SPEEL: Study of Pedagogical Effectiveness in Early Years Learning
This is a DfES research report produced by the School of Education Research and Development at Anglia Polytechnic University. It is based upon ethnographic research carried out in 2000-2001 in twenty-one Early Years (EY) settings in England, where the Foundation Stage (FS) curriculum was being followed.
Young People in Britain: The Attitudes and Experiences of 12 to 19 Year Olds
This DfES research report contains the methodology and findings of a 2003 survey amongst young people carried out by the National Centre for Social Research, and published through the DfES in 2004. It contains a detailed technical chapter and an appendix containing raw data, as well as the analysed findings and commentary.
How do we learn to become good citizens?
This is a BERA systematic review of research which relates to the nature and provision of citizenship education.
Learning lives: learning, identity and agency in the life course
This is one of the themes currently being explored within the larger ESRC Teaching and Learning Research Programme (TLRP).
What the research says about using ICT in English
The resource (a pdf document) is a brief four-page report based on an analysis of current research about how primary and secondary teachers are using ICT in the English curriculum. It summarises the key findings and suggests resources for further reading.
How do we teach children to be numerate?
This is a brief overview of the results of British research on primary numeracy for use by teachers and headteachers, policy makers and others who may be interested.
Improving learning through cognitive intervention
This is a GTC Research of the Month digest of the CASE (Cognitive Acceleration in Science Education) project which sought, in the early 90s, to examine the value of ‘a deliberate policy of challenging learners to transcend their present level of thinking’.
Improving the Effectiveness of Pupil Groups in Classrooms
This website is the gateway to a range of presentations which all relate to an ESRC funded Teaching and Learning Research Programme (TLRP) project.
The effects of an integrated, activity-based science curriculum on student achievement, science proc
This is a DfES digest from the Research Informed Practice Site (TRIPS) of a study, carried out in the United States which compared the science achievement, skills and attitudes of a large group of Year 7 students who were taught an integrated, activity-based (IS) curriculum with those of a control group taught in a traditional manner.
Learning by Comparison: International Experiences in Education and Training
This is a publication reporting the proceedings of a DfES research conference with 250 delegates in 2003. The main theme is the importance of international comparisons in education and training.
Towards Evidence-Based Practice in Science Education: (2000-03)
This ESRC-funded Teaching and Learning Research Programme (TLRP) project consists of research briefings and a research summary to report the work done by the Evidence-Based Practice in Science Education (EPSE) Research Network.
Effective early literacy teaching in the first years of school
This is a GTC 'Research of the Month' summary of three studies of what might constitute effective literacy teaching in the first years of school. In addition it includes six case studies from the UK and suggestions for reading. The case studies are set chiefly in Year 5 or Year 6 classes.
Does ICT improve learning and teaching in schools? (2003)
A professional user review undertaken on behalf of the British Educational Research Association (BERA). It provides an overview of research on the relationship between attainment and ICT use in schools.
Widening access to educational change through teaching children how to reason together
This is a DfES TRIPS digest of a small scale research project originally published in "Westminster Studies in Education", 2004. It summarises the aims and methods of the research and provides an outline of teaching strategies and the implications of the research in terms of developing language skills and promoting social inclusion.
Mapping Music Education Research in the UK
This review was undertaken by the BERA Music Education Review Group which is the collective name for the group of authors who compiled this overview of music education research in the United Kingdom. The review arose from a conference held in 1999.
The role and effects of teaching assistants in English primary schools (years 4-6) 2000-2003
This is a summary of a longitudinal research investigation into the role and effectiveness of classroom assistants in Key Stage Two.
What the research says about ICT in initial teacher training
This BECTA resource summarises research on the use of ICT in initial teacher training and suggests resources for further reading.
What do we know about teaching young children?
This is a professional user review of UK research into teaching young children between 1990 and 2000, based on the BERA academic review, ‘Early Years Research: Pedagogy, Curriculum and Adult Roles, Training and Professionalism’ (2003) and initiated by the BERA Early Years Special Interest Group.
Untangling dimensions of middle school students’ beliefs about scientific knowledge and science le
This is a DfES TRIPS digest of a study, carried out in the United States, focussed on finding out whether students’ beliefs about science influence their learning in the subject. The digest is included on the theme of science within the Research Informed Practice Site on the DfES Standards Site.
5 – 14 Mathematics in Scotland: The relevance of intensive quantities
This resource is an ESRC Teaching and Learning Research Programme (TLRP) report on research into children’s understanding of intensive quantities. Intensive quantities, such as speed or density which are often expressed as fractions or ratios, are not a requirement of the Primary National Curriculum. The research aimed to establish whether it is necessary to teach intensive quantities to primary aged children in order to enhance their understanding of quantity.
