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LEARNING TO LISTEN:
Listening to learn
A resource for teacher researchers jointly published
by MLC School, Burwood and the Centre for Practitioner
Research, Faculty of Education and Social Work,
University of Sydney.

Susan Groundwater-Smith & Nicole Mockler

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors would like to acknowledge the collaborative

inquiry undertaken in each of the schools which form the
Coalition of Knowledge Building Schools:
Ashfield Boys’ High School, Asquith Girls’ High School,
Burwood Girls’ High School, Curl Curl North Public School,
Loreto Normanhurst, MLC School and SCEGGS Darlinghurst.
As members of the Coalition, schools have developed
methodologies which honour and have listened to the
perceptions and voices of students. Each school has engaged
in ways which support and enhance the improvement of
learning for all. Many of the examples cited in this
publication grow directly from this work. The work of the
Coalition has been supported by the Centre for Practitioner
Research, Faculty of Education, University of Sydney.
A special thanks is due to MLC School whose Council
provided the start up funds necessary for this publication.

Cover image by Pam Hatfield,

MLC School Community relations

Distributed by the Division of Professional Experiences,

Partnerships and Development Faculty of Education
Social Work, University of Sydney, 2006.
© University of Sydney, 2003
ISBN 1 86487 555 0
This work is copyright. Reproduction for any purposes
other than that allowed under Part VB of the Australian
Copyright Act 1968 as amended 1989 requires the written
permission of the distributor.
This project was supported by a grant from MLC School,
Burwood NSW.

Requests and inquiries concerning the purchases of this

resource should be addressed to:
The Division of Professional Experiences, Partnerships
and Development
Faculty of Education and Social Work,
University of Sydney, 2006.
Phone +61 2 9351 7031
Fax +61 2 9351 6249
email dpd@edfac.usyd.edu.au
PREFACE
School based enquiry has a long history in Australian
education. However, this resource has some characteristics
that are distinctive. Foremost among these is the emphasis
upon developing strategies whereby the voices of key
stakeholders in schools can be heard and attended to; hence
the title.
When it was first proposed to publish such a resource the
Coalition of Knowledge Building Schools was in its infancy.
The initial submission to the Council of the MLC School,
Burwood and the Centre for Practitioner Research at the
University of Sydney signalled an intention to draw upon the
MLC School’s experiences in developing evidence based
practice as a professional norm within the school.
Since 1998 the school has engaged Susan Groundwater-Smith
as a Researcher in Residence. Her role was, and continues to
be, one where she works with teams of teachers to
investigate matters of concern to the school in such a way
that improvement in practice will follow. Over the intervening
years a large range of studies have been undertaken and
reported upon, not only within the school itself, but at State,
National and International Conferences.
As the Coalition of Knowledge Building Schools grew and
expanded, the range of examples also grew as did the
possibilities for development and refinement. This can best
be illustrated by a particular case. MLC School was interested
in collecting the views of students in the junior school.
Senior school students were trained to run focus groups with
samples of girls from K–6. Subsequently a report was
prepared and delivered. The next iteration of the process
was at Ashfield Boys High School, where boys from senior
years were trained to interview students in the middle years.
Following the focus groups a questionnaire was developed
and the results analysed by students in a computer class.
A further development occurred at Burwood Girls High
School, where it was a group of parents who were trained to
run focus groups. Asquith Girls High School has since used
the process and added in a cycle whereby the students have
fed back the results to a whole staff forum. Several of these
examples are spelled out in the resources.
Thus, it may be seen, that over the two years between the
initial proposal and this product a range of practices has
grown and emerged, contributed to by all of the schools in
the Coalition. Clearly this evolution has served to enrich
Learning to Listen: Listening to Learn. However, it is
important to acknowledge and respect the initiative taken by
MLC School in perceiving that processes leading to
improvements to professional practice should be widely
shared and discussed.
Contents

INTRODUCTION 1 SECTION 3
Evidence based practice as a strategy for Developing evidence
school improvement and teacher professional based practice 28
learning 1
Developing commissions of inquiry 28
Introducing teachers to evidence based
practice within an action learning context 4 Collegial pairs as a strategy for action 29

The thorny nature of evidence 6 The corporate learning portfolio 30

Quality control and ethical practice 8 Accountabilities 31

CONCLUSION
STRATEGIES 9 Facilitating practitioner inquiry 33

SECTION 1 APPENDIX A
Gathering the evidence 10 Some helpful resources 35
Focus group discussions 10
APPENDIX B
Images and metaphors 13 Sample letter 36
The monologue – Interviewing oneself 15
Scenarios as a stimulus 16 APPENDIX C
A portrayal of a focus group discussion 37
Documentary photographs and drawings 18
A silent conversation 20 APPENDIX D
Structuring a questionnaire 23 Example of a questionnaire arising from
a focus group discussion 39

SECTION 2 Notes 41
Using the evidence 25
The place of the position paper as a means
of informing practice 25
Reading research 26
Introduction »
There can be no disputing the fact that teaching, well
done, is difficult and demanding physical, emotional
and intellectual work. It requires of teachers that they
engage in multiple decision making, whether in
preparing for the day, interacting in the classroom or
assessing and reporting upon student learning
outcomes. Teachers are continuously deciding what to
teach, how to teach it, how to respond thoughtfully
and constructively to the learners in their class, and
how to engage with their professional colleagues and
parents. Often their decisions have to be made
quickly and efficiently. However, there are also
occasions when decisions can and should be based
on carefully assembled evidence. These are the
important decisions which shape and frame what lies
at the very heart of teaching and learning.
 LEARNING TO LISTEN: LISTENING TO LEARN

EVIDENCE BASED PRACTICE AS A STRATEGY FOR SCHOOL

IMPROVEMENT AND TEACHER PROFESSIONAL LEARNING

»
This resource material has been designed to help teachers collect evidence, in the
context of their own school, in ways which will assist them and their colleagues to
make informed decisions. It argues that if we can learn to listen to students, to
parents, to the community, to our colleagues and professional partners, in systematic
and well organised ways we can improve our practice as a result of what we have
heard and how well we have understood it.
Many books and articles have now been published which support teacher enquiry and
school based research. We shall provide a short, annotated bibliography of these at
the conclusion to the publication1. However, it is important to note that we are not
going to burden our readers with the kind of referencing which goes into the usual
academic publications. Instead we are concerned that we prepare a practical ‘primer’
which provides a range of strategies which can be employed and which are not only
useful, but enjoyable too.
We are anxious to illustrate the concept that gathering, interpreting and acting upon
evidence can be accommodated into classroom practices and, indeed, can become
part of the curriculum itself. Throughout the publication we shall present case
studies of evidence based practice from schools who have been working in this way
for some time within a loose alliance known as the Coalition of Knowledge Building
Schools which see as their purposes:
» developing and enhancing the notion of evidence based practice;
» developing an interactive community of practice using appropriate technologies;
» making a contribution to a broader professional knowledge base with respect to
educational practice;
» building research capability within their own and each other’s schools by engaging
both teachers and students in the research processes; and
» sharing methodologies which are appropriate to practitioner inquiry as a means of
transforming teacher professional learning.

1 See Appendix A for an annotated list of useful publications supporting practitioner research.

1
 INTRODUCTION
Each of the seven schools in the Coalition has made
a commitment to developing professional
knowledge about: teaching and learning;
curriculum and assessment; pedagogy; and school
organisation. Their knowledge is based upon
evidence which has been collected in a variety of
ways to serve a variety of decision making purposes.
Four of the schools: Ashfield Boys High School,
Asquith Girls High School, Burwood Girls High
School and Curl Curl North Public School are in the
public sector; while Loreto Normanhurst,
MLC School and SCEGGS Darlinghurst are
Independent girls’ school, the latter two catering
for students from Kindergarten to Year 12.
In order to demonstrate the ways in which schools
can use evidence to improve the ways in which they
operate it is worth considering some of the projects
that have been undertaken by the schools to
improve practice. There have been studies in
several of the schools which have focused, one way
or another, on what students, parents and teachers
believe to be good learning and sound conditions to
promote good learning. A school has pursued with
its parents the ways in which they perceived that
the school was meeting its planned objectives for
that year. Another was interested in systematically
investigating the partnership which it had with a
university to further develop critical literacy within
the school. Two have been involved in innovations
in science education which have encouraged
greater autonomy amongst its student body. In one
case there has been an investigation into student
responses to its arrangements for the middle years
of schooling, while in another teachers’ attitudes
and beliefs regarding information and
communication technologies were explored in
order to identify further professional development
needs. In several of the schools more than one
investigation will be taking place at any one time.
Clearly, then, evidence has been something which
is being collected in a variety of ways for a variety of
purposes. Teachers, at times with the assistance of
students and parents, were observing, interviewing,
photographing and surveying. They were collating,
2
analysing, and interpreting. They were puzzling,
hypothesising, reflecting and discussing. In sum,
they were engaged in satisfying and rewarding
professional learning.
INTRODUCING TEACHERS TO EVIDENCE
BASED PRACTICE WITHIN AN ACTION
LEARNING CONTEXT
How then does one go about introducing teachers
to evidence based practice within an action
learning context? Just thinking about evidence
itself can be to challenge a number of preconceived
ideas. For those of us addicted to television
courtroom dramas, evidence is often that which is
offered up in an adversarial way to prove a case.
But when considering evidence based practice in
the school context it is more useful to think about
the ways in which the forensic scientist uses
evidence to understand a phenomenon. The test is
not to prove a case, but to more fully and deeply
understand what is going on.
In order to make the notion of evidence interesting
and problematic we have developed what we call
‘The Wallet Investigation’.
It goes something like this.
☛ THE WALLET INVESTIGATION
The group leader takes his or her
wallet and lays it on the table.
Teachers are asked to take
everything from the wallet and
use it as evidence to make
hypotheses about the lifestyle of
the owner. The leader then quietly
observes and records what
happens next.
Much can be learned from this simple exercise.
Some participants are reluctant to investigate the
wallet because they see that it is intrusive; in the
same way that some teachers, acting as

researchers, will be concerned about intruding into
their students’ space by conducting an inquiry of
one kind or another. This delicacy is not to be
dismissed and will further be discussed when we
turn to the ethics of gathering evidence. Other
participants will go to the task with great
enthusiasm, pulling out the contents, exclaiming
upon this or that. Imagine their chagrin when
asked, at the end of the event, to return everything
as they found it. Of course they cannot and this
raises issues regarding the fact that the very act of
collecting evidence can disturb the matter being
investigated.
Different participants will group the various
artefacts in different ways, this too can be an
indication of their own mindsets and beliefs. As
well they may jump to conclusions that are
subsequently unfounded. Only interaction with the
owner of the wallet can verify their interpretation –
but then the owner might be lying – so are there
other means of verifying or ‘triangulating’ the
evidence? Similarly questions may arise in relation
to the extent that the owner of the wallet may
choose to withhold some evidence by removing
items beforehand, or even construct some evidence
by adding items in. These are important research
issues.
It is even possible to reflect upon what is not in the
wallet. Sometimes the ‘silences’ in research can be
as important as that which is revealed. Once, when
undertaking some research in the UK for the
British Library one of the authors of this resource
was required to analyse interview transcripts from
the academic sixth form of a large number of
schools across England and Wales. Among other
things, students had been asked for their reasons
for selecting given subjects to take for A Levels
(mainly used for entry into university). In spite of
combing the transcripts there were no references
to the intrinsic worth of the subjects; that there
might be any joy in studying English or History,
Mathematics or Science. All of the reasons were
instrumental – what would earn high marks, what
was required for a given university course and so
on. One would not want to make too much of it. But
it could be an indication of a more general malaise,
LEARNING TO LISTEN: LISTENING TO LEARN
or that the questions used in the interviews needed
to be rephrased. The point of the anecdote is to
indicate that what is not said can also be
important.
Inspired by the work of Michael Schratz and
Rob Walker, referred to in our annotated
bibliography, another strategy for introducing
issues around evidence is what we call ‘The Apple
and the Elephant Test’.
☛ THE APPLE AND THE
ELEPHANT TEST
Several days before the workshop
an apple is quartered, ensuring
that one quarter retains the stem.
This early preparation is important
because the cut surface of the
apple takes on a suede like
texture and the distinctive apple
smell disappears. Three volunteers
are blindfolded and each has his
or her hand guided onto a specific
part of the apple: the outer skin,
the stem, or the cut surface. All
other participants agree that each
has touched the same object.
The apple is removed and the
blindfolds taken away. The
volunteers are asked to agree
upon what it is that they have
touched. Quite aside from the
puzzlement and hilarity that this
induces it raises serious questions
about what it is that classroom
research can and cannot touch
upon. Schratz and Walker
introduce, at this point, The Blind
Men and the Elephant poem. Each
encounters a very different part of
the elephant’s anatomy and makes
conjectures upon what it is that
she or he has felt based upon that
encounter.
3
 INTRODUCTION
These are not trivial exercises, but rather ones
which will generate concerns in relation to ‘what
counts as evidence?’. Clearly there is a relationship
between evidence and the questions being asked.
The wallet exercise would not be of much use if the
question were “how tall and heavy is the owner of
the wallet?” The apple exercise would scarcely
work if the question was not “what have you
touched?” but was “from where did this object
come?”
THE THORNY NATURE OF EVIDENCE
Evidence is all around us in school settings.
Much of it is already available in students’ work, in
displays, in school documents, in ceremonies and
rituals. Some of it needs to be collected through
testimonies and witness. Some of it will be
quantifiable, some qualitative. What is important is
that the evidence is used to a local purpose. It is
not being collected in order to form massive
generalisations about educational practices, but
rather to address questions about what works and
what doesn’t in the given school setting.
Asking good questions is the key to deciding what
evidence to collect. In wanting to know how
students perceived changes to school organisation
at MLC, for example, the school was mindful of the
fact that the innovation was recent and disruptive.
It was too early to make judgements about the
efficacy of the change when the change had barely
had time to settle down. So the question became
one of identity. How do students identify with the
new organisation of the middle school?
4
☛ THROUGH STUDENT EYES
The decision was taken to ask
students, in pairs, to take
photographs of what it was that
they liked and disliked about the
new arrangements. These were then
developed into posters which the
students discussed with each other
and with the researcher. In this
case, as in all others among the
Coalition of Knowledge Building
Schools, the study was
documented. This means that later
questions can be asked and the
evidence returned to at a later
point. For example, two years
further into the change the same
girls can be interviewed regarding
their posters, or new girls could be
asked whether they see things
differently.
Again, it is important to note that this small piece
of research was a part of the curriculum, not an
add-on task.
With larger inquiries the questions may be
categorised as key questions and contributing
questions. What do members of our school
community believe to be the characteristics of good
learning? How is it seen by students? How is it
understood by parents? How do teachers perceive
it? What impedes good learning? What facilitates
good learning? And so on. Once the questions are
asked then it is possible to identify the kinds of
evidence that need to be collected and how these
forms of evidence might be obtained.
 LEARNING TO LISTEN: LISTENING TO LEARN

Another example from MLC School is where the

TAS Department decided that it would like to
undertake an evaluation of the ways in which it was
perceived and the forms of support available to it.
At Loreto Normanhurst teachers within the Science
faculty undertook an investigation into the nature
and role of assessment in Stage 6 Science. The
project was funded by the Association of
Independent Schools as part of its New HSC
Professional Development Program. Consequently,
evidence was gathered that satisfied the
requirements of the funded project while at the
same time contributing to professional learning at
Loreto with respect to assessment and moderation.

MIDDLE SCHOOL GIRLS IN TAS CLASS AT MLC SCHOOL

Investigations of TAS at MLC School

Together, the teachers decided upon the following key questions:
1. What is the perception of the status of TAS at MLC School?
2. How do students evaluate their experiences in TAS at MLC School?
3. How adequate are the resources and facilities (including human resources) to meet the needs of student learning in TAS?
4. What are the recommendations for improvement in the light of the inquiry?

It was decided that focus group inquiry would be the main research tool to address questions 1 and 2. All members of staff in the
TAS Department would take part in a focus group which would also be used as a training opportunity. This entailed their release
from teaching for a morning. A consultant researcher would conduct focus groups with the previous exit group of Year 12 students
in the early evening. She would be observed by two volunteer staff members. Similarly the current Year 12 students would be
interviewed by the consultant researcher with two further staff members observing. The staff would then undertake focus group
interviews with all students participating in TAS studies in Years 8 and 9.
A second training morning was used to discuss the outcomes of the various focus group meetings. The consultant researcher
modelled the process by preparing the Year 12 reports and negotiations were conducted regarding the thematic structure of the
Years 8 and 9 reports.
The resources audit was undertaken in two stages. Two senior members of staff outlined the range and quality of available
resources. Staff then photographed and annotated what they believed to be the strengths and weaknesses of the physical
resources. Staff met to discuss, on the basis of the resources, an analysis of the needs of the Department.
The writing of sections of the report was allocated to various members of staff who had volunteered to undertake the task.
The draft report was considered and ratified by all members of staff the following week. The final report was then taken, with the
recommendations, to a school management meeting and to the school’s research advisory committee. The timeline below indicates
the framework of the study.

22nd 28th 2nd-6th 4th 12th

Timeline March March April April April
Focus Group Interview TAS Staff Year 12, 2000, Focus Group Year 8/9 Focus Groups Feedback Year 12 groups Draft report
Focus Group Methodology TAS Staff Negotiate staff mini-report
Year 12, 2001, Focus Group Resources Audit
Needs analysis

5
 INTRODUCTION

Investigating assessment in Stage 6 Science at Loreto Normanhurst

Science teachers at Loreto Normanhurst set out to address the following research questions:
» In what ways will teaching and learning be enhanced across the Science KLA in Stage 6 as a result of designing
from authentic assessment tasks to curriculum and pedagogical practices?
» What type of tasks provide scope for students to meet the prescribed outcomes across a variety of subjects?
» How is student learning enhanced by providing opportunities for sharing of learning between students?
» How do teachers design lessons to support the task?
» How are teacher decisions about learning informed by one-on-one teacher student interaction?

In the course of the investigation, evidence was gathered from students and teachers via surveys, focus group
discussions and interviews. The evidence gathered was used to inform the development of an ‘authentic assessment’
task, which aimed to integrate assessment into the teaching and learning process. In the later stages of the project,
students engaged with the assessment task and teachers worked together in the process of ‘moderating’ student
assessment. This process was reported by the teachers involved to have been extremely beneficial in terms of
developing their own professional judgement and developing their trust in that of their colleagues.

Designing a study takes time. It is not

unusual for practitioners doing this
kind of inquiry for the first time to
collect far too much evidence. It is
more desirable to do something, first
of all, on a modest scale and within a
realistic time frame than attempt
something too large and
overwhelming. Quality control is more
likely to be within the grasp of the
school when the inquiry is
manageable.

LORETO NORMANHURST STUDENTS

6
 INTRODUCTION

Investigating assessment in Stage 6 Science at Loreto Normanhurst

Science teachers at Loreto Normanhurst set out to address the following research questions:
» In what ways will teaching and learning be enhanced across the Science KLA in Stage 6 as a result of designing
from authentic assessment tasks to curriculum and pedagogical practices?
» What type of tasks provide scope for students to meet the prescribed outcomes across a variety of subjects?
» How is student learning enhanced by providing opportunities for sharing of learning between students?
» How do teachers design lessons to support the task?
» How are teacher decisions about learning informed by one-on-one teacher student interaction?

In the course of the investigation, evidence was gathered from students and teachers via surveys, focus group
discussions and interviews. The evidence gathered was used to inform the development of an ‘authentic assessment’
task, which aimed to integrate assessment into the teaching and learning process. In the later stages of the project,
students engaged with the assessment task and teachers worked together in the process of ‘moderating’ student
assessment. This process was reported by the teachers involved to have been extremely beneficial in terms of
developing their own professional judgement and developing their trust in that of their colleagues.

Designing a study takes time. It is not

unusual for practitioners doing this
kind of inquiry for the first time to
collect far too much evidence. It is
more desirable to do something, first
of all, on a modest scale and within a
realistic time frame than attempt
something too large and
overwhelming. Quality control is more
likely to be within the grasp of the
school when the inquiry is
manageable.

LORETO NORMANHURST STUDENTS

6

QUALITY CONTROL AND ETHICAL
PRACTICE
Quality control is more than being meticulous in
the design, collection, analysis and interpretation
of evidence. It is ensuring that the study, in all of its
manifestations is ethical. We cannot ever guarantee
that we will do no harm in the ways in which
schooling is conducted. We can inadvertently cause
harm. For example, some years ago one of us was
working with teachers in England, in the fen
country around Huntingdon. A teacher spoke of a
boy coming to school with his right arm in plaster.
When he attempted to write with his left hand he
proved very adept. The teacher mentioned this to
the boy’s parents, noting “you would almost think
he was a natural left-hander”. The mother
blanched. In the small fen community to be left
handed was to be seriously deviant. It later
transpired that the boy’s father had gone to some
lengths (including physical punishment) to ensure
that he did not use his left hand. By disclosing the
boy’s dexterity with his left hand the teacher left
him exposed to further punishment. But, the
teacher’s behaviour was not unethical, because he
meant no harm or malice.
However, in the conduct of human research, in
whatever environment, we must take care to guard
against harm. A teacher, conducting a focus group
interview, may hear some negative comments about
a colleague; but confidentiality cannot be broken.
If surveys or questionnaires are said to be
anonymous, then anonymity must be preserved. In
all circumstances informed consent must be
obtained; either from the students if they are of an
age to give it; or from their parents.2
2 See Appendix B for an example of a letter seeking informed consent.
LEARNING TO LISTEN: LISTENING TO LEARN
Three of the schools in the Coalition have formed
research advisory committees. In the case of
Burwood Girls High School the parent council is
used in that capacity. Loreto Normanhurst and
MLC School have established committees with
staff, student and parent representation. In
MLC School’s case the school’s chaplain also plays
an important role. By having research advisory
committees which act as a touchstone both in
research planning and as an audience to the
research there is an assurance that the inquiries
will be public and transparent.
While being ethical is the most important principle
in the conduct of research in schools it is also
critical that strategies are employed which seek for
evidence from a range of different perspectives.
In the research literature this is known as
triangulation and is a vital form of quality control.
No one source of evidence can be considered
sufficient, so during an inquiry a school may wish to
draw upon several using a range of procedures.
We turn now to a range of strategies for collecting
evidence. Again we would like to emphasise that
much of the inquiry can be embedded in the lived
life of the classroom. If there is to be a student
questionnaire, why not have the students active
participants in designing it. If a questionnaire’s
results need to be recorded and presented
statistically again students can be participative.
After all, it is their schooling which is at stake.
By being involved in the research the students not
only have access to some of the results, but also will
develop expectations that things will be improved.
If not, why not? Having students and parents
involved not only as informants, but also as
researchers themselves, is a potent way of keeping
us all honest!
7
Strategies »
Our discussion of strategies will encompass three
sections; one will address the gathering of evidence,
the second ways of using evidence collected by
others and the third ways of organising a whole
school to become involved in evidence based
practice.
 LEARNING TO LISTEN: LISTENING TO LEARN

SECTION 1 SECTION 2 SECTION 3

Gathering the Using evidence: Developing
evidence: evidence based

» » Focus group enquiry

and its merit as a
» The place of the
‘position paper’ as a
practice:

» Developing
commissions of
source of evidence in a means of informing enquiry
variety of contexts practice » Collegial pairs as a
» Images and metaphors » Reading research 3
strategy for action
as powerful research
» The corporate learning
tools
portfolio
» The monologue –
» Accountabilities
interviewing oneself
» Using scenarios to
stimulate responses
» Documentary
photographs and
drawings
» Silent conversations
» Using questionnaires

3 From time to time participating schools in the Coalition have employed a professional research agency to
undertake surveys using nationally validated benchmarks. This section would support those wishing to read and
interpret such studies.

9
 STRATEGIES

SECTION 1 Gathering the evidence

FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSIONS are small groups gathered together

to respond to a set of questions which have been carefully
considered beforehand. Hence the word ‘focus’. They are
organised so that those participating can express their ideas, not
only to the chairperson of the group, but also to each other.
Teachers are generally very good focus group leaders because
they are used to asking questions and not pre-empting the way
that someone is going to reply. But, from time to time, it may be
very worthwhile to train other stakeholders in the schooling
process to conduct the focus groups. We have worked with
students and parents to great effect.

Focus group discussions are used in a variety of 4 To inform a summative evaluation

situations:
1 Needs assessment
Allows participants to voice their needs and
explain the reasons which underpin them.
For example, ‘What do students need from their
PDH & PE program?’
2 To test new programs
Gives feedback at the design stage for the new
program, thus the focus group can assist in the
avoidance of costly mistakes. For example,
‘How should we design a different kind of
school camp so that more young campers will
participate?’
3 To discover what participants consider
when deciding
Identifies features of a particular product
which may influence people in making
particular selections. For example, ‘What do
you consider when deciding which secondary
school you would like to attend (or your child to
attend)?’
Provides information regarding the worth or a
particular enterprise. For example, ‘How
successful have computers been in assisting
student learning?’
5 To identify strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities and threats during
implementation
Assists in a SWOT analysis as the program or
service is underway. For example, ‘What are the
strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and
threats in the ways in which our multi-age
classes are operating?’
The notion is to encourage the exchange of ideas and
perspectives. It is very important not to judge either
the participants or their ideas, but to probe and
develop the responses. You can say such things as:
1 Can you say a bit more about that?
2 Is there another way of thinking about that?
3 Can the rest of you remember when something
like that happened to you? What was it like?

10
 LEARNING TO LISTEN: LISTENING TO LEARN

Sometimes it may be the case that misinformation what took place. Should they suggest amendments
is exchanged, or a perception varying from the it is then a matter of judgement whether the
general school policy is put on the table. It is suggested change is merely idiosyncratic or that it
tempting to put things to right straight away, but it is a serious omission or misrepresentation which
is better to merely say “perhaps we can come back requires correction. If the latter is the case the
to that later”, or “do others have a different view?” amended version needs to be renegotiated.
otherwise it will appear that there is a ‘party-line’
The membership check can present some
and participants will restrain their ideas and
difficulties. One is that the participants in the focus
comments. Indeed, if people are misinformed it is
group need to realise that the portrayal is still
better that the school is aware of this, rather than
confidential until approved for use in the public
stifling the debate. Recently in a discussion
record of the investigation being undertaken; thus
conducted by one of the authors it was clear that
they should not discuss the portrayal with others
parents were confused about the notion of
who had not attended the group. Another is the
standards based assessment in the new HSC in New
time which it requires. In the case of undertaking
South Wales and its implications for the
focus groups with students across an entire cohort
Universities Admissions Index (UAI). It was
it may be that the membership check is not
important that this confusion was fully articulated,
undertaken. However, it is still important that
before any correction occurred. After all, focus
students do receive some form of feedback on what
groups are only a sample of the larger group and it
has been learned as a result of the focus group
is important that the discussion attempts to, as
inquiry.
fully as possible, represent the concerns of that
larger group. For further information on the conduct of focus
groups, please consult Krueger, R. (1988). Focus
The advice which follows has been used in several
Groups: A Practical Guide for Applied Research.
of the Knowledge Building Schools. In this case we
Newbury Park: Sage Publications in the annotated
are drawing on the notes which we distributed to
reference guide.
Years 10 and 11 boys at Ashfield Boys High School
before they themselves ran groups with younger
boys in the school. We trained them to work in
groups of three, so that one would ask questions
while the other two would prompt and keep notes.4
Finally, in using focus groups it is important to do
two things. One is to distribute a brief
questionnaire whose purpose is to gauge the extent
of each member’s engagement and to elicit issues FOCUS GROUP AT
ASHFIELD BOYS HIGH
which may not have arisen for discussion, but
which may prove to be ones which deserve further
attention. The second matter to follow up is to
undertake what is often called ‘a membership
check’. Having written up a portrayal of the
discussion (see Appendix C for an example) each
member of the group should have an opportunity to
read it and agree that it is a fair representation of

4 While in some cases it may be worthwhile to tape record discussions and use them to prompt recall after the
meeting, some participants find that they would rather not be taped, in which case note taking skills are
essential.

11
 STRATEGIES

Students as focus group facilitators – Notes to students at Ashfield Boys’ High School
Why use students as researchers?
(it is important that those conducting the focus groups are informed regarding the purposes and processes of the study in question):
Ashfield Boys High School has developed a reputation as a knowledge building school. For a number of years now various
questions have been investigated using teachers as researchers, particularly through the National Schools Network, and by inviting
in university researchers. Student opinions and perspectives have been seen as important and valuable. Increasingly it is being
seen that students themselves can become involved in the research beyond being the subjects of the inquiry. We imagine that it
will be more comfortable and relaxing for younger boys at Ashfield to respond to you, as more senior boys, than to be led in the
discussion by an adult, whom they may see as being somewhat intrusive and where they may try to anticipate what it is that the
adults want to hear.

How do students go about the inquiry?

Below is a series of steps. We shall undertake each of these initially in a trial run. We have left spaces between each step for you
to keep notes about what you saw and what you heard that might help you.

Step 1 Make the participants comfortable.

Make sure that each participant is wearing a name tag that is clearly read from a distance. Think about an opening strategy which
will relax the students, Have a ‘mud map’ and note their responses, be relaxed about them.

Step 2 Explain why they are here.

Explain to the students that you are interested in their ideas about school and about learning. That you are going to take their
ideas seriously and that they will help the school to become a place where they will be comfortable learning and their learning will
go on improving.

Step 3 Set out the ‘rules’.

Without being ‘heavy handed’ explain that there are some rules, that students should hear each other out and try not to interrupt
or say that something is ‘stupid’. That you want everyone to have a say and that they can build on each other’s ideas. Also make
sure that you introduce everyone – explain that you have some people helping, that they are taking down the ideas and that you
will be having a talk afterwards to make sure that you have collected together the main ideas. Reassure the students that you are
not going to talk about them as individuals and that you will respect their need for confidentiality.

Step 4 Discuss the questions (all of these questions have been negotiated with school staff).
1. How do you, as students, like to learn?
2. What is enjoyable about learning in Year……?
3. What makes learning difficult for you?
4. How much variety is there in the ways in which you can learn in your English/History/Maths and Science classes?
5. Do you like being challenged and are you challenged in these classes?

Step 5 Thank the participants

Thank each of the participants and explain that their responses have been very helpful.

Step 6 Debrief
Discuss with your co-researchers the things that they have recorded for each question – has anything been left out.
Thankyou for your hard work!

12
 LEARNING TO LISTEN: LISTENING TO LEARN

IMAGES AND METAPHORS contain no words at all. Before commencing an

interview, which may be with an individual or in a
In the conduct of focus groups it has already been
group situation ask the participants to find an
indicated that it is important to have a strategy for
image which best represents for them what is being
opening up the discussion. A powerful strategy is to
discussed. If possible, have them write a few lines
present the group with a series of images which
(anonymously) which can be collected afterwards
may represent a way of looking at the phenomenon
and which will also be a form of evidence. The
being examined. A way of doing this is to collect the
process does two things, first of all it focuses each
free postcards now so readily available in cafes,
person and ensures that everyone has some
coffee shops and cinemas. They often have bold and
thoughts on the matter, thus avoiding the problem
interesting images and captions. For example, ‘Take
of one person dominating the discussion with his or
Adventures, not Trips’, ‘Have your Say’, ‘Look Silly,
her ideas. Secondly, where you may be working with
Feel Great’. They may have a kaleidoscope of
several groups over time it provides a kind of tally
multiple images, or they may be quite abstract and
of the issues which are emerging.

Images of ICT at SCEGGS Darlinghurst

For example, in their study of Information and Communication Technologies and Teacher Professional Development,
undertaken in the Spring of 2000, at SCEGGS, Darlinghurst, teachers were asked to “Describe the image which
represents for you the ways in which ICTs relates to student learning in your teaching area at SCEGGS”. They were
also asked to provide keywords which came into their minds when considering the uses of ICTs in the assistance of
student learning. Below is a summary of the results.

Images
Acrobatics
Nine people selected this image which they related to the vitality of the work and the energy it required.
“The image which best relates to IT and History is the man leaping in the air and holding an acrobatic pose.
Areas of technology have been liberating for history in many ways. For example the Internet searches have
allowed students into many new areas. The AUC has allowed the communication between students and staff.
The use of PowerPoint for presentations has been great, but the teacher remains paramount.”

I want to believe
Six people saw this image as the one which they subscribed to. It suggested to them that there was a desire to
connect IT to student learning, but that at times the actuality was difficult and demanding.
“At the moment staff are too rushed to effectively implement IT properly. There are enough people who want to
integrate it into the curriculum but they are usually the same people who are called on to do many other things.
We have the hardware, but have not stopped to work out how to use it properly. Everything is so haphazard and
done on the run. It would be sensible to free up staff to work on a whole school program. Only when certain
things are mandated can we all move forward together.”
“My teaching combines small and large successes and disasters. I would like to be in more control – in a more
ordered environment but I can never quite get there – sometimes it is me, sometimes the class, sometimes the
system. I have so many students so much more advanced than me. Many more can help me with IT than I can
help them, old dog, new tricks, slow learning.”

Friends
The image of friends was also selected by six respondents who related the image to the social context of teachers
and students learning to use IT in a friendly environment.

13
 STRATEGIES

Serious Energy
Five selected this image, related both the energy which is generated by IT and the seriousness of the task.
“IT could/should be exciting, energy-charged, rewarding. It could also be seen to be a ‘serious’ academic
resource.”

Corsets
The rather frivolous image of being laced tightly into corsets attracted five responses. They reflected a senses of
holding things together and often feeling constrained.
“I sometimes feel constrained and tied up. We need to become independent users of IT, not tied to ‘quality
control’. More consultation is needed as to the type of help teachers need in their individual classrooms.”

Rush
Four people selected this image. They were concerned for the time pressures placed on both students and their
teachers as well as the notion that many are in a rush to find quick and easy solutions.
“Students are often too quick to use the internet to find information for assignments. They are reluctant at times
to clarify key terms. But expect to instantly find their answers in one complete ‘hit’ of the button.”

Reach Out
Three teachers selected the image of reaching out. They saw students and teachers reaching out to each other for
assistance and help.
“This image for me symbolises the student and teacher in a visual arts environment using IT. I feel that I am
learning on my feet and that often the students know more. I often ask for their assistance. I also feel that it is
difficult to access the technology. One or two students may need access and so we are unable to move to an IT
room. It would be better to have access within the established art room.”

The Gathering
This image was selected by two people, both of whom referred to IT as a tool for gathering in information.

The Brain
One person saw this image as representative of the many areas of knowledge and experience that information
technology can offer in the context of the library.

Change
Again one person selected this image and related it to reluctance to change.
“Sometimes staff appear to be reluctant to try new methods. i.e. technology, in the classroom as a tool to
enhance the learning environment.”

Own Image
One teacher created her own image which was virtually a blank space.
“We have little/no direct links to IT in our rooms and the only place within visual arts it is used by the students is
for assignments done outside the classroom. I can’t think of many appropriate descriptions except I personally
find it frustrating, time consuming and often deflating. Not often rewarding. It’s just a relief to finish using it.”

Images
Liberating, exploratory, powerful, frustrating (4) exciting (5) alive, potential, freeing-up-time, needs time (2) time
consuming (3) flexibility, graphics, rush, galloping along, adhoc, students help, interesting, daunting, inexperienced,
useful, discovery, conflict, opportunities, inspiration, clarity, change (2), tool (2) communication, Maurice (3)
challenging, stressful, satisfying, helpful, empowering, supportive, friendly, accessible, non-threatening, skilful
facilitation (4) professional, enjoyable (2), variety, good resources, innovation (2) fun, rewarding, encouragement.

It would be interesting, in a case such as this, several years later, to use the same images to see the extent to which
the discourse has changed.

14
 LEARNING TO LISTEN: LISTENING TO LEARN

In another study, working with parents across

thirteen high schools in a district of Sydney
teachers conducted focus groups in their own
schools investigating the factors which influenced
parents and children in making choices about
which secondary school to attend. To commence
the discussion, rather than using visual images,
participants were asked to consider various
metaphors for choice.
“Which kind of choice is selecting a secondary
school for your child’s education most like and why?
» choosing a car
» choosing a doctor
» choosing a neighbourhood in which to live EXAMPLES OF POSTCARDS
» choosing a renovator”
In addressing these metaphors the participants had
to first think about making choices and how it is THE MONOLOGUE – INTERVIEWING
done before considering choosing a school. ONESELF
Following the discussion the participants then
It is often claimed that gathering evidence requires
individually ranked school choice factors derived
more time than busy practitioners have available to
from the research.
them. We have emphasised that many of the
strategies recommended here are ones which can
☛ POSTCARDS from the Teaching
Staff at Loreto Normanhurst be accommodated into the curriculum itself,
particularly when we are training students to be
researchers.
At Loreto Normanhurst, during the
initial phases of a large educational
change, postcards were used to
elicit responses to the proposed
changes from teachers and other
staff members. Approximately 200
postcards, each bearing different
photographs and text. Teachers
were asked to choose a postcard
that in some way represented their
response to the ideas that had
been presented and write
anonymously on the back.

Using images and metaphors liberates the

imagination and ensures a more lively discussion.
We are now going to turn to less interactive, but
nevertheless practical strategies for gathering SCEGGS DARLINGHURST TEACHER AND STUDENTS
evidence. USING ICT’S TO SUPPORT LEARNING

15
 LEARNING TO LISTEN: LISTENING TO LEARN

In another study, working with parents across

thirteen high schools in a district of Sydney
teachers conducted focus groups in their own
schools investigating the factors which influenced
parents and children in making choices about
which secondary school to attend. To commence
the discussion, rather than using visual images,
participants were asked to consider various
metaphors for choice.
“Which kind of choice is selecting a secondary
school for your child’s education most like and why?
» choosing a car
» choosing a doctor
» choosing a neighbourhood in which to live EXAMPLES OF POSTCARDS
» choosing a renovator”
In addressing these metaphors the participants had
to first think about making choices and how it is THE MONOLOGUE – INTERVIEWING
done before considering choosing a school. ONESELF
Following the discussion the participants then
It is often claimed that gathering evidence requires
individually ranked school choice factors derived
more time than busy practitioners have available to
from the research.
them. We have emphasised that many of the
strategies recommended here are ones which can
☛ POSTCARDS from the Teaching
Staff at Loreto Normanhurst be accommodated into the curriculum itself,
particularly when we are training students to be
researchers.
At Loreto Normanhurst, during the
initial phases of a large educational
change, postcards were used to
elicit responses to the proposed
changes from teachers and other
staff members. Approximately 200
postcards, each bearing different
photographs and text. Teachers
were asked to choose a postcard
that in some way represented their
response to the ideas that had
been presented and write
anonymously on the back.

Using images and metaphors liberates the

imagination and ensures a more lively discussion.
We are now going to turn to less interactive, but
nevertheless practical strategies for gathering SCEGGS DARLINGHURST TEACHER AND STUDENTS
evidence. USING ICT’S TO SUPPORT LEARNING

15
 STRATEGIES

Monologues at Loreto Normanhurst

Teachers in the English Department at Loreto Normanhurst recently were each given a blank audio tape. They were
asked to take it home and interview themselves on questions related to their beliefs regarding the characteristics of
good learning in English and classroom factors which could enable such good learning to occur. They also reflected
upon school structures and arrangements which supported and inhibited the teaching of English. The tapes were
then given to the consultant researcher who did not know the staff well enough to identify the various voices. She
extracted a series of statements which were then used in the following workshop:

This exercise should be undertaken with about four participants in each group.
1 Take the beliefs about characteristics of good learning in English. Individually, highlight ten important ideas for
you. With your colleagues agree upon six. Cut and paste them onto the paper provided.
2 Using the same process look at the enabling factors, but agree upon 8.
3 Link the characteristics to the enabling factors.
4 From these discussions reflect upon what you believe you do well and what you could do differently tomorrow.
5 Share with colleagues.
6 How would you be able to judge how effective you have been; what evidence would satisfy you and your peers?
7 Discuss the structures and arrangements that enhance good learning in English.
8 Which surprised you and why?
9 Look at what is seen to hinder good learning in English at Loreto. Identify two or three major themes.
10 Which one final comment most struck you and why?
11 Make a commitment, as a group, to an agenda for your next workshop.

Nonetheless, interviewing, whether through focus SCENARIOS AS A STIMULUS

groups or with individuals, generally takes time and
organisation. However, it is possible to set up
interviews where participants virtually interview
themselves. Using a tape recorder they ask
themselves the questions and then respond. The
advantages of this process are that there is time for
reflection; the questions can be thought about for
several days before recording. Also the participant
can choose his or her own time and place – after
dinner with a glass of wine may be far more
preferable than a snatched half hour in the staff
room. While it is not strictly interviewing it may
also be useful to think about times when having an
audio-recording of students working together could
be quite revealing of the ways in which they
interact and approach the problem at hand. They
can then later listen to the recording and add to it
their observations and reflections on their learning.
Or extracts can be created into scenarios for others
to comment upon.
It is sometimes the case that during the collection
of evidence a particularly evocative narrative is
related or a dilemma noted. Such material can
become a very useful resource which can elicit the
responses of others. In the case cited below the
scenarios were posted on the website used by a
research cluster of schools in South Australia.
Responses were sent electronically to the evaluator
of the project, working in Sydney. It may be that
several schools, some distance from each other,
want to research together in a similar way. Using
strategies such as this can be both profitable and
enlightening, leading to a higher level of collegiality
than may be possible if schools are working in
isolation.
In this case it was requested that the schools
respond to each of the four scenarios in terms of
“could this happen at your place and how would it
be handled or if this could not happen in your site,
why is that so?” The responses should focus on the
dilemma rather than the contextual setting. So
hopefully, no one would say “that can’t happen
where we are because we are a secondary school,
not a primary one,” or words to that effect.

16
 LEARNING TO LISTEN: LISTENING TO LEARN

Research and Reform Project

“Could this happen at your place?’’

Julie is working with a small team co-ordinating the Research and Reform project in her school. Their project has focused
upon bullying, peer mediation and support. She is concerned with the ways in which they are collecting data from staff.
“They are totally sick of surveys and I think we need to find a more interesting way of getting how they really feel about
what we are trying to do. We don’t want just another ‘feel good’ set of answers; that doesn’t give us enough direction
about where to go next.” But Ray is worried that if they use more qualitative methods they may uncover some pretty
sensitive stuff which may be much harder to negotiate and get into the broader discussion.

Because School X is a small school, the whole staff are involved in the Research and Reform project. They have been
looking at ways of mapping student skills in information technology in order to develop a coherent IT curriculum with
good scope and sequencing. They have been interviewing their students about how they learn to use the computer and
have been discussing their results with their university associate. He/She has suggested to them: “What you are really
struggling with is that you have assumed a transmission model of learning. That the teachers have to set up this
sequential curriculum. But what the kids are telling you is that they are learning in a different way. They keep saying that
they ‘play around’ with the computer and find out what its capabilities are in terms of meeting a need they have for its
use at a particular time. Now that’s the evidence you are getting from the kids. So is there a different way of designing a
curriculum which recognises that the kids are learning in a different way, and that a lot of the time they actually know
more than you do!”

Bob is the Head of the Science Department at a co-educational comprehensive high school. He is a key member of the
school’s Research and Reform team. They have been looking at providing longer blocks of learning time and integrating
the curriculum in Year 8. Bob feels that the work impacts upon the whole school ethos and can act as a catalyst for
ongoing reform for Years 9 and 10. He conducts regular team meetings which have been systematically collecting and
reflecting upon data; but he wants to broaden the communication base and ensure that the whole school knows about
the progress of the change. He has suggested that there be a once monthly whole school staff meeting devoted
exclusively to the project. He and his team plan to present to each meeting a mini-paper outlining particular features of
the research and providing some time for subsequent discussion. He and the school Principal see this as an important
form of professional development. He would also like to invite parents, who are able to come, to attend on a ‘drop-in’
basis. While Bob’s team is very enthusiastic other Heads of Department are concerned that meeting time is a scarce
resource and would be better taken up addressing departmental concerns.

The group at one of the primary schools in the Research and Reform project are struggling with the ways in which they
want to write about their work. They have developed an in-house strategy for conferencing about their writing, asking
those less directly involved in the project to read drafts and provide feedback. Several times the issue of ‘how’ things
are being done has come back to haunt them. As one member of staff has written “you keep writing about giving the
students more opportunities to make decisions, but you haven’t spelled out how you do this – we know, because we’re
in the school; but someone outside the school wouldn’t have a clue.” One of the problems that the group see is that
they have been working together now for several years, both on the Research and Reform project and one which
preceded it. They know they are taking for granted the ways in which they do things. They want to be transparent, but
they are not sure how to best proceed. It is suggested that they approach the Project Manager and ask him to act as a
critical friend for writing purposes.

It should be noted that each of the four scenarios
has a different focus. The first raises questions
about research ethics; the second is concerned with
teaching and learning issues; the third relates to
school structure and organisation, while the fourth
considers ways of writing up the project. The
project evaluator was able to collate the emailed
responses and use these to add to the evidence
regarding the impact of the Research and Reform
Project on the schools.

17
 STRATEGIES

In a more modest vein, Ashfield Boys High School

asked students to not only respond to
questionnaire items on a Likert scale (more of this
later) but also to indicate their reactions to the
following scenarios which had grown out of some of
the focus group discussions:

Ashfield Boys’ High School

‘Is this true for you?’

1 The teacher gives really good feedback on assignments. I am told where I went wrong and what I need to do to
improve. As well, I am told what my strengths are and how I can build on them. I am also given a chance to
assess my own learning and give a comment on how well I think I went.
Can you give an example of this happening in a particular subject. Does it happen often?

2 The teacher puts our rankings up in the passage for everyone to see. Sometimes our actual marks are read out
in class. I hate this because I don’t think it helps my learning and other boys have a go at me later.
Has this ever happened to you or your friends? How did you feel about it? What would you like done about it?

3 The teacher spends a good bit of time helping us to think through how to tackle an independent task or one where
we are working in groups. We are taught how to plan, to investigate and research and then to set out our findings.
The teacher doesn’t just leave us to learn alone but checks up every now and then on how we are going.
Is this true for you? Do you get enough help when you are set a major assignment? Would you like it to happen
more? What other things would you like your teachers to do to help your learning?

Scenario writing can itself be a part of the
curriculum. Students might write about a time
when they succeeded or failed in a particular key
learning area. The scenarios themselves can then
be treated as evidence and, at a later point,
particular scenarios used across the cohort.
Just as scenarios can be illuminative, so too can
photographs and drawings.
DOCUMENTARY PHOTOGRAPHS AND
DRAWINGS
Anyone who has gone back through old photographs
knows how evocative they can be. The photograph
is not only a representation of a particular person,
place or event; it is also a catalyst for much that is
not contained in the image itself. A photograph of
the school camp may depict a series of buildings in
a bush setting, with one or two students in the
foreground. For the outside viewer that is all that
they may see, but for the students it may remind
them of lumpy beds, or cold showers. It may bring
back memories of being on kitchen duties and the
time a possum was trapped behind the stove.
A teacher looking at the photograph may remember
that one of the students in the frame went
sleepwalking and what anxiety that provoked. One
can think of a photograph as an episode in a longer
and more complex narrative.
Photographs of camps and excursions, of special
events within the school and the like, can be
considered as sources of evidence. But generally
they are not sufficient on their own. To have them

18
 LEARNING TO LISTEN: LISTENING TO LEARN

contribute to our understanding of what has taken discussion students were involved in a large variety
place we need to use them and this is often done by of learning outcomes. The task became part of the
interviewing participants with regard to their recall curriculum, provided the students with a voice and
of that particular occasion. Rob Walker, whose work the teachers with insight and understanding.
we have referred to at an earlier point, asked a
A school about to embark on an innovation could
photographer, Janine Wiedel, to take photographs
consider using photographs to prompt ‘before’ and
of the first day at secondary school for just one
‘after’ discussions. While the example which follows
class. Later he interviewed the students about the
is not in a school setting it is an illustration of how
meanings they attached to the images. They varied
this might work. One of the authors of this
greatly. For some there was elation, for others
publication was contracted to undertake an
apprehension. Some emphasised one aspect, such
evaluation of a large ICT project in the early days of
as relations with the teacher; while others
computers in schools. Teachers came to the
commented on new friendships which had been
university for a two week induction program, the
formed, or how worried they were about being lost
computers were then taken to their homes for them
in an unfamiliar, even alien environment.
to ‘play’ and find what was possible within their
Even more powerful is when we ask the own specialist key learning areas. Finally they
participants to knowingly take the photographs as a worked in teams within and across schools to
form of evidence. In the introduction to this develop curriculum applications. Teachers selected
publication we cited the instance of students taking for the project had very little experience with
photographs of the newly formed Middle School at computers. On their first day at the university the
MLC and the ways in which they liked and disliked evaluator photographed each teacher as she or he
its arrangements. These photographs were taken by sat at the computer. She then interviewed them at
small groups of students who needed to negotiate the end of the project and used the photographs to
with each other in their selection of the images. stimulate their recall of that first day.
As well they worked together, using the
photographs, to make a poster, which they
annotated and which would be on display for others
to see and comment upon.
Michael Schratz and Ulrike Steiner-Loffler, two
Austrian researchers, argue that young students
can use photographs as a means of providing the
school with feedback on how they experience ASHFIELD BOYS HIGH STUDENTS
PRESENTING A PROJECT
school life. They asked small groups of seven and
eight year old students to discuss and photograph
the places in the school where they felt good and
where things were ‘not so good’. Whereas the school
playground was a well liked spot, the toilets were
clearly disliked and seen to be unpleasant and
smelly. The photographs could be used to uncover
not only the explicit and planned for activities in
the school, but also that which is hidden. In the
negotiation, implementation and subsequent

19
 STRATEGIES
Building evidence around contrasts can be very
rewarding. Students can not only photograph
differences, but also draw them. Teachers from a
Greater Western Sydney region school asked
children to draw themselves reading at school and
at home. They found that children reading at home
fell into two categories; those who read for pleasure
(often girls) and those who read in order to engage
in an electronic game (usually boys). They noticed
that generally the reading was alone. Reading at
school was more diverse, ranging from reading in
order to accomplish a task, such as research, to
shared big book reading.
Returning to the Middle School innovation at MLC,
teachers were interested in the effects of having
Year 6 teachers teach into Year 7 and vice versa.
Students were asked to draw a ‘cartoon’ of a way in
which these teachers taught differently.
As we have noted before, this kind of work can be
risky business. Sometimes students will identify
issues that we prefer to keep concealed: unpleasant
toilets; bullying peers; boring, out of touch
teachers. But if we are truly listening to learn, as
well as learning to listen, it is essential that we
provide opportunities for student voice to be
manifest. Of course, it is not all negative. Many
times students will hearten and surprise us with
their insights and understandings.
Such was the case when undertaking a ‘silent
conversation’ at Asquith Girls High School.
20
A SILENT CONVERSATION
The notion of a silent conversation appears to be a
contradiction in terms. The basic idea is to provide
ways of not only responding, in writing, to a
particular input, but also developing the response
through the observations of others. For example,
students might be considering the photographic
posters made by their peers. They might be asked
to indicate what they see to be the plus, minus and
interesting points which have been made. This they
do on large, separate sheets of paper. Once they
have written their own comments they look at
others which have been made. They may agree or
disagree or want to elaborate on a point. All of this
is done in silence. It ensures that the quietest
student is ‘heard’.
Asquith Girls High School recently arranged for
Year 8 and 9 volunteers to be trained as focus group
leaders in the ways that the boys at Ashfield Boys
High School had. Following the training and the
conduct of the focus groups the girls met again for a
debriefing. After they had spoken around the issues
of student learning and the ways in which it could
be improved in the school they were asked to
record any further thoughts they had within the
framework of a silent conversation. They were
asked to consider those things that worried and
surprised them and what they believed that the
school should do to enhance the learning
conditions for students. Just some of their
observations are recorded below. It was clear that
as they engaged in the ‘silent conversation’ the
students were not only recording their own
observations, but were engaging with issues raised
by their peers.
 LEARNING TO LISTEN: LISTENING TO LEARN

Asquith Girls’ High School

‘Silent conversation’

Surprises
The students, acting as focus group leaders, expressed surprise at the dynamics of the group interaction and the
level of participation.

» Very small groups seemed to want to talk more, they worked better with their friends.
» They got off the topic a lot.
» Not all group members liked to open up and give out their ideas and feelings.
» One girl was a bit of a rebel and she dominated the discussion and everyone was ‘yeah, I agree’, ‘no, I don’t
have an opinion on this question’!
» I found they changed the subject to what they wanted to talk about.
For Year 9 students who had interviewed Year 8 participants there was a number of observations which commented
positively upon the experience.

» They (participants) really enjoyed doing the discussion.

» They thought it was great to give out what they wanted with the teachers.
» They felt comfortable with saying what they felt because we were nearly the same age and we would tell others
what they said.
» They really opened up about how they feel about their teachers.
» They wanted to do more focus groups.
Worries
The Year 9 group leaders divided their comments between the processes involved in the conduct of the focus group
and the reactions of participants to questions being posed.
» Our first group just didn’t talk, they were very silent.
» There was a group of girls who sat at the far end of the desk and there were others who were feeling left out.
» They didn’t want to say something that others would have thought dumb.
» Students felt uncomfortable at first when we started, but when they realised no-one was going to judge them
and we were going to listen to them they revealed more and spoke out.
» Some only talked among their friends, others were left out so we changed the seating plan, but it continued.
» We tried to be nice but one girl kept talking and fiddling. Maybe next time they shouldn’t bring anything in.
Year 9 student leaders indicated that opportunities to ask questions in class appeared to be a significant issue for
Year 8. It was both a matter of confidence, and peer pressure as this string of eight responses on one sheet
indicates.
» Students are not confident enough to ask questions in class.
» And not enough self esteem to speak up and help themselves learn.
» Some students are really worried about getting judged by friends when they speak up.
» They didn’t want to get the wrong answer in case people laughed at them, but if they did speak up they would
not be cool.
» They didn’t want to say something that others would have thought dumb.
» There’s peer pressure but they don’t mind talking to others their age.
» There should be less students in class because students are scared/intimidated to ask questions in front
of 30 kids.
» Smaller classes would be better.

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 STRATEGIES

‘Silent conversation’ contined

But, speaking up was also linked to the nature of the question and the student/teacher relationship.
» Students feel embarrassed with a certain teacher and cannot ask questions.
» Yeah, especially male teachers about certain things.
» Students feel that they can’t put their hand up and ask a question without being embarrassed.
» They feel that the teachers should be young.
» They can’t relate to the older teachers who know more.
» Older teachers have to be more enthusiastic about their job.
» But then younger teachers would be more inexperienced.
Finally, as one respondent astutely observed, there were questions and issues which had not been anticipated when
the question schedule was designed.
» There were things that the girls talked about that was about school, but there weren’t any questions for what
they were saying, and I felt that these things they were saying were important. But these things didn’t get
written down, because there wasn’t enough time and also because it just wasn’t a question.

What Next?
The students’ main concerns were related to ensuring that teachers were advised of the results of the focus group
enquiry.
» Give the results to the teachers so in future everyone can learn at…
» Start working on the responses we got and start changing this school so that students feel more comfortable.
» If this school listens to these responses it will make the school a better place to learn.
» Have a better system of teaching so it’ll be interesting.
Consider what students said and try to work from these (answers) to improve and help students’ learning.
» Have a big meeting with all teachers discussing what students want and how they want to learn from the
results, then teachers use this so they can teach better.
» There should be a consideration of student ideas, but also how the teachers feel about them. Discuss how they
can improve their teaching skills to make it a better and more interesting environment.
They also wished the questions to be extended.
» More questions!
» A range of questions, not just on school problems.
» (We need to discuss) homework, travel, bullying and friends.
They also wished advice to be given to specific groups.
» Teach the new teachers coming through how to teach students with learning difficulties. It’s really hard to learn
if the teacher doesn’t have an understanding of your learning difficulty.
» Older teachers should consider being more enthusiastic and have more hands on activities. They should vary
activities. They should try to relate to the students. This should be discussed with all teachers.
In spite of their surprises and worries students indicated the worthwhileness of the project.
» Do this every year to see how everyone’s learning ideas change (4 agreements)
» Do it with Year 12 and Year 7 and compare results.

Silent conversations can play an important part in
developing responses to situations where,
ordinarily, those with power and confidence hold
the floor. A school may be researching parent
responses to an innovation. More vociferous parents
may take the discussion in a particular direction.
The silent conversation can provide a medium for
all participating parents to have a voice. Just as
focus groups may provide statements which can
later be tested across a larger cohort through a
questionnaire so too can the silent conversation.
Indeed, it is important to realise that several
strategies are used in order to triangulate the
evidence.

22
 LEARNING TO LISTEN: LISTENING TO LEARN

STRUCTURING A QUESTIONNAIRE
While there is a great deal of technical advice
available for the design and structure of a
questionnaire, we would suggest that some simple
rules are kept in mind.
» Use a scale which forces a choice. For example,
‘strongly agree’, ‘agree’, ‘disagree’, ‘strongly
disagree’, or ‘most like me’, ‘like me’, ‘not like
me’, ‘not in the least like me’. When a midpoint
is employed many will use it to opt out of
effectively responding to the item. What you will
ASQUITH GIRLS HIGH DISCUSSION GROUP
be interested in is the strength of the response;
having a large number of your respondents
opting out is not helpful.
» Keep it short. One side of an A4 sheet is a good
» Avoid technical or specialist language rule of thumb. We can get too greedy for
(particularly when asking for parent or student information and alienate the person who is
responses). It is best to have a small group responding.
sampled from your target group read the items
and point out to you any problematic language. » In developing your questionnaire think about
As professionals we are very accustomed to such how you are going to collect and collate the
words as ‘curriculum’ or phrases such as results. Are there particular group
‘student learning outcomes’, these may be less characteristics that you want to know about?
familiar to those who are completing the It may be that gender or age or ethnicity are
questionnaire. important considerations, or you may want to
know whether students have changed schools
» Watch out for double negatives ‘I don’t like it and how many times. Remember to provide a
when I can’t play sport’ may be better put ‘I like means of collecting that relevant data on the
it when I can play sport’. Also keep each item questionnaire.
discrete; that is, do not have several points
embedded in the one statement. » Provide for a response to the questionnaire
itself. If using one side of a sheet of paper, you
» Take care to not imply a desired response. could indicate that the respondent could write a
For example one of the authors of this resource, few sentences about the issue, or the
some years ago, was working with a school on questionnaire itself on the back.
the role of the careers’ counsellor. Students
were asked to complete a questionnaire about
her contribution to their understanding of the
range of careers available to them. The
questionnaire had a preliminary statement
“Ms ….., is important and helpful in assisting
you in choosing your careers. We are interested
in your perceptions of her contribution”. It may
also be the case that there is a lack of balance
between positive and negative statements.
Too many of one or the other suggests that the
questionnaire is going in a particular direction.

23
 STRATEGIES

In this section of the strategies component of

» Finally, ensure that you have made Learning to Listen: Listening to Learn we have
arrangements to ensure confidentiality. If the
covered a range of ways of gathering the evidence.
questionnaire is given out in class have students
We turn now to considering evidence which has
collect the sheets and shuffle them before
been gathered by others but will be of use to the
handing them in to the teacher. If parents or
inquiring school. We shall do so in two ways; the
teachers are responding provide sealed
first of these is in relation to developing a research
envelopes and have them deposited in a neutral
based position paper, the second with respect to
spot. This does mean that you may have a
attending to research conducted by those outside
reduced response rate, but that is a reasonable
the school, but feeding back into the school’s
cost to pay. A little good humour can help.
policies and practices.
Follow up letters can suggest “sorry to bother
you, we know that the dog ate the last request or
it fell into the bottom of the school bag with
yesterday’s lunch and the squashed banana, but
we would really appreciate you completing this
questionnaire if you have not already done so”.
(See appendix D for an example.)
Once you have developed and delivered your
questionnaire you have the task of collecting and
collating the data. Depending upon the size of your
sample or population of respondents you may elect
to use manual or electronic means. Excel is a user
friendly application which will allow you to
generate easy to read graphs; but if you are only
dealing with small numbers you may be using a
sledge hammer to crack a nut.
Whatever means you use you should be alert to
additional information. If a number of your
respondents have made notations on the
questionnaire regarding the wording of an item you
should be prepared to treat this as a form of data
and take it into consideration when interpreting
your results.
While you may not be involved in sophisticated item
or cluster analysis you will probably want to group
items using categories that are appropriate. In your
analyses it will be helpful if a small team forms to
provide each other with alternative explanations
and points of view and to look at the congruence
between the questionnaire results and other
sources of data.

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 LEARNING TO LISTEN: LISTENING TO LEARN

SECTION 2 Using evidence

THE PLACE OF THE POSITION PAPER AS A MEANS OF INFORMING PRACTICE

The position paper makes use of current thinking and research
on an issue or topic to create a ‘position’ or stance which can
then be debated and discerned by members of the school
community.

The position paper can be a useful tool for: The Construction of a Position Paper
» Clarifying thinking about a proposed change or Like most research, researching a position paper
possible pathway calls for some ‘detective work’. In simple terms, the
process of developing a position paper should begin
» Drawing together current research findings and with the ‘unearthing’ of sources on the issue, in the
theoretical perspectives in order to better
first place by asking colleagues for any ‘leads’ they
inform decision making
may have discovered in their own professional
» Fuelling professional discourse around reading and doing keyword and boolean internet
significant issues searches. Accessing the website of Australian
» Challenging cherished beliefs and Council for Educational Research, Australian
Association for Research in Education, the
understandings
Educational Resources Information Centre (ERIC)
The position paper is usually written by a small and the Educational Policy Analysis Archives might
team of people, who endeavour to research and also assist, as may accessing a university or union
represent the issue from a range of perspectives, library. Generally, one recent, well-written article
integrating recent research findings with current will yield a list of significant references which may
thinking and theory and salient aspects of the local in turn yield a number of other references.
and/or school context. Remember, quality is more important than quantity.
In constructing your paper, try to use a balance of
theoretical perspectives and research findings,
Recent research perhaps beginning with a discussion of the broader
findings
theory and moving then to the way in which the
theoretical perspectives are represented in the
Current Local/school research. Linking both of these dimensions to the
theoretical context
perspectives specific local (depending on the issue, this could
KEY mean national, state, sectoral or school) context
ISSUE will help you to define your position on the issue.
While it is not essential that a position paper be
written by a team of people, the process and
product are both usually enhanced by the
opportunities for critical discussion and
POSITION
professional conversations which are invariably
OR STANCE
offered by the process.

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 STRATEGIES

Position paper to inform policy at MLC School

Who has not heard the lament, ‘If only I had more time…’ Time is one of the most precious commodities we have
and it is finite – there is no more time. But there are ways of using time differently and that was the focus of a
position paper on the organisation of learning time at MLC School.
The purpose of the discussion paper was to raise issues with respect to academic learning time at the school –
issues which take into account the manner in which it was then organised, and the rationale for reconsidering its
configuration based upon both published research and in-house enquiry. The MLC Strategy 1997 – 2005 had as its
central focus an imperative to transform learning; this was to be achieved by fostering:
…a culture that is outward looking, flexible and continuously monitoring performance to see whether
there are opportunities to improve and grow.
Critical to its understanding of transforming learning was the notion of the differentiated curriculum –
a program for learning which takes account of the varying needs, orientations and abilities of students.

Resourcing the different curriculum, along with human skills development, required material, human and
technological facilities. The staff development program at MLC had been placing an emphasis upon teachers
knowing and understanding the key elements to transforming learning. This professional learning took place in a
context which understands the realities of the need to do things differently, not only substantively, but also in terms
of organisation. Fifty-two minute periods were the norm, with students frequently changing their rooms and the
curriculum focus occuring within them.
Transforming learning required of students that they be academically engaged, which in turn required that they have
sufficient time to become absorbed in their learning. The notion of engagement is well documented in student
learning literature. High levels of academic engagement produce high levels of academic acheivement. Engagement
is characterised as being related to task persistence, cognitive effort, excitement and interest in encountering new
ideas. Students who are engaged with their learning are said to exhibit enthusiasm, optimism, curiosity and interest.
They are willing to exert intense effort and concentration and will select tasks which challenge and intrigue them.
All of this takes time.
It was in this context that a formal discussion paper that explored the literature in the field was developed. It was
then presented to the executive of the MLC School for their consideration and ultimately for wider debate among
the staff. The position paper was very effective in developing a new policy for arranging student learning time. It
may have been the case that such a change could have been made anyway; but in this instance the change was
well informed and groundeed in an enhanced awareness for all.

READING RESEARCH volume of data which would be difficult for teachers

Evidence is often collected within schools by a
third party and fed back to the school community in
one way or another. Some of the schools involved in
the Coalition of Knowledge Building Schools have,
on occasion, engaged an independent researcher to
conduct research within the school, reporting on an
aspect or aspects of school life. Results of
competitions such as those conducted by the
Educational Testing Centre at the University of New
South Wales, Basic Skills Tests, ELLA and SNAP
Tests, and the School and Higher School Certificate
can all be ‘read’ as examples of evidence on aspects
of school life. This section will provide some advice
on the use and reading of such evidence.
Research Conducted by an Outside Researcher
Sometimes, often due to a sensitive issue which has
arisen within a school, or the need to collect a
to analyse within the busyness of their working
lives, it makes sense to engage the services of an
outside researcher. The benefits of doing so often
reach beyond these reasons, however – the outsider
brings a new perspective to the school, seeing and
attending to those elements of school life that can
be taken for granted or go unnoticed by those who
‘live’ within the day to day reality of the
organisation. The outsider can often ask questions
which might otherwise go unframed within the
micro political community of the school.
Often within the course of reporting on their
research, an outside researcher will suggest ways of
‘making sense’ of the data based on their
knowledge of the school, and utilising their
outsider’s perspective. Those to whom the findings
are reported then face the challenge of needing to
deal with the findings honestly, both those which

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 LEARNING TO LISTEN: LISTENING TO LEARN

are positive and those which might not be so

affirming while at the same time applying their own
professional judgement to the data and assessing
whether there might be multiple plausible
explanations for the trends which emerge. This is a
serious challenge, for the aim is neither to reject
the ways in which the data has been ‘made
sense of’ by the researcher nor to be afraid of
interpreting it in different ways according to the
context of the school.
Reading Results
Results provide an excellent source of data, which
often arrive within the school complete with
tabulations and graphs. Like any evidence, results
can always be ‘read’ in a variety of ways, and it is
important to recognise at the outset that results,
whether they are of competitions undertaken for
‘fun’, standardised tests, or high stakes assessment
are extremely complex representations of learning
and understanding and that no one factor can be
isolated as causal. MLC STAFF MEMBERS DISCUSSING RESEARCH
ON THE PAPERLESS CLASSROOM
In reading results, it is essential that data is
triangulated (see section 1) where possible, so as to
allow them to be interpreted in the light of what project is upon the development of literacy skills.
else is known about the particular teaching and The eight boys involved in the project will become
learning context. As with all other research, it is mentors to Kindergarten students, assisting them
also of paramount importance that sensitivity and in using technology. In turn the Year 4 boys will be
confidentiality is observed where particular supported by teacher education students from the
conclusions may be drawn about individuals or University of Sydney. These students will act as on-
groups within the school. At the same time, line coaches. Thus the boys identified as ‘at risk’
however, it is important to remember that results will be using technology in a number of ways, all of
provide a valuable resource in the form of ONE which will enhance their own literacy development.
measure of the output of the teaching and learning So how have the boys been identified? This is where
enterprise, and if they can be read in a way which using research becomes critical. The school has
seeks to affirm, problematise and problem-solve used a wide array of information including: Basic
with teachers, they can be a very valuable source skills testing; a personality profile and a self esteem
indeed. questionnaire. It is not just depending upon
teachers’ observations, although these too have
As we have emphasised throughout this resource
been important in the process. Neither has the
the use of evidence must be purposeful. This is true
school only used the BST, but has added in the
for reading results – Why are we reading them?
other data as well. Importantly the standardised
How are we going to use them? Are there other
tests will allow the school to map the progress of
sources of evidence that we shall need to consider?
the boys who have been supported by this
Curl Curl North Public School is planning an
innovation.
innovative project to support Year 4 boys who are
considered to be ‘at risk’. The emphasis of the

27
 STRATEGIES

SECTION 3 Developing evidence based practice

In the previous two sections we wrote about user friendly strategies

for collecting evidence and ways in which evidence that has been
collected by others can be used effectively in the knowledge
building school. In this final strategies section we are going to
discuss some practical approaches that the school might take to
embed the collection and interpretation of evidence into its work.

As has been the case, throughout this document all
of these strategies have been used by one Coalition
school or another. Necessarily, the section is brief
in its outline of each strategy as we believe that
schools will want to find their own ways of
reshaping these ideas and making them their own.
DEVELOPING COMMISSIONS OF
INQUIRY
Whereas in much school based research, the group
concerned with investigating a particular area of
interest is a small group within the school the
notion of Commissions of Inquiry has been one
which has been inclusive of all the teaching staff.
The Commissions of Enquiry formed at MLC School
in 2000 were teams of teachers and their leaders
with specific briefs. In the main, teams ranged
across school sectors: junior, middle and senior
years; and subject departments. All members of the
teaching staff were involved. The eight commissions
all had a shared focus in terms of the school’s
commitment to transforming learning and were:
1 Transforming learning by integration of the
curriculum.
2 Transforming learning through differentiation.
3 Transforming learning using technology as a
learning tool.
4 Transforming learning by integrating human
skills in the classroom.
5 Transforming learning through theories of
knowledge.
6 Transforming learning through independent
learning.
7 Transforming learning in the context of the
new Higher School Certificate.
8 Transforming learning in the context of the
International Baccalaureate.
Each commission drew upon both the professional
literature in the field and the team’s own research
to examine the given perspective on transforming
learning at the school.
All but the last two commissions had arisen as a
direct result of the earlier studies undertaken in
the school. As to numbers 7 and 8, they were in
response to a strong awareness of the external
environment, in that New South Wales in 2000 was
restructuring its exit credential, the Higher School
Certificate (HSC), with a greater emphasis being
given to standards referenced outcomes. The school
was concerned to evaluate the new credential
against the claims made for the International
Baccalaureate (IB).
The formation of the commissions was challenging.
Not all staff had hitherto been involved in research
projects in the school. Consequently a discussion
paper was prepared which drew upon that
literature which focused upon the development and
management of learning teams. As well, those
leading the change have been encouraged to form
collegial pairs with dedicated time to puzzle over
emerging issues and examine ways in which
challenges and problems might be addressed.

28

COLLEGIAL PAIRS AS A STRATEGY
FOR ACTION
Leading a major inquiry project in a school is not a
task to take on alone. It is helpful when one has a
colleague with whom to anticipate and solve
problems and celebrate success. Throughout this
resource we have made a point that learning to
listen, whether to students, parents or one’s
colleagues is critical to ongoing school
improvement.
Collegial pairs can:
Develop a team climate by:
» Encouraging openness in discussion
» Sharing values
» Establishing agreed ground rules
» Encouraging members to listen to one another
Develop a commitment to the school’s agreed
purpose by:
» Ensuring members are clear about the team’s
contribution to the school’s values and goals
» Clarifying and sharing team goals and aligning
them to those of the school.
Commence team organisation by:
» Ensuring members’ roles are clear
» Identifying individual goals
» Encouraging active participation.
Develop the team’s skill base by:
» Ensuring an appropriate mix of skills
» Improving knowledge and skills where needed
Attend to intergroup relations by:
» Developing a working relationship with other
groups
» Ensuring that the given project’s aims and
objectives relate to those of the school
Engage in effective leadership by:
» Involving team members in decision making
» Being a part of the team
» Being consistent
LEARNING TO LISTEN: LISTENING TO LEARN
Reinforce effective work practices by:
» Conducting efficient meetings:
» Establish a meeting agenda
» Start and finish meetings at agreed times
» State the purposes of each meeting
» Prescribe times for agenda items
» Summarising outcomes at the end of meetings
» Set next meeting time
» Evaluate meetings
Contribute to team’s purpose by:
» Rewarding and recognising achievement
» Voicing a commitment to succeed
Generate and maintain creativity by:
» Encouraging creativity and risk taking
Encourage critiquing by:
» Providing the opportunity to critique the
project’s purpose and the team’s performance
When team leaders are in collegial pairs, where
they discuss their team’s work and development it
is less likely that teams will become competitive,
trying to outdo each other. Rather, a synergy
develops across teams with a good understanding
that the common purpose is to contribute to the
school as a good place for learning.
The example given here is of collegial pairs formed
through the pairing of team leaders. In other
instances, in the Coalition, collegial pairs have
been formed across a part of the school that is
involved in an innovation and which gives time,
opportunity and affirmation to teachers working in
new and challenging circumstances. If collegial
pairs are to work it is essential that they are
written into the school’s development plans and
properly resourced. It is not enough to depend upon
the goodwill of the individuals. In our experience,
collegial pairs work best when there is a dedicated
time for them to meet and there are expectations
that they will document their learning.
A tool which we have found to be extremely useful
for documenting the development of a project has
been what has been called ‘a corporate learning
portfolio’.
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 STRATEGIES

THE CORPORATE LEARNING PORTFOLIO The important thing is that it is more than just a
loose confederation of individuals but is a cohesive
Just as schools are places in which individuals
group willing to contextualise, document and
learn, so too are they institutions which can
reflect upon its learning as the result of gathering
collectively learn. ‘Corporate’ literally means a body
evidence. The example below is from MLC who
which acts as a whole. The ‘body’, in this sense may
decided to keep a comprehensive documentary
be the whole school, or a division within the school,
account of the formation and actions of its Middle
early, middle or senior years, or a faculty.
School Initiative.

MLC School
Middle School Learning Portfolio
The Middle School Learning Portfolio provides MLC School with a structure for reflecting on shared history and
growth, collaboratively developing and articulating a shared understanding of salient issues, engaging in
practitioner research with a particular agreed focus and documenting professional learning in the context of the
establishment of a Middle School.

The basic elements of the Portfolio are:

Middle School History
This section of the portfolio involved a research facilitator working in conjunction with the Head of School and a small
management team in collecting information through key people and artefacts within the Middle School in order to
develop a social history of the sub school. Unearthing the legends and stories is an important part of this section, as is
the development of a current ‘Who’s Who’ which records the staffing of the middle school, including a skills inventory.
Philosophies and Beliefs
This section of the portfolio involves the Head of School, Heads of Departments, current MS staff and parents to discuss,
refine and document philosophies and beliefs. It is thought that this component will become particularly salient in the
induction of new staff into MS.
Philosophies and beliefs, once agreed upon, will form a ‘charter for practice’ and be used as a touchstone when new
ideas are introduced – ‘do they fit, are they consonant with the espoused philosophy of the Middle School?’
Exhibits
The portfolio is seen as a living document which contains exhibits of school based inquiries. During the first year of
operation, 2002, the following two exhibits were included:
‘At Sixes and Sevens’
Focus Questions:
What has been the experience of Year 6 teachers as they have moved towards engaging with Year 7 students?
Reciprocally, how have Year 7 teachers perceived these changes?
What are the consequences of these changes for student learning in MS?
This section of the portfolio involved nominated members of the Middle School in an inquiry into the agreed area of
their own practice with the aim of improving learning for their students. As well as describing the innovation the exhibit
contained data from student surveys, which also involved students in drawing cartoons of their experience.
‘Collaborative Learning in Maths’
Focus question:
What have been the experiences of teachers and students during specific teaching learning sequences in maths which
have required them to work collaboratively?
This project was undertaken with the assistance of an academic partner from the University of Sydney and involved
action, observations, interviews and surveys.
Goals and Needs
This section of the portfolio engages stakeholders in determining their agreed goals and needs for the future, informed
by their reflection on their learning throughout the portfolio.

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 LEARNING TO LISTEN: LISTENING TO LEARN

An important feature of the corporate learning

portfolio is that it satisfies genuine accountability
requirements.

ACCOUNTABILITIES
Accountability is not merely a kind of audit
requirement. It is an ethical one. Schools who are
willing to listen, and who listen to learn, welcome
opportunities to make their work transparent to
their key constituents: students, parents, staff and
community. Schools in the Coalition of Knowledge
Building Schools welcome opportunities to speak
publicly about their work. They have all been
involved, one way or another, in reporting on their
work at professional conferences and in
professional journals.
They are also accountable within their schools.
A number of them have satisfied this need by
setting up research advisory committees. MLC
School has a committee representing staff, parents
and students as well as an external academic AN MLC SCHOOL TEACHER INVESTIGATES
adviser and the school Chaplain who ensures that LEARNING IN THE CLASSROOM
the research processes are ethical and appropriate.
The committee advises on the development of
inquiries and comments on the results. Burwood
Girls High School has evolved a committee which is
formed through its school council and is advised by
its SRC. Loreto Normanhurst’s committee
comprises staff, student and parent representatives
as well as an academic associate.
In this key section of this resource, the Strategies
Section, we have provided many practical examples.
However, it is important to recognise that they are
not recipes to be followed slavishly, but careful
accounts of how schools have managed school
based inquiry. In our conclusion we point out that
this work is not the ‘silver bullet’ that will solve all
of the many challenges facing a school; but rather is
one part of the complex and demanding process of
schooling.

31
Conclusion »
Facilitating practitioner inquiry
Facilitating practitioner inquiry is not for the faint
hearted. While we both agree that engaging in
practitioner research is extremely rewarding, both for
the researchers and the research facilitator, here we
aim to anticipate some of the ‘traps for young players’
and provide some advice for first-time facilitators.
 LEARNING TO LISTEN: LISTENING TO LEARN

Essentially, there are two sides to the successful

facilitation of practitioner inquiry, namely the
relational and the administrative. While it could
justifiably be claimed that the relational is by far
the more important of the two, considering the
notorious intensity of teachers’ work and the fact
that often practitioner inquiry is undertaken as an
‘add on’, effective administration of practitioner
inquiry can often do much to assist in the building
of the necessary relationships, while conversely
ineffective administration can do much to
undermine relational spaces.
The best facilitators of practitioner inquiry in
schools enter into the process with no agenda other
than the achievement of the best possible
BURWOOD GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL DISCUSSION GROUP
professional development for the teachers involved.
Of course, sometimes the parameters of a project
may be set in advance by the handing down of a a fair way towards beginning the building of trust.
research agenda from either outside or inside the Demonstrating your own trustworthiness to
school, but in this case it is absolutely essential members of the team over a significant period of
that the teachers involved are made fully aware at time is the only real way to move ahead on this
the outset. In the first place, the role of the journey.
research facilitator is to assist in the building of
trust within the team, and this is only possible An important aspect of facilitating practitioner
where underlying aims and agendas have been inquiry is remembering that quality is much more
declared and acknowledged by the group. important than quantity. Sometimes at the outset of
a new project the urge to collect large amounts of
The building of trust and a readiness for risk-taking data from multiple sources rears its head. The wise
are difficult tasks and there is no set formula for research facilitator reminds team members that a
doing so within the parameters of practitioner little bit of data can go a long way, and that
inquiry. In our experience, demonstrating conserving energy for the vital conversations
confidence and trust in the professional judgement around the interpretation of the data rather than
of your colleagues, a willingness to validate the spending it on tabulating huge amounts of
opinions of all members of the group while information is sometimes best. More can always be
acknowledging the diversity of those opinions while sought if the team decides that the initial yield is
at the same time being able to state your own not quite rich enough.
opinion without the expectation that it will
necessarily be adopted by the group and being Supporting team members in reading the data they
demonstrably non-judgmental in your approach go have collected and sometimes in being confronted

33
 CONCLUSION
with reflections on their work which they find
difficult is a most important (and difficult) part of
being a practitioner research facilitator. Much of
the risk-taking implicit in practitioner inquiry and
referred to above is related to this issue.
Marion Dadds puts it well when she writes:
“
[In self-study] we may be entering into
processes by which we deconstruct some basic,
historically rooted views of ourselves. In such
processes our existing images of the
professional self will be challenged,
questioned, re-thought and re-shaped in some
degree. These processes are necessary if
change and development are to occur and self-
study is to lead to new learning. We cannot
escape them, or the discomfort they may bring
if we value our commitment to professional
development.”
(Dadds, 1993:288)5
While we believe that Dadds is right in her
assessment that it is not desirable to escape the
discomfort the processes may bring, the best
facilitators of practitioner research are able to
support their colleagues through that discomfort,
by (for example) affirming what should be affirmed,
sharing stories of their own professional growth
under similar circumstances, offering alternate
interpretations where they are called for,
empathising in the midst of the discomfort. This is
perhaps the most difficult aspect of facilitating
practitioner inquiry, and the only real advice here is
to approach it with authenticity and concern for
both teachers and students, trusting in your own
professional judgement to guide you.
The need to ‘tell the story’ of the research with
integrity is a significant part of the work of the
practitioner research facilitator. Sometimes a
dilemma presents itself in terms of the need to
authentically represent the findings of the research
while being sensitive to the needs of those involved.
While ethically it is of paramount importance that
confidentiality and anonymity be maintained where
it has been promised, in some cases where findings
point to difficulties and problems, people may be
5 Dadds, M (1993) ‘The Feeling of Thinking in Professional Self Study’ Educational Action Research 1(2) 287–304
34
left feeling exposed despite the confidential or
anonymous nature of the data. A ‘forensic’
approach to the data may help here, as may
accentuating, although not unduly, the
complementary positive findings (in our
experience, there always are some!). This is
another situation in which some experience at
facilitating this kind of work will assist you in
developing the confidence in your own professional
judgement to deal competently with the issues as
they arise.
The administration of practitioner inquiry is a key
task of the facilitator, and although this task can
sometimes seem quite burdensome and thankless,
it is through the effective administration of projects
that teacher release time can be preserved for the
type of critical conversations which are at the heart
of practitioner inquiry efforts. Minute taking at
meetings so as to keep a record of decisions taken,
organising letters of consent, focus groups etc and
the preparation of initial tabulations of data for
consideration by the team are all part of this task.
The writing up of projects, while not strictly
administrative, is also an aspect of this task,
although in many cases the writing is shared among
team members while co-ordinated by the research
facilitator.
Finally, the best facilitators of practitioner inquiry
are those who engage in what John Elliott has
termed ‘second order’ practitioner inquiry, that
where they constantly engage in reflection and
gather evidence on their own practice as
facilitators. Doing so not only assists the facilitator
on their own path to constant improvement but also
provides a powerful model of reflection on action
for the teachers with whom they work.
We began this conclusion by stating that facilitating
practitioner inquiry is not for the faint-hearted. In
our experience, however, the task is delightfully
rewarding in the scope it offers for assisting
teachers to come to understand their own practice,
and through them, the improvement of student
learning. We wish you well in your journey.

Some helpful resources
This brief annotated bibliography contains items which schools in the Coalition
have found useful starting points for thinking about school based enquiry.
Bloor, M., Frankland, J., Thomas,
M. & Robson, K. (2001).
Focus Groups in Social Research.
London: Sage Publications.
The writers recognise that for many
people the use of focus group
enquiry is something which is done
by market researchers rather than
those in the professions. They
address the key issues of using focus
groups in the latter context and deal
with issues of design, group size,
composition, and ways of breaking
the ice. There are a number of
examples which are very useful to
practitioners.
Harbour, R. & Kitzinger, J., (Eds.)
Developing Focus Group
Research.
London: Sage Publications,
pp. 1—20.
This, and the book above, are helpful
to those using focus group enquiry.
In the work of the Coalition, the
focus group has been seen as an
important strategy for delving into
issues where many and varying of
points of view prevail, such as
“What is the experience of learning
mathematics in Year 9?” While a
number of the chapters are case
studies in other disciplines such as
health there is very useful advice in
the opening chapter regarding the
structure and function of focus
groups.
LEARNING TO LISTEN: LISTENING TO LEARN
Janesick, V. (1998).
‘Stretching’ Exercises for
Qualitative Researchers.
London: Sage Publications.
Developing the skills necessary to
become an effective school based
researcher involves more than
simply learning the rules, tools and
formulae. In this book
Valerie Janesick treats research as
an artistic enterprise, rather like
dancing, which requires the
researchers to ‘stretch’ their
capacities and think beyond
conventional practices.
Prosser, J. (Ed.) (1998).
Image Based Research.
London: Palmer Press
Much qualitative research is
dominated by words – words which
capture people’s attitudes, feelings
and perceptions about particular
events and practices. Jon Prosser, in
this book, has brought together ways
in which researchers have moved
from words to images. For example
there is a paper which examines the
ways in which students used
photographs in a school self
evaluation that is particularly
revealing.
Schratz, M. & Walker, R. (1995).
Research as Social Change.
London: Routledge.
This book is committed to the notion
that social enquiry should become
an integral part of school
improvement. Not only does it
demystify research, but also
provides many strategies for
developing enquiry skills; a number
of these have been referred to in the
text of Learning to Listen: Listening
to Learn.
Appendix A
SCOPE (1996).
Self-Directed Collegial On-Going
Personal-Professional
Effectiveness.
East Perth: Education
Department of Western Australia.
This kit contains twelve small
booklets addressing such strategies
as observation in the classroom,
research techniques for student
feedback and ways to write up
school based enquires. The material
is written in ‘teacher friendly’
language and was contributed to by
a range of practising teachers in
Western Australian classrooms.
Tripp, D. (1993).
Critical Incidents in Teaching.
London: Routledge.
Although David Tripp’s book has
been around for a while now it is
still refreshing to find a text which
discusses professional judgement
used in situations where there are
no easy or ‘right’ answers. Tripp uses
the notion of the critical incident in
research which may well be a fairly
ordinary event that can be made
critical by examining it from a
different perspective.
Clearly there are many other
resources that are available.
We would encourage you to
think about journals such as
Educational Action Research
where there are articles setting
out various studies in various
professions in different parts
of the world as well as more
theoretical accounts of current
issues in practitioner enquiry.
35
 Sample letter
Appendix B

Date
Address

Dear

Evaluation of Middle school Festival

As you may know the MLC Middle School undertook an innovative integrated curriculum unit which
resulted in the ‘Middle School Festival’. As part of its normal procedures of evaluating innovations the
school would like to interview a random sample of students to obtain from them their views of the ways in
which the Festival was an effective learning opportunity.

The interview will be conducted by Professor Susan Groundwater-Smith, who acts as the school’s
researcher-in-residence. It will take the form of a focus group with eight to ten students responding to a set
of prepared questions. The group discussion will not be audio-taped, but notes will be taken without any
individual student being identified.

e
has been selected to be a member of a focus group. It will

l
take approximately forty-five minutes of her time. Could you please complete the form at the bottom of this
letter giving permission for her involvement.

Could you please ensure that the form is returned to the school by / /

p
With many thanks,

Di Cottrell-Dormer (Head of Middle School)

a m
S
I give permission for

to take part in a focus group discussion on the Middle School Festival to be conducted by
Dr Susan Groundwater-Smith on Monday, 18th November 2002

(Parent signature )

36

A Portrayal of a focus group discussion
Synthesis of responses given by parents
Parents on the School Council had been trained and acted as focus group leaders
Do you believe that our
school is a safe and caring
environment for the
students? Can you give some
examples?
There was strong affirmation that
the school is a safe and caring
environment. It was felt that the
school is a very supportive
environment for the students and
that there is a “culture of mutual
support that everyone recognises
and strives for”. Clearly the
students’ emotional safety is in good
hands. As a manifestation of the
school’s concern for its students its
follow up on absenteeism was
considered noteworthy.
Have there been times when
the school has not been as
safe and caring as you
would like?
The state of the toilets is a key
concern, which is mainly related to
cleanliness and hygiene and them
being a site where students smoke.
The security pass system for going to
the toilet has some problems,
particularly salient in these times
when schools are subject to
intrusion.
There were some worries which may
be beyond the school’s direct control
– these were principally in relation
to travel safety on the streets, in the
buses and on the trains.
There are still orientation
difficulties for new students coming
into Year 7. It was seen that
insufficient attention is given to the
information that comes from Year 6
record cards – this is of particular
concern when related to health
matters.
LEARNING TO LISTEN: LISTENING TO LEARN
Are there ways the school
could improve the manner in
which it looks after the girls?
It was suggested that an enhanced
buddy system could alleviate settling
in anxieties and even some of the
travel worries.
Signage would assist both students
and their parents in finding their
way around the school. It was
suggested that during the
orientation period guided tours
occur so that parents could picture
the environment in which their
daughters are learning.
At times there are worries that when
a girl’s parents would like to raise a
negative issue they are ‘silenced’ –
they don’t want to be seen by
teachers/executive as a ‘whingeing
parent’. This could have
repercussions for their daughters.
Students requiring assistance from
the school counsellor should be
tactfully and thoughtfully dealt with.
Mild depression in adolescence is
fairly common and should be dealt
with early on.
How well do you believe the
school provides for a range
of different learning
experiences for the girls, in
the classroom; out of the
classroom (e.g. excursions,
field trips, camps,
performances)?
Again, the tenor of the responses
were positive. Some discussion
centred around the notion of
differentiation. Not all students
learn in the same way or like to
learn in the same way. For example
group work, while sound in some
instances may not be desirable in
others. The notion was that there
should not be ‘one size fits all’
solutions.
Appendix C
It would seem that TAFE classes
provide a good learning experience
and motivate the students.
Community Service classes in Year 9
are seen as very positive for girls as
is work experience and the
opportunities in the program to hear
different speakers.
The Roundtable presentation for
R&D was seen as a great success.
The Band was seen as highly positive
and contributed to an enhanced
image of the school. However, some
attention needs to be paid to the
ways in which it is run.
Excursions were generally enjoyed
and the camp is considered a great
experience for the girls.
Does it recognise a variety
of achievements (academic,
cultural, social)?
People were keen to see that
achievements should be recognised
across a range of activities,
including a recognition of effort. It is
more difficult for less able students
to be acknowledged and affirmed.
Does the school provide an
education that prepares girls
well to cope with the wider
world?
Generally there is good career
guidance for students.
There is a wide range of subject
choice.
The multicultural nature of the
school gives its students
opportunities to mix with girls from
many different backgrounds and
experiences.
37
 continued
Does the school encourage
leadership in all girls?
While it is clear that leadership is
available for many girls (especially
Appendix C
through avenues such as debating,
public speaking, PIP) there does not
appear to be a definite policy
whereby all students are nurtured in
their leadership capabilities.
Girls are not given enough
opportunities to be involved in
policy making, certainly the SRC is
active, but it is seen as important
that all girls are consulted regarding
significant issues.
How well does the school
communicate with you about
your daughter’s skills and
abilities?
Communication was the area that
parents were least satisfied with.
NESB parents can sometimes feel
excluded because of their lack of
mastery of English. Important
communications should be posted
rather than sent home with students
who may not pass them on. This is
particularly important when they
deal with such complex matters as
the new HSC, or major assignments
such as R&D in Year 9.
Parents often find out about an
event after it has occurred, for
example International Women’s Day,
Music Evening.
Face to face interviews, where a real
exchange can occur in an unhurried
way, are not conducted often
enough. Parents reported feeling
uneasy about ringing up to discuss
issues and are often discouraged by
their daughters. Furthermore, they
perceive that informal interviews
are discouraged by the school and
that matters which could be ‘nipped
in the bud’ may develop
unnecessarily.
Front desk reception is often the
first contact with the school and
needs to be friendly and courteous.
38
Do they let you know in time
when there is a learning or
emotional problem and give
you an idea of how the
school is handling things?
There need to be opportunities to
hear about lack of progress, or
emotional difficulties, at times other
than formal reporting times. Parents
want to know if their daughters are
failing to achieve and how the
matter is being addressed by the
school and how it can be addressed
at home.
Does the school encourage
two way communication;
that is not only reporting to
parents, but also listening to
what parents have to say?
Again, it was seen that valid, two
way communication takes time and
that there seem to be few
opportunities when it can occur.
Do you believe the school
has sound discipline
policies?
Where parents knew of the policies
they generally thought them to be
adequate and appropriate.
Is homework managed well
by the school?
Responses to this question were
mixed. It seems to fluctuate over the
years. Some thought too much, some
too little. But it was agreed that
there was a lack of coordination
between subjects with the loads
being uneven and poorly distributed.
Feedback from major tasks is often
slow and insufficient to support the
students’ improvement. In some
cases it was taking a whole term.
Some concern was expressed
regarding equity. Not all students
have access to sophisticated
technology and this needs to be
taken into account.
What are the things about
the school you are least
satisfied with?
» Communication (including the
misspelling of girls’ given and
family names);
» Toilets – poor maintenance;
» No drop off zone for students
who are driven to school;
» Expenses – many of the
extracurricular activities are
costly, over and above the
expenses parents normally meet
in government schools;
» In some specific subjects there
were concerns, for example,
Mathematics – not enough
explicit instruction or
explanation, Languages –
inappropriate choices in Year 7;
» Changes in teaching staff with
no advice to parents;
» Appropriate locker and storage
space is lacking;
» Poor volleyball training;
» Would like more encouragement
for parents to be around –
assemblies etc. When guest
speakers come to the school
parents could be interested in
attending also.
What are the things that you
are most satisfied with?
» Great School!
» Positive atmosphere;
» On top of things;
» Multicultural;
» Girls safe and challenged;
» Girls happy;
» Band;
» Annual Report very detailed;
» Academic work encouraged.
In sum, it was seen that although
the school is in a run down physical
state it is one where the girls
experience high expectations of
them and where they are
“overwhelmingly happy”. “The
school is an arena for dispelling
fears and concerns.”
 LEARNING TO LISTEN: LISTENING TO LEARN

Example of a questionnaire arising

from a focus group discussion
Ashfield Boys High School
Student Survey, Years 9 and 10

Appendix D
PART A
STRONGLY AGREE DISAGREE STRONGLY
AGREE DISAGREE

1 I most enjoy learning when I am doing something, not just

copying notes from the board or overheads.

2 I find it difficult to learn when we have a lot of different

teachers for one subject.

3 I like to be told why I am doing things in class, not just

what I have to do.

4 I don’t believe that my teachers know me very well or the

ways in which I learn.

5 I would like teachers to get together and work out our

assignments so that they don’t all come at once.

6 I like being challenged in class, sometimes things are

too easy.

7 The teachers don’t seem to want us to get involved in class.

8 It is good when we can talk with each other and learn

from each other.

9 We could do with more videos, as long as they are up to date.

10 There never seems to be enough time to get things finished.

11 Teachers depend too much on textbooks.

12 I don’t think that my teachers know when I don’t

understand the lesson.

13 Some of the subjects, for example

are pointless to me.

14 I like it when I can do some problem solving, rather than

being told the ‘right’ answer.

15 My reports should explain better not only what I have

learned, but how I am learning.

16 I like being given chances to be independent and have

some control over my own learning.

17 I would like more assistance in learning how to manage

better like managing time and preparing for exams and tests.

18 Some of the books that we use are irrelevant and out of date.

19 I like excursions, we don’t have enough of them.

20 Its good when teachers explain things really well.

39
 continued

PART B

Below are some brief accounts of things which may happen to you at your school.
Please comment on them.
Appendix D

1 The teacher gives really good feedback on assignments. I am told where I went wrong and what I need to do to
improve. As well, I am told what my strengths are and how I can build on them. I am also given a chance to assess
my own learning and give a comment on how well I think I went.

Can you give an example of this happening in a particular subject? Does it happen often?

2 The teacher puts our rankings up in the passage for everyone to see. Sometimes our actual marks are read out in
class. I hate this because I don’t think it helps my learning and other boys have a go at me later.

Has this ever happened to you or your friends? How did you feel about it?
What would you like done about it?

3 The teacher spends a good bit of time helping us to think through how to tackle an independent task or one where
we are working in groups. We are taught how to plan, to investigate and research and then to set out our findings.
The teacher doesn’t just leave us to learn alone but checks up every now and then on how we are going.

Is this true for you? Do you get enough help when you are set a major assignment? Would you like it
to happen more? What other things would you like your teachers to do to help your learning?

40
NOTES

41
 NOTES

42
NOTES

43
 NOTES

44
COALITION OF KNOWLEDGE BUILDING SCHOOLS
NORTH

CURL CURL
PS

FA
IR AY
PL

Ashfield Boys’ Asquith Girls’ Burwood Girls’ Curl Curl North Loreto SCEGGS
MLC School
High School High School High School Public School Normanhurst Darlinghurst

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