Evidence+Informed+Practices


 * Contribute to evidence informed contemporary practices ... survey responses **

Some of the readings challenge the premise / motivation behind evidenced based approaches to school improvement – what counts as evidence is an important question when paired with critiques of the purpose of schooling, the quality of the students experience of learning and how learning in schools connects to the reality of students’ lives?

Would be good to see responses/discussions to uploads.

I joined this group for a number of reasons, some of which became more apparent during the course of the Investigation. Are there any theories of learning that I don't know about but should? (Why ‘should’ I?) What theories of learning do I support and which do I find challenging? (Why?) What is my own theory about learning, and how has that evolved? How is all this reflected in my practice, words and actions, as a Consultant (who has a voice on a team and in schools)?

I don’t think I have gotten to a stage where I can answer these questions yet. I think I agree with Matthew’s distinction about theories OF and theories ABOUT learning, but I couldn’t articulate it until I recognised it in his words. I also couldn’t articulate, until Matthew did, the question about our need to quote the ‘experts’rather than talk about our own values and beliefs. This says something about the power and value of collaborative learning and sharing, perhaps sharing with people you wouldn’t normally have the chance to converse with.

Perhaps, in our endeavour to have **evidence-informed contemporary practices,** we feel a sense of security and ‘one step removed’ where we can hide behind the theory / quote / opinion of an ‘expert’ rather than our own beliefs and practices which are in fact the result of analysis and synthesis of a range of experiences and research.

Just having the evidence there wasn’t enough. We needed to discuss the purposes, common ideas, and diversity within the group and to then look at how we applied the ‘evidence’…perhaps that will come as we move forward and engage in some ‘next steps’.

Quite of number of people posted on wiki a lot of material - an overwhelming amount of material that I have begun to skim through.

Sharing with and learning from colleagues supports currency of knowledge

Yes there was lots of contribution. We didn’t get a chance to evaluate by reading related critiques.

As a group I think we talked a bit about contemporary practices and the interrelationship between learning theories, pedagogy and assessment but perhaps more time could have been spent exploring the implications of the above in practice. How do we raise leaders and teachers’ awareness and understanding?

There was certainly a lot of “evidence” collected. It would be good to see more reflection – which is possible because this wiki could be an ongoing concern.