Results from action research conducted to improve feedback in KS3 RE.

1. Excellent Teaching:
Action Research Project
Miss B

2. How do I improve the quality of teaching and learning in
KS3 RE?
What do I need to find out?
1. How teachers and students feel about our current
feedback sheets after assessments, so that I can
measure the impact of the changes I plan to make
2. What is happening in KS3 RE lessons at the moment in
order to produce a strategic plan for development
Enquiry question

3. 1. Assessment feedback sheets
– Emailed HoDs asking for exemplars of feedback
sheets they use in their subjects.
– Using students feedback from the questionnaires
and the exemplars I devised a reformatted
feedback sheet.
2. Teaching and learning at KS3
– ‘Engaging learners’, Andy Griffith and Mark Burns
Research

4. 1. Assessment feedback sheets
Students interviews:
– Questionnaires to assess their views on the original department feedback
sheets. Two classes were used – 7y2 and 8x1
– Questionnaires to assess their views on the reformatted and redeveloped
assessment feedback sheets. The same two classes were used – 7y2 and
8x1 to measure baseline and impact.
Teacher interviews:
– Semi-structured interviews – assessing views of KS3 teachers on the original
feedback sheets and their views on the reformatted feedback sheets.
Other:
– Contacted HoD’s for exemplars of their department feedback sheets
Methodology

5. 2. Teaching and learning at KS3
• Learning walks of KS3 team - observe the quality of teaching and
learning, what needs to be improved and what best practice can
be shared.
• Book scrutiny of KS3 classes observed.
• Student focus group – random selection of KS3 students to gain
insight on how they feel about teaching and learning in RE.
Methodology

6. Results – Assessment feedback sheets
What do you like
about the current
feedback sheets?
Number of
responses
Easy to
read/understand
25
Organised 1
Layout 16
Shows you what
you have done well
and what you need
to improve on
15
What could be improved?
• Include sentence starters for each
level
• Simpler language
• Fewer bullet points per level
• Include Literacy targets
• Space for the LR approved sticker
• Change wording to WWW and EBI
• Different layout
• Include a teacher comments box
• Larger font
• Bigger LR box
Students interviews – original feedback sheets

7. Feedback sheets – original and redesigned examples
Original feedback sheet Redesigned feedback sheet

8. Results – Assessment feedback sheets
Students interviews – original feedback sheets
What do you like
about the new
feedback sheet?
Number of
responses
More space to write 1
Hints box – sentence
starters
18
layout/structure 18
Easier to understand 31
Box for LR sticker 2
Literacy targets 2
responses
prefer new
feedback
sheet
prefer old
feedback
sheet

9. Old feedback sheet
• Makes marking quicker
• Too many bullet points
per level
• Re-label it using WWW
and EBI
• Show a clear
progression with levels
New feedback sheet
• Prefer new format
• It is clearer and more
structured
• Weaker students will be
able to access it using
the ‘hints’ section
Results – Assessment feedback sheets
Teacher interviews

10. • Building independence – hint/challenge and levelled tasks where
students have choice and challenge
• Great use of positive praise – verbal, achievement points and star charts
• Department following school policy on behaviour management –
consequence system
• Structured discussions – either hands up or no hands up and students
aware of this and the rules for a class discussion.
• Excellent learning environments – positive, encouraging, calm and light-
hearted
• Lots of peer support and modelling
• Literacy support – key words/prompt words on the board
• Thinking time – encourages all students to participate and put their
hands up
• Developed questioning
• Use of images on ppts
Results – Teaching and learning at KS3
Learning walks – Best Practice

11. • Need to build in time to fill in target tracker
sheets and complete Learner Responses and
feedback from marking.
• This means in these lessons, the content will
need to decrease to allow for this to happen.
• This is difficult as already so short on time with
KS3 to cover the curriculum.
Results – Teaching and learning at KS3
Learning walks – Going forward

12. WWW
• Can express opinions/views in
a safe learning environment
• Lots of team work – paired,
group and class
• Learning from others –
listening to different views
• Topics are relevant and
interesting
• Activities are fun and also
make you work hard
• Variety of different activities
EBI
• Allow more time for certain
tasks
• More paired/group
discussions rather than class
discussions
• Encourage all students to
contribute
Results – Teaching and learning at KS3
Student feedback

13. • Small sample size – only 2 KS3 classes interviewed on
their thoughts on the assessment feedback sheets due
to manageability of the data received and time
restrictions
• Small focus group size – only 10 students were included
in this due to accessibility of students and time
restrictions
• Only 1 learning walk conducted of the KS3 department
due to teaching timetable and cover allowances
Implications

14. Going forward –
1. As the response to the new feedback sheets was
positive, I will be reformatting the KS3
assessment sheets to the new layout
2. ‘Admin tasks’ like filling in the target tracker
sheet and completing learner responses will be
embedded into lessons as oppose to making it
an additional thing to have to do in lessons.
Conclusion

15. • Thank you to the KS3 team –for letting me observe their
wonderful lessons and for taking the time to give me feedback
on the assessment sheets
• Thanks to my year 7 and year 8 classes for filling in the
questionnaires and to the focus groups students
• Thanks to Jo and Anna for all their amazing help and support