Index of swell research information Current swell research focus areas Definitions of current swell research focus areas Baseline data for current swell research focus areas The swell approach to teacher research Swell teacher research planning Swell teacher research data recording and analysis Swell teacher research presentations

Current swell research projects

The swell network is currently focusing on three research areas.

	Broad Aim: To investigate ways to improve student capability to implement authentic learning including - Student ability to identify the issues, concerns and interests that could become the focus of learning - Student ability to group common issues, concerns and interests into themes that have learning significance - Student ability to identify within these themes key knowledge, attitudes, values and skills that could be addressed through a programme of work - Student ability to prepare learning intentions for a programme of work - Student ability to identify key learning intentions that will be assessed during the programme of work - Student ability to develop assessment criteria for these key learning intentions
	Broad Aim: To investigate ways to improve student capability to manage self including - Student understanding of self including who they are, where they come from, where they belong, and where they are going - Student understanding of intelligence and creativity including how people learn, what helps people learn and what the different levels of learning are - Student understanding of what it means to be part of a learning community - Student awareness of and ability to use key learning tools for their achievement level (e.g. organisational tools, process tools, thinking tools, learning habits, technology, presentation tools, etc)
	Broad Aim: To investigate ways to improve student capability to participate and contribute including - Student inter and intrapersonal skills - Student ability to work cooperatively in a group - Student ability to act on the outcome of their learning

Definitions of current swell research focus areas
  

We believe we will have been successful with our current research focus if we have established learning cultures and environments where students almost always ....

• help decide what they learn about

• help decide what the learning intentions are 

• help decide what the assessment tasks will be

• know the success criteria for what they are learning

• choose their own learning goals 

• design their own learning plan 

• understand what they need to do    

• know why they are learning what they are learning   

• know what they need to do to be successful with their learning   

• know where to go to get help with their learning  

• use thinking tools to help them learn 

• know how to use technology to help them learn  

• follow the class rules 

• stick to the task 

• listen to others in class

• give opinions and explain reasons for having them

• accept other people's opinions and ideas

• take part in discussions to reach a shared understanding in class 

• know how to be involved in groups 

• carry out roles in a group   

• are willing to take on leadership responsibility 

• question and challenge other group members appropriately 

• cooperate to achieve group goals 

• act on group decisions even if they disagree  

• look back at their goals to ensure they are on task 

• know how to present what they have learnt to others 

• tell others how their learning is important to them 

• think about how well they have worked  

• know what they should do differently to get better 

• use what they have learnt in other situations  

• take action on the basis of what they learn

Baseline data for current swell research focus areas

In 2008 we asked students to rate how often they felt they took each of the above actions using a scale from 1 to 5, where one meant they never took the action and five meant they always took the action. Teachers rated their students separately using the same scale. The following table shows the results of this process and represents a summary of the baseline data for the current swell research focus areas.

swell approach to teacher research

Swell uses teacher research as the mechanism for developing and sharing expertise across schools. Each swell teacher research project involves three phases. These phases are exploration, appreciative enquiry and refinement.

The following tasks are completed during each phase.

1. Exploration Phase: During the exploration phase of each swell research project teachers begin by exploring the theory associated with the particular research focus. They then plan an action research project to explore how the theory can be implemented in their classroom. Each action research project has a broad aim (positioning the research within school development focus areas), a set of research questions (what is trying to be answered through the research), a method section (what will happen and how evidence will he gathered), and a data gathering and analysis section (what data will be collected).

2. Appreciative Enquiry Phase: During this phase of each swell research project teachers utilise appreciative enquiry techniques to reflect upon the outcomes of the exploration phase action research projects. Appreciative enquiry enables the teacher to identify the features of the approach under trial which are effective in bringing about positive change. 
3. Refinement phase: During the refinement phase a second action research project is implemented to further trial and refine the positive features identified during the appreciative inquiry phase. The presentations of the refinement phase action research projects are used as the basis for embedding new practice into each school.

swell teacher research planning

Each teacher research project begins with a research plan. Research plans are entered in to a common research planning template.

Download the teacher research planning template for the current swell focus areas as a PDF document	Download the teacher research  planning template for the current swell focus areas as a MS  Word document	Download a copy of a PowerPoint presentation outlining the steps in preparing a research plan here

Teacher research plans are completed in five simple steps. 

	Step one: Focus areas Teachers enter their name, school and the year level of their class onto the front page of the research template. They then select one or more focus area and one or more focus stem as the broad aim for their research project.  CHECK: Do the selected broad aims match the school's developmental focus?
	Step two: Questions Teachers develop four research questions, one each for implementation, engagement, knowledge and competency. For example: How can students be supported to develop [enter competency that is trying to be developed] through [enter approach being used]? What impact does using [enter approach being used] have on student engagement? What impact does using [enter approach being used] have on student [enter the knowledge domain through which the competency is developed]? What impact does using [enter approach being used] have on student [enter competency that is trying to be developed]? CHECK: Do the questions relate closely to the broad aims?
	Step three: Method Teachers describe what they and students will be doing as they trial the approach that is the focus of their research. The method should outline a timeline for data collection. CHECK: Does the method relate back to the implementation question? CHECK: Will engagement, knowledge and competency outcomes be measured as a result of the data collection plan?
	Step four: Knowledge criteria Teachers use the swell Learning Poutama to develop success criteria for the knowledge domain through which the competency is developed. Criteria are developed for Novice, Apprentice, Practitioner and Expert levels. CHECK: Do the knowledge success criteria relate to the knowledge outcome research question?
	Step five: Competency criteria Teachers use the swell Learning Poutama to develop success criteria for the competency that is the focus of the research project. Criteria are developed for Novice, Apprentice, Practitioner and Expert levels. CHECK: Do the competency success criteria relate to the competency outcome research question?

swell teacher research implementation and analysis

Once a teacher research project plan has been finalised then the teacher begins to implement the project and gather data. Teachers use common tools to gather, record and analyse data for swell teacher research projects. 

Download the student engagement self assessment questionnaire as a PDF document	Download the teacher research data recording and analysis spreadsheet

The data recording and analysis spreadsheet has three parts.

	Part A: Engagement Data Teacher's at the end of their research projects help their students to complete a self assessment of the degree to which they were engaged with their learning. Students rate themselves on a five point scale where 1 = never and 5 = always. Teachers verify the student self assessments then record their ratings into the data analysis spreadsheet. The spreadsheet calculates the mean levels of engagement for the class as a whole during the project.
	Part B: Knowledge Data Teachers record the success criteria for the assessment of knowledge outcomes for the project. Before the project begins they assess student knowledge against the criteria. At the end of the project they reassess student knowledge against the same criteria. Both sets of data are entered in the data analysis spreadsheet. The spreadsheet then calculates the number of students in the class who are operating at each of the knowledge levels, both before the project and at the end of the project. It also provides an estimate of the degree of "effect" that the teacher has had on the development of student knowledge.
	Part C: Competency Data Teachers record the success criteria for the assessment of competency outcomes for the project. Before the project begins they assess student competency against the criteria. At the end of the project they reassess student competency against the same criteria. Both sets of data are entered in the data analysis spreadsheet. The spreadsheet then calculates the number of students in the class who are operating at each of the competency levels, both before the project and at the end of the project.  It also provides an estimate of the degree of "effect" that the teacher has had on the development of student competency.

swell teacher research presentations

A key part of the teacher research process is presenting the results of research to peers. This is done through a number of face to face mechanisms such as syndicate meetings, staff meetings, lead teacher workshops and the annual swell conference. A record of each swell teacher research project is published on the swell teacher research blog. 

Download a copy of the 'blog notes' document to record your draft research report before posting it to the blog here	Download an instruction booklet for posting your research report to the blog here

Teacher Research Blog At the conclusion of the research process teachers publish a report about their project onto the teacher research blog. Each report provides a summary of the approach the teacher trialed and a set of conclusions about how effective the approach was, based upon the evidence they have gathered.