesleyPublishingCompany
BrownC andRogers S (2015)lsquoKnowledge creation as an approach to facilitating evidence-informedpracticeExaminingwaystomeasurethesuccessofusingthismethodwithearlyyearspractitionersinCamden(London)rsquoJournal of Educational Change16(1)79ndash99
BrykAGomezL andGrunowA (2011)lsquoGetting ideas intoactionBuildingnetworked improvementcommunitiesineducationrsquoInHallinanM(ed)Frontiers in Sociology of Education Frontiers in Sociology and Social ResearchDordrechtNetherlandsSpringer127ndash62
London Review of Education 23
CamdenCouncil(2016)lsquoCamdenpartnershipforeducationalexcellencersquoOnlinewwwcamdengovukccmcontenteducationschoolscamden-partnership-for-educational-excellenceen(accessed1April2016)
Camden Education Commission (2011) Camden Education Commission Final report London CamdenChildrenrsquosTrustPartnershipBoardandLondonBoroughofCamden
CheungWMandWongWY(2014)lsquoDoeslessonstudyworkAsystematicreviewontheeffectsoflessonstudyandlearningstudyonteachersandstudentsrsquo International Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies3(2)137ndash49
CoburnCPenuelWandGeilK(2013)Research-Practice Partnerships A strategy for leveraging research for educational improvement in school districtsNewYorkWilliamTGrantFoundation
Cohen-Vogel LTichnor-WagnerAAllenD Harrison C Kainz K SocolAR andWangQ (2015)lsquoImplementingeducationalinnovationsatscaleTransformingresearchersintocontinuousimprovementscientistsrsquoEducational Policy29(1)257ndash77
Department for Children Schools and Families (DCSF) (2008) The National Strategies Strengthening transfers and transitions Partnerships for progressOnlinehttpderaioeacuk74641str_tt_prtnshp_prgrss08308pdf(requiressubscriptionaccessed5September2013)
DepartmentforEducation(2011)How do Pupils Progress During Key Stages 2 and 3ResearchreportDFE-RR096 Online wwwgovukgovernmentuploadssystemuploadsattachment_datafile182413DFE-RR096pdf(accessed1April2013)
Dudley P (2011) lsquoLesson study development in England From school networks to national policyrsquoInternational Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies1(1)85ndash100
ndashndash (2014) Lesson Study A handbook Online httplessonstudycoukwp-contentuploads201401new-handbook-early-years-edition2014-versionpdf(accessed21July2014)
EarleyPandPorrittV(2013)lsquoEvaluatingtheimpactofprofessionaldevelopmentTheneedforastudent-focusedapproachrsquoProfessional Development in Education40(1)112ndash29doi101080194152572013798741
EvangelouMTaggartBSylvaKMelhuishESammonsPandSiraj-BlatchfordI(2008)What Makes a Successful Transition from Primary to Secondary School NottinghamDCSF
FieldingMBraggSCraigJCunninghamIErautMGillinsonSHorneMRobinsonCandThorpJ(2005)lsquoFactorsinfluencingthetransferofgoodpracticersquoOnlinehttpderaioeacuk210011RR615pdf(accessed21July2014)
GaltonMGrayJandRudduckJ(1999)The Impact of School Transitions and Transfers on Pupil Progress and Attainment NottinghamDepartmentforEducationandEmployment
GeroG(2015)lsquoTheprospectsoflessonstudyintheUSTeachersupportandcomfortwithinadistrictcultureofcontrolrsquoInternational Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies4(1)7ndash25
GutierrezKandPenuelW(2014)lsquoRelevancetopracticeasacriterionforrigorrsquoEducational Researcher43(1)19ndash23
LeithwoodKDayCSammonsPHarrisAandHopkinsD(2006) Successful School Leadership What it is and how it influences student learning Researchreport800 LondonDepartmentforEducationandSkills
LewisC(2000)lsquoLessonstudyThecoreof JapaneseprofessionaldevelopmentrsquoPaperpresentedatTheAnnualMeetingoftheAmericanEducationalResearchAssociationNewOrleansLA24ndash8April2000
LincolnYandGubaE(1985)Naturalistic InquiryNewburyParkCASagePublicationsLondonBoroughofCamden(2012)Camden Education Commission Final reportOnlinehttpdemocracy
camdengovukdocumentss16322Camden20Education20Commission20Final20Reportpdf(accessed1April2013)
McGeeCWardRGibbons J andHarlowA (2004)Transition to Secondary School A literature reviewHamiltonNewZealandTheUniversityofWaikato
PenuelW FishmanBHauganC and SabelliN (2011)lsquoOrganizing research anddevelopment at theintersectionoflearningimplementationanddesignrsquoEducational Researcher40(7)331ndash7
PenuelWSunMFrankKandGallagherA(2012)UsingsocialnetworkanalysistostudyhowinteractionscanaugmentteacherlearningfromexternalprofessionaldevelopmentrsquoAmerican Journal of Education119(1)103ndash36
Shepherd J andRokerD (2005)lsquoAn evaluation of aldquotransition to secondary schoolrdquo project run bytheNationalPyramidTrustrsquoOnline wwwyoungpeopleinfocusorguk_assetsphpreportphpfile=37(accessed4September2013)
StollL(2012) lsquoStimulatinglearningconversationsrsquoProfessional Development Today14(4)6ndash12
24 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
StollLandBrownC(2015)lsquoMiddleleadersascatalystsforevidence-informedchangersquoInBrownC(ed)Leading the Use of Research and Evidence in SchoolsLondonIOEPress
StollLandFinkD(1996)Changing Our SchoolsBuckinghamOpenUniversityPressTree J(2011)lsquoWhathelpsstudentswithchallengingbehaviourmakeasuccessfultransfertosecondary
schoolrsquoDEdPsydissUniversityCollegeLondonInstituteofEducationTschannen-MoranM(2004)Trust Matters Leadership for successful schoolsSanFranciscoCAJossey-BassVanderlinde R and van Braak J (2010)lsquoThe gap between educational research and practiceViews of
teachers school leaders intermediariesandresearchersrsquoBritish Educational Research Journal36 (2)299ndash316
Related articles published in the London Review of Education
In this issue
ThispaperwaspublishedinaspecialfeatureoneducationinLondoneditedbyTamjidMujtabaTheotherarticlesinthefeatureareasfollows(linksunavailableattimeofpublication)
Cajic-SeigneurMandHodgsonA(2016)lsquoAlternativeeducationalprovision inanareaofdeprivation inLondonrsquoLondon Review of Education14(2)25ndash37
JerrimJandWynessG(2106)lsquoBenchmarkingLondoninthePISArankingsrsquoLondon Review of Education14(2)38ndash65
MujtabaT(2016)EditoriallsquoEducationinLondonChallengesandopportunitiesforyoungpeoplersquoLondon Review of Education14(2)1ndash3
MujtabaT and Reiss M (2016)lsquoGirls in the UK have similar reasons to boys for intending to studymathematics post-16 thanks to the support and encouragement they receiversquo London Review of Education14(2)66ndash82
StandishAHawleyT andWillyT (2016)lsquoThe LondonGeographyAlliance Re-connecting the schoolsubjectwiththeuniversitydisciplinersquoLondon Review of Education14(2)83ndash103
WrightP(2016)lsquoSocialjusticeinthemathematicsclassroomrsquoLondon Review of Education14(2)104ndash18
By the same authors
BrownC(2013)lsquoCritiqueandcomplexityPresentingamoreeffectivewaytoconceptualisetheknowledgeadoptionprocessrsquoLondon Review of Education11(1)32ndash45
BrownCandRogersS(2014)lsquoMeasuringtheeffectivenessofknowledgecreationasameansoffacilitatingevicence-informedpracticeinearlyyearssettingsinoneLondonboroughrsquoLondon Review of Education12(3)245ndash60
Elsewhere in the journal
LevinB(2011)lsquoMobilisingresearchknowledgeineducationrsquoLondon Review of Education9(1)15ndash26OakleyA(2003)lsquoResearchevidenceknowledgemanagementandeducationalpracticeEarlylessonsfrom
asystematicapproachrsquoLondon Review of Education1(1)21ndash33WatkinsC(2005)lsquoClassroomsaslearningcommunitiesAreviewofresearchrsquoLondon Review of Education
3(1)47ndash64
London Review of Education 7
Setting and context
TheCamdenPartnershipforEducationalExcellence(CPEE)wassetupinApril2012withthevision tomake the LondonBoroughofCamden lsquothe best borough for educationrsquo (CamdenCouncil2016)The CPEEaimhasbeentodriveforwardtherecommendationsoftheCamdenEducation Commission (London Borough of Camden 2012) which highlighted key issuesand opportunities forCamden schools in the light of the changes to the English educationlandscape In 2013 theCPEE board invited schools colleges partners and stakeholders tobidforfundsfromapound2millionpotsetuptosupport innovativeprojectscentredonraisingachievement and attainment and in particular to findways of improving outcomes for theboroughrsquosmostvulnerablegroupsofstudentsAkeyrequirementoftheCPEErsquosbidcallwasthatschoolimprovementprojectsshouldbebasedonthelessonstudyapproachThisfollowedtheappointmenttotheCamdenLocalAuthorityCPEEboardofastaunchlessonstudyadvocatewhohadbeeninvolvedintheprocessforanumberofyearsbothintheUKandabroad(seeDudley2014)
AkeyfindingfromtheCamdenEducationCommissionrsquosfinalreportwasthatparticularlyforvulnerablestudentslsquotransitionarrangements[withinCamden]atpresentarenotconsistentlygoodenoughrsquo(20115)correspondinglyitarguedthatenhancingtheseshouldbeacentralfocusofimprovementeffortsmovingforwardInparticularitsuggestedthatthereshouldbeabetterunderstandingbetweenyear6andyear7teachers(teachersofstudentsaged11ndash12)of thepedagogyandpracticeofteachingandlearningineachotherrsquosinstitutionswhichwouldassistthembothinpreparingstudentsforsuccessandinsupportingstudentstoflourishintheirnewenvironments(201136)InresponsetothereportandtheinvitationbytheCPEEboardfororganizationstobidforfundingforprojectscolleaguesfromHaverstockSchool(Camden)andtheInstituteofEducationUniversityCollegeLondon(IOE)teameduptodevelopaprojectthatmightservetoaddresssomeofthecommissionrsquosconcernsinrelationtotransition
OurfirststepwastoundertakeareviewoftheinternationalliteratureontheissueofprimarytosecondarytransitionSeekingoutliteratureempiricalstudiesandmeta-analysesrelatingtoschoolsystemsbroadlysimilar tothatofEnglandandWales (eg theUSACanadaAustraliaNewZealand etc) involved the use of databases (JSTOR ERICWeb of Knowledge BritishEducationIndex)theIOElibrary(includingdoctoralandmasterrsquostheses)andrecommendationsonseminalliteratureprovidedbycolleaguesOverallthisresultedinatotalof21studiesbeingreviewed
FollowingthereviewweconnectedkeythemesandfindingsemergingfromtheliteraturetopreviousinitiativescarriedoutinCamden(throughconsultationwithCPEEstaffaswellaswithheadteachersandteachersfromschoolswithintheborough)CorrespondinglywedecidedtocentreourproposedbidtoCPEEontheneedforpedagogiccontinuity(Galtonet al1999McGeeet al 2004Evangelouet al2008)InotherwordssinceourdiscussionsindicatedthatthesocialandemotionalaspectsoftransitionseemedalreadywellcateredforwedecidedtoconcentrateonanareathatwasrecognizedasimportantbutintermsoftheCamdencontextwhererelativelylittleefforthadyetbeenplacedThatisfromourdiscussionswithstakeholdersitwassuggested that thegreatest impacton transitionmightemerge fromthedevelopmentofcommonapproachestoteachingEnglishandscience(prioritysubjectareasdeterminedbyCPEE)
Asaresult theHaverstockPrimarytoSecondaryTransitionProjectwasconceivedwiththepurposeofbringingtogetherprimaryandsecondaryteachersfromtheLondonBoroughof Camden in order that they might employ lesson study to develop effective cross-phasepedagogicalapproachesstrategiestoteaching Englishliteracyandscienceinordertosupportthetransitionofyear5toyear8 studentsInparticulartheprojectfocusedonthoselsquovulnerablersquo
8 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
studentsmostatriskintermsoftheirprogresspost-transitionHereweconsiderlsquovulnerabilityrsquoascontingentonpupilsrsquoabilitytomakeasuccessfulacademicsocialandemotionaltransitionfromyear6toyear7InparticularwefocusonpupilsentitledtofreeschoolmealsandwhiteBritishstudents(closingthegapforwhiteworking-classstudentsisahighprioritybothwithinCamdenLocalAuthorityandwithintheEnglishcontext)Wealsosoughttoincludemoreablepupilsnotfulfillingtheirpotential
JointlydirectedbycolleaguesfromHaverstockSchoolandtheIOEthespecificaimsoftheprojectweretoimprovestudentandteacheroutcomesinrelationto
bull more robust challenging and innovative ndash but also consistent ndash pedagogic practiceatnationalcurriculum levels1ndash8 inEnglishandscience (levelsrepresenthowpupilsprogressinrelationtoEnglandrsquosnationalcurriculumDepartmentforEducation2011)inyears567and8(ages10throughto13)
bull sharedteacherconfidenceusingthesepracticesintheirsubjectinEnglishandsciencefromlevels1to8
bull improved rates of progress and attainment for lsquovulnerablersquo pupils within each ofyears 3ndash8(ages8throughto13)
bull agroupofteachersabletouselessonstudyapproachestoimproveclassroompracticeandimpactonstandardsthusbuildingtransferablecapacity
Theprojectcomprisedapilotandmainphasewiththelatterinvolving18practitionersfromnineschoolsengagedinninelessonstudysessionsthroughoutthecourseoftheacademicyearandthreeworkshopsFurtherdetailsontheparticipantsaresetoutinTable1(anditshouldbe noted that individually noneof the participants hadworked together before)Adetailedoverviewofwhateachworkshopcomprisedissetoutinthefollowingsections
Table 1 Participantcharacteristics
Primary teachers
Secondary teachers
Total
FocusingonEnglish 5 4 9
Focusingonscience 7 2 9
Total 12 6 18
Methods
A DBR approach to lesson study
PrimaryandsecondaryschoolshavetheirownparticularwaysofworkingandwhenconsideringtheteachingofindividualsubjectssuchasEnglishorsciencethesearenotnecessarilywellsuitedtofosteringcross-phasecollaborationForinstanceprimaryteacherswillteachallsubjectstoonecohortofpupils foranentireyear IncontrastsecondaryschoolteacherswillspecializebysubjectareaandsowillteachthatonesubjecttoanumberofdifferentclassesInadditionusinglessonstudyisanewphenomenoninEnglishschoolsandusingitinacross-phaseway(totackleissuesoftransition)israretonon-existentBearinginmindtheparticularwaysofworkingofeachphasendashandthatneithertheresearchersnorpractitionersinvolvedintheprojecthadengagedinlessonstudyactivitybeforendashitwasdecidedthatapilotphaseoffivemonthswithasmallgroupofschoolsberuntoallowresearchersandpractitionerstocollaborateintrialling
London Review of Education 9
theapproachandascertaininghowitmightbestbemadefit forpractice inotherwords toenableaDBRapproachtothedevelopmentandimplementationofthelessonstudymodelforthisprojectCorrespondinglyinkeepingwithAndersonandShattuck(2012)theprojectteam(ieparticipatingteachersfromtheseschoolstheAssistantHeadprojectleadfromHaverstockSchoolandresearchersandfacilitatorsfromtheIOE)soughtasacollaborativepartnershiptodesign testandrefinecross-phase lessonstudy inarealeducationalcontextwithaviewtomeetingtheprojectrsquosaimandestablishingabasisforitsfutureroll-out
Developing a theory of action for lesson study
AkeyaspectofemployingaDBRapproachwas theestablishmentofa theoryofaction forlesson study that is to determinewhich aspects of lesson studywere an integral part of alogicalchainleadingtoimprovedstudentoutcomesandwhichweremoreopentocontextualmanipulation(ArgyrisandSchoumln1996)AmutuallydevelopedtheoryofactionhasbeenshowntohavesignificantlypositiveimpactsontheeffectivenessofinterventionstheyrelatetoandsoisavitalaspectofDBRAsnotedaboveitisarguedthatasaformofJPDlessonstudyinvolvescollaborativeengagementthatservestoopenupandsharepractices(Cohen-Vogelet al2015)Assuchthedevelopmentofourtheoryofactionforlessonstudycentredonhowadultscanlearnfromandbuilduponthebestpracticeoftheirpeersthroughinteraction
Inordertofacilitatethetypeofinteractivelearningweenvisagedweturnedtotheliteratureonprofessional learningcommunities Inparticularwe lookedat thenatureandstructureofthelsquolearningconversationsrsquothattakeplaceaspartofprofessionallearningcommunityactivityDescribedaslsquotheway thateducatorsmakemeaning togetherand jointlycomeupwithnewinsightsandknowledgethat leadto intentionalchangetoenhancetheirpracticeandstudentlearningrsquo (Stoll 2012 6) learning conversations comprise considered thoughtful (rather thansuperficial)discussionandchallenge focusedonmattersof teachingpracticewhichconsiderevidenceofactualandpotential formsofpracticeandwhichareundertakenwithaviewtodevelopingbothimprovedpracticeandasaresultoutcomesforstudents
Movingdeeper into this area Stoll (20126ndash11) suggests that the following features arecharacteristicofhigh-qualitylearningconversationsbetweenadults(1)afocusonevidenceandideas(includingbothexistingandeffectivepracticewithintheschoolnetwork)andalsopotentialinnovations and transformations (eg creativeways to engage learners and extend learning)(2)experienceandexternalknowledgetheorytostimulatereflectionchallengethestatusquoandextendthinking(3)theuseofprotocolsandtoolstoframelearningconversationsmoreclearlyandguidelinesthathelpparticipantsstructuretheirdialogueandinterrogateevidenceorideasand(4)facilitationtoelicitandsupportintellectualexchangeaswellasmaintainingopendialogue
Operationalizing lesson study
These fourelements plus the four stepsoutlinedearlier thus formed thebasis forhowweinitiallysoughttostructureandoperationalizelessonstudyactivityAsaresultitwasdecidedbytheprojectteamthatthepilotphaseshouldcommencewithaone-dayfacilitatedworkshopin which practitioners held data-informed discussions about the key issues their vulnerablestudentsfacedinrelationtoEnglishliteracyandsciencePriortotheworkshoptheAssistantHeadprojectleadfromHaverstockSchoolandresearchersandfacilitatorsfromtheIOEspentadaydevelopingprotocolsandtools to facilitate learningconversationsandplanningactivitywithintheworkshop(basedonapproachesusedbyStollegseeStollandBrown2015)Using
10 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
theseparticipantsworkedthroughaseriesofactivitiesdesignedtohelpthemdecideupononefocusarea(atopicbeingtaughtthatencapsulatedtheissue)andtoalsothinkaboutacommonapproachtoteachingthetopicinrelationtotheconceptthattriadscouldadoptimplementanditerativelyimproveFollowingthisparticipantswereaskedtoidentifythreestudentswithineachschoolwhorepresentedthefocus(vulnerable)studentsandtothencollaborativelyplanthefirstresearchlessonthatwouldbetaughtobserved
Inkeepingwith thenotion that it is expertisewith respect to a given intervention thatenablespractitionerstotailorinterventionstotheirspecificsituationandthatthedevelopmentofexpertiseinvolvesbothaspectsofeffectivelearningandsustainedskillrefinement(iepractice)(seeBryket al2011Penuelet al2012BrownandRogers2015)thepilotphasetheninvolvedthreefulllessonstudydaysTheseinvolvedpractitioners
(1) revisitingthepurposeofthelessonandthefocusareathatitlinkedto(2) beingtalkedthrough(bytheteacherwhowasteachingbeingobserved)eachphaseof
thelessonandwhatitsaimsandgoalswere(3) observinghowthelessonworkedinpractice(withafocusonthecasechildren)(4) interviewingthecasechildrenfortheirperspectivesontheissues(5) undergoingafacilitateddiscussiontoevaluatethelessonbasedonobservationsand
datacollection(6) buildingonwhathadhappened(iecollaborativelyestablishinglsquohowtorsquo)andplanning
forthenextlessonstudyresearchclass
Againbeforethefirst lessonstudydaytheprojectteamspentadaytogethercollaborativelydevelopingprotocolstoolsandanoutlineforthedaytofacilitatethelessonstudyprocessThelessonstudyactivitywasalsoobservedbytheprojectteaminordertogiveusanunderstandingofhowitwasbeingenacted
Collaboratively reviewing and improving lesson study activity
ThroughoutthepilotphasetimeandspacewerecreatedtoenableresearchersandpractitionerstodeliberateanddiscusswhateachhadlearnedandtheirexperiencesinrelationtolessonstudyThroughthisdialogicprocesswewereabletoconstructcommonunderstandingandmeaningwithregardtobothaspectsoftheprocessandintermsoftheuseoftoolsandprotocolstofacilitatetheprocessAsaresultwewerethenabletounderstandwhichaspectsoftheapproachwere successful inhelpingparticipantsdevelop theirpracticeand improveoutcomes for themostvulnerableandwhichappearedtoprovidelimitedvalueInotherwordsasGutierrezandPenuel (201420)suggestlsquo[s]tudying theldquosocial lifeof interventionsrdquo [helpedus]moveawayfromimagininginterventionsasfixedpackagesofstrategieswithreadilymeasurableoutcomesandtowardsmoreopen-endedsocialorsociallyembeddedexperimentsthatinvolveongoing[ieiterative]mutualengagementrsquoToensurethelearningfromthepilotphasewascarriedoverintothemainprojectattheendofthethreelessonstudydaysaone-dayworkshopwasheldsothatthemainphasecouldbecollaborativelydevelopedAspectshereincludedthegroupingandsequencingoflessonstudydaysthroughouttheyear(bearinginmindthedistinctwaysofworkingthateachphaseofschoolinghas)thenature(runningorder)ofeachlessonstudydaythenatureofthetoolsandprotocolstobeemployedaspartofeachmainphaselessonstudysessionandhowimpactshouldbeconceivedofandmeasured(seebelow)
Whatwasalsoviewedas importantbybothparticipantsandtheprojectteamhoweverwasthataswescaledtheprojectupfrompilottomainphasethedialogicprocessthatenabledustounderstandanditerativelyimprovetheoperationoflessonstudycouldcontinueatscale
London Review of Education 11
PerhapsoneofthemainissuesoftheDBRapproachascurrentlyconceivedisthatit isveryresearcher intensive in other words it requires researchers working intensively with smallnumbersofpractitionersWewerethusconcernedwithfindingwaysofexamininghowtheDBRapproachcouldhaveimpactformaximalnumbersofteachersToovercomethispractitionersand researchers jointly agreed on the need for distributed ownership ifDBR at scale is anunmanageabletaskforresearchersalonethenresearcherscannotbetheonlyactorsinvolvedincreatingmeaningndashpractitionersexperiencedinthedeliberativeprocessshouldalsobeabletomovebeyondtheirtraditionalrolesandengage inthiswaytoo(Coburnet al2013)Thisagreeduponapproachtocapacitybuildingthereforemeantthatwewereabletousetheoriginalpilotgroupmembersaspractitioner-researcherswhocouldformnewtriadsandengagewithpractitionersinvolvedintheprojectrsquosmainstageThisfreeduptimefortheresearcherstoworkwithothergroupsoflsquomainstagersquopractitionersndashandbothsetsofresearcherscouldthenmeetperiodically to considerongoing improvements and changes thatneeded tobemade to thelessonstudymethodology
A DBR approach to measuring impact
Vitaltounderstandingtheeffectivenessofourapproachwasameaningfulwaytoassessimpact(Bryket al2011)thatistoseewhetherwemettheaimsoftheprojectOurinitialapproachtomeasuringimpact(whichwastestedduringthepilotproject)involvedpractitionersestablishingcommon understanding and thus alsquobaselinersquo through the analysis of data and insight abouttheir settings current practices and key issues in relation to the teaching of EnglishliteracyandscienceaswellasissuesoftransitioninrelationtothesesubjectsTheyweresubsequentlyinvitedtoestablishwhattheywantedtoachievebytheendoftheprojectandhowtheymightdosondashspecificallyfollowinganapproachsetoutbyEarleyandPorritt(2013)ndashandlsquostartingwiththeendinmindrsquo(thegoaltheywishedtoachieve)practitionerswereaskedhowtheymightdevelopteachingstrategies(basedonacommonfocusarea)thatmightbeobservedandrefinedviaaprocessoflessonstudytoreachadesiredendpoint(ieonethatwouldtackletheseissues)
GutierrezandPenuel (2014) argue thatpartnershipapproaches to impactmeasurementare also likely to result in more robust and nuanced understandings of the differences aninterventionhashadThistooprovedtobethecaseforthisprojectInparticularitbecameclearthatndashbecausepractitionerswereengagingincross-phaseapproachestopedagogyandsohadtodevelopacommonissueanddecideonatopicsubjectmatterthatencapsulatedtheissuebeingtaughtndashinessencealsquonaturalrsquobaselinedatadidnotexistInotherwordsaskingteachersndashwhoteachatdifferentstagesofthecurriculumandwhoteachdifferentagegroupsindifferentschoolsndashtocollaboraterequiredthemtofindalevelofcommonalitythatordinarilydidnotexistThismeantthatbaselinedatacouldnotbeascertainedinadvanceofthelessonstudybuthadtobeascertainedasadirectresultofthelessonstudyprocessthefirstlessonbecamethebaselineforpractitionerone the second study forpractitioner two and soonThis alsomeant thatbothbaselineandpedagogicapproachesalsonecessarilydevelopedasaresultofcollaborativeactivity that ispractitioner tworsquos approach to teaching the lesson studyclass shouldbenefitfromengaginginthelessonstudyrelatedtopractitioneroneandsoonBaselinesandstartingapproaches to implementing the strategywere thus relative Similarly desired endpoints andimprovementstowardsthesecouldonlybesetandorcomparedinabsolutetermsfromeachpractitionerrsquosstartingposition
Inadditionthismeantthattheimpactprocessmovingforwardnecessarilyhadtoinvolvetwostagesthefirststagebeforelessonstudyactivityinvolvedeachtriadestablishinganissueanddecidingonamutualtopicorlessontoteach(andhowitshouldbetaught)Desiredimpact
12 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
(the future goal to be aimed at) however couldonly be established after each baseline hadbeenestablishedcorrespondinglyaswiththepilotakeyaspectofthemainstagekick-offwasto ensure that themain stage participants discussed (in their lesson study triads) commondifficultiesandissuesinrelationtotheteachingofEnglishliteracyandscienceinthecontextof transition and that they identified areas for improvementTriads then decided upon onefocusarea(atopicbeingtaughtthatencapsulatedtheissue)andtoalsothinkaboutacommonapproachtoteachingthetopicthatmight inrelationtothe issue leadto improvedteachingpracticesandstudentoutcomesWealsoengagedparticipantswithwaysofunderstandingandmeasuringbothbaselineandimpactspecificallyweintroducedthemtoamyriadofhardandsoftdata types (fromstudentoutcomes toobservationsofpractice) andwaysofmeasuringbaselineandimpactsuchasthelsquoLeuvenrsquoscaleParticipantstheneachidentifiedthreecasestudychildrenandcollaborativelyplannedthefirstlessonstudyclassFollowingkick-offforthefirstthreelessonstudyclassesthemainstageparticipantsobservedpracticeandstudentbehavioursaswellascollectingengagingwithotherpupildata
AfurtherworkshopwasheldafterthefirstthreetoenableparticipantstocometogetherandestablishafirmbaselineforthethreepupilsforeachoftheteachersintheirtrioHavingestablished this baseline they then determinedwhat they would like practice to be (ie toestablishtheir ideal)ParticipantsthenspenttheremainderoftheworkshopcollaboratingtofurtherrefinethepedagogicapproachesthatmightgetthemtothisidealThismeantthatlessonstudysessionsfourtoninewerestructuredusingthesixstepsasdiscussedabovewithlessonstudysessionsusedtoascertainwhetherpracticeandoutcomeswereprogressingtowardstheirideal impact goal inorder todecidewhethercorrectivechanges in approachwererequired(Bryket al2011)
A finalworkshopwas then held to enable trios to bring together the endline data forthe project and so establish a firm impact picture specifically in relation to the aimsof theprojectHereprotocolsweredevelopedbytheprojectteamtocapturedatathatemergedfromthelearningconversationsheldwithintheworkshopsSpecificallyproformaswerecreatedtohelpparticipantsrecordtheirresponsestothefollowingquestions(1)Howhasyourpracticechangedasaresultofthisprojectand(2)WhathaveyoulearnedaboutlessonstudyandhowtouseittodevelopteachingpracticeWealsodevelopedaproformatorecordtheperceiveddifferences inpupiloutcomesbetweenthestartandendoftheproject(alongwithevidencefromthetriadastowhytheseassessmentsweremade)
Results
Asoutlinedabovetheaimsoftheprojectweretoachieve
bull morerobustchallengingandinnovativendashbutalsoconsistentndashpedagogicpracticeatnationalcurriculumlevels1ndash8inEnglishandscience
bull sharedteacherconfidenceusingthesepracticesbull improved rates of progress and attainment for lsquovulnerablersquo pupils within each of
years 3ndash8(ages8throughto13)bull agroupofteachersabletouselessonstudyapproachestoimproveclassroompractice
andimpactonstandardsthusbuildingtransferablecapacity
To understand how successfulwe had been in relation to eachof these in the final impactworkshopweworkedwithparticipantstoaddressthefollowingthreequestions
bull Howhasyourpracticechangedasaresultofthisprojectbull Whatimpacthasthischangedpracticehadonpupils
London Review of Education 13
bull What have you learned about lesson study and how to use it to develop teachingpractice
Impact on teacher practice
Webeganthefinalworkshopbyfirstaskingparticipantstoengageinalearningconversationcentred on how their practice had changed as a result of their participation in the projectAll teachers participated in the exercise andused the pro formaoutlined above to indicatewhethertherehadbeenanychangeintheirpracticeWhenanalysingtheresults itwasclearthatresponsesdividednaturallyinto(1)changesinknowledgeunderstandingintermsofhowfocuspupilslearn(2)changesinpracticeand(3)whychangesinpracticearemakingadifferenceExamplesoftheverbatimresponsesaresetoutinTable2whichencapsulatesthemainthemesthatemergedAcommonfocusacrossallgroupswashowtheymightemploylsquotalkforwritingrsquondashaprocesswherechildrenorallyengagewiththelanguagetheyneedforaparticulartopicbeforereadingandanalysingitthenwritingtheirownversionPotentiallythecommonalityofthisfocusderivedfromlsquotalkforwritingrsquobeingahottopicwithinCamdenduringthetimeoftheprojectAsaresultthiscouldbeareasonwhythemajorityofteacherparticipantshadbroadlyfocusedontalkandthebalancewithintheirlessonsbetweentalkingandwritingaswellasontheuseofpairingandgroupinginordertofacilitatethis
Table 2 ExampleresponsestothequestionlsquoHowhasyourpracticechangedasaresultofthisprojectrsquo
Question Responses
Changesinknowledgeunderstandingintermsofhowfocuspupilslearn
bull lsquoHowdifficultitistounderstandscientifictermsandconceptswithoutcontextrsquo
bull lsquoThebenefitsofusingascriptforpeerfeedbackrsquobull lsquoPupilsneedstructuredtalkwithwell-chosenpartnersrsquobull lsquoPupilfindkeywordsdifficulttouseinapieceofwritingeven
iftheyunderstandthemeaningofthewordsitisdifficulttolinkmorescientificwordstogetherrsquo
bull lsquoGroupingcanmakeabigdifferencetolearningrsquosimilarlylsquoPartnersreallymakeadifferencetotheoutcomersquo
Changesinpractice bull Rehearsalofkeynewscientificvocabularybull Useofspeakingandwritingframesbull Makinglessonsmoreoralandgivingmoreoralscaffoldsbull lsquo[Providing]moretimetotalkandthinkaboutwhatthey
wanttowritersquobull lsquoMixingtalkpartnerssochildrenareworkingwithdifferent
partnersrsquo
Whychangesinpracticearemakingadifference
bull Pupilslikespeakingframesaslsquoitgivesthemastartingpointtostructuretheirspeechrsquo
bull lsquoMakingspeechahighpriorityresultsinmuchbetteroutcomesrsquo
bull lsquoSpendingmoretimelearningnewvocabulary[meansthatpupilsarebetterat]unpickingmeaningsandprocessesrsquo
bull Partneringlowerachievingchildreneitherwithhigherachievingormiddleachievingpupilsreallymakesadifferenceasthehigherabilitychildrenchallengepushandstretchthelowerachievers
14 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
Pupil impact
WehavedescribedabovethatinkeepingwiththeDBRunderpinningsoftheprojectparticipantswere able to determinewhat changes theywanted to see in their pupils as a result of theprojectandhowthesemightbemeasuredAssuchavarietyofmetricswereusedtoascertainimpactrangingfromteacherobservationsandmarkingtotheirexpertiseandknowledgeofthechildBecauseparticipantspredominantlychosenottouselsquohardrsquoattainmentdatainordertoexamineimpactacrossallparticipantswehadtofindacommonwayofderivingandpresentingwhatimpactifanyresultedfromtheprojectTodothisweaskedparticipantsworkingintheirtriadstoscoreeachoftheirthreefocuschildren(inrelationtothefocusoraimsoftheirtriadandinrelationtothedatatheyweremeasuring)bothintermsoftheirlsquoperformancersquoatthebeginningoftheprojectandattheendScoresbothatthebeginningandendwereoutoftenandparticipantstriadshadtoprovidesupportingevidenceforselectingtheirscoresAsaresultthisprovidedresearcherswithperceptionsofpupilimpactandreasonsfortheseperceptionsbecauseallpupilimpactperceptionswerescoredinthesamewayhoweverwewerealsoabletonormalizethesescoresbylookingatthepercentagedifferencesinthelsquobeforersquoandlsquoafterrsquoscoresThescoresandrangesofthesedifferencesaresetoutinFigure1whereasTable3providesadistributionofthepercentagescoresAfulltableofresponsesshowingbeforeandafterscoresandreasonsevidencefortheseisprovidedintheAppendix
Figure 1 Pupilsbeforeandafterscoresandpercentagechange
London Review of Education 15
Table 3 Distributionofpercentagechangeinpupilsbeforeandafterscores
Question Number Percentage
Greaterthan100change 3 7
91ndash100change 7 17
81ndash90change 0 0
71ndash80change 4 10
61ndash70change 1 2
51ndash60change 0 0
41ndash50change 6 14
31ndash40change 12 29
21ndash30change 2 5
11ndash20change 1 2
1ndash10change 0 0
Nochange 4 10
Pupilsdroppedout 2 5
Total 42 100
TheblockedareainFigure1representsthestudentperformancescoresatthebeginningoftheprojectwhilethecontinuouslinerepresentstheirscoresatprojectendThedotsmeanwhilerepresentthepercentagedifference(iethechangeinpupilperformancesincethestartoftheproject)Ascanbeseenofthe42focusgrouppupilsforwhomteachersprovideddatateachersreported a change in the behavioursattitudesoutcomes of all but six For some pupils thischangewassubstantiveAssetoutinTable3whichprovidesthedistributionofthesepercentagechangesteacherssuggestthatfortenpupilstheirperformancehadeffectivelydoubledormore(ietherewasa100percent(orgreater)changeintheirscore)Thebiggestsingleimprovementhowevertendedtobebetween30and40percent Inthemainthiswascausedbylsquoaveragersquopupils(scoring5ndash6)nowscoringtwopointshigher(7ndash8)orbyinitiallylowperformingpupilsndashwhooriginallyscored3ndashincreasingtheirperformancescoreto4
Naturallyintheabsenceofhardandobjectiveattainmentdataweneedtobecircumspectin the levelofsignificanceaffordedtowhataresubjectivelydeterminedresultsNonethelesssupportingevidencewasprovidedandthefiguresweretriangulatedwithothermembersofthetriad(whowerethemselvesengagedinprolongedobservationofthesepupils)Inadditionnotallpupilswerereportedashavingbenefitedfromtheproject fourpupils(10percent)werereportedasnotbenefitingatallwhileafurthertwodroppedoutoftheschooltheywereinConsideringLincolnandGubarsquos(1985)criteriaforestablishingthetrustworthinessofsubjectivedatathereforealthoughtheexactchangeinpupilsrsquoperformancescanbedebatedtheresearchteamhaveconfidencethatsomepositiveimpactonpupilshastakenplacendashandthatthisimpactcanbeattributabletotheprojectItshouldalsobenotedthatthisdatarelatestothethreepupils(perclass)representingwidergroupsofinterestsuchasvulnerablechildren(Dudley2011)Intheorythentheimpactoftheprojectshouldstretchbeyondthe42childrenanalysedherebutwedonothavedatatosubstantiatesuchaclaim
16 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
Learning about lesson study
FinallyweaskedparticipantstoanswerthefollowingquestionlsquoWhathaveyoulearnedaboutlessonstudyandhowtouseittodevelopteachingpracticersquoResponsesheredividednaturallyintothebenefitsandchallengesofusinglessonstudyandaresetoutinTable4
Table 4 Benefitsandchallengestousinglesson study (responsetoquestionlsquoWhathaveyoulearnedaboutlesson studyandhowtouseittodevelopteachingpracticersquo)
Question Responses
lsquoWhathaveyoulearnedaboutlessonstudyandhowtouseittodevelopteachingpracticersquo(Benefits)
bull lsquoObservingcolleaguesteachandpickingupideasstrategiessharingpracticeetcinrelationtoprimarytosecondarytransitionsrsquo
bull lsquoSharinggoodpractice[andfacilitateideasgeneration]rsquobull lsquoObservingin[other]schoolsandseeingthedifferencebetween
teachinginprimaryandsecondaryschoolsrsquobull lsquoChancetoseeotherCamdenclassesofthesameagersquobull lsquoIgetabetterunderstandingofhowImightstretchmoreable
year7studentsrsquobull lsquoExposuretootherteachersrsquostylesandpracticesrsquobull lsquoSupportivefeedbackandobservationsfromcolleaguesrsquobull Perspectiveseglsquothatyouwouldnotbeabletopickupabout
yourchildrenrsquoslearningfromthefrontoftheclassrsquoandlsquoafocusonchildrenwhomightslipunderteachersrsquoradarrsquosimilarlylsquohavingothersbeingabletowatchthechildrenhellip[and]noticingsomething[youhadnrsquot]rsquo
bull lsquoBecauseitrsquosplannedcollaborativelyyougettoseeyourworkinactionrsquo
lsquoWhathaveyoulearnedaboutlessonstudyandhowtouseittodevelopteachingpracticersquo(Challenges)
bull TimeeglsquoLotsoftimeoutofschoolrsquobull TimetablinglsquoFindingdatesthataremutuallyconvenientforthe
triorsquobull lsquoIncreasedworkloadinrelationtoplanningpreparingand
hostingthesessionrsquobull lsquoImmediateprogressnot[always]visiblersquobull lsquoNeedsbuy-infromSLTtohavemaximumimpactrsquosimilarly
lsquoLessonstudyislessimportantinsomeschoolsrsquobull lsquo[Thistypeofprocesscannotbeanadd-on]ifitcouldreplace
[currentprogrammeofobservations]wouldbegreatrsquobull lsquoThereisalreadytoomuchtotryandgetthroughinprimaryrsquo
InconsideringthechallengesitcanbeseethatinkeepingwithGero(2015)forlessonstudytobecarriedoutsuccessfullyrequiresthebuy-inandcommitmentofseniorleadersInparticularlessonstudyndashasa formofschool improvementndashneedstobeprioritizedbyschool leadersover other school improvement initiativeswith time and space given to enable teachers tomeaningfullyengageinlessonstudyactivityAswellasthecommentsinTable4thismessageisalsoreinforcedbythefactthatthreeschools(sixteachers)droppedoutafterthefirstlessonstudy citing competing pressures and priorities as well as involvement in too many schoolimprovementinitiativesInpartthisisbecausethebenefitsofengaginginthisapproachwerenotimmediatelyapparent
London Review of Education 17
Significance
From analysing the results it is clear that our approach has been effective in both changingteacherunderstandingandteachingpracticeandbuildingteachercapacitysothatparticipantsareabletoruntheirownprojectsmovingforwardStartingwiththefirstascanbeseeninTable2teacherswereabletoarticulatealogicalchainndashstartingwithwhattheywerelearningabouttheirpupilsthechangestheyweremakinginresponseandendingwithargumentsformakingthesechangesForexampleoneparticipantnotedlsquohowdifficultitis[forpupils]tounderstandscientifictermsandconceptswithoutcontextrsquoasaconsequencetheywerenowrehearsingnewscientificvocabularybecauselsquospendingmoretimelearningnewvocabulary[meansthatpupilsarebetterat]unpickingmeaningsandprocessesrsquoSimilarlyanotherteacherindicatedthatshenowknowsthatlsquopartnersreallymakeadifferencetotheoutcomersquoThiswasbecausethelessonstudyprocesshadhelpedherseethatpartneringlowerachievingchildrenwitheitherhigherachievingormiddleachievingpupilscanleadtothehigherabilitychildrenchallengingpushingandstretchingthelowerachieversAsaresultshewasmuchmoreactivelylsquomixingtalkpartnerssochildrenareworkingwithdifferentpartnersrsquoItseemsclearthereforethatourapproachtolessonstudydevelopedviaaDBRapproachndashwhichactivelypromotesreflectivedialogueviaaprocessof learningconversationsndashhasbeensuccessful inhelpingpractitionersreflectnotonlyonpupillearningbutalsowhatneedstochangeintermsoftheirteachingtofacilitatethislearning
Intermsofcapacitybuildingitisclearthatparticipantssawnotonlythebenefitsofengagingin lesson study but also the challenges that needed to be overcome in order to ensure itseffectiveoperation(Table4)Havingknowledgeof the former(combinedwithexperienceofa number of cycles of lesson study)means that participants now know how best tomakelessonstudyworkforthemInotherwordsbybuildingontheDBRelementoftheprojecttheteachersinvolvedcanensurethatmovingforwardtheytailorhowtheyfocuslessonstudytoachievemaximalbenefitforthemselvesandtheirpupilsLikewiseintermsofrollingouttheirownprogrammeoflessonstudyparticipantswillalsobeawareofthechallengesthatneedtobemetiftheyaretogetmostvaluefromtheprocessTheseincludeinparticulartherequirementtobuy-infromseniorleadersandtheneedforamodelofleadershipwithintheirschoolwhichpromotes the vision for and ensures the fosteringof a cultureof professional developmentbasedoncollaborativepeer-to-peersupport(includingthepromotionofthevaluesrequiredforlearningcommunitiestooperate)Alsokeywillbetheneedforseniorleaderstoprovidethenecessaryresourceandstructures(egtimeandspace)forsustainedandmeaningfullessonstudytobecomeareality(StollandFink1996Leithwoodet al2006)
Ourrevisedapproach tomeasuring impact toohasbeeneffectiveusing teacher-definedmeasuresofimpactprovidesamoreaccuratewayofunderstandingthedifferencethatlessonstudyactivityhasmadeInotherwordsunlikewithattainmentdatandashwhereitwouldbehardtoattributechangesinpupiloutcomesspecificallytolessonstudyactivity(asopposedtootherchangesincontextorintheteachingandlearningenvironment)ndashourapproachenabledteachersto focuson threepupils andhow they responded tovery specificchanges inapproaches topedagogicpracticebasedonanunderstandingandanassessmentofthesepupilsrsquobehavioursandattitudesbothbeforeandaftertheuseofthepracticeImportantlythisimpactdataisalsolsquotriangulatedrsquosincethepractitionerwhoisteachingaswellasthoseobservingmustcometoanagreementastowhathappenedandwhyLikewisethentheoverallperceptionsofimpactscoreswerediscussedandagreeduponintriadsgivingweighttotheirvalidityGiventhisitisencouragingtonotethatmostscoresprovidedsuggest that the lessonstudyapproachdoesimpactpositivelyonpupilbehavioursandattitudestolearningAscanbeseeninTable385per
18 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
centofpupilsbenefitedfromtheirteachersengagingintheprojectwithoverathird(36percent)benefitingbyanincreaseintheirperformancescoreby50percentormore
Summary
FortheHaverstockPrimarytoSecondaryTransitionProjectweemployedaDBRapproachtothedevelopmentand implementationof lessonstudy inordertohelppractitionersexamineandbegintotacklesomeoftheissuesassociatedwithprimarytosecondarytransitionDoingsoenabledtheprojectteamandparticipantstocollaborativelydevelopatheoryofactionfortheprojectwhichenabledustoconsidernotionsoflearningandlearningconversationsaswellasameansofdeliveringlessonstudyinkeepingwiththistheoryofactionAswellasthiswewerealsoabletoestablishawayofmeasuringimpactforsituations(suchaswhenprimaryandsecondaryteachersworkonjointprojects)wherebecausethereisnoday-to-dayinteractionandcollaborationthereisnonaturallyoccurringbaselineandnocommonapproachtopedagogy
InlightoftheaboveweconcludethatusingDBRhasbeenvitalnotonlytothesuccessoftheprojectbutalsotoitslong-termsustainabilityfollowingtheprojectrsquosendHoweverweasresearchershavealsobenefitedfromengaginginDBRforinstancewehavegainedabetterunderstanding of how to engage in lesson study in a cross-phase way In addition the newapproachtomeasuringimpactthatemergedcannowbetriedandtestedinothercontextsascanourrevisedtheoryofactionforandapproachestooperationalizinglessonstudyThatisinkeepingwithAndersonandShattuck(2012)movingforwardwecantakewhatwehavelearnedandcontinuetocollaborativelyanditerativelyrefineourapproachsothatitiseffectiveineachnewcontextweintroduceittothushelpingtoservetoimprovethesystemrsquosoverallcapacityforsustainedchange
Notes on the contributors
ChrisBrown isaSeniorLectureratUCLInstituteofEducationUniversityCollegeLondon(DepartmentforLearningandLeadership) Chrishasextensiveexperienceofleadingarangeoffundedprojectsmanyofwhich seek tohelppractitioners to identify and scaleupbestpractice andwas recently awardedasignificant grant by the Education Endowment Foundation toworkwith over 100 primary schools inEnglandtoincreasetheiruseofresearch
CarolTaylor iscurrentlytheStrategicLeaderforCPDattheLondonCentreforLeadershipinLearningSheworkswithschoolsalliancesandlocalauthoritiesndashboth locallyandnationallyndash insupportingtheprofessionaldevelopmentoftheschoolworkforceCarolrecentlyco-ledtheNationalCollegeTeachingSchools Research and Development project involving over 60 schools across England She is activelyinvolvedinsupportingschoolsacrossLondontoembedpractitionerresearchandenquiryintopractice
LornaPonambalum isascienceteacherandAssistantHeadteacheratHaverstockSchoolCamdenLondonwheresheisalsoDesignatedSafeguardingOfficerLornahasbeeninvolvedinanumberoflessonstudyprojectsincludingtheprojectcoveredinthispaperwhichexaminedapproachestoimproveprimarytosecondarytransition
London Review of Education 19
Appendix Pupiloutcomesatstartandendofprojectwithevidencefromthetriadastowhytheseassessmentsweremade
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
4 Myanalysisoftheirworkbookandmyknowledgeoftheirin-classcontributions
6 Someimprovementswhenthechildismotivated
4 Under-confidentStruggleswhenworkingwithapartner
7 Moreconfidenceofownabilityandrecognizessupportfrompartner
4 AloofIssuesathome 4 Stillstrugglestopayattentionwhenworkinginpairs
5 Struggleswithusingsomeofthekeywords
7 Usesmorekeywordsinherwrittenwork(almostall)Expressingideasinabetterway
4 Struggleswiththekeywords 6 Bettersentencestructureandbetterlinkingofideas
3 Lacksconfidenceinspeakingandwriting
6 MoreconfidenceinverballyansweringquestionsputshandupmoreoftenWritingcanstillbeaproblem
3 NeverraiseshandsRefusedtospeakinpublicNosentencestructure
6 Leftbeforeendofprojectbutwasdemonstratingimprovedvocabularyconfidenceandwrittenwork
4 Notengagedvocabularyandliteraryworkpoor
9 REALLYengagedandimprovementinvocabularyandliterarysentencesimproved
5 Doesnrsquotusevocabularyaccuratelyandnotableintermsofwrittenwork
9 Vocabularyuseismoreaccurateandismuchmoreableintermsofwrittenwork
4 bull Didnotlistenoncarpetortoteachertalk
bull Firstcycleshowssignsofdisengagementinfeedback
bull Writingdifficulttounderstand
7 bull Morefocusedonthetaskonthecarpet
bull Betterqualityofwritingbetterfeedbackascycleprogressed
6 bull Toochattybull Distractedtalkpartnerbull Forgottocheckthroughand
punctuatebull Couldnotpeerassesswell
8 bull Betterlearningbehaviourbull Moreownershipofown
learningandcanselfandpeerassess
6 bull Pronetodistractionbull Unabletofollowaseriesof
instructions
7 bull Handuptoofferideasmorebull Slowlyandcarefullygetson
withataskbull Knowshowtopeerassess
20 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
3 Textsnotproducedwelldistractedanddistractingothers
6 Useofmetalanguagetextsproducedusingappropriategrammar
4 Paucityofideasworknotalwaysmakingsense
7 Takingcontrolofownlearningorganizingideasaboutgrammareffectivelymoreconfidenttostartwritingandproducingcompletetexts
5 Generallackofconfidencedespitebeingahighachiever
7 Textsproducedfullofideasinterviewswithobserversshowconfidencemoreconfidenceinhisideasprovidedheispartneredwithsomeonewhohefindssupportive
5 LackofinvolvementinlessonsPoorwritingandconfusedbymosttasks
7 HavingestablishedthatheappreciatesbeingprobedchallengedbyteachersIdedicatemoretimetoenablinghimtoprocessinformationthroughquestioningHenowoftenstartstasksquickerandtakesmorerisksHeisstillshyanddoesnrsquotusuallyvolunteer
3 Withdrawnndashnevercontributingandoptingoutoftasks
6 TriestasksndashnotalwayswithoutpromptingBeginningtotakerisksandoccasionallyvolunteersideas
7 VerylowconfidenceConsistentlypoorliteracyReluctancetocontributeWrittenworkwaspoorbutreflectedeffortofstudent
9 TriesreallyhardtocompleteworktothebestofherabilityStillrarelycontributesherideas
3 CompletelydisengagedseesnovalueinschoolNotansweringquestionsandtalkingaboutanythingelse
8 Nowfocusesonthefrontputshanduptalksaboutthetopicmostofthetime
6 Easilydistractedwillputhandupbutoftendoesnrsquothaveananswerwhenasked
8 Morefocusedwillstilloftennotlistenoninputbutisabletoasksomeoneelseratherthananadultorjustsittingthere
1 bull Getsoutofseatbull Shoutsoutbull Disturbsothers
na Pupilleftschool
9 Priorattainmentandclassroomobservations
9 Nodifferenceinliteracyattainmentwasconsistent
London Review of Education 21
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
3 Priorattainmentandclassroomobservations
4 Improvedconfidenceincomprehensionandwriting
3 Priorattainmentandclassroomobservations
4 Norealdifferencepossiblyslightlybetteratverbalizing
3 Effortscorelsquo3rsquoinfirstreportLeaningbackonchairnotfocuseddistracted
6 Morefocusmorelikelytoaskforhelpratherthanmisbehave
3 Effortscorelsquo3rsquoinfirstreportDistractingothers
3 NowrarelyinclassndashexclusionabsenceOnoccasionshowsexcellentprogressandcanworkindependently
4 Disengagedonwhole(althoughbaselineobservationswerecarriedoutonalsquogoodrsquoday)Rudenessnottrying
8 ReadingchallengingtextsandlookingupdifficultvocabularyindictionaryFewerdayswhenrefusestowork
3 Severallearningneedsandhashadtroublewithwriting
4 Increasedconfidenceinspellingandwriting(andenthusiasm)ndashespeciallycreativelyContinuestostrugglewithcomprehensionHasmadeprogressaccordingtoassessedwork
5 Asabovealthoughadisparitybetweenqualityandquantityofspokenandwrittenwork
na Haslefttheschool
3 MorewillingtowritethantalkatlengthWritingpoorqualityPoorattentionandbehaviouralissuesasbarrierstolearning
5 HasimprovedappreciablyintermsofspokencontributionstowrittenworkStillpresentsbehaviouralproblemsasmainbarriertoprogressHasmadetwosub-levelsofprogressthisyear(basedonanalysisofclasswork)
6 Readingfictionpooruseofsciencevocab
6 Nothingverydifferent
5 Noattempttousesciencevocab 7 Tryingtousesciencevocab
3 Verypoorengagementwithlargerwrittentasks
7 Betterengagementwithtaskandproductionofhigherlevelworkwithbettervocab
4 Unwillingtodiscusswithinterviewee
5 Writesmoretriestowriteindetailthoughremainsunwillingtoshareideaswritteninclassndashdependentonwork-partner
22 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
4 Willanswerquestionsifverysureofanswer
6 Stillunwillingtoshareideasinclassbutwilluseconnectvocabularyifithasbeenembeddedstronglywithinlesson
4 Notinitiallywillingtoshareknowledgethoughdidcometothefrontofclassandshareideas
6 AbletodiscusswithintervieweeindetailinformationaboutexperimentStillsomewhatunwillingtoshare
5 Hesitanttoshareideasoranswerquestionsunlessspecificallyasked
7 Taskdependent
6 Alwayswillingtoshareideasalthoughnotnecessarilyaccurateformalscientificlanguage
8 Attemptstochoosehiswordswhenansweringquestionswhichisgreateffortfromthisstudent
2 Performancedependingonwhoshepartneredwith
3 Moreefforttotalkingroupshoweverthisisonlyasmallstepstillveryhesitantandseeksreassurancefromothers
3 Quietlyengagedndashlistensbutrarelysharesideas
6 MakingalargerefforttotalkwithinagroupStillhesitanttoshareinfrontofclassunlesssheknowsitrsquosright
6 Veryengagedandwillgenerallytalkandshareideasalthoughnotalwaysusingaccuratelanguage
8 Activelysharingandtalkingideasndashbacksupherstatementsusingreasonscanrejectothersrsquoopinionsandjustifywhy
6 AppearsdisengagedhoweverwithprobingdoesknowtheanswersNotalwaystalkingaboutthesubjectndashdependsonpersonwhoheispartneredwith
9 LovessharingideasconstantlyputtinghandupTriestousescientificlanguagendashnotasengagedinwrittentasks
References
AndersonTandShattuckJ(2012)lsquoDesign-basedresearchAdecadeofprogressineducationresearchrsquoEducational Researcher41(1)16ndash25
ArgyrisCandSchoumlnD(1996)Organizational Learning II Theory method and practice ReadingMAAddison-WesleyPublishingCompany
BrownC andRogers S (2015)lsquoKnowledge creation as an approach to facilitating evidence-informedpracticeExaminingwaystomeasurethesuccessofusingthismethodwithearlyyearspractitionersinCamden(London)rsquoJournal of Educational Change16(1)79ndash99
BrykAGomezL andGrunowA (2011)lsquoGetting ideas intoactionBuildingnetworked improvementcommunitiesineducationrsquoInHallinanM(ed)Frontiers in Sociology of Education Frontiers in Sociology and Social ResearchDordrechtNetherlandsSpringer127ndash62
London Review of Education 23
CamdenCouncil(2016)lsquoCamdenpartnershipforeducationalexcellencersquoOnlinewwwcamdengovukccmcontenteducationschoolscamden-partnership-for-educational-excellenceen(accessed1April2016)
Camden Education Commission (2011) Camden Education Commission Final report London CamdenChildrenrsquosTrustPartnershipBoardandLondonBoroughofCamden
CheungWMandWongWY(2014)lsquoDoeslessonstudyworkAsystematicreviewontheeffectsoflessonstudyandlearningstudyonteachersandstudentsrsquo International Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies3(2)137ndash49
CoburnCPenuelWandGeilK(2013)Research-Practice Partnerships A strategy for leveraging research for educational improvement in school districtsNewYorkWilliamTGrantFoundation
Cohen-Vogel LTichnor-WagnerAAllenD Harrison C Kainz K SocolAR andWangQ (2015)lsquoImplementingeducationalinnovationsatscaleTransformingresearchersintocontinuousimprovementscientistsrsquoEducational Policy29(1)257ndash77
Department for Children Schools and Families (DCSF) (2008) The National Strategies Strengthening transfers and transitions Partnerships for progressOnlinehttpderaioeacuk74641str_tt_prtnshp_prgrss08308pdf(requiressubscriptionaccessed5September2013)
DepartmentforEducation(2011)How do Pupils Progress During Key Stages 2 and 3ResearchreportDFE-RR096 Online wwwgovukgovernmentuploadssystemuploadsattachment_datafile182413DFE-RR096pdf(accessed1April2013)
Dudley P (2011) lsquoLesson study development in England From school networks to national policyrsquoInternational Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies1(1)85ndash100
ndashndash (2014) Lesson Study A handbook Online httplessonstudycoukwp-contentuploads201401new-handbook-early-years-edition2014-versionpdf(accessed21July2014)
EarleyPandPorrittV(2013)lsquoEvaluatingtheimpactofprofessionaldevelopmentTheneedforastudent-focusedapproachrsquoProfessional Development in Education40(1)112ndash29doi101080194152572013798741
EvangelouMTaggartBSylvaKMelhuishESammonsPandSiraj-BlatchfordI(2008)What Makes a Successful Transition from Primary to Secondary School NottinghamDCSF
FieldingMBraggSCraigJCunninghamIErautMGillinsonSHorneMRobinsonCandThorpJ(2005)lsquoFactorsinfluencingthetransferofgoodpracticersquoOnlinehttpderaioeacuk210011RR615pdf(accessed21July2014)
GaltonMGrayJandRudduckJ(1999)The Impact of School Transitions and Transfers on Pupil Progress and Attainment NottinghamDepartmentforEducationandEmployment
GeroG(2015)lsquoTheprospectsoflessonstudyintheUSTeachersupportandcomfortwithinadistrictcultureofcontrolrsquoInternational Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies4(1)7ndash25
GutierrezKandPenuelW(2014)lsquoRelevancetopracticeasacriterionforrigorrsquoEducational Researcher43(1)19ndash23
LeithwoodKDayCSammonsPHarrisAandHopkinsD(2006) Successful School Leadership What it is and how it influences student learning Researchreport800 LondonDepartmentforEducationandSkills
LewisC(2000)lsquoLessonstudyThecoreof JapaneseprofessionaldevelopmentrsquoPaperpresentedatTheAnnualMeetingoftheAmericanEducationalResearchAssociationNewOrleansLA24ndash8April2000
LincolnYandGubaE(1985)Naturalistic InquiryNewburyParkCASagePublicationsLondonBoroughofCamden(2012)Camden Education Commission Final reportOnlinehttpdemocracy
camdengovukdocumentss16322Camden20Education20Commission20Final20Reportpdf(accessed1April2013)
McGeeCWardRGibbons J andHarlowA (2004)Transition to Secondary School A literature reviewHamiltonNewZealandTheUniversityofWaikato
PenuelW FishmanBHauganC and SabelliN (2011)lsquoOrganizing research anddevelopment at theintersectionoflearningimplementationanddesignrsquoEducational Researcher40(7)331ndash7
PenuelWSunMFrankKandGallagherA(2012)UsingsocialnetworkanalysistostudyhowinteractionscanaugmentteacherlearningfromexternalprofessionaldevelopmentrsquoAmerican Journal of Education119(1)103ndash36
Shepherd J andRokerD (2005)lsquoAn evaluation of aldquotransition to secondary schoolrdquo project run bytheNationalPyramidTrustrsquoOnline wwwyoungpeopleinfocusorguk_assetsphpreportphpfile=37(accessed4September2013)
StollL(2012) lsquoStimulatinglearningconversationsrsquoProfessional Development Today14(4)6ndash12
24 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
StollLandBrownC(2015)lsquoMiddleleadersascatalystsforevidence-informedchangersquoInBrownC(ed)Leading the Use of Research and Evidence in SchoolsLondonIOEPress
StollLandFinkD(1996)Changing Our SchoolsBuckinghamOpenUniversityPressTree J(2011)lsquoWhathelpsstudentswithchallengingbehaviourmakeasuccessfultransfertosecondary
schoolrsquoDEdPsydissUniversityCollegeLondonInstituteofEducationTschannen-MoranM(2004)Trust Matters Leadership for successful schoolsSanFranciscoCAJossey-BassVanderlinde R and van Braak J (2010)lsquoThe gap between educational research and practiceViews of
teachers school leaders intermediariesandresearchersrsquoBritish Educational Research Journal36 (2)299ndash316
Related articles published in the London Review of Education
In this issue
ThispaperwaspublishedinaspecialfeatureoneducationinLondoneditedbyTamjidMujtabaTheotherarticlesinthefeatureareasfollows(linksunavailableattimeofpublication)
Cajic-SeigneurMandHodgsonA(2016)lsquoAlternativeeducationalprovision inanareaofdeprivation inLondonrsquoLondon Review of Education14(2)25ndash37
JerrimJandWynessG(2106)lsquoBenchmarkingLondoninthePISArankingsrsquoLondon Review of Education14(2)38ndash65
MujtabaT(2016)EditoriallsquoEducationinLondonChallengesandopportunitiesforyoungpeoplersquoLondon Review of Education14(2)1ndash3
MujtabaT and Reiss M (2016)lsquoGirls in the UK have similar reasons to boys for intending to studymathematics post-16 thanks to the support and encouragement they receiversquo London Review of Education14(2)66ndash82
StandishAHawleyT andWillyT (2016)lsquoThe LondonGeographyAlliance Re-connecting the schoolsubjectwiththeuniversitydisciplinersquoLondon Review of Education14(2)83ndash103
WrightP(2016)lsquoSocialjusticeinthemathematicsclassroomrsquoLondon Review of Education14(2)104ndash18
By the same authors
BrownC(2013)lsquoCritiqueandcomplexityPresentingamoreeffectivewaytoconceptualisetheknowledgeadoptionprocessrsquoLondon Review of Education11(1)32ndash45
BrownCandRogersS(2014)lsquoMeasuringtheeffectivenessofknowledgecreationasameansoffacilitatingevicence-informedpracticeinearlyyearssettingsinoneLondonboroughrsquoLondon Review of Education12(3)245ndash60
Elsewhere in the journal
LevinB(2011)lsquoMobilisingresearchknowledgeineducationrsquoLondon Review of Education9(1)15ndash26OakleyA(2003)lsquoResearchevidenceknowledgemanagementandeducationalpracticeEarlylessonsfrom
asystematicapproachrsquoLondon Review of Education1(1)21ndash33WatkinsC(2005)lsquoClassroomsaslearningcommunitiesAreviewofresearchrsquoLondon Review of Education
3(1)47ndash64
8 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
studentsmostatriskintermsoftheirprogresspost-transitionHereweconsiderlsquovulnerabilityrsquoascontingentonpupilsrsquoabilitytomakeasuccessfulacademicsocialandemotionaltransitionfromyear6toyear7InparticularwefocusonpupilsentitledtofreeschoolmealsandwhiteBritishstudents(closingthegapforwhiteworking-classstudentsisahighprioritybothwithinCamdenLocalAuthorityandwithintheEnglishcontext)Wealsosoughttoincludemoreablepupilsnotfulfillingtheirpotential
JointlydirectedbycolleaguesfromHaverstockSchoolandtheIOEthespecificaimsoftheprojectweretoimprovestudentandteacheroutcomesinrelationto
bull more robust challenging and innovative ndash but also consistent ndash pedagogic practiceatnationalcurriculum levels1ndash8 inEnglishandscience (levelsrepresenthowpupilsprogressinrelationtoEnglandrsquosnationalcurriculumDepartmentforEducation2011)inyears567and8(ages10throughto13)
bull sharedteacherconfidenceusingthesepracticesintheirsubjectinEnglishandsciencefromlevels1to8
bull improved rates of progress and attainment for lsquovulnerablersquo pupils within each ofyears 3ndash8(ages8throughto13)
bull agroupofteachersabletouselessonstudyapproachestoimproveclassroompracticeandimpactonstandardsthusbuildingtransferablecapacity
Theprojectcomprisedapilotandmainphasewiththelatterinvolving18practitionersfromnineschoolsengagedinninelessonstudysessionsthroughoutthecourseoftheacademicyearandthreeworkshopsFurtherdetailsontheparticipantsaresetoutinTable1(anditshouldbe noted that individually noneof the participants hadworked together before)Adetailedoverviewofwhateachworkshopcomprisedissetoutinthefollowingsections
Table 1 Participantcharacteristics
Primary teachers
Secondary teachers
Total
FocusingonEnglish 5 4 9
Focusingonscience 7 2 9
Total 12 6 18
Methods
A DBR approach to lesson study
PrimaryandsecondaryschoolshavetheirownparticularwaysofworkingandwhenconsideringtheteachingofindividualsubjectssuchasEnglishorsciencethesearenotnecessarilywellsuitedtofosteringcross-phasecollaborationForinstanceprimaryteacherswillteachallsubjectstoonecohortofpupils foranentireyear IncontrastsecondaryschoolteacherswillspecializebysubjectareaandsowillteachthatonesubjecttoanumberofdifferentclassesInadditionusinglessonstudyisanewphenomenoninEnglishschoolsandusingitinacross-phaseway(totackleissuesoftransition)israretonon-existentBearinginmindtheparticularwaysofworkingofeachphasendashandthatneithertheresearchersnorpractitionersinvolvedintheprojecthadengagedinlessonstudyactivitybeforendashitwasdecidedthatapilotphaseoffivemonthswithasmallgroupofschoolsberuntoallowresearchersandpractitionerstocollaborateintrialling
London Review of Education 9
theapproachandascertaininghowitmightbestbemadefit forpractice inotherwords toenableaDBRapproachtothedevelopmentandimplementationofthelessonstudymodelforthisprojectCorrespondinglyinkeepingwithAndersonandShattuck(2012)theprojectteam(ieparticipatingteachersfromtheseschoolstheAssistantHeadprojectleadfromHaverstockSchoolandresearchersandfacilitatorsfromtheIOE)soughtasacollaborativepartnershiptodesign testandrefinecross-phase lessonstudy inarealeducationalcontextwithaviewtomeetingtheprojectrsquosaimandestablishingabasisforitsfutureroll-out
Developing a theory of action for lesson study
AkeyaspectofemployingaDBRapproachwas theestablishmentofa theoryofaction forlesson study that is to determinewhich aspects of lesson studywere an integral part of alogicalchainleadingtoimprovedstudentoutcomesandwhichweremoreopentocontextualmanipulation(ArgyrisandSchoumln1996)AmutuallydevelopedtheoryofactionhasbeenshowntohavesignificantlypositiveimpactsontheeffectivenessofinterventionstheyrelatetoandsoisavitalaspectofDBRAsnotedaboveitisarguedthatasaformofJPDlessonstudyinvolvescollaborativeengagementthatservestoopenupandsharepractices(Cohen-Vogelet al2015)Assuchthedevelopmentofourtheoryofactionforlessonstudycentredonhowadultscanlearnfromandbuilduponthebestpracticeoftheirpeersthroughinteraction
Inordertofacilitatethetypeofinteractivelearningweenvisagedweturnedtotheliteratureonprofessional learningcommunities Inparticularwe lookedat thenatureandstructureofthelsquolearningconversationsrsquothattakeplaceaspartofprofessionallearningcommunityactivityDescribedaslsquotheway thateducatorsmakemeaning togetherand jointlycomeupwithnewinsightsandknowledgethat leadto intentionalchangetoenhancetheirpracticeandstudentlearningrsquo (Stoll 2012 6) learning conversations comprise considered thoughtful (rather thansuperficial)discussionandchallenge focusedonmattersof teachingpracticewhichconsiderevidenceofactualandpotential formsofpracticeandwhichareundertakenwithaviewtodevelopingbothimprovedpracticeandasaresultoutcomesforstudents
Movingdeeper into this area Stoll (20126ndash11) suggests that the following features arecharacteristicofhigh-qualitylearningconversationsbetweenadults(1)afocusonevidenceandideas(includingbothexistingandeffectivepracticewithintheschoolnetwork)andalsopotentialinnovations and transformations (eg creativeways to engage learners and extend learning)(2)experienceandexternalknowledgetheorytostimulatereflectionchallengethestatusquoandextendthinking(3)theuseofprotocolsandtoolstoframelearningconversationsmoreclearlyandguidelinesthathelpparticipantsstructuretheirdialogueandinterrogateevidenceorideasand(4)facilitationtoelicitandsupportintellectualexchangeaswellasmaintainingopendialogue
Operationalizing lesson study
These fourelements plus the four stepsoutlinedearlier thus formed thebasis forhowweinitiallysoughttostructureandoperationalizelessonstudyactivityAsaresultitwasdecidedbytheprojectteamthatthepilotphaseshouldcommencewithaone-dayfacilitatedworkshopin which practitioners held data-informed discussions about the key issues their vulnerablestudentsfacedinrelationtoEnglishliteracyandsciencePriortotheworkshoptheAssistantHeadprojectleadfromHaverstockSchoolandresearchersandfacilitatorsfromtheIOEspentadaydevelopingprotocolsandtools to facilitate learningconversationsandplanningactivitywithintheworkshop(basedonapproachesusedbyStollegseeStollandBrown2015)Using
10 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
theseparticipantsworkedthroughaseriesofactivitiesdesignedtohelpthemdecideupononefocusarea(atopicbeingtaughtthatencapsulatedtheissue)andtoalsothinkaboutacommonapproachtoteachingthetopicinrelationtotheconceptthattriadscouldadoptimplementanditerativelyimproveFollowingthisparticipantswereaskedtoidentifythreestudentswithineachschoolwhorepresentedthefocus(vulnerable)studentsandtothencollaborativelyplanthefirstresearchlessonthatwouldbetaughtobserved
Inkeepingwith thenotion that it is expertisewith respect to a given intervention thatenablespractitionerstotailorinterventionstotheirspecificsituationandthatthedevelopmentofexpertiseinvolvesbothaspectsofeffectivelearningandsustainedskillrefinement(iepractice)(seeBryket al2011Penuelet al2012BrownandRogers2015)thepilotphasetheninvolvedthreefulllessonstudydaysTheseinvolvedpractitioners
(1) revisitingthepurposeofthelessonandthefocusareathatitlinkedto(2) beingtalkedthrough(bytheteacherwhowasteachingbeingobserved)eachphaseof
thelessonandwhatitsaimsandgoalswere(3) observinghowthelessonworkedinpractice(withafocusonthecasechildren)(4) interviewingthecasechildrenfortheirperspectivesontheissues(5) undergoingafacilitateddiscussiontoevaluatethelessonbasedonobservationsand
datacollection(6) buildingonwhathadhappened(iecollaborativelyestablishinglsquohowtorsquo)andplanning
forthenextlessonstudyresearchclass
Againbeforethefirst lessonstudydaytheprojectteamspentadaytogethercollaborativelydevelopingprotocolstoolsandanoutlineforthedaytofacilitatethelessonstudyprocessThelessonstudyactivitywasalsoobservedbytheprojectteaminordertogiveusanunderstandingofhowitwasbeingenacted
Collaboratively reviewing and improving lesson study activity
ThroughoutthepilotphasetimeandspacewerecreatedtoenableresearchersandpractitionerstodeliberateanddiscusswhateachhadlearnedandtheirexperiencesinrelationtolessonstudyThroughthisdialogicprocesswewereabletoconstructcommonunderstandingandmeaningwithregardtobothaspectsoftheprocessandintermsoftheuseoftoolsandprotocolstofacilitatetheprocessAsaresultwewerethenabletounderstandwhichaspectsoftheapproachwere successful inhelpingparticipantsdevelop theirpracticeand improveoutcomes for themostvulnerableandwhichappearedtoprovidelimitedvalueInotherwordsasGutierrezandPenuel (201420)suggestlsquo[s]tudying theldquosocial lifeof interventionsrdquo [helpedus]moveawayfromimagininginterventionsasfixedpackagesofstrategieswithreadilymeasurableoutcomesandtowardsmoreopen-endedsocialorsociallyembeddedexperimentsthatinvolveongoing[ieiterative]mutualengagementrsquoToensurethelearningfromthepilotphasewascarriedoverintothemainprojectattheendofthethreelessonstudydaysaone-dayworkshopwasheldsothatthemainphasecouldbecollaborativelydevelopedAspectshereincludedthegroupingandsequencingoflessonstudydaysthroughouttheyear(bearinginmindthedistinctwaysofworkingthateachphaseofschoolinghas)thenature(runningorder)ofeachlessonstudydaythenatureofthetoolsandprotocolstobeemployedaspartofeachmainphaselessonstudysessionandhowimpactshouldbeconceivedofandmeasured(seebelow)
Whatwasalsoviewedas importantbybothparticipantsandtheprojectteamhoweverwasthataswescaledtheprojectupfrompilottomainphasethedialogicprocessthatenabledustounderstandanditerativelyimprovetheoperationoflessonstudycouldcontinueatscale
London Review of Education 11
PerhapsoneofthemainissuesoftheDBRapproachascurrentlyconceivedisthatit isveryresearcher intensive in other words it requires researchers working intensively with smallnumbersofpractitionersWewerethusconcernedwithfindingwaysofexamininghowtheDBRapproachcouldhaveimpactformaximalnumbersofteachersToovercomethispractitionersand researchers jointly agreed on the need for distributed ownership ifDBR at scale is anunmanageabletaskforresearchersalonethenresearcherscannotbetheonlyactorsinvolvedincreatingmeaningndashpractitionersexperiencedinthedeliberativeprocessshouldalsobeabletomovebeyondtheirtraditionalrolesandengage inthiswaytoo(Coburnet al2013)Thisagreeduponapproachtocapacitybuildingthereforemeantthatwewereabletousetheoriginalpilotgroupmembersaspractitioner-researcherswhocouldformnewtriadsandengagewithpractitionersinvolvedintheprojectrsquosmainstageThisfreeduptimefortheresearcherstoworkwithothergroupsoflsquomainstagersquopractitionersndashandbothsetsofresearcherscouldthenmeetperiodically to considerongoing improvements and changes thatneeded tobemade to thelessonstudymethodology
A DBR approach to measuring impact
Vitaltounderstandingtheeffectivenessofourapproachwasameaningfulwaytoassessimpact(Bryket al2011)thatistoseewhetherwemettheaimsoftheprojectOurinitialapproachtomeasuringimpact(whichwastestedduringthepilotproject)involvedpractitionersestablishingcommon understanding and thus alsquobaselinersquo through the analysis of data and insight abouttheir settings current practices and key issues in relation to the teaching of EnglishliteracyandscienceaswellasissuesoftransitioninrelationtothesesubjectsTheyweresubsequentlyinvitedtoestablishwhattheywantedtoachievebytheendoftheprojectandhowtheymightdosondashspecificallyfollowinganapproachsetoutbyEarleyandPorritt(2013)ndashandlsquostartingwiththeendinmindrsquo(thegoaltheywishedtoachieve)practitionerswereaskedhowtheymightdevelopteachingstrategies(basedonacommonfocusarea)thatmightbeobservedandrefinedviaaprocessoflessonstudytoreachadesiredendpoint(ieonethatwouldtackletheseissues)
GutierrezandPenuel (2014) argue thatpartnershipapproaches to impactmeasurementare also likely to result in more robust and nuanced understandings of the differences aninterventionhashadThistooprovedtobethecaseforthisprojectInparticularitbecameclearthatndashbecausepractitionerswereengagingincross-phaseapproachestopedagogyandsohadtodevelopacommonissueanddecideonatopicsubjectmatterthatencapsulatedtheissuebeingtaughtndashinessencealsquonaturalrsquobaselinedatadidnotexistInotherwordsaskingteachersndashwhoteachatdifferentstagesofthecurriculumandwhoteachdifferentagegroupsindifferentschoolsndashtocollaboraterequiredthemtofindalevelofcommonalitythatordinarilydidnotexistThismeantthatbaselinedatacouldnotbeascertainedinadvanceofthelessonstudybuthadtobeascertainedasadirectresultofthelessonstudyprocessthefirstlessonbecamethebaselineforpractitionerone the second study forpractitioner two and soonThis alsomeant thatbothbaselineandpedagogicapproachesalsonecessarilydevelopedasaresultofcollaborativeactivity that ispractitioner tworsquos approach to teaching the lesson studyclass shouldbenefitfromengaginginthelessonstudyrelatedtopractitioneroneandsoonBaselinesandstartingapproaches to implementing the strategywere thus relative Similarly desired endpoints andimprovementstowardsthesecouldonlybesetandorcomparedinabsolutetermsfromeachpractitionerrsquosstartingposition
Inadditionthismeantthattheimpactprocessmovingforwardnecessarilyhadtoinvolvetwostagesthefirststagebeforelessonstudyactivityinvolvedeachtriadestablishinganissueanddecidingonamutualtopicorlessontoteach(andhowitshouldbetaught)Desiredimpact
12 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
(the future goal to be aimed at) however couldonly be established after each baseline hadbeenestablishedcorrespondinglyaswiththepilotakeyaspectofthemainstagekick-offwasto ensure that themain stage participants discussed (in their lesson study triads) commondifficultiesandissuesinrelationtotheteachingofEnglishliteracyandscienceinthecontextof transition and that they identified areas for improvementTriads then decided upon onefocusarea(atopicbeingtaughtthatencapsulatedtheissue)andtoalsothinkaboutacommonapproachtoteachingthetopicthatmight inrelationtothe issue leadto improvedteachingpracticesandstudentoutcomesWealsoengagedparticipantswithwaysofunderstandingandmeasuringbothbaselineandimpactspecificallyweintroducedthemtoamyriadofhardandsoftdata types (fromstudentoutcomes toobservationsofpractice) andwaysofmeasuringbaselineandimpactsuchasthelsquoLeuvenrsquoscaleParticipantstheneachidentifiedthreecasestudychildrenandcollaborativelyplannedthefirstlessonstudyclassFollowingkick-offforthefirstthreelessonstudyclassesthemainstageparticipantsobservedpracticeandstudentbehavioursaswellascollectingengagingwithotherpupildata
AfurtherworkshopwasheldafterthefirstthreetoenableparticipantstocometogetherandestablishafirmbaselineforthethreepupilsforeachoftheteachersintheirtrioHavingestablished this baseline they then determinedwhat they would like practice to be (ie toestablishtheir ideal)ParticipantsthenspenttheremainderoftheworkshopcollaboratingtofurtherrefinethepedagogicapproachesthatmightgetthemtothisidealThismeantthatlessonstudysessionsfourtoninewerestructuredusingthesixstepsasdiscussedabovewithlessonstudysessionsusedtoascertainwhetherpracticeandoutcomeswereprogressingtowardstheirideal impact goal inorder todecidewhethercorrectivechanges in approachwererequired(Bryket al2011)
A finalworkshopwas then held to enable trios to bring together the endline data forthe project and so establish a firm impact picture specifically in relation to the aimsof theprojectHereprotocolsweredevelopedbytheprojectteamtocapturedatathatemergedfromthelearningconversationsheldwithintheworkshopsSpecificallyproformaswerecreatedtohelpparticipantsrecordtheirresponsestothefollowingquestions(1)Howhasyourpracticechangedasaresultofthisprojectand(2)WhathaveyoulearnedaboutlessonstudyandhowtouseittodevelopteachingpracticeWealsodevelopedaproformatorecordtheperceiveddifferences inpupiloutcomesbetweenthestartandendoftheproject(alongwithevidencefromthetriadastowhytheseassessmentsweremade)
Results
Asoutlinedabovetheaimsoftheprojectweretoachieve
bull morerobustchallengingandinnovativendashbutalsoconsistentndashpedagogicpracticeatnationalcurriculumlevels1ndash8inEnglishandscience
bull sharedteacherconfidenceusingthesepracticesbull improved rates of progress and attainment for lsquovulnerablersquo pupils within each of
years 3ndash8(ages8throughto13)bull agroupofteachersabletouselessonstudyapproachestoimproveclassroompractice
andimpactonstandardsthusbuildingtransferablecapacity
To understand how successfulwe had been in relation to eachof these in the final impactworkshopweworkedwithparticipantstoaddressthefollowingthreequestions
bull Howhasyourpracticechangedasaresultofthisprojectbull Whatimpacthasthischangedpracticehadonpupils
London Review of Education 13
bull What have you learned about lesson study and how to use it to develop teachingpractice
Impact on teacher practice
Webeganthefinalworkshopbyfirstaskingparticipantstoengageinalearningconversationcentred on how their practice had changed as a result of their participation in the projectAll teachers participated in the exercise andused the pro formaoutlined above to indicatewhethertherehadbeenanychangeintheirpracticeWhenanalysingtheresults itwasclearthatresponsesdividednaturallyinto(1)changesinknowledgeunderstandingintermsofhowfocuspupilslearn(2)changesinpracticeand(3)whychangesinpracticearemakingadifferenceExamplesoftheverbatimresponsesaresetoutinTable2whichencapsulatesthemainthemesthatemergedAcommonfocusacrossallgroupswashowtheymightemploylsquotalkforwritingrsquondashaprocesswherechildrenorallyengagewiththelanguagetheyneedforaparticulartopicbeforereadingandanalysingitthenwritingtheirownversionPotentiallythecommonalityofthisfocusderivedfromlsquotalkforwritingrsquobeingahottopicwithinCamdenduringthetimeoftheprojectAsaresultthiscouldbeareasonwhythemajorityofteacherparticipantshadbroadlyfocusedontalkandthebalancewithintheirlessonsbetweentalkingandwritingaswellasontheuseofpairingandgroupinginordertofacilitatethis
Table 2 ExampleresponsestothequestionlsquoHowhasyourpracticechangedasaresultofthisprojectrsquo
Question Responses
Changesinknowledgeunderstandingintermsofhowfocuspupilslearn
bull lsquoHowdifficultitistounderstandscientifictermsandconceptswithoutcontextrsquo
bull lsquoThebenefitsofusingascriptforpeerfeedbackrsquobull lsquoPupilsneedstructuredtalkwithwell-chosenpartnersrsquobull lsquoPupilfindkeywordsdifficulttouseinapieceofwritingeven
iftheyunderstandthemeaningofthewordsitisdifficulttolinkmorescientificwordstogetherrsquo
bull lsquoGroupingcanmakeabigdifferencetolearningrsquosimilarlylsquoPartnersreallymakeadifferencetotheoutcomersquo
Changesinpractice bull Rehearsalofkeynewscientificvocabularybull Useofspeakingandwritingframesbull Makinglessonsmoreoralandgivingmoreoralscaffoldsbull lsquo[Providing]moretimetotalkandthinkaboutwhatthey
wanttowritersquobull lsquoMixingtalkpartnerssochildrenareworkingwithdifferent
partnersrsquo
Whychangesinpracticearemakingadifference
bull Pupilslikespeakingframesaslsquoitgivesthemastartingpointtostructuretheirspeechrsquo
bull lsquoMakingspeechahighpriorityresultsinmuchbetteroutcomesrsquo
bull lsquoSpendingmoretimelearningnewvocabulary[meansthatpupilsarebetterat]unpickingmeaningsandprocessesrsquo
bull Partneringlowerachievingchildreneitherwithhigherachievingormiddleachievingpupilsreallymakesadifferenceasthehigherabilitychildrenchallengepushandstretchthelowerachievers
14 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
Pupil impact
WehavedescribedabovethatinkeepingwiththeDBRunderpinningsoftheprojectparticipantswere able to determinewhat changes theywanted to see in their pupils as a result of theprojectandhowthesemightbemeasuredAssuchavarietyofmetricswereusedtoascertainimpactrangingfromteacherobservationsandmarkingtotheirexpertiseandknowledgeofthechildBecauseparticipantspredominantlychosenottouselsquohardrsquoattainmentdatainordertoexamineimpactacrossallparticipantswehadtofindacommonwayofderivingandpresentingwhatimpactifanyresultedfromtheprojectTodothisweaskedparticipantsworkingintheirtriadstoscoreeachoftheirthreefocuschildren(inrelationtothefocusoraimsoftheirtriadandinrelationtothedatatheyweremeasuring)bothintermsoftheirlsquoperformancersquoatthebeginningoftheprojectandattheendScoresbothatthebeginningandendwereoutoftenandparticipantstriadshadtoprovidesupportingevidenceforselectingtheirscoresAsaresultthisprovidedresearcherswithperceptionsofpupilimpactandreasonsfortheseperceptionsbecauseallpupilimpactperceptionswerescoredinthesamewayhoweverwewerealsoabletonormalizethesescoresbylookingatthepercentagedifferencesinthelsquobeforersquoandlsquoafterrsquoscoresThescoresandrangesofthesedifferencesaresetoutinFigure1whereasTable3providesadistributionofthepercentagescoresAfulltableofresponsesshowingbeforeandafterscoresandreasonsevidencefortheseisprovidedintheAppendix
Figure 1 Pupilsbeforeandafterscoresandpercentagechange
London Review of Education 15
Table 3 Distributionofpercentagechangeinpupilsbeforeandafterscores
Question Number Percentage
Greaterthan100change 3 7
91ndash100change 7 17
81ndash90change 0 0
71ndash80change 4 10
61ndash70change 1 2
51ndash60change 0 0
41ndash50change 6 14
31ndash40change 12 29
21ndash30change 2 5
11ndash20change 1 2
1ndash10change 0 0
Nochange 4 10
Pupilsdroppedout 2 5
Total 42 100
TheblockedareainFigure1representsthestudentperformancescoresatthebeginningoftheprojectwhilethecontinuouslinerepresentstheirscoresatprojectendThedotsmeanwhilerepresentthepercentagedifference(iethechangeinpupilperformancesincethestartoftheproject)Ascanbeseenofthe42focusgrouppupilsforwhomteachersprovideddatateachersreported a change in the behavioursattitudesoutcomes of all but six For some pupils thischangewassubstantiveAssetoutinTable3whichprovidesthedistributionofthesepercentagechangesteacherssuggestthatfortenpupilstheirperformancehadeffectivelydoubledormore(ietherewasa100percent(orgreater)changeintheirscore)Thebiggestsingleimprovementhowevertendedtobebetween30and40percent Inthemainthiswascausedbylsquoaveragersquopupils(scoring5ndash6)nowscoringtwopointshigher(7ndash8)orbyinitiallylowperformingpupilsndashwhooriginallyscored3ndashincreasingtheirperformancescoreto4
Naturallyintheabsenceofhardandobjectiveattainmentdataweneedtobecircumspectin the levelofsignificanceaffordedtowhataresubjectivelydeterminedresultsNonethelesssupportingevidencewasprovidedandthefiguresweretriangulatedwithothermembersofthetriad(whowerethemselvesengagedinprolongedobservationofthesepupils)Inadditionnotallpupilswerereportedashavingbenefitedfromtheproject fourpupils(10percent)werereportedasnotbenefitingatallwhileafurthertwodroppedoutoftheschooltheywereinConsideringLincolnandGubarsquos(1985)criteriaforestablishingthetrustworthinessofsubjectivedatathereforealthoughtheexactchangeinpupilsrsquoperformancescanbedebatedtheresearchteamhaveconfidencethatsomepositiveimpactonpupilshastakenplacendashandthatthisimpactcanbeattributabletotheprojectItshouldalsobenotedthatthisdatarelatestothethreepupils(perclass)representingwidergroupsofinterestsuchasvulnerablechildren(Dudley2011)Intheorythentheimpactoftheprojectshouldstretchbeyondthe42childrenanalysedherebutwedonothavedatatosubstantiatesuchaclaim
16 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
Learning about lesson study
FinallyweaskedparticipantstoanswerthefollowingquestionlsquoWhathaveyoulearnedaboutlessonstudyandhowtouseittodevelopteachingpracticersquoResponsesheredividednaturallyintothebenefitsandchallengesofusinglessonstudyandaresetoutinTable4
Table 4 Benefitsandchallengestousinglesson study (responsetoquestionlsquoWhathaveyoulearnedaboutlesson studyandhowtouseittodevelopteachingpracticersquo)
Question Responses
lsquoWhathaveyoulearnedaboutlessonstudyandhowtouseittodevelopteachingpracticersquo(Benefits)
bull lsquoObservingcolleaguesteachandpickingupideasstrategiessharingpracticeetcinrelationtoprimarytosecondarytransitionsrsquo
bull lsquoSharinggoodpractice[andfacilitateideasgeneration]rsquobull lsquoObservingin[other]schoolsandseeingthedifferencebetween
teachinginprimaryandsecondaryschoolsrsquobull lsquoChancetoseeotherCamdenclassesofthesameagersquobull lsquoIgetabetterunderstandingofhowImightstretchmoreable
year7studentsrsquobull lsquoExposuretootherteachersrsquostylesandpracticesrsquobull lsquoSupportivefeedbackandobservationsfromcolleaguesrsquobull Perspectiveseglsquothatyouwouldnotbeabletopickupabout
yourchildrenrsquoslearningfromthefrontoftheclassrsquoandlsquoafocusonchildrenwhomightslipunderteachersrsquoradarrsquosimilarlylsquohavingothersbeingabletowatchthechildrenhellip[and]noticingsomething[youhadnrsquot]rsquo
bull lsquoBecauseitrsquosplannedcollaborativelyyougettoseeyourworkinactionrsquo
lsquoWhathaveyoulearnedaboutlessonstudyandhowtouseittodevelopteachingpracticersquo(Challenges)
bull TimeeglsquoLotsoftimeoutofschoolrsquobull TimetablinglsquoFindingdatesthataremutuallyconvenientforthe
triorsquobull lsquoIncreasedworkloadinrelationtoplanningpreparingand
hostingthesessionrsquobull lsquoImmediateprogressnot[always]visiblersquobull lsquoNeedsbuy-infromSLTtohavemaximumimpactrsquosimilarly
lsquoLessonstudyislessimportantinsomeschoolsrsquobull lsquo[Thistypeofprocesscannotbeanadd-on]ifitcouldreplace
[currentprogrammeofobservations]wouldbegreatrsquobull lsquoThereisalreadytoomuchtotryandgetthroughinprimaryrsquo
InconsideringthechallengesitcanbeseethatinkeepingwithGero(2015)forlessonstudytobecarriedoutsuccessfullyrequiresthebuy-inandcommitmentofseniorleadersInparticularlessonstudyndashasa formofschool improvementndashneedstobeprioritizedbyschool leadersover other school improvement initiativeswith time and space given to enable teachers tomeaningfullyengageinlessonstudyactivityAswellasthecommentsinTable4thismessageisalsoreinforcedbythefactthatthreeschools(sixteachers)droppedoutafterthefirstlessonstudy citing competing pressures and priorities as well as involvement in too many schoolimprovementinitiativesInpartthisisbecausethebenefitsofengaginginthisapproachwerenotimmediatelyapparent
London Review of Education 17
Significance
From analysing the results it is clear that our approach has been effective in both changingteacherunderstandingandteachingpracticeandbuildingteachercapacitysothatparticipantsareabletoruntheirownprojectsmovingforwardStartingwiththefirstascanbeseeninTable2teacherswereabletoarticulatealogicalchainndashstartingwithwhattheywerelearningabouttheirpupilsthechangestheyweremakinginresponseandendingwithargumentsformakingthesechangesForexampleoneparticipantnotedlsquohowdifficultitis[forpupils]tounderstandscientifictermsandconceptswithoutcontextrsquoasaconsequencetheywerenowrehearsingnewscientificvocabularybecauselsquospendingmoretimelearningnewvocabulary[meansthatpupilsarebetterat]unpickingmeaningsandprocessesrsquoSimilarlyanotherteacherindicatedthatshenowknowsthatlsquopartnersreallymakeadifferencetotheoutcomersquoThiswasbecausethelessonstudyprocesshadhelpedherseethatpartneringlowerachievingchildrenwitheitherhigherachievingormiddleachievingpupilscanleadtothehigherabilitychildrenchallengingpushingandstretchingthelowerachieversAsaresultshewasmuchmoreactivelylsquomixingtalkpartnerssochildrenareworkingwithdifferentpartnersrsquoItseemsclearthereforethatourapproachtolessonstudydevelopedviaaDBRapproachndashwhichactivelypromotesreflectivedialogueviaaprocessof learningconversationsndashhasbeensuccessful inhelpingpractitionersreflectnotonlyonpupillearningbutalsowhatneedstochangeintermsoftheirteachingtofacilitatethislearning
Intermsofcapacitybuildingitisclearthatparticipantssawnotonlythebenefitsofengagingin lesson study but also the challenges that needed to be overcome in order to ensure itseffectiveoperation(Table4)Havingknowledgeof the former(combinedwithexperienceofa number of cycles of lesson study)means that participants now know how best tomakelessonstudyworkforthemInotherwordsbybuildingontheDBRelementoftheprojecttheteachersinvolvedcanensurethatmovingforwardtheytailorhowtheyfocuslessonstudytoachievemaximalbenefitforthemselvesandtheirpupilsLikewiseintermsofrollingouttheirownprogrammeoflessonstudyparticipantswillalsobeawareofthechallengesthatneedtobemetiftheyaretogetmostvaluefromtheprocessTheseincludeinparticulartherequirementtobuy-infromseniorleadersandtheneedforamodelofleadershipwithintheirschoolwhichpromotes the vision for and ensures the fosteringof a cultureof professional developmentbasedoncollaborativepeer-to-peersupport(includingthepromotionofthevaluesrequiredforlearningcommunitiestooperate)Alsokeywillbetheneedforseniorleaderstoprovidethenecessaryresourceandstructures(egtimeandspace)forsustainedandmeaningfullessonstudytobecomeareality(StollandFink1996Leithwoodet al2006)
Ourrevisedapproach tomeasuring impact toohasbeeneffectiveusing teacher-definedmeasuresofimpactprovidesamoreaccuratewayofunderstandingthedifferencethatlessonstudyactivityhasmadeInotherwordsunlikewithattainmentdatandashwhereitwouldbehardtoattributechangesinpupiloutcomesspecificallytolessonstudyactivity(asopposedtootherchangesincontextorintheteachingandlearningenvironment)ndashourapproachenabledteachersto focuson threepupils andhow they responded tovery specificchanges inapproaches topedagogicpracticebasedonanunderstandingandanassessmentofthesepupilsrsquobehavioursandattitudesbothbeforeandaftertheuseofthepracticeImportantlythisimpactdataisalsolsquotriangulatedrsquosincethepractitionerwhoisteachingaswellasthoseobservingmustcometoanagreementastowhathappenedandwhyLikewisethentheoverallperceptionsofimpactscoreswerediscussedandagreeduponintriadsgivingweighttotheirvalidityGiventhisitisencouragingtonotethatmostscoresprovidedsuggest that the lessonstudyapproachdoesimpactpositivelyonpupilbehavioursandattitudestolearningAscanbeseeninTable385per
18 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
centofpupilsbenefitedfromtheirteachersengagingintheprojectwithoverathird(36percent)benefitingbyanincreaseintheirperformancescoreby50percentormore
Summary
FortheHaverstockPrimarytoSecondaryTransitionProjectweemployedaDBRapproachtothedevelopmentand implementationof lessonstudy inordertohelppractitionersexamineandbegintotacklesomeoftheissuesassociatedwithprimarytosecondarytransitionDoingsoenabledtheprojectteamandparticipantstocollaborativelydevelopatheoryofactionfortheprojectwhichenabledustoconsidernotionsoflearningandlearningconversationsaswellasameansofdeliveringlessonstudyinkeepingwiththistheoryofactionAswellasthiswewerealsoabletoestablishawayofmeasuringimpactforsituations(suchaswhenprimaryandsecondaryteachersworkonjointprojects)wherebecausethereisnoday-to-dayinteractionandcollaborationthereisnonaturallyoccurringbaselineandnocommonapproachtopedagogy
InlightoftheaboveweconcludethatusingDBRhasbeenvitalnotonlytothesuccessoftheprojectbutalsotoitslong-termsustainabilityfollowingtheprojectrsquosendHoweverweasresearchershavealsobenefitedfromengaginginDBRforinstancewehavegainedabetterunderstanding of how to engage in lesson study in a cross-phase way In addition the newapproachtomeasuringimpactthatemergedcannowbetriedandtestedinothercontextsascanourrevisedtheoryofactionforandapproachestooperationalizinglessonstudyThatisinkeepingwithAndersonandShattuck(2012)movingforwardwecantakewhatwehavelearnedandcontinuetocollaborativelyanditerativelyrefineourapproachsothatitiseffectiveineachnewcontextweintroduceittothushelpingtoservetoimprovethesystemrsquosoverallcapacityforsustainedchange
Notes on the contributors
ChrisBrown isaSeniorLectureratUCLInstituteofEducationUniversityCollegeLondon(DepartmentforLearningandLeadership) Chrishasextensiveexperienceofleadingarangeoffundedprojectsmanyofwhich seek tohelppractitioners to identify and scaleupbestpractice andwas recently awardedasignificant grant by the Education Endowment Foundation toworkwith over 100 primary schools inEnglandtoincreasetheiruseofresearch
CarolTaylor iscurrentlytheStrategicLeaderforCPDattheLondonCentreforLeadershipinLearningSheworkswithschoolsalliancesandlocalauthoritiesndashboth locallyandnationallyndash insupportingtheprofessionaldevelopmentoftheschoolworkforceCarolrecentlyco-ledtheNationalCollegeTeachingSchools Research and Development project involving over 60 schools across England She is activelyinvolvedinsupportingschoolsacrossLondontoembedpractitionerresearchandenquiryintopractice
LornaPonambalum isascienceteacherandAssistantHeadteacheratHaverstockSchoolCamdenLondonwheresheisalsoDesignatedSafeguardingOfficerLornahasbeeninvolvedinanumberoflessonstudyprojectsincludingtheprojectcoveredinthispaperwhichexaminedapproachestoimproveprimarytosecondarytransition
London Review of Education 19
Appendix Pupiloutcomesatstartandendofprojectwithevidencefromthetriadastowhytheseassessmentsweremade
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
4 Myanalysisoftheirworkbookandmyknowledgeoftheirin-classcontributions
6 Someimprovementswhenthechildismotivated
4 Under-confidentStruggleswhenworkingwithapartner
7 Moreconfidenceofownabilityandrecognizessupportfrompartner
4 AloofIssuesathome 4 Stillstrugglestopayattentionwhenworkinginpairs
5 Struggleswithusingsomeofthekeywords
7 Usesmorekeywordsinherwrittenwork(almostall)Expressingideasinabetterway
4 Struggleswiththekeywords 6 Bettersentencestructureandbetterlinkingofideas
3 Lacksconfidenceinspeakingandwriting
6 MoreconfidenceinverballyansweringquestionsputshandupmoreoftenWritingcanstillbeaproblem
3 NeverraiseshandsRefusedtospeakinpublicNosentencestructure
6 Leftbeforeendofprojectbutwasdemonstratingimprovedvocabularyconfidenceandwrittenwork
4 Notengagedvocabularyandliteraryworkpoor
9 REALLYengagedandimprovementinvocabularyandliterarysentencesimproved
5 Doesnrsquotusevocabularyaccuratelyandnotableintermsofwrittenwork
9 Vocabularyuseismoreaccurateandismuchmoreableintermsofwrittenwork
4 bull Didnotlistenoncarpetortoteachertalk
bull Firstcycleshowssignsofdisengagementinfeedback
bull Writingdifficulttounderstand
7 bull Morefocusedonthetaskonthecarpet
bull Betterqualityofwritingbetterfeedbackascycleprogressed
6 bull Toochattybull Distractedtalkpartnerbull Forgottocheckthroughand
punctuatebull Couldnotpeerassesswell
8 bull Betterlearningbehaviourbull Moreownershipofown
learningandcanselfandpeerassess
6 bull Pronetodistractionbull Unabletofollowaseriesof
instructions
7 bull Handuptoofferideasmorebull Slowlyandcarefullygetson
withataskbull Knowshowtopeerassess
20 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
3 Textsnotproducedwelldistractedanddistractingothers
6 Useofmetalanguagetextsproducedusingappropriategrammar
4 Paucityofideasworknotalwaysmakingsense
7 Takingcontrolofownlearningorganizingideasaboutgrammareffectivelymoreconfidenttostartwritingandproducingcompletetexts
5 Generallackofconfidencedespitebeingahighachiever
7 Textsproducedfullofideasinterviewswithobserversshowconfidencemoreconfidenceinhisideasprovidedheispartneredwithsomeonewhohefindssupportive
5 LackofinvolvementinlessonsPoorwritingandconfusedbymosttasks
7 HavingestablishedthatheappreciatesbeingprobedchallengedbyteachersIdedicatemoretimetoenablinghimtoprocessinformationthroughquestioningHenowoftenstartstasksquickerandtakesmorerisksHeisstillshyanddoesnrsquotusuallyvolunteer
3 Withdrawnndashnevercontributingandoptingoutoftasks
6 TriestasksndashnotalwayswithoutpromptingBeginningtotakerisksandoccasionallyvolunteersideas
7 VerylowconfidenceConsistentlypoorliteracyReluctancetocontributeWrittenworkwaspoorbutreflectedeffortofstudent
9 TriesreallyhardtocompleteworktothebestofherabilityStillrarelycontributesherideas
3 CompletelydisengagedseesnovalueinschoolNotansweringquestionsandtalkingaboutanythingelse
8 Nowfocusesonthefrontputshanduptalksaboutthetopicmostofthetime
6 Easilydistractedwillputhandupbutoftendoesnrsquothaveananswerwhenasked
8 Morefocusedwillstilloftennotlistenoninputbutisabletoasksomeoneelseratherthananadultorjustsittingthere
1 bull Getsoutofseatbull Shoutsoutbull Disturbsothers
na Pupilleftschool
9 Priorattainmentandclassroomobservations
9 Nodifferenceinliteracyattainmentwasconsistent
London Review of Education 21
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
3 Priorattainmentandclassroomobservations
4 Improvedconfidenceincomprehensionandwriting
3 Priorattainmentandclassroomobservations
4 Norealdifferencepossiblyslightlybetteratverbalizing
3 Effortscorelsquo3rsquoinfirstreportLeaningbackonchairnotfocuseddistracted
6 Morefocusmorelikelytoaskforhelpratherthanmisbehave
3 Effortscorelsquo3rsquoinfirstreportDistractingothers
3 NowrarelyinclassndashexclusionabsenceOnoccasionshowsexcellentprogressandcanworkindependently
4 Disengagedonwhole(althoughbaselineobservationswerecarriedoutonalsquogoodrsquoday)Rudenessnottrying
8 ReadingchallengingtextsandlookingupdifficultvocabularyindictionaryFewerdayswhenrefusestowork
3 Severallearningneedsandhashadtroublewithwriting
4 Increasedconfidenceinspellingandwriting(andenthusiasm)ndashespeciallycreativelyContinuestostrugglewithcomprehensionHasmadeprogressaccordingtoassessedwork
5 Asabovealthoughadisparitybetweenqualityandquantityofspokenandwrittenwork
na Haslefttheschool
3 MorewillingtowritethantalkatlengthWritingpoorqualityPoorattentionandbehaviouralissuesasbarrierstolearning
5 HasimprovedappreciablyintermsofspokencontributionstowrittenworkStillpresentsbehaviouralproblemsasmainbarriertoprogressHasmadetwosub-levelsofprogressthisyear(basedonanalysisofclasswork)
6 Readingfictionpooruseofsciencevocab
6 Nothingverydifferent
5 Noattempttousesciencevocab 7 Tryingtousesciencevocab
3 Verypoorengagementwithlargerwrittentasks
7 Betterengagementwithtaskandproductionofhigherlevelworkwithbettervocab
4 Unwillingtodiscusswithinterviewee
5 Writesmoretriestowriteindetailthoughremainsunwillingtoshareideaswritteninclassndashdependentonwork-partner
22 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
4 Willanswerquestionsifverysureofanswer
6 Stillunwillingtoshareideasinclassbutwilluseconnectvocabularyifithasbeenembeddedstronglywithinlesson
4 Notinitiallywillingtoshareknowledgethoughdidcometothefrontofclassandshareideas
6 AbletodiscusswithintervieweeindetailinformationaboutexperimentStillsomewhatunwillingtoshare
5 Hesitanttoshareideasoranswerquestionsunlessspecificallyasked
7 Taskdependent
6 Alwayswillingtoshareideasalthoughnotnecessarilyaccurateformalscientificlanguage
8 Attemptstochoosehiswordswhenansweringquestionswhichisgreateffortfromthisstudent
2 Performancedependingonwhoshepartneredwith
3 Moreefforttotalkingroupshoweverthisisonlyasmallstepstillveryhesitantandseeksreassurancefromothers
3 Quietlyengagedndashlistensbutrarelysharesideas
6 MakingalargerefforttotalkwithinagroupStillhesitanttoshareinfrontofclassunlesssheknowsitrsquosright
6 Veryengagedandwillgenerallytalkandshareideasalthoughnotalwaysusingaccuratelanguage
8 Activelysharingandtalkingideasndashbacksupherstatementsusingreasonscanrejectothersrsquoopinionsandjustifywhy
6 AppearsdisengagedhoweverwithprobingdoesknowtheanswersNotalwaystalkingaboutthesubjectndashdependsonpersonwhoheispartneredwith
9 LovessharingideasconstantlyputtinghandupTriestousescientificlanguagendashnotasengagedinwrittentasks
References
AndersonTandShattuckJ(2012)lsquoDesign-basedresearchAdecadeofprogressineducationresearchrsquoEducational Researcher41(1)16ndash25
ArgyrisCandSchoumlnD(1996)Organizational Learning II Theory method and practice ReadingMAAddison-WesleyPublishingCompany
BrownC andRogers S (2015)lsquoKnowledge creation as an approach to facilitating evidence-informedpracticeExaminingwaystomeasurethesuccessofusingthismethodwithearlyyearspractitionersinCamden(London)rsquoJournal of Educational Change16(1)79ndash99
BrykAGomezL andGrunowA (2011)lsquoGetting ideas intoactionBuildingnetworked improvementcommunitiesineducationrsquoInHallinanM(ed)Frontiers in Sociology of Education Frontiers in Sociology and Social ResearchDordrechtNetherlandsSpringer127ndash62
London Review of Education 23
CamdenCouncil(2016)lsquoCamdenpartnershipforeducationalexcellencersquoOnlinewwwcamdengovukccmcontenteducationschoolscamden-partnership-for-educational-excellenceen(accessed1April2016)
Camden Education Commission (2011) Camden Education Commission Final report London CamdenChildrenrsquosTrustPartnershipBoardandLondonBoroughofCamden
CheungWMandWongWY(2014)lsquoDoeslessonstudyworkAsystematicreviewontheeffectsoflessonstudyandlearningstudyonteachersandstudentsrsquo International Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies3(2)137ndash49
CoburnCPenuelWandGeilK(2013)Research-Practice Partnerships A strategy for leveraging research for educational improvement in school districtsNewYorkWilliamTGrantFoundation
Cohen-Vogel LTichnor-WagnerAAllenD Harrison C Kainz K SocolAR andWangQ (2015)lsquoImplementingeducationalinnovationsatscaleTransformingresearchersintocontinuousimprovementscientistsrsquoEducational Policy29(1)257ndash77
Department for Children Schools and Families (DCSF) (2008) The National Strategies Strengthening transfers and transitions Partnerships for progressOnlinehttpderaioeacuk74641str_tt_prtnshp_prgrss08308pdf(requiressubscriptionaccessed5September2013)
DepartmentforEducation(2011)How do Pupils Progress During Key Stages 2 and 3ResearchreportDFE-RR096 Online wwwgovukgovernmentuploadssystemuploadsattachment_datafile182413DFE-RR096pdf(accessed1April2013)
Dudley P (2011) lsquoLesson study development in England From school networks to national policyrsquoInternational Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies1(1)85ndash100
ndashndash (2014) Lesson Study A handbook Online httplessonstudycoukwp-contentuploads201401new-handbook-early-years-edition2014-versionpdf(accessed21July2014)
EarleyPandPorrittV(2013)lsquoEvaluatingtheimpactofprofessionaldevelopmentTheneedforastudent-focusedapproachrsquoProfessional Development in Education40(1)112ndash29doi101080194152572013798741
EvangelouMTaggartBSylvaKMelhuishESammonsPandSiraj-BlatchfordI(2008)What Makes a Successful Transition from Primary to Secondary School NottinghamDCSF
FieldingMBraggSCraigJCunninghamIErautMGillinsonSHorneMRobinsonCandThorpJ(2005)lsquoFactorsinfluencingthetransferofgoodpracticersquoOnlinehttpderaioeacuk210011RR615pdf(accessed21July2014)
GaltonMGrayJandRudduckJ(1999)The Impact of School Transitions and Transfers on Pupil Progress and Attainment NottinghamDepartmentforEducationandEmployment
GeroG(2015)lsquoTheprospectsoflessonstudyintheUSTeachersupportandcomfortwithinadistrictcultureofcontrolrsquoInternational Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies4(1)7ndash25
GutierrezKandPenuelW(2014)lsquoRelevancetopracticeasacriterionforrigorrsquoEducational Researcher43(1)19ndash23
LeithwoodKDayCSammonsPHarrisAandHopkinsD(2006) Successful School Leadership What it is and how it influences student learning Researchreport800 LondonDepartmentforEducationandSkills
LewisC(2000)lsquoLessonstudyThecoreof JapaneseprofessionaldevelopmentrsquoPaperpresentedatTheAnnualMeetingoftheAmericanEducationalResearchAssociationNewOrleansLA24ndash8April2000
LincolnYandGubaE(1985)Naturalistic InquiryNewburyParkCASagePublicationsLondonBoroughofCamden(2012)Camden Education Commission Final reportOnlinehttpdemocracy
camdengovukdocumentss16322Camden20Education20Commission20Final20Reportpdf(accessed1April2013)
McGeeCWardRGibbons J andHarlowA (2004)Transition to Secondary School A literature reviewHamiltonNewZealandTheUniversityofWaikato
PenuelW FishmanBHauganC and SabelliN (2011)lsquoOrganizing research anddevelopment at theintersectionoflearningimplementationanddesignrsquoEducational Researcher40(7)331ndash7
PenuelWSunMFrankKandGallagherA(2012)UsingsocialnetworkanalysistostudyhowinteractionscanaugmentteacherlearningfromexternalprofessionaldevelopmentrsquoAmerican Journal of Education119(1)103ndash36
Shepherd J andRokerD (2005)lsquoAn evaluation of aldquotransition to secondary schoolrdquo project run bytheNationalPyramidTrustrsquoOnline wwwyoungpeopleinfocusorguk_assetsphpreportphpfile=37(accessed4September2013)
StollL(2012) lsquoStimulatinglearningconversationsrsquoProfessional Development Today14(4)6ndash12
24 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
StollLandBrownC(2015)lsquoMiddleleadersascatalystsforevidence-informedchangersquoInBrownC(ed)Leading the Use of Research and Evidence in SchoolsLondonIOEPress
StollLandFinkD(1996)Changing Our SchoolsBuckinghamOpenUniversityPressTree J(2011)lsquoWhathelpsstudentswithchallengingbehaviourmakeasuccessfultransfertosecondary
schoolrsquoDEdPsydissUniversityCollegeLondonInstituteofEducationTschannen-MoranM(2004)Trust Matters Leadership for successful schoolsSanFranciscoCAJossey-BassVanderlinde R and van Braak J (2010)lsquoThe gap between educational research and practiceViews of
teachers school leaders intermediariesandresearchersrsquoBritish Educational Research Journal36 (2)299ndash316
Related articles published in the London Review of Education
In this issue
ThispaperwaspublishedinaspecialfeatureoneducationinLondoneditedbyTamjidMujtabaTheotherarticlesinthefeatureareasfollows(linksunavailableattimeofpublication)
Cajic-SeigneurMandHodgsonA(2016)lsquoAlternativeeducationalprovision inanareaofdeprivation inLondonrsquoLondon Review of Education14(2)25ndash37
JerrimJandWynessG(2106)lsquoBenchmarkingLondoninthePISArankingsrsquoLondon Review of Education14(2)38ndash65
MujtabaT(2016)EditoriallsquoEducationinLondonChallengesandopportunitiesforyoungpeoplersquoLondon Review of Education14(2)1ndash3
MujtabaT and Reiss M (2016)lsquoGirls in the UK have similar reasons to boys for intending to studymathematics post-16 thanks to the support and encouragement they receiversquo London Review of Education14(2)66ndash82
StandishAHawleyT andWillyT (2016)lsquoThe LondonGeographyAlliance Re-connecting the schoolsubjectwiththeuniversitydisciplinersquoLondon Review of Education14(2)83ndash103
WrightP(2016)lsquoSocialjusticeinthemathematicsclassroomrsquoLondon Review of Education14(2)104ndash18
By the same authors
BrownC(2013)lsquoCritiqueandcomplexityPresentingamoreeffectivewaytoconceptualisetheknowledgeadoptionprocessrsquoLondon Review of Education11(1)32ndash45
BrownCandRogersS(2014)lsquoMeasuringtheeffectivenessofknowledgecreationasameansoffacilitatingevicence-informedpracticeinearlyyearssettingsinoneLondonboroughrsquoLondon Review of Education12(3)245ndash60
Elsewhere in the journal
LevinB(2011)lsquoMobilisingresearchknowledgeineducationrsquoLondon Review of Education9(1)15ndash26OakleyA(2003)lsquoResearchevidenceknowledgemanagementandeducationalpracticeEarlylessonsfrom
asystematicapproachrsquoLondon Review of Education1(1)21ndash33WatkinsC(2005)lsquoClassroomsaslearningcommunitiesAreviewofresearchrsquoLondon Review of Education
3(1)47ndash64
London Review of Education 9
theapproachandascertaininghowitmightbestbemadefit forpractice inotherwords toenableaDBRapproachtothedevelopmentandimplementationofthelessonstudymodelforthisprojectCorrespondinglyinkeepingwithAndersonandShattuck(2012)theprojectteam(ieparticipatingteachersfromtheseschoolstheAssistantHeadprojectleadfromHaverstockSchoolandresearchersandfacilitatorsfromtheIOE)soughtasacollaborativepartnershiptodesign testandrefinecross-phase lessonstudy inarealeducationalcontextwithaviewtomeetingtheprojectrsquosaimandestablishingabasisforitsfutureroll-out
Developing a theory of action for lesson study
AkeyaspectofemployingaDBRapproachwas theestablishmentofa theoryofaction forlesson study that is to determinewhich aspects of lesson studywere an integral part of alogicalchainleadingtoimprovedstudentoutcomesandwhichweremoreopentocontextualmanipulation(ArgyrisandSchoumln1996)AmutuallydevelopedtheoryofactionhasbeenshowntohavesignificantlypositiveimpactsontheeffectivenessofinterventionstheyrelatetoandsoisavitalaspectofDBRAsnotedaboveitisarguedthatasaformofJPDlessonstudyinvolvescollaborativeengagementthatservestoopenupandsharepractices(Cohen-Vogelet al2015)Assuchthedevelopmentofourtheoryofactionforlessonstudycentredonhowadultscanlearnfromandbuilduponthebestpracticeoftheirpeersthroughinteraction
Inordertofacilitatethetypeofinteractivelearningweenvisagedweturnedtotheliteratureonprofessional learningcommunities Inparticularwe lookedat thenatureandstructureofthelsquolearningconversationsrsquothattakeplaceaspartofprofessionallearningcommunityactivityDescribedaslsquotheway thateducatorsmakemeaning togetherand jointlycomeupwithnewinsightsandknowledgethat leadto intentionalchangetoenhancetheirpracticeandstudentlearningrsquo (Stoll 2012 6) learning conversations comprise considered thoughtful (rather thansuperficial)discussionandchallenge focusedonmattersof teachingpracticewhichconsiderevidenceofactualandpotential formsofpracticeandwhichareundertakenwithaviewtodevelopingbothimprovedpracticeandasaresultoutcomesforstudents
Movingdeeper into this area Stoll (20126ndash11) suggests that the following features arecharacteristicofhigh-qualitylearningconversationsbetweenadults(1)afocusonevidenceandideas(includingbothexistingandeffectivepracticewithintheschoolnetwork)andalsopotentialinnovations and transformations (eg creativeways to engage learners and extend learning)(2)experienceandexternalknowledgetheorytostimulatereflectionchallengethestatusquoandextendthinking(3)theuseofprotocolsandtoolstoframelearningconversationsmoreclearlyandguidelinesthathelpparticipantsstructuretheirdialogueandinterrogateevidenceorideasand(4)facilitationtoelicitandsupportintellectualexchangeaswellasmaintainingopendialogue
Operationalizing lesson study
These fourelements plus the four stepsoutlinedearlier thus formed thebasis forhowweinitiallysoughttostructureandoperationalizelessonstudyactivityAsaresultitwasdecidedbytheprojectteamthatthepilotphaseshouldcommencewithaone-dayfacilitatedworkshopin which practitioners held data-informed discussions about the key issues their vulnerablestudentsfacedinrelationtoEnglishliteracyandsciencePriortotheworkshoptheAssistantHeadprojectleadfromHaverstockSchoolandresearchersandfacilitatorsfromtheIOEspentadaydevelopingprotocolsandtools to facilitate learningconversationsandplanningactivitywithintheworkshop(basedonapproachesusedbyStollegseeStollandBrown2015)Using
10 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
theseparticipantsworkedthroughaseriesofactivitiesdesignedtohelpthemdecideupononefocusarea(atopicbeingtaughtthatencapsulatedtheissue)andtoalsothinkaboutacommonapproachtoteachingthetopicinrelationtotheconceptthattriadscouldadoptimplementanditerativelyimproveFollowingthisparticipantswereaskedtoidentifythreestudentswithineachschoolwhorepresentedthefocus(vulnerable)studentsandtothencollaborativelyplanthefirstresearchlessonthatwouldbetaughtobserved
Inkeepingwith thenotion that it is expertisewith respect to a given intervention thatenablespractitionerstotailorinterventionstotheirspecificsituationandthatthedevelopmentofexpertiseinvolvesbothaspectsofeffectivelearningandsustainedskillrefinement(iepractice)(seeBryket al2011Penuelet al2012BrownandRogers2015)thepilotphasetheninvolvedthreefulllessonstudydaysTheseinvolvedpractitioners
(1) revisitingthepurposeofthelessonandthefocusareathatitlinkedto(2) beingtalkedthrough(bytheteacherwhowasteachingbeingobserved)eachphaseof
thelessonandwhatitsaimsandgoalswere(3) observinghowthelessonworkedinpractice(withafocusonthecasechildren)(4) interviewingthecasechildrenfortheirperspectivesontheissues(5) undergoingafacilitateddiscussiontoevaluatethelessonbasedonobservationsand
datacollection(6) buildingonwhathadhappened(iecollaborativelyestablishinglsquohowtorsquo)andplanning
forthenextlessonstudyresearchclass
Againbeforethefirst lessonstudydaytheprojectteamspentadaytogethercollaborativelydevelopingprotocolstoolsandanoutlineforthedaytofacilitatethelessonstudyprocessThelessonstudyactivitywasalsoobservedbytheprojectteaminordertogiveusanunderstandingofhowitwasbeingenacted
Collaboratively reviewing and improving lesson study activity
ThroughoutthepilotphasetimeandspacewerecreatedtoenableresearchersandpractitionerstodeliberateanddiscusswhateachhadlearnedandtheirexperiencesinrelationtolessonstudyThroughthisdialogicprocesswewereabletoconstructcommonunderstandingandmeaningwithregardtobothaspectsoftheprocessandintermsoftheuseoftoolsandprotocolstofacilitatetheprocessAsaresultwewerethenabletounderstandwhichaspectsoftheapproachwere successful inhelpingparticipantsdevelop theirpracticeand improveoutcomes for themostvulnerableandwhichappearedtoprovidelimitedvalueInotherwordsasGutierrezandPenuel (201420)suggestlsquo[s]tudying theldquosocial lifeof interventionsrdquo [helpedus]moveawayfromimagininginterventionsasfixedpackagesofstrategieswithreadilymeasurableoutcomesandtowardsmoreopen-endedsocialorsociallyembeddedexperimentsthatinvolveongoing[ieiterative]mutualengagementrsquoToensurethelearningfromthepilotphasewascarriedoverintothemainprojectattheendofthethreelessonstudydaysaone-dayworkshopwasheldsothatthemainphasecouldbecollaborativelydevelopedAspectshereincludedthegroupingandsequencingoflessonstudydaysthroughouttheyear(bearinginmindthedistinctwaysofworkingthateachphaseofschoolinghas)thenature(runningorder)ofeachlessonstudydaythenatureofthetoolsandprotocolstobeemployedaspartofeachmainphaselessonstudysessionandhowimpactshouldbeconceivedofandmeasured(seebelow)
Whatwasalsoviewedas importantbybothparticipantsandtheprojectteamhoweverwasthataswescaledtheprojectupfrompilottomainphasethedialogicprocessthatenabledustounderstandanditerativelyimprovetheoperationoflessonstudycouldcontinueatscale
London Review of Education 11
PerhapsoneofthemainissuesoftheDBRapproachascurrentlyconceivedisthatit isveryresearcher intensive in other words it requires researchers working intensively with smallnumbersofpractitionersWewerethusconcernedwithfindingwaysofexamininghowtheDBRapproachcouldhaveimpactformaximalnumbersofteachersToovercomethispractitionersand researchers jointly agreed on the need for distributed ownership ifDBR at scale is anunmanageabletaskforresearchersalonethenresearcherscannotbetheonlyactorsinvolvedincreatingmeaningndashpractitionersexperiencedinthedeliberativeprocessshouldalsobeabletomovebeyondtheirtraditionalrolesandengage inthiswaytoo(Coburnet al2013)Thisagreeduponapproachtocapacitybuildingthereforemeantthatwewereabletousetheoriginalpilotgroupmembersaspractitioner-researcherswhocouldformnewtriadsandengagewithpractitionersinvolvedintheprojectrsquosmainstageThisfreeduptimefortheresearcherstoworkwithothergroupsoflsquomainstagersquopractitionersndashandbothsetsofresearcherscouldthenmeetperiodically to considerongoing improvements and changes thatneeded tobemade to thelessonstudymethodology
A DBR approach to measuring impact
Vitaltounderstandingtheeffectivenessofourapproachwasameaningfulwaytoassessimpact(Bryket al2011)thatistoseewhetherwemettheaimsoftheprojectOurinitialapproachtomeasuringimpact(whichwastestedduringthepilotproject)involvedpractitionersestablishingcommon understanding and thus alsquobaselinersquo through the analysis of data and insight abouttheir settings current practices and key issues in relation to the teaching of EnglishliteracyandscienceaswellasissuesoftransitioninrelationtothesesubjectsTheyweresubsequentlyinvitedtoestablishwhattheywantedtoachievebytheendoftheprojectandhowtheymightdosondashspecificallyfollowinganapproachsetoutbyEarleyandPorritt(2013)ndashandlsquostartingwiththeendinmindrsquo(thegoaltheywishedtoachieve)practitionerswereaskedhowtheymightdevelopteachingstrategies(basedonacommonfocusarea)thatmightbeobservedandrefinedviaaprocessoflessonstudytoreachadesiredendpoint(ieonethatwouldtackletheseissues)
GutierrezandPenuel (2014) argue thatpartnershipapproaches to impactmeasurementare also likely to result in more robust and nuanced understandings of the differences aninterventionhashadThistooprovedtobethecaseforthisprojectInparticularitbecameclearthatndashbecausepractitionerswereengagingincross-phaseapproachestopedagogyandsohadtodevelopacommonissueanddecideonatopicsubjectmatterthatencapsulatedtheissuebeingtaughtndashinessencealsquonaturalrsquobaselinedatadidnotexistInotherwordsaskingteachersndashwhoteachatdifferentstagesofthecurriculumandwhoteachdifferentagegroupsindifferentschoolsndashtocollaboraterequiredthemtofindalevelofcommonalitythatordinarilydidnotexistThismeantthatbaselinedatacouldnotbeascertainedinadvanceofthelessonstudybuthadtobeascertainedasadirectresultofthelessonstudyprocessthefirstlessonbecamethebaselineforpractitionerone the second study forpractitioner two and soonThis alsomeant thatbothbaselineandpedagogicapproachesalsonecessarilydevelopedasaresultofcollaborativeactivity that ispractitioner tworsquos approach to teaching the lesson studyclass shouldbenefitfromengaginginthelessonstudyrelatedtopractitioneroneandsoonBaselinesandstartingapproaches to implementing the strategywere thus relative Similarly desired endpoints andimprovementstowardsthesecouldonlybesetandorcomparedinabsolutetermsfromeachpractitionerrsquosstartingposition
Inadditionthismeantthattheimpactprocessmovingforwardnecessarilyhadtoinvolvetwostagesthefirststagebeforelessonstudyactivityinvolvedeachtriadestablishinganissueanddecidingonamutualtopicorlessontoteach(andhowitshouldbetaught)Desiredimpact
12 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
(the future goal to be aimed at) however couldonly be established after each baseline hadbeenestablishedcorrespondinglyaswiththepilotakeyaspectofthemainstagekick-offwasto ensure that themain stage participants discussed (in their lesson study triads) commondifficultiesandissuesinrelationtotheteachingofEnglishliteracyandscienceinthecontextof transition and that they identified areas for improvementTriads then decided upon onefocusarea(atopicbeingtaughtthatencapsulatedtheissue)andtoalsothinkaboutacommonapproachtoteachingthetopicthatmight inrelationtothe issue leadto improvedteachingpracticesandstudentoutcomesWealsoengagedparticipantswithwaysofunderstandingandmeasuringbothbaselineandimpactspecificallyweintroducedthemtoamyriadofhardandsoftdata types (fromstudentoutcomes toobservationsofpractice) andwaysofmeasuringbaselineandimpactsuchasthelsquoLeuvenrsquoscaleParticipantstheneachidentifiedthreecasestudychildrenandcollaborativelyplannedthefirstlessonstudyclassFollowingkick-offforthefirstthreelessonstudyclassesthemainstageparticipantsobservedpracticeandstudentbehavioursaswellascollectingengagingwithotherpupildata
AfurtherworkshopwasheldafterthefirstthreetoenableparticipantstocometogetherandestablishafirmbaselineforthethreepupilsforeachoftheteachersintheirtrioHavingestablished this baseline they then determinedwhat they would like practice to be (ie toestablishtheir ideal)ParticipantsthenspenttheremainderoftheworkshopcollaboratingtofurtherrefinethepedagogicapproachesthatmightgetthemtothisidealThismeantthatlessonstudysessionsfourtoninewerestructuredusingthesixstepsasdiscussedabovewithlessonstudysessionsusedtoascertainwhetherpracticeandoutcomeswereprogressingtowardstheirideal impact goal inorder todecidewhethercorrectivechanges in approachwererequired(Bryket al2011)
A finalworkshopwas then held to enable trios to bring together the endline data forthe project and so establish a firm impact picture specifically in relation to the aimsof theprojectHereprotocolsweredevelopedbytheprojectteamtocapturedatathatemergedfromthelearningconversationsheldwithintheworkshopsSpecificallyproformaswerecreatedtohelpparticipantsrecordtheirresponsestothefollowingquestions(1)Howhasyourpracticechangedasaresultofthisprojectand(2)WhathaveyoulearnedaboutlessonstudyandhowtouseittodevelopteachingpracticeWealsodevelopedaproformatorecordtheperceiveddifferences inpupiloutcomesbetweenthestartandendoftheproject(alongwithevidencefromthetriadastowhytheseassessmentsweremade)
Results
Asoutlinedabovetheaimsoftheprojectweretoachieve
bull morerobustchallengingandinnovativendashbutalsoconsistentndashpedagogicpracticeatnationalcurriculumlevels1ndash8inEnglishandscience
bull sharedteacherconfidenceusingthesepracticesbull improved rates of progress and attainment for lsquovulnerablersquo pupils within each of
years 3ndash8(ages8throughto13)bull agroupofteachersabletouselessonstudyapproachestoimproveclassroompractice
andimpactonstandardsthusbuildingtransferablecapacity
To understand how successfulwe had been in relation to eachof these in the final impactworkshopweworkedwithparticipantstoaddressthefollowingthreequestions
bull Howhasyourpracticechangedasaresultofthisprojectbull Whatimpacthasthischangedpracticehadonpupils
London Review of Education 13
bull What have you learned about lesson study and how to use it to develop teachingpractice
Impact on teacher practice
Webeganthefinalworkshopbyfirstaskingparticipantstoengageinalearningconversationcentred on how their practice had changed as a result of their participation in the projectAll teachers participated in the exercise andused the pro formaoutlined above to indicatewhethertherehadbeenanychangeintheirpracticeWhenanalysingtheresults itwasclearthatresponsesdividednaturallyinto(1)changesinknowledgeunderstandingintermsofhowfocuspupilslearn(2)changesinpracticeand(3)whychangesinpracticearemakingadifferenceExamplesoftheverbatimresponsesaresetoutinTable2whichencapsulatesthemainthemesthatemergedAcommonfocusacrossallgroupswashowtheymightemploylsquotalkforwritingrsquondashaprocesswherechildrenorallyengagewiththelanguagetheyneedforaparticulartopicbeforereadingandanalysingitthenwritingtheirownversionPotentiallythecommonalityofthisfocusderivedfromlsquotalkforwritingrsquobeingahottopicwithinCamdenduringthetimeoftheprojectAsaresultthiscouldbeareasonwhythemajorityofteacherparticipantshadbroadlyfocusedontalkandthebalancewithintheirlessonsbetweentalkingandwritingaswellasontheuseofpairingandgroupinginordertofacilitatethis
Table 2 ExampleresponsestothequestionlsquoHowhasyourpracticechangedasaresultofthisprojectrsquo
Question Responses
Changesinknowledgeunderstandingintermsofhowfocuspupilslearn
bull lsquoHowdifficultitistounderstandscientifictermsandconceptswithoutcontextrsquo
bull lsquoThebenefitsofusingascriptforpeerfeedbackrsquobull lsquoPupilsneedstructuredtalkwithwell-chosenpartnersrsquobull lsquoPupilfindkeywordsdifficulttouseinapieceofwritingeven
iftheyunderstandthemeaningofthewordsitisdifficulttolinkmorescientificwordstogetherrsquo
bull lsquoGroupingcanmakeabigdifferencetolearningrsquosimilarlylsquoPartnersreallymakeadifferencetotheoutcomersquo
Changesinpractice bull Rehearsalofkeynewscientificvocabularybull Useofspeakingandwritingframesbull Makinglessonsmoreoralandgivingmoreoralscaffoldsbull lsquo[Providing]moretimetotalkandthinkaboutwhatthey
wanttowritersquobull lsquoMixingtalkpartnerssochildrenareworkingwithdifferent
partnersrsquo
Whychangesinpracticearemakingadifference
bull Pupilslikespeakingframesaslsquoitgivesthemastartingpointtostructuretheirspeechrsquo
bull lsquoMakingspeechahighpriorityresultsinmuchbetteroutcomesrsquo
bull lsquoSpendingmoretimelearningnewvocabulary[meansthatpupilsarebetterat]unpickingmeaningsandprocessesrsquo
bull Partneringlowerachievingchildreneitherwithhigherachievingormiddleachievingpupilsreallymakesadifferenceasthehigherabilitychildrenchallengepushandstretchthelowerachievers
14 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
Pupil impact
WehavedescribedabovethatinkeepingwiththeDBRunderpinningsoftheprojectparticipantswere able to determinewhat changes theywanted to see in their pupils as a result of theprojectandhowthesemightbemeasuredAssuchavarietyofmetricswereusedtoascertainimpactrangingfromteacherobservationsandmarkingtotheirexpertiseandknowledgeofthechildBecauseparticipantspredominantlychosenottouselsquohardrsquoattainmentdatainordertoexamineimpactacrossallparticipantswehadtofindacommonwayofderivingandpresentingwhatimpactifanyresultedfromtheprojectTodothisweaskedparticipantsworkingintheirtriadstoscoreeachoftheirthreefocuschildren(inrelationtothefocusoraimsoftheirtriadandinrelationtothedatatheyweremeasuring)bothintermsoftheirlsquoperformancersquoatthebeginningoftheprojectandattheendScoresbothatthebeginningandendwereoutoftenandparticipantstriadshadtoprovidesupportingevidenceforselectingtheirscoresAsaresultthisprovidedresearcherswithperceptionsofpupilimpactandreasonsfortheseperceptionsbecauseallpupilimpactperceptionswerescoredinthesamewayhoweverwewerealsoabletonormalizethesescoresbylookingatthepercentagedifferencesinthelsquobeforersquoandlsquoafterrsquoscoresThescoresandrangesofthesedifferencesaresetoutinFigure1whereasTable3providesadistributionofthepercentagescoresAfulltableofresponsesshowingbeforeandafterscoresandreasonsevidencefortheseisprovidedintheAppendix
Figure 1 Pupilsbeforeandafterscoresandpercentagechange
London Review of Education 15
Table 3 Distributionofpercentagechangeinpupilsbeforeandafterscores
Question Number Percentage
Greaterthan100change 3 7
91ndash100change 7 17
81ndash90change 0 0
71ndash80change 4 10
61ndash70change 1 2
51ndash60change 0 0
41ndash50change 6 14
31ndash40change 12 29
21ndash30change 2 5
11ndash20change 1 2
1ndash10change 0 0
Nochange 4 10
Pupilsdroppedout 2 5
Total 42 100
TheblockedareainFigure1representsthestudentperformancescoresatthebeginningoftheprojectwhilethecontinuouslinerepresentstheirscoresatprojectendThedotsmeanwhilerepresentthepercentagedifference(iethechangeinpupilperformancesincethestartoftheproject)Ascanbeseenofthe42focusgrouppupilsforwhomteachersprovideddatateachersreported a change in the behavioursattitudesoutcomes of all but six For some pupils thischangewassubstantiveAssetoutinTable3whichprovidesthedistributionofthesepercentagechangesteacherssuggestthatfortenpupilstheirperformancehadeffectivelydoubledormore(ietherewasa100percent(orgreater)changeintheirscore)Thebiggestsingleimprovementhowevertendedtobebetween30and40percent Inthemainthiswascausedbylsquoaveragersquopupils(scoring5ndash6)nowscoringtwopointshigher(7ndash8)orbyinitiallylowperformingpupilsndashwhooriginallyscored3ndashincreasingtheirperformancescoreto4
Naturallyintheabsenceofhardandobjectiveattainmentdataweneedtobecircumspectin the levelofsignificanceaffordedtowhataresubjectivelydeterminedresultsNonethelesssupportingevidencewasprovidedandthefiguresweretriangulatedwithothermembersofthetriad(whowerethemselvesengagedinprolongedobservationofthesepupils)Inadditionnotallpupilswerereportedashavingbenefitedfromtheproject fourpupils(10percent)werereportedasnotbenefitingatallwhileafurthertwodroppedoutoftheschooltheywereinConsideringLincolnandGubarsquos(1985)criteriaforestablishingthetrustworthinessofsubjectivedatathereforealthoughtheexactchangeinpupilsrsquoperformancescanbedebatedtheresearchteamhaveconfidencethatsomepositiveimpactonpupilshastakenplacendashandthatthisimpactcanbeattributabletotheprojectItshouldalsobenotedthatthisdatarelatestothethreepupils(perclass)representingwidergroupsofinterestsuchasvulnerablechildren(Dudley2011)Intheorythentheimpactoftheprojectshouldstretchbeyondthe42childrenanalysedherebutwedonothavedatatosubstantiatesuchaclaim
16 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
Learning about lesson study
FinallyweaskedparticipantstoanswerthefollowingquestionlsquoWhathaveyoulearnedaboutlessonstudyandhowtouseittodevelopteachingpracticersquoResponsesheredividednaturallyintothebenefitsandchallengesofusinglessonstudyandaresetoutinTable4
Table 4 Benefitsandchallengestousinglesson study (responsetoquestionlsquoWhathaveyoulearnedaboutlesson studyandhowtouseittodevelopteachingpracticersquo)
Question Responses
lsquoWhathaveyoulearnedaboutlessonstudyandhowtouseittodevelopteachingpracticersquo(Benefits)
bull lsquoObservingcolleaguesteachandpickingupideasstrategiessharingpracticeetcinrelationtoprimarytosecondarytransitionsrsquo
bull lsquoSharinggoodpractice[andfacilitateideasgeneration]rsquobull lsquoObservingin[other]schoolsandseeingthedifferencebetween
teachinginprimaryandsecondaryschoolsrsquobull lsquoChancetoseeotherCamdenclassesofthesameagersquobull lsquoIgetabetterunderstandingofhowImightstretchmoreable
year7studentsrsquobull lsquoExposuretootherteachersrsquostylesandpracticesrsquobull lsquoSupportivefeedbackandobservationsfromcolleaguesrsquobull Perspectiveseglsquothatyouwouldnotbeabletopickupabout
yourchildrenrsquoslearningfromthefrontoftheclassrsquoandlsquoafocusonchildrenwhomightslipunderteachersrsquoradarrsquosimilarlylsquohavingothersbeingabletowatchthechildrenhellip[and]noticingsomething[youhadnrsquot]rsquo
bull lsquoBecauseitrsquosplannedcollaborativelyyougettoseeyourworkinactionrsquo
lsquoWhathaveyoulearnedaboutlessonstudyandhowtouseittodevelopteachingpracticersquo(Challenges)
bull TimeeglsquoLotsoftimeoutofschoolrsquobull TimetablinglsquoFindingdatesthataremutuallyconvenientforthe
triorsquobull lsquoIncreasedworkloadinrelationtoplanningpreparingand
hostingthesessionrsquobull lsquoImmediateprogressnot[always]visiblersquobull lsquoNeedsbuy-infromSLTtohavemaximumimpactrsquosimilarly
lsquoLessonstudyislessimportantinsomeschoolsrsquobull lsquo[Thistypeofprocesscannotbeanadd-on]ifitcouldreplace
[currentprogrammeofobservations]wouldbegreatrsquobull lsquoThereisalreadytoomuchtotryandgetthroughinprimaryrsquo
InconsideringthechallengesitcanbeseethatinkeepingwithGero(2015)forlessonstudytobecarriedoutsuccessfullyrequiresthebuy-inandcommitmentofseniorleadersInparticularlessonstudyndashasa formofschool improvementndashneedstobeprioritizedbyschool leadersover other school improvement initiativeswith time and space given to enable teachers tomeaningfullyengageinlessonstudyactivityAswellasthecommentsinTable4thismessageisalsoreinforcedbythefactthatthreeschools(sixteachers)droppedoutafterthefirstlessonstudy citing competing pressures and priorities as well as involvement in too many schoolimprovementinitiativesInpartthisisbecausethebenefitsofengaginginthisapproachwerenotimmediatelyapparent
London Review of Education 17
Significance
From analysing the results it is clear that our approach has been effective in both changingteacherunderstandingandteachingpracticeandbuildingteachercapacitysothatparticipantsareabletoruntheirownprojectsmovingforwardStartingwiththefirstascanbeseeninTable2teacherswereabletoarticulatealogicalchainndashstartingwithwhattheywerelearningabouttheirpupilsthechangestheyweremakinginresponseandendingwithargumentsformakingthesechangesForexampleoneparticipantnotedlsquohowdifficultitis[forpupils]tounderstandscientifictermsandconceptswithoutcontextrsquoasaconsequencetheywerenowrehearsingnewscientificvocabularybecauselsquospendingmoretimelearningnewvocabulary[meansthatpupilsarebetterat]unpickingmeaningsandprocessesrsquoSimilarlyanotherteacherindicatedthatshenowknowsthatlsquopartnersreallymakeadifferencetotheoutcomersquoThiswasbecausethelessonstudyprocesshadhelpedherseethatpartneringlowerachievingchildrenwitheitherhigherachievingormiddleachievingpupilscanleadtothehigherabilitychildrenchallengingpushingandstretchingthelowerachieversAsaresultshewasmuchmoreactivelylsquomixingtalkpartnerssochildrenareworkingwithdifferentpartnersrsquoItseemsclearthereforethatourapproachtolessonstudydevelopedviaaDBRapproachndashwhichactivelypromotesreflectivedialogueviaaprocessof learningconversationsndashhasbeensuccessful inhelpingpractitionersreflectnotonlyonpupillearningbutalsowhatneedstochangeintermsoftheirteachingtofacilitatethislearning
Intermsofcapacitybuildingitisclearthatparticipantssawnotonlythebenefitsofengagingin lesson study but also the challenges that needed to be overcome in order to ensure itseffectiveoperation(Table4)Havingknowledgeof the former(combinedwithexperienceofa number of cycles of lesson study)means that participants now know how best tomakelessonstudyworkforthemInotherwordsbybuildingontheDBRelementoftheprojecttheteachersinvolvedcanensurethatmovingforwardtheytailorhowtheyfocuslessonstudytoachievemaximalbenefitforthemselvesandtheirpupilsLikewiseintermsofrollingouttheirownprogrammeoflessonstudyparticipantswillalsobeawareofthechallengesthatneedtobemetiftheyaretogetmostvaluefromtheprocessTheseincludeinparticulartherequirementtobuy-infromseniorleadersandtheneedforamodelofleadershipwithintheirschoolwhichpromotes the vision for and ensures the fosteringof a cultureof professional developmentbasedoncollaborativepeer-to-peersupport(includingthepromotionofthevaluesrequiredforlearningcommunitiestooperate)Alsokeywillbetheneedforseniorleaderstoprovidethenecessaryresourceandstructures(egtimeandspace)forsustainedandmeaningfullessonstudytobecomeareality(StollandFink1996Leithwoodet al2006)
Ourrevisedapproach tomeasuring impact toohasbeeneffectiveusing teacher-definedmeasuresofimpactprovidesamoreaccuratewayofunderstandingthedifferencethatlessonstudyactivityhasmadeInotherwordsunlikewithattainmentdatandashwhereitwouldbehardtoattributechangesinpupiloutcomesspecificallytolessonstudyactivity(asopposedtootherchangesincontextorintheteachingandlearningenvironment)ndashourapproachenabledteachersto focuson threepupils andhow they responded tovery specificchanges inapproaches topedagogicpracticebasedonanunderstandingandanassessmentofthesepupilsrsquobehavioursandattitudesbothbeforeandaftertheuseofthepracticeImportantlythisimpactdataisalsolsquotriangulatedrsquosincethepractitionerwhoisteachingaswellasthoseobservingmustcometoanagreementastowhathappenedandwhyLikewisethentheoverallperceptionsofimpactscoreswerediscussedandagreeduponintriadsgivingweighttotheirvalidityGiventhisitisencouragingtonotethatmostscoresprovidedsuggest that the lessonstudyapproachdoesimpactpositivelyonpupilbehavioursandattitudestolearningAscanbeseeninTable385per
18 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
centofpupilsbenefitedfromtheirteachersengagingintheprojectwithoverathird(36percent)benefitingbyanincreaseintheirperformancescoreby50percentormore
Summary
FortheHaverstockPrimarytoSecondaryTransitionProjectweemployedaDBRapproachtothedevelopmentand implementationof lessonstudy inordertohelppractitionersexamineandbegintotacklesomeoftheissuesassociatedwithprimarytosecondarytransitionDoingsoenabledtheprojectteamandparticipantstocollaborativelydevelopatheoryofactionfortheprojectwhichenabledustoconsidernotionsoflearningandlearningconversationsaswellasameansofdeliveringlessonstudyinkeepingwiththistheoryofactionAswellasthiswewerealsoabletoestablishawayofmeasuringimpactforsituations(suchaswhenprimaryandsecondaryteachersworkonjointprojects)wherebecausethereisnoday-to-dayinteractionandcollaborationthereisnonaturallyoccurringbaselineandnocommonapproachtopedagogy
InlightoftheaboveweconcludethatusingDBRhasbeenvitalnotonlytothesuccessoftheprojectbutalsotoitslong-termsustainabilityfollowingtheprojectrsquosendHoweverweasresearchershavealsobenefitedfromengaginginDBRforinstancewehavegainedabetterunderstanding of how to engage in lesson study in a cross-phase way In addition the newapproachtomeasuringimpactthatemergedcannowbetriedandtestedinothercontextsascanourrevisedtheoryofactionforandapproachestooperationalizinglessonstudyThatisinkeepingwithAndersonandShattuck(2012)movingforwardwecantakewhatwehavelearnedandcontinuetocollaborativelyanditerativelyrefineourapproachsothatitiseffectiveineachnewcontextweintroduceittothushelpingtoservetoimprovethesystemrsquosoverallcapacityforsustainedchange
Notes on the contributors
ChrisBrown isaSeniorLectureratUCLInstituteofEducationUniversityCollegeLondon(DepartmentforLearningandLeadership) Chrishasextensiveexperienceofleadingarangeoffundedprojectsmanyofwhich seek tohelppractitioners to identify and scaleupbestpractice andwas recently awardedasignificant grant by the Education Endowment Foundation toworkwith over 100 primary schools inEnglandtoincreasetheiruseofresearch
CarolTaylor iscurrentlytheStrategicLeaderforCPDattheLondonCentreforLeadershipinLearningSheworkswithschoolsalliancesandlocalauthoritiesndashboth locallyandnationallyndash insupportingtheprofessionaldevelopmentoftheschoolworkforceCarolrecentlyco-ledtheNationalCollegeTeachingSchools Research and Development project involving over 60 schools across England She is activelyinvolvedinsupportingschoolsacrossLondontoembedpractitionerresearchandenquiryintopractice
LornaPonambalum isascienceteacherandAssistantHeadteacheratHaverstockSchoolCamdenLondonwheresheisalsoDesignatedSafeguardingOfficerLornahasbeeninvolvedinanumberoflessonstudyprojectsincludingtheprojectcoveredinthispaperwhichexaminedapproachestoimproveprimarytosecondarytransition
London Review of Education 19
Appendix Pupiloutcomesatstartandendofprojectwithevidencefromthetriadastowhytheseassessmentsweremade
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
4 Myanalysisoftheirworkbookandmyknowledgeoftheirin-classcontributions
6 Someimprovementswhenthechildismotivated
4 Under-confidentStruggleswhenworkingwithapartner
7 Moreconfidenceofownabilityandrecognizessupportfrompartner
4 AloofIssuesathome 4 Stillstrugglestopayattentionwhenworkinginpairs
5 Struggleswithusingsomeofthekeywords
7 Usesmorekeywordsinherwrittenwork(almostall)Expressingideasinabetterway
4 Struggleswiththekeywords 6 Bettersentencestructureandbetterlinkingofideas
3 Lacksconfidenceinspeakingandwriting
6 MoreconfidenceinverballyansweringquestionsputshandupmoreoftenWritingcanstillbeaproblem
3 NeverraiseshandsRefusedtospeakinpublicNosentencestructure
6 Leftbeforeendofprojectbutwasdemonstratingimprovedvocabularyconfidenceandwrittenwork
4 Notengagedvocabularyandliteraryworkpoor
9 REALLYengagedandimprovementinvocabularyandliterarysentencesimproved
5 Doesnrsquotusevocabularyaccuratelyandnotableintermsofwrittenwork
9 Vocabularyuseismoreaccurateandismuchmoreableintermsofwrittenwork
4 bull Didnotlistenoncarpetortoteachertalk
bull Firstcycleshowssignsofdisengagementinfeedback
bull Writingdifficulttounderstand
7 bull Morefocusedonthetaskonthecarpet
bull Betterqualityofwritingbetterfeedbackascycleprogressed
6 bull Toochattybull Distractedtalkpartnerbull Forgottocheckthroughand
punctuatebull Couldnotpeerassesswell
8 bull Betterlearningbehaviourbull Moreownershipofown
learningandcanselfandpeerassess
6 bull Pronetodistractionbull Unabletofollowaseriesof
instructions
7 bull Handuptoofferideasmorebull Slowlyandcarefullygetson
withataskbull Knowshowtopeerassess
20 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
3 Textsnotproducedwelldistractedanddistractingothers
6 Useofmetalanguagetextsproducedusingappropriategrammar
4 Paucityofideasworknotalwaysmakingsense
7 Takingcontrolofownlearningorganizingideasaboutgrammareffectivelymoreconfidenttostartwritingandproducingcompletetexts
5 Generallackofconfidencedespitebeingahighachiever
7 Textsproducedfullofideasinterviewswithobserversshowconfidencemoreconfidenceinhisideasprovidedheispartneredwithsomeonewhohefindssupportive
5 LackofinvolvementinlessonsPoorwritingandconfusedbymosttasks
7 HavingestablishedthatheappreciatesbeingprobedchallengedbyteachersIdedicatemoretimetoenablinghimtoprocessinformationthroughquestioningHenowoftenstartstasksquickerandtakesmorerisksHeisstillshyanddoesnrsquotusuallyvolunteer
3 Withdrawnndashnevercontributingandoptingoutoftasks
6 TriestasksndashnotalwayswithoutpromptingBeginningtotakerisksandoccasionallyvolunteersideas
7 VerylowconfidenceConsistentlypoorliteracyReluctancetocontributeWrittenworkwaspoorbutreflectedeffortofstudent
9 TriesreallyhardtocompleteworktothebestofherabilityStillrarelycontributesherideas
3 CompletelydisengagedseesnovalueinschoolNotansweringquestionsandtalkingaboutanythingelse
8 Nowfocusesonthefrontputshanduptalksaboutthetopicmostofthetime
6 Easilydistractedwillputhandupbutoftendoesnrsquothaveananswerwhenasked
8 Morefocusedwillstilloftennotlistenoninputbutisabletoasksomeoneelseratherthananadultorjustsittingthere
1 bull Getsoutofseatbull Shoutsoutbull Disturbsothers
na Pupilleftschool
9 Priorattainmentandclassroomobservations
9 Nodifferenceinliteracyattainmentwasconsistent
London Review of Education 21
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
3 Priorattainmentandclassroomobservations
4 Improvedconfidenceincomprehensionandwriting
3 Priorattainmentandclassroomobservations
4 Norealdifferencepossiblyslightlybetteratverbalizing
3 Effortscorelsquo3rsquoinfirstreportLeaningbackonchairnotfocuseddistracted
6 Morefocusmorelikelytoaskforhelpratherthanmisbehave
3 Effortscorelsquo3rsquoinfirstreportDistractingothers
3 NowrarelyinclassndashexclusionabsenceOnoccasionshowsexcellentprogressandcanworkindependently
4 Disengagedonwhole(althoughbaselineobservationswerecarriedoutonalsquogoodrsquoday)Rudenessnottrying
8 ReadingchallengingtextsandlookingupdifficultvocabularyindictionaryFewerdayswhenrefusestowork
3 Severallearningneedsandhashadtroublewithwriting
4 Increasedconfidenceinspellingandwriting(andenthusiasm)ndashespeciallycreativelyContinuestostrugglewithcomprehensionHasmadeprogressaccordingtoassessedwork
5 Asabovealthoughadisparitybetweenqualityandquantityofspokenandwrittenwork
na Haslefttheschool
3 MorewillingtowritethantalkatlengthWritingpoorqualityPoorattentionandbehaviouralissuesasbarrierstolearning
5 HasimprovedappreciablyintermsofspokencontributionstowrittenworkStillpresentsbehaviouralproblemsasmainbarriertoprogressHasmadetwosub-levelsofprogressthisyear(basedonanalysisofclasswork)
6 Readingfictionpooruseofsciencevocab
6 Nothingverydifferent
5 Noattempttousesciencevocab 7 Tryingtousesciencevocab
3 Verypoorengagementwithlargerwrittentasks
7 Betterengagementwithtaskandproductionofhigherlevelworkwithbettervocab
4 Unwillingtodiscusswithinterviewee
5 Writesmoretriestowriteindetailthoughremainsunwillingtoshareideaswritteninclassndashdependentonwork-partner
22 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
4 Willanswerquestionsifverysureofanswer
6 Stillunwillingtoshareideasinclassbutwilluseconnectvocabularyifithasbeenembeddedstronglywithinlesson
4 Notinitiallywillingtoshareknowledgethoughdidcometothefrontofclassandshareideas
6 AbletodiscusswithintervieweeindetailinformationaboutexperimentStillsomewhatunwillingtoshare
5 Hesitanttoshareideasoranswerquestionsunlessspecificallyasked
7 Taskdependent
6 Alwayswillingtoshareideasalthoughnotnecessarilyaccurateformalscientificlanguage
8 Attemptstochoosehiswordswhenansweringquestionswhichisgreateffortfromthisstudent
2 Performancedependingonwhoshepartneredwith
3 Moreefforttotalkingroupshoweverthisisonlyasmallstepstillveryhesitantandseeksreassurancefromothers
3 Quietlyengagedndashlistensbutrarelysharesideas
6 MakingalargerefforttotalkwithinagroupStillhesitanttoshareinfrontofclassunlesssheknowsitrsquosright
6 Veryengagedandwillgenerallytalkandshareideasalthoughnotalwaysusingaccuratelanguage
8 Activelysharingandtalkingideasndashbacksupherstatementsusingreasonscanrejectothersrsquoopinionsandjustifywhy
6 AppearsdisengagedhoweverwithprobingdoesknowtheanswersNotalwaystalkingaboutthesubjectndashdependsonpersonwhoheispartneredwith
9 LovessharingideasconstantlyputtinghandupTriestousescientificlanguagendashnotasengagedinwrittentasks
References
AndersonTandShattuckJ(2012)lsquoDesign-basedresearchAdecadeofprogressineducationresearchrsquoEducational Researcher41(1)16ndash25
ArgyrisCandSchoumlnD(1996)Organizational Learning II Theory method and practice ReadingMAAddison-WesleyPublishingCompany
BrownC andRogers S (2015)lsquoKnowledge creation as an approach to facilitating evidence-informedpracticeExaminingwaystomeasurethesuccessofusingthismethodwithearlyyearspractitionersinCamden(London)rsquoJournal of Educational Change16(1)79ndash99
BrykAGomezL andGrunowA (2011)lsquoGetting ideas intoactionBuildingnetworked improvementcommunitiesineducationrsquoInHallinanM(ed)Frontiers in Sociology of Education Frontiers in Sociology and Social ResearchDordrechtNetherlandsSpringer127ndash62
London Review of Education 23
CamdenCouncil(2016)lsquoCamdenpartnershipforeducationalexcellencersquoOnlinewwwcamdengovukccmcontenteducationschoolscamden-partnership-for-educational-excellenceen(accessed1April2016)
Camden Education Commission (2011) Camden Education Commission Final report London CamdenChildrenrsquosTrustPartnershipBoardandLondonBoroughofCamden
CheungWMandWongWY(2014)lsquoDoeslessonstudyworkAsystematicreviewontheeffectsoflessonstudyandlearningstudyonteachersandstudentsrsquo International Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies3(2)137ndash49
CoburnCPenuelWandGeilK(2013)Research-Practice Partnerships A strategy for leveraging research for educational improvement in school districtsNewYorkWilliamTGrantFoundation
Cohen-Vogel LTichnor-WagnerAAllenD Harrison C Kainz K SocolAR andWangQ (2015)lsquoImplementingeducationalinnovationsatscaleTransformingresearchersintocontinuousimprovementscientistsrsquoEducational Policy29(1)257ndash77
Department for Children Schools and Families (DCSF) (2008) The National Strategies Strengthening transfers and transitions Partnerships for progressOnlinehttpderaioeacuk74641str_tt_prtnshp_prgrss08308pdf(requiressubscriptionaccessed5September2013)
DepartmentforEducation(2011)How do Pupils Progress During Key Stages 2 and 3ResearchreportDFE-RR096 Online wwwgovukgovernmentuploadssystemuploadsattachment_datafile182413DFE-RR096pdf(accessed1April2013)
Dudley P (2011) lsquoLesson study development in England From school networks to national policyrsquoInternational Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies1(1)85ndash100
ndashndash (2014) Lesson Study A handbook Online httplessonstudycoukwp-contentuploads201401new-handbook-early-years-edition2014-versionpdf(accessed21July2014)
EarleyPandPorrittV(2013)lsquoEvaluatingtheimpactofprofessionaldevelopmentTheneedforastudent-focusedapproachrsquoProfessional Development in Education40(1)112ndash29doi101080194152572013798741
EvangelouMTaggartBSylvaKMelhuishESammonsPandSiraj-BlatchfordI(2008)What Makes a Successful Transition from Primary to Secondary School NottinghamDCSF
FieldingMBraggSCraigJCunninghamIErautMGillinsonSHorneMRobinsonCandThorpJ(2005)lsquoFactorsinfluencingthetransferofgoodpracticersquoOnlinehttpderaioeacuk210011RR615pdf(accessed21July2014)
GaltonMGrayJandRudduckJ(1999)The Impact of School Transitions and Transfers on Pupil Progress and Attainment NottinghamDepartmentforEducationandEmployment
GeroG(2015)lsquoTheprospectsoflessonstudyintheUSTeachersupportandcomfortwithinadistrictcultureofcontrolrsquoInternational Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies4(1)7ndash25
GutierrezKandPenuelW(2014)lsquoRelevancetopracticeasacriterionforrigorrsquoEducational Researcher43(1)19ndash23
LeithwoodKDayCSammonsPHarrisAandHopkinsD(2006) Successful School Leadership What it is and how it influences student learning Researchreport800 LondonDepartmentforEducationandSkills
LewisC(2000)lsquoLessonstudyThecoreof JapaneseprofessionaldevelopmentrsquoPaperpresentedatTheAnnualMeetingoftheAmericanEducationalResearchAssociationNewOrleansLA24ndash8April2000
LincolnYandGubaE(1985)Naturalistic InquiryNewburyParkCASagePublicationsLondonBoroughofCamden(2012)Camden Education Commission Final reportOnlinehttpdemocracy
camdengovukdocumentss16322Camden20Education20Commission20Final20Reportpdf(accessed1April2013)
McGeeCWardRGibbons J andHarlowA (2004)Transition to Secondary School A literature reviewHamiltonNewZealandTheUniversityofWaikato
PenuelW FishmanBHauganC and SabelliN (2011)lsquoOrganizing research anddevelopment at theintersectionoflearningimplementationanddesignrsquoEducational Researcher40(7)331ndash7
PenuelWSunMFrankKandGallagherA(2012)UsingsocialnetworkanalysistostudyhowinteractionscanaugmentteacherlearningfromexternalprofessionaldevelopmentrsquoAmerican Journal of Education119(1)103ndash36
Shepherd J andRokerD (2005)lsquoAn evaluation of aldquotransition to secondary schoolrdquo project run bytheNationalPyramidTrustrsquoOnline wwwyoungpeopleinfocusorguk_assetsphpreportphpfile=37(accessed4September2013)
StollL(2012) lsquoStimulatinglearningconversationsrsquoProfessional Development Today14(4)6ndash12
24 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
StollLandBrownC(2015)lsquoMiddleleadersascatalystsforevidence-informedchangersquoInBrownC(ed)Leading the Use of Research and Evidence in SchoolsLondonIOEPress
StollLandFinkD(1996)Changing Our SchoolsBuckinghamOpenUniversityPressTree J(2011)lsquoWhathelpsstudentswithchallengingbehaviourmakeasuccessfultransfertosecondary
schoolrsquoDEdPsydissUniversityCollegeLondonInstituteofEducationTschannen-MoranM(2004)Trust Matters Leadership for successful schoolsSanFranciscoCAJossey-BassVanderlinde R and van Braak J (2010)lsquoThe gap between educational research and practiceViews of
teachers school leaders intermediariesandresearchersrsquoBritish Educational Research Journal36 (2)299ndash316
Related articles published in the London Review of Education
In this issue
ThispaperwaspublishedinaspecialfeatureoneducationinLondoneditedbyTamjidMujtabaTheotherarticlesinthefeatureareasfollows(linksunavailableattimeofpublication)
Cajic-SeigneurMandHodgsonA(2016)lsquoAlternativeeducationalprovision inanareaofdeprivation inLondonrsquoLondon Review of Education14(2)25ndash37
JerrimJandWynessG(2106)lsquoBenchmarkingLondoninthePISArankingsrsquoLondon Review of Education14(2)38ndash65
MujtabaT(2016)EditoriallsquoEducationinLondonChallengesandopportunitiesforyoungpeoplersquoLondon Review of Education14(2)1ndash3
MujtabaT and Reiss M (2016)lsquoGirls in the UK have similar reasons to boys for intending to studymathematics post-16 thanks to the support and encouragement they receiversquo London Review of Education14(2)66ndash82
StandishAHawleyT andWillyT (2016)lsquoThe LondonGeographyAlliance Re-connecting the schoolsubjectwiththeuniversitydisciplinersquoLondon Review of Education14(2)83ndash103
WrightP(2016)lsquoSocialjusticeinthemathematicsclassroomrsquoLondon Review of Education14(2)104ndash18
By the same authors
BrownC(2013)lsquoCritiqueandcomplexityPresentingamoreeffectivewaytoconceptualisetheknowledgeadoptionprocessrsquoLondon Review of Education11(1)32ndash45
BrownCandRogersS(2014)lsquoMeasuringtheeffectivenessofknowledgecreationasameansoffacilitatingevicence-informedpracticeinearlyyearssettingsinoneLondonboroughrsquoLondon Review of Education12(3)245ndash60
Elsewhere in the journal
LevinB(2011)lsquoMobilisingresearchknowledgeineducationrsquoLondon Review of Education9(1)15ndash26OakleyA(2003)lsquoResearchevidenceknowledgemanagementandeducationalpracticeEarlylessonsfrom
asystematicapproachrsquoLondon Review of Education1(1)21ndash33WatkinsC(2005)lsquoClassroomsaslearningcommunitiesAreviewofresearchrsquoLondon Review of Education
3(1)47ndash64
10 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
theseparticipantsworkedthroughaseriesofactivitiesdesignedtohelpthemdecideupononefocusarea(atopicbeingtaughtthatencapsulatedtheissue)andtoalsothinkaboutacommonapproachtoteachingthetopicinrelationtotheconceptthattriadscouldadoptimplementanditerativelyimproveFollowingthisparticipantswereaskedtoidentifythreestudentswithineachschoolwhorepresentedthefocus(vulnerable)studentsandtothencollaborativelyplanthefirstresearchlessonthatwouldbetaughtobserved
Inkeepingwith thenotion that it is expertisewith respect to a given intervention thatenablespractitionerstotailorinterventionstotheirspecificsituationandthatthedevelopmentofexpertiseinvolvesbothaspectsofeffectivelearningandsustainedskillrefinement(iepractice)(seeBryket al2011Penuelet al2012BrownandRogers2015)thepilotphasetheninvolvedthreefulllessonstudydaysTheseinvolvedpractitioners
(1) revisitingthepurposeofthelessonandthefocusareathatitlinkedto(2) beingtalkedthrough(bytheteacherwhowasteachingbeingobserved)eachphaseof
thelessonandwhatitsaimsandgoalswere(3) observinghowthelessonworkedinpractice(withafocusonthecasechildren)(4) interviewingthecasechildrenfortheirperspectivesontheissues(5) undergoingafacilitateddiscussiontoevaluatethelessonbasedonobservationsand
datacollection(6) buildingonwhathadhappened(iecollaborativelyestablishinglsquohowtorsquo)andplanning
forthenextlessonstudyresearchclass
Againbeforethefirst lessonstudydaytheprojectteamspentadaytogethercollaborativelydevelopingprotocolstoolsandanoutlineforthedaytofacilitatethelessonstudyprocessThelessonstudyactivitywasalsoobservedbytheprojectteaminordertogiveusanunderstandingofhowitwasbeingenacted
Collaboratively reviewing and improving lesson study activity
ThroughoutthepilotphasetimeandspacewerecreatedtoenableresearchersandpractitionerstodeliberateanddiscusswhateachhadlearnedandtheirexperiencesinrelationtolessonstudyThroughthisdialogicprocesswewereabletoconstructcommonunderstandingandmeaningwithregardtobothaspectsoftheprocessandintermsoftheuseoftoolsandprotocolstofacilitatetheprocessAsaresultwewerethenabletounderstandwhichaspectsoftheapproachwere successful inhelpingparticipantsdevelop theirpracticeand improveoutcomes for themostvulnerableandwhichappearedtoprovidelimitedvalueInotherwordsasGutierrezandPenuel (201420)suggestlsquo[s]tudying theldquosocial lifeof interventionsrdquo [helpedus]moveawayfromimagininginterventionsasfixedpackagesofstrategieswithreadilymeasurableoutcomesandtowardsmoreopen-endedsocialorsociallyembeddedexperimentsthatinvolveongoing[ieiterative]mutualengagementrsquoToensurethelearningfromthepilotphasewascarriedoverintothemainprojectattheendofthethreelessonstudydaysaone-dayworkshopwasheldsothatthemainphasecouldbecollaborativelydevelopedAspectshereincludedthegroupingandsequencingoflessonstudydaysthroughouttheyear(bearinginmindthedistinctwaysofworkingthateachphaseofschoolinghas)thenature(runningorder)ofeachlessonstudydaythenatureofthetoolsandprotocolstobeemployedaspartofeachmainphaselessonstudysessionandhowimpactshouldbeconceivedofandmeasured(seebelow)
Whatwasalsoviewedas importantbybothparticipantsandtheprojectteamhoweverwasthataswescaledtheprojectupfrompilottomainphasethedialogicprocessthatenabledustounderstandanditerativelyimprovetheoperationoflessonstudycouldcontinueatscale
London Review of Education 11
PerhapsoneofthemainissuesoftheDBRapproachascurrentlyconceivedisthatit isveryresearcher intensive in other words it requires researchers working intensively with smallnumbersofpractitionersWewerethusconcernedwithfindingwaysofexamininghowtheDBRapproachcouldhaveimpactformaximalnumbersofteachersToovercomethispractitionersand researchers jointly agreed on the need for distributed ownership ifDBR at scale is anunmanageabletaskforresearchersalonethenresearcherscannotbetheonlyactorsinvolvedincreatingmeaningndashpractitionersexperiencedinthedeliberativeprocessshouldalsobeabletomovebeyondtheirtraditionalrolesandengage inthiswaytoo(Coburnet al2013)Thisagreeduponapproachtocapacitybuildingthereforemeantthatwewereabletousetheoriginalpilotgroupmembersaspractitioner-researcherswhocouldformnewtriadsandengagewithpractitionersinvolvedintheprojectrsquosmainstageThisfreeduptimefortheresearcherstoworkwithothergroupsoflsquomainstagersquopractitionersndashandbothsetsofresearcherscouldthenmeetperiodically to considerongoing improvements and changes thatneeded tobemade to thelessonstudymethodology
A DBR approach to measuring impact
Vitaltounderstandingtheeffectivenessofourapproachwasameaningfulwaytoassessimpact(Bryket al2011)thatistoseewhetherwemettheaimsoftheprojectOurinitialapproachtomeasuringimpact(whichwastestedduringthepilotproject)involvedpractitionersestablishingcommon understanding and thus alsquobaselinersquo through the analysis of data and insight abouttheir settings current practices and key issues in relation to the teaching of EnglishliteracyandscienceaswellasissuesoftransitioninrelationtothesesubjectsTheyweresubsequentlyinvitedtoestablishwhattheywantedtoachievebytheendoftheprojectandhowtheymightdosondashspecificallyfollowinganapproachsetoutbyEarleyandPorritt(2013)ndashandlsquostartingwiththeendinmindrsquo(thegoaltheywishedtoachieve)practitionerswereaskedhowtheymightdevelopteachingstrategies(basedonacommonfocusarea)thatmightbeobservedandrefinedviaaprocessoflessonstudytoreachadesiredendpoint(ieonethatwouldtackletheseissues)
GutierrezandPenuel (2014) argue thatpartnershipapproaches to impactmeasurementare also likely to result in more robust and nuanced understandings of the differences aninterventionhashadThistooprovedtobethecaseforthisprojectInparticularitbecameclearthatndashbecausepractitionerswereengagingincross-phaseapproachestopedagogyandsohadtodevelopacommonissueanddecideonatopicsubjectmatterthatencapsulatedtheissuebeingtaughtndashinessencealsquonaturalrsquobaselinedatadidnotexistInotherwordsaskingteachersndashwhoteachatdifferentstagesofthecurriculumandwhoteachdifferentagegroupsindifferentschoolsndashtocollaboraterequiredthemtofindalevelofcommonalitythatordinarilydidnotexistThismeantthatbaselinedatacouldnotbeascertainedinadvanceofthelessonstudybuthadtobeascertainedasadirectresultofthelessonstudyprocessthefirstlessonbecamethebaselineforpractitionerone the second study forpractitioner two and soonThis alsomeant thatbothbaselineandpedagogicapproachesalsonecessarilydevelopedasaresultofcollaborativeactivity that ispractitioner tworsquos approach to teaching the lesson studyclass shouldbenefitfromengaginginthelessonstudyrelatedtopractitioneroneandsoonBaselinesandstartingapproaches to implementing the strategywere thus relative Similarly desired endpoints andimprovementstowardsthesecouldonlybesetandorcomparedinabsolutetermsfromeachpractitionerrsquosstartingposition
Inadditionthismeantthattheimpactprocessmovingforwardnecessarilyhadtoinvolvetwostagesthefirststagebeforelessonstudyactivityinvolvedeachtriadestablishinganissueanddecidingonamutualtopicorlessontoteach(andhowitshouldbetaught)Desiredimpact
12 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
(the future goal to be aimed at) however couldonly be established after each baseline hadbeenestablishedcorrespondinglyaswiththepilotakeyaspectofthemainstagekick-offwasto ensure that themain stage participants discussed (in their lesson study triads) commondifficultiesandissuesinrelationtotheteachingofEnglishliteracyandscienceinthecontextof transition and that they identified areas for improvementTriads then decided upon onefocusarea(atopicbeingtaughtthatencapsulatedtheissue)andtoalsothinkaboutacommonapproachtoteachingthetopicthatmight inrelationtothe issue leadto improvedteachingpracticesandstudentoutcomesWealsoengagedparticipantswithwaysofunderstandingandmeasuringbothbaselineandimpactspecificallyweintroducedthemtoamyriadofhardandsoftdata types (fromstudentoutcomes toobservationsofpractice) andwaysofmeasuringbaselineandimpactsuchasthelsquoLeuvenrsquoscaleParticipantstheneachidentifiedthreecasestudychildrenandcollaborativelyplannedthefirstlessonstudyclassFollowingkick-offforthefirstthreelessonstudyclassesthemainstageparticipantsobservedpracticeandstudentbehavioursaswellascollectingengagingwithotherpupildata
AfurtherworkshopwasheldafterthefirstthreetoenableparticipantstocometogetherandestablishafirmbaselineforthethreepupilsforeachoftheteachersintheirtrioHavingestablished this baseline they then determinedwhat they would like practice to be (ie toestablishtheir ideal)ParticipantsthenspenttheremainderoftheworkshopcollaboratingtofurtherrefinethepedagogicapproachesthatmightgetthemtothisidealThismeantthatlessonstudysessionsfourtoninewerestructuredusingthesixstepsasdiscussedabovewithlessonstudysessionsusedtoascertainwhetherpracticeandoutcomeswereprogressingtowardstheirideal impact goal inorder todecidewhethercorrectivechanges in approachwererequired(Bryket al2011)
A finalworkshopwas then held to enable trios to bring together the endline data forthe project and so establish a firm impact picture specifically in relation to the aimsof theprojectHereprotocolsweredevelopedbytheprojectteamtocapturedatathatemergedfromthelearningconversationsheldwithintheworkshopsSpecificallyproformaswerecreatedtohelpparticipantsrecordtheirresponsestothefollowingquestions(1)Howhasyourpracticechangedasaresultofthisprojectand(2)WhathaveyoulearnedaboutlessonstudyandhowtouseittodevelopteachingpracticeWealsodevelopedaproformatorecordtheperceiveddifferences inpupiloutcomesbetweenthestartandendoftheproject(alongwithevidencefromthetriadastowhytheseassessmentsweremade)
Results
Asoutlinedabovetheaimsoftheprojectweretoachieve
bull morerobustchallengingandinnovativendashbutalsoconsistentndashpedagogicpracticeatnationalcurriculumlevels1ndash8inEnglishandscience
bull sharedteacherconfidenceusingthesepracticesbull improved rates of progress and attainment for lsquovulnerablersquo pupils within each of
years 3ndash8(ages8throughto13)bull agroupofteachersabletouselessonstudyapproachestoimproveclassroompractice
andimpactonstandardsthusbuildingtransferablecapacity
To understand how successfulwe had been in relation to eachof these in the final impactworkshopweworkedwithparticipantstoaddressthefollowingthreequestions
bull Howhasyourpracticechangedasaresultofthisprojectbull Whatimpacthasthischangedpracticehadonpupils
London Review of Education 13
bull What have you learned about lesson study and how to use it to develop teachingpractice
Impact on teacher practice
Webeganthefinalworkshopbyfirstaskingparticipantstoengageinalearningconversationcentred on how their practice had changed as a result of their participation in the projectAll teachers participated in the exercise andused the pro formaoutlined above to indicatewhethertherehadbeenanychangeintheirpracticeWhenanalysingtheresults itwasclearthatresponsesdividednaturallyinto(1)changesinknowledgeunderstandingintermsofhowfocuspupilslearn(2)changesinpracticeand(3)whychangesinpracticearemakingadifferenceExamplesoftheverbatimresponsesaresetoutinTable2whichencapsulatesthemainthemesthatemergedAcommonfocusacrossallgroupswashowtheymightemploylsquotalkforwritingrsquondashaprocesswherechildrenorallyengagewiththelanguagetheyneedforaparticulartopicbeforereadingandanalysingitthenwritingtheirownversionPotentiallythecommonalityofthisfocusderivedfromlsquotalkforwritingrsquobeingahottopicwithinCamdenduringthetimeoftheprojectAsaresultthiscouldbeareasonwhythemajorityofteacherparticipantshadbroadlyfocusedontalkandthebalancewithintheirlessonsbetweentalkingandwritingaswellasontheuseofpairingandgroupinginordertofacilitatethis
Table 2 ExampleresponsestothequestionlsquoHowhasyourpracticechangedasaresultofthisprojectrsquo
Question Responses
Changesinknowledgeunderstandingintermsofhowfocuspupilslearn
bull lsquoHowdifficultitistounderstandscientifictermsandconceptswithoutcontextrsquo
bull lsquoThebenefitsofusingascriptforpeerfeedbackrsquobull lsquoPupilsneedstructuredtalkwithwell-chosenpartnersrsquobull lsquoPupilfindkeywordsdifficulttouseinapieceofwritingeven
iftheyunderstandthemeaningofthewordsitisdifficulttolinkmorescientificwordstogetherrsquo
bull lsquoGroupingcanmakeabigdifferencetolearningrsquosimilarlylsquoPartnersreallymakeadifferencetotheoutcomersquo
Changesinpractice bull Rehearsalofkeynewscientificvocabularybull Useofspeakingandwritingframesbull Makinglessonsmoreoralandgivingmoreoralscaffoldsbull lsquo[Providing]moretimetotalkandthinkaboutwhatthey
wanttowritersquobull lsquoMixingtalkpartnerssochildrenareworkingwithdifferent
partnersrsquo
Whychangesinpracticearemakingadifference
bull Pupilslikespeakingframesaslsquoitgivesthemastartingpointtostructuretheirspeechrsquo
bull lsquoMakingspeechahighpriorityresultsinmuchbetteroutcomesrsquo
bull lsquoSpendingmoretimelearningnewvocabulary[meansthatpupilsarebetterat]unpickingmeaningsandprocessesrsquo
bull Partneringlowerachievingchildreneitherwithhigherachievingormiddleachievingpupilsreallymakesadifferenceasthehigherabilitychildrenchallengepushandstretchthelowerachievers
14 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
Pupil impact
WehavedescribedabovethatinkeepingwiththeDBRunderpinningsoftheprojectparticipantswere able to determinewhat changes theywanted to see in their pupils as a result of theprojectandhowthesemightbemeasuredAssuchavarietyofmetricswereusedtoascertainimpactrangingfromteacherobservationsandmarkingtotheirexpertiseandknowledgeofthechildBecauseparticipantspredominantlychosenottouselsquohardrsquoattainmentdatainordertoexamineimpactacrossallparticipantswehadtofindacommonwayofderivingandpresentingwhatimpactifanyresultedfromtheprojectTodothisweaskedparticipantsworkingintheirtriadstoscoreeachoftheirthreefocuschildren(inrelationtothefocusoraimsoftheirtriadandinrelationtothedatatheyweremeasuring)bothintermsoftheirlsquoperformancersquoatthebeginningoftheprojectandattheendScoresbothatthebeginningandendwereoutoftenandparticipantstriadshadtoprovidesupportingevidenceforselectingtheirscoresAsaresultthisprovidedresearcherswithperceptionsofpupilimpactandreasonsfortheseperceptionsbecauseallpupilimpactperceptionswerescoredinthesamewayhoweverwewerealsoabletonormalizethesescoresbylookingatthepercentagedifferencesinthelsquobeforersquoandlsquoafterrsquoscoresThescoresandrangesofthesedifferencesaresetoutinFigure1whereasTable3providesadistributionofthepercentagescoresAfulltableofresponsesshowingbeforeandafterscoresandreasonsevidencefortheseisprovidedintheAppendix
Figure 1 Pupilsbeforeandafterscoresandpercentagechange
London Review of Education 15
Table 3 Distributionofpercentagechangeinpupilsbeforeandafterscores
Question Number Percentage
Greaterthan100change 3 7
91ndash100change 7 17
81ndash90change 0 0
71ndash80change 4 10
61ndash70change 1 2
51ndash60change 0 0
41ndash50change 6 14
31ndash40change 12 29
21ndash30change 2 5
11ndash20change 1 2
1ndash10change 0 0
Nochange 4 10
Pupilsdroppedout 2 5
Total 42 100
TheblockedareainFigure1representsthestudentperformancescoresatthebeginningoftheprojectwhilethecontinuouslinerepresentstheirscoresatprojectendThedotsmeanwhilerepresentthepercentagedifference(iethechangeinpupilperformancesincethestartoftheproject)Ascanbeseenofthe42focusgrouppupilsforwhomteachersprovideddatateachersreported a change in the behavioursattitudesoutcomes of all but six For some pupils thischangewassubstantiveAssetoutinTable3whichprovidesthedistributionofthesepercentagechangesteacherssuggestthatfortenpupilstheirperformancehadeffectivelydoubledormore(ietherewasa100percent(orgreater)changeintheirscore)Thebiggestsingleimprovementhowevertendedtobebetween30and40percent Inthemainthiswascausedbylsquoaveragersquopupils(scoring5ndash6)nowscoringtwopointshigher(7ndash8)orbyinitiallylowperformingpupilsndashwhooriginallyscored3ndashincreasingtheirperformancescoreto4
Naturallyintheabsenceofhardandobjectiveattainmentdataweneedtobecircumspectin the levelofsignificanceaffordedtowhataresubjectivelydeterminedresultsNonethelesssupportingevidencewasprovidedandthefiguresweretriangulatedwithothermembersofthetriad(whowerethemselvesengagedinprolongedobservationofthesepupils)Inadditionnotallpupilswerereportedashavingbenefitedfromtheproject fourpupils(10percent)werereportedasnotbenefitingatallwhileafurthertwodroppedoutoftheschooltheywereinConsideringLincolnandGubarsquos(1985)criteriaforestablishingthetrustworthinessofsubjectivedatathereforealthoughtheexactchangeinpupilsrsquoperformancescanbedebatedtheresearchteamhaveconfidencethatsomepositiveimpactonpupilshastakenplacendashandthatthisimpactcanbeattributabletotheprojectItshouldalsobenotedthatthisdatarelatestothethreepupils(perclass)representingwidergroupsofinterestsuchasvulnerablechildren(Dudley2011)Intheorythentheimpactoftheprojectshouldstretchbeyondthe42childrenanalysedherebutwedonothavedatatosubstantiatesuchaclaim
16 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
Learning about lesson study
FinallyweaskedparticipantstoanswerthefollowingquestionlsquoWhathaveyoulearnedaboutlessonstudyandhowtouseittodevelopteachingpracticersquoResponsesheredividednaturallyintothebenefitsandchallengesofusinglessonstudyandaresetoutinTable4
Table 4 Benefitsandchallengestousinglesson study (responsetoquestionlsquoWhathaveyoulearnedaboutlesson studyandhowtouseittodevelopteachingpracticersquo)
Question Responses
lsquoWhathaveyoulearnedaboutlessonstudyandhowtouseittodevelopteachingpracticersquo(Benefits)
bull lsquoObservingcolleaguesteachandpickingupideasstrategiessharingpracticeetcinrelationtoprimarytosecondarytransitionsrsquo
bull lsquoSharinggoodpractice[andfacilitateideasgeneration]rsquobull lsquoObservingin[other]schoolsandseeingthedifferencebetween
teachinginprimaryandsecondaryschoolsrsquobull lsquoChancetoseeotherCamdenclassesofthesameagersquobull lsquoIgetabetterunderstandingofhowImightstretchmoreable
year7studentsrsquobull lsquoExposuretootherteachersrsquostylesandpracticesrsquobull lsquoSupportivefeedbackandobservationsfromcolleaguesrsquobull Perspectiveseglsquothatyouwouldnotbeabletopickupabout
yourchildrenrsquoslearningfromthefrontoftheclassrsquoandlsquoafocusonchildrenwhomightslipunderteachersrsquoradarrsquosimilarlylsquohavingothersbeingabletowatchthechildrenhellip[and]noticingsomething[youhadnrsquot]rsquo
bull lsquoBecauseitrsquosplannedcollaborativelyyougettoseeyourworkinactionrsquo
lsquoWhathaveyoulearnedaboutlessonstudyandhowtouseittodevelopteachingpracticersquo(Challenges)
bull TimeeglsquoLotsoftimeoutofschoolrsquobull TimetablinglsquoFindingdatesthataremutuallyconvenientforthe
triorsquobull lsquoIncreasedworkloadinrelationtoplanningpreparingand
hostingthesessionrsquobull lsquoImmediateprogressnot[always]visiblersquobull lsquoNeedsbuy-infromSLTtohavemaximumimpactrsquosimilarly
lsquoLessonstudyislessimportantinsomeschoolsrsquobull lsquo[Thistypeofprocesscannotbeanadd-on]ifitcouldreplace
[currentprogrammeofobservations]wouldbegreatrsquobull lsquoThereisalreadytoomuchtotryandgetthroughinprimaryrsquo
InconsideringthechallengesitcanbeseethatinkeepingwithGero(2015)forlessonstudytobecarriedoutsuccessfullyrequiresthebuy-inandcommitmentofseniorleadersInparticularlessonstudyndashasa formofschool improvementndashneedstobeprioritizedbyschool leadersover other school improvement initiativeswith time and space given to enable teachers tomeaningfullyengageinlessonstudyactivityAswellasthecommentsinTable4thismessageisalsoreinforcedbythefactthatthreeschools(sixteachers)droppedoutafterthefirstlessonstudy citing competing pressures and priorities as well as involvement in too many schoolimprovementinitiativesInpartthisisbecausethebenefitsofengaginginthisapproachwerenotimmediatelyapparent
London Review of Education 17
Significance
From analysing the results it is clear that our approach has been effective in both changingteacherunderstandingandteachingpracticeandbuildingteachercapacitysothatparticipantsareabletoruntheirownprojectsmovingforwardStartingwiththefirstascanbeseeninTable2teacherswereabletoarticulatealogicalchainndashstartingwithwhattheywerelearningabouttheirpupilsthechangestheyweremakinginresponseandendingwithargumentsformakingthesechangesForexampleoneparticipantnotedlsquohowdifficultitis[forpupils]tounderstandscientifictermsandconceptswithoutcontextrsquoasaconsequencetheywerenowrehearsingnewscientificvocabularybecauselsquospendingmoretimelearningnewvocabulary[meansthatpupilsarebetterat]unpickingmeaningsandprocessesrsquoSimilarlyanotherteacherindicatedthatshenowknowsthatlsquopartnersreallymakeadifferencetotheoutcomersquoThiswasbecausethelessonstudyprocesshadhelpedherseethatpartneringlowerachievingchildrenwitheitherhigherachievingormiddleachievingpupilscanleadtothehigherabilitychildrenchallengingpushingandstretchingthelowerachieversAsaresultshewasmuchmoreactivelylsquomixingtalkpartnerssochildrenareworkingwithdifferentpartnersrsquoItseemsclearthereforethatourapproachtolessonstudydevelopedviaaDBRapproachndashwhichactivelypromotesreflectivedialogueviaaprocessof learningconversationsndashhasbeensuccessful inhelpingpractitionersreflectnotonlyonpupillearningbutalsowhatneedstochangeintermsoftheirteachingtofacilitatethislearning
Intermsofcapacitybuildingitisclearthatparticipantssawnotonlythebenefitsofengagingin lesson study but also the challenges that needed to be overcome in order to ensure itseffectiveoperation(Table4)Havingknowledgeof the former(combinedwithexperienceofa number of cycles of lesson study)means that participants now know how best tomakelessonstudyworkforthemInotherwordsbybuildingontheDBRelementoftheprojecttheteachersinvolvedcanensurethatmovingforwardtheytailorhowtheyfocuslessonstudytoachievemaximalbenefitforthemselvesandtheirpupilsLikewiseintermsofrollingouttheirownprogrammeoflessonstudyparticipantswillalsobeawareofthechallengesthatneedtobemetiftheyaretogetmostvaluefromtheprocessTheseincludeinparticulartherequirementtobuy-infromseniorleadersandtheneedforamodelofleadershipwithintheirschoolwhichpromotes the vision for and ensures the fosteringof a cultureof professional developmentbasedoncollaborativepeer-to-peersupport(includingthepromotionofthevaluesrequiredforlearningcommunitiestooperate)Alsokeywillbetheneedforseniorleaderstoprovidethenecessaryresourceandstructures(egtimeandspace)forsustainedandmeaningfullessonstudytobecomeareality(StollandFink1996Leithwoodet al2006)
Ourrevisedapproach tomeasuring impact toohasbeeneffectiveusing teacher-definedmeasuresofimpactprovidesamoreaccuratewayofunderstandingthedifferencethatlessonstudyactivityhasmadeInotherwordsunlikewithattainmentdatandashwhereitwouldbehardtoattributechangesinpupiloutcomesspecificallytolessonstudyactivity(asopposedtootherchangesincontextorintheteachingandlearningenvironment)ndashourapproachenabledteachersto focuson threepupils andhow they responded tovery specificchanges inapproaches topedagogicpracticebasedonanunderstandingandanassessmentofthesepupilsrsquobehavioursandattitudesbothbeforeandaftertheuseofthepracticeImportantlythisimpactdataisalsolsquotriangulatedrsquosincethepractitionerwhoisteachingaswellasthoseobservingmustcometoanagreementastowhathappenedandwhyLikewisethentheoverallperceptionsofimpactscoreswerediscussedandagreeduponintriadsgivingweighttotheirvalidityGiventhisitisencouragingtonotethatmostscoresprovidedsuggest that the lessonstudyapproachdoesimpactpositivelyonpupilbehavioursandattitudestolearningAscanbeseeninTable385per
18 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
centofpupilsbenefitedfromtheirteachersengagingintheprojectwithoverathird(36percent)benefitingbyanincreaseintheirperformancescoreby50percentormore
Summary
FortheHaverstockPrimarytoSecondaryTransitionProjectweemployedaDBRapproachtothedevelopmentand implementationof lessonstudy inordertohelppractitionersexamineandbegintotacklesomeoftheissuesassociatedwithprimarytosecondarytransitionDoingsoenabledtheprojectteamandparticipantstocollaborativelydevelopatheoryofactionfortheprojectwhichenabledustoconsidernotionsoflearningandlearningconversationsaswellasameansofdeliveringlessonstudyinkeepingwiththistheoryofactionAswellasthiswewerealsoabletoestablishawayofmeasuringimpactforsituations(suchaswhenprimaryandsecondaryteachersworkonjointprojects)wherebecausethereisnoday-to-dayinteractionandcollaborationthereisnonaturallyoccurringbaselineandnocommonapproachtopedagogy
InlightoftheaboveweconcludethatusingDBRhasbeenvitalnotonlytothesuccessoftheprojectbutalsotoitslong-termsustainabilityfollowingtheprojectrsquosendHoweverweasresearchershavealsobenefitedfromengaginginDBRforinstancewehavegainedabetterunderstanding of how to engage in lesson study in a cross-phase way In addition the newapproachtomeasuringimpactthatemergedcannowbetriedandtestedinothercontextsascanourrevisedtheoryofactionforandapproachestooperationalizinglessonstudyThatisinkeepingwithAndersonandShattuck(2012)movingforwardwecantakewhatwehavelearnedandcontinuetocollaborativelyanditerativelyrefineourapproachsothatitiseffectiveineachnewcontextweintroduceittothushelpingtoservetoimprovethesystemrsquosoverallcapacityforsustainedchange
Notes on the contributors
ChrisBrown isaSeniorLectureratUCLInstituteofEducationUniversityCollegeLondon(DepartmentforLearningandLeadership) Chrishasextensiveexperienceofleadingarangeoffundedprojectsmanyofwhich seek tohelppractitioners to identify and scaleupbestpractice andwas recently awardedasignificant grant by the Education Endowment Foundation toworkwith over 100 primary schools inEnglandtoincreasetheiruseofresearch
CarolTaylor iscurrentlytheStrategicLeaderforCPDattheLondonCentreforLeadershipinLearningSheworkswithschoolsalliancesandlocalauthoritiesndashboth locallyandnationallyndash insupportingtheprofessionaldevelopmentoftheschoolworkforceCarolrecentlyco-ledtheNationalCollegeTeachingSchools Research and Development project involving over 60 schools across England She is activelyinvolvedinsupportingschoolsacrossLondontoembedpractitionerresearchandenquiryintopractice
LornaPonambalum isascienceteacherandAssistantHeadteacheratHaverstockSchoolCamdenLondonwheresheisalsoDesignatedSafeguardingOfficerLornahasbeeninvolvedinanumberoflessonstudyprojectsincludingtheprojectcoveredinthispaperwhichexaminedapproachestoimproveprimarytosecondarytransition
London Review of Education 19
Appendix Pupiloutcomesatstartandendofprojectwithevidencefromthetriadastowhytheseassessmentsweremade
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
4 Myanalysisoftheirworkbookandmyknowledgeoftheirin-classcontributions
6 Someimprovementswhenthechildismotivated
4 Under-confidentStruggleswhenworkingwithapartner
7 Moreconfidenceofownabilityandrecognizessupportfrompartner
4 AloofIssuesathome 4 Stillstrugglestopayattentionwhenworkinginpairs
5 Struggleswithusingsomeofthekeywords
7 Usesmorekeywordsinherwrittenwork(almostall)Expressingideasinabetterway
4 Struggleswiththekeywords 6 Bettersentencestructureandbetterlinkingofideas
3 Lacksconfidenceinspeakingandwriting
6 MoreconfidenceinverballyansweringquestionsputshandupmoreoftenWritingcanstillbeaproblem
3 NeverraiseshandsRefusedtospeakinpublicNosentencestructure
6 Leftbeforeendofprojectbutwasdemonstratingimprovedvocabularyconfidenceandwrittenwork
4 Notengagedvocabularyandliteraryworkpoor
9 REALLYengagedandimprovementinvocabularyandliterarysentencesimproved
5 Doesnrsquotusevocabularyaccuratelyandnotableintermsofwrittenwork
9 Vocabularyuseismoreaccurateandismuchmoreableintermsofwrittenwork
4 bull Didnotlistenoncarpetortoteachertalk
bull Firstcycleshowssignsofdisengagementinfeedback
bull Writingdifficulttounderstand
7 bull Morefocusedonthetaskonthecarpet
bull Betterqualityofwritingbetterfeedbackascycleprogressed
6 bull Toochattybull Distractedtalkpartnerbull Forgottocheckthroughand
punctuatebull Couldnotpeerassesswell
8 bull Betterlearningbehaviourbull Moreownershipofown
learningandcanselfandpeerassess
6 bull Pronetodistractionbull Unabletofollowaseriesof
instructions
7 bull Handuptoofferideasmorebull Slowlyandcarefullygetson
withataskbull Knowshowtopeerassess
20 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
3 Textsnotproducedwelldistractedanddistractingothers
6 Useofmetalanguagetextsproducedusingappropriategrammar
4 Paucityofideasworknotalwaysmakingsense
7 Takingcontrolofownlearningorganizingideasaboutgrammareffectivelymoreconfidenttostartwritingandproducingcompletetexts
5 Generallackofconfidencedespitebeingahighachiever
7 Textsproducedfullofideasinterviewswithobserversshowconfidencemoreconfidenceinhisideasprovidedheispartneredwithsomeonewhohefindssupportive
5 LackofinvolvementinlessonsPoorwritingandconfusedbymosttasks
7 HavingestablishedthatheappreciatesbeingprobedchallengedbyteachersIdedicatemoretimetoenablinghimtoprocessinformationthroughquestioningHenowoftenstartstasksquickerandtakesmorerisksHeisstillshyanddoesnrsquotusuallyvolunteer
3 Withdrawnndashnevercontributingandoptingoutoftasks
6 TriestasksndashnotalwayswithoutpromptingBeginningtotakerisksandoccasionallyvolunteersideas
7 VerylowconfidenceConsistentlypoorliteracyReluctancetocontributeWrittenworkwaspoorbutreflectedeffortofstudent
9 TriesreallyhardtocompleteworktothebestofherabilityStillrarelycontributesherideas
3 CompletelydisengagedseesnovalueinschoolNotansweringquestionsandtalkingaboutanythingelse
8 Nowfocusesonthefrontputshanduptalksaboutthetopicmostofthetime
6 Easilydistractedwillputhandupbutoftendoesnrsquothaveananswerwhenasked
8 Morefocusedwillstilloftennotlistenoninputbutisabletoasksomeoneelseratherthananadultorjustsittingthere
1 bull Getsoutofseatbull Shoutsoutbull Disturbsothers
na Pupilleftschool
9 Priorattainmentandclassroomobservations
9 Nodifferenceinliteracyattainmentwasconsistent
London Review of Education 21
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
3 Priorattainmentandclassroomobservations
4 Improvedconfidenceincomprehensionandwriting
3 Priorattainmentandclassroomobservations
4 Norealdifferencepossiblyslightlybetteratverbalizing
3 Effortscorelsquo3rsquoinfirstreportLeaningbackonchairnotfocuseddistracted
6 Morefocusmorelikelytoaskforhelpratherthanmisbehave
3 Effortscorelsquo3rsquoinfirstreportDistractingothers
3 NowrarelyinclassndashexclusionabsenceOnoccasionshowsexcellentprogressandcanworkindependently
4 Disengagedonwhole(althoughbaselineobservationswerecarriedoutonalsquogoodrsquoday)Rudenessnottrying
8 ReadingchallengingtextsandlookingupdifficultvocabularyindictionaryFewerdayswhenrefusestowork
3 Severallearningneedsandhashadtroublewithwriting
4 Increasedconfidenceinspellingandwriting(andenthusiasm)ndashespeciallycreativelyContinuestostrugglewithcomprehensionHasmadeprogressaccordingtoassessedwork
5 Asabovealthoughadisparitybetweenqualityandquantityofspokenandwrittenwork
na Haslefttheschool
3 MorewillingtowritethantalkatlengthWritingpoorqualityPoorattentionandbehaviouralissuesasbarrierstolearning
5 HasimprovedappreciablyintermsofspokencontributionstowrittenworkStillpresentsbehaviouralproblemsasmainbarriertoprogressHasmadetwosub-levelsofprogressthisyear(basedonanalysisofclasswork)
6 Readingfictionpooruseofsciencevocab
6 Nothingverydifferent
5 Noattempttousesciencevocab 7 Tryingtousesciencevocab
3 Verypoorengagementwithlargerwrittentasks
7 Betterengagementwithtaskandproductionofhigherlevelworkwithbettervocab
4 Unwillingtodiscusswithinterviewee
5 Writesmoretriestowriteindetailthoughremainsunwillingtoshareideaswritteninclassndashdependentonwork-partner
22 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
4 Willanswerquestionsifverysureofanswer
6 Stillunwillingtoshareideasinclassbutwilluseconnectvocabularyifithasbeenembeddedstronglywithinlesson
4 Notinitiallywillingtoshareknowledgethoughdidcometothefrontofclassandshareideas
6 AbletodiscusswithintervieweeindetailinformationaboutexperimentStillsomewhatunwillingtoshare
5 Hesitanttoshareideasoranswerquestionsunlessspecificallyasked
7 Taskdependent
6 Alwayswillingtoshareideasalthoughnotnecessarilyaccurateformalscientificlanguage
8 Attemptstochoosehiswordswhenansweringquestionswhichisgreateffortfromthisstudent
2 Performancedependingonwhoshepartneredwith
3 Moreefforttotalkingroupshoweverthisisonlyasmallstepstillveryhesitantandseeksreassurancefromothers
3 Quietlyengagedndashlistensbutrarelysharesideas
6 MakingalargerefforttotalkwithinagroupStillhesitanttoshareinfrontofclassunlesssheknowsitrsquosright
6 Veryengagedandwillgenerallytalkandshareideasalthoughnotalwaysusingaccuratelanguage
8 Activelysharingandtalkingideasndashbacksupherstatementsusingreasonscanrejectothersrsquoopinionsandjustifywhy
6 AppearsdisengagedhoweverwithprobingdoesknowtheanswersNotalwaystalkingaboutthesubjectndashdependsonpersonwhoheispartneredwith
9 LovessharingideasconstantlyputtinghandupTriestousescientificlanguagendashnotasengagedinwrittentasks
References
AndersonTandShattuckJ(2012)lsquoDesign-basedresearchAdecadeofprogressineducationresearchrsquoEducational Researcher41(1)16ndash25
ArgyrisCandSchoumlnD(1996)Organizational Learning II Theory method and practice ReadingMAAddison-WesleyPublishingCompany
BrownC andRogers S (2015)lsquoKnowledge creation as an approach to facilitating evidence-informedpracticeExaminingwaystomeasurethesuccessofusingthismethodwithearlyyearspractitionersinCamden(London)rsquoJournal of Educational Change16(1)79ndash99
BrykAGomezL andGrunowA (2011)lsquoGetting ideas intoactionBuildingnetworked improvementcommunitiesineducationrsquoInHallinanM(ed)Frontiers in Sociology of Education Frontiers in Sociology and Social ResearchDordrechtNetherlandsSpringer127ndash62
London Review of Education 23
CamdenCouncil(2016)lsquoCamdenpartnershipforeducationalexcellencersquoOnlinewwwcamdengovukccmcontenteducationschoolscamden-partnership-for-educational-excellenceen(accessed1April2016)
Camden Education Commission (2011) Camden Education Commission Final report London CamdenChildrenrsquosTrustPartnershipBoardandLondonBoroughofCamden
CheungWMandWongWY(2014)lsquoDoeslessonstudyworkAsystematicreviewontheeffectsoflessonstudyandlearningstudyonteachersandstudentsrsquo International Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies3(2)137ndash49
CoburnCPenuelWandGeilK(2013)Research-Practice Partnerships A strategy for leveraging research for educational improvement in school districtsNewYorkWilliamTGrantFoundation
Cohen-Vogel LTichnor-WagnerAAllenD Harrison C Kainz K SocolAR andWangQ (2015)lsquoImplementingeducationalinnovationsatscaleTransformingresearchersintocontinuousimprovementscientistsrsquoEducational Policy29(1)257ndash77
Department for Children Schools and Families (DCSF) (2008) The National Strategies Strengthening transfers and transitions Partnerships for progressOnlinehttpderaioeacuk74641str_tt_prtnshp_prgrss08308pdf(requiressubscriptionaccessed5September2013)
DepartmentforEducation(2011)How do Pupils Progress During Key Stages 2 and 3ResearchreportDFE-RR096 Online wwwgovukgovernmentuploadssystemuploadsattachment_datafile182413DFE-RR096pdf(accessed1April2013)
Dudley P (2011) lsquoLesson study development in England From school networks to national policyrsquoInternational Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies1(1)85ndash100
ndashndash (2014) Lesson Study A handbook Online httplessonstudycoukwp-contentuploads201401new-handbook-early-years-edition2014-versionpdf(accessed21July2014)
EarleyPandPorrittV(2013)lsquoEvaluatingtheimpactofprofessionaldevelopmentTheneedforastudent-focusedapproachrsquoProfessional Development in Education40(1)112ndash29doi101080194152572013798741
EvangelouMTaggartBSylvaKMelhuishESammonsPandSiraj-BlatchfordI(2008)What Makes a Successful Transition from Primary to Secondary School NottinghamDCSF
FieldingMBraggSCraigJCunninghamIErautMGillinsonSHorneMRobinsonCandThorpJ(2005)lsquoFactorsinfluencingthetransferofgoodpracticersquoOnlinehttpderaioeacuk210011RR615pdf(accessed21July2014)
GaltonMGrayJandRudduckJ(1999)The Impact of School Transitions and Transfers on Pupil Progress and Attainment NottinghamDepartmentforEducationandEmployment
GeroG(2015)lsquoTheprospectsoflessonstudyintheUSTeachersupportandcomfortwithinadistrictcultureofcontrolrsquoInternational Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies4(1)7ndash25
GutierrezKandPenuelW(2014)lsquoRelevancetopracticeasacriterionforrigorrsquoEducational Researcher43(1)19ndash23
LeithwoodKDayCSammonsPHarrisAandHopkinsD(2006) Successful School Leadership What it is and how it influences student learning Researchreport800 LondonDepartmentforEducationandSkills
LewisC(2000)lsquoLessonstudyThecoreof JapaneseprofessionaldevelopmentrsquoPaperpresentedatTheAnnualMeetingoftheAmericanEducationalResearchAssociationNewOrleansLA24ndash8April2000
LincolnYandGubaE(1985)Naturalistic InquiryNewburyParkCASagePublicationsLondonBoroughofCamden(2012)Camden Education Commission Final reportOnlinehttpdemocracy
camdengovukdocumentss16322Camden20Education20Commission20Final20Reportpdf(accessed1April2013)
McGeeCWardRGibbons J andHarlowA (2004)Transition to Secondary School A literature reviewHamiltonNewZealandTheUniversityofWaikato
PenuelW FishmanBHauganC and SabelliN (2011)lsquoOrganizing research anddevelopment at theintersectionoflearningimplementationanddesignrsquoEducational Researcher40(7)331ndash7
PenuelWSunMFrankKandGallagherA(2012)UsingsocialnetworkanalysistostudyhowinteractionscanaugmentteacherlearningfromexternalprofessionaldevelopmentrsquoAmerican Journal of Education119(1)103ndash36
Shepherd J andRokerD (2005)lsquoAn evaluation of aldquotransition to secondary schoolrdquo project run bytheNationalPyramidTrustrsquoOnline wwwyoungpeopleinfocusorguk_assetsphpreportphpfile=37(accessed4September2013)
StollL(2012) lsquoStimulatinglearningconversationsrsquoProfessional Development Today14(4)6ndash12
24 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
StollLandBrownC(2015)lsquoMiddleleadersascatalystsforevidence-informedchangersquoInBrownC(ed)Leading the Use of Research and Evidence in SchoolsLondonIOEPress
StollLandFinkD(1996)Changing Our SchoolsBuckinghamOpenUniversityPressTree J(2011)lsquoWhathelpsstudentswithchallengingbehaviourmakeasuccessfultransfertosecondary
schoolrsquoDEdPsydissUniversityCollegeLondonInstituteofEducationTschannen-MoranM(2004)Trust Matters Leadership for successful schoolsSanFranciscoCAJossey-BassVanderlinde R and van Braak J (2010)lsquoThe gap between educational research and practiceViews of
teachers school leaders intermediariesandresearchersrsquoBritish Educational Research Journal36 (2)299ndash316
Related articles published in the London Review of Education
In this issue
ThispaperwaspublishedinaspecialfeatureoneducationinLondoneditedbyTamjidMujtabaTheotherarticlesinthefeatureareasfollows(linksunavailableattimeofpublication)
Cajic-SeigneurMandHodgsonA(2016)lsquoAlternativeeducationalprovision inanareaofdeprivation inLondonrsquoLondon Review of Education14(2)25ndash37
JerrimJandWynessG(2106)lsquoBenchmarkingLondoninthePISArankingsrsquoLondon Review of Education14(2)38ndash65
MujtabaT(2016)EditoriallsquoEducationinLondonChallengesandopportunitiesforyoungpeoplersquoLondon Review of Education14(2)1ndash3
MujtabaT and Reiss M (2016)lsquoGirls in the UK have similar reasons to boys for intending to studymathematics post-16 thanks to the support and encouragement they receiversquo London Review of Education14(2)66ndash82
StandishAHawleyT andWillyT (2016)lsquoThe LondonGeographyAlliance Re-connecting the schoolsubjectwiththeuniversitydisciplinersquoLondon Review of Education14(2)83ndash103
WrightP(2016)lsquoSocialjusticeinthemathematicsclassroomrsquoLondon Review of Education14(2)104ndash18
By the same authors
BrownC(2013)lsquoCritiqueandcomplexityPresentingamoreeffectivewaytoconceptualisetheknowledgeadoptionprocessrsquoLondon Review of Education11(1)32ndash45
BrownCandRogersS(2014)lsquoMeasuringtheeffectivenessofknowledgecreationasameansoffacilitatingevicence-informedpracticeinearlyyearssettingsinoneLondonboroughrsquoLondon Review of Education12(3)245ndash60
Elsewhere in the journal
LevinB(2011)lsquoMobilisingresearchknowledgeineducationrsquoLondon Review of Education9(1)15ndash26OakleyA(2003)lsquoResearchevidenceknowledgemanagementandeducationalpracticeEarlylessonsfrom
asystematicapproachrsquoLondon Review of Education1(1)21ndash33WatkinsC(2005)lsquoClassroomsaslearningcommunitiesAreviewofresearchrsquoLondon Review of Education
3(1)47ndash64
London Review of Education 11
PerhapsoneofthemainissuesoftheDBRapproachascurrentlyconceivedisthatit isveryresearcher intensive in other words it requires researchers working intensively with smallnumbersofpractitionersWewerethusconcernedwithfindingwaysofexamininghowtheDBRapproachcouldhaveimpactformaximalnumbersofteachersToovercomethispractitionersand researchers jointly agreed on the need for distributed ownership ifDBR at scale is anunmanageabletaskforresearchersalonethenresearcherscannotbetheonlyactorsinvolvedincreatingmeaningndashpractitionersexperiencedinthedeliberativeprocessshouldalsobeabletomovebeyondtheirtraditionalrolesandengage inthiswaytoo(Coburnet al2013)Thisagreeduponapproachtocapacitybuildingthereforemeantthatwewereabletousetheoriginalpilotgroupmembersaspractitioner-researcherswhocouldformnewtriadsandengagewithpractitionersinvolvedintheprojectrsquosmainstageThisfreeduptimefortheresearcherstoworkwithothergroupsoflsquomainstagersquopractitionersndashandbothsetsofresearcherscouldthenmeetperiodically to considerongoing improvements and changes thatneeded tobemade to thelessonstudymethodology
A DBR approach to measuring impact
Vitaltounderstandingtheeffectivenessofourapproachwasameaningfulwaytoassessimpact(Bryket al2011)thatistoseewhetherwemettheaimsoftheprojectOurinitialapproachtomeasuringimpact(whichwastestedduringthepilotproject)involvedpractitionersestablishingcommon understanding and thus alsquobaselinersquo through the analysis of data and insight abouttheir settings current practices and key issues in relation to the teaching of EnglishliteracyandscienceaswellasissuesoftransitioninrelationtothesesubjectsTheyweresubsequentlyinvitedtoestablishwhattheywantedtoachievebytheendoftheprojectandhowtheymightdosondashspecificallyfollowinganapproachsetoutbyEarleyandPorritt(2013)ndashandlsquostartingwiththeendinmindrsquo(thegoaltheywishedtoachieve)practitionerswereaskedhowtheymightdevelopteachingstrategies(basedonacommonfocusarea)thatmightbeobservedandrefinedviaaprocessoflessonstudytoreachadesiredendpoint(ieonethatwouldtackletheseissues)
GutierrezandPenuel (2014) argue thatpartnershipapproaches to impactmeasurementare also likely to result in more robust and nuanced understandings of the differences aninterventionhashadThistooprovedtobethecaseforthisprojectInparticularitbecameclearthatndashbecausepractitionerswereengagingincross-phaseapproachestopedagogyandsohadtodevelopacommonissueanddecideonatopicsubjectmatterthatencapsulatedtheissuebeingtaughtndashinessencealsquonaturalrsquobaselinedatadidnotexistInotherwordsaskingteachersndashwhoteachatdifferentstagesofthecurriculumandwhoteachdifferentagegroupsindifferentschoolsndashtocollaboraterequiredthemtofindalevelofcommonalitythatordinarilydidnotexistThismeantthatbaselinedatacouldnotbeascertainedinadvanceofthelessonstudybuthadtobeascertainedasadirectresultofthelessonstudyprocessthefirstlessonbecamethebaselineforpractitionerone the second study forpractitioner two and soonThis alsomeant thatbothbaselineandpedagogicapproachesalsonecessarilydevelopedasaresultofcollaborativeactivity that ispractitioner tworsquos approach to teaching the lesson studyclass shouldbenefitfromengaginginthelessonstudyrelatedtopractitioneroneandsoonBaselinesandstartingapproaches to implementing the strategywere thus relative Similarly desired endpoints andimprovementstowardsthesecouldonlybesetandorcomparedinabsolutetermsfromeachpractitionerrsquosstartingposition
Inadditionthismeantthattheimpactprocessmovingforwardnecessarilyhadtoinvolvetwostagesthefirststagebeforelessonstudyactivityinvolvedeachtriadestablishinganissueanddecidingonamutualtopicorlessontoteach(andhowitshouldbetaught)Desiredimpact
12 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
(the future goal to be aimed at) however couldonly be established after each baseline hadbeenestablishedcorrespondinglyaswiththepilotakeyaspectofthemainstagekick-offwasto ensure that themain stage participants discussed (in their lesson study triads) commondifficultiesandissuesinrelationtotheteachingofEnglishliteracyandscienceinthecontextof transition and that they identified areas for improvementTriads then decided upon onefocusarea(atopicbeingtaughtthatencapsulatedtheissue)andtoalsothinkaboutacommonapproachtoteachingthetopicthatmight inrelationtothe issue leadto improvedteachingpracticesandstudentoutcomesWealsoengagedparticipantswithwaysofunderstandingandmeasuringbothbaselineandimpactspecificallyweintroducedthemtoamyriadofhardandsoftdata types (fromstudentoutcomes toobservationsofpractice) andwaysofmeasuringbaselineandimpactsuchasthelsquoLeuvenrsquoscaleParticipantstheneachidentifiedthreecasestudychildrenandcollaborativelyplannedthefirstlessonstudyclassFollowingkick-offforthefirstthreelessonstudyclassesthemainstageparticipantsobservedpracticeandstudentbehavioursaswellascollectingengagingwithotherpupildata
AfurtherworkshopwasheldafterthefirstthreetoenableparticipantstocometogetherandestablishafirmbaselineforthethreepupilsforeachoftheteachersintheirtrioHavingestablished this baseline they then determinedwhat they would like practice to be (ie toestablishtheir ideal)ParticipantsthenspenttheremainderoftheworkshopcollaboratingtofurtherrefinethepedagogicapproachesthatmightgetthemtothisidealThismeantthatlessonstudysessionsfourtoninewerestructuredusingthesixstepsasdiscussedabovewithlessonstudysessionsusedtoascertainwhetherpracticeandoutcomeswereprogressingtowardstheirideal impact goal inorder todecidewhethercorrectivechanges in approachwererequired(Bryket al2011)
A finalworkshopwas then held to enable trios to bring together the endline data forthe project and so establish a firm impact picture specifically in relation to the aimsof theprojectHereprotocolsweredevelopedbytheprojectteamtocapturedatathatemergedfromthelearningconversationsheldwithintheworkshopsSpecificallyproformaswerecreatedtohelpparticipantsrecordtheirresponsestothefollowingquestions(1)Howhasyourpracticechangedasaresultofthisprojectand(2)WhathaveyoulearnedaboutlessonstudyandhowtouseittodevelopteachingpracticeWealsodevelopedaproformatorecordtheperceiveddifferences inpupiloutcomesbetweenthestartandendoftheproject(alongwithevidencefromthetriadastowhytheseassessmentsweremade)
Results
Asoutlinedabovetheaimsoftheprojectweretoachieve
bull morerobustchallengingandinnovativendashbutalsoconsistentndashpedagogicpracticeatnationalcurriculumlevels1ndash8inEnglishandscience
bull sharedteacherconfidenceusingthesepracticesbull improved rates of progress and attainment for lsquovulnerablersquo pupils within each of
years 3ndash8(ages8throughto13)bull agroupofteachersabletouselessonstudyapproachestoimproveclassroompractice
andimpactonstandardsthusbuildingtransferablecapacity
To understand how successfulwe had been in relation to eachof these in the final impactworkshopweworkedwithparticipantstoaddressthefollowingthreequestions
bull Howhasyourpracticechangedasaresultofthisprojectbull Whatimpacthasthischangedpracticehadonpupils
London Review of Education 13
bull What have you learned about lesson study and how to use it to develop teachingpractice
Impact on teacher practice
Webeganthefinalworkshopbyfirstaskingparticipantstoengageinalearningconversationcentred on how their practice had changed as a result of their participation in the projectAll teachers participated in the exercise andused the pro formaoutlined above to indicatewhethertherehadbeenanychangeintheirpracticeWhenanalysingtheresults itwasclearthatresponsesdividednaturallyinto(1)changesinknowledgeunderstandingintermsofhowfocuspupilslearn(2)changesinpracticeand(3)whychangesinpracticearemakingadifferenceExamplesoftheverbatimresponsesaresetoutinTable2whichencapsulatesthemainthemesthatemergedAcommonfocusacrossallgroupswashowtheymightemploylsquotalkforwritingrsquondashaprocesswherechildrenorallyengagewiththelanguagetheyneedforaparticulartopicbeforereadingandanalysingitthenwritingtheirownversionPotentiallythecommonalityofthisfocusderivedfromlsquotalkforwritingrsquobeingahottopicwithinCamdenduringthetimeoftheprojectAsaresultthiscouldbeareasonwhythemajorityofteacherparticipantshadbroadlyfocusedontalkandthebalancewithintheirlessonsbetweentalkingandwritingaswellasontheuseofpairingandgroupinginordertofacilitatethis
Table 2 ExampleresponsestothequestionlsquoHowhasyourpracticechangedasaresultofthisprojectrsquo
Question Responses
Changesinknowledgeunderstandingintermsofhowfocuspupilslearn
bull lsquoHowdifficultitistounderstandscientifictermsandconceptswithoutcontextrsquo
bull lsquoThebenefitsofusingascriptforpeerfeedbackrsquobull lsquoPupilsneedstructuredtalkwithwell-chosenpartnersrsquobull lsquoPupilfindkeywordsdifficulttouseinapieceofwritingeven
iftheyunderstandthemeaningofthewordsitisdifficulttolinkmorescientificwordstogetherrsquo
bull lsquoGroupingcanmakeabigdifferencetolearningrsquosimilarlylsquoPartnersreallymakeadifferencetotheoutcomersquo
Changesinpractice bull Rehearsalofkeynewscientificvocabularybull Useofspeakingandwritingframesbull Makinglessonsmoreoralandgivingmoreoralscaffoldsbull lsquo[Providing]moretimetotalkandthinkaboutwhatthey
wanttowritersquobull lsquoMixingtalkpartnerssochildrenareworkingwithdifferent
partnersrsquo
Whychangesinpracticearemakingadifference
bull Pupilslikespeakingframesaslsquoitgivesthemastartingpointtostructuretheirspeechrsquo
bull lsquoMakingspeechahighpriorityresultsinmuchbetteroutcomesrsquo
bull lsquoSpendingmoretimelearningnewvocabulary[meansthatpupilsarebetterat]unpickingmeaningsandprocessesrsquo
bull Partneringlowerachievingchildreneitherwithhigherachievingormiddleachievingpupilsreallymakesadifferenceasthehigherabilitychildrenchallengepushandstretchthelowerachievers
14 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
Pupil impact
WehavedescribedabovethatinkeepingwiththeDBRunderpinningsoftheprojectparticipantswere able to determinewhat changes theywanted to see in their pupils as a result of theprojectandhowthesemightbemeasuredAssuchavarietyofmetricswereusedtoascertainimpactrangingfromteacherobservationsandmarkingtotheirexpertiseandknowledgeofthechildBecauseparticipantspredominantlychosenottouselsquohardrsquoattainmentdatainordertoexamineimpactacrossallparticipantswehadtofindacommonwayofderivingandpresentingwhatimpactifanyresultedfromtheprojectTodothisweaskedparticipantsworkingintheirtriadstoscoreeachoftheirthreefocuschildren(inrelationtothefocusoraimsoftheirtriadandinrelationtothedatatheyweremeasuring)bothintermsoftheirlsquoperformancersquoatthebeginningoftheprojectandattheendScoresbothatthebeginningandendwereoutoftenandparticipantstriadshadtoprovidesupportingevidenceforselectingtheirscoresAsaresultthisprovidedresearcherswithperceptionsofpupilimpactandreasonsfortheseperceptionsbecauseallpupilimpactperceptionswerescoredinthesamewayhoweverwewerealsoabletonormalizethesescoresbylookingatthepercentagedifferencesinthelsquobeforersquoandlsquoafterrsquoscoresThescoresandrangesofthesedifferencesaresetoutinFigure1whereasTable3providesadistributionofthepercentagescoresAfulltableofresponsesshowingbeforeandafterscoresandreasonsevidencefortheseisprovidedintheAppendix
Figure 1 Pupilsbeforeandafterscoresandpercentagechange
London Review of Education 15
Table 3 Distributionofpercentagechangeinpupilsbeforeandafterscores
Question Number Percentage
Greaterthan100change 3 7
91ndash100change 7 17
81ndash90change 0 0
71ndash80change 4 10
61ndash70change 1 2
51ndash60change 0 0
41ndash50change 6 14
31ndash40change 12 29
21ndash30change 2 5
11ndash20change 1 2
1ndash10change 0 0
Nochange 4 10
Pupilsdroppedout 2 5
Total 42 100
TheblockedareainFigure1representsthestudentperformancescoresatthebeginningoftheprojectwhilethecontinuouslinerepresentstheirscoresatprojectendThedotsmeanwhilerepresentthepercentagedifference(iethechangeinpupilperformancesincethestartoftheproject)Ascanbeseenofthe42focusgrouppupilsforwhomteachersprovideddatateachersreported a change in the behavioursattitudesoutcomes of all but six For some pupils thischangewassubstantiveAssetoutinTable3whichprovidesthedistributionofthesepercentagechangesteacherssuggestthatfortenpupilstheirperformancehadeffectivelydoubledormore(ietherewasa100percent(orgreater)changeintheirscore)Thebiggestsingleimprovementhowevertendedtobebetween30and40percent Inthemainthiswascausedbylsquoaveragersquopupils(scoring5ndash6)nowscoringtwopointshigher(7ndash8)orbyinitiallylowperformingpupilsndashwhooriginallyscored3ndashincreasingtheirperformancescoreto4
Naturallyintheabsenceofhardandobjectiveattainmentdataweneedtobecircumspectin the levelofsignificanceaffordedtowhataresubjectivelydeterminedresultsNonethelesssupportingevidencewasprovidedandthefiguresweretriangulatedwithothermembersofthetriad(whowerethemselvesengagedinprolongedobservationofthesepupils)Inadditionnotallpupilswerereportedashavingbenefitedfromtheproject fourpupils(10percent)werereportedasnotbenefitingatallwhileafurthertwodroppedoutoftheschooltheywereinConsideringLincolnandGubarsquos(1985)criteriaforestablishingthetrustworthinessofsubjectivedatathereforealthoughtheexactchangeinpupilsrsquoperformancescanbedebatedtheresearchteamhaveconfidencethatsomepositiveimpactonpupilshastakenplacendashandthatthisimpactcanbeattributabletotheprojectItshouldalsobenotedthatthisdatarelatestothethreepupils(perclass)representingwidergroupsofinterestsuchasvulnerablechildren(Dudley2011)Intheorythentheimpactoftheprojectshouldstretchbeyondthe42childrenanalysedherebutwedonothavedatatosubstantiatesuchaclaim
16 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
Learning about lesson study
FinallyweaskedparticipantstoanswerthefollowingquestionlsquoWhathaveyoulearnedaboutlessonstudyandhowtouseittodevelopteachingpracticersquoResponsesheredividednaturallyintothebenefitsandchallengesofusinglessonstudyandaresetoutinTable4
Table 4 Benefitsandchallengestousinglesson study (responsetoquestionlsquoWhathaveyoulearnedaboutlesson studyandhowtouseittodevelopteachingpracticersquo)
Question Responses
lsquoWhathaveyoulearnedaboutlessonstudyandhowtouseittodevelopteachingpracticersquo(Benefits)
bull lsquoObservingcolleaguesteachandpickingupideasstrategiessharingpracticeetcinrelationtoprimarytosecondarytransitionsrsquo
bull lsquoSharinggoodpractice[andfacilitateideasgeneration]rsquobull lsquoObservingin[other]schoolsandseeingthedifferencebetween
teachinginprimaryandsecondaryschoolsrsquobull lsquoChancetoseeotherCamdenclassesofthesameagersquobull lsquoIgetabetterunderstandingofhowImightstretchmoreable
year7studentsrsquobull lsquoExposuretootherteachersrsquostylesandpracticesrsquobull lsquoSupportivefeedbackandobservationsfromcolleaguesrsquobull Perspectiveseglsquothatyouwouldnotbeabletopickupabout
yourchildrenrsquoslearningfromthefrontoftheclassrsquoandlsquoafocusonchildrenwhomightslipunderteachersrsquoradarrsquosimilarlylsquohavingothersbeingabletowatchthechildrenhellip[and]noticingsomething[youhadnrsquot]rsquo
bull lsquoBecauseitrsquosplannedcollaborativelyyougettoseeyourworkinactionrsquo
lsquoWhathaveyoulearnedaboutlessonstudyandhowtouseittodevelopteachingpracticersquo(Challenges)
bull TimeeglsquoLotsoftimeoutofschoolrsquobull TimetablinglsquoFindingdatesthataremutuallyconvenientforthe
triorsquobull lsquoIncreasedworkloadinrelationtoplanningpreparingand
hostingthesessionrsquobull lsquoImmediateprogressnot[always]visiblersquobull lsquoNeedsbuy-infromSLTtohavemaximumimpactrsquosimilarly
lsquoLessonstudyislessimportantinsomeschoolsrsquobull lsquo[Thistypeofprocesscannotbeanadd-on]ifitcouldreplace
[currentprogrammeofobservations]wouldbegreatrsquobull lsquoThereisalreadytoomuchtotryandgetthroughinprimaryrsquo
InconsideringthechallengesitcanbeseethatinkeepingwithGero(2015)forlessonstudytobecarriedoutsuccessfullyrequiresthebuy-inandcommitmentofseniorleadersInparticularlessonstudyndashasa formofschool improvementndashneedstobeprioritizedbyschool leadersover other school improvement initiativeswith time and space given to enable teachers tomeaningfullyengageinlessonstudyactivityAswellasthecommentsinTable4thismessageisalsoreinforcedbythefactthatthreeschools(sixteachers)droppedoutafterthefirstlessonstudy citing competing pressures and priorities as well as involvement in too many schoolimprovementinitiativesInpartthisisbecausethebenefitsofengaginginthisapproachwerenotimmediatelyapparent
London Review of Education 17
Significance
From analysing the results it is clear that our approach has been effective in both changingteacherunderstandingandteachingpracticeandbuildingteachercapacitysothatparticipantsareabletoruntheirownprojectsmovingforwardStartingwiththefirstascanbeseeninTable2teacherswereabletoarticulatealogicalchainndashstartingwithwhattheywerelearningabouttheirpupilsthechangestheyweremakinginresponseandendingwithargumentsformakingthesechangesForexampleoneparticipantnotedlsquohowdifficultitis[forpupils]tounderstandscientifictermsandconceptswithoutcontextrsquoasaconsequencetheywerenowrehearsingnewscientificvocabularybecauselsquospendingmoretimelearningnewvocabulary[meansthatpupilsarebetterat]unpickingmeaningsandprocessesrsquoSimilarlyanotherteacherindicatedthatshenowknowsthatlsquopartnersreallymakeadifferencetotheoutcomersquoThiswasbecausethelessonstudyprocesshadhelpedherseethatpartneringlowerachievingchildrenwitheitherhigherachievingormiddleachievingpupilscanleadtothehigherabilitychildrenchallengingpushingandstretchingthelowerachieversAsaresultshewasmuchmoreactivelylsquomixingtalkpartnerssochildrenareworkingwithdifferentpartnersrsquoItseemsclearthereforethatourapproachtolessonstudydevelopedviaaDBRapproachndashwhichactivelypromotesreflectivedialogueviaaprocessof learningconversationsndashhasbeensuccessful inhelpingpractitionersreflectnotonlyonpupillearningbutalsowhatneedstochangeintermsoftheirteachingtofacilitatethislearning
Intermsofcapacitybuildingitisclearthatparticipantssawnotonlythebenefitsofengagingin lesson study but also the challenges that needed to be overcome in order to ensure itseffectiveoperation(Table4)Havingknowledgeof the former(combinedwithexperienceofa number of cycles of lesson study)means that participants now know how best tomakelessonstudyworkforthemInotherwordsbybuildingontheDBRelementoftheprojecttheteachersinvolvedcanensurethatmovingforwardtheytailorhowtheyfocuslessonstudytoachievemaximalbenefitforthemselvesandtheirpupilsLikewiseintermsofrollingouttheirownprogrammeoflessonstudyparticipantswillalsobeawareofthechallengesthatneedtobemetiftheyaretogetmostvaluefromtheprocessTheseincludeinparticulartherequirementtobuy-infromseniorleadersandtheneedforamodelofleadershipwithintheirschoolwhichpromotes the vision for and ensures the fosteringof a cultureof professional developmentbasedoncollaborativepeer-to-peersupport(includingthepromotionofthevaluesrequiredforlearningcommunitiestooperate)Alsokeywillbetheneedforseniorleaderstoprovidethenecessaryresourceandstructures(egtimeandspace)forsustainedandmeaningfullessonstudytobecomeareality(StollandFink1996Leithwoodet al2006)
Ourrevisedapproach tomeasuring impact toohasbeeneffectiveusing teacher-definedmeasuresofimpactprovidesamoreaccuratewayofunderstandingthedifferencethatlessonstudyactivityhasmadeInotherwordsunlikewithattainmentdatandashwhereitwouldbehardtoattributechangesinpupiloutcomesspecificallytolessonstudyactivity(asopposedtootherchangesincontextorintheteachingandlearningenvironment)ndashourapproachenabledteachersto focuson threepupils andhow they responded tovery specificchanges inapproaches topedagogicpracticebasedonanunderstandingandanassessmentofthesepupilsrsquobehavioursandattitudesbothbeforeandaftertheuseofthepracticeImportantlythisimpactdataisalsolsquotriangulatedrsquosincethepractitionerwhoisteachingaswellasthoseobservingmustcometoanagreementastowhathappenedandwhyLikewisethentheoverallperceptionsofimpactscoreswerediscussedandagreeduponintriadsgivingweighttotheirvalidityGiventhisitisencouragingtonotethatmostscoresprovidedsuggest that the lessonstudyapproachdoesimpactpositivelyonpupilbehavioursandattitudestolearningAscanbeseeninTable385per
18 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
centofpupilsbenefitedfromtheirteachersengagingintheprojectwithoverathird(36percent)benefitingbyanincreaseintheirperformancescoreby50percentormore
Summary
FortheHaverstockPrimarytoSecondaryTransitionProjectweemployedaDBRapproachtothedevelopmentand implementationof lessonstudy inordertohelppractitionersexamineandbegintotacklesomeoftheissuesassociatedwithprimarytosecondarytransitionDoingsoenabledtheprojectteamandparticipantstocollaborativelydevelopatheoryofactionfortheprojectwhichenabledustoconsidernotionsoflearningandlearningconversationsaswellasameansofdeliveringlessonstudyinkeepingwiththistheoryofactionAswellasthiswewerealsoabletoestablishawayofmeasuringimpactforsituations(suchaswhenprimaryandsecondaryteachersworkonjointprojects)wherebecausethereisnoday-to-dayinteractionandcollaborationthereisnonaturallyoccurringbaselineandnocommonapproachtopedagogy
InlightoftheaboveweconcludethatusingDBRhasbeenvitalnotonlytothesuccessoftheprojectbutalsotoitslong-termsustainabilityfollowingtheprojectrsquosendHoweverweasresearchershavealsobenefitedfromengaginginDBRforinstancewehavegainedabetterunderstanding of how to engage in lesson study in a cross-phase way In addition the newapproachtomeasuringimpactthatemergedcannowbetriedandtestedinothercontextsascanourrevisedtheoryofactionforandapproachestooperationalizinglessonstudyThatisinkeepingwithAndersonandShattuck(2012)movingforwardwecantakewhatwehavelearnedandcontinuetocollaborativelyanditerativelyrefineourapproachsothatitiseffectiveineachnewcontextweintroduceittothushelpingtoservetoimprovethesystemrsquosoverallcapacityforsustainedchange
Notes on the contributors
ChrisBrown isaSeniorLectureratUCLInstituteofEducationUniversityCollegeLondon(DepartmentforLearningandLeadership) Chrishasextensiveexperienceofleadingarangeoffundedprojectsmanyofwhich seek tohelppractitioners to identify and scaleupbestpractice andwas recently awardedasignificant grant by the Education Endowment Foundation toworkwith over 100 primary schools inEnglandtoincreasetheiruseofresearch
CarolTaylor iscurrentlytheStrategicLeaderforCPDattheLondonCentreforLeadershipinLearningSheworkswithschoolsalliancesandlocalauthoritiesndashboth locallyandnationallyndash insupportingtheprofessionaldevelopmentoftheschoolworkforceCarolrecentlyco-ledtheNationalCollegeTeachingSchools Research and Development project involving over 60 schools across England She is activelyinvolvedinsupportingschoolsacrossLondontoembedpractitionerresearchandenquiryintopractice
LornaPonambalum isascienceteacherandAssistantHeadteacheratHaverstockSchoolCamdenLondonwheresheisalsoDesignatedSafeguardingOfficerLornahasbeeninvolvedinanumberoflessonstudyprojectsincludingtheprojectcoveredinthispaperwhichexaminedapproachestoimproveprimarytosecondarytransition
London Review of Education 19
Appendix Pupiloutcomesatstartandendofprojectwithevidencefromthetriadastowhytheseassessmentsweremade
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
4 Myanalysisoftheirworkbookandmyknowledgeoftheirin-classcontributions
6 Someimprovementswhenthechildismotivated
4 Under-confidentStruggleswhenworkingwithapartner
7 Moreconfidenceofownabilityandrecognizessupportfrompartner
4 AloofIssuesathome 4 Stillstrugglestopayattentionwhenworkinginpairs
5 Struggleswithusingsomeofthekeywords
7 Usesmorekeywordsinherwrittenwork(almostall)Expressingideasinabetterway
4 Struggleswiththekeywords 6 Bettersentencestructureandbetterlinkingofideas
3 Lacksconfidenceinspeakingandwriting
6 MoreconfidenceinverballyansweringquestionsputshandupmoreoftenWritingcanstillbeaproblem
3 NeverraiseshandsRefusedtospeakinpublicNosentencestructure
6 Leftbeforeendofprojectbutwasdemonstratingimprovedvocabularyconfidenceandwrittenwork
4 Notengagedvocabularyandliteraryworkpoor
9 REALLYengagedandimprovementinvocabularyandliterarysentencesimproved
5 Doesnrsquotusevocabularyaccuratelyandnotableintermsofwrittenwork
9 Vocabularyuseismoreaccurateandismuchmoreableintermsofwrittenwork
4 bull Didnotlistenoncarpetortoteachertalk
bull Firstcycleshowssignsofdisengagementinfeedback
bull Writingdifficulttounderstand
7 bull Morefocusedonthetaskonthecarpet
bull Betterqualityofwritingbetterfeedbackascycleprogressed
6 bull Toochattybull Distractedtalkpartnerbull Forgottocheckthroughand
punctuatebull Couldnotpeerassesswell
8 bull Betterlearningbehaviourbull Moreownershipofown
learningandcanselfandpeerassess
6 bull Pronetodistractionbull Unabletofollowaseriesof
instructions
7 bull Handuptoofferideasmorebull Slowlyandcarefullygetson
withataskbull Knowshowtopeerassess
20 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
3 Textsnotproducedwelldistractedanddistractingothers
6 Useofmetalanguagetextsproducedusingappropriategrammar
4 Paucityofideasworknotalwaysmakingsense
7 Takingcontrolofownlearningorganizingideasaboutgrammareffectivelymoreconfidenttostartwritingandproducingcompletetexts
5 Generallackofconfidencedespitebeingahighachiever
7 Textsproducedfullofideasinterviewswithobserversshowconfidencemoreconfidenceinhisideasprovidedheispartneredwithsomeonewhohefindssupportive
5 LackofinvolvementinlessonsPoorwritingandconfusedbymosttasks
7 HavingestablishedthatheappreciatesbeingprobedchallengedbyteachersIdedicatemoretimetoenablinghimtoprocessinformationthroughquestioningHenowoftenstartstasksquickerandtakesmorerisksHeisstillshyanddoesnrsquotusuallyvolunteer
3 Withdrawnndashnevercontributingandoptingoutoftasks
6 TriestasksndashnotalwayswithoutpromptingBeginningtotakerisksandoccasionallyvolunteersideas
7 VerylowconfidenceConsistentlypoorliteracyReluctancetocontributeWrittenworkwaspoorbutreflectedeffortofstudent
9 TriesreallyhardtocompleteworktothebestofherabilityStillrarelycontributesherideas
3 CompletelydisengagedseesnovalueinschoolNotansweringquestionsandtalkingaboutanythingelse
8 Nowfocusesonthefrontputshanduptalksaboutthetopicmostofthetime
6 Easilydistractedwillputhandupbutoftendoesnrsquothaveananswerwhenasked
8 Morefocusedwillstilloftennotlistenoninputbutisabletoasksomeoneelseratherthananadultorjustsittingthere
1 bull Getsoutofseatbull Shoutsoutbull Disturbsothers
na Pupilleftschool
9 Priorattainmentandclassroomobservations
9 Nodifferenceinliteracyattainmentwasconsistent
London Review of Education 21
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
3 Priorattainmentandclassroomobservations
4 Improvedconfidenceincomprehensionandwriting
3 Priorattainmentandclassroomobservations
4 Norealdifferencepossiblyslightlybetteratverbalizing
3 Effortscorelsquo3rsquoinfirstreportLeaningbackonchairnotfocuseddistracted
6 Morefocusmorelikelytoaskforhelpratherthanmisbehave
3 Effortscorelsquo3rsquoinfirstreportDistractingothers
3 NowrarelyinclassndashexclusionabsenceOnoccasionshowsexcellentprogressandcanworkindependently
4 Disengagedonwhole(althoughbaselineobservationswerecarriedoutonalsquogoodrsquoday)Rudenessnottrying
8 ReadingchallengingtextsandlookingupdifficultvocabularyindictionaryFewerdayswhenrefusestowork
3 Severallearningneedsandhashadtroublewithwriting
4 Increasedconfidenceinspellingandwriting(andenthusiasm)ndashespeciallycreativelyContinuestostrugglewithcomprehensionHasmadeprogressaccordingtoassessedwork
5 Asabovealthoughadisparitybetweenqualityandquantityofspokenandwrittenwork
na Haslefttheschool
3 MorewillingtowritethantalkatlengthWritingpoorqualityPoorattentionandbehaviouralissuesasbarrierstolearning
5 HasimprovedappreciablyintermsofspokencontributionstowrittenworkStillpresentsbehaviouralproblemsasmainbarriertoprogressHasmadetwosub-levelsofprogressthisyear(basedonanalysisofclasswork)
6 Readingfictionpooruseofsciencevocab
6 Nothingverydifferent
5 Noattempttousesciencevocab 7 Tryingtousesciencevocab
3 Verypoorengagementwithlargerwrittentasks
7 Betterengagementwithtaskandproductionofhigherlevelworkwithbettervocab
4 Unwillingtodiscusswithinterviewee
5 Writesmoretriestowriteindetailthoughremainsunwillingtoshareideaswritteninclassndashdependentonwork-partner
22 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
4 Willanswerquestionsifverysureofanswer
6 Stillunwillingtoshareideasinclassbutwilluseconnectvocabularyifithasbeenembeddedstronglywithinlesson
4 Notinitiallywillingtoshareknowledgethoughdidcometothefrontofclassandshareideas
6 AbletodiscusswithintervieweeindetailinformationaboutexperimentStillsomewhatunwillingtoshare
5 Hesitanttoshareideasoranswerquestionsunlessspecificallyasked
7 Taskdependent
6 Alwayswillingtoshareideasalthoughnotnecessarilyaccurateformalscientificlanguage
8 Attemptstochoosehiswordswhenansweringquestionswhichisgreateffortfromthisstudent
2 Performancedependingonwhoshepartneredwith
3 Moreefforttotalkingroupshoweverthisisonlyasmallstepstillveryhesitantandseeksreassurancefromothers
3 Quietlyengagedndashlistensbutrarelysharesideas
6 MakingalargerefforttotalkwithinagroupStillhesitanttoshareinfrontofclassunlesssheknowsitrsquosright
6 Veryengagedandwillgenerallytalkandshareideasalthoughnotalwaysusingaccuratelanguage
8 Activelysharingandtalkingideasndashbacksupherstatementsusingreasonscanrejectothersrsquoopinionsandjustifywhy
6 AppearsdisengagedhoweverwithprobingdoesknowtheanswersNotalwaystalkingaboutthesubjectndashdependsonpersonwhoheispartneredwith
9 LovessharingideasconstantlyputtinghandupTriestousescientificlanguagendashnotasengagedinwrittentasks
References
AndersonTandShattuckJ(2012)lsquoDesign-basedresearchAdecadeofprogressineducationresearchrsquoEducational Researcher41(1)16ndash25
ArgyrisCandSchoumlnD(1996)Organizational Learning II Theory method and practice ReadingMAAddison-WesleyPublishingCompany
BrownC andRogers S (2015)lsquoKnowledge creation as an approach to facilitating evidence-informedpracticeExaminingwaystomeasurethesuccessofusingthismethodwithearlyyearspractitionersinCamden(London)rsquoJournal of Educational Change16(1)79ndash99
BrykAGomezL andGrunowA (2011)lsquoGetting ideas intoactionBuildingnetworked improvementcommunitiesineducationrsquoInHallinanM(ed)Frontiers in Sociology of Education Frontiers in Sociology and Social ResearchDordrechtNetherlandsSpringer127ndash62
London Review of Education 23
CamdenCouncil(2016)lsquoCamdenpartnershipforeducationalexcellencersquoOnlinewwwcamdengovukccmcontenteducationschoolscamden-partnership-for-educational-excellenceen(accessed1April2016)
Camden Education Commission (2011) Camden Education Commission Final report London CamdenChildrenrsquosTrustPartnershipBoardandLondonBoroughofCamden
CheungWMandWongWY(2014)lsquoDoeslessonstudyworkAsystematicreviewontheeffectsoflessonstudyandlearningstudyonteachersandstudentsrsquo International Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies3(2)137ndash49
CoburnCPenuelWandGeilK(2013)Research-Practice Partnerships A strategy for leveraging research for educational improvement in school districtsNewYorkWilliamTGrantFoundation
Cohen-Vogel LTichnor-WagnerAAllenD Harrison C Kainz K SocolAR andWangQ (2015)lsquoImplementingeducationalinnovationsatscaleTransformingresearchersintocontinuousimprovementscientistsrsquoEducational Policy29(1)257ndash77
Department for Children Schools and Families (DCSF) (2008) The National Strategies Strengthening transfers and transitions Partnerships for progressOnlinehttpderaioeacuk74641str_tt_prtnshp_prgrss08308pdf(requiressubscriptionaccessed5September2013)
DepartmentforEducation(2011)How do Pupils Progress During Key Stages 2 and 3ResearchreportDFE-RR096 Online wwwgovukgovernmentuploadssystemuploadsattachment_datafile182413DFE-RR096pdf(accessed1April2013)
Dudley P (2011) lsquoLesson study development in England From school networks to national policyrsquoInternational Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies1(1)85ndash100
ndashndash (2014) Lesson Study A handbook Online httplessonstudycoukwp-contentuploads201401new-handbook-early-years-edition2014-versionpdf(accessed21July2014)
EarleyPandPorrittV(2013)lsquoEvaluatingtheimpactofprofessionaldevelopmentTheneedforastudent-focusedapproachrsquoProfessional Development in Education40(1)112ndash29doi101080194152572013798741
EvangelouMTaggartBSylvaKMelhuishESammonsPandSiraj-BlatchfordI(2008)What Makes a Successful Transition from Primary to Secondary School NottinghamDCSF
FieldingMBraggSCraigJCunninghamIErautMGillinsonSHorneMRobinsonCandThorpJ(2005)lsquoFactorsinfluencingthetransferofgoodpracticersquoOnlinehttpderaioeacuk210011RR615pdf(accessed21July2014)
GaltonMGrayJandRudduckJ(1999)The Impact of School Transitions and Transfers on Pupil Progress and Attainment NottinghamDepartmentforEducationandEmployment
GeroG(2015)lsquoTheprospectsoflessonstudyintheUSTeachersupportandcomfortwithinadistrictcultureofcontrolrsquoInternational Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies4(1)7ndash25
GutierrezKandPenuelW(2014)lsquoRelevancetopracticeasacriterionforrigorrsquoEducational Researcher43(1)19ndash23
LeithwoodKDayCSammonsPHarrisAandHopkinsD(2006) Successful School Leadership What it is and how it influences student learning Researchreport800 LondonDepartmentforEducationandSkills
LewisC(2000)lsquoLessonstudyThecoreof JapaneseprofessionaldevelopmentrsquoPaperpresentedatTheAnnualMeetingoftheAmericanEducationalResearchAssociationNewOrleansLA24ndash8April2000
LincolnYandGubaE(1985)Naturalistic InquiryNewburyParkCASagePublicationsLondonBoroughofCamden(2012)Camden Education Commission Final reportOnlinehttpdemocracy
camdengovukdocumentss16322Camden20Education20Commission20Final20Reportpdf(accessed1April2013)
McGeeCWardRGibbons J andHarlowA (2004)Transition to Secondary School A literature reviewHamiltonNewZealandTheUniversityofWaikato
PenuelW FishmanBHauganC and SabelliN (2011)lsquoOrganizing research anddevelopment at theintersectionoflearningimplementationanddesignrsquoEducational Researcher40(7)331ndash7
PenuelWSunMFrankKandGallagherA(2012)UsingsocialnetworkanalysistostudyhowinteractionscanaugmentteacherlearningfromexternalprofessionaldevelopmentrsquoAmerican Journal of Education119(1)103ndash36
Shepherd J andRokerD (2005)lsquoAn evaluation of aldquotransition to secondary schoolrdquo project run bytheNationalPyramidTrustrsquoOnline wwwyoungpeopleinfocusorguk_assetsphpreportphpfile=37(accessed4September2013)
StollL(2012) lsquoStimulatinglearningconversationsrsquoProfessional Development Today14(4)6ndash12
24 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
StollLandBrownC(2015)lsquoMiddleleadersascatalystsforevidence-informedchangersquoInBrownC(ed)Leading the Use of Research and Evidence in SchoolsLondonIOEPress
StollLandFinkD(1996)Changing Our SchoolsBuckinghamOpenUniversityPressTree J(2011)lsquoWhathelpsstudentswithchallengingbehaviourmakeasuccessfultransfertosecondary
schoolrsquoDEdPsydissUniversityCollegeLondonInstituteofEducationTschannen-MoranM(2004)Trust Matters Leadership for successful schoolsSanFranciscoCAJossey-BassVanderlinde R and van Braak J (2010)lsquoThe gap between educational research and practiceViews of
teachers school leaders intermediariesandresearchersrsquoBritish Educational Research Journal36 (2)299ndash316
Related articles published in the London Review of Education
In this issue
ThispaperwaspublishedinaspecialfeatureoneducationinLondoneditedbyTamjidMujtabaTheotherarticlesinthefeatureareasfollows(linksunavailableattimeofpublication)
Cajic-SeigneurMandHodgsonA(2016)lsquoAlternativeeducationalprovision inanareaofdeprivation inLondonrsquoLondon Review of Education14(2)25ndash37
JerrimJandWynessG(2106)lsquoBenchmarkingLondoninthePISArankingsrsquoLondon Review of Education14(2)38ndash65
MujtabaT(2016)EditoriallsquoEducationinLondonChallengesandopportunitiesforyoungpeoplersquoLondon Review of Education14(2)1ndash3
MujtabaT and Reiss M (2016)lsquoGirls in the UK have similar reasons to boys for intending to studymathematics post-16 thanks to the support and encouragement they receiversquo London Review of Education14(2)66ndash82
StandishAHawleyT andWillyT (2016)lsquoThe LondonGeographyAlliance Re-connecting the schoolsubjectwiththeuniversitydisciplinersquoLondon Review of Education14(2)83ndash103
WrightP(2016)lsquoSocialjusticeinthemathematicsclassroomrsquoLondon Review of Education14(2)104ndash18
By the same authors
BrownC(2013)lsquoCritiqueandcomplexityPresentingamoreeffectivewaytoconceptualisetheknowledgeadoptionprocessrsquoLondon Review of Education11(1)32ndash45
BrownCandRogersS(2014)lsquoMeasuringtheeffectivenessofknowledgecreationasameansoffacilitatingevicence-informedpracticeinearlyyearssettingsinoneLondonboroughrsquoLondon Review of Education12(3)245ndash60
Elsewhere in the journal
LevinB(2011)lsquoMobilisingresearchknowledgeineducationrsquoLondon Review of Education9(1)15ndash26OakleyA(2003)lsquoResearchevidenceknowledgemanagementandeducationalpracticeEarlylessonsfrom
asystematicapproachrsquoLondon Review of Education1(1)21ndash33WatkinsC(2005)lsquoClassroomsaslearningcommunitiesAreviewofresearchrsquoLondon Review of Education
3(1)47ndash64
12 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
(the future goal to be aimed at) however couldonly be established after each baseline hadbeenestablishedcorrespondinglyaswiththepilotakeyaspectofthemainstagekick-offwasto ensure that themain stage participants discussed (in their lesson study triads) commondifficultiesandissuesinrelationtotheteachingofEnglishliteracyandscienceinthecontextof transition and that they identified areas for improvementTriads then decided upon onefocusarea(atopicbeingtaughtthatencapsulatedtheissue)andtoalsothinkaboutacommonapproachtoteachingthetopicthatmight inrelationtothe issue leadto improvedteachingpracticesandstudentoutcomesWealsoengagedparticipantswithwaysofunderstandingandmeasuringbothbaselineandimpactspecificallyweintroducedthemtoamyriadofhardandsoftdata types (fromstudentoutcomes toobservationsofpractice) andwaysofmeasuringbaselineandimpactsuchasthelsquoLeuvenrsquoscaleParticipantstheneachidentifiedthreecasestudychildrenandcollaborativelyplannedthefirstlessonstudyclassFollowingkick-offforthefirstthreelessonstudyclassesthemainstageparticipantsobservedpracticeandstudentbehavioursaswellascollectingengagingwithotherpupildata
AfurtherworkshopwasheldafterthefirstthreetoenableparticipantstocometogetherandestablishafirmbaselineforthethreepupilsforeachoftheteachersintheirtrioHavingestablished this baseline they then determinedwhat they would like practice to be (ie toestablishtheir ideal)ParticipantsthenspenttheremainderoftheworkshopcollaboratingtofurtherrefinethepedagogicapproachesthatmightgetthemtothisidealThismeantthatlessonstudysessionsfourtoninewerestructuredusingthesixstepsasdiscussedabovewithlessonstudysessionsusedtoascertainwhetherpracticeandoutcomeswereprogressingtowardstheirideal impact goal inorder todecidewhethercorrectivechanges in approachwererequired(Bryket al2011)
A finalworkshopwas then held to enable trios to bring together the endline data forthe project and so establish a firm impact picture specifically in relation to the aimsof theprojectHereprotocolsweredevelopedbytheprojectteamtocapturedatathatemergedfromthelearningconversationsheldwithintheworkshopsSpecificallyproformaswerecreatedtohelpparticipantsrecordtheirresponsestothefollowingquestions(1)Howhasyourpracticechangedasaresultofthisprojectand(2)WhathaveyoulearnedaboutlessonstudyandhowtouseittodevelopteachingpracticeWealsodevelopedaproformatorecordtheperceiveddifferences inpupiloutcomesbetweenthestartandendoftheproject(alongwithevidencefromthetriadastowhytheseassessmentsweremade)
Results
Asoutlinedabovetheaimsoftheprojectweretoachieve
bull morerobustchallengingandinnovativendashbutalsoconsistentndashpedagogicpracticeatnationalcurriculumlevels1ndash8inEnglishandscience
bull sharedteacherconfidenceusingthesepracticesbull improved rates of progress and attainment for lsquovulnerablersquo pupils within each of
years 3ndash8(ages8throughto13)bull agroupofteachersabletouselessonstudyapproachestoimproveclassroompractice
andimpactonstandardsthusbuildingtransferablecapacity
To understand how successfulwe had been in relation to eachof these in the final impactworkshopweworkedwithparticipantstoaddressthefollowingthreequestions
bull Howhasyourpracticechangedasaresultofthisprojectbull Whatimpacthasthischangedpracticehadonpupils
London Review of Education 13
bull What have you learned about lesson study and how to use it to develop teachingpractice
Impact on teacher practice
Webeganthefinalworkshopbyfirstaskingparticipantstoengageinalearningconversationcentred on how their practice had changed as a result of their participation in the projectAll teachers participated in the exercise andused the pro formaoutlined above to indicatewhethertherehadbeenanychangeintheirpracticeWhenanalysingtheresults itwasclearthatresponsesdividednaturallyinto(1)changesinknowledgeunderstandingintermsofhowfocuspupilslearn(2)changesinpracticeand(3)whychangesinpracticearemakingadifferenceExamplesoftheverbatimresponsesaresetoutinTable2whichencapsulatesthemainthemesthatemergedAcommonfocusacrossallgroupswashowtheymightemploylsquotalkforwritingrsquondashaprocesswherechildrenorallyengagewiththelanguagetheyneedforaparticulartopicbeforereadingandanalysingitthenwritingtheirownversionPotentiallythecommonalityofthisfocusderivedfromlsquotalkforwritingrsquobeingahottopicwithinCamdenduringthetimeoftheprojectAsaresultthiscouldbeareasonwhythemajorityofteacherparticipantshadbroadlyfocusedontalkandthebalancewithintheirlessonsbetweentalkingandwritingaswellasontheuseofpairingandgroupinginordertofacilitatethis
Table 2 ExampleresponsestothequestionlsquoHowhasyourpracticechangedasaresultofthisprojectrsquo
Question Responses
Changesinknowledgeunderstandingintermsofhowfocuspupilslearn
bull lsquoHowdifficultitistounderstandscientifictermsandconceptswithoutcontextrsquo
bull lsquoThebenefitsofusingascriptforpeerfeedbackrsquobull lsquoPupilsneedstructuredtalkwithwell-chosenpartnersrsquobull lsquoPupilfindkeywordsdifficulttouseinapieceofwritingeven
iftheyunderstandthemeaningofthewordsitisdifficulttolinkmorescientificwordstogetherrsquo
bull lsquoGroupingcanmakeabigdifferencetolearningrsquosimilarlylsquoPartnersreallymakeadifferencetotheoutcomersquo
Changesinpractice bull Rehearsalofkeynewscientificvocabularybull Useofspeakingandwritingframesbull Makinglessonsmoreoralandgivingmoreoralscaffoldsbull lsquo[Providing]moretimetotalkandthinkaboutwhatthey
wanttowritersquobull lsquoMixingtalkpartnerssochildrenareworkingwithdifferent
partnersrsquo
Whychangesinpracticearemakingadifference
bull Pupilslikespeakingframesaslsquoitgivesthemastartingpointtostructuretheirspeechrsquo
bull lsquoMakingspeechahighpriorityresultsinmuchbetteroutcomesrsquo
bull lsquoSpendingmoretimelearningnewvocabulary[meansthatpupilsarebetterat]unpickingmeaningsandprocessesrsquo
bull Partneringlowerachievingchildreneitherwithhigherachievingormiddleachievingpupilsreallymakesadifferenceasthehigherabilitychildrenchallengepushandstretchthelowerachievers
14 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
Pupil impact
WehavedescribedabovethatinkeepingwiththeDBRunderpinningsoftheprojectparticipantswere able to determinewhat changes theywanted to see in their pupils as a result of theprojectandhowthesemightbemeasuredAssuchavarietyofmetricswereusedtoascertainimpactrangingfromteacherobservationsandmarkingtotheirexpertiseandknowledgeofthechildBecauseparticipantspredominantlychosenottouselsquohardrsquoattainmentdatainordertoexamineimpactacrossallparticipantswehadtofindacommonwayofderivingandpresentingwhatimpactifanyresultedfromtheprojectTodothisweaskedparticipantsworkingintheirtriadstoscoreeachoftheirthreefocuschildren(inrelationtothefocusoraimsoftheirtriadandinrelationtothedatatheyweremeasuring)bothintermsoftheirlsquoperformancersquoatthebeginningoftheprojectandattheendScoresbothatthebeginningandendwereoutoftenandparticipantstriadshadtoprovidesupportingevidenceforselectingtheirscoresAsaresultthisprovidedresearcherswithperceptionsofpupilimpactandreasonsfortheseperceptionsbecauseallpupilimpactperceptionswerescoredinthesamewayhoweverwewerealsoabletonormalizethesescoresbylookingatthepercentagedifferencesinthelsquobeforersquoandlsquoafterrsquoscoresThescoresandrangesofthesedifferencesaresetoutinFigure1whereasTable3providesadistributionofthepercentagescoresAfulltableofresponsesshowingbeforeandafterscoresandreasonsevidencefortheseisprovidedintheAppendix
Figure 1 Pupilsbeforeandafterscoresandpercentagechange
London Review of Education 15
Table 3 Distributionofpercentagechangeinpupilsbeforeandafterscores
Question Number Percentage
Greaterthan100change 3 7
91ndash100change 7 17
81ndash90change 0 0
71ndash80change 4 10
61ndash70change 1 2
51ndash60change 0 0
41ndash50change 6 14
31ndash40change 12 29
21ndash30change 2 5
11ndash20change 1 2
1ndash10change 0 0
Nochange 4 10
Pupilsdroppedout 2 5
Total 42 100
TheblockedareainFigure1representsthestudentperformancescoresatthebeginningoftheprojectwhilethecontinuouslinerepresentstheirscoresatprojectendThedotsmeanwhilerepresentthepercentagedifference(iethechangeinpupilperformancesincethestartoftheproject)Ascanbeseenofthe42focusgrouppupilsforwhomteachersprovideddatateachersreported a change in the behavioursattitudesoutcomes of all but six For some pupils thischangewassubstantiveAssetoutinTable3whichprovidesthedistributionofthesepercentagechangesteacherssuggestthatfortenpupilstheirperformancehadeffectivelydoubledormore(ietherewasa100percent(orgreater)changeintheirscore)Thebiggestsingleimprovementhowevertendedtobebetween30and40percent Inthemainthiswascausedbylsquoaveragersquopupils(scoring5ndash6)nowscoringtwopointshigher(7ndash8)orbyinitiallylowperformingpupilsndashwhooriginallyscored3ndashincreasingtheirperformancescoreto4
Naturallyintheabsenceofhardandobjectiveattainmentdataweneedtobecircumspectin the levelofsignificanceaffordedtowhataresubjectivelydeterminedresultsNonethelesssupportingevidencewasprovidedandthefiguresweretriangulatedwithothermembersofthetriad(whowerethemselvesengagedinprolongedobservationofthesepupils)Inadditionnotallpupilswerereportedashavingbenefitedfromtheproject fourpupils(10percent)werereportedasnotbenefitingatallwhileafurthertwodroppedoutoftheschooltheywereinConsideringLincolnandGubarsquos(1985)criteriaforestablishingthetrustworthinessofsubjectivedatathereforealthoughtheexactchangeinpupilsrsquoperformancescanbedebatedtheresearchteamhaveconfidencethatsomepositiveimpactonpupilshastakenplacendashandthatthisimpactcanbeattributabletotheprojectItshouldalsobenotedthatthisdatarelatestothethreepupils(perclass)representingwidergroupsofinterestsuchasvulnerablechildren(Dudley2011)Intheorythentheimpactoftheprojectshouldstretchbeyondthe42childrenanalysedherebutwedonothavedatatosubstantiatesuchaclaim
16 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
Learning about lesson study
FinallyweaskedparticipantstoanswerthefollowingquestionlsquoWhathaveyoulearnedaboutlessonstudyandhowtouseittodevelopteachingpracticersquoResponsesheredividednaturallyintothebenefitsandchallengesofusinglessonstudyandaresetoutinTable4
Table 4 Benefitsandchallengestousinglesson study (responsetoquestionlsquoWhathaveyoulearnedaboutlesson studyandhowtouseittodevelopteachingpracticersquo)
Question Responses
lsquoWhathaveyoulearnedaboutlessonstudyandhowtouseittodevelopteachingpracticersquo(Benefits)
bull lsquoObservingcolleaguesteachandpickingupideasstrategiessharingpracticeetcinrelationtoprimarytosecondarytransitionsrsquo
bull lsquoSharinggoodpractice[andfacilitateideasgeneration]rsquobull lsquoObservingin[other]schoolsandseeingthedifferencebetween
teachinginprimaryandsecondaryschoolsrsquobull lsquoChancetoseeotherCamdenclassesofthesameagersquobull lsquoIgetabetterunderstandingofhowImightstretchmoreable
year7studentsrsquobull lsquoExposuretootherteachersrsquostylesandpracticesrsquobull lsquoSupportivefeedbackandobservationsfromcolleaguesrsquobull Perspectiveseglsquothatyouwouldnotbeabletopickupabout
yourchildrenrsquoslearningfromthefrontoftheclassrsquoandlsquoafocusonchildrenwhomightslipunderteachersrsquoradarrsquosimilarlylsquohavingothersbeingabletowatchthechildrenhellip[and]noticingsomething[youhadnrsquot]rsquo
bull lsquoBecauseitrsquosplannedcollaborativelyyougettoseeyourworkinactionrsquo
lsquoWhathaveyoulearnedaboutlessonstudyandhowtouseittodevelopteachingpracticersquo(Challenges)
bull TimeeglsquoLotsoftimeoutofschoolrsquobull TimetablinglsquoFindingdatesthataremutuallyconvenientforthe
triorsquobull lsquoIncreasedworkloadinrelationtoplanningpreparingand
hostingthesessionrsquobull lsquoImmediateprogressnot[always]visiblersquobull lsquoNeedsbuy-infromSLTtohavemaximumimpactrsquosimilarly
lsquoLessonstudyislessimportantinsomeschoolsrsquobull lsquo[Thistypeofprocesscannotbeanadd-on]ifitcouldreplace
[currentprogrammeofobservations]wouldbegreatrsquobull lsquoThereisalreadytoomuchtotryandgetthroughinprimaryrsquo
InconsideringthechallengesitcanbeseethatinkeepingwithGero(2015)forlessonstudytobecarriedoutsuccessfullyrequiresthebuy-inandcommitmentofseniorleadersInparticularlessonstudyndashasa formofschool improvementndashneedstobeprioritizedbyschool leadersover other school improvement initiativeswith time and space given to enable teachers tomeaningfullyengageinlessonstudyactivityAswellasthecommentsinTable4thismessageisalsoreinforcedbythefactthatthreeschools(sixteachers)droppedoutafterthefirstlessonstudy citing competing pressures and priorities as well as involvement in too many schoolimprovementinitiativesInpartthisisbecausethebenefitsofengaginginthisapproachwerenotimmediatelyapparent
London Review of Education 17
Significance
From analysing the results it is clear that our approach has been effective in both changingteacherunderstandingandteachingpracticeandbuildingteachercapacitysothatparticipantsareabletoruntheirownprojectsmovingforwardStartingwiththefirstascanbeseeninTable2teacherswereabletoarticulatealogicalchainndashstartingwithwhattheywerelearningabouttheirpupilsthechangestheyweremakinginresponseandendingwithargumentsformakingthesechangesForexampleoneparticipantnotedlsquohowdifficultitis[forpupils]tounderstandscientifictermsandconceptswithoutcontextrsquoasaconsequencetheywerenowrehearsingnewscientificvocabularybecauselsquospendingmoretimelearningnewvocabulary[meansthatpupilsarebetterat]unpickingmeaningsandprocessesrsquoSimilarlyanotherteacherindicatedthatshenowknowsthatlsquopartnersreallymakeadifferencetotheoutcomersquoThiswasbecausethelessonstudyprocesshadhelpedherseethatpartneringlowerachievingchildrenwitheitherhigherachievingormiddleachievingpupilscanleadtothehigherabilitychildrenchallengingpushingandstretchingthelowerachieversAsaresultshewasmuchmoreactivelylsquomixingtalkpartnerssochildrenareworkingwithdifferentpartnersrsquoItseemsclearthereforethatourapproachtolessonstudydevelopedviaaDBRapproachndashwhichactivelypromotesreflectivedialogueviaaprocessof learningconversationsndashhasbeensuccessful inhelpingpractitionersreflectnotonlyonpupillearningbutalsowhatneedstochangeintermsoftheirteachingtofacilitatethislearning
Intermsofcapacitybuildingitisclearthatparticipantssawnotonlythebenefitsofengagingin lesson study but also the challenges that needed to be overcome in order to ensure itseffectiveoperation(Table4)Havingknowledgeof the former(combinedwithexperienceofa number of cycles of lesson study)means that participants now know how best tomakelessonstudyworkforthemInotherwordsbybuildingontheDBRelementoftheprojecttheteachersinvolvedcanensurethatmovingforwardtheytailorhowtheyfocuslessonstudytoachievemaximalbenefitforthemselvesandtheirpupilsLikewiseintermsofrollingouttheirownprogrammeoflessonstudyparticipantswillalsobeawareofthechallengesthatneedtobemetiftheyaretogetmostvaluefromtheprocessTheseincludeinparticulartherequirementtobuy-infromseniorleadersandtheneedforamodelofleadershipwithintheirschoolwhichpromotes the vision for and ensures the fosteringof a cultureof professional developmentbasedoncollaborativepeer-to-peersupport(includingthepromotionofthevaluesrequiredforlearningcommunitiestooperate)Alsokeywillbetheneedforseniorleaderstoprovidethenecessaryresourceandstructures(egtimeandspace)forsustainedandmeaningfullessonstudytobecomeareality(StollandFink1996Leithwoodet al2006)
Ourrevisedapproach tomeasuring impact toohasbeeneffectiveusing teacher-definedmeasuresofimpactprovidesamoreaccuratewayofunderstandingthedifferencethatlessonstudyactivityhasmadeInotherwordsunlikewithattainmentdatandashwhereitwouldbehardtoattributechangesinpupiloutcomesspecificallytolessonstudyactivity(asopposedtootherchangesincontextorintheteachingandlearningenvironment)ndashourapproachenabledteachersto focuson threepupils andhow they responded tovery specificchanges inapproaches topedagogicpracticebasedonanunderstandingandanassessmentofthesepupilsrsquobehavioursandattitudesbothbeforeandaftertheuseofthepracticeImportantlythisimpactdataisalsolsquotriangulatedrsquosincethepractitionerwhoisteachingaswellasthoseobservingmustcometoanagreementastowhathappenedandwhyLikewisethentheoverallperceptionsofimpactscoreswerediscussedandagreeduponintriadsgivingweighttotheirvalidityGiventhisitisencouragingtonotethatmostscoresprovidedsuggest that the lessonstudyapproachdoesimpactpositivelyonpupilbehavioursandattitudestolearningAscanbeseeninTable385per
18 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
centofpupilsbenefitedfromtheirteachersengagingintheprojectwithoverathird(36percent)benefitingbyanincreaseintheirperformancescoreby50percentormore
Summary
FortheHaverstockPrimarytoSecondaryTransitionProjectweemployedaDBRapproachtothedevelopmentand implementationof lessonstudy inordertohelppractitionersexamineandbegintotacklesomeoftheissuesassociatedwithprimarytosecondarytransitionDoingsoenabledtheprojectteamandparticipantstocollaborativelydevelopatheoryofactionfortheprojectwhichenabledustoconsidernotionsoflearningandlearningconversationsaswellasameansofdeliveringlessonstudyinkeepingwiththistheoryofactionAswellasthiswewerealsoabletoestablishawayofmeasuringimpactforsituations(suchaswhenprimaryandsecondaryteachersworkonjointprojects)wherebecausethereisnoday-to-dayinteractionandcollaborationthereisnonaturallyoccurringbaselineandnocommonapproachtopedagogy
InlightoftheaboveweconcludethatusingDBRhasbeenvitalnotonlytothesuccessoftheprojectbutalsotoitslong-termsustainabilityfollowingtheprojectrsquosendHoweverweasresearchershavealsobenefitedfromengaginginDBRforinstancewehavegainedabetterunderstanding of how to engage in lesson study in a cross-phase way In addition the newapproachtomeasuringimpactthatemergedcannowbetriedandtestedinothercontextsascanourrevisedtheoryofactionforandapproachestooperationalizinglessonstudyThatisinkeepingwithAndersonandShattuck(2012)movingforwardwecantakewhatwehavelearnedandcontinuetocollaborativelyanditerativelyrefineourapproachsothatitiseffectiveineachnewcontextweintroduceittothushelpingtoservetoimprovethesystemrsquosoverallcapacityforsustainedchange
Notes on the contributors
ChrisBrown isaSeniorLectureratUCLInstituteofEducationUniversityCollegeLondon(DepartmentforLearningandLeadership) Chrishasextensiveexperienceofleadingarangeoffundedprojectsmanyofwhich seek tohelppractitioners to identify and scaleupbestpractice andwas recently awardedasignificant grant by the Education Endowment Foundation toworkwith over 100 primary schools inEnglandtoincreasetheiruseofresearch
CarolTaylor iscurrentlytheStrategicLeaderforCPDattheLondonCentreforLeadershipinLearningSheworkswithschoolsalliancesandlocalauthoritiesndashboth locallyandnationallyndash insupportingtheprofessionaldevelopmentoftheschoolworkforceCarolrecentlyco-ledtheNationalCollegeTeachingSchools Research and Development project involving over 60 schools across England She is activelyinvolvedinsupportingschoolsacrossLondontoembedpractitionerresearchandenquiryintopractice
LornaPonambalum isascienceteacherandAssistantHeadteacheratHaverstockSchoolCamdenLondonwheresheisalsoDesignatedSafeguardingOfficerLornahasbeeninvolvedinanumberoflessonstudyprojectsincludingtheprojectcoveredinthispaperwhichexaminedapproachestoimproveprimarytosecondarytransition
London Review of Education 19
Appendix Pupiloutcomesatstartandendofprojectwithevidencefromthetriadastowhytheseassessmentsweremade
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
4 Myanalysisoftheirworkbookandmyknowledgeoftheirin-classcontributions
6 Someimprovementswhenthechildismotivated
4 Under-confidentStruggleswhenworkingwithapartner
7 Moreconfidenceofownabilityandrecognizessupportfrompartner
4 AloofIssuesathome 4 Stillstrugglestopayattentionwhenworkinginpairs
5 Struggleswithusingsomeofthekeywords
7 Usesmorekeywordsinherwrittenwork(almostall)Expressingideasinabetterway
4 Struggleswiththekeywords 6 Bettersentencestructureandbetterlinkingofideas
3 Lacksconfidenceinspeakingandwriting
6 MoreconfidenceinverballyansweringquestionsputshandupmoreoftenWritingcanstillbeaproblem
3 NeverraiseshandsRefusedtospeakinpublicNosentencestructure
6 Leftbeforeendofprojectbutwasdemonstratingimprovedvocabularyconfidenceandwrittenwork
4 Notengagedvocabularyandliteraryworkpoor
9 REALLYengagedandimprovementinvocabularyandliterarysentencesimproved
5 Doesnrsquotusevocabularyaccuratelyandnotableintermsofwrittenwork
9 Vocabularyuseismoreaccurateandismuchmoreableintermsofwrittenwork
4 bull Didnotlistenoncarpetortoteachertalk
bull Firstcycleshowssignsofdisengagementinfeedback
bull Writingdifficulttounderstand
7 bull Morefocusedonthetaskonthecarpet
bull Betterqualityofwritingbetterfeedbackascycleprogressed
6 bull Toochattybull Distractedtalkpartnerbull Forgottocheckthroughand
punctuatebull Couldnotpeerassesswell
8 bull Betterlearningbehaviourbull Moreownershipofown
learningandcanselfandpeerassess
6 bull Pronetodistractionbull Unabletofollowaseriesof
instructions
7 bull Handuptoofferideasmorebull Slowlyandcarefullygetson
withataskbull Knowshowtopeerassess
20 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
3 Textsnotproducedwelldistractedanddistractingothers
6 Useofmetalanguagetextsproducedusingappropriategrammar
4 Paucityofideasworknotalwaysmakingsense
7 Takingcontrolofownlearningorganizingideasaboutgrammareffectivelymoreconfidenttostartwritingandproducingcompletetexts
5 Generallackofconfidencedespitebeingahighachiever
7 Textsproducedfullofideasinterviewswithobserversshowconfidencemoreconfidenceinhisideasprovidedheispartneredwithsomeonewhohefindssupportive
5 LackofinvolvementinlessonsPoorwritingandconfusedbymosttasks
7 HavingestablishedthatheappreciatesbeingprobedchallengedbyteachersIdedicatemoretimetoenablinghimtoprocessinformationthroughquestioningHenowoftenstartstasksquickerandtakesmorerisksHeisstillshyanddoesnrsquotusuallyvolunteer
3 Withdrawnndashnevercontributingandoptingoutoftasks
6 TriestasksndashnotalwayswithoutpromptingBeginningtotakerisksandoccasionallyvolunteersideas
7 VerylowconfidenceConsistentlypoorliteracyReluctancetocontributeWrittenworkwaspoorbutreflectedeffortofstudent
9 TriesreallyhardtocompleteworktothebestofherabilityStillrarelycontributesherideas
3 CompletelydisengagedseesnovalueinschoolNotansweringquestionsandtalkingaboutanythingelse
8 Nowfocusesonthefrontputshanduptalksaboutthetopicmostofthetime
6 Easilydistractedwillputhandupbutoftendoesnrsquothaveananswerwhenasked
8 Morefocusedwillstilloftennotlistenoninputbutisabletoasksomeoneelseratherthananadultorjustsittingthere
1 bull Getsoutofseatbull Shoutsoutbull Disturbsothers
na Pupilleftschool
9 Priorattainmentandclassroomobservations
9 Nodifferenceinliteracyattainmentwasconsistent
London Review of Education 21
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
3 Priorattainmentandclassroomobservations
4 Improvedconfidenceincomprehensionandwriting
3 Priorattainmentandclassroomobservations
4 Norealdifferencepossiblyslightlybetteratverbalizing
3 Effortscorelsquo3rsquoinfirstreportLeaningbackonchairnotfocuseddistracted
6 Morefocusmorelikelytoaskforhelpratherthanmisbehave
3 Effortscorelsquo3rsquoinfirstreportDistractingothers
3 NowrarelyinclassndashexclusionabsenceOnoccasionshowsexcellentprogressandcanworkindependently
4 Disengagedonwhole(althoughbaselineobservationswerecarriedoutonalsquogoodrsquoday)Rudenessnottrying
8 ReadingchallengingtextsandlookingupdifficultvocabularyindictionaryFewerdayswhenrefusestowork
3 Severallearningneedsandhashadtroublewithwriting
4 Increasedconfidenceinspellingandwriting(andenthusiasm)ndashespeciallycreativelyContinuestostrugglewithcomprehensionHasmadeprogressaccordingtoassessedwork
5 Asabovealthoughadisparitybetweenqualityandquantityofspokenandwrittenwork
na Haslefttheschool
3 MorewillingtowritethantalkatlengthWritingpoorqualityPoorattentionandbehaviouralissuesasbarrierstolearning
5 HasimprovedappreciablyintermsofspokencontributionstowrittenworkStillpresentsbehaviouralproblemsasmainbarriertoprogressHasmadetwosub-levelsofprogressthisyear(basedonanalysisofclasswork)
6 Readingfictionpooruseofsciencevocab
6 Nothingverydifferent
5 Noattempttousesciencevocab 7 Tryingtousesciencevocab
3 Verypoorengagementwithlargerwrittentasks
7 Betterengagementwithtaskandproductionofhigherlevelworkwithbettervocab
4 Unwillingtodiscusswithinterviewee
5 Writesmoretriestowriteindetailthoughremainsunwillingtoshareideaswritteninclassndashdependentonwork-partner
22 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
4 Willanswerquestionsifverysureofanswer
6 Stillunwillingtoshareideasinclassbutwilluseconnectvocabularyifithasbeenembeddedstronglywithinlesson
4 Notinitiallywillingtoshareknowledgethoughdidcometothefrontofclassandshareideas
6 AbletodiscusswithintervieweeindetailinformationaboutexperimentStillsomewhatunwillingtoshare
5 Hesitanttoshareideasoranswerquestionsunlessspecificallyasked
7 Taskdependent
6 Alwayswillingtoshareideasalthoughnotnecessarilyaccurateformalscientificlanguage
8 Attemptstochoosehiswordswhenansweringquestionswhichisgreateffortfromthisstudent
2 Performancedependingonwhoshepartneredwith
3 Moreefforttotalkingroupshoweverthisisonlyasmallstepstillveryhesitantandseeksreassurancefromothers
3 Quietlyengagedndashlistensbutrarelysharesideas
6 MakingalargerefforttotalkwithinagroupStillhesitanttoshareinfrontofclassunlesssheknowsitrsquosright
6 Veryengagedandwillgenerallytalkandshareideasalthoughnotalwaysusingaccuratelanguage
8 Activelysharingandtalkingideasndashbacksupherstatementsusingreasonscanrejectothersrsquoopinionsandjustifywhy
6 AppearsdisengagedhoweverwithprobingdoesknowtheanswersNotalwaystalkingaboutthesubjectndashdependsonpersonwhoheispartneredwith
9 LovessharingideasconstantlyputtinghandupTriestousescientificlanguagendashnotasengagedinwrittentasks
References
AndersonTandShattuckJ(2012)lsquoDesign-basedresearchAdecadeofprogressineducationresearchrsquoEducational Researcher41(1)16ndash25
ArgyrisCandSchoumlnD(1996)Organizational Learning II Theory method and practice ReadingMAAddison-WesleyPublishingCompany
BrownC andRogers S (2015)lsquoKnowledge creation as an approach to facilitating evidence-informedpracticeExaminingwaystomeasurethesuccessofusingthismethodwithearlyyearspractitionersinCamden(London)rsquoJournal of Educational Change16(1)79ndash99
BrykAGomezL andGrunowA (2011)lsquoGetting ideas intoactionBuildingnetworked improvementcommunitiesineducationrsquoInHallinanM(ed)Frontiers in Sociology of Education Frontiers in Sociology and Social ResearchDordrechtNetherlandsSpringer127ndash62
London Review of Education 23
CamdenCouncil(2016)lsquoCamdenpartnershipforeducationalexcellencersquoOnlinewwwcamdengovukccmcontenteducationschoolscamden-partnership-for-educational-excellenceen(accessed1April2016)
Camden Education Commission (2011) Camden Education Commission Final report London CamdenChildrenrsquosTrustPartnershipBoardandLondonBoroughofCamden
CheungWMandWongWY(2014)lsquoDoeslessonstudyworkAsystematicreviewontheeffectsoflessonstudyandlearningstudyonteachersandstudentsrsquo International Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies3(2)137ndash49
CoburnCPenuelWandGeilK(2013)Research-Practice Partnerships A strategy for leveraging research for educational improvement in school districtsNewYorkWilliamTGrantFoundation
Cohen-Vogel LTichnor-WagnerAAllenD Harrison C Kainz K SocolAR andWangQ (2015)lsquoImplementingeducationalinnovationsatscaleTransformingresearchersintocontinuousimprovementscientistsrsquoEducational Policy29(1)257ndash77
Department for Children Schools and Families (DCSF) (2008) The National Strategies Strengthening transfers and transitions Partnerships for progressOnlinehttpderaioeacuk74641str_tt_prtnshp_prgrss08308pdf(requiressubscriptionaccessed5September2013)
DepartmentforEducation(2011)How do Pupils Progress During Key Stages 2 and 3ResearchreportDFE-RR096 Online wwwgovukgovernmentuploadssystemuploadsattachment_datafile182413DFE-RR096pdf(accessed1April2013)
Dudley P (2011) lsquoLesson study development in England From school networks to national policyrsquoInternational Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies1(1)85ndash100
ndashndash (2014) Lesson Study A handbook Online httplessonstudycoukwp-contentuploads201401new-handbook-early-years-edition2014-versionpdf(accessed21July2014)
EarleyPandPorrittV(2013)lsquoEvaluatingtheimpactofprofessionaldevelopmentTheneedforastudent-focusedapproachrsquoProfessional Development in Education40(1)112ndash29doi101080194152572013798741
EvangelouMTaggartBSylvaKMelhuishESammonsPandSiraj-BlatchfordI(2008)What Makes a Successful Transition from Primary to Secondary School NottinghamDCSF
FieldingMBraggSCraigJCunninghamIErautMGillinsonSHorneMRobinsonCandThorpJ(2005)lsquoFactorsinfluencingthetransferofgoodpracticersquoOnlinehttpderaioeacuk210011RR615pdf(accessed21July2014)
GaltonMGrayJandRudduckJ(1999)The Impact of School Transitions and Transfers on Pupil Progress and Attainment NottinghamDepartmentforEducationandEmployment
GeroG(2015)lsquoTheprospectsoflessonstudyintheUSTeachersupportandcomfortwithinadistrictcultureofcontrolrsquoInternational Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies4(1)7ndash25
GutierrezKandPenuelW(2014)lsquoRelevancetopracticeasacriterionforrigorrsquoEducational Researcher43(1)19ndash23
LeithwoodKDayCSammonsPHarrisAandHopkinsD(2006) Successful School Leadership What it is and how it influences student learning Researchreport800 LondonDepartmentforEducationandSkills
LewisC(2000)lsquoLessonstudyThecoreof JapaneseprofessionaldevelopmentrsquoPaperpresentedatTheAnnualMeetingoftheAmericanEducationalResearchAssociationNewOrleansLA24ndash8April2000
LincolnYandGubaE(1985)Naturalistic InquiryNewburyParkCASagePublicationsLondonBoroughofCamden(2012)Camden Education Commission Final reportOnlinehttpdemocracy
camdengovukdocumentss16322Camden20Education20Commission20Final20Reportpdf(accessed1April2013)
McGeeCWardRGibbons J andHarlowA (2004)Transition to Secondary School A literature reviewHamiltonNewZealandTheUniversityofWaikato
PenuelW FishmanBHauganC and SabelliN (2011)lsquoOrganizing research anddevelopment at theintersectionoflearningimplementationanddesignrsquoEducational Researcher40(7)331ndash7
PenuelWSunMFrankKandGallagherA(2012)UsingsocialnetworkanalysistostudyhowinteractionscanaugmentteacherlearningfromexternalprofessionaldevelopmentrsquoAmerican Journal of Education119(1)103ndash36
Shepherd J andRokerD (2005)lsquoAn evaluation of aldquotransition to secondary schoolrdquo project run bytheNationalPyramidTrustrsquoOnline wwwyoungpeopleinfocusorguk_assetsphpreportphpfile=37(accessed4September2013)
StollL(2012) lsquoStimulatinglearningconversationsrsquoProfessional Development Today14(4)6ndash12
24 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
StollLandBrownC(2015)lsquoMiddleleadersascatalystsforevidence-informedchangersquoInBrownC(ed)Leading the Use of Research and Evidence in SchoolsLondonIOEPress
StollLandFinkD(1996)Changing Our SchoolsBuckinghamOpenUniversityPressTree J(2011)lsquoWhathelpsstudentswithchallengingbehaviourmakeasuccessfultransfertosecondary
schoolrsquoDEdPsydissUniversityCollegeLondonInstituteofEducationTschannen-MoranM(2004)Trust Matters Leadership for successful schoolsSanFranciscoCAJossey-BassVanderlinde R and van Braak J (2010)lsquoThe gap between educational research and practiceViews of
teachers school leaders intermediariesandresearchersrsquoBritish Educational Research Journal36 (2)299ndash316
Related articles published in the London Review of Education
In this issue
ThispaperwaspublishedinaspecialfeatureoneducationinLondoneditedbyTamjidMujtabaTheotherarticlesinthefeatureareasfollows(linksunavailableattimeofpublication)
Cajic-SeigneurMandHodgsonA(2016)lsquoAlternativeeducationalprovision inanareaofdeprivation inLondonrsquoLondon Review of Education14(2)25ndash37
JerrimJandWynessG(2106)lsquoBenchmarkingLondoninthePISArankingsrsquoLondon Review of Education14(2)38ndash65
MujtabaT(2016)EditoriallsquoEducationinLondonChallengesandopportunitiesforyoungpeoplersquoLondon Review of Education14(2)1ndash3
MujtabaT and Reiss M (2016)lsquoGirls in the UK have similar reasons to boys for intending to studymathematics post-16 thanks to the support and encouragement they receiversquo London Review of Education14(2)66ndash82
StandishAHawleyT andWillyT (2016)lsquoThe LondonGeographyAlliance Re-connecting the schoolsubjectwiththeuniversitydisciplinersquoLondon Review of Education14(2)83ndash103
WrightP(2016)lsquoSocialjusticeinthemathematicsclassroomrsquoLondon Review of Education14(2)104ndash18
By the same authors
BrownC(2013)lsquoCritiqueandcomplexityPresentingamoreeffectivewaytoconceptualisetheknowledgeadoptionprocessrsquoLondon Review of Education11(1)32ndash45
BrownCandRogersS(2014)lsquoMeasuringtheeffectivenessofknowledgecreationasameansoffacilitatingevicence-informedpracticeinearlyyearssettingsinoneLondonboroughrsquoLondon Review of Education12(3)245ndash60
Elsewhere in the journal
LevinB(2011)lsquoMobilisingresearchknowledgeineducationrsquoLondon Review of Education9(1)15ndash26OakleyA(2003)lsquoResearchevidenceknowledgemanagementandeducationalpracticeEarlylessonsfrom
asystematicapproachrsquoLondon Review of Education1(1)21ndash33WatkinsC(2005)lsquoClassroomsaslearningcommunitiesAreviewofresearchrsquoLondon Review of Education
3(1)47ndash64
London Review of Education 13
bull What have you learned about lesson study and how to use it to develop teachingpractice
Impact on teacher practice
Webeganthefinalworkshopbyfirstaskingparticipantstoengageinalearningconversationcentred on how their practice had changed as a result of their participation in the projectAll teachers participated in the exercise andused the pro formaoutlined above to indicatewhethertherehadbeenanychangeintheirpracticeWhenanalysingtheresults itwasclearthatresponsesdividednaturallyinto(1)changesinknowledgeunderstandingintermsofhowfocuspupilslearn(2)changesinpracticeand(3)whychangesinpracticearemakingadifferenceExamplesoftheverbatimresponsesaresetoutinTable2whichencapsulatesthemainthemesthatemergedAcommonfocusacrossallgroupswashowtheymightemploylsquotalkforwritingrsquondashaprocesswherechildrenorallyengagewiththelanguagetheyneedforaparticulartopicbeforereadingandanalysingitthenwritingtheirownversionPotentiallythecommonalityofthisfocusderivedfromlsquotalkforwritingrsquobeingahottopicwithinCamdenduringthetimeoftheprojectAsaresultthiscouldbeareasonwhythemajorityofteacherparticipantshadbroadlyfocusedontalkandthebalancewithintheirlessonsbetweentalkingandwritingaswellasontheuseofpairingandgroupinginordertofacilitatethis
Table 2 ExampleresponsestothequestionlsquoHowhasyourpracticechangedasaresultofthisprojectrsquo
Question Responses
Changesinknowledgeunderstandingintermsofhowfocuspupilslearn
bull lsquoHowdifficultitistounderstandscientifictermsandconceptswithoutcontextrsquo
bull lsquoThebenefitsofusingascriptforpeerfeedbackrsquobull lsquoPupilsneedstructuredtalkwithwell-chosenpartnersrsquobull lsquoPupilfindkeywordsdifficulttouseinapieceofwritingeven
iftheyunderstandthemeaningofthewordsitisdifficulttolinkmorescientificwordstogetherrsquo
bull lsquoGroupingcanmakeabigdifferencetolearningrsquosimilarlylsquoPartnersreallymakeadifferencetotheoutcomersquo
Changesinpractice bull Rehearsalofkeynewscientificvocabularybull Useofspeakingandwritingframesbull Makinglessonsmoreoralandgivingmoreoralscaffoldsbull lsquo[Providing]moretimetotalkandthinkaboutwhatthey
wanttowritersquobull lsquoMixingtalkpartnerssochildrenareworkingwithdifferent
partnersrsquo
Whychangesinpracticearemakingadifference
bull Pupilslikespeakingframesaslsquoitgivesthemastartingpointtostructuretheirspeechrsquo
bull lsquoMakingspeechahighpriorityresultsinmuchbetteroutcomesrsquo
bull lsquoSpendingmoretimelearningnewvocabulary[meansthatpupilsarebetterat]unpickingmeaningsandprocessesrsquo
bull Partneringlowerachievingchildreneitherwithhigherachievingormiddleachievingpupilsreallymakesadifferenceasthehigherabilitychildrenchallengepushandstretchthelowerachievers
14 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
Pupil impact
WehavedescribedabovethatinkeepingwiththeDBRunderpinningsoftheprojectparticipantswere able to determinewhat changes theywanted to see in their pupils as a result of theprojectandhowthesemightbemeasuredAssuchavarietyofmetricswereusedtoascertainimpactrangingfromteacherobservationsandmarkingtotheirexpertiseandknowledgeofthechildBecauseparticipantspredominantlychosenottouselsquohardrsquoattainmentdatainordertoexamineimpactacrossallparticipantswehadtofindacommonwayofderivingandpresentingwhatimpactifanyresultedfromtheprojectTodothisweaskedparticipantsworkingintheirtriadstoscoreeachoftheirthreefocuschildren(inrelationtothefocusoraimsoftheirtriadandinrelationtothedatatheyweremeasuring)bothintermsoftheirlsquoperformancersquoatthebeginningoftheprojectandattheendScoresbothatthebeginningandendwereoutoftenandparticipantstriadshadtoprovidesupportingevidenceforselectingtheirscoresAsaresultthisprovidedresearcherswithperceptionsofpupilimpactandreasonsfortheseperceptionsbecauseallpupilimpactperceptionswerescoredinthesamewayhoweverwewerealsoabletonormalizethesescoresbylookingatthepercentagedifferencesinthelsquobeforersquoandlsquoafterrsquoscoresThescoresandrangesofthesedifferencesaresetoutinFigure1whereasTable3providesadistributionofthepercentagescoresAfulltableofresponsesshowingbeforeandafterscoresandreasonsevidencefortheseisprovidedintheAppendix
Figure 1 Pupilsbeforeandafterscoresandpercentagechange
London Review of Education 15
Table 3 Distributionofpercentagechangeinpupilsbeforeandafterscores
Question Number Percentage
Greaterthan100change 3 7
91ndash100change 7 17
81ndash90change 0 0
71ndash80change 4 10
61ndash70change 1 2
51ndash60change 0 0
41ndash50change 6 14
31ndash40change 12 29
21ndash30change 2 5
11ndash20change 1 2
1ndash10change 0 0
Nochange 4 10
Pupilsdroppedout 2 5
Total 42 100
TheblockedareainFigure1representsthestudentperformancescoresatthebeginningoftheprojectwhilethecontinuouslinerepresentstheirscoresatprojectendThedotsmeanwhilerepresentthepercentagedifference(iethechangeinpupilperformancesincethestartoftheproject)Ascanbeseenofthe42focusgrouppupilsforwhomteachersprovideddatateachersreported a change in the behavioursattitudesoutcomes of all but six For some pupils thischangewassubstantiveAssetoutinTable3whichprovidesthedistributionofthesepercentagechangesteacherssuggestthatfortenpupilstheirperformancehadeffectivelydoubledormore(ietherewasa100percent(orgreater)changeintheirscore)Thebiggestsingleimprovementhowevertendedtobebetween30and40percent Inthemainthiswascausedbylsquoaveragersquopupils(scoring5ndash6)nowscoringtwopointshigher(7ndash8)orbyinitiallylowperformingpupilsndashwhooriginallyscored3ndashincreasingtheirperformancescoreto4
Naturallyintheabsenceofhardandobjectiveattainmentdataweneedtobecircumspectin the levelofsignificanceaffordedtowhataresubjectivelydeterminedresultsNonethelesssupportingevidencewasprovidedandthefiguresweretriangulatedwithothermembersofthetriad(whowerethemselvesengagedinprolongedobservationofthesepupils)Inadditionnotallpupilswerereportedashavingbenefitedfromtheproject fourpupils(10percent)werereportedasnotbenefitingatallwhileafurthertwodroppedoutoftheschooltheywereinConsideringLincolnandGubarsquos(1985)criteriaforestablishingthetrustworthinessofsubjectivedatathereforealthoughtheexactchangeinpupilsrsquoperformancescanbedebatedtheresearchteamhaveconfidencethatsomepositiveimpactonpupilshastakenplacendashandthatthisimpactcanbeattributabletotheprojectItshouldalsobenotedthatthisdatarelatestothethreepupils(perclass)representingwidergroupsofinterestsuchasvulnerablechildren(Dudley2011)Intheorythentheimpactoftheprojectshouldstretchbeyondthe42childrenanalysedherebutwedonothavedatatosubstantiatesuchaclaim
16 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
Learning about lesson study
FinallyweaskedparticipantstoanswerthefollowingquestionlsquoWhathaveyoulearnedaboutlessonstudyandhowtouseittodevelopteachingpracticersquoResponsesheredividednaturallyintothebenefitsandchallengesofusinglessonstudyandaresetoutinTable4
Table 4 Benefitsandchallengestousinglesson study (responsetoquestionlsquoWhathaveyoulearnedaboutlesson studyandhowtouseittodevelopteachingpracticersquo)
Question Responses
lsquoWhathaveyoulearnedaboutlessonstudyandhowtouseittodevelopteachingpracticersquo(Benefits)
bull lsquoObservingcolleaguesteachandpickingupideasstrategiessharingpracticeetcinrelationtoprimarytosecondarytransitionsrsquo
bull lsquoSharinggoodpractice[andfacilitateideasgeneration]rsquobull lsquoObservingin[other]schoolsandseeingthedifferencebetween
teachinginprimaryandsecondaryschoolsrsquobull lsquoChancetoseeotherCamdenclassesofthesameagersquobull lsquoIgetabetterunderstandingofhowImightstretchmoreable
year7studentsrsquobull lsquoExposuretootherteachersrsquostylesandpracticesrsquobull lsquoSupportivefeedbackandobservationsfromcolleaguesrsquobull Perspectiveseglsquothatyouwouldnotbeabletopickupabout
yourchildrenrsquoslearningfromthefrontoftheclassrsquoandlsquoafocusonchildrenwhomightslipunderteachersrsquoradarrsquosimilarlylsquohavingothersbeingabletowatchthechildrenhellip[and]noticingsomething[youhadnrsquot]rsquo
bull lsquoBecauseitrsquosplannedcollaborativelyyougettoseeyourworkinactionrsquo
lsquoWhathaveyoulearnedaboutlessonstudyandhowtouseittodevelopteachingpracticersquo(Challenges)
bull TimeeglsquoLotsoftimeoutofschoolrsquobull TimetablinglsquoFindingdatesthataremutuallyconvenientforthe
triorsquobull lsquoIncreasedworkloadinrelationtoplanningpreparingand
hostingthesessionrsquobull lsquoImmediateprogressnot[always]visiblersquobull lsquoNeedsbuy-infromSLTtohavemaximumimpactrsquosimilarly
lsquoLessonstudyislessimportantinsomeschoolsrsquobull lsquo[Thistypeofprocesscannotbeanadd-on]ifitcouldreplace
[currentprogrammeofobservations]wouldbegreatrsquobull lsquoThereisalreadytoomuchtotryandgetthroughinprimaryrsquo
InconsideringthechallengesitcanbeseethatinkeepingwithGero(2015)forlessonstudytobecarriedoutsuccessfullyrequiresthebuy-inandcommitmentofseniorleadersInparticularlessonstudyndashasa formofschool improvementndashneedstobeprioritizedbyschool leadersover other school improvement initiativeswith time and space given to enable teachers tomeaningfullyengageinlessonstudyactivityAswellasthecommentsinTable4thismessageisalsoreinforcedbythefactthatthreeschools(sixteachers)droppedoutafterthefirstlessonstudy citing competing pressures and priorities as well as involvement in too many schoolimprovementinitiativesInpartthisisbecausethebenefitsofengaginginthisapproachwerenotimmediatelyapparent
London Review of Education 17
Significance
From analysing the results it is clear that our approach has been effective in both changingteacherunderstandingandteachingpracticeandbuildingteachercapacitysothatparticipantsareabletoruntheirownprojectsmovingforwardStartingwiththefirstascanbeseeninTable2teacherswereabletoarticulatealogicalchainndashstartingwithwhattheywerelearningabouttheirpupilsthechangestheyweremakinginresponseandendingwithargumentsformakingthesechangesForexampleoneparticipantnotedlsquohowdifficultitis[forpupils]tounderstandscientifictermsandconceptswithoutcontextrsquoasaconsequencetheywerenowrehearsingnewscientificvocabularybecauselsquospendingmoretimelearningnewvocabulary[meansthatpupilsarebetterat]unpickingmeaningsandprocessesrsquoSimilarlyanotherteacherindicatedthatshenowknowsthatlsquopartnersreallymakeadifferencetotheoutcomersquoThiswasbecausethelessonstudyprocesshadhelpedherseethatpartneringlowerachievingchildrenwitheitherhigherachievingormiddleachievingpupilscanleadtothehigherabilitychildrenchallengingpushingandstretchingthelowerachieversAsaresultshewasmuchmoreactivelylsquomixingtalkpartnerssochildrenareworkingwithdifferentpartnersrsquoItseemsclearthereforethatourapproachtolessonstudydevelopedviaaDBRapproachndashwhichactivelypromotesreflectivedialogueviaaprocessof learningconversationsndashhasbeensuccessful inhelpingpractitionersreflectnotonlyonpupillearningbutalsowhatneedstochangeintermsoftheirteachingtofacilitatethislearning
Intermsofcapacitybuildingitisclearthatparticipantssawnotonlythebenefitsofengagingin lesson study but also the challenges that needed to be overcome in order to ensure itseffectiveoperation(Table4)Havingknowledgeof the former(combinedwithexperienceofa number of cycles of lesson study)means that participants now know how best tomakelessonstudyworkforthemInotherwordsbybuildingontheDBRelementoftheprojecttheteachersinvolvedcanensurethatmovingforwardtheytailorhowtheyfocuslessonstudytoachievemaximalbenefitforthemselvesandtheirpupilsLikewiseintermsofrollingouttheirownprogrammeoflessonstudyparticipantswillalsobeawareofthechallengesthatneedtobemetiftheyaretogetmostvaluefromtheprocessTheseincludeinparticulartherequirementtobuy-infromseniorleadersandtheneedforamodelofleadershipwithintheirschoolwhichpromotes the vision for and ensures the fosteringof a cultureof professional developmentbasedoncollaborativepeer-to-peersupport(includingthepromotionofthevaluesrequiredforlearningcommunitiestooperate)Alsokeywillbetheneedforseniorleaderstoprovidethenecessaryresourceandstructures(egtimeandspace)forsustainedandmeaningfullessonstudytobecomeareality(StollandFink1996Leithwoodet al2006)
Ourrevisedapproach tomeasuring impact toohasbeeneffectiveusing teacher-definedmeasuresofimpactprovidesamoreaccuratewayofunderstandingthedifferencethatlessonstudyactivityhasmadeInotherwordsunlikewithattainmentdatandashwhereitwouldbehardtoattributechangesinpupiloutcomesspecificallytolessonstudyactivity(asopposedtootherchangesincontextorintheteachingandlearningenvironment)ndashourapproachenabledteachersto focuson threepupils andhow they responded tovery specificchanges inapproaches topedagogicpracticebasedonanunderstandingandanassessmentofthesepupilsrsquobehavioursandattitudesbothbeforeandaftertheuseofthepracticeImportantlythisimpactdataisalsolsquotriangulatedrsquosincethepractitionerwhoisteachingaswellasthoseobservingmustcometoanagreementastowhathappenedandwhyLikewisethentheoverallperceptionsofimpactscoreswerediscussedandagreeduponintriadsgivingweighttotheirvalidityGiventhisitisencouragingtonotethatmostscoresprovidedsuggest that the lessonstudyapproachdoesimpactpositivelyonpupilbehavioursandattitudestolearningAscanbeseeninTable385per
18 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
centofpupilsbenefitedfromtheirteachersengagingintheprojectwithoverathird(36percent)benefitingbyanincreaseintheirperformancescoreby50percentormore
Summary
FortheHaverstockPrimarytoSecondaryTransitionProjectweemployedaDBRapproachtothedevelopmentand implementationof lessonstudy inordertohelppractitionersexamineandbegintotacklesomeoftheissuesassociatedwithprimarytosecondarytransitionDoingsoenabledtheprojectteamandparticipantstocollaborativelydevelopatheoryofactionfortheprojectwhichenabledustoconsidernotionsoflearningandlearningconversationsaswellasameansofdeliveringlessonstudyinkeepingwiththistheoryofactionAswellasthiswewerealsoabletoestablishawayofmeasuringimpactforsituations(suchaswhenprimaryandsecondaryteachersworkonjointprojects)wherebecausethereisnoday-to-dayinteractionandcollaborationthereisnonaturallyoccurringbaselineandnocommonapproachtopedagogy
InlightoftheaboveweconcludethatusingDBRhasbeenvitalnotonlytothesuccessoftheprojectbutalsotoitslong-termsustainabilityfollowingtheprojectrsquosendHoweverweasresearchershavealsobenefitedfromengaginginDBRforinstancewehavegainedabetterunderstanding of how to engage in lesson study in a cross-phase way In addition the newapproachtomeasuringimpactthatemergedcannowbetriedandtestedinothercontextsascanourrevisedtheoryofactionforandapproachestooperationalizinglessonstudyThatisinkeepingwithAndersonandShattuck(2012)movingforwardwecantakewhatwehavelearnedandcontinuetocollaborativelyanditerativelyrefineourapproachsothatitiseffectiveineachnewcontextweintroduceittothushelpingtoservetoimprovethesystemrsquosoverallcapacityforsustainedchange
Notes on the contributors
ChrisBrown isaSeniorLectureratUCLInstituteofEducationUniversityCollegeLondon(DepartmentforLearningandLeadership) Chrishasextensiveexperienceofleadingarangeoffundedprojectsmanyofwhich seek tohelppractitioners to identify and scaleupbestpractice andwas recently awardedasignificant grant by the Education Endowment Foundation toworkwith over 100 primary schools inEnglandtoincreasetheiruseofresearch
CarolTaylor iscurrentlytheStrategicLeaderforCPDattheLondonCentreforLeadershipinLearningSheworkswithschoolsalliancesandlocalauthoritiesndashboth locallyandnationallyndash insupportingtheprofessionaldevelopmentoftheschoolworkforceCarolrecentlyco-ledtheNationalCollegeTeachingSchools Research and Development project involving over 60 schools across England She is activelyinvolvedinsupportingschoolsacrossLondontoembedpractitionerresearchandenquiryintopractice
LornaPonambalum isascienceteacherandAssistantHeadteacheratHaverstockSchoolCamdenLondonwheresheisalsoDesignatedSafeguardingOfficerLornahasbeeninvolvedinanumberoflessonstudyprojectsincludingtheprojectcoveredinthispaperwhichexaminedapproachestoimproveprimarytosecondarytransition
London Review of Education 19
Appendix Pupiloutcomesatstartandendofprojectwithevidencefromthetriadastowhytheseassessmentsweremade
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
4 Myanalysisoftheirworkbookandmyknowledgeoftheirin-classcontributions
6 Someimprovementswhenthechildismotivated
4 Under-confidentStruggleswhenworkingwithapartner
7 Moreconfidenceofownabilityandrecognizessupportfrompartner
4 AloofIssuesathome 4 Stillstrugglestopayattentionwhenworkinginpairs
5 Struggleswithusingsomeofthekeywords
7 Usesmorekeywordsinherwrittenwork(almostall)Expressingideasinabetterway
4 Struggleswiththekeywords 6 Bettersentencestructureandbetterlinkingofideas
3 Lacksconfidenceinspeakingandwriting
6 MoreconfidenceinverballyansweringquestionsputshandupmoreoftenWritingcanstillbeaproblem
3 NeverraiseshandsRefusedtospeakinpublicNosentencestructure
6 Leftbeforeendofprojectbutwasdemonstratingimprovedvocabularyconfidenceandwrittenwork
4 Notengagedvocabularyandliteraryworkpoor
9 REALLYengagedandimprovementinvocabularyandliterarysentencesimproved
5 Doesnrsquotusevocabularyaccuratelyandnotableintermsofwrittenwork
9 Vocabularyuseismoreaccurateandismuchmoreableintermsofwrittenwork
4 bull Didnotlistenoncarpetortoteachertalk
bull Firstcycleshowssignsofdisengagementinfeedback
bull Writingdifficulttounderstand
7 bull Morefocusedonthetaskonthecarpet
bull Betterqualityofwritingbetterfeedbackascycleprogressed
6 bull Toochattybull Distractedtalkpartnerbull Forgottocheckthroughand
punctuatebull Couldnotpeerassesswell
8 bull Betterlearningbehaviourbull Moreownershipofown
learningandcanselfandpeerassess
6 bull Pronetodistractionbull Unabletofollowaseriesof
instructions
7 bull Handuptoofferideasmorebull Slowlyandcarefullygetson
withataskbull Knowshowtopeerassess
20 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
3 Textsnotproducedwelldistractedanddistractingothers
6 Useofmetalanguagetextsproducedusingappropriategrammar
4 Paucityofideasworknotalwaysmakingsense
7 Takingcontrolofownlearningorganizingideasaboutgrammareffectivelymoreconfidenttostartwritingandproducingcompletetexts
5 Generallackofconfidencedespitebeingahighachiever
7 Textsproducedfullofideasinterviewswithobserversshowconfidencemoreconfidenceinhisideasprovidedheispartneredwithsomeonewhohefindssupportive
5 LackofinvolvementinlessonsPoorwritingandconfusedbymosttasks
7 HavingestablishedthatheappreciatesbeingprobedchallengedbyteachersIdedicatemoretimetoenablinghimtoprocessinformationthroughquestioningHenowoftenstartstasksquickerandtakesmorerisksHeisstillshyanddoesnrsquotusuallyvolunteer
3 Withdrawnndashnevercontributingandoptingoutoftasks
6 TriestasksndashnotalwayswithoutpromptingBeginningtotakerisksandoccasionallyvolunteersideas
7 VerylowconfidenceConsistentlypoorliteracyReluctancetocontributeWrittenworkwaspoorbutreflectedeffortofstudent
9 TriesreallyhardtocompleteworktothebestofherabilityStillrarelycontributesherideas
3 CompletelydisengagedseesnovalueinschoolNotansweringquestionsandtalkingaboutanythingelse
8 Nowfocusesonthefrontputshanduptalksaboutthetopicmostofthetime
6 Easilydistractedwillputhandupbutoftendoesnrsquothaveananswerwhenasked
8 Morefocusedwillstilloftennotlistenoninputbutisabletoasksomeoneelseratherthananadultorjustsittingthere
1 bull Getsoutofseatbull Shoutsoutbull Disturbsothers
na Pupilleftschool
9 Priorattainmentandclassroomobservations
9 Nodifferenceinliteracyattainmentwasconsistent
London Review of Education 21
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
3 Priorattainmentandclassroomobservations
4 Improvedconfidenceincomprehensionandwriting
3 Priorattainmentandclassroomobservations
4 Norealdifferencepossiblyslightlybetteratverbalizing
3 Effortscorelsquo3rsquoinfirstreportLeaningbackonchairnotfocuseddistracted
6 Morefocusmorelikelytoaskforhelpratherthanmisbehave
3 Effortscorelsquo3rsquoinfirstreportDistractingothers
3 NowrarelyinclassndashexclusionabsenceOnoccasionshowsexcellentprogressandcanworkindependently
4 Disengagedonwhole(althoughbaselineobservationswerecarriedoutonalsquogoodrsquoday)Rudenessnottrying
8 ReadingchallengingtextsandlookingupdifficultvocabularyindictionaryFewerdayswhenrefusestowork
3 Severallearningneedsandhashadtroublewithwriting
4 Increasedconfidenceinspellingandwriting(andenthusiasm)ndashespeciallycreativelyContinuestostrugglewithcomprehensionHasmadeprogressaccordingtoassessedwork
5 Asabovealthoughadisparitybetweenqualityandquantityofspokenandwrittenwork
na Haslefttheschool
3 MorewillingtowritethantalkatlengthWritingpoorqualityPoorattentionandbehaviouralissuesasbarrierstolearning
5 HasimprovedappreciablyintermsofspokencontributionstowrittenworkStillpresentsbehaviouralproblemsasmainbarriertoprogressHasmadetwosub-levelsofprogressthisyear(basedonanalysisofclasswork)
6 Readingfictionpooruseofsciencevocab
6 Nothingverydifferent
5 Noattempttousesciencevocab 7 Tryingtousesciencevocab
3 Verypoorengagementwithlargerwrittentasks
7 Betterengagementwithtaskandproductionofhigherlevelworkwithbettervocab
4 Unwillingtodiscusswithinterviewee
5 Writesmoretriestowriteindetailthoughremainsunwillingtoshareideaswritteninclassndashdependentonwork-partner
22 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
4 Willanswerquestionsifverysureofanswer
6 Stillunwillingtoshareideasinclassbutwilluseconnectvocabularyifithasbeenembeddedstronglywithinlesson
4 Notinitiallywillingtoshareknowledgethoughdidcometothefrontofclassandshareideas
6 AbletodiscusswithintervieweeindetailinformationaboutexperimentStillsomewhatunwillingtoshare
5 Hesitanttoshareideasoranswerquestionsunlessspecificallyasked
7 Taskdependent
6 Alwayswillingtoshareideasalthoughnotnecessarilyaccurateformalscientificlanguage
8 Attemptstochoosehiswordswhenansweringquestionswhichisgreateffortfromthisstudent
2 Performancedependingonwhoshepartneredwith
3 Moreefforttotalkingroupshoweverthisisonlyasmallstepstillveryhesitantandseeksreassurancefromothers
3 Quietlyengagedndashlistensbutrarelysharesideas
6 MakingalargerefforttotalkwithinagroupStillhesitanttoshareinfrontofclassunlesssheknowsitrsquosright
6 Veryengagedandwillgenerallytalkandshareideasalthoughnotalwaysusingaccuratelanguage
8 Activelysharingandtalkingideasndashbacksupherstatementsusingreasonscanrejectothersrsquoopinionsandjustifywhy
6 AppearsdisengagedhoweverwithprobingdoesknowtheanswersNotalwaystalkingaboutthesubjectndashdependsonpersonwhoheispartneredwith
9 LovessharingideasconstantlyputtinghandupTriestousescientificlanguagendashnotasengagedinwrittentasks
References
AndersonTandShattuckJ(2012)lsquoDesign-basedresearchAdecadeofprogressineducationresearchrsquoEducational Researcher41(1)16ndash25
ArgyrisCandSchoumlnD(1996)Organizational Learning II Theory method and practice ReadingMAAddison-WesleyPublishingCompany
BrownC andRogers S (2015)lsquoKnowledge creation as an approach to facilitating evidence-informedpracticeExaminingwaystomeasurethesuccessofusingthismethodwithearlyyearspractitionersinCamden(London)rsquoJournal of Educational Change16(1)79ndash99
BrykAGomezL andGrunowA (2011)lsquoGetting ideas intoactionBuildingnetworked improvementcommunitiesineducationrsquoInHallinanM(ed)Frontiers in Sociology of Education Frontiers in Sociology and Social ResearchDordrechtNetherlandsSpringer127ndash62
London Review of Education 23
CamdenCouncil(2016)lsquoCamdenpartnershipforeducationalexcellencersquoOnlinewwwcamdengovukccmcontenteducationschoolscamden-partnership-for-educational-excellenceen(accessed1April2016)
Camden Education Commission (2011) Camden Education Commission Final report London CamdenChildrenrsquosTrustPartnershipBoardandLondonBoroughofCamden
CheungWMandWongWY(2014)lsquoDoeslessonstudyworkAsystematicreviewontheeffectsoflessonstudyandlearningstudyonteachersandstudentsrsquo International Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies3(2)137ndash49
CoburnCPenuelWandGeilK(2013)Research-Practice Partnerships A strategy for leveraging research for educational improvement in school districtsNewYorkWilliamTGrantFoundation
Cohen-Vogel LTichnor-WagnerAAllenD Harrison C Kainz K SocolAR andWangQ (2015)lsquoImplementingeducationalinnovationsatscaleTransformingresearchersintocontinuousimprovementscientistsrsquoEducational Policy29(1)257ndash77
Department for Children Schools and Families (DCSF) (2008) The National Strategies Strengthening transfers and transitions Partnerships for progressOnlinehttpderaioeacuk74641str_tt_prtnshp_prgrss08308pdf(requiressubscriptionaccessed5September2013)
DepartmentforEducation(2011)How do Pupils Progress During Key Stages 2 and 3ResearchreportDFE-RR096 Online wwwgovukgovernmentuploadssystemuploadsattachment_datafile182413DFE-RR096pdf(accessed1April2013)
Dudley P (2011) lsquoLesson study development in England From school networks to national policyrsquoInternational Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies1(1)85ndash100
ndashndash (2014) Lesson Study A handbook Online httplessonstudycoukwp-contentuploads201401new-handbook-early-years-edition2014-versionpdf(accessed21July2014)
EarleyPandPorrittV(2013)lsquoEvaluatingtheimpactofprofessionaldevelopmentTheneedforastudent-focusedapproachrsquoProfessional Development in Education40(1)112ndash29doi101080194152572013798741
EvangelouMTaggartBSylvaKMelhuishESammonsPandSiraj-BlatchfordI(2008)What Makes a Successful Transition from Primary to Secondary School NottinghamDCSF
FieldingMBraggSCraigJCunninghamIErautMGillinsonSHorneMRobinsonCandThorpJ(2005)lsquoFactorsinfluencingthetransferofgoodpracticersquoOnlinehttpderaioeacuk210011RR615pdf(accessed21July2014)
GaltonMGrayJandRudduckJ(1999)The Impact of School Transitions and Transfers on Pupil Progress and Attainment NottinghamDepartmentforEducationandEmployment
GeroG(2015)lsquoTheprospectsoflessonstudyintheUSTeachersupportandcomfortwithinadistrictcultureofcontrolrsquoInternational Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies4(1)7ndash25
GutierrezKandPenuelW(2014)lsquoRelevancetopracticeasacriterionforrigorrsquoEducational Researcher43(1)19ndash23
LeithwoodKDayCSammonsPHarrisAandHopkinsD(2006) Successful School Leadership What it is and how it influences student learning Researchreport800 LondonDepartmentforEducationandSkills
LewisC(2000)lsquoLessonstudyThecoreof JapaneseprofessionaldevelopmentrsquoPaperpresentedatTheAnnualMeetingoftheAmericanEducationalResearchAssociationNewOrleansLA24ndash8April2000
LincolnYandGubaE(1985)Naturalistic InquiryNewburyParkCASagePublicationsLondonBoroughofCamden(2012)Camden Education Commission Final reportOnlinehttpdemocracy
camdengovukdocumentss16322Camden20Education20Commission20Final20Reportpdf(accessed1April2013)
McGeeCWardRGibbons J andHarlowA (2004)Transition to Secondary School A literature reviewHamiltonNewZealandTheUniversityofWaikato
PenuelW FishmanBHauganC and SabelliN (2011)lsquoOrganizing research anddevelopment at theintersectionoflearningimplementationanddesignrsquoEducational Researcher40(7)331ndash7
PenuelWSunMFrankKandGallagherA(2012)UsingsocialnetworkanalysistostudyhowinteractionscanaugmentteacherlearningfromexternalprofessionaldevelopmentrsquoAmerican Journal of Education119(1)103ndash36
Shepherd J andRokerD (2005)lsquoAn evaluation of aldquotransition to secondary schoolrdquo project run bytheNationalPyramidTrustrsquoOnline wwwyoungpeopleinfocusorguk_assetsphpreportphpfile=37(accessed4September2013)
StollL(2012) lsquoStimulatinglearningconversationsrsquoProfessional Development Today14(4)6ndash12
24 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
StollLandBrownC(2015)lsquoMiddleleadersascatalystsforevidence-informedchangersquoInBrownC(ed)Leading the Use of Research and Evidence in SchoolsLondonIOEPress
StollLandFinkD(1996)Changing Our SchoolsBuckinghamOpenUniversityPressTree J(2011)lsquoWhathelpsstudentswithchallengingbehaviourmakeasuccessfultransfertosecondary
schoolrsquoDEdPsydissUniversityCollegeLondonInstituteofEducationTschannen-MoranM(2004)Trust Matters Leadership for successful schoolsSanFranciscoCAJossey-BassVanderlinde R and van Braak J (2010)lsquoThe gap between educational research and practiceViews of
teachers school leaders intermediariesandresearchersrsquoBritish Educational Research Journal36 (2)299ndash316
Related articles published in the London Review of Education
In this issue
ThispaperwaspublishedinaspecialfeatureoneducationinLondoneditedbyTamjidMujtabaTheotherarticlesinthefeatureareasfollows(linksunavailableattimeofpublication)
Cajic-SeigneurMandHodgsonA(2016)lsquoAlternativeeducationalprovision inanareaofdeprivation inLondonrsquoLondon Review of Education14(2)25ndash37
JerrimJandWynessG(2106)lsquoBenchmarkingLondoninthePISArankingsrsquoLondon Review of Education14(2)38ndash65
MujtabaT(2016)EditoriallsquoEducationinLondonChallengesandopportunitiesforyoungpeoplersquoLondon Review of Education14(2)1ndash3
MujtabaT and Reiss M (2016)lsquoGirls in the UK have similar reasons to boys for intending to studymathematics post-16 thanks to the support and encouragement they receiversquo London Review of Education14(2)66ndash82
StandishAHawleyT andWillyT (2016)lsquoThe LondonGeographyAlliance Re-connecting the schoolsubjectwiththeuniversitydisciplinersquoLondon Review of Education14(2)83ndash103
WrightP(2016)lsquoSocialjusticeinthemathematicsclassroomrsquoLondon Review of Education14(2)104ndash18
By the same authors
BrownC(2013)lsquoCritiqueandcomplexityPresentingamoreeffectivewaytoconceptualisetheknowledgeadoptionprocessrsquoLondon Review of Education11(1)32ndash45
BrownCandRogersS(2014)lsquoMeasuringtheeffectivenessofknowledgecreationasameansoffacilitatingevicence-informedpracticeinearlyyearssettingsinoneLondonboroughrsquoLondon Review of Education12(3)245ndash60
Elsewhere in the journal
LevinB(2011)lsquoMobilisingresearchknowledgeineducationrsquoLondon Review of Education9(1)15ndash26OakleyA(2003)lsquoResearchevidenceknowledgemanagementandeducationalpracticeEarlylessonsfrom
asystematicapproachrsquoLondon Review of Education1(1)21ndash33WatkinsC(2005)lsquoClassroomsaslearningcommunitiesAreviewofresearchrsquoLondon Review of Education
3(1)47ndash64
14 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
Pupil impact
WehavedescribedabovethatinkeepingwiththeDBRunderpinningsoftheprojectparticipantswere able to determinewhat changes theywanted to see in their pupils as a result of theprojectandhowthesemightbemeasuredAssuchavarietyofmetricswereusedtoascertainimpactrangingfromteacherobservationsandmarkingtotheirexpertiseandknowledgeofthechildBecauseparticipantspredominantlychosenottouselsquohardrsquoattainmentdatainordertoexamineimpactacrossallparticipantswehadtofindacommonwayofderivingandpresentingwhatimpactifanyresultedfromtheprojectTodothisweaskedparticipantsworkingintheirtriadstoscoreeachoftheirthreefocuschildren(inrelationtothefocusoraimsoftheirtriadandinrelationtothedatatheyweremeasuring)bothintermsoftheirlsquoperformancersquoatthebeginningoftheprojectandattheendScoresbothatthebeginningandendwereoutoftenandparticipantstriadshadtoprovidesupportingevidenceforselectingtheirscoresAsaresultthisprovidedresearcherswithperceptionsofpupilimpactandreasonsfortheseperceptionsbecauseallpupilimpactperceptionswerescoredinthesamewayhoweverwewerealsoabletonormalizethesescoresbylookingatthepercentagedifferencesinthelsquobeforersquoandlsquoafterrsquoscoresThescoresandrangesofthesedifferencesaresetoutinFigure1whereasTable3providesadistributionofthepercentagescoresAfulltableofresponsesshowingbeforeandafterscoresandreasonsevidencefortheseisprovidedintheAppendix
Figure 1 Pupilsbeforeandafterscoresandpercentagechange
London Review of Education 15
Table 3 Distributionofpercentagechangeinpupilsbeforeandafterscores
Question Number Percentage
Greaterthan100change 3 7
91ndash100change 7 17
81ndash90change 0 0
71ndash80change 4 10
61ndash70change 1 2
51ndash60change 0 0
41ndash50change 6 14
31ndash40change 12 29
21ndash30change 2 5
11ndash20change 1 2
1ndash10change 0 0
Nochange 4 10
Pupilsdroppedout 2 5
Total 42 100
TheblockedareainFigure1representsthestudentperformancescoresatthebeginningoftheprojectwhilethecontinuouslinerepresentstheirscoresatprojectendThedotsmeanwhilerepresentthepercentagedifference(iethechangeinpupilperformancesincethestartoftheproject)Ascanbeseenofthe42focusgrouppupilsforwhomteachersprovideddatateachersreported a change in the behavioursattitudesoutcomes of all but six For some pupils thischangewassubstantiveAssetoutinTable3whichprovidesthedistributionofthesepercentagechangesteacherssuggestthatfortenpupilstheirperformancehadeffectivelydoubledormore(ietherewasa100percent(orgreater)changeintheirscore)Thebiggestsingleimprovementhowevertendedtobebetween30and40percent Inthemainthiswascausedbylsquoaveragersquopupils(scoring5ndash6)nowscoringtwopointshigher(7ndash8)orbyinitiallylowperformingpupilsndashwhooriginallyscored3ndashincreasingtheirperformancescoreto4
Naturallyintheabsenceofhardandobjectiveattainmentdataweneedtobecircumspectin the levelofsignificanceaffordedtowhataresubjectivelydeterminedresultsNonethelesssupportingevidencewasprovidedandthefiguresweretriangulatedwithothermembersofthetriad(whowerethemselvesengagedinprolongedobservationofthesepupils)Inadditionnotallpupilswerereportedashavingbenefitedfromtheproject fourpupils(10percent)werereportedasnotbenefitingatallwhileafurthertwodroppedoutoftheschooltheywereinConsideringLincolnandGubarsquos(1985)criteriaforestablishingthetrustworthinessofsubjectivedatathereforealthoughtheexactchangeinpupilsrsquoperformancescanbedebatedtheresearchteamhaveconfidencethatsomepositiveimpactonpupilshastakenplacendashandthatthisimpactcanbeattributabletotheprojectItshouldalsobenotedthatthisdatarelatestothethreepupils(perclass)representingwidergroupsofinterestsuchasvulnerablechildren(Dudley2011)Intheorythentheimpactoftheprojectshouldstretchbeyondthe42childrenanalysedherebutwedonothavedatatosubstantiatesuchaclaim
16 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
Learning about lesson study
FinallyweaskedparticipantstoanswerthefollowingquestionlsquoWhathaveyoulearnedaboutlessonstudyandhowtouseittodevelopteachingpracticersquoResponsesheredividednaturallyintothebenefitsandchallengesofusinglessonstudyandaresetoutinTable4
Table 4 Benefitsandchallengestousinglesson study (responsetoquestionlsquoWhathaveyoulearnedaboutlesson studyandhowtouseittodevelopteachingpracticersquo)
Question Responses
lsquoWhathaveyoulearnedaboutlessonstudyandhowtouseittodevelopteachingpracticersquo(Benefits)
bull lsquoObservingcolleaguesteachandpickingupideasstrategiessharingpracticeetcinrelationtoprimarytosecondarytransitionsrsquo
bull lsquoSharinggoodpractice[andfacilitateideasgeneration]rsquobull lsquoObservingin[other]schoolsandseeingthedifferencebetween
teachinginprimaryandsecondaryschoolsrsquobull lsquoChancetoseeotherCamdenclassesofthesameagersquobull lsquoIgetabetterunderstandingofhowImightstretchmoreable
year7studentsrsquobull lsquoExposuretootherteachersrsquostylesandpracticesrsquobull lsquoSupportivefeedbackandobservationsfromcolleaguesrsquobull Perspectiveseglsquothatyouwouldnotbeabletopickupabout
yourchildrenrsquoslearningfromthefrontoftheclassrsquoandlsquoafocusonchildrenwhomightslipunderteachersrsquoradarrsquosimilarlylsquohavingothersbeingabletowatchthechildrenhellip[and]noticingsomething[youhadnrsquot]rsquo
bull lsquoBecauseitrsquosplannedcollaborativelyyougettoseeyourworkinactionrsquo
lsquoWhathaveyoulearnedaboutlessonstudyandhowtouseittodevelopteachingpracticersquo(Challenges)
bull TimeeglsquoLotsoftimeoutofschoolrsquobull TimetablinglsquoFindingdatesthataremutuallyconvenientforthe
triorsquobull lsquoIncreasedworkloadinrelationtoplanningpreparingand
hostingthesessionrsquobull lsquoImmediateprogressnot[always]visiblersquobull lsquoNeedsbuy-infromSLTtohavemaximumimpactrsquosimilarly
lsquoLessonstudyislessimportantinsomeschoolsrsquobull lsquo[Thistypeofprocesscannotbeanadd-on]ifitcouldreplace
[currentprogrammeofobservations]wouldbegreatrsquobull lsquoThereisalreadytoomuchtotryandgetthroughinprimaryrsquo
InconsideringthechallengesitcanbeseethatinkeepingwithGero(2015)forlessonstudytobecarriedoutsuccessfullyrequiresthebuy-inandcommitmentofseniorleadersInparticularlessonstudyndashasa formofschool improvementndashneedstobeprioritizedbyschool leadersover other school improvement initiativeswith time and space given to enable teachers tomeaningfullyengageinlessonstudyactivityAswellasthecommentsinTable4thismessageisalsoreinforcedbythefactthatthreeschools(sixteachers)droppedoutafterthefirstlessonstudy citing competing pressures and priorities as well as involvement in too many schoolimprovementinitiativesInpartthisisbecausethebenefitsofengaginginthisapproachwerenotimmediatelyapparent
London Review of Education 17
Significance
From analysing the results it is clear that our approach has been effective in both changingteacherunderstandingandteachingpracticeandbuildingteachercapacitysothatparticipantsareabletoruntheirownprojectsmovingforwardStartingwiththefirstascanbeseeninTable2teacherswereabletoarticulatealogicalchainndashstartingwithwhattheywerelearningabouttheirpupilsthechangestheyweremakinginresponseandendingwithargumentsformakingthesechangesForexampleoneparticipantnotedlsquohowdifficultitis[forpupils]tounderstandscientifictermsandconceptswithoutcontextrsquoasaconsequencetheywerenowrehearsingnewscientificvocabularybecauselsquospendingmoretimelearningnewvocabulary[meansthatpupilsarebetterat]unpickingmeaningsandprocessesrsquoSimilarlyanotherteacherindicatedthatshenowknowsthatlsquopartnersreallymakeadifferencetotheoutcomersquoThiswasbecausethelessonstudyprocesshadhelpedherseethatpartneringlowerachievingchildrenwitheitherhigherachievingormiddleachievingpupilscanleadtothehigherabilitychildrenchallengingpushingandstretchingthelowerachieversAsaresultshewasmuchmoreactivelylsquomixingtalkpartnerssochildrenareworkingwithdifferentpartnersrsquoItseemsclearthereforethatourapproachtolessonstudydevelopedviaaDBRapproachndashwhichactivelypromotesreflectivedialogueviaaprocessof learningconversationsndashhasbeensuccessful inhelpingpractitionersreflectnotonlyonpupillearningbutalsowhatneedstochangeintermsoftheirteachingtofacilitatethislearning
Intermsofcapacitybuildingitisclearthatparticipantssawnotonlythebenefitsofengagingin lesson study but also the challenges that needed to be overcome in order to ensure itseffectiveoperation(Table4)Havingknowledgeof the former(combinedwithexperienceofa number of cycles of lesson study)means that participants now know how best tomakelessonstudyworkforthemInotherwordsbybuildingontheDBRelementoftheprojecttheteachersinvolvedcanensurethatmovingforwardtheytailorhowtheyfocuslessonstudytoachievemaximalbenefitforthemselvesandtheirpupilsLikewiseintermsofrollingouttheirownprogrammeoflessonstudyparticipantswillalsobeawareofthechallengesthatneedtobemetiftheyaretogetmostvaluefromtheprocessTheseincludeinparticulartherequirementtobuy-infromseniorleadersandtheneedforamodelofleadershipwithintheirschoolwhichpromotes the vision for and ensures the fosteringof a cultureof professional developmentbasedoncollaborativepeer-to-peersupport(includingthepromotionofthevaluesrequiredforlearningcommunitiestooperate)Alsokeywillbetheneedforseniorleaderstoprovidethenecessaryresourceandstructures(egtimeandspace)forsustainedandmeaningfullessonstudytobecomeareality(StollandFink1996Leithwoodet al2006)
Ourrevisedapproach tomeasuring impact toohasbeeneffectiveusing teacher-definedmeasuresofimpactprovidesamoreaccuratewayofunderstandingthedifferencethatlessonstudyactivityhasmadeInotherwordsunlikewithattainmentdatandashwhereitwouldbehardtoattributechangesinpupiloutcomesspecificallytolessonstudyactivity(asopposedtootherchangesincontextorintheteachingandlearningenvironment)ndashourapproachenabledteachersto focuson threepupils andhow they responded tovery specificchanges inapproaches topedagogicpracticebasedonanunderstandingandanassessmentofthesepupilsrsquobehavioursandattitudesbothbeforeandaftertheuseofthepracticeImportantlythisimpactdataisalsolsquotriangulatedrsquosincethepractitionerwhoisteachingaswellasthoseobservingmustcometoanagreementastowhathappenedandwhyLikewisethentheoverallperceptionsofimpactscoreswerediscussedandagreeduponintriadsgivingweighttotheirvalidityGiventhisitisencouragingtonotethatmostscoresprovidedsuggest that the lessonstudyapproachdoesimpactpositivelyonpupilbehavioursandattitudestolearningAscanbeseeninTable385per
18 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
centofpupilsbenefitedfromtheirteachersengagingintheprojectwithoverathird(36percent)benefitingbyanincreaseintheirperformancescoreby50percentormore
Summary
FortheHaverstockPrimarytoSecondaryTransitionProjectweemployedaDBRapproachtothedevelopmentand implementationof lessonstudy inordertohelppractitionersexamineandbegintotacklesomeoftheissuesassociatedwithprimarytosecondarytransitionDoingsoenabledtheprojectteamandparticipantstocollaborativelydevelopatheoryofactionfortheprojectwhichenabledustoconsidernotionsoflearningandlearningconversationsaswellasameansofdeliveringlessonstudyinkeepingwiththistheoryofactionAswellasthiswewerealsoabletoestablishawayofmeasuringimpactforsituations(suchaswhenprimaryandsecondaryteachersworkonjointprojects)wherebecausethereisnoday-to-dayinteractionandcollaborationthereisnonaturallyoccurringbaselineandnocommonapproachtopedagogy
InlightoftheaboveweconcludethatusingDBRhasbeenvitalnotonlytothesuccessoftheprojectbutalsotoitslong-termsustainabilityfollowingtheprojectrsquosendHoweverweasresearchershavealsobenefitedfromengaginginDBRforinstancewehavegainedabetterunderstanding of how to engage in lesson study in a cross-phase way In addition the newapproachtomeasuringimpactthatemergedcannowbetriedandtestedinothercontextsascanourrevisedtheoryofactionforandapproachestooperationalizinglessonstudyThatisinkeepingwithAndersonandShattuck(2012)movingforwardwecantakewhatwehavelearnedandcontinuetocollaborativelyanditerativelyrefineourapproachsothatitiseffectiveineachnewcontextweintroduceittothushelpingtoservetoimprovethesystemrsquosoverallcapacityforsustainedchange
Notes on the contributors
ChrisBrown isaSeniorLectureratUCLInstituteofEducationUniversityCollegeLondon(DepartmentforLearningandLeadership) Chrishasextensiveexperienceofleadingarangeoffundedprojectsmanyofwhich seek tohelppractitioners to identify and scaleupbestpractice andwas recently awardedasignificant grant by the Education Endowment Foundation toworkwith over 100 primary schools inEnglandtoincreasetheiruseofresearch
CarolTaylor iscurrentlytheStrategicLeaderforCPDattheLondonCentreforLeadershipinLearningSheworkswithschoolsalliancesandlocalauthoritiesndashboth locallyandnationallyndash insupportingtheprofessionaldevelopmentoftheschoolworkforceCarolrecentlyco-ledtheNationalCollegeTeachingSchools Research and Development project involving over 60 schools across England She is activelyinvolvedinsupportingschoolsacrossLondontoembedpractitionerresearchandenquiryintopractice
LornaPonambalum isascienceteacherandAssistantHeadteacheratHaverstockSchoolCamdenLondonwheresheisalsoDesignatedSafeguardingOfficerLornahasbeeninvolvedinanumberoflessonstudyprojectsincludingtheprojectcoveredinthispaperwhichexaminedapproachestoimproveprimarytosecondarytransition
London Review of Education 19
Appendix Pupiloutcomesatstartandendofprojectwithevidencefromthetriadastowhytheseassessmentsweremade
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
4 Myanalysisoftheirworkbookandmyknowledgeoftheirin-classcontributions
6 Someimprovementswhenthechildismotivated
4 Under-confidentStruggleswhenworkingwithapartner
7 Moreconfidenceofownabilityandrecognizessupportfrompartner
4 AloofIssuesathome 4 Stillstrugglestopayattentionwhenworkinginpairs
5 Struggleswithusingsomeofthekeywords
7 Usesmorekeywordsinherwrittenwork(almostall)Expressingideasinabetterway
4 Struggleswiththekeywords 6 Bettersentencestructureandbetterlinkingofideas
3 Lacksconfidenceinspeakingandwriting
6 MoreconfidenceinverballyansweringquestionsputshandupmoreoftenWritingcanstillbeaproblem
3 NeverraiseshandsRefusedtospeakinpublicNosentencestructure
6 Leftbeforeendofprojectbutwasdemonstratingimprovedvocabularyconfidenceandwrittenwork
4 Notengagedvocabularyandliteraryworkpoor
9 REALLYengagedandimprovementinvocabularyandliterarysentencesimproved
5 Doesnrsquotusevocabularyaccuratelyandnotableintermsofwrittenwork
9 Vocabularyuseismoreaccurateandismuchmoreableintermsofwrittenwork
4 bull Didnotlistenoncarpetortoteachertalk
bull Firstcycleshowssignsofdisengagementinfeedback
bull Writingdifficulttounderstand
7 bull Morefocusedonthetaskonthecarpet
bull Betterqualityofwritingbetterfeedbackascycleprogressed
6 bull Toochattybull Distractedtalkpartnerbull Forgottocheckthroughand
punctuatebull Couldnotpeerassesswell
8 bull Betterlearningbehaviourbull Moreownershipofown
learningandcanselfandpeerassess
6 bull Pronetodistractionbull Unabletofollowaseriesof
instructions
7 bull Handuptoofferideasmorebull Slowlyandcarefullygetson
withataskbull Knowshowtopeerassess
20 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
3 Textsnotproducedwelldistractedanddistractingothers
6 Useofmetalanguagetextsproducedusingappropriategrammar
4 Paucityofideasworknotalwaysmakingsense
7 Takingcontrolofownlearningorganizingideasaboutgrammareffectivelymoreconfidenttostartwritingandproducingcompletetexts
5 Generallackofconfidencedespitebeingahighachiever
7 Textsproducedfullofideasinterviewswithobserversshowconfidencemoreconfidenceinhisideasprovidedheispartneredwithsomeonewhohefindssupportive
5 LackofinvolvementinlessonsPoorwritingandconfusedbymosttasks
7 HavingestablishedthatheappreciatesbeingprobedchallengedbyteachersIdedicatemoretimetoenablinghimtoprocessinformationthroughquestioningHenowoftenstartstasksquickerandtakesmorerisksHeisstillshyanddoesnrsquotusuallyvolunteer
3 Withdrawnndashnevercontributingandoptingoutoftasks
6 TriestasksndashnotalwayswithoutpromptingBeginningtotakerisksandoccasionallyvolunteersideas
7 VerylowconfidenceConsistentlypoorliteracyReluctancetocontributeWrittenworkwaspoorbutreflectedeffortofstudent
9 TriesreallyhardtocompleteworktothebestofherabilityStillrarelycontributesherideas
3 CompletelydisengagedseesnovalueinschoolNotansweringquestionsandtalkingaboutanythingelse
8 Nowfocusesonthefrontputshanduptalksaboutthetopicmostofthetime
6 Easilydistractedwillputhandupbutoftendoesnrsquothaveananswerwhenasked
8 Morefocusedwillstilloftennotlistenoninputbutisabletoasksomeoneelseratherthananadultorjustsittingthere
1 bull Getsoutofseatbull Shoutsoutbull Disturbsothers
na Pupilleftschool
9 Priorattainmentandclassroomobservations
9 Nodifferenceinliteracyattainmentwasconsistent
London Review of Education 21
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
3 Priorattainmentandclassroomobservations
4 Improvedconfidenceincomprehensionandwriting
3 Priorattainmentandclassroomobservations
4 Norealdifferencepossiblyslightlybetteratverbalizing
3 Effortscorelsquo3rsquoinfirstreportLeaningbackonchairnotfocuseddistracted
6 Morefocusmorelikelytoaskforhelpratherthanmisbehave
3 Effortscorelsquo3rsquoinfirstreportDistractingothers
3 NowrarelyinclassndashexclusionabsenceOnoccasionshowsexcellentprogressandcanworkindependently
4 Disengagedonwhole(althoughbaselineobservationswerecarriedoutonalsquogoodrsquoday)Rudenessnottrying
8 ReadingchallengingtextsandlookingupdifficultvocabularyindictionaryFewerdayswhenrefusestowork
3 Severallearningneedsandhashadtroublewithwriting
4 Increasedconfidenceinspellingandwriting(andenthusiasm)ndashespeciallycreativelyContinuestostrugglewithcomprehensionHasmadeprogressaccordingtoassessedwork
5 Asabovealthoughadisparitybetweenqualityandquantityofspokenandwrittenwork
na Haslefttheschool
3 MorewillingtowritethantalkatlengthWritingpoorqualityPoorattentionandbehaviouralissuesasbarrierstolearning
5 HasimprovedappreciablyintermsofspokencontributionstowrittenworkStillpresentsbehaviouralproblemsasmainbarriertoprogressHasmadetwosub-levelsofprogressthisyear(basedonanalysisofclasswork)
6 Readingfictionpooruseofsciencevocab
6 Nothingverydifferent
5 Noattempttousesciencevocab 7 Tryingtousesciencevocab
3 Verypoorengagementwithlargerwrittentasks
7 Betterengagementwithtaskandproductionofhigherlevelworkwithbettervocab
4 Unwillingtodiscusswithinterviewee
5 Writesmoretriestowriteindetailthoughremainsunwillingtoshareideaswritteninclassndashdependentonwork-partner
22 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
4 Willanswerquestionsifverysureofanswer
6 Stillunwillingtoshareideasinclassbutwilluseconnectvocabularyifithasbeenembeddedstronglywithinlesson
4 Notinitiallywillingtoshareknowledgethoughdidcometothefrontofclassandshareideas
6 AbletodiscusswithintervieweeindetailinformationaboutexperimentStillsomewhatunwillingtoshare
5 Hesitanttoshareideasoranswerquestionsunlessspecificallyasked
7 Taskdependent
6 Alwayswillingtoshareideasalthoughnotnecessarilyaccurateformalscientificlanguage
8 Attemptstochoosehiswordswhenansweringquestionswhichisgreateffortfromthisstudent
2 Performancedependingonwhoshepartneredwith
3 Moreefforttotalkingroupshoweverthisisonlyasmallstepstillveryhesitantandseeksreassurancefromothers
3 Quietlyengagedndashlistensbutrarelysharesideas
6 MakingalargerefforttotalkwithinagroupStillhesitanttoshareinfrontofclassunlesssheknowsitrsquosright
6 Veryengagedandwillgenerallytalkandshareideasalthoughnotalwaysusingaccuratelanguage
8 Activelysharingandtalkingideasndashbacksupherstatementsusingreasonscanrejectothersrsquoopinionsandjustifywhy
6 AppearsdisengagedhoweverwithprobingdoesknowtheanswersNotalwaystalkingaboutthesubjectndashdependsonpersonwhoheispartneredwith
9 LovessharingideasconstantlyputtinghandupTriestousescientificlanguagendashnotasengagedinwrittentasks
References
AndersonTandShattuckJ(2012)lsquoDesign-basedresearchAdecadeofprogressineducationresearchrsquoEducational Researcher41(1)16ndash25
ArgyrisCandSchoumlnD(1996)Organizational Learning II Theory method and practice ReadingMAAddison-WesleyPublishingCompany
BrownC andRogers S (2015)lsquoKnowledge creation as an approach to facilitating evidence-informedpracticeExaminingwaystomeasurethesuccessofusingthismethodwithearlyyearspractitionersinCamden(London)rsquoJournal of Educational Change16(1)79ndash99
BrykAGomezL andGrunowA (2011)lsquoGetting ideas intoactionBuildingnetworked improvementcommunitiesineducationrsquoInHallinanM(ed)Frontiers in Sociology of Education Frontiers in Sociology and Social ResearchDordrechtNetherlandsSpringer127ndash62
London Review of Education 23
CamdenCouncil(2016)lsquoCamdenpartnershipforeducationalexcellencersquoOnlinewwwcamdengovukccmcontenteducationschoolscamden-partnership-for-educational-excellenceen(accessed1April2016)
Camden Education Commission (2011) Camden Education Commission Final report London CamdenChildrenrsquosTrustPartnershipBoardandLondonBoroughofCamden
CheungWMandWongWY(2014)lsquoDoeslessonstudyworkAsystematicreviewontheeffectsoflessonstudyandlearningstudyonteachersandstudentsrsquo International Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies3(2)137ndash49
CoburnCPenuelWandGeilK(2013)Research-Practice Partnerships A strategy for leveraging research for educational improvement in school districtsNewYorkWilliamTGrantFoundation
Cohen-Vogel LTichnor-WagnerAAllenD Harrison C Kainz K SocolAR andWangQ (2015)lsquoImplementingeducationalinnovationsatscaleTransformingresearchersintocontinuousimprovementscientistsrsquoEducational Policy29(1)257ndash77
Department for Children Schools and Families (DCSF) (2008) The National Strategies Strengthening transfers and transitions Partnerships for progressOnlinehttpderaioeacuk74641str_tt_prtnshp_prgrss08308pdf(requiressubscriptionaccessed5September2013)
DepartmentforEducation(2011)How do Pupils Progress During Key Stages 2 and 3ResearchreportDFE-RR096 Online wwwgovukgovernmentuploadssystemuploadsattachment_datafile182413DFE-RR096pdf(accessed1April2013)
Dudley P (2011) lsquoLesson study development in England From school networks to national policyrsquoInternational Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies1(1)85ndash100
ndashndash (2014) Lesson Study A handbook Online httplessonstudycoukwp-contentuploads201401new-handbook-early-years-edition2014-versionpdf(accessed21July2014)
EarleyPandPorrittV(2013)lsquoEvaluatingtheimpactofprofessionaldevelopmentTheneedforastudent-focusedapproachrsquoProfessional Development in Education40(1)112ndash29doi101080194152572013798741
EvangelouMTaggartBSylvaKMelhuishESammonsPandSiraj-BlatchfordI(2008)What Makes a Successful Transition from Primary to Secondary School NottinghamDCSF
FieldingMBraggSCraigJCunninghamIErautMGillinsonSHorneMRobinsonCandThorpJ(2005)lsquoFactorsinfluencingthetransferofgoodpracticersquoOnlinehttpderaioeacuk210011RR615pdf(accessed21July2014)
GaltonMGrayJandRudduckJ(1999)The Impact of School Transitions and Transfers on Pupil Progress and Attainment NottinghamDepartmentforEducationandEmployment
GeroG(2015)lsquoTheprospectsoflessonstudyintheUSTeachersupportandcomfortwithinadistrictcultureofcontrolrsquoInternational Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies4(1)7ndash25
GutierrezKandPenuelW(2014)lsquoRelevancetopracticeasacriterionforrigorrsquoEducational Researcher43(1)19ndash23
LeithwoodKDayCSammonsPHarrisAandHopkinsD(2006) Successful School Leadership What it is and how it influences student learning Researchreport800 LondonDepartmentforEducationandSkills
LewisC(2000)lsquoLessonstudyThecoreof JapaneseprofessionaldevelopmentrsquoPaperpresentedatTheAnnualMeetingoftheAmericanEducationalResearchAssociationNewOrleansLA24ndash8April2000
LincolnYandGubaE(1985)Naturalistic InquiryNewburyParkCASagePublicationsLondonBoroughofCamden(2012)Camden Education Commission Final reportOnlinehttpdemocracy
camdengovukdocumentss16322Camden20Education20Commission20Final20Reportpdf(accessed1April2013)
McGeeCWardRGibbons J andHarlowA (2004)Transition to Secondary School A literature reviewHamiltonNewZealandTheUniversityofWaikato
PenuelW FishmanBHauganC and SabelliN (2011)lsquoOrganizing research anddevelopment at theintersectionoflearningimplementationanddesignrsquoEducational Researcher40(7)331ndash7
PenuelWSunMFrankKandGallagherA(2012)UsingsocialnetworkanalysistostudyhowinteractionscanaugmentteacherlearningfromexternalprofessionaldevelopmentrsquoAmerican Journal of Education119(1)103ndash36
Shepherd J andRokerD (2005)lsquoAn evaluation of aldquotransition to secondary schoolrdquo project run bytheNationalPyramidTrustrsquoOnline wwwyoungpeopleinfocusorguk_assetsphpreportphpfile=37(accessed4September2013)
StollL(2012) lsquoStimulatinglearningconversationsrsquoProfessional Development Today14(4)6ndash12
24 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
StollLandBrownC(2015)lsquoMiddleleadersascatalystsforevidence-informedchangersquoInBrownC(ed)Leading the Use of Research and Evidence in SchoolsLondonIOEPress
StollLandFinkD(1996)Changing Our SchoolsBuckinghamOpenUniversityPressTree J(2011)lsquoWhathelpsstudentswithchallengingbehaviourmakeasuccessfultransfertosecondary
schoolrsquoDEdPsydissUniversityCollegeLondonInstituteofEducationTschannen-MoranM(2004)Trust Matters Leadership for successful schoolsSanFranciscoCAJossey-BassVanderlinde R and van Braak J (2010)lsquoThe gap between educational research and practiceViews of
teachers school leaders intermediariesandresearchersrsquoBritish Educational Research Journal36 (2)299ndash316
Related articles published in the London Review of Education
In this issue
ThispaperwaspublishedinaspecialfeatureoneducationinLondoneditedbyTamjidMujtabaTheotherarticlesinthefeatureareasfollows(linksunavailableattimeofpublication)
Cajic-SeigneurMandHodgsonA(2016)lsquoAlternativeeducationalprovision inanareaofdeprivation inLondonrsquoLondon Review of Education14(2)25ndash37
JerrimJandWynessG(2106)lsquoBenchmarkingLondoninthePISArankingsrsquoLondon Review of Education14(2)38ndash65
MujtabaT(2016)EditoriallsquoEducationinLondonChallengesandopportunitiesforyoungpeoplersquoLondon Review of Education14(2)1ndash3
MujtabaT and Reiss M (2016)lsquoGirls in the UK have similar reasons to boys for intending to studymathematics post-16 thanks to the support and encouragement they receiversquo London Review of Education14(2)66ndash82
StandishAHawleyT andWillyT (2016)lsquoThe LondonGeographyAlliance Re-connecting the schoolsubjectwiththeuniversitydisciplinersquoLondon Review of Education14(2)83ndash103
WrightP(2016)lsquoSocialjusticeinthemathematicsclassroomrsquoLondon Review of Education14(2)104ndash18
By the same authors
BrownC(2013)lsquoCritiqueandcomplexityPresentingamoreeffectivewaytoconceptualisetheknowledgeadoptionprocessrsquoLondon Review of Education11(1)32ndash45
BrownCandRogersS(2014)lsquoMeasuringtheeffectivenessofknowledgecreationasameansoffacilitatingevicence-informedpracticeinearlyyearssettingsinoneLondonboroughrsquoLondon Review of Education12(3)245ndash60
Elsewhere in the journal
LevinB(2011)lsquoMobilisingresearchknowledgeineducationrsquoLondon Review of Education9(1)15ndash26OakleyA(2003)lsquoResearchevidenceknowledgemanagementandeducationalpracticeEarlylessonsfrom
asystematicapproachrsquoLondon Review of Education1(1)21ndash33WatkinsC(2005)lsquoClassroomsaslearningcommunitiesAreviewofresearchrsquoLondon Review of Education
3(1)47ndash64
London Review of Education 15
Table 3 Distributionofpercentagechangeinpupilsbeforeandafterscores
Question Number Percentage
Greaterthan100change 3 7
91ndash100change 7 17
81ndash90change 0 0
71ndash80change 4 10
61ndash70change 1 2
51ndash60change 0 0
41ndash50change 6 14
31ndash40change 12 29
21ndash30change 2 5
11ndash20change 1 2
1ndash10change 0 0
Nochange 4 10
Pupilsdroppedout 2 5
Total 42 100
TheblockedareainFigure1representsthestudentperformancescoresatthebeginningoftheprojectwhilethecontinuouslinerepresentstheirscoresatprojectendThedotsmeanwhilerepresentthepercentagedifference(iethechangeinpupilperformancesincethestartoftheproject)Ascanbeseenofthe42focusgrouppupilsforwhomteachersprovideddatateachersreported a change in the behavioursattitudesoutcomes of all but six For some pupils thischangewassubstantiveAssetoutinTable3whichprovidesthedistributionofthesepercentagechangesteacherssuggestthatfortenpupilstheirperformancehadeffectivelydoubledormore(ietherewasa100percent(orgreater)changeintheirscore)Thebiggestsingleimprovementhowevertendedtobebetween30and40percent Inthemainthiswascausedbylsquoaveragersquopupils(scoring5ndash6)nowscoringtwopointshigher(7ndash8)orbyinitiallylowperformingpupilsndashwhooriginallyscored3ndashincreasingtheirperformancescoreto4
Naturallyintheabsenceofhardandobjectiveattainmentdataweneedtobecircumspectin the levelofsignificanceaffordedtowhataresubjectivelydeterminedresultsNonethelesssupportingevidencewasprovidedandthefiguresweretriangulatedwithothermembersofthetriad(whowerethemselvesengagedinprolongedobservationofthesepupils)Inadditionnotallpupilswerereportedashavingbenefitedfromtheproject fourpupils(10percent)werereportedasnotbenefitingatallwhileafurthertwodroppedoutoftheschooltheywereinConsideringLincolnandGubarsquos(1985)criteriaforestablishingthetrustworthinessofsubjectivedatathereforealthoughtheexactchangeinpupilsrsquoperformancescanbedebatedtheresearchteamhaveconfidencethatsomepositiveimpactonpupilshastakenplacendashandthatthisimpactcanbeattributabletotheprojectItshouldalsobenotedthatthisdatarelatestothethreepupils(perclass)representingwidergroupsofinterestsuchasvulnerablechildren(Dudley2011)Intheorythentheimpactoftheprojectshouldstretchbeyondthe42childrenanalysedherebutwedonothavedatatosubstantiatesuchaclaim
16 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
Learning about lesson study
FinallyweaskedparticipantstoanswerthefollowingquestionlsquoWhathaveyoulearnedaboutlessonstudyandhowtouseittodevelopteachingpracticersquoResponsesheredividednaturallyintothebenefitsandchallengesofusinglessonstudyandaresetoutinTable4
Table 4 Benefitsandchallengestousinglesson study (responsetoquestionlsquoWhathaveyoulearnedaboutlesson studyandhowtouseittodevelopteachingpracticersquo)
Question Responses
lsquoWhathaveyoulearnedaboutlessonstudyandhowtouseittodevelopteachingpracticersquo(Benefits)
bull lsquoObservingcolleaguesteachandpickingupideasstrategiessharingpracticeetcinrelationtoprimarytosecondarytransitionsrsquo
bull lsquoSharinggoodpractice[andfacilitateideasgeneration]rsquobull lsquoObservingin[other]schoolsandseeingthedifferencebetween
teachinginprimaryandsecondaryschoolsrsquobull lsquoChancetoseeotherCamdenclassesofthesameagersquobull lsquoIgetabetterunderstandingofhowImightstretchmoreable
year7studentsrsquobull lsquoExposuretootherteachersrsquostylesandpracticesrsquobull lsquoSupportivefeedbackandobservationsfromcolleaguesrsquobull Perspectiveseglsquothatyouwouldnotbeabletopickupabout
yourchildrenrsquoslearningfromthefrontoftheclassrsquoandlsquoafocusonchildrenwhomightslipunderteachersrsquoradarrsquosimilarlylsquohavingothersbeingabletowatchthechildrenhellip[and]noticingsomething[youhadnrsquot]rsquo
bull lsquoBecauseitrsquosplannedcollaborativelyyougettoseeyourworkinactionrsquo
lsquoWhathaveyoulearnedaboutlessonstudyandhowtouseittodevelopteachingpracticersquo(Challenges)
bull TimeeglsquoLotsoftimeoutofschoolrsquobull TimetablinglsquoFindingdatesthataremutuallyconvenientforthe
triorsquobull lsquoIncreasedworkloadinrelationtoplanningpreparingand
hostingthesessionrsquobull lsquoImmediateprogressnot[always]visiblersquobull lsquoNeedsbuy-infromSLTtohavemaximumimpactrsquosimilarly
lsquoLessonstudyislessimportantinsomeschoolsrsquobull lsquo[Thistypeofprocesscannotbeanadd-on]ifitcouldreplace
[currentprogrammeofobservations]wouldbegreatrsquobull lsquoThereisalreadytoomuchtotryandgetthroughinprimaryrsquo
InconsideringthechallengesitcanbeseethatinkeepingwithGero(2015)forlessonstudytobecarriedoutsuccessfullyrequiresthebuy-inandcommitmentofseniorleadersInparticularlessonstudyndashasa formofschool improvementndashneedstobeprioritizedbyschool leadersover other school improvement initiativeswith time and space given to enable teachers tomeaningfullyengageinlessonstudyactivityAswellasthecommentsinTable4thismessageisalsoreinforcedbythefactthatthreeschools(sixteachers)droppedoutafterthefirstlessonstudy citing competing pressures and priorities as well as involvement in too many schoolimprovementinitiativesInpartthisisbecausethebenefitsofengaginginthisapproachwerenotimmediatelyapparent
London Review of Education 17
Significance
From analysing the results it is clear that our approach has been effective in both changingteacherunderstandingandteachingpracticeandbuildingteachercapacitysothatparticipantsareabletoruntheirownprojectsmovingforwardStartingwiththefirstascanbeseeninTable2teacherswereabletoarticulatealogicalchainndashstartingwithwhattheywerelearningabouttheirpupilsthechangestheyweremakinginresponseandendingwithargumentsformakingthesechangesForexampleoneparticipantnotedlsquohowdifficultitis[forpupils]tounderstandscientifictermsandconceptswithoutcontextrsquoasaconsequencetheywerenowrehearsingnewscientificvocabularybecauselsquospendingmoretimelearningnewvocabulary[meansthatpupilsarebetterat]unpickingmeaningsandprocessesrsquoSimilarlyanotherteacherindicatedthatshenowknowsthatlsquopartnersreallymakeadifferencetotheoutcomersquoThiswasbecausethelessonstudyprocesshadhelpedherseethatpartneringlowerachievingchildrenwitheitherhigherachievingormiddleachievingpupilscanleadtothehigherabilitychildrenchallengingpushingandstretchingthelowerachieversAsaresultshewasmuchmoreactivelylsquomixingtalkpartnerssochildrenareworkingwithdifferentpartnersrsquoItseemsclearthereforethatourapproachtolessonstudydevelopedviaaDBRapproachndashwhichactivelypromotesreflectivedialogueviaaprocessof learningconversationsndashhasbeensuccessful inhelpingpractitionersreflectnotonlyonpupillearningbutalsowhatneedstochangeintermsoftheirteachingtofacilitatethislearning
Intermsofcapacitybuildingitisclearthatparticipantssawnotonlythebenefitsofengagingin lesson study but also the challenges that needed to be overcome in order to ensure itseffectiveoperation(Table4)Havingknowledgeof the former(combinedwithexperienceofa number of cycles of lesson study)means that participants now know how best tomakelessonstudyworkforthemInotherwordsbybuildingontheDBRelementoftheprojecttheteachersinvolvedcanensurethatmovingforwardtheytailorhowtheyfocuslessonstudytoachievemaximalbenefitforthemselvesandtheirpupilsLikewiseintermsofrollingouttheirownprogrammeoflessonstudyparticipantswillalsobeawareofthechallengesthatneedtobemetiftheyaretogetmostvaluefromtheprocessTheseincludeinparticulartherequirementtobuy-infromseniorleadersandtheneedforamodelofleadershipwithintheirschoolwhichpromotes the vision for and ensures the fosteringof a cultureof professional developmentbasedoncollaborativepeer-to-peersupport(includingthepromotionofthevaluesrequiredforlearningcommunitiestooperate)Alsokeywillbetheneedforseniorleaderstoprovidethenecessaryresourceandstructures(egtimeandspace)forsustainedandmeaningfullessonstudytobecomeareality(StollandFink1996Leithwoodet al2006)
Ourrevisedapproach tomeasuring impact toohasbeeneffectiveusing teacher-definedmeasuresofimpactprovidesamoreaccuratewayofunderstandingthedifferencethatlessonstudyactivityhasmadeInotherwordsunlikewithattainmentdatandashwhereitwouldbehardtoattributechangesinpupiloutcomesspecificallytolessonstudyactivity(asopposedtootherchangesincontextorintheteachingandlearningenvironment)ndashourapproachenabledteachersto focuson threepupils andhow they responded tovery specificchanges inapproaches topedagogicpracticebasedonanunderstandingandanassessmentofthesepupilsrsquobehavioursandattitudesbothbeforeandaftertheuseofthepracticeImportantlythisimpactdataisalsolsquotriangulatedrsquosincethepractitionerwhoisteachingaswellasthoseobservingmustcometoanagreementastowhathappenedandwhyLikewisethentheoverallperceptionsofimpactscoreswerediscussedandagreeduponintriadsgivingweighttotheirvalidityGiventhisitisencouragingtonotethatmostscoresprovidedsuggest that the lessonstudyapproachdoesimpactpositivelyonpupilbehavioursandattitudestolearningAscanbeseeninTable385per
18 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
centofpupilsbenefitedfromtheirteachersengagingintheprojectwithoverathird(36percent)benefitingbyanincreaseintheirperformancescoreby50percentormore
Summary
FortheHaverstockPrimarytoSecondaryTransitionProjectweemployedaDBRapproachtothedevelopmentand implementationof lessonstudy inordertohelppractitionersexamineandbegintotacklesomeoftheissuesassociatedwithprimarytosecondarytransitionDoingsoenabledtheprojectteamandparticipantstocollaborativelydevelopatheoryofactionfortheprojectwhichenabledustoconsidernotionsoflearningandlearningconversationsaswellasameansofdeliveringlessonstudyinkeepingwiththistheoryofactionAswellasthiswewerealsoabletoestablishawayofmeasuringimpactforsituations(suchaswhenprimaryandsecondaryteachersworkonjointprojects)wherebecausethereisnoday-to-dayinteractionandcollaborationthereisnonaturallyoccurringbaselineandnocommonapproachtopedagogy
InlightoftheaboveweconcludethatusingDBRhasbeenvitalnotonlytothesuccessoftheprojectbutalsotoitslong-termsustainabilityfollowingtheprojectrsquosendHoweverweasresearchershavealsobenefitedfromengaginginDBRforinstancewehavegainedabetterunderstanding of how to engage in lesson study in a cross-phase way In addition the newapproachtomeasuringimpactthatemergedcannowbetriedandtestedinothercontextsascanourrevisedtheoryofactionforandapproachestooperationalizinglessonstudyThatisinkeepingwithAndersonandShattuck(2012)movingforwardwecantakewhatwehavelearnedandcontinuetocollaborativelyanditerativelyrefineourapproachsothatitiseffectiveineachnewcontextweintroduceittothushelpingtoservetoimprovethesystemrsquosoverallcapacityforsustainedchange
Notes on the contributors
ChrisBrown isaSeniorLectureratUCLInstituteofEducationUniversityCollegeLondon(DepartmentforLearningandLeadership) Chrishasextensiveexperienceofleadingarangeoffundedprojectsmanyofwhich seek tohelppractitioners to identify and scaleupbestpractice andwas recently awardedasignificant grant by the Education Endowment Foundation toworkwith over 100 primary schools inEnglandtoincreasetheiruseofresearch
CarolTaylor iscurrentlytheStrategicLeaderforCPDattheLondonCentreforLeadershipinLearningSheworkswithschoolsalliancesandlocalauthoritiesndashboth locallyandnationallyndash insupportingtheprofessionaldevelopmentoftheschoolworkforceCarolrecentlyco-ledtheNationalCollegeTeachingSchools Research and Development project involving over 60 schools across England She is activelyinvolvedinsupportingschoolsacrossLondontoembedpractitionerresearchandenquiryintopractice
LornaPonambalum isascienceteacherandAssistantHeadteacheratHaverstockSchoolCamdenLondonwheresheisalsoDesignatedSafeguardingOfficerLornahasbeeninvolvedinanumberoflessonstudyprojectsincludingtheprojectcoveredinthispaperwhichexaminedapproachestoimproveprimarytosecondarytransition
London Review of Education 19
Appendix Pupiloutcomesatstartandendofprojectwithevidencefromthetriadastowhytheseassessmentsweremade
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
4 Myanalysisoftheirworkbookandmyknowledgeoftheirin-classcontributions
6 Someimprovementswhenthechildismotivated
4 Under-confidentStruggleswhenworkingwithapartner
7 Moreconfidenceofownabilityandrecognizessupportfrompartner
4 AloofIssuesathome 4 Stillstrugglestopayattentionwhenworkinginpairs
5 Struggleswithusingsomeofthekeywords
7 Usesmorekeywordsinherwrittenwork(almostall)Expressingideasinabetterway
4 Struggleswiththekeywords 6 Bettersentencestructureandbetterlinkingofideas
3 Lacksconfidenceinspeakingandwriting
6 MoreconfidenceinverballyansweringquestionsputshandupmoreoftenWritingcanstillbeaproblem
3 NeverraiseshandsRefusedtospeakinpublicNosentencestructure
6 Leftbeforeendofprojectbutwasdemonstratingimprovedvocabularyconfidenceandwrittenwork
4 Notengagedvocabularyandliteraryworkpoor
9 REALLYengagedandimprovementinvocabularyandliterarysentencesimproved
5 Doesnrsquotusevocabularyaccuratelyandnotableintermsofwrittenwork
9 Vocabularyuseismoreaccurateandismuchmoreableintermsofwrittenwork
4 bull Didnotlistenoncarpetortoteachertalk
bull Firstcycleshowssignsofdisengagementinfeedback
bull Writingdifficulttounderstand
7 bull Morefocusedonthetaskonthecarpet
bull Betterqualityofwritingbetterfeedbackascycleprogressed
6 bull Toochattybull Distractedtalkpartnerbull Forgottocheckthroughand
punctuatebull Couldnotpeerassesswell
8 bull Betterlearningbehaviourbull Moreownershipofown
learningandcanselfandpeerassess
6 bull Pronetodistractionbull Unabletofollowaseriesof
instructions
7 bull Handuptoofferideasmorebull Slowlyandcarefullygetson
withataskbull Knowshowtopeerassess
20 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
3 Textsnotproducedwelldistractedanddistractingothers
6 Useofmetalanguagetextsproducedusingappropriategrammar
4 Paucityofideasworknotalwaysmakingsense
7 Takingcontrolofownlearningorganizingideasaboutgrammareffectivelymoreconfidenttostartwritingandproducingcompletetexts
5 Generallackofconfidencedespitebeingahighachiever
7 Textsproducedfullofideasinterviewswithobserversshowconfidencemoreconfidenceinhisideasprovidedheispartneredwithsomeonewhohefindssupportive
5 LackofinvolvementinlessonsPoorwritingandconfusedbymosttasks
7 HavingestablishedthatheappreciatesbeingprobedchallengedbyteachersIdedicatemoretimetoenablinghimtoprocessinformationthroughquestioningHenowoftenstartstasksquickerandtakesmorerisksHeisstillshyanddoesnrsquotusuallyvolunteer
3 Withdrawnndashnevercontributingandoptingoutoftasks
6 TriestasksndashnotalwayswithoutpromptingBeginningtotakerisksandoccasionallyvolunteersideas
7 VerylowconfidenceConsistentlypoorliteracyReluctancetocontributeWrittenworkwaspoorbutreflectedeffortofstudent
9 TriesreallyhardtocompleteworktothebestofherabilityStillrarelycontributesherideas
3 CompletelydisengagedseesnovalueinschoolNotansweringquestionsandtalkingaboutanythingelse
8 Nowfocusesonthefrontputshanduptalksaboutthetopicmostofthetime
6 Easilydistractedwillputhandupbutoftendoesnrsquothaveananswerwhenasked
8 Morefocusedwillstilloftennotlistenoninputbutisabletoasksomeoneelseratherthananadultorjustsittingthere
1 bull Getsoutofseatbull Shoutsoutbull Disturbsothers
na Pupilleftschool
9 Priorattainmentandclassroomobservations
9 Nodifferenceinliteracyattainmentwasconsistent
London Review of Education 21
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
3 Priorattainmentandclassroomobservations
4 Improvedconfidenceincomprehensionandwriting
3 Priorattainmentandclassroomobservations
4 Norealdifferencepossiblyslightlybetteratverbalizing
3 Effortscorelsquo3rsquoinfirstreportLeaningbackonchairnotfocuseddistracted
6 Morefocusmorelikelytoaskforhelpratherthanmisbehave
3 Effortscorelsquo3rsquoinfirstreportDistractingothers
3 NowrarelyinclassndashexclusionabsenceOnoccasionshowsexcellentprogressandcanworkindependently
4 Disengagedonwhole(althoughbaselineobservationswerecarriedoutonalsquogoodrsquoday)Rudenessnottrying
8 ReadingchallengingtextsandlookingupdifficultvocabularyindictionaryFewerdayswhenrefusestowork
3 Severallearningneedsandhashadtroublewithwriting
4 Increasedconfidenceinspellingandwriting(andenthusiasm)ndashespeciallycreativelyContinuestostrugglewithcomprehensionHasmadeprogressaccordingtoassessedwork
5 Asabovealthoughadisparitybetweenqualityandquantityofspokenandwrittenwork
na Haslefttheschool
3 MorewillingtowritethantalkatlengthWritingpoorqualityPoorattentionandbehaviouralissuesasbarrierstolearning
5 HasimprovedappreciablyintermsofspokencontributionstowrittenworkStillpresentsbehaviouralproblemsasmainbarriertoprogressHasmadetwosub-levelsofprogressthisyear(basedonanalysisofclasswork)
6 Readingfictionpooruseofsciencevocab
6 Nothingverydifferent
5 Noattempttousesciencevocab 7 Tryingtousesciencevocab
3 Verypoorengagementwithlargerwrittentasks
7 Betterengagementwithtaskandproductionofhigherlevelworkwithbettervocab
4 Unwillingtodiscusswithinterviewee
5 Writesmoretriestowriteindetailthoughremainsunwillingtoshareideaswritteninclassndashdependentonwork-partner
22 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
4 Willanswerquestionsifverysureofanswer
6 Stillunwillingtoshareideasinclassbutwilluseconnectvocabularyifithasbeenembeddedstronglywithinlesson
4 Notinitiallywillingtoshareknowledgethoughdidcometothefrontofclassandshareideas
6 AbletodiscusswithintervieweeindetailinformationaboutexperimentStillsomewhatunwillingtoshare
5 Hesitanttoshareideasoranswerquestionsunlessspecificallyasked
7 Taskdependent
6 Alwayswillingtoshareideasalthoughnotnecessarilyaccurateformalscientificlanguage
8 Attemptstochoosehiswordswhenansweringquestionswhichisgreateffortfromthisstudent
2 Performancedependingonwhoshepartneredwith
3 Moreefforttotalkingroupshoweverthisisonlyasmallstepstillveryhesitantandseeksreassurancefromothers
3 Quietlyengagedndashlistensbutrarelysharesideas
6 MakingalargerefforttotalkwithinagroupStillhesitanttoshareinfrontofclassunlesssheknowsitrsquosright
6 Veryengagedandwillgenerallytalkandshareideasalthoughnotalwaysusingaccuratelanguage
8 Activelysharingandtalkingideasndashbacksupherstatementsusingreasonscanrejectothersrsquoopinionsandjustifywhy
6 AppearsdisengagedhoweverwithprobingdoesknowtheanswersNotalwaystalkingaboutthesubjectndashdependsonpersonwhoheispartneredwith
9 LovessharingideasconstantlyputtinghandupTriestousescientificlanguagendashnotasengagedinwrittentasks
References
AndersonTandShattuckJ(2012)lsquoDesign-basedresearchAdecadeofprogressineducationresearchrsquoEducational Researcher41(1)16ndash25
ArgyrisCandSchoumlnD(1996)Organizational Learning II Theory method and practice ReadingMAAddison-WesleyPublishingCompany
BrownC andRogers S (2015)lsquoKnowledge creation as an approach to facilitating evidence-informedpracticeExaminingwaystomeasurethesuccessofusingthismethodwithearlyyearspractitionersinCamden(London)rsquoJournal of Educational Change16(1)79ndash99
BrykAGomezL andGrunowA (2011)lsquoGetting ideas intoactionBuildingnetworked improvementcommunitiesineducationrsquoInHallinanM(ed)Frontiers in Sociology of Education Frontiers in Sociology and Social ResearchDordrechtNetherlandsSpringer127ndash62
London Review of Education 23
CamdenCouncil(2016)lsquoCamdenpartnershipforeducationalexcellencersquoOnlinewwwcamdengovukccmcontenteducationschoolscamden-partnership-for-educational-excellenceen(accessed1April2016)
Camden Education Commission (2011) Camden Education Commission Final report London CamdenChildrenrsquosTrustPartnershipBoardandLondonBoroughofCamden
CheungWMandWongWY(2014)lsquoDoeslessonstudyworkAsystematicreviewontheeffectsoflessonstudyandlearningstudyonteachersandstudentsrsquo International Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies3(2)137ndash49
CoburnCPenuelWandGeilK(2013)Research-Practice Partnerships A strategy for leveraging research for educational improvement in school districtsNewYorkWilliamTGrantFoundation
Cohen-Vogel LTichnor-WagnerAAllenD Harrison C Kainz K SocolAR andWangQ (2015)lsquoImplementingeducationalinnovationsatscaleTransformingresearchersintocontinuousimprovementscientistsrsquoEducational Policy29(1)257ndash77
Department for Children Schools and Families (DCSF) (2008) The National Strategies Strengthening transfers and transitions Partnerships for progressOnlinehttpderaioeacuk74641str_tt_prtnshp_prgrss08308pdf(requiressubscriptionaccessed5September2013)
DepartmentforEducation(2011)How do Pupils Progress During Key Stages 2 and 3ResearchreportDFE-RR096 Online wwwgovukgovernmentuploadssystemuploadsattachment_datafile182413DFE-RR096pdf(accessed1April2013)
Dudley P (2011) lsquoLesson study development in England From school networks to national policyrsquoInternational Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies1(1)85ndash100
ndashndash (2014) Lesson Study A handbook Online httplessonstudycoukwp-contentuploads201401new-handbook-early-years-edition2014-versionpdf(accessed21July2014)
EarleyPandPorrittV(2013)lsquoEvaluatingtheimpactofprofessionaldevelopmentTheneedforastudent-focusedapproachrsquoProfessional Development in Education40(1)112ndash29doi101080194152572013798741
EvangelouMTaggartBSylvaKMelhuishESammonsPandSiraj-BlatchfordI(2008)What Makes a Successful Transition from Primary to Secondary School NottinghamDCSF
FieldingMBraggSCraigJCunninghamIErautMGillinsonSHorneMRobinsonCandThorpJ(2005)lsquoFactorsinfluencingthetransferofgoodpracticersquoOnlinehttpderaioeacuk210011RR615pdf(accessed21July2014)
GaltonMGrayJandRudduckJ(1999)The Impact of School Transitions and Transfers on Pupil Progress and Attainment NottinghamDepartmentforEducationandEmployment
GeroG(2015)lsquoTheprospectsoflessonstudyintheUSTeachersupportandcomfortwithinadistrictcultureofcontrolrsquoInternational Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies4(1)7ndash25
GutierrezKandPenuelW(2014)lsquoRelevancetopracticeasacriterionforrigorrsquoEducational Researcher43(1)19ndash23
LeithwoodKDayCSammonsPHarrisAandHopkinsD(2006) Successful School Leadership What it is and how it influences student learning Researchreport800 LondonDepartmentforEducationandSkills
LewisC(2000)lsquoLessonstudyThecoreof JapaneseprofessionaldevelopmentrsquoPaperpresentedatTheAnnualMeetingoftheAmericanEducationalResearchAssociationNewOrleansLA24ndash8April2000
LincolnYandGubaE(1985)Naturalistic InquiryNewburyParkCASagePublicationsLondonBoroughofCamden(2012)Camden Education Commission Final reportOnlinehttpdemocracy
camdengovukdocumentss16322Camden20Education20Commission20Final20Reportpdf(accessed1April2013)
McGeeCWardRGibbons J andHarlowA (2004)Transition to Secondary School A literature reviewHamiltonNewZealandTheUniversityofWaikato
PenuelW FishmanBHauganC and SabelliN (2011)lsquoOrganizing research anddevelopment at theintersectionoflearningimplementationanddesignrsquoEducational Researcher40(7)331ndash7
PenuelWSunMFrankKandGallagherA(2012)UsingsocialnetworkanalysistostudyhowinteractionscanaugmentteacherlearningfromexternalprofessionaldevelopmentrsquoAmerican Journal of Education119(1)103ndash36
Shepherd J andRokerD (2005)lsquoAn evaluation of aldquotransition to secondary schoolrdquo project run bytheNationalPyramidTrustrsquoOnline wwwyoungpeopleinfocusorguk_assetsphpreportphpfile=37(accessed4September2013)
StollL(2012) lsquoStimulatinglearningconversationsrsquoProfessional Development Today14(4)6ndash12
24 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
StollLandBrownC(2015)lsquoMiddleleadersascatalystsforevidence-informedchangersquoInBrownC(ed)Leading the Use of Research and Evidence in SchoolsLondonIOEPress
StollLandFinkD(1996)Changing Our SchoolsBuckinghamOpenUniversityPressTree J(2011)lsquoWhathelpsstudentswithchallengingbehaviourmakeasuccessfultransfertosecondary
schoolrsquoDEdPsydissUniversityCollegeLondonInstituteofEducationTschannen-MoranM(2004)Trust Matters Leadership for successful schoolsSanFranciscoCAJossey-BassVanderlinde R and van Braak J (2010)lsquoThe gap between educational research and practiceViews of
teachers school leaders intermediariesandresearchersrsquoBritish Educational Research Journal36 (2)299ndash316
Related articles published in the London Review of Education
In this issue
ThispaperwaspublishedinaspecialfeatureoneducationinLondoneditedbyTamjidMujtabaTheotherarticlesinthefeatureareasfollows(linksunavailableattimeofpublication)
Cajic-SeigneurMandHodgsonA(2016)lsquoAlternativeeducationalprovision inanareaofdeprivation inLondonrsquoLondon Review of Education14(2)25ndash37
JerrimJandWynessG(2106)lsquoBenchmarkingLondoninthePISArankingsrsquoLondon Review of Education14(2)38ndash65
MujtabaT(2016)EditoriallsquoEducationinLondonChallengesandopportunitiesforyoungpeoplersquoLondon Review of Education14(2)1ndash3
MujtabaT and Reiss M (2016)lsquoGirls in the UK have similar reasons to boys for intending to studymathematics post-16 thanks to the support and encouragement they receiversquo London Review of Education14(2)66ndash82
StandishAHawleyT andWillyT (2016)lsquoThe LondonGeographyAlliance Re-connecting the schoolsubjectwiththeuniversitydisciplinersquoLondon Review of Education14(2)83ndash103
WrightP(2016)lsquoSocialjusticeinthemathematicsclassroomrsquoLondon Review of Education14(2)104ndash18
By the same authors
BrownC(2013)lsquoCritiqueandcomplexityPresentingamoreeffectivewaytoconceptualisetheknowledgeadoptionprocessrsquoLondon Review of Education11(1)32ndash45
BrownCandRogersS(2014)lsquoMeasuringtheeffectivenessofknowledgecreationasameansoffacilitatingevicence-informedpracticeinearlyyearssettingsinoneLondonboroughrsquoLondon Review of Education12(3)245ndash60
Elsewhere in the journal
LevinB(2011)lsquoMobilisingresearchknowledgeineducationrsquoLondon Review of Education9(1)15ndash26OakleyA(2003)lsquoResearchevidenceknowledgemanagementandeducationalpracticeEarlylessonsfrom
asystematicapproachrsquoLondon Review of Education1(1)21ndash33WatkinsC(2005)lsquoClassroomsaslearningcommunitiesAreviewofresearchrsquoLondon Review of Education
3(1)47ndash64
16 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
Learning about lesson study
FinallyweaskedparticipantstoanswerthefollowingquestionlsquoWhathaveyoulearnedaboutlessonstudyandhowtouseittodevelopteachingpracticersquoResponsesheredividednaturallyintothebenefitsandchallengesofusinglessonstudyandaresetoutinTable4
Table 4 Benefitsandchallengestousinglesson study (responsetoquestionlsquoWhathaveyoulearnedaboutlesson studyandhowtouseittodevelopteachingpracticersquo)
Question Responses
lsquoWhathaveyoulearnedaboutlessonstudyandhowtouseittodevelopteachingpracticersquo(Benefits)
bull lsquoObservingcolleaguesteachandpickingupideasstrategiessharingpracticeetcinrelationtoprimarytosecondarytransitionsrsquo
bull lsquoSharinggoodpractice[andfacilitateideasgeneration]rsquobull lsquoObservingin[other]schoolsandseeingthedifferencebetween
teachinginprimaryandsecondaryschoolsrsquobull lsquoChancetoseeotherCamdenclassesofthesameagersquobull lsquoIgetabetterunderstandingofhowImightstretchmoreable
year7studentsrsquobull lsquoExposuretootherteachersrsquostylesandpracticesrsquobull lsquoSupportivefeedbackandobservationsfromcolleaguesrsquobull Perspectiveseglsquothatyouwouldnotbeabletopickupabout
yourchildrenrsquoslearningfromthefrontoftheclassrsquoandlsquoafocusonchildrenwhomightslipunderteachersrsquoradarrsquosimilarlylsquohavingothersbeingabletowatchthechildrenhellip[and]noticingsomething[youhadnrsquot]rsquo
bull lsquoBecauseitrsquosplannedcollaborativelyyougettoseeyourworkinactionrsquo
lsquoWhathaveyoulearnedaboutlessonstudyandhowtouseittodevelopteachingpracticersquo(Challenges)
bull TimeeglsquoLotsoftimeoutofschoolrsquobull TimetablinglsquoFindingdatesthataremutuallyconvenientforthe
triorsquobull lsquoIncreasedworkloadinrelationtoplanningpreparingand
hostingthesessionrsquobull lsquoImmediateprogressnot[always]visiblersquobull lsquoNeedsbuy-infromSLTtohavemaximumimpactrsquosimilarly
lsquoLessonstudyislessimportantinsomeschoolsrsquobull lsquo[Thistypeofprocesscannotbeanadd-on]ifitcouldreplace
[currentprogrammeofobservations]wouldbegreatrsquobull lsquoThereisalreadytoomuchtotryandgetthroughinprimaryrsquo
InconsideringthechallengesitcanbeseethatinkeepingwithGero(2015)forlessonstudytobecarriedoutsuccessfullyrequiresthebuy-inandcommitmentofseniorleadersInparticularlessonstudyndashasa formofschool improvementndashneedstobeprioritizedbyschool leadersover other school improvement initiativeswith time and space given to enable teachers tomeaningfullyengageinlessonstudyactivityAswellasthecommentsinTable4thismessageisalsoreinforcedbythefactthatthreeschools(sixteachers)droppedoutafterthefirstlessonstudy citing competing pressures and priorities as well as involvement in too many schoolimprovementinitiativesInpartthisisbecausethebenefitsofengaginginthisapproachwerenotimmediatelyapparent
London Review of Education 17
Significance
From analysing the results it is clear that our approach has been effective in both changingteacherunderstandingandteachingpracticeandbuildingteachercapacitysothatparticipantsareabletoruntheirownprojectsmovingforwardStartingwiththefirstascanbeseeninTable2teacherswereabletoarticulatealogicalchainndashstartingwithwhattheywerelearningabouttheirpupilsthechangestheyweremakinginresponseandendingwithargumentsformakingthesechangesForexampleoneparticipantnotedlsquohowdifficultitis[forpupils]tounderstandscientifictermsandconceptswithoutcontextrsquoasaconsequencetheywerenowrehearsingnewscientificvocabularybecauselsquospendingmoretimelearningnewvocabulary[meansthatpupilsarebetterat]unpickingmeaningsandprocessesrsquoSimilarlyanotherteacherindicatedthatshenowknowsthatlsquopartnersreallymakeadifferencetotheoutcomersquoThiswasbecausethelessonstudyprocesshadhelpedherseethatpartneringlowerachievingchildrenwitheitherhigherachievingormiddleachievingpupilscanleadtothehigherabilitychildrenchallengingpushingandstretchingthelowerachieversAsaresultshewasmuchmoreactivelylsquomixingtalkpartnerssochildrenareworkingwithdifferentpartnersrsquoItseemsclearthereforethatourapproachtolessonstudydevelopedviaaDBRapproachndashwhichactivelypromotesreflectivedialogueviaaprocessof learningconversationsndashhasbeensuccessful inhelpingpractitionersreflectnotonlyonpupillearningbutalsowhatneedstochangeintermsoftheirteachingtofacilitatethislearning
Intermsofcapacitybuildingitisclearthatparticipantssawnotonlythebenefitsofengagingin lesson study but also the challenges that needed to be overcome in order to ensure itseffectiveoperation(Table4)Havingknowledgeof the former(combinedwithexperienceofa number of cycles of lesson study)means that participants now know how best tomakelessonstudyworkforthemInotherwordsbybuildingontheDBRelementoftheprojecttheteachersinvolvedcanensurethatmovingforwardtheytailorhowtheyfocuslessonstudytoachievemaximalbenefitforthemselvesandtheirpupilsLikewiseintermsofrollingouttheirownprogrammeoflessonstudyparticipantswillalsobeawareofthechallengesthatneedtobemetiftheyaretogetmostvaluefromtheprocessTheseincludeinparticulartherequirementtobuy-infromseniorleadersandtheneedforamodelofleadershipwithintheirschoolwhichpromotes the vision for and ensures the fosteringof a cultureof professional developmentbasedoncollaborativepeer-to-peersupport(includingthepromotionofthevaluesrequiredforlearningcommunitiestooperate)Alsokeywillbetheneedforseniorleaderstoprovidethenecessaryresourceandstructures(egtimeandspace)forsustainedandmeaningfullessonstudytobecomeareality(StollandFink1996Leithwoodet al2006)
Ourrevisedapproach tomeasuring impact toohasbeeneffectiveusing teacher-definedmeasuresofimpactprovidesamoreaccuratewayofunderstandingthedifferencethatlessonstudyactivityhasmadeInotherwordsunlikewithattainmentdatandashwhereitwouldbehardtoattributechangesinpupiloutcomesspecificallytolessonstudyactivity(asopposedtootherchangesincontextorintheteachingandlearningenvironment)ndashourapproachenabledteachersto focuson threepupils andhow they responded tovery specificchanges inapproaches topedagogicpracticebasedonanunderstandingandanassessmentofthesepupilsrsquobehavioursandattitudesbothbeforeandaftertheuseofthepracticeImportantlythisimpactdataisalsolsquotriangulatedrsquosincethepractitionerwhoisteachingaswellasthoseobservingmustcometoanagreementastowhathappenedandwhyLikewisethentheoverallperceptionsofimpactscoreswerediscussedandagreeduponintriadsgivingweighttotheirvalidityGiventhisitisencouragingtonotethatmostscoresprovidedsuggest that the lessonstudyapproachdoesimpactpositivelyonpupilbehavioursandattitudestolearningAscanbeseeninTable385per
18 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
centofpupilsbenefitedfromtheirteachersengagingintheprojectwithoverathird(36percent)benefitingbyanincreaseintheirperformancescoreby50percentormore
Summary
FortheHaverstockPrimarytoSecondaryTransitionProjectweemployedaDBRapproachtothedevelopmentand implementationof lessonstudy inordertohelppractitionersexamineandbegintotacklesomeoftheissuesassociatedwithprimarytosecondarytransitionDoingsoenabledtheprojectteamandparticipantstocollaborativelydevelopatheoryofactionfortheprojectwhichenabledustoconsidernotionsoflearningandlearningconversationsaswellasameansofdeliveringlessonstudyinkeepingwiththistheoryofactionAswellasthiswewerealsoabletoestablishawayofmeasuringimpactforsituations(suchaswhenprimaryandsecondaryteachersworkonjointprojects)wherebecausethereisnoday-to-dayinteractionandcollaborationthereisnonaturallyoccurringbaselineandnocommonapproachtopedagogy
InlightoftheaboveweconcludethatusingDBRhasbeenvitalnotonlytothesuccessoftheprojectbutalsotoitslong-termsustainabilityfollowingtheprojectrsquosendHoweverweasresearchershavealsobenefitedfromengaginginDBRforinstancewehavegainedabetterunderstanding of how to engage in lesson study in a cross-phase way In addition the newapproachtomeasuringimpactthatemergedcannowbetriedandtestedinothercontextsascanourrevisedtheoryofactionforandapproachestooperationalizinglessonstudyThatisinkeepingwithAndersonandShattuck(2012)movingforwardwecantakewhatwehavelearnedandcontinuetocollaborativelyanditerativelyrefineourapproachsothatitiseffectiveineachnewcontextweintroduceittothushelpingtoservetoimprovethesystemrsquosoverallcapacityforsustainedchange
Notes on the contributors
ChrisBrown isaSeniorLectureratUCLInstituteofEducationUniversityCollegeLondon(DepartmentforLearningandLeadership) Chrishasextensiveexperienceofleadingarangeoffundedprojectsmanyofwhich seek tohelppractitioners to identify and scaleupbestpractice andwas recently awardedasignificant grant by the Education Endowment Foundation toworkwith over 100 primary schools inEnglandtoincreasetheiruseofresearch
CarolTaylor iscurrentlytheStrategicLeaderforCPDattheLondonCentreforLeadershipinLearningSheworkswithschoolsalliancesandlocalauthoritiesndashboth locallyandnationallyndash insupportingtheprofessionaldevelopmentoftheschoolworkforceCarolrecentlyco-ledtheNationalCollegeTeachingSchools Research and Development project involving over 60 schools across England She is activelyinvolvedinsupportingschoolsacrossLondontoembedpractitionerresearchandenquiryintopractice
LornaPonambalum isascienceteacherandAssistantHeadteacheratHaverstockSchoolCamdenLondonwheresheisalsoDesignatedSafeguardingOfficerLornahasbeeninvolvedinanumberoflessonstudyprojectsincludingtheprojectcoveredinthispaperwhichexaminedapproachestoimproveprimarytosecondarytransition
London Review of Education 19
Appendix Pupiloutcomesatstartandendofprojectwithevidencefromthetriadastowhytheseassessmentsweremade
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
4 Myanalysisoftheirworkbookandmyknowledgeoftheirin-classcontributions
6 Someimprovementswhenthechildismotivated
4 Under-confidentStruggleswhenworkingwithapartner
7 Moreconfidenceofownabilityandrecognizessupportfrompartner
4 AloofIssuesathome 4 Stillstrugglestopayattentionwhenworkinginpairs
5 Struggleswithusingsomeofthekeywords
7 Usesmorekeywordsinherwrittenwork(almostall)Expressingideasinabetterway
4 Struggleswiththekeywords 6 Bettersentencestructureandbetterlinkingofideas
3 Lacksconfidenceinspeakingandwriting
6 MoreconfidenceinverballyansweringquestionsputshandupmoreoftenWritingcanstillbeaproblem
3 NeverraiseshandsRefusedtospeakinpublicNosentencestructure
6 Leftbeforeendofprojectbutwasdemonstratingimprovedvocabularyconfidenceandwrittenwork
4 Notengagedvocabularyandliteraryworkpoor
9 REALLYengagedandimprovementinvocabularyandliterarysentencesimproved
5 Doesnrsquotusevocabularyaccuratelyandnotableintermsofwrittenwork
9 Vocabularyuseismoreaccurateandismuchmoreableintermsofwrittenwork
4 bull Didnotlistenoncarpetortoteachertalk
bull Firstcycleshowssignsofdisengagementinfeedback
bull Writingdifficulttounderstand
7 bull Morefocusedonthetaskonthecarpet
bull Betterqualityofwritingbetterfeedbackascycleprogressed
6 bull Toochattybull Distractedtalkpartnerbull Forgottocheckthroughand
punctuatebull Couldnotpeerassesswell
8 bull Betterlearningbehaviourbull Moreownershipofown
learningandcanselfandpeerassess
6 bull Pronetodistractionbull Unabletofollowaseriesof
instructions
7 bull Handuptoofferideasmorebull Slowlyandcarefullygetson
withataskbull Knowshowtopeerassess
20 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
3 Textsnotproducedwelldistractedanddistractingothers
6 Useofmetalanguagetextsproducedusingappropriategrammar
4 Paucityofideasworknotalwaysmakingsense
7 Takingcontrolofownlearningorganizingideasaboutgrammareffectivelymoreconfidenttostartwritingandproducingcompletetexts
5 Generallackofconfidencedespitebeingahighachiever
7 Textsproducedfullofideasinterviewswithobserversshowconfidencemoreconfidenceinhisideasprovidedheispartneredwithsomeonewhohefindssupportive
5 LackofinvolvementinlessonsPoorwritingandconfusedbymosttasks
7 HavingestablishedthatheappreciatesbeingprobedchallengedbyteachersIdedicatemoretimetoenablinghimtoprocessinformationthroughquestioningHenowoftenstartstasksquickerandtakesmorerisksHeisstillshyanddoesnrsquotusuallyvolunteer
3 Withdrawnndashnevercontributingandoptingoutoftasks
6 TriestasksndashnotalwayswithoutpromptingBeginningtotakerisksandoccasionallyvolunteersideas
7 VerylowconfidenceConsistentlypoorliteracyReluctancetocontributeWrittenworkwaspoorbutreflectedeffortofstudent
9 TriesreallyhardtocompleteworktothebestofherabilityStillrarelycontributesherideas
3 CompletelydisengagedseesnovalueinschoolNotansweringquestionsandtalkingaboutanythingelse
8 Nowfocusesonthefrontputshanduptalksaboutthetopicmostofthetime
6 Easilydistractedwillputhandupbutoftendoesnrsquothaveananswerwhenasked
8 Morefocusedwillstilloftennotlistenoninputbutisabletoasksomeoneelseratherthananadultorjustsittingthere
1 bull Getsoutofseatbull Shoutsoutbull Disturbsothers
na Pupilleftschool
9 Priorattainmentandclassroomobservations
9 Nodifferenceinliteracyattainmentwasconsistent
London Review of Education 21
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
3 Priorattainmentandclassroomobservations
4 Improvedconfidenceincomprehensionandwriting
3 Priorattainmentandclassroomobservations
4 Norealdifferencepossiblyslightlybetteratverbalizing
3 Effortscorelsquo3rsquoinfirstreportLeaningbackonchairnotfocuseddistracted
6 Morefocusmorelikelytoaskforhelpratherthanmisbehave
3 Effortscorelsquo3rsquoinfirstreportDistractingothers
3 NowrarelyinclassndashexclusionabsenceOnoccasionshowsexcellentprogressandcanworkindependently
4 Disengagedonwhole(althoughbaselineobservationswerecarriedoutonalsquogoodrsquoday)Rudenessnottrying
8 ReadingchallengingtextsandlookingupdifficultvocabularyindictionaryFewerdayswhenrefusestowork
3 Severallearningneedsandhashadtroublewithwriting
4 Increasedconfidenceinspellingandwriting(andenthusiasm)ndashespeciallycreativelyContinuestostrugglewithcomprehensionHasmadeprogressaccordingtoassessedwork
5 Asabovealthoughadisparitybetweenqualityandquantityofspokenandwrittenwork
na Haslefttheschool
3 MorewillingtowritethantalkatlengthWritingpoorqualityPoorattentionandbehaviouralissuesasbarrierstolearning
5 HasimprovedappreciablyintermsofspokencontributionstowrittenworkStillpresentsbehaviouralproblemsasmainbarriertoprogressHasmadetwosub-levelsofprogressthisyear(basedonanalysisofclasswork)
6 Readingfictionpooruseofsciencevocab
6 Nothingverydifferent
5 Noattempttousesciencevocab 7 Tryingtousesciencevocab
3 Verypoorengagementwithlargerwrittentasks
7 Betterengagementwithtaskandproductionofhigherlevelworkwithbettervocab
4 Unwillingtodiscusswithinterviewee
5 Writesmoretriestowriteindetailthoughremainsunwillingtoshareideaswritteninclassndashdependentonwork-partner
22 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
4 Willanswerquestionsifverysureofanswer
6 Stillunwillingtoshareideasinclassbutwilluseconnectvocabularyifithasbeenembeddedstronglywithinlesson
4 Notinitiallywillingtoshareknowledgethoughdidcometothefrontofclassandshareideas
6 AbletodiscusswithintervieweeindetailinformationaboutexperimentStillsomewhatunwillingtoshare
5 Hesitanttoshareideasoranswerquestionsunlessspecificallyasked
7 Taskdependent
6 Alwayswillingtoshareideasalthoughnotnecessarilyaccurateformalscientificlanguage
8 Attemptstochoosehiswordswhenansweringquestionswhichisgreateffortfromthisstudent
2 Performancedependingonwhoshepartneredwith
3 Moreefforttotalkingroupshoweverthisisonlyasmallstepstillveryhesitantandseeksreassurancefromothers
3 Quietlyengagedndashlistensbutrarelysharesideas
6 MakingalargerefforttotalkwithinagroupStillhesitanttoshareinfrontofclassunlesssheknowsitrsquosright
6 Veryengagedandwillgenerallytalkandshareideasalthoughnotalwaysusingaccuratelanguage
8 Activelysharingandtalkingideasndashbacksupherstatementsusingreasonscanrejectothersrsquoopinionsandjustifywhy
6 AppearsdisengagedhoweverwithprobingdoesknowtheanswersNotalwaystalkingaboutthesubjectndashdependsonpersonwhoheispartneredwith
9 LovessharingideasconstantlyputtinghandupTriestousescientificlanguagendashnotasengagedinwrittentasks
References
AndersonTandShattuckJ(2012)lsquoDesign-basedresearchAdecadeofprogressineducationresearchrsquoEducational Researcher41(1)16ndash25
ArgyrisCandSchoumlnD(1996)Organizational Learning II Theory method and practice ReadingMAAddison-WesleyPublishingCompany
BrownC andRogers S (2015)lsquoKnowledge creation as an approach to facilitating evidence-informedpracticeExaminingwaystomeasurethesuccessofusingthismethodwithearlyyearspractitionersinCamden(London)rsquoJournal of Educational Change16(1)79ndash99
BrykAGomezL andGrunowA (2011)lsquoGetting ideas intoactionBuildingnetworked improvementcommunitiesineducationrsquoInHallinanM(ed)Frontiers in Sociology of Education Frontiers in Sociology and Social ResearchDordrechtNetherlandsSpringer127ndash62
London Review of Education 23
CamdenCouncil(2016)lsquoCamdenpartnershipforeducationalexcellencersquoOnlinewwwcamdengovukccmcontenteducationschoolscamden-partnership-for-educational-excellenceen(accessed1April2016)
Camden Education Commission (2011) Camden Education Commission Final report London CamdenChildrenrsquosTrustPartnershipBoardandLondonBoroughofCamden
CheungWMandWongWY(2014)lsquoDoeslessonstudyworkAsystematicreviewontheeffectsoflessonstudyandlearningstudyonteachersandstudentsrsquo International Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies3(2)137ndash49
CoburnCPenuelWandGeilK(2013)Research-Practice Partnerships A strategy for leveraging research for educational improvement in school districtsNewYorkWilliamTGrantFoundation
Cohen-Vogel LTichnor-WagnerAAllenD Harrison C Kainz K SocolAR andWangQ (2015)lsquoImplementingeducationalinnovationsatscaleTransformingresearchersintocontinuousimprovementscientistsrsquoEducational Policy29(1)257ndash77
Department for Children Schools and Families (DCSF) (2008) The National Strategies Strengthening transfers and transitions Partnerships for progressOnlinehttpderaioeacuk74641str_tt_prtnshp_prgrss08308pdf(requiressubscriptionaccessed5September2013)
DepartmentforEducation(2011)How do Pupils Progress During Key Stages 2 and 3ResearchreportDFE-RR096 Online wwwgovukgovernmentuploadssystemuploadsattachment_datafile182413DFE-RR096pdf(accessed1April2013)
Dudley P (2011) lsquoLesson study development in England From school networks to national policyrsquoInternational Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies1(1)85ndash100
ndashndash (2014) Lesson Study A handbook Online httplessonstudycoukwp-contentuploads201401new-handbook-early-years-edition2014-versionpdf(accessed21July2014)
EarleyPandPorrittV(2013)lsquoEvaluatingtheimpactofprofessionaldevelopmentTheneedforastudent-focusedapproachrsquoProfessional Development in Education40(1)112ndash29doi101080194152572013798741
EvangelouMTaggartBSylvaKMelhuishESammonsPandSiraj-BlatchfordI(2008)What Makes a Successful Transition from Primary to Secondary School NottinghamDCSF
FieldingMBraggSCraigJCunninghamIErautMGillinsonSHorneMRobinsonCandThorpJ(2005)lsquoFactorsinfluencingthetransferofgoodpracticersquoOnlinehttpderaioeacuk210011RR615pdf(accessed21July2014)
GaltonMGrayJandRudduckJ(1999)The Impact of School Transitions and Transfers on Pupil Progress and Attainment NottinghamDepartmentforEducationandEmployment
GeroG(2015)lsquoTheprospectsoflessonstudyintheUSTeachersupportandcomfortwithinadistrictcultureofcontrolrsquoInternational Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies4(1)7ndash25
GutierrezKandPenuelW(2014)lsquoRelevancetopracticeasacriterionforrigorrsquoEducational Researcher43(1)19ndash23
LeithwoodKDayCSammonsPHarrisAandHopkinsD(2006) Successful School Leadership What it is and how it influences student learning Researchreport800 LondonDepartmentforEducationandSkills
LewisC(2000)lsquoLessonstudyThecoreof JapaneseprofessionaldevelopmentrsquoPaperpresentedatTheAnnualMeetingoftheAmericanEducationalResearchAssociationNewOrleansLA24ndash8April2000
LincolnYandGubaE(1985)Naturalistic InquiryNewburyParkCASagePublicationsLondonBoroughofCamden(2012)Camden Education Commission Final reportOnlinehttpdemocracy
camdengovukdocumentss16322Camden20Education20Commission20Final20Reportpdf(accessed1April2013)
McGeeCWardRGibbons J andHarlowA (2004)Transition to Secondary School A literature reviewHamiltonNewZealandTheUniversityofWaikato
PenuelW FishmanBHauganC and SabelliN (2011)lsquoOrganizing research anddevelopment at theintersectionoflearningimplementationanddesignrsquoEducational Researcher40(7)331ndash7
PenuelWSunMFrankKandGallagherA(2012)UsingsocialnetworkanalysistostudyhowinteractionscanaugmentteacherlearningfromexternalprofessionaldevelopmentrsquoAmerican Journal of Education119(1)103ndash36
Shepherd J andRokerD (2005)lsquoAn evaluation of aldquotransition to secondary schoolrdquo project run bytheNationalPyramidTrustrsquoOnline wwwyoungpeopleinfocusorguk_assetsphpreportphpfile=37(accessed4September2013)
StollL(2012) lsquoStimulatinglearningconversationsrsquoProfessional Development Today14(4)6ndash12
24 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
StollLandBrownC(2015)lsquoMiddleleadersascatalystsforevidence-informedchangersquoInBrownC(ed)Leading the Use of Research and Evidence in SchoolsLondonIOEPress
StollLandFinkD(1996)Changing Our SchoolsBuckinghamOpenUniversityPressTree J(2011)lsquoWhathelpsstudentswithchallengingbehaviourmakeasuccessfultransfertosecondary
schoolrsquoDEdPsydissUniversityCollegeLondonInstituteofEducationTschannen-MoranM(2004)Trust Matters Leadership for successful schoolsSanFranciscoCAJossey-BassVanderlinde R and van Braak J (2010)lsquoThe gap between educational research and practiceViews of
teachers school leaders intermediariesandresearchersrsquoBritish Educational Research Journal36 (2)299ndash316
Related articles published in the London Review of Education
In this issue
ThispaperwaspublishedinaspecialfeatureoneducationinLondoneditedbyTamjidMujtabaTheotherarticlesinthefeatureareasfollows(linksunavailableattimeofpublication)
Cajic-SeigneurMandHodgsonA(2016)lsquoAlternativeeducationalprovision inanareaofdeprivation inLondonrsquoLondon Review of Education14(2)25ndash37
JerrimJandWynessG(2106)lsquoBenchmarkingLondoninthePISArankingsrsquoLondon Review of Education14(2)38ndash65
MujtabaT(2016)EditoriallsquoEducationinLondonChallengesandopportunitiesforyoungpeoplersquoLondon Review of Education14(2)1ndash3
MujtabaT and Reiss M (2016)lsquoGirls in the UK have similar reasons to boys for intending to studymathematics post-16 thanks to the support and encouragement they receiversquo London Review of Education14(2)66ndash82
StandishAHawleyT andWillyT (2016)lsquoThe LondonGeographyAlliance Re-connecting the schoolsubjectwiththeuniversitydisciplinersquoLondon Review of Education14(2)83ndash103
WrightP(2016)lsquoSocialjusticeinthemathematicsclassroomrsquoLondon Review of Education14(2)104ndash18
By the same authors
BrownC(2013)lsquoCritiqueandcomplexityPresentingamoreeffectivewaytoconceptualisetheknowledgeadoptionprocessrsquoLondon Review of Education11(1)32ndash45
BrownCandRogersS(2014)lsquoMeasuringtheeffectivenessofknowledgecreationasameansoffacilitatingevicence-informedpracticeinearlyyearssettingsinoneLondonboroughrsquoLondon Review of Education12(3)245ndash60
Elsewhere in the journal
LevinB(2011)lsquoMobilisingresearchknowledgeineducationrsquoLondon Review of Education9(1)15ndash26OakleyA(2003)lsquoResearchevidenceknowledgemanagementandeducationalpracticeEarlylessonsfrom
asystematicapproachrsquoLondon Review of Education1(1)21ndash33WatkinsC(2005)lsquoClassroomsaslearningcommunitiesAreviewofresearchrsquoLondon Review of Education
3(1)47ndash64
London Review of Education 17
Significance
From analysing the results it is clear that our approach has been effective in both changingteacherunderstandingandteachingpracticeandbuildingteachercapacitysothatparticipantsareabletoruntheirownprojectsmovingforwardStartingwiththefirstascanbeseeninTable2teacherswereabletoarticulatealogicalchainndashstartingwithwhattheywerelearningabouttheirpupilsthechangestheyweremakinginresponseandendingwithargumentsformakingthesechangesForexampleoneparticipantnotedlsquohowdifficultitis[forpupils]tounderstandscientifictermsandconceptswithoutcontextrsquoasaconsequencetheywerenowrehearsingnewscientificvocabularybecauselsquospendingmoretimelearningnewvocabulary[meansthatpupilsarebetterat]unpickingmeaningsandprocessesrsquoSimilarlyanotherteacherindicatedthatshenowknowsthatlsquopartnersreallymakeadifferencetotheoutcomersquoThiswasbecausethelessonstudyprocesshadhelpedherseethatpartneringlowerachievingchildrenwitheitherhigherachievingormiddleachievingpupilscanleadtothehigherabilitychildrenchallengingpushingandstretchingthelowerachieversAsaresultshewasmuchmoreactivelylsquomixingtalkpartnerssochildrenareworkingwithdifferentpartnersrsquoItseemsclearthereforethatourapproachtolessonstudydevelopedviaaDBRapproachndashwhichactivelypromotesreflectivedialogueviaaprocessof learningconversationsndashhasbeensuccessful inhelpingpractitionersreflectnotonlyonpupillearningbutalsowhatneedstochangeintermsoftheirteachingtofacilitatethislearning
Intermsofcapacitybuildingitisclearthatparticipantssawnotonlythebenefitsofengagingin lesson study but also the challenges that needed to be overcome in order to ensure itseffectiveoperation(Table4)Havingknowledgeof the former(combinedwithexperienceofa number of cycles of lesson study)means that participants now know how best tomakelessonstudyworkforthemInotherwordsbybuildingontheDBRelementoftheprojecttheteachersinvolvedcanensurethatmovingforwardtheytailorhowtheyfocuslessonstudytoachievemaximalbenefitforthemselvesandtheirpupilsLikewiseintermsofrollingouttheirownprogrammeoflessonstudyparticipantswillalsobeawareofthechallengesthatneedtobemetiftheyaretogetmostvaluefromtheprocessTheseincludeinparticulartherequirementtobuy-infromseniorleadersandtheneedforamodelofleadershipwithintheirschoolwhichpromotes the vision for and ensures the fosteringof a cultureof professional developmentbasedoncollaborativepeer-to-peersupport(includingthepromotionofthevaluesrequiredforlearningcommunitiestooperate)Alsokeywillbetheneedforseniorleaderstoprovidethenecessaryresourceandstructures(egtimeandspace)forsustainedandmeaningfullessonstudytobecomeareality(StollandFink1996Leithwoodet al2006)
Ourrevisedapproach tomeasuring impact toohasbeeneffectiveusing teacher-definedmeasuresofimpactprovidesamoreaccuratewayofunderstandingthedifferencethatlessonstudyactivityhasmadeInotherwordsunlikewithattainmentdatandashwhereitwouldbehardtoattributechangesinpupiloutcomesspecificallytolessonstudyactivity(asopposedtootherchangesincontextorintheteachingandlearningenvironment)ndashourapproachenabledteachersto focuson threepupils andhow they responded tovery specificchanges inapproaches topedagogicpracticebasedonanunderstandingandanassessmentofthesepupilsrsquobehavioursandattitudesbothbeforeandaftertheuseofthepracticeImportantlythisimpactdataisalsolsquotriangulatedrsquosincethepractitionerwhoisteachingaswellasthoseobservingmustcometoanagreementastowhathappenedandwhyLikewisethentheoverallperceptionsofimpactscoreswerediscussedandagreeduponintriadsgivingweighttotheirvalidityGiventhisitisencouragingtonotethatmostscoresprovidedsuggest that the lessonstudyapproachdoesimpactpositivelyonpupilbehavioursandattitudestolearningAscanbeseeninTable385per
18 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
centofpupilsbenefitedfromtheirteachersengagingintheprojectwithoverathird(36percent)benefitingbyanincreaseintheirperformancescoreby50percentormore
Summary
FortheHaverstockPrimarytoSecondaryTransitionProjectweemployedaDBRapproachtothedevelopmentand implementationof lessonstudy inordertohelppractitionersexamineandbegintotacklesomeoftheissuesassociatedwithprimarytosecondarytransitionDoingsoenabledtheprojectteamandparticipantstocollaborativelydevelopatheoryofactionfortheprojectwhichenabledustoconsidernotionsoflearningandlearningconversationsaswellasameansofdeliveringlessonstudyinkeepingwiththistheoryofactionAswellasthiswewerealsoabletoestablishawayofmeasuringimpactforsituations(suchaswhenprimaryandsecondaryteachersworkonjointprojects)wherebecausethereisnoday-to-dayinteractionandcollaborationthereisnonaturallyoccurringbaselineandnocommonapproachtopedagogy
InlightoftheaboveweconcludethatusingDBRhasbeenvitalnotonlytothesuccessoftheprojectbutalsotoitslong-termsustainabilityfollowingtheprojectrsquosendHoweverweasresearchershavealsobenefitedfromengaginginDBRforinstancewehavegainedabetterunderstanding of how to engage in lesson study in a cross-phase way In addition the newapproachtomeasuringimpactthatemergedcannowbetriedandtestedinothercontextsascanourrevisedtheoryofactionforandapproachestooperationalizinglessonstudyThatisinkeepingwithAndersonandShattuck(2012)movingforwardwecantakewhatwehavelearnedandcontinuetocollaborativelyanditerativelyrefineourapproachsothatitiseffectiveineachnewcontextweintroduceittothushelpingtoservetoimprovethesystemrsquosoverallcapacityforsustainedchange
Notes on the contributors
ChrisBrown isaSeniorLectureratUCLInstituteofEducationUniversityCollegeLondon(DepartmentforLearningandLeadership) Chrishasextensiveexperienceofleadingarangeoffundedprojectsmanyofwhich seek tohelppractitioners to identify and scaleupbestpractice andwas recently awardedasignificant grant by the Education Endowment Foundation toworkwith over 100 primary schools inEnglandtoincreasetheiruseofresearch
CarolTaylor iscurrentlytheStrategicLeaderforCPDattheLondonCentreforLeadershipinLearningSheworkswithschoolsalliancesandlocalauthoritiesndashboth locallyandnationallyndash insupportingtheprofessionaldevelopmentoftheschoolworkforceCarolrecentlyco-ledtheNationalCollegeTeachingSchools Research and Development project involving over 60 schools across England She is activelyinvolvedinsupportingschoolsacrossLondontoembedpractitionerresearchandenquiryintopractice
LornaPonambalum isascienceteacherandAssistantHeadteacheratHaverstockSchoolCamdenLondonwheresheisalsoDesignatedSafeguardingOfficerLornahasbeeninvolvedinanumberoflessonstudyprojectsincludingtheprojectcoveredinthispaperwhichexaminedapproachestoimproveprimarytosecondarytransition
London Review of Education 19
Appendix Pupiloutcomesatstartandendofprojectwithevidencefromthetriadastowhytheseassessmentsweremade
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
4 Myanalysisoftheirworkbookandmyknowledgeoftheirin-classcontributions
6 Someimprovementswhenthechildismotivated
4 Under-confidentStruggleswhenworkingwithapartner
7 Moreconfidenceofownabilityandrecognizessupportfrompartner
4 AloofIssuesathome 4 Stillstrugglestopayattentionwhenworkinginpairs
5 Struggleswithusingsomeofthekeywords
7 Usesmorekeywordsinherwrittenwork(almostall)Expressingideasinabetterway
4 Struggleswiththekeywords 6 Bettersentencestructureandbetterlinkingofideas
3 Lacksconfidenceinspeakingandwriting
6 MoreconfidenceinverballyansweringquestionsputshandupmoreoftenWritingcanstillbeaproblem
3 NeverraiseshandsRefusedtospeakinpublicNosentencestructure
6 Leftbeforeendofprojectbutwasdemonstratingimprovedvocabularyconfidenceandwrittenwork
4 Notengagedvocabularyandliteraryworkpoor
9 REALLYengagedandimprovementinvocabularyandliterarysentencesimproved
5 Doesnrsquotusevocabularyaccuratelyandnotableintermsofwrittenwork
9 Vocabularyuseismoreaccurateandismuchmoreableintermsofwrittenwork
4 bull Didnotlistenoncarpetortoteachertalk
bull Firstcycleshowssignsofdisengagementinfeedback
bull Writingdifficulttounderstand
7 bull Morefocusedonthetaskonthecarpet
bull Betterqualityofwritingbetterfeedbackascycleprogressed
6 bull Toochattybull Distractedtalkpartnerbull Forgottocheckthroughand
punctuatebull Couldnotpeerassesswell
8 bull Betterlearningbehaviourbull Moreownershipofown
learningandcanselfandpeerassess
6 bull Pronetodistractionbull Unabletofollowaseriesof
instructions
7 bull Handuptoofferideasmorebull Slowlyandcarefullygetson
withataskbull Knowshowtopeerassess
20 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
3 Textsnotproducedwelldistractedanddistractingothers
6 Useofmetalanguagetextsproducedusingappropriategrammar
4 Paucityofideasworknotalwaysmakingsense
7 Takingcontrolofownlearningorganizingideasaboutgrammareffectivelymoreconfidenttostartwritingandproducingcompletetexts
5 Generallackofconfidencedespitebeingahighachiever
7 Textsproducedfullofideasinterviewswithobserversshowconfidencemoreconfidenceinhisideasprovidedheispartneredwithsomeonewhohefindssupportive
5 LackofinvolvementinlessonsPoorwritingandconfusedbymosttasks
7 HavingestablishedthatheappreciatesbeingprobedchallengedbyteachersIdedicatemoretimetoenablinghimtoprocessinformationthroughquestioningHenowoftenstartstasksquickerandtakesmorerisksHeisstillshyanddoesnrsquotusuallyvolunteer
3 Withdrawnndashnevercontributingandoptingoutoftasks
6 TriestasksndashnotalwayswithoutpromptingBeginningtotakerisksandoccasionallyvolunteersideas
7 VerylowconfidenceConsistentlypoorliteracyReluctancetocontributeWrittenworkwaspoorbutreflectedeffortofstudent
9 TriesreallyhardtocompleteworktothebestofherabilityStillrarelycontributesherideas
3 CompletelydisengagedseesnovalueinschoolNotansweringquestionsandtalkingaboutanythingelse
8 Nowfocusesonthefrontputshanduptalksaboutthetopicmostofthetime
6 Easilydistractedwillputhandupbutoftendoesnrsquothaveananswerwhenasked
8 Morefocusedwillstilloftennotlistenoninputbutisabletoasksomeoneelseratherthananadultorjustsittingthere
1 bull Getsoutofseatbull Shoutsoutbull Disturbsothers
na Pupilleftschool
9 Priorattainmentandclassroomobservations
9 Nodifferenceinliteracyattainmentwasconsistent
London Review of Education 21
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
3 Priorattainmentandclassroomobservations
4 Improvedconfidenceincomprehensionandwriting
3 Priorattainmentandclassroomobservations
4 Norealdifferencepossiblyslightlybetteratverbalizing
3 Effortscorelsquo3rsquoinfirstreportLeaningbackonchairnotfocuseddistracted
6 Morefocusmorelikelytoaskforhelpratherthanmisbehave
3 Effortscorelsquo3rsquoinfirstreportDistractingothers
3 NowrarelyinclassndashexclusionabsenceOnoccasionshowsexcellentprogressandcanworkindependently
4 Disengagedonwhole(althoughbaselineobservationswerecarriedoutonalsquogoodrsquoday)Rudenessnottrying
8 ReadingchallengingtextsandlookingupdifficultvocabularyindictionaryFewerdayswhenrefusestowork
3 Severallearningneedsandhashadtroublewithwriting
4 Increasedconfidenceinspellingandwriting(andenthusiasm)ndashespeciallycreativelyContinuestostrugglewithcomprehensionHasmadeprogressaccordingtoassessedwork
5 Asabovealthoughadisparitybetweenqualityandquantityofspokenandwrittenwork
na Haslefttheschool
3 MorewillingtowritethantalkatlengthWritingpoorqualityPoorattentionandbehaviouralissuesasbarrierstolearning
5 HasimprovedappreciablyintermsofspokencontributionstowrittenworkStillpresentsbehaviouralproblemsasmainbarriertoprogressHasmadetwosub-levelsofprogressthisyear(basedonanalysisofclasswork)
6 Readingfictionpooruseofsciencevocab
6 Nothingverydifferent
5 Noattempttousesciencevocab 7 Tryingtousesciencevocab
3 Verypoorengagementwithlargerwrittentasks
7 Betterengagementwithtaskandproductionofhigherlevelworkwithbettervocab
4 Unwillingtodiscusswithinterviewee
5 Writesmoretriestowriteindetailthoughremainsunwillingtoshareideaswritteninclassndashdependentonwork-partner
22 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
4 Willanswerquestionsifverysureofanswer
6 Stillunwillingtoshareideasinclassbutwilluseconnectvocabularyifithasbeenembeddedstronglywithinlesson
4 Notinitiallywillingtoshareknowledgethoughdidcometothefrontofclassandshareideas
6 AbletodiscusswithintervieweeindetailinformationaboutexperimentStillsomewhatunwillingtoshare
5 Hesitanttoshareideasoranswerquestionsunlessspecificallyasked
7 Taskdependent
6 Alwayswillingtoshareideasalthoughnotnecessarilyaccurateformalscientificlanguage
8 Attemptstochoosehiswordswhenansweringquestionswhichisgreateffortfromthisstudent
2 Performancedependingonwhoshepartneredwith
3 Moreefforttotalkingroupshoweverthisisonlyasmallstepstillveryhesitantandseeksreassurancefromothers
3 Quietlyengagedndashlistensbutrarelysharesideas
6 MakingalargerefforttotalkwithinagroupStillhesitanttoshareinfrontofclassunlesssheknowsitrsquosright
6 Veryengagedandwillgenerallytalkandshareideasalthoughnotalwaysusingaccuratelanguage
8 Activelysharingandtalkingideasndashbacksupherstatementsusingreasonscanrejectothersrsquoopinionsandjustifywhy
6 AppearsdisengagedhoweverwithprobingdoesknowtheanswersNotalwaystalkingaboutthesubjectndashdependsonpersonwhoheispartneredwith
9 LovessharingideasconstantlyputtinghandupTriestousescientificlanguagendashnotasengagedinwrittentasks
References
AndersonTandShattuckJ(2012)lsquoDesign-basedresearchAdecadeofprogressineducationresearchrsquoEducational Researcher41(1)16ndash25
ArgyrisCandSchoumlnD(1996)Organizational Learning II Theory method and practice ReadingMAAddison-WesleyPublishingCompany
BrownC andRogers S (2015)lsquoKnowledge creation as an approach to facilitating evidence-informedpracticeExaminingwaystomeasurethesuccessofusingthismethodwithearlyyearspractitionersinCamden(London)rsquoJournal of Educational Change16(1)79ndash99
BrykAGomezL andGrunowA (2011)lsquoGetting ideas intoactionBuildingnetworked improvementcommunitiesineducationrsquoInHallinanM(ed)Frontiers in Sociology of Education Frontiers in Sociology and Social ResearchDordrechtNetherlandsSpringer127ndash62
London Review of Education 23
CamdenCouncil(2016)lsquoCamdenpartnershipforeducationalexcellencersquoOnlinewwwcamdengovukccmcontenteducationschoolscamden-partnership-for-educational-excellenceen(accessed1April2016)
Camden Education Commission (2011) Camden Education Commission Final report London CamdenChildrenrsquosTrustPartnershipBoardandLondonBoroughofCamden
CheungWMandWongWY(2014)lsquoDoeslessonstudyworkAsystematicreviewontheeffectsoflessonstudyandlearningstudyonteachersandstudentsrsquo International Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies3(2)137ndash49
CoburnCPenuelWandGeilK(2013)Research-Practice Partnerships A strategy for leveraging research for educational improvement in school districtsNewYorkWilliamTGrantFoundation
Cohen-Vogel LTichnor-WagnerAAllenD Harrison C Kainz K SocolAR andWangQ (2015)lsquoImplementingeducationalinnovationsatscaleTransformingresearchersintocontinuousimprovementscientistsrsquoEducational Policy29(1)257ndash77
Department for Children Schools and Families (DCSF) (2008) The National Strategies Strengthening transfers and transitions Partnerships for progressOnlinehttpderaioeacuk74641str_tt_prtnshp_prgrss08308pdf(requiressubscriptionaccessed5September2013)
DepartmentforEducation(2011)How do Pupils Progress During Key Stages 2 and 3ResearchreportDFE-RR096 Online wwwgovukgovernmentuploadssystemuploadsattachment_datafile182413DFE-RR096pdf(accessed1April2013)
Dudley P (2011) lsquoLesson study development in England From school networks to national policyrsquoInternational Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies1(1)85ndash100
ndashndash (2014) Lesson Study A handbook Online httplessonstudycoukwp-contentuploads201401new-handbook-early-years-edition2014-versionpdf(accessed21July2014)
EarleyPandPorrittV(2013)lsquoEvaluatingtheimpactofprofessionaldevelopmentTheneedforastudent-focusedapproachrsquoProfessional Development in Education40(1)112ndash29doi101080194152572013798741
EvangelouMTaggartBSylvaKMelhuishESammonsPandSiraj-BlatchfordI(2008)What Makes a Successful Transition from Primary to Secondary School NottinghamDCSF
FieldingMBraggSCraigJCunninghamIErautMGillinsonSHorneMRobinsonCandThorpJ(2005)lsquoFactorsinfluencingthetransferofgoodpracticersquoOnlinehttpderaioeacuk210011RR615pdf(accessed21July2014)
GaltonMGrayJandRudduckJ(1999)The Impact of School Transitions and Transfers on Pupil Progress and Attainment NottinghamDepartmentforEducationandEmployment
GeroG(2015)lsquoTheprospectsoflessonstudyintheUSTeachersupportandcomfortwithinadistrictcultureofcontrolrsquoInternational Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies4(1)7ndash25
GutierrezKandPenuelW(2014)lsquoRelevancetopracticeasacriterionforrigorrsquoEducational Researcher43(1)19ndash23
LeithwoodKDayCSammonsPHarrisAandHopkinsD(2006) Successful School Leadership What it is and how it influences student learning Researchreport800 LondonDepartmentforEducationandSkills
LewisC(2000)lsquoLessonstudyThecoreof JapaneseprofessionaldevelopmentrsquoPaperpresentedatTheAnnualMeetingoftheAmericanEducationalResearchAssociationNewOrleansLA24ndash8April2000
LincolnYandGubaE(1985)Naturalistic InquiryNewburyParkCASagePublicationsLondonBoroughofCamden(2012)Camden Education Commission Final reportOnlinehttpdemocracy
camdengovukdocumentss16322Camden20Education20Commission20Final20Reportpdf(accessed1April2013)
McGeeCWardRGibbons J andHarlowA (2004)Transition to Secondary School A literature reviewHamiltonNewZealandTheUniversityofWaikato
PenuelW FishmanBHauganC and SabelliN (2011)lsquoOrganizing research anddevelopment at theintersectionoflearningimplementationanddesignrsquoEducational Researcher40(7)331ndash7
PenuelWSunMFrankKandGallagherA(2012)UsingsocialnetworkanalysistostudyhowinteractionscanaugmentteacherlearningfromexternalprofessionaldevelopmentrsquoAmerican Journal of Education119(1)103ndash36
Shepherd J andRokerD (2005)lsquoAn evaluation of aldquotransition to secondary schoolrdquo project run bytheNationalPyramidTrustrsquoOnline wwwyoungpeopleinfocusorguk_assetsphpreportphpfile=37(accessed4September2013)
StollL(2012) lsquoStimulatinglearningconversationsrsquoProfessional Development Today14(4)6ndash12
24 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
StollLandBrownC(2015)lsquoMiddleleadersascatalystsforevidence-informedchangersquoInBrownC(ed)Leading the Use of Research and Evidence in SchoolsLondonIOEPress
StollLandFinkD(1996)Changing Our SchoolsBuckinghamOpenUniversityPressTree J(2011)lsquoWhathelpsstudentswithchallengingbehaviourmakeasuccessfultransfertosecondary
schoolrsquoDEdPsydissUniversityCollegeLondonInstituteofEducationTschannen-MoranM(2004)Trust Matters Leadership for successful schoolsSanFranciscoCAJossey-BassVanderlinde R and van Braak J (2010)lsquoThe gap between educational research and practiceViews of
teachers school leaders intermediariesandresearchersrsquoBritish Educational Research Journal36 (2)299ndash316
Related articles published in the London Review of Education
In this issue
ThispaperwaspublishedinaspecialfeatureoneducationinLondoneditedbyTamjidMujtabaTheotherarticlesinthefeatureareasfollows(linksunavailableattimeofpublication)
Cajic-SeigneurMandHodgsonA(2016)lsquoAlternativeeducationalprovision inanareaofdeprivation inLondonrsquoLondon Review of Education14(2)25ndash37
JerrimJandWynessG(2106)lsquoBenchmarkingLondoninthePISArankingsrsquoLondon Review of Education14(2)38ndash65
MujtabaT(2016)EditoriallsquoEducationinLondonChallengesandopportunitiesforyoungpeoplersquoLondon Review of Education14(2)1ndash3
MujtabaT and Reiss M (2016)lsquoGirls in the UK have similar reasons to boys for intending to studymathematics post-16 thanks to the support and encouragement they receiversquo London Review of Education14(2)66ndash82
StandishAHawleyT andWillyT (2016)lsquoThe LondonGeographyAlliance Re-connecting the schoolsubjectwiththeuniversitydisciplinersquoLondon Review of Education14(2)83ndash103
WrightP(2016)lsquoSocialjusticeinthemathematicsclassroomrsquoLondon Review of Education14(2)104ndash18
By the same authors
BrownC(2013)lsquoCritiqueandcomplexityPresentingamoreeffectivewaytoconceptualisetheknowledgeadoptionprocessrsquoLondon Review of Education11(1)32ndash45
BrownCandRogersS(2014)lsquoMeasuringtheeffectivenessofknowledgecreationasameansoffacilitatingevicence-informedpracticeinearlyyearssettingsinoneLondonboroughrsquoLondon Review of Education12(3)245ndash60
Elsewhere in the journal
LevinB(2011)lsquoMobilisingresearchknowledgeineducationrsquoLondon Review of Education9(1)15ndash26OakleyA(2003)lsquoResearchevidenceknowledgemanagementandeducationalpracticeEarlylessonsfrom
asystematicapproachrsquoLondon Review of Education1(1)21ndash33WatkinsC(2005)lsquoClassroomsaslearningcommunitiesAreviewofresearchrsquoLondon Review of Education
3(1)47ndash64
18 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
centofpupilsbenefitedfromtheirteachersengagingintheprojectwithoverathird(36percent)benefitingbyanincreaseintheirperformancescoreby50percentormore
Summary
FortheHaverstockPrimarytoSecondaryTransitionProjectweemployedaDBRapproachtothedevelopmentand implementationof lessonstudy inordertohelppractitionersexamineandbegintotacklesomeoftheissuesassociatedwithprimarytosecondarytransitionDoingsoenabledtheprojectteamandparticipantstocollaborativelydevelopatheoryofactionfortheprojectwhichenabledustoconsidernotionsoflearningandlearningconversationsaswellasameansofdeliveringlessonstudyinkeepingwiththistheoryofactionAswellasthiswewerealsoabletoestablishawayofmeasuringimpactforsituations(suchaswhenprimaryandsecondaryteachersworkonjointprojects)wherebecausethereisnoday-to-dayinteractionandcollaborationthereisnonaturallyoccurringbaselineandnocommonapproachtopedagogy
InlightoftheaboveweconcludethatusingDBRhasbeenvitalnotonlytothesuccessoftheprojectbutalsotoitslong-termsustainabilityfollowingtheprojectrsquosendHoweverweasresearchershavealsobenefitedfromengaginginDBRforinstancewehavegainedabetterunderstanding of how to engage in lesson study in a cross-phase way In addition the newapproachtomeasuringimpactthatemergedcannowbetriedandtestedinothercontextsascanourrevisedtheoryofactionforandapproachestooperationalizinglessonstudyThatisinkeepingwithAndersonandShattuck(2012)movingforwardwecantakewhatwehavelearnedandcontinuetocollaborativelyanditerativelyrefineourapproachsothatitiseffectiveineachnewcontextweintroduceittothushelpingtoservetoimprovethesystemrsquosoverallcapacityforsustainedchange
Notes on the contributors
ChrisBrown isaSeniorLectureratUCLInstituteofEducationUniversityCollegeLondon(DepartmentforLearningandLeadership) Chrishasextensiveexperienceofleadingarangeoffundedprojectsmanyofwhich seek tohelppractitioners to identify and scaleupbestpractice andwas recently awardedasignificant grant by the Education Endowment Foundation toworkwith over 100 primary schools inEnglandtoincreasetheiruseofresearch
CarolTaylor iscurrentlytheStrategicLeaderforCPDattheLondonCentreforLeadershipinLearningSheworkswithschoolsalliancesandlocalauthoritiesndashboth locallyandnationallyndash insupportingtheprofessionaldevelopmentoftheschoolworkforceCarolrecentlyco-ledtheNationalCollegeTeachingSchools Research and Development project involving over 60 schools across England She is activelyinvolvedinsupportingschoolsacrossLondontoembedpractitionerresearchandenquiryintopractice
LornaPonambalum isascienceteacherandAssistantHeadteacheratHaverstockSchoolCamdenLondonwheresheisalsoDesignatedSafeguardingOfficerLornahasbeeninvolvedinanumberoflessonstudyprojectsincludingtheprojectcoveredinthispaperwhichexaminedapproachestoimproveprimarytosecondarytransition
London Review of Education 19
Appendix Pupiloutcomesatstartandendofprojectwithevidencefromthetriadastowhytheseassessmentsweremade
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
4 Myanalysisoftheirworkbookandmyknowledgeoftheirin-classcontributions
6 Someimprovementswhenthechildismotivated
4 Under-confidentStruggleswhenworkingwithapartner
7 Moreconfidenceofownabilityandrecognizessupportfrompartner
4 AloofIssuesathome 4 Stillstrugglestopayattentionwhenworkinginpairs
5 Struggleswithusingsomeofthekeywords
7 Usesmorekeywordsinherwrittenwork(almostall)Expressingideasinabetterway
4 Struggleswiththekeywords 6 Bettersentencestructureandbetterlinkingofideas
3 Lacksconfidenceinspeakingandwriting
6 MoreconfidenceinverballyansweringquestionsputshandupmoreoftenWritingcanstillbeaproblem
3 NeverraiseshandsRefusedtospeakinpublicNosentencestructure
6 Leftbeforeendofprojectbutwasdemonstratingimprovedvocabularyconfidenceandwrittenwork
4 Notengagedvocabularyandliteraryworkpoor
9 REALLYengagedandimprovementinvocabularyandliterarysentencesimproved
5 Doesnrsquotusevocabularyaccuratelyandnotableintermsofwrittenwork
9 Vocabularyuseismoreaccurateandismuchmoreableintermsofwrittenwork
4 bull Didnotlistenoncarpetortoteachertalk
bull Firstcycleshowssignsofdisengagementinfeedback
bull Writingdifficulttounderstand
7 bull Morefocusedonthetaskonthecarpet
bull Betterqualityofwritingbetterfeedbackascycleprogressed
6 bull Toochattybull Distractedtalkpartnerbull Forgottocheckthroughand
punctuatebull Couldnotpeerassesswell
8 bull Betterlearningbehaviourbull Moreownershipofown
learningandcanselfandpeerassess
6 bull Pronetodistractionbull Unabletofollowaseriesof
instructions
7 bull Handuptoofferideasmorebull Slowlyandcarefullygetson
withataskbull Knowshowtopeerassess
20 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
3 Textsnotproducedwelldistractedanddistractingothers
6 Useofmetalanguagetextsproducedusingappropriategrammar
4 Paucityofideasworknotalwaysmakingsense
7 Takingcontrolofownlearningorganizingideasaboutgrammareffectivelymoreconfidenttostartwritingandproducingcompletetexts
5 Generallackofconfidencedespitebeingahighachiever
7 Textsproducedfullofideasinterviewswithobserversshowconfidencemoreconfidenceinhisideasprovidedheispartneredwithsomeonewhohefindssupportive
5 LackofinvolvementinlessonsPoorwritingandconfusedbymosttasks
7 HavingestablishedthatheappreciatesbeingprobedchallengedbyteachersIdedicatemoretimetoenablinghimtoprocessinformationthroughquestioningHenowoftenstartstasksquickerandtakesmorerisksHeisstillshyanddoesnrsquotusuallyvolunteer
3 Withdrawnndashnevercontributingandoptingoutoftasks
6 TriestasksndashnotalwayswithoutpromptingBeginningtotakerisksandoccasionallyvolunteersideas
7 VerylowconfidenceConsistentlypoorliteracyReluctancetocontributeWrittenworkwaspoorbutreflectedeffortofstudent
9 TriesreallyhardtocompleteworktothebestofherabilityStillrarelycontributesherideas
3 CompletelydisengagedseesnovalueinschoolNotansweringquestionsandtalkingaboutanythingelse
8 Nowfocusesonthefrontputshanduptalksaboutthetopicmostofthetime
6 Easilydistractedwillputhandupbutoftendoesnrsquothaveananswerwhenasked
8 Morefocusedwillstilloftennotlistenoninputbutisabletoasksomeoneelseratherthananadultorjustsittingthere
1 bull Getsoutofseatbull Shoutsoutbull Disturbsothers
na Pupilleftschool
9 Priorattainmentandclassroomobservations
9 Nodifferenceinliteracyattainmentwasconsistent
London Review of Education 21
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
3 Priorattainmentandclassroomobservations
4 Improvedconfidenceincomprehensionandwriting
3 Priorattainmentandclassroomobservations
4 Norealdifferencepossiblyslightlybetteratverbalizing
3 Effortscorelsquo3rsquoinfirstreportLeaningbackonchairnotfocuseddistracted
6 Morefocusmorelikelytoaskforhelpratherthanmisbehave
3 Effortscorelsquo3rsquoinfirstreportDistractingothers
3 NowrarelyinclassndashexclusionabsenceOnoccasionshowsexcellentprogressandcanworkindependently
4 Disengagedonwhole(althoughbaselineobservationswerecarriedoutonalsquogoodrsquoday)Rudenessnottrying
8 ReadingchallengingtextsandlookingupdifficultvocabularyindictionaryFewerdayswhenrefusestowork
3 Severallearningneedsandhashadtroublewithwriting
4 Increasedconfidenceinspellingandwriting(andenthusiasm)ndashespeciallycreativelyContinuestostrugglewithcomprehensionHasmadeprogressaccordingtoassessedwork
5 Asabovealthoughadisparitybetweenqualityandquantityofspokenandwrittenwork
na Haslefttheschool
3 MorewillingtowritethantalkatlengthWritingpoorqualityPoorattentionandbehaviouralissuesasbarrierstolearning
5 HasimprovedappreciablyintermsofspokencontributionstowrittenworkStillpresentsbehaviouralproblemsasmainbarriertoprogressHasmadetwosub-levelsofprogressthisyear(basedonanalysisofclasswork)
6 Readingfictionpooruseofsciencevocab
6 Nothingverydifferent
5 Noattempttousesciencevocab 7 Tryingtousesciencevocab
3 Verypoorengagementwithlargerwrittentasks
7 Betterengagementwithtaskandproductionofhigherlevelworkwithbettervocab
4 Unwillingtodiscusswithinterviewee
5 Writesmoretriestowriteindetailthoughremainsunwillingtoshareideaswritteninclassndashdependentonwork-partner
22 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
4 Willanswerquestionsifverysureofanswer
6 Stillunwillingtoshareideasinclassbutwilluseconnectvocabularyifithasbeenembeddedstronglywithinlesson
4 Notinitiallywillingtoshareknowledgethoughdidcometothefrontofclassandshareideas
6 AbletodiscusswithintervieweeindetailinformationaboutexperimentStillsomewhatunwillingtoshare
5 Hesitanttoshareideasoranswerquestionsunlessspecificallyasked
7 Taskdependent
6 Alwayswillingtoshareideasalthoughnotnecessarilyaccurateformalscientificlanguage
8 Attemptstochoosehiswordswhenansweringquestionswhichisgreateffortfromthisstudent
2 Performancedependingonwhoshepartneredwith
3 Moreefforttotalkingroupshoweverthisisonlyasmallstepstillveryhesitantandseeksreassurancefromothers
3 Quietlyengagedndashlistensbutrarelysharesideas
6 MakingalargerefforttotalkwithinagroupStillhesitanttoshareinfrontofclassunlesssheknowsitrsquosright
6 Veryengagedandwillgenerallytalkandshareideasalthoughnotalwaysusingaccuratelanguage
8 Activelysharingandtalkingideasndashbacksupherstatementsusingreasonscanrejectothersrsquoopinionsandjustifywhy
6 AppearsdisengagedhoweverwithprobingdoesknowtheanswersNotalwaystalkingaboutthesubjectndashdependsonpersonwhoheispartneredwith
9 LovessharingideasconstantlyputtinghandupTriestousescientificlanguagendashnotasengagedinwrittentasks
References
AndersonTandShattuckJ(2012)lsquoDesign-basedresearchAdecadeofprogressineducationresearchrsquoEducational Researcher41(1)16ndash25
ArgyrisCandSchoumlnD(1996)Organizational Learning II Theory method and practice ReadingMAAddison-WesleyPublishingCompany
BrownC andRogers S (2015)lsquoKnowledge creation as an approach to facilitating evidence-informedpracticeExaminingwaystomeasurethesuccessofusingthismethodwithearlyyearspractitionersinCamden(London)rsquoJournal of Educational Change16(1)79ndash99
BrykAGomezL andGrunowA (2011)lsquoGetting ideas intoactionBuildingnetworked improvementcommunitiesineducationrsquoInHallinanM(ed)Frontiers in Sociology of Education Frontiers in Sociology and Social ResearchDordrechtNetherlandsSpringer127ndash62
London Review of Education 23
CamdenCouncil(2016)lsquoCamdenpartnershipforeducationalexcellencersquoOnlinewwwcamdengovukccmcontenteducationschoolscamden-partnership-for-educational-excellenceen(accessed1April2016)
Camden Education Commission (2011) Camden Education Commission Final report London CamdenChildrenrsquosTrustPartnershipBoardandLondonBoroughofCamden
CheungWMandWongWY(2014)lsquoDoeslessonstudyworkAsystematicreviewontheeffectsoflessonstudyandlearningstudyonteachersandstudentsrsquo International Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies3(2)137ndash49
CoburnCPenuelWandGeilK(2013)Research-Practice Partnerships A strategy for leveraging research for educational improvement in school districtsNewYorkWilliamTGrantFoundation
Cohen-Vogel LTichnor-WagnerAAllenD Harrison C Kainz K SocolAR andWangQ (2015)lsquoImplementingeducationalinnovationsatscaleTransformingresearchersintocontinuousimprovementscientistsrsquoEducational Policy29(1)257ndash77
Department for Children Schools and Families (DCSF) (2008) The National Strategies Strengthening transfers and transitions Partnerships for progressOnlinehttpderaioeacuk74641str_tt_prtnshp_prgrss08308pdf(requiressubscriptionaccessed5September2013)
DepartmentforEducation(2011)How do Pupils Progress During Key Stages 2 and 3ResearchreportDFE-RR096 Online wwwgovukgovernmentuploadssystemuploadsattachment_datafile182413DFE-RR096pdf(accessed1April2013)
Dudley P (2011) lsquoLesson study development in England From school networks to national policyrsquoInternational Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies1(1)85ndash100
ndashndash (2014) Lesson Study A handbook Online httplessonstudycoukwp-contentuploads201401new-handbook-early-years-edition2014-versionpdf(accessed21July2014)
EarleyPandPorrittV(2013)lsquoEvaluatingtheimpactofprofessionaldevelopmentTheneedforastudent-focusedapproachrsquoProfessional Development in Education40(1)112ndash29doi101080194152572013798741
EvangelouMTaggartBSylvaKMelhuishESammonsPandSiraj-BlatchfordI(2008)What Makes a Successful Transition from Primary to Secondary School NottinghamDCSF
FieldingMBraggSCraigJCunninghamIErautMGillinsonSHorneMRobinsonCandThorpJ(2005)lsquoFactorsinfluencingthetransferofgoodpracticersquoOnlinehttpderaioeacuk210011RR615pdf(accessed21July2014)
GaltonMGrayJandRudduckJ(1999)The Impact of School Transitions and Transfers on Pupil Progress and Attainment NottinghamDepartmentforEducationandEmployment
GeroG(2015)lsquoTheprospectsoflessonstudyintheUSTeachersupportandcomfortwithinadistrictcultureofcontrolrsquoInternational Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies4(1)7ndash25
GutierrezKandPenuelW(2014)lsquoRelevancetopracticeasacriterionforrigorrsquoEducational Researcher43(1)19ndash23
LeithwoodKDayCSammonsPHarrisAandHopkinsD(2006) Successful School Leadership What it is and how it influences student learning Researchreport800 LondonDepartmentforEducationandSkills
LewisC(2000)lsquoLessonstudyThecoreof JapaneseprofessionaldevelopmentrsquoPaperpresentedatTheAnnualMeetingoftheAmericanEducationalResearchAssociationNewOrleansLA24ndash8April2000
LincolnYandGubaE(1985)Naturalistic InquiryNewburyParkCASagePublicationsLondonBoroughofCamden(2012)Camden Education Commission Final reportOnlinehttpdemocracy
camdengovukdocumentss16322Camden20Education20Commission20Final20Reportpdf(accessed1April2013)
McGeeCWardRGibbons J andHarlowA (2004)Transition to Secondary School A literature reviewHamiltonNewZealandTheUniversityofWaikato
PenuelW FishmanBHauganC and SabelliN (2011)lsquoOrganizing research anddevelopment at theintersectionoflearningimplementationanddesignrsquoEducational Researcher40(7)331ndash7
PenuelWSunMFrankKandGallagherA(2012)UsingsocialnetworkanalysistostudyhowinteractionscanaugmentteacherlearningfromexternalprofessionaldevelopmentrsquoAmerican Journal of Education119(1)103ndash36
Shepherd J andRokerD (2005)lsquoAn evaluation of aldquotransition to secondary schoolrdquo project run bytheNationalPyramidTrustrsquoOnline wwwyoungpeopleinfocusorguk_assetsphpreportphpfile=37(accessed4September2013)
StollL(2012) lsquoStimulatinglearningconversationsrsquoProfessional Development Today14(4)6ndash12
24 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
StollLandBrownC(2015)lsquoMiddleleadersascatalystsforevidence-informedchangersquoInBrownC(ed)Leading the Use of Research and Evidence in SchoolsLondonIOEPress
StollLandFinkD(1996)Changing Our SchoolsBuckinghamOpenUniversityPressTree J(2011)lsquoWhathelpsstudentswithchallengingbehaviourmakeasuccessfultransfertosecondary
schoolrsquoDEdPsydissUniversityCollegeLondonInstituteofEducationTschannen-MoranM(2004)Trust Matters Leadership for successful schoolsSanFranciscoCAJossey-BassVanderlinde R and van Braak J (2010)lsquoThe gap between educational research and practiceViews of
teachers school leaders intermediariesandresearchersrsquoBritish Educational Research Journal36 (2)299ndash316
Related articles published in the London Review of Education
In this issue
ThispaperwaspublishedinaspecialfeatureoneducationinLondoneditedbyTamjidMujtabaTheotherarticlesinthefeatureareasfollows(linksunavailableattimeofpublication)
Cajic-SeigneurMandHodgsonA(2016)lsquoAlternativeeducationalprovision inanareaofdeprivation inLondonrsquoLondon Review of Education14(2)25ndash37
JerrimJandWynessG(2106)lsquoBenchmarkingLondoninthePISArankingsrsquoLondon Review of Education14(2)38ndash65
MujtabaT(2016)EditoriallsquoEducationinLondonChallengesandopportunitiesforyoungpeoplersquoLondon Review of Education14(2)1ndash3
MujtabaT and Reiss M (2016)lsquoGirls in the UK have similar reasons to boys for intending to studymathematics post-16 thanks to the support and encouragement they receiversquo London Review of Education14(2)66ndash82
StandishAHawleyT andWillyT (2016)lsquoThe LondonGeographyAlliance Re-connecting the schoolsubjectwiththeuniversitydisciplinersquoLondon Review of Education14(2)83ndash103
WrightP(2016)lsquoSocialjusticeinthemathematicsclassroomrsquoLondon Review of Education14(2)104ndash18
By the same authors
BrownC(2013)lsquoCritiqueandcomplexityPresentingamoreeffectivewaytoconceptualisetheknowledgeadoptionprocessrsquoLondon Review of Education11(1)32ndash45
BrownCandRogersS(2014)lsquoMeasuringtheeffectivenessofknowledgecreationasameansoffacilitatingevicence-informedpracticeinearlyyearssettingsinoneLondonboroughrsquoLondon Review of Education12(3)245ndash60
Elsewhere in the journal
LevinB(2011)lsquoMobilisingresearchknowledgeineducationrsquoLondon Review of Education9(1)15ndash26OakleyA(2003)lsquoResearchevidenceknowledgemanagementandeducationalpracticeEarlylessonsfrom
asystematicapproachrsquoLondon Review of Education1(1)21ndash33WatkinsC(2005)lsquoClassroomsaslearningcommunitiesAreviewofresearchrsquoLondon Review of Education
3(1)47ndash64
London Review of Education 19
Appendix Pupiloutcomesatstartandendofprojectwithevidencefromthetriadastowhytheseassessmentsweremade
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
4 Myanalysisoftheirworkbookandmyknowledgeoftheirin-classcontributions
6 Someimprovementswhenthechildismotivated
4 Under-confidentStruggleswhenworkingwithapartner
7 Moreconfidenceofownabilityandrecognizessupportfrompartner
4 AloofIssuesathome 4 Stillstrugglestopayattentionwhenworkinginpairs
5 Struggleswithusingsomeofthekeywords
7 Usesmorekeywordsinherwrittenwork(almostall)Expressingideasinabetterway
4 Struggleswiththekeywords 6 Bettersentencestructureandbetterlinkingofideas
3 Lacksconfidenceinspeakingandwriting
6 MoreconfidenceinverballyansweringquestionsputshandupmoreoftenWritingcanstillbeaproblem
3 NeverraiseshandsRefusedtospeakinpublicNosentencestructure
6 Leftbeforeendofprojectbutwasdemonstratingimprovedvocabularyconfidenceandwrittenwork
4 Notengagedvocabularyandliteraryworkpoor
9 REALLYengagedandimprovementinvocabularyandliterarysentencesimproved
5 Doesnrsquotusevocabularyaccuratelyandnotableintermsofwrittenwork
9 Vocabularyuseismoreaccurateandismuchmoreableintermsofwrittenwork
4 bull Didnotlistenoncarpetortoteachertalk
bull Firstcycleshowssignsofdisengagementinfeedback
bull Writingdifficulttounderstand
7 bull Morefocusedonthetaskonthecarpet
bull Betterqualityofwritingbetterfeedbackascycleprogressed
6 bull Toochattybull Distractedtalkpartnerbull Forgottocheckthroughand
punctuatebull Couldnotpeerassesswell
8 bull Betterlearningbehaviourbull Moreownershipofown
learningandcanselfandpeerassess
6 bull Pronetodistractionbull Unabletofollowaseriesof
instructions
7 bull Handuptoofferideasmorebull Slowlyandcarefullygetson
withataskbull Knowshowtopeerassess
20 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
3 Textsnotproducedwelldistractedanddistractingothers
6 Useofmetalanguagetextsproducedusingappropriategrammar
4 Paucityofideasworknotalwaysmakingsense
7 Takingcontrolofownlearningorganizingideasaboutgrammareffectivelymoreconfidenttostartwritingandproducingcompletetexts
5 Generallackofconfidencedespitebeingahighachiever
7 Textsproducedfullofideasinterviewswithobserversshowconfidencemoreconfidenceinhisideasprovidedheispartneredwithsomeonewhohefindssupportive
5 LackofinvolvementinlessonsPoorwritingandconfusedbymosttasks
7 HavingestablishedthatheappreciatesbeingprobedchallengedbyteachersIdedicatemoretimetoenablinghimtoprocessinformationthroughquestioningHenowoftenstartstasksquickerandtakesmorerisksHeisstillshyanddoesnrsquotusuallyvolunteer
3 Withdrawnndashnevercontributingandoptingoutoftasks
6 TriestasksndashnotalwayswithoutpromptingBeginningtotakerisksandoccasionallyvolunteersideas
7 VerylowconfidenceConsistentlypoorliteracyReluctancetocontributeWrittenworkwaspoorbutreflectedeffortofstudent
9 TriesreallyhardtocompleteworktothebestofherabilityStillrarelycontributesherideas
3 CompletelydisengagedseesnovalueinschoolNotansweringquestionsandtalkingaboutanythingelse
8 Nowfocusesonthefrontputshanduptalksaboutthetopicmostofthetime
6 Easilydistractedwillputhandupbutoftendoesnrsquothaveananswerwhenasked
8 Morefocusedwillstilloftennotlistenoninputbutisabletoasksomeoneelseratherthananadultorjustsittingthere
1 bull Getsoutofseatbull Shoutsoutbull Disturbsothers
na Pupilleftschool
9 Priorattainmentandclassroomobservations
9 Nodifferenceinliteracyattainmentwasconsistent
London Review of Education 21
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
3 Priorattainmentandclassroomobservations
4 Improvedconfidenceincomprehensionandwriting
3 Priorattainmentandclassroomobservations
4 Norealdifferencepossiblyslightlybetteratverbalizing
3 Effortscorelsquo3rsquoinfirstreportLeaningbackonchairnotfocuseddistracted
6 Morefocusmorelikelytoaskforhelpratherthanmisbehave
3 Effortscorelsquo3rsquoinfirstreportDistractingothers
3 NowrarelyinclassndashexclusionabsenceOnoccasionshowsexcellentprogressandcanworkindependently
4 Disengagedonwhole(althoughbaselineobservationswerecarriedoutonalsquogoodrsquoday)Rudenessnottrying
8 ReadingchallengingtextsandlookingupdifficultvocabularyindictionaryFewerdayswhenrefusestowork
3 Severallearningneedsandhashadtroublewithwriting
4 Increasedconfidenceinspellingandwriting(andenthusiasm)ndashespeciallycreativelyContinuestostrugglewithcomprehensionHasmadeprogressaccordingtoassessedwork
5 Asabovealthoughadisparitybetweenqualityandquantityofspokenandwrittenwork
na Haslefttheschool
3 MorewillingtowritethantalkatlengthWritingpoorqualityPoorattentionandbehaviouralissuesasbarrierstolearning
5 HasimprovedappreciablyintermsofspokencontributionstowrittenworkStillpresentsbehaviouralproblemsasmainbarriertoprogressHasmadetwosub-levelsofprogressthisyear(basedonanalysisofclasswork)
6 Readingfictionpooruseofsciencevocab
6 Nothingverydifferent
5 Noattempttousesciencevocab 7 Tryingtousesciencevocab
3 Verypoorengagementwithlargerwrittentasks
7 Betterengagementwithtaskandproductionofhigherlevelworkwithbettervocab
4 Unwillingtodiscusswithinterviewee
5 Writesmoretriestowriteindetailthoughremainsunwillingtoshareideaswritteninclassndashdependentonwork-partner
22 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
4 Willanswerquestionsifverysureofanswer
6 Stillunwillingtoshareideasinclassbutwilluseconnectvocabularyifithasbeenembeddedstronglywithinlesson
4 Notinitiallywillingtoshareknowledgethoughdidcometothefrontofclassandshareideas
6 AbletodiscusswithintervieweeindetailinformationaboutexperimentStillsomewhatunwillingtoshare
5 Hesitanttoshareideasoranswerquestionsunlessspecificallyasked
7 Taskdependent
6 Alwayswillingtoshareideasalthoughnotnecessarilyaccurateformalscientificlanguage
8 Attemptstochoosehiswordswhenansweringquestionswhichisgreateffortfromthisstudent
2 Performancedependingonwhoshepartneredwith
3 Moreefforttotalkingroupshoweverthisisonlyasmallstepstillveryhesitantandseeksreassurancefromothers
3 Quietlyengagedndashlistensbutrarelysharesideas
6 MakingalargerefforttotalkwithinagroupStillhesitanttoshareinfrontofclassunlesssheknowsitrsquosright
6 Veryengagedandwillgenerallytalkandshareideasalthoughnotalwaysusingaccuratelanguage
8 Activelysharingandtalkingideasndashbacksupherstatementsusingreasonscanrejectothersrsquoopinionsandjustifywhy
6 AppearsdisengagedhoweverwithprobingdoesknowtheanswersNotalwaystalkingaboutthesubjectndashdependsonpersonwhoheispartneredwith
9 LovessharingideasconstantlyputtinghandupTriestousescientificlanguagendashnotasengagedinwrittentasks
References
AndersonTandShattuckJ(2012)lsquoDesign-basedresearchAdecadeofprogressineducationresearchrsquoEducational Researcher41(1)16ndash25
ArgyrisCandSchoumlnD(1996)Organizational Learning II Theory method and practice ReadingMAAddison-WesleyPublishingCompany
BrownC andRogers S (2015)lsquoKnowledge creation as an approach to facilitating evidence-informedpracticeExaminingwaystomeasurethesuccessofusingthismethodwithearlyyearspractitionersinCamden(London)rsquoJournal of Educational Change16(1)79ndash99
BrykAGomezL andGrunowA (2011)lsquoGetting ideas intoactionBuildingnetworked improvementcommunitiesineducationrsquoInHallinanM(ed)Frontiers in Sociology of Education Frontiers in Sociology and Social ResearchDordrechtNetherlandsSpringer127ndash62
London Review of Education 23
CamdenCouncil(2016)lsquoCamdenpartnershipforeducationalexcellencersquoOnlinewwwcamdengovukccmcontenteducationschoolscamden-partnership-for-educational-excellenceen(accessed1April2016)
Camden Education Commission (2011) Camden Education Commission Final report London CamdenChildrenrsquosTrustPartnershipBoardandLondonBoroughofCamden
CheungWMandWongWY(2014)lsquoDoeslessonstudyworkAsystematicreviewontheeffectsoflessonstudyandlearningstudyonteachersandstudentsrsquo International Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies3(2)137ndash49
CoburnCPenuelWandGeilK(2013)Research-Practice Partnerships A strategy for leveraging research for educational improvement in school districtsNewYorkWilliamTGrantFoundation
Cohen-Vogel LTichnor-WagnerAAllenD Harrison C Kainz K SocolAR andWangQ (2015)lsquoImplementingeducationalinnovationsatscaleTransformingresearchersintocontinuousimprovementscientistsrsquoEducational Policy29(1)257ndash77
Department for Children Schools and Families (DCSF) (2008) The National Strategies Strengthening transfers and transitions Partnerships for progressOnlinehttpderaioeacuk74641str_tt_prtnshp_prgrss08308pdf(requiressubscriptionaccessed5September2013)
DepartmentforEducation(2011)How do Pupils Progress During Key Stages 2 and 3ResearchreportDFE-RR096 Online wwwgovukgovernmentuploadssystemuploadsattachment_datafile182413DFE-RR096pdf(accessed1April2013)
Dudley P (2011) lsquoLesson study development in England From school networks to national policyrsquoInternational Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies1(1)85ndash100
ndashndash (2014) Lesson Study A handbook Online httplessonstudycoukwp-contentuploads201401new-handbook-early-years-edition2014-versionpdf(accessed21July2014)
EarleyPandPorrittV(2013)lsquoEvaluatingtheimpactofprofessionaldevelopmentTheneedforastudent-focusedapproachrsquoProfessional Development in Education40(1)112ndash29doi101080194152572013798741
EvangelouMTaggartBSylvaKMelhuishESammonsPandSiraj-BlatchfordI(2008)What Makes a Successful Transition from Primary to Secondary School NottinghamDCSF
FieldingMBraggSCraigJCunninghamIErautMGillinsonSHorneMRobinsonCandThorpJ(2005)lsquoFactorsinfluencingthetransferofgoodpracticersquoOnlinehttpderaioeacuk210011RR615pdf(accessed21July2014)
GaltonMGrayJandRudduckJ(1999)The Impact of School Transitions and Transfers on Pupil Progress and Attainment NottinghamDepartmentforEducationandEmployment
GeroG(2015)lsquoTheprospectsoflessonstudyintheUSTeachersupportandcomfortwithinadistrictcultureofcontrolrsquoInternational Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies4(1)7ndash25
GutierrezKandPenuelW(2014)lsquoRelevancetopracticeasacriterionforrigorrsquoEducational Researcher43(1)19ndash23
LeithwoodKDayCSammonsPHarrisAandHopkinsD(2006) Successful School Leadership What it is and how it influences student learning Researchreport800 LondonDepartmentforEducationandSkills
LewisC(2000)lsquoLessonstudyThecoreof JapaneseprofessionaldevelopmentrsquoPaperpresentedatTheAnnualMeetingoftheAmericanEducationalResearchAssociationNewOrleansLA24ndash8April2000
LincolnYandGubaE(1985)Naturalistic InquiryNewburyParkCASagePublicationsLondonBoroughofCamden(2012)Camden Education Commission Final reportOnlinehttpdemocracy
camdengovukdocumentss16322Camden20Education20Commission20Final20Reportpdf(accessed1April2013)
McGeeCWardRGibbons J andHarlowA (2004)Transition to Secondary School A literature reviewHamiltonNewZealandTheUniversityofWaikato
PenuelW FishmanBHauganC and SabelliN (2011)lsquoOrganizing research anddevelopment at theintersectionoflearningimplementationanddesignrsquoEducational Researcher40(7)331ndash7
PenuelWSunMFrankKandGallagherA(2012)UsingsocialnetworkanalysistostudyhowinteractionscanaugmentteacherlearningfromexternalprofessionaldevelopmentrsquoAmerican Journal of Education119(1)103ndash36
Shepherd J andRokerD (2005)lsquoAn evaluation of aldquotransition to secondary schoolrdquo project run bytheNationalPyramidTrustrsquoOnline wwwyoungpeopleinfocusorguk_assetsphpreportphpfile=37(accessed4September2013)
StollL(2012) lsquoStimulatinglearningconversationsrsquoProfessional Development Today14(4)6ndash12
24 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
StollLandBrownC(2015)lsquoMiddleleadersascatalystsforevidence-informedchangersquoInBrownC(ed)Leading the Use of Research and Evidence in SchoolsLondonIOEPress
StollLandFinkD(1996)Changing Our SchoolsBuckinghamOpenUniversityPressTree J(2011)lsquoWhathelpsstudentswithchallengingbehaviourmakeasuccessfultransfertosecondary
schoolrsquoDEdPsydissUniversityCollegeLondonInstituteofEducationTschannen-MoranM(2004)Trust Matters Leadership for successful schoolsSanFranciscoCAJossey-BassVanderlinde R and van Braak J (2010)lsquoThe gap between educational research and practiceViews of
teachers school leaders intermediariesandresearchersrsquoBritish Educational Research Journal36 (2)299ndash316
Related articles published in the London Review of Education
In this issue
ThispaperwaspublishedinaspecialfeatureoneducationinLondoneditedbyTamjidMujtabaTheotherarticlesinthefeatureareasfollows(linksunavailableattimeofpublication)
Cajic-SeigneurMandHodgsonA(2016)lsquoAlternativeeducationalprovision inanareaofdeprivation inLondonrsquoLondon Review of Education14(2)25ndash37
JerrimJandWynessG(2106)lsquoBenchmarkingLondoninthePISArankingsrsquoLondon Review of Education14(2)38ndash65
MujtabaT(2016)EditoriallsquoEducationinLondonChallengesandopportunitiesforyoungpeoplersquoLondon Review of Education14(2)1ndash3
MujtabaT and Reiss M (2016)lsquoGirls in the UK have similar reasons to boys for intending to studymathematics post-16 thanks to the support and encouragement they receiversquo London Review of Education14(2)66ndash82
StandishAHawleyT andWillyT (2016)lsquoThe LondonGeographyAlliance Re-connecting the schoolsubjectwiththeuniversitydisciplinersquoLondon Review of Education14(2)83ndash103
WrightP(2016)lsquoSocialjusticeinthemathematicsclassroomrsquoLondon Review of Education14(2)104ndash18
By the same authors
BrownC(2013)lsquoCritiqueandcomplexityPresentingamoreeffectivewaytoconceptualisetheknowledgeadoptionprocessrsquoLondon Review of Education11(1)32ndash45
BrownCandRogersS(2014)lsquoMeasuringtheeffectivenessofknowledgecreationasameansoffacilitatingevicence-informedpracticeinearlyyearssettingsinoneLondonboroughrsquoLondon Review of Education12(3)245ndash60
Elsewhere in the journal
LevinB(2011)lsquoMobilisingresearchknowledgeineducationrsquoLondon Review of Education9(1)15ndash26OakleyA(2003)lsquoResearchevidenceknowledgemanagementandeducationalpracticeEarlylessonsfrom
asystematicapproachrsquoLondon Review of Education1(1)21ndash33WatkinsC(2005)lsquoClassroomsaslearningcommunitiesAreviewofresearchrsquoLondon Review of Education
3(1)47ndash64
20 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
3 Textsnotproducedwelldistractedanddistractingothers
6 Useofmetalanguagetextsproducedusingappropriategrammar
4 Paucityofideasworknotalwaysmakingsense
7 Takingcontrolofownlearningorganizingideasaboutgrammareffectivelymoreconfidenttostartwritingandproducingcompletetexts
5 Generallackofconfidencedespitebeingahighachiever
7 Textsproducedfullofideasinterviewswithobserversshowconfidencemoreconfidenceinhisideasprovidedheispartneredwithsomeonewhohefindssupportive
5 LackofinvolvementinlessonsPoorwritingandconfusedbymosttasks
7 HavingestablishedthatheappreciatesbeingprobedchallengedbyteachersIdedicatemoretimetoenablinghimtoprocessinformationthroughquestioningHenowoftenstartstasksquickerandtakesmorerisksHeisstillshyanddoesnrsquotusuallyvolunteer
3 Withdrawnndashnevercontributingandoptingoutoftasks
6 TriestasksndashnotalwayswithoutpromptingBeginningtotakerisksandoccasionallyvolunteersideas
7 VerylowconfidenceConsistentlypoorliteracyReluctancetocontributeWrittenworkwaspoorbutreflectedeffortofstudent
9 TriesreallyhardtocompleteworktothebestofherabilityStillrarelycontributesherideas
3 CompletelydisengagedseesnovalueinschoolNotansweringquestionsandtalkingaboutanythingelse
8 Nowfocusesonthefrontputshanduptalksaboutthetopicmostofthetime
6 Easilydistractedwillputhandupbutoftendoesnrsquothaveananswerwhenasked
8 Morefocusedwillstilloftennotlistenoninputbutisabletoasksomeoneelseratherthananadultorjustsittingthere
1 bull Getsoutofseatbull Shoutsoutbull Disturbsothers
na Pupilleftschool
9 Priorattainmentandclassroomobservations
9 Nodifferenceinliteracyattainmentwasconsistent
London Review of Education 21
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
3 Priorattainmentandclassroomobservations
4 Improvedconfidenceincomprehensionandwriting
3 Priorattainmentandclassroomobservations
4 Norealdifferencepossiblyslightlybetteratverbalizing
3 Effortscorelsquo3rsquoinfirstreportLeaningbackonchairnotfocuseddistracted
6 Morefocusmorelikelytoaskforhelpratherthanmisbehave
3 Effortscorelsquo3rsquoinfirstreportDistractingothers
3 NowrarelyinclassndashexclusionabsenceOnoccasionshowsexcellentprogressandcanworkindependently
4 Disengagedonwhole(althoughbaselineobservationswerecarriedoutonalsquogoodrsquoday)Rudenessnottrying
8 ReadingchallengingtextsandlookingupdifficultvocabularyindictionaryFewerdayswhenrefusestowork
3 Severallearningneedsandhashadtroublewithwriting
4 Increasedconfidenceinspellingandwriting(andenthusiasm)ndashespeciallycreativelyContinuestostrugglewithcomprehensionHasmadeprogressaccordingtoassessedwork
5 Asabovealthoughadisparitybetweenqualityandquantityofspokenandwrittenwork
na Haslefttheschool
3 MorewillingtowritethantalkatlengthWritingpoorqualityPoorattentionandbehaviouralissuesasbarrierstolearning
5 HasimprovedappreciablyintermsofspokencontributionstowrittenworkStillpresentsbehaviouralproblemsasmainbarriertoprogressHasmadetwosub-levelsofprogressthisyear(basedonanalysisofclasswork)
6 Readingfictionpooruseofsciencevocab
6 Nothingverydifferent
5 Noattempttousesciencevocab 7 Tryingtousesciencevocab
3 Verypoorengagementwithlargerwrittentasks
7 Betterengagementwithtaskandproductionofhigherlevelworkwithbettervocab
4 Unwillingtodiscusswithinterviewee
5 Writesmoretriestowriteindetailthoughremainsunwillingtoshareideaswritteninclassndashdependentonwork-partner
22 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
4 Willanswerquestionsifverysureofanswer
6 Stillunwillingtoshareideasinclassbutwilluseconnectvocabularyifithasbeenembeddedstronglywithinlesson
4 Notinitiallywillingtoshareknowledgethoughdidcometothefrontofclassandshareideas
6 AbletodiscusswithintervieweeindetailinformationaboutexperimentStillsomewhatunwillingtoshare
5 Hesitanttoshareideasoranswerquestionsunlessspecificallyasked
7 Taskdependent
6 Alwayswillingtoshareideasalthoughnotnecessarilyaccurateformalscientificlanguage
8 Attemptstochoosehiswordswhenansweringquestionswhichisgreateffortfromthisstudent
2 Performancedependingonwhoshepartneredwith
3 Moreefforttotalkingroupshoweverthisisonlyasmallstepstillveryhesitantandseeksreassurancefromothers
3 Quietlyengagedndashlistensbutrarelysharesideas
6 MakingalargerefforttotalkwithinagroupStillhesitanttoshareinfrontofclassunlesssheknowsitrsquosright
6 Veryengagedandwillgenerallytalkandshareideasalthoughnotalwaysusingaccuratelanguage
8 Activelysharingandtalkingideasndashbacksupherstatementsusingreasonscanrejectothersrsquoopinionsandjustifywhy
6 AppearsdisengagedhoweverwithprobingdoesknowtheanswersNotalwaystalkingaboutthesubjectndashdependsonpersonwhoheispartneredwith
9 LovessharingideasconstantlyputtinghandupTriestousescientificlanguagendashnotasengagedinwrittentasks
References
AndersonTandShattuckJ(2012)lsquoDesign-basedresearchAdecadeofprogressineducationresearchrsquoEducational Researcher41(1)16ndash25
ArgyrisCandSchoumlnD(1996)Organizational Learning II Theory method and practice ReadingMAAddison-WesleyPublishingCompany
BrownC andRogers S (2015)lsquoKnowledge creation as an approach to facilitating evidence-informedpracticeExaminingwaystomeasurethesuccessofusingthismethodwithearlyyearspractitionersinCamden(London)rsquoJournal of Educational Change16(1)79ndash99
BrykAGomezL andGrunowA (2011)lsquoGetting ideas intoactionBuildingnetworked improvementcommunitiesineducationrsquoInHallinanM(ed)Frontiers in Sociology of Education Frontiers in Sociology and Social ResearchDordrechtNetherlandsSpringer127ndash62
London Review of Education 23
CamdenCouncil(2016)lsquoCamdenpartnershipforeducationalexcellencersquoOnlinewwwcamdengovukccmcontenteducationschoolscamden-partnership-for-educational-excellenceen(accessed1April2016)
Camden Education Commission (2011) Camden Education Commission Final report London CamdenChildrenrsquosTrustPartnershipBoardandLondonBoroughofCamden
CheungWMandWongWY(2014)lsquoDoeslessonstudyworkAsystematicreviewontheeffectsoflessonstudyandlearningstudyonteachersandstudentsrsquo International Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies3(2)137ndash49
CoburnCPenuelWandGeilK(2013)Research-Practice Partnerships A strategy for leveraging research for educational improvement in school districtsNewYorkWilliamTGrantFoundation
Cohen-Vogel LTichnor-WagnerAAllenD Harrison C Kainz K SocolAR andWangQ (2015)lsquoImplementingeducationalinnovationsatscaleTransformingresearchersintocontinuousimprovementscientistsrsquoEducational Policy29(1)257ndash77
Department for Children Schools and Families (DCSF) (2008) The National Strategies Strengthening transfers and transitions Partnerships for progressOnlinehttpderaioeacuk74641str_tt_prtnshp_prgrss08308pdf(requiressubscriptionaccessed5September2013)
DepartmentforEducation(2011)How do Pupils Progress During Key Stages 2 and 3ResearchreportDFE-RR096 Online wwwgovukgovernmentuploadssystemuploadsattachment_datafile182413DFE-RR096pdf(accessed1April2013)
Dudley P (2011) lsquoLesson study development in England From school networks to national policyrsquoInternational Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies1(1)85ndash100
ndashndash (2014) Lesson Study A handbook Online httplessonstudycoukwp-contentuploads201401new-handbook-early-years-edition2014-versionpdf(accessed21July2014)
EarleyPandPorrittV(2013)lsquoEvaluatingtheimpactofprofessionaldevelopmentTheneedforastudent-focusedapproachrsquoProfessional Development in Education40(1)112ndash29doi101080194152572013798741
EvangelouMTaggartBSylvaKMelhuishESammonsPandSiraj-BlatchfordI(2008)What Makes a Successful Transition from Primary to Secondary School NottinghamDCSF
FieldingMBraggSCraigJCunninghamIErautMGillinsonSHorneMRobinsonCandThorpJ(2005)lsquoFactorsinfluencingthetransferofgoodpracticersquoOnlinehttpderaioeacuk210011RR615pdf(accessed21July2014)
GaltonMGrayJandRudduckJ(1999)The Impact of School Transitions and Transfers on Pupil Progress and Attainment NottinghamDepartmentforEducationandEmployment
GeroG(2015)lsquoTheprospectsoflessonstudyintheUSTeachersupportandcomfortwithinadistrictcultureofcontrolrsquoInternational Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies4(1)7ndash25
GutierrezKandPenuelW(2014)lsquoRelevancetopracticeasacriterionforrigorrsquoEducational Researcher43(1)19ndash23
LeithwoodKDayCSammonsPHarrisAandHopkinsD(2006) Successful School Leadership What it is and how it influences student learning Researchreport800 LondonDepartmentforEducationandSkills
LewisC(2000)lsquoLessonstudyThecoreof JapaneseprofessionaldevelopmentrsquoPaperpresentedatTheAnnualMeetingoftheAmericanEducationalResearchAssociationNewOrleansLA24ndash8April2000
LincolnYandGubaE(1985)Naturalistic InquiryNewburyParkCASagePublicationsLondonBoroughofCamden(2012)Camden Education Commission Final reportOnlinehttpdemocracy
camdengovukdocumentss16322Camden20Education20Commission20Final20Reportpdf(accessed1April2013)
McGeeCWardRGibbons J andHarlowA (2004)Transition to Secondary School A literature reviewHamiltonNewZealandTheUniversityofWaikato
PenuelW FishmanBHauganC and SabelliN (2011)lsquoOrganizing research anddevelopment at theintersectionoflearningimplementationanddesignrsquoEducational Researcher40(7)331ndash7
PenuelWSunMFrankKandGallagherA(2012)UsingsocialnetworkanalysistostudyhowinteractionscanaugmentteacherlearningfromexternalprofessionaldevelopmentrsquoAmerican Journal of Education119(1)103ndash36
Shepherd J andRokerD (2005)lsquoAn evaluation of aldquotransition to secondary schoolrdquo project run bytheNationalPyramidTrustrsquoOnline wwwyoungpeopleinfocusorguk_assetsphpreportphpfile=37(accessed4September2013)
StollL(2012) lsquoStimulatinglearningconversationsrsquoProfessional Development Today14(4)6ndash12
24 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
StollLandBrownC(2015)lsquoMiddleleadersascatalystsforevidence-informedchangersquoInBrownC(ed)Leading the Use of Research and Evidence in SchoolsLondonIOEPress
StollLandFinkD(1996)Changing Our SchoolsBuckinghamOpenUniversityPressTree J(2011)lsquoWhathelpsstudentswithchallengingbehaviourmakeasuccessfultransfertosecondary
schoolrsquoDEdPsydissUniversityCollegeLondonInstituteofEducationTschannen-MoranM(2004)Trust Matters Leadership for successful schoolsSanFranciscoCAJossey-BassVanderlinde R and van Braak J (2010)lsquoThe gap between educational research and practiceViews of
teachers school leaders intermediariesandresearchersrsquoBritish Educational Research Journal36 (2)299ndash316
Related articles published in the London Review of Education
In this issue
ThispaperwaspublishedinaspecialfeatureoneducationinLondoneditedbyTamjidMujtabaTheotherarticlesinthefeatureareasfollows(linksunavailableattimeofpublication)
Cajic-SeigneurMandHodgsonA(2016)lsquoAlternativeeducationalprovision inanareaofdeprivation inLondonrsquoLondon Review of Education14(2)25ndash37
JerrimJandWynessG(2106)lsquoBenchmarkingLondoninthePISArankingsrsquoLondon Review of Education14(2)38ndash65
MujtabaT(2016)EditoriallsquoEducationinLondonChallengesandopportunitiesforyoungpeoplersquoLondon Review of Education14(2)1ndash3
MujtabaT and Reiss M (2016)lsquoGirls in the UK have similar reasons to boys for intending to studymathematics post-16 thanks to the support and encouragement they receiversquo London Review of Education14(2)66ndash82
StandishAHawleyT andWillyT (2016)lsquoThe LondonGeographyAlliance Re-connecting the schoolsubjectwiththeuniversitydisciplinersquoLondon Review of Education14(2)83ndash103
WrightP(2016)lsquoSocialjusticeinthemathematicsclassroomrsquoLondon Review of Education14(2)104ndash18
By the same authors
BrownC(2013)lsquoCritiqueandcomplexityPresentingamoreeffectivewaytoconceptualisetheknowledgeadoptionprocessrsquoLondon Review of Education11(1)32ndash45
BrownCandRogersS(2014)lsquoMeasuringtheeffectivenessofknowledgecreationasameansoffacilitatingevicence-informedpracticeinearlyyearssettingsinoneLondonboroughrsquoLondon Review of Education12(3)245ndash60
Elsewhere in the journal
LevinB(2011)lsquoMobilisingresearchknowledgeineducationrsquoLondon Review of Education9(1)15ndash26OakleyA(2003)lsquoResearchevidenceknowledgemanagementandeducationalpracticeEarlylessonsfrom
asystematicapproachrsquoLondon Review of Education1(1)21ndash33WatkinsC(2005)lsquoClassroomsaslearningcommunitiesAreviewofresearchrsquoLondon Review of Education
3(1)47ndash64
London Review of Education 21
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
3 Priorattainmentandclassroomobservations
4 Improvedconfidenceincomprehensionandwriting
3 Priorattainmentandclassroomobservations
4 Norealdifferencepossiblyslightlybetteratverbalizing
3 Effortscorelsquo3rsquoinfirstreportLeaningbackonchairnotfocuseddistracted
6 Morefocusmorelikelytoaskforhelpratherthanmisbehave
3 Effortscorelsquo3rsquoinfirstreportDistractingothers
3 NowrarelyinclassndashexclusionabsenceOnoccasionshowsexcellentprogressandcanworkindependently
4 Disengagedonwhole(althoughbaselineobservationswerecarriedoutonalsquogoodrsquoday)Rudenessnottrying
8 ReadingchallengingtextsandlookingupdifficultvocabularyindictionaryFewerdayswhenrefusestowork
3 Severallearningneedsandhashadtroublewithwriting
4 Increasedconfidenceinspellingandwriting(andenthusiasm)ndashespeciallycreativelyContinuestostrugglewithcomprehensionHasmadeprogressaccordingtoassessedwork
5 Asabovealthoughadisparitybetweenqualityandquantityofspokenandwrittenwork
na Haslefttheschool
3 MorewillingtowritethantalkatlengthWritingpoorqualityPoorattentionandbehaviouralissuesasbarrierstolearning
5 HasimprovedappreciablyintermsofspokencontributionstowrittenworkStillpresentsbehaviouralproblemsasmainbarriertoprogressHasmadetwosub-levelsofprogressthisyear(basedonanalysisofclasswork)
6 Readingfictionpooruseofsciencevocab
6 Nothingverydifferent
5 Noattempttousesciencevocab 7 Tryingtousesciencevocab
3 Verypoorengagementwithlargerwrittentasks
7 Betterengagementwithtaskandproductionofhigherlevelworkwithbettervocab
4 Unwillingtodiscusswithinterviewee
5 Writesmoretriestowriteindetailthoughremainsunwillingtoshareideaswritteninclassndashdependentonwork-partner
22 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
4 Willanswerquestionsifverysureofanswer
6 Stillunwillingtoshareideasinclassbutwilluseconnectvocabularyifithasbeenembeddedstronglywithinlesson
4 Notinitiallywillingtoshareknowledgethoughdidcometothefrontofclassandshareideas
6 AbletodiscusswithintervieweeindetailinformationaboutexperimentStillsomewhatunwillingtoshare
5 Hesitanttoshareideasoranswerquestionsunlessspecificallyasked
7 Taskdependent
6 Alwayswillingtoshareideasalthoughnotnecessarilyaccurateformalscientificlanguage
8 Attemptstochoosehiswordswhenansweringquestionswhichisgreateffortfromthisstudent
2 Performancedependingonwhoshepartneredwith
3 Moreefforttotalkingroupshoweverthisisonlyasmallstepstillveryhesitantandseeksreassurancefromothers
3 Quietlyengagedndashlistensbutrarelysharesideas
6 MakingalargerefforttotalkwithinagroupStillhesitanttoshareinfrontofclassunlesssheknowsitrsquosright
6 Veryengagedandwillgenerallytalkandshareideasalthoughnotalwaysusingaccuratelanguage
8 Activelysharingandtalkingideasndashbacksupherstatementsusingreasonscanrejectothersrsquoopinionsandjustifywhy
6 AppearsdisengagedhoweverwithprobingdoesknowtheanswersNotalwaystalkingaboutthesubjectndashdependsonpersonwhoheispartneredwith
9 LovessharingideasconstantlyputtinghandupTriestousescientificlanguagendashnotasengagedinwrittentasks
References
AndersonTandShattuckJ(2012)lsquoDesign-basedresearchAdecadeofprogressineducationresearchrsquoEducational Researcher41(1)16ndash25
ArgyrisCandSchoumlnD(1996)Organizational Learning II Theory method and practice ReadingMAAddison-WesleyPublishingCompany
BrownC andRogers S (2015)lsquoKnowledge creation as an approach to facilitating evidence-informedpracticeExaminingwaystomeasurethesuccessofusingthismethodwithearlyyearspractitionersinCamden(London)rsquoJournal of Educational Change16(1)79ndash99
BrykAGomezL andGrunowA (2011)lsquoGetting ideas intoactionBuildingnetworked improvementcommunitiesineducationrsquoInHallinanM(ed)Frontiers in Sociology of Education Frontiers in Sociology and Social ResearchDordrechtNetherlandsSpringer127ndash62
London Review of Education 23
CamdenCouncil(2016)lsquoCamdenpartnershipforeducationalexcellencersquoOnlinewwwcamdengovukccmcontenteducationschoolscamden-partnership-for-educational-excellenceen(accessed1April2016)
Camden Education Commission (2011) Camden Education Commission Final report London CamdenChildrenrsquosTrustPartnershipBoardandLondonBoroughofCamden
CheungWMandWongWY(2014)lsquoDoeslessonstudyworkAsystematicreviewontheeffectsoflessonstudyandlearningstudyonteachersandstudentsrsquo International Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies3(2)137ndash49
CoburnCPenuelWandGeilK(2013)Research-Practice Partnerships A strategy for leveraging research for educational improvement in school districtsNewYorkWilliamTGrantFoundation
Cohen-Vogel LTichnor-WagnerAAllenD Harrison C Kainz K SocolAR andWangQ (2015)lsquoImplementingeducationalinnovationsatscaleTransformingresearchersintocontinuousimprovementscientistsrsquoEducational Policy29(1)257ndash77
Department for Children Schools and Families (DCSF) (2008) The National Strategies Strengthening transfers and transitions Partnerships for progressOnlinehttpderaioeacuk74641str_tt_prtnshp_prgrss08308pdf(requiressubscriptionaccessed5September2013)
DepartmentforEducation(2011)How do Pupils Progress During Key Stages 2 and 3ResearchreportDFE-RR096 Online wwwgovukgovernmentuploadssystemuploadsattachment_datafile182413DFE-RR096pdf(accessed1April2013)
Dudley P (2011) lsquoLesson study development in England From school networks to national policyrsquoInternational Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies1(1)85ndash100
ndashndash (2014) Lesson Study A handbook Online httplessonstudycoukwp-contentuploads201401new-handbook-early-years-edition2014-versionpdf(accessed21July2014)
EarleyPandPorrittV(2013)lsquoEvaluatingtheimpactofprofessionaldevelopmentTheneedforastudent-focusedapproachrsquoProfessional Development in Education40(1)112ndash29doi101080194152572013798741
EvangelouMTaggartBSylvaKMelhuishESammonsPandSiraj-BlatchfordI(2008)What Makes a Successful Transition from Primary to Secondary School NottinghamDCSF
FieldingMBraggSCraigJCunninghamIErautMGillinsonSHorneMRobinsonCandThorpJ(2005)lsquoFactorsinfluencingthetransferofgoodpracticersquoOnlinehttpderaioeacuk210011RR615pdf(accessed21July2014)
GaltonMGrayJandRudduckJ(1999)The Impact of School Transitions and Transfers on Pupil Progress and Attainment NottinghamDepartmentforEducationandEmployment
GeroG(2015)lsquoTheprospectsoflessonstudyintheUSTeachersupportandcomfortwithinadistrictcultureofcontrolrsquoInternational Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies4(1)7ndash25
GutierrezKandPenuelW(2014)lsquoRelevancetopracticeasacriterionforrigorrsquoEducational Researcher43(1)19ndash23
LeithwoodKDayCSammonsPHarrisAandHopkinsD(2006) Successful School Leadership What it is and how it influences student learning Researchreport800 LondonDepartmentforEducationandSkills
LewisC(2000)lsquoLessonstudyThecoreof JapaneseprofessionaldevelopmentrsquoPaperpresentedatTheAnnualMeetingoftheAmericanEducationalResearchAssociationNewOrleansLA24ndash8April2000
LincolnYandGubaE(1985)Naturalistic InquiryNewburyParkCASagePublicationsLondonBoroughofCamden(2012)Camden Education Commission Final reportOnlinehttpdemocracy
camdengovukdocumentss16322Camden20Education20Commission20Final20Reportpdf(accessed1April2013)
McGeeCWardRGibbons J andHarlowA (2004)Transition to Secondary School A literature reviewHamiltonNewZealandTheUniversityofWaikato
PenuelW FishmanBHauganC and SabelliN (2011)lsquoOrganizing research anddevelopment at theintersectionoflearningimplementationanddesignrsquoEducational Researcher40(7)331ndash7
PenuelWSunMFrankKandGallagherA(2012)UsingsocialnetworkanalysistostudyhowinteractionscanaugmentteacherlearningfromexternalprofessionaldevelopmentrsquoAmerican Journal of Education119(1)103ndash36
Shepherd J andRokerD (2005)lsquoAn evaluation of aldquotransition to secondary schoolrdquo project run bytheNationalPyramidTrustrsquoOnline wwwyoungpeopleinfocusorguk_assetsphpreportphpfile=37(accessed4September2013)
StollL(2012) lsquoStimulatinglearningconversationsrsquoProfessional Development Today14(4)6ndash12
24 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
StollLandBrownC(2015)lsquoMiddleleadersascatalystsforevidence-informedchangersquoInBrownC(ed)Leading the Use of Research and Evidence in SchoolsLondonIOEPress
StollLandFinkD(1996)Changing Our SchoolsBuckinghamOpenUniversityPressTree J(2011)lsquoWhathelpsstudentswithchallengingbehaviourmakeasuccessfultransfertosecondary
schoolrsquoDEdPsydissUniversityCollegeLondonInstituteofEducationTschannen-MoranM(2004)Trust Matters Leadership for successful schoolsSanFranciscoCAJossey-BassVanderlinde R and van Braak J (2010)lsquoThe gap between educational research and practiceViews of
teachers school leaders intermediariesandresearchersrsquoBritish Educational Research Journal36 (2)299ndash316
Related articles published in the London Review of Education
In this issue
ThispaperwaspublishedinaspecialfeatureoneducationinLondoneditedbyTamjidMujtabaTheotherarticlesinthefeatureareasfollows(linksunavailableattimeofpublication)
Cajic-SeigneurMandHodgsonA(2016)lsquoAlternativeeducationalprovision inanareaofdeprivation inLondonrsquoLondon Review of Education14(2)25ndash37
JerrimJandWynessG(2106)lsquoBenchmarkingLondoninthePISArankingsrsquoLondon Review of Education14(2)38ndash65
MujtabaT(2016)EditoriallsquoEducationinLondonChallengesandopportunitiesforyoungpeoplersquoLondon Review of Education14(2)1ndash3
MujtabaT and Reiss M (2016)lsquoGirls in the UK have similar reasons to boys for intending to studymathematics post-16 thanks to the support and encouragement they receiversquo London Review of Education14(2)66ndash82
StandishAHawleyT andWillyT (2016)lsquoThe LondonGeographyAlliance Re-connecting the schoolsubjectwiththeuniversitydisciplinersquoLondon Review of Education14(2)83ndash103
WrightP(2016)lsquoSocialjusticeinthemathematicsclassroomrsquoLondon Review of Education14(2)104ndash18
By the same authors
BrownC(2013)lsquoCritiqueandcomplexityPresentingamoreeffectivewaytoconceptualisetheknowledgeadoptionprocessrsquoLondon Review of Education11(1)32ndash45
BrownCandRogersS(2014)lsquoMeasuringtheeffectivenessofknowledgecreationasameansoffacilitatingevicence-informedpracticeinearlyyearssettingsinoneLondonboroughrsquoLondon Review of Education12(3)245ndash60
Elsewhere in the journal
LevinB(2011)lsquoMobilisingresearchknowledgeineducationrsquoLondon Review of Education9(1)15ndash26OakleyA(2003)lsquoResearchevidenceknowledgemanagementandeducationalpracticeEarlylessonsfrom
asystematicapproachrsquoLondon Review of Education1(1)21ndash33WatkinsC(2005)lsquoClassroomsaslearningcommunitiesAreviewofresearchrsquoLondon Review of Education
3(1)47ndash64
22 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
Rating of pupil at start of
year
Do you have evidence for making this assessment
What did you seehear that makes you give this score
Rating of pupil at endline of year
What are you now seeing that is different In other
words what evidence do you have for giving this score
4 Willanswerquestionsifverysureofanswer
6 Stillunwillingtoshareideasinclassbutwilluseconnectvocabularyifithasbeenembeddedstronglywithinlesson
4 Notinitiallywillingtoshareknowledgethoughdidcometothefrontofclassandshareideas
6 AbletodiscusswithintervieweeindetailinformationaboutexperimentStillsomewhatunwillingtoshare
5 Hesitanttoshareideasoranswerquestionsunlessspecificallyasked
7 Taskdependent
6 Alwayswillingtoshareideasalthoughnotnecessarilyaccurateformalscientificlanguage
8 Attemptstochoosehiswordswhenansweringquestionswhichisgreateffortfromthisstudent
2 Performancedependingonwhoshepartneredwith
3 Moreefforttotalkingroupshoweverthisisonlyasmallstepstillveryhesitantandseeksreassurancefromothers
3 Quietlyengagedndashlistensbutrarelysharesideas
6 MakingalargerefforttotalkwithinagroupStillhesitanttoshareinfrontofclassunlesssheknowsitrsquosright
6 Veryengagedandwillgenerallytalkandshareideasalthoughnotalwaysusingaccuratelanguage
8 Activelysharingandtalkingideasndashbacksupherstatementsusingreasonscanrejectothersrsquoopinionsandjustifywhy
6 AppearsdisengagedhoweverwithprobingdoesknowtheanswersNotalwaystalkingaboutthesubjectndashdependsonpersonwhoheispartneredwith
9 LovessharingideasconstantlyputtinghandupTriestousescientificlanguagendashnotasengagedinwrittentasks
References
AndersonTandShattuckJ(2012)lsquoDesign-basedresearchAdecadeofprogressineducationresearchrsquoEducational Researcher41(1)16ndash25
ArgyrisCandSchoumlnD(1996)Organizational Learning II Theory method and practice ReadingMAAddison-WesleyPublishingCompany
BrownC andRogers S (2015)lsquoKnowledge creation as an approach to facilitating evidence-informedpracticeExaminingwaystomeasurethesuccessofusingthismethodwithearlyyearspractitionersinCamden(London)rsquoJournal of Educational Change16(1)79ndash99
BrykAGomezL andGrunowA (2011)lsquoGetting ideas intoactionBuildingnetworked improvementcommunitiesineducationrsquoInHallinanM(ed)Frontiers in Sociology of Education Frontiers in Sociology and Social ResearchDordrechtNetherlandsSpringer127ndash62
London Review of Education 23
CamdenCouncil(2016)lsquoCamdenpartnershipforeducationalexcellencersquoOnlinewwwcamdengovukccmcontenteducationschoolscamden-partnership-for-educational-excellenceen(accessed1April2016)
Camden Education Commission (2011) Camden Education Commission Final report London CamdenChildrenrsquosTrustPartnershipBoardandLondonBoroughofCamden
CheungWMandWongWY(2014)lsquoDoeslessonstudyworkAsystematicreviewontheeffectsoflessonstudyandlearningstudyonteachersandstudentsrsquo International Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies3(2)137ndash49
CoburnCPenuelWandGeilK(2013)Research-Practice Partnerships A strategy for leveraging research for educational improvement in school districtsNewYorkWilliamTGrantFoundation
Cohen-Vogel LTichnor-WagnerAAllenD Harrison C Kainz K SocolAR andWangQ (2015)lsquoImplementingeducationalinnovationsatscaleTransformingresearchersintocontinuousimprovementscientistsrsquoEducational Policy29(1)257ndash77
Department for Children Schools and Families (DCSF) (2008) The National Strategies Strengthening transfers and transitions Partnerships for progressOnlinehttpderaioeacuk74641str_tt_prtnshp_prgrss08308pdf(requiressubscriptionaccessed5September2013)
DepartmentforEducation(2011)How do Pupils Progress During Key Stages 2 and 3ResearchreportDFE-RR096 Online wwwgovukgovernmentuploadssystemuploadsattachment_datafile182413DFE-RR096pdf(accessed1April2013)
Dudley P (2011) lsquoLesson study development in England From school networks to national policyrsquoInternational Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies1(1)85ndash100
ndashndash (2014) Lesson Study A handbook Online httplessonstudycoukwp-contentuploads201401new-handbook-early-years-edition2014-versionpdf(accessed21July2014)
EarleyPandPorrittV(2013)lsquoEvaluatingtheimpactofprofessionaldevelopmentTheneedforastudent-focusedapproachrsquoProfessional Development in Education40(1)112ndash29doi101080194152572013798741
EvangelouMTaggartBSylvaKMelhuishESammonsPandSiraj-BlatchfordI(2008)What Makes a Successful Transition from Primary to Secondary School NottinghamDCSF
FieldingMBraggSCraigJCunninghamIErautMGillinsonSHorneMRobinsonCandThorpJ(2005)lsquoFactorsinfluencingthetransferofgoodpracticersquoOnlinehttpderaioeacuk210011RR615pdf(accessed21July2014)
GaltonMGrayJandRudduckJ(1999)The Impact of School Transitions and Transfers on Pupil Progress and Attainment NottinghamDepartmentforEducationandEmployment
GeroG(2015)lsquoTheprospectsoflessonstudyintheUSTeachersupportandcomfortwithinadistrictcultureofcontrolrsquoInternational Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies4(1)7ndash25
GutierrezKandPenuelW(2014)lsquoRelevancetopracticeasacriterionforrigorrsquoEducational Researcher43(1)19ndash23
LeithwoodKDayCSammonsPHarrisAandHopkinsD(2006) Successful School Leadership What it is and how it influences student learning Researchreport800 LondonDepartmentforEducationandSkills
LewisC(2000)lsquoLessonstudyThecoreof JapaneseprofessionaldevelopmentrsquoPaperpresentedatTheAnnualMeetingoftheAmericanEducationalResearchAssociationNewOrleansLA24ndash8April2000
LincolnYandGubaE(1985)Naturalistic InquiryNewburyParkCASagePublicationsLondonBoroughofCamden(2012)Camden Education Commission Final reportOnlinehttpdemocracy
camdengovukdocumentss16322Camden20Education20Commission20Final20Reportpdf(accessed1April2013)
McGeeCWardRGibbons J andHarlowA (2004)Transition to Secondary School A literature reviewHamiltonNewZealandTheUniversityofWaikato
PenuelW FishmanBHauganC and SabelliN (2011)lsquoOrganizing research anddevelopment at theintersectionoflearningimplementationanddesignrsquoEducational Researcher40(7)331ndash7
PenuelWSunMFrankKandGallagherA(2012)UsingsocialnetworkanalysistostudyhowinteractionscanaugmentteacherlearningfromexternalprofessionaldevelopmentrsquoAmerican Journal of Education119(1)103ndash36
Shepherd J andRokerD (2005)lsquoAn evaluation of aldquotransition to secondary schoolrdquo project run bytheNationalPyramidTrustrsquoOnline wwwyoungpeopleinfocusorguk_assetsphpreportphpfile=37(accessed4September2013)
StollL(2012) lsquoStimulatinglearningconversationsrsquoProfessional Development Today14(4)6ndash12
24 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
StollLandBrownC(2015)lsquoMiddleleadersascatalystsforevidence-informedchangersquoInBrownC(ed)Leading the Use of Research and Evidence in SchoolsLondonIOEPress
StollLandFinkD(1996)Changing Our SchoolsBuckinghamOpenUniversityPressTree J(2011)lsquoWhathelpsstudentswithchallengingbehaviourmakeasuccessfultransfertosecondary
schoolrsquoDEdPsydissUniversityCollegeLondonInstituteofEducationTschannen-MoranM(2004)Trust Matters Leadership for successful schoolsSanFranciscoCAJossey-BassVanderlinde R and van Braak J (2010)lsquoThe gap between educational research and practiceViews of
teachers school leaders intermediariesandresearchersrsquoBritish Educational Research Journal36 (2)299ndash316
Related articles published in the London Review of Education
In this issue
ThispaperwaspublishedinaspecialfeatureoneducationinLondoneditedbyTamjidMujtabaTheotherarticlesinthefeatureareasfollows(linksunavailableattimeofpublication)
Cajic-SeigneurMandHodgsonA(2016)lsquoAlternativeeducationalprovision inanareaofdeprivation inLondonrsquoLondon Review of Education14(2)25ndash37
JerrimJandWynessG(2106)lsquoBenchmarkingLondoninthePISArankingsrsquoLondon Review of Education14(2)38ndash65
MujtabaT(2016)EditoriallsquoEducationinLondonChallengesandopportunitiesforyoungpeoplersquoLondon Review of Education14(2)1ndash3
MujtabaT and Reiss M (2016)lsquoGirls in the UK have similar reasons to boys for intending to studymathematics post-16 thanks to the support and encouragement they receiversquo London Review of Education14(2)66ndash82
StandishAHawleyT andWillyT (2016)lsquoThe LondonGeographyAlliance Re-connecting the schoolsubjectwiththeuniversitydisciplinersquoLondon Review of Education14(2)83ndash103
WrightP(2016)lsquoSocialjusticeinthemathematicsclassroomrsquoLondon Review of Education14(2)104ndash18
By the same authors
BrownC(2013)lsquoCritiqueandcomplexityPresentingamoreeffectivewaytoconceptualisetheknowledgeadoptionprocessrsquoLondon Review of Education11(1)32ndash45
BrownCandRogersS(2014)lsquoMeasuringtheeffectivenessofknowledgecreationasameansoffacilitatingevicence-informedpracticeinearlyyearssettingsinoneLondonboroughrsquoLondon Review of Education12(3)245ndash60
Elsewhere in the journal
LevinB(2011)lsquoMobilisingresearchknowledgeineducationrsquoLondon Review of Education9(1)15ndash26OakleyA(2003)lsquoResearchevidenceknowledgemanagementandeducationalpracticeEarlylessonsfrom
asystematicapproachrsquoLondon Review of Education1(1)21ndash33WatkinsC(2005)lsquoClassroomsaslearningcommunitiesAreviewofresearchrsquoLondon Review of Education
3(1)47ndash64
London Review of Education 23
CamdenCouncil(2016)lsquoCamdenpartnershipforeducationalexcellencersquoOnlinewwwcamdengovukccmcontenteducationschoolscamden-partnership-for-educational-excellenceen(accessed1April2016)
Camden Education Commission (2011) Camden Education Commission Final report London CamdenChildrenrsquosTrustPartnershipBoardandLondonBoroughofCamden
CheungWMandWongWY(2014)lsquoDoeslessonstudyworkAsystematicreviewontheeffectsoflessonstudyandlearningstudyonteachersandstudentsrsquo International Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies3(2)137ndash49
CoburnCPenuelWandGeilK(2013)Research-Practice Partnerships A strategy for leveraging research for educational improvement in school districtsNewYorkWilliamTGrantFoundation
Cohen-Vogel LTichnor-WagnerAAllenD Harrison C Kainz K SocolAR andWangQ (2015)lsquoImplementingeducationalinnovationsatscaleTransformingresearchersintocontinuousimprovementscientistsrsquoEducational Policy29(1)257ndash77
Department for Children Schools and Families (DCSF) (2008) The National Strategies Strengthening transfers and transitions Partnerships for progressOnlinehttpderaioeacuk74641str_tt_prtnshp_prgrss08308pdf(requiressubscriptionaccessed5September2013)
DepartmentforEducation(2011)How do Pupils Progress During Key Stages 2 and 3ResearchreportDFE-RR096 Online wwwgovukgovernmentuploadssystemuploadsattachment_datafile182413DFE-RR096pdf(accessed1April2013)
Dudley P (2011) lsquoLesson study development in England From school networks to national policyrsquoInternational Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies1(1)85ndash100
ndashndash (2014) Lesson Study A handbook Online httplessonstudycoukwp-contentuploads201401new-handbook-early-years-edition2014-versionpdf(accessed21July2014)
EarleyPandPorrittV(2013)lsquoEvaluatingtheimpactofprofessionaldevelopmentTheneedforastudent-focusedapproachrsquoProfessional Development in Education40(1)112ndash29doi101080194152572013798741
EvangelouMTaggartBSylvaKMelhuishESammonsPandSiraj-BlatchfordI(2008)What Makes a Successful Transition from Primary to Secondary School NottinghamDCSF
FieldingMBraggSCraigJCunninghamIErautMGillinsonSHorneMRobinsonCandThorpJ(2005)lsquoFactorsinfluencingthetransferofgoodpracticersquoOnlinehttpderaioeacuk210011RR615pdf(accessed21July2014)
GaltonMGrayJandRudduckJ(1999)The Impact of School Transitions and Transfers on Pupil Progress and Attainment NottinghamDepartmentforEducationandEmployment
GeroG(2015)lsquoTheprospectsoflessonstudyintheUSTeachersupportandcomfortwithinadistrictcultureofcontrolrsquoInternational Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies4(1)7ndash25
GutierrezKandPenuelW(2014)lsquoRelevancetopracticeasacriterionforrigorrsquoEducational Researcher43(1)19ndash23
LeithwoodKDayCSammonsPHarrisAandHopkinsD(2006) Successful School Leadership What it is and how it influences student learning Researchreport800 LondonDepartmentforEducationandSkills
LewisC(2000)lsquoLessonstudyThecoreof JapaneseprofessionaldevelopmentrsquoPaperpresentedatTheAnnualMeetingoftheAmericanEducationalResearchAssociationNewOrleansLA24ndash8April2000
LincolnYandGubaE(1985)Naturalistic InquiryNewburyParkCASagePublicationsLondonBoroughofCamden(2012)Camden Education Commission Final reportOnlinehttpdemocracy
camdengovukdocumentss16322Camden20Education20Commission20Final20Reportpdf(accessed1April2013)
McGeeCWardRGibbons J andHarlowA (2004)Transition to Secondary School A literature reviewHamiltonNewZealandTheUniversityofWaikato
PenuelW FishmanBHauganC and SabelliN (2011)lsquoOrganizing research anddevelopment at theintersectionoflearningimplementationanddesignrsquoEducational Researcher40(7)331ndash7
PenuelWSunMFrankKandGallagherA(2012)UsingsocialnetworkanalysistostudyhowinteractionscanaugmentteacherlearningfromexternalprofessionaldevelopmentrsquoAmerican Journal of Education119(1)103ndash36
Shepherd J andRokerD (2005)lsquoAn evaluation of aldquotransition to secondary schoolrdquo project run bytheNationalPyramidTrustrsquoOnline wwwyoungpeopleinfocusorguk_assetsphpreportphpfile=37(accessed4September2013)
StollL(2012) lsquoStimulatinglearningconversationsrsquoProfessional Development Today14(4)6ndash12
24 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
StollLandBrownC(2015)lsquoMiddleleadersascatalystsforevidence-informedchangersquoInBrownC(ed)Leading the Use of Research and Evidence in SchoolsLondonIOEPress
StollLandFinkD(1996)Changing Our SchoolsBuckinghamOpenUniversityPressTree J(2011)lsquoWhathelpsstudentswithchallengingbehaviourmakeasuccessfultransfertosecondary
schoolrsquoDEdPsydissUniversityCollegeLondonInstituteofEducationTschannen-MoranM(2004)Trust Matters Leadership for successful schoolsSanFranciscoCAJossey-BassVanderlinde R and van Braak J (2010)lsquoThe gap between educational research and practiceViews of
teachers school leaders intermediariesandresearchersrsquoBritish Educational Research Journal36 (2)299ndash316
Related articles published in the London Review of Education
In this issue
ThispaperwaspublishedinaspecialfeatureoneducationinLondoneditedbyTamjidMujtabaTheotherarticlesinthefeatureareasfollows(linksunavailableattimeofpublication)
Cajic-SeigneurMandHodgsonA(2016)lsquoAlternativeeducationalprovision inanareaofdeprivation inLondonrsquoLondon Review of Education14(2)25ndash37
JerrimJandWynessG(2106)lsquoBenchmarkingLondoninthePISArankingsrsquoLondon Review of Education14(2)38ndash65
MujtabaT(2016)EditoriallsquoEducationinLondonChallengesandopportunitiesforyoungpeoplersquoLondon Review of Education14(2)1ndash3
MujtabaT and Reiss M (2016)lsquoGirls in the UK have similar reasons to boys for intending to studymathematics post-16 thanks to the support and encouragement they receiversquo London Review of Education14(2)66ndash82
StandishAHawleyT andWillyT (2016)lsquoThe LondonGeographyAlliance Re-connecting the schoolsubjectwiththeuniversitydisciplinersquoLondon Review of Education14(2)83ndash103
WrightP(2016)lsquoSocialjusticeinthemathematicsclassroomrsquoLondon Review of Education14(2)104ndash18
By the same authors
BrownC(2013)lsquoCritiqueandcomplexityPresentingamoreeffectivewaytoconceptualisetheknowledgeadoptionprocessrsquoLondon Review of Education11(1)32ndash45
BrownCandRogersS(2014)lsquoMeasuringtheeffectivenessofknowledgecreationasameansoffacilitatingevicence-informedpracticeinearlyyearssettingsinoneLondonboroughrsquoLondon Review of Education12(3)245ndash60
Elsewhere in the journal
LevinB(2011)lsquoMobilisingresearchknowledgeineducationrsquoLondon Review of Education9(1)15ndash26OakleyA(2003)lsquoResearchevidenceknowledgemanagementandeducationalpracticeEarlylessonsfrom
asystematicapproachrsquoLondon Review of Education1(1)21ndash33WatkinsC(2005)lsquoClassroomsaslearningcommunitiesAreviewofresearchrsquoLondon Review of Education
3(1)47ndash64
24 Chris Brown Carol Taylor and Lorna Ponambalum
StollLandBrownC(2015)lsquoMiddleleadersascatalystsforevidence-informedchangersquoInBrownC(ed)Leading the Use of Research and Evidence in SchoolsLondonIOEPress
StollLandFinkD(1996)Changing Our SchoolsBuckinghamOpenUniversityPressTree J(2011)lsquoWhathelpsstudentswithchallengingbehaviourmakeasuccessfultransfertosecondary
schoolrsquoDEdPsydissUniversityCollegeLondonInstituteofEducationTschannen-MoranM(2004)Trust Matters Leadership for successful schoolsSanFranciscoCAJossey-BassVanderlinde R and van Braak J (2010)lsquoThe gap between educational research and practiceViews of
teachers school leaders intermediariesandresearchersrsquoBritish Educational Research Journal36 (2)299ndash316
Related articles published in the London Review of Education
In this issue
ThispaperwaspublishedinaspecialfeatureoneducationinLondoneditedbyTamjidMujtabaTheotherarticlesinthefeatureareasfollows(linksunavailableattimeofpublication)
Cajic-SeigneurMandHodgsonA(2016)lsquoAlternativeeducationalprovision inanareaofdeprivation inLondonrsquoLondon Review of Education14(2)25ndash37
JerrimJandWynessG(2106)lsquoBenchmarkingLondoninthePISArankingsrsquoLondon Review of Education14(2)38ndash65
MujtabaT(2016)EditoriallsquoEducationinLondonChallengesandopportunitiesforyoungpeoplersquoLondon Review of Education14(2)1ndash3
MujtabaT and Reiss M (2016)lsquoGirls in the UK have similar reasons to boys for intending to studymathematics post-16 thanks to the support and encouragement they receiversquo London Review of Education14(2)66ndash82
StandishAHawleyT andWillyT (2016)lsquoThe LondonGeographyAlliance Re-connecting the schoolsubjectwiththeuniversitydisciplinersquoLondon Review of Education14(2)83ndash103
WrightP(2016)lsquoSocialjusticeinthemathematicsclassroomrsquoLondon Review of Education14(2)104ndash18
By the same authors
BrownC(2013)lsquoCritiqueandcomplexityPresentingamoreeffectivewaytoconceptualisetheknowledgeadoptionprocessrsquoLondon Review of Education11(1)32ndash45
BrownCandRogersS(2014)lsquoMeasuringtheeffectivenessofknowledgecreationasameansoffacilitatingevicence-informedpracticeinearlyyearssettingsinoneLondonboroughrsquoLondon Review of Education12(3)245ndash60
Elsewhere in the journal
LevinB(2011)lsquoMobilisingresearchknowledgeineducationrsquoLondon Review of Education9(1)15ndash26OakleyA(2003)lsquoResearchevidenceknowledgemanagementandeducationalpracticeEarlylessonsfrom
asystematicapproachrsquoLondon Review of Education1(1)21ndash33WatkinsC(2005)lsquoClassroomsaslearningcommunitiesAreviewofresearchrsquoLondon Review of Education
3(1)47ndash64