Table 1 research undertaken for learner voice initiatives – Authors and Focus Methodologies/research approach Key research questions institutional context Forrest et al. Distribution of leadership Qualitative literature review re policies; Most effective strategies to capture learner – (2007) Personalisation audit of current practices in case study voice FE College, Impact on policy college Implications for quality improvement strategies Yorkshire and Quality improvement 6 action research projects; links to Leadership implications Humber region Learner empowerment development of a regional learner panel (NIACE) Steering group 2 learner surveys across contexts and – curriculum areas Student forum Learners involved in self-assessment process Shuttle (2007) Ownership of learning Qualitative survey of 180 organisations How effective are various kinds of student – FE Colleges and Communities of learning (29 respondents) representation? Adult Learning 2 detailed case studies How do institutions act on learner views is – organisations Learner engagement and its impact on learner voice taken seriously? institutional decision-making What mechanisms are in place to enable Joint lesson observations (learners learners to develop an informed view of the educational work of an institution? ‘trained’) Phenomenological McGregor (2006) Conceptualising leadership 135 networks across 90 Local Authorities: Investigating ways to engage multiple voices Networked Students as active agents in improving 1533 schools, networks ranging from 6 in schools – Learning learning 44 schools Different modes of engagement between Communities Development of partnership relationships Review of research, but a useful text adults and young people learners as – Programme between adults and young people contributors to data, rather than passive – secondary schools Empowerment sources Communities of practice Powney and Hall Autonomous learners Documentary analysis of feedback and How do learners know what is done with ‘expert’ (1998) Metacognition procedures feedback? study of Collaboration Interviews with staff/students Problems with attributing impact to learner 2 HE institutions in Questionnaire involvement Scotland Tracking of feedback Seminars/workshops Interviews with other interested parties
Table 1 – research undertaken for learner voice initiatives Authors and institutional context Focus Methodologies/research approach Key research questions Forrest et al. (2007) FE College, Yorkshire and Humber region Distribution of leadership Personalisation Impact on policy Quality improvement Learner empowerment Qualitative – literature review re policies; audit of current practices in case study college 6 action research projects; links to development of a regional learner panel (NIACE) Steering group 2 learner surveys – across contexts and curriculum areas Student forum Learners involved in self-assessment process Most effective strategies to capture learner voice Implications for quality improvement strategies Leadership implications Shuttle (2007) FE Colleges and Adult Learning organisations Ownership of learning Communities of learning Qualitative – survey of 180 organisations (29 respondents) 2 detailed case studies Learner engagement and its impact on institutional decision-making Joint lesson observations (learners ‘trained’) Phenomenological How effective are various kinds of student representation? How do institutions act on learner views – is learner voice taken seriously? What mechanisms are in place to enable learners to develop an informed view of the educational work of an institution? McGregor (2006) Networked Learning Communities Programme – secondary schools Conceptualising leadership Students as active agents in improving learning Development of partnership relationships between adults and young people Empowerment Communities of practice 135 networks across 90 Local Authorities: 1533 schools, networks ranging from 6 – 44 schools Review of research, but a useful text Investigating ways to engage multiple voices in schools Different modes of engagement between adults and young people – learners as contributors to data, rather than passive sources Powney and Hall (1998) study of 2 HE institutions in Scotland Autonomous ‘expert’ learners Metacognition Collaboration Documentary analysis of feedback and procedures Interviews with staff/students Questionnaire Tracking of feedback Seminars/workshops Interviews with other interested parties How do learners know what is done with feedback? Problems with attributing impact to learner involvement
Observations_a%20vehicle%20for%20enabling%20learner%20voice%20and%20developing%20expert%20learners.docx