A methodology for comparative research in the FASMEd project: what is in it for ReVEA? Tuesday 28th Oct 2014 ReVEA day, IfE ENS de Lyon Birgit Pepin HiST Norway

What is FASMEd? The project Formative Assessment in Science and Mathematics Education (FASMEd) aims to research the use of technology in formative assessment classroom practices in ways that allow teachers to respond to the emerging needs of low achieving learners in mathematics and science, so that they are better motivated in their learning of these important subjects. FASMEd includes eight countries: UK; Italy; France; The Netherlands; Norway; Ireland; Germany; and South Africa. This international project will adapt and develop existing research-informed pedagogical interventions (developed by the partners), suited for implementation at scale, for working with low attaining pupils and transforming teaching. This project aims to: foster high quality interactions in international classrooms that are instrumental in raising achievement for low achievers; expand our knowledge of technologically enhanced teaching and assessment methods addressing low achievement in mathematics and science.

Major objectives for the project are to … produce a toolkit for teachers to support the development of practice. By ‘toolkit’ we mean a set of curriculum materials and methods for pedagogical intervention. produce a professional development resource that exemplifies use of the toolkit. offer approaches for the use of new technologies to support the formative assessment of lower achieving students. develop sustainable assessment and feedback practices that improve attainment in mathematics and science for the targeted students. challenge stereotyped attitudes and practices which raise anxiety on the part of teachers and students : research shows that anxiety and stereotyped attitudes have a strong impact on achievement in mathematics and this may also be the case for science. disseminate the outcomes of the project in the form of online resources, academic and professional publications, conference presentations as well as policy briefs to government agencies at a regional, National, European and International level.

Research questions Which toolkits and resources are conducive to formative assessment practices? What are the characteristics of those toolkits and resources that enhance formative assessment practices, and how are they developed? How are these toolkits/resources used by teachers and students in class? How are the toolkits/resources and their use perceived by teachers and their students in class? In which ways do/can they help to raise pupil attainment?

The design: Case Study Methodology

What is the unit of analysis? Unit of analysis: teacher/class -> cases of 2 teachers/classes (in 2 different schools) -> each country choses two teachers/classes (one mathematics & one science?)

Elements of the design Context -contextual information of 2 schools; -teacher demographic information; -student demographic information -> Information from each consortium partner (and linking to WP2)

Choice of 1 activity/tool across countries “working with graphs” in maths & science -> each country will use this commonly chosen activity with their chosen tool -> Sequence of lessons on ‘graphs’ (e.g. design- implementation – re-design) Each country will provide: - description & development of tool - adjustment to context/class - implementation (possibly re-design)

Teacher report/log -> teacher report on a series of lessons Including the following: - length of lessons, date & time - year group & class size - objectives & lesson theme - significant events - resources used - reflections on lesson/s

Observations of 1 series of lessons/teacher (video not always possible) Each partner will undertake: observations of lesson development/preparation 2-3 lesson observations 1 re-design observation (if applicable) -> observation schedule/s to be provided by WP1/5 -> partners will provide information/descriptions of 2 series of lessons

Interviews with 2 participant teachers -> interview schedule needs to be provided (WP1/5) (semi-structured interviews on teachers’ beliefs and practices with respect to formative assessment, low achievers & use of technology in the observed lessons)

Interviews of participant students -> focus group interviews (based on q-sorting) on their perception of how the FA and technology helped them in their learning of mathematics/science (interview questions and q-sorting cards to be provided by WP1/5)

Attainment data -> ‘local attainment data’ from the two teachers/classes (pre-and post- design study not possible in some countries)

Research questions- first level analysis 1. What are the (characteristics of the contexts) in which teachers and students work in their respective schools? 2. What are the characteristics of the tools chosen/developed by the different countries, and how do they develop over the duration of the intervention?

Research questions- first level analysis 3. What are the characteristics of teachers’ reports and reflections on their lessons? 4. What are the characteristics of the lesson preparations and the instruction with respect to the developed tool? 5. What are the characteristics of teachers’ beliefs and practices in terms of FA, low achievers and technology in their (performed) lessons? 6. What are the characteristics of students’ beliefs and practices in terms of their perceived learning with the technology/tools? How do these perceptions relate to the ‘local attainment data’?

Principles of proposed analyses With - in case analysis (based on data suggested) - 2nd level analysis: done by each country -> detailed grid provided by WP5 Cross- case analysis (based on 2 cases provided by each country): - 3rd level analysis done by WP5

ReVEA- ressources vivantes pour l’enseignement et l’apprentissage “Une tâche centrale des enseignants est de concevoir, rechercher, sélectionner, modifier, recomposer les ressources qu’ils présentent à leurs élèves et qui servent de support à leurs activités, mais aussi qu’ils partagent ou mutualisent avec leurs collègues. … Ce travail des enseignants sur les ressources, leurs sélections et leurs transformations, caractéristique de la liberté pédagogique qu’ils exercent est essentiel dans la qualité des enseignements.”

Tâche 1 Reconceptualiser la notion de ressource éducative Gestion des ressources dans le système scolaire

Tâche 2 Photographies de la sélection et de l'utilisation de ressources et cartographie de l'offre Analyse Quantitative des ressources

Tâche 3: le suivi de professeurs Analyse des systèmes de ressources et de leurs évolutions dans la durée, pour des enseignants individuels et des collectifs d'enseignants au sein d'établissements: Est-ce que les systèmes de ressources comportent une ou plusieurs ressources cruciales, autour desquelles sont organisées les autres ressources ? Quelle est la place des ressources numériques dans ces systèmes ? Comment s’articulent les systèmes de plusieurs professeurs amenés à collaborer ? Peut-on parler du système de ressources d’une équipe d’établissement ? On cherchera à identifier des spécificités disciplinaires et des éléments communs aux différentes disciplines.

Tâche 4: collectifs Analyse des systèmes de ressources et de leurs évolutions dans la durée, pour des enseignants individuels et des collectifs d'enseignants au sein d'établissements: Quels sont les ressorts du développement de collectifs de professeurs (hors regroupement dans les établissements, pris en charge par tâche 3) réunis dans une intention de développement de ressources pour enseigner ? Quels sont les modes de partage de ces ressources et les modes de circulation et de transformations de ces ressources ?

Tâche 5 Identification des facteurs qui influent sur la sélection et la transformation des ressources

Unit of analysis? -> professeurs? -> collectifs? -> ressources/systemes de ressources?

Questions de recherche What are the essential resources (human and material/text), and how can we characterise the different systems of resources? How do they interrelate? (are there ‘trajectories’?) What are the ‘most rewarding’ collectives, what are their characteristics and how do they interrelate? How do (1) the system of resources and (2) the different collectives interrelate, and perhaps enhance/hinder each other? How do they develop/transform?