Raising EAL learners' attainment (REAL)

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Research aims and questionsResearch Aim 1 (lead supervisor's project): To evaluate the impact of The Enduring Principles of Learning in transforming pedagogy for the teaching of pupils with EAL in primary and secondary schools with a shared pupil demographic.RQ 1.1 What are the changes in and understanding of teachers' practice for EAL when trained in use of The Enduring Principles of Learning?RQ 1.2 Are changes consistent a) across staff within each school and b) across schools?Research Aim 2 (studentship project): To analyse the relationship between changes in pedagogy for EAL and the English-related academic outcomes of pupils with EAL in primary and secondary schools with a shared pupil demographic.RQ 2.1 Does training teachers to practice using The Enduring Principles of Learning lead to enhanced English language proficiency (vocabulary, reading comprehension, writing) in pupils with EAL? RQ 2.2 What are the drivers for/barriers to success as perceived by pupils?The lead supervisor, Naomi Flynn, is currently working with one school in Southampton, which is part of a network of schools, called Aspire Community Trust who are the collaborative partners in this studentship. Dr Flynn's work with these schools consists of applied research through which she is working directly with teachers by delivering professional development to improve their pedagogy with a view to improving pupils' attainment. The professional development framework is wedded to a proven-successful approach already developed and trialled in the US called The Enduring Principles of Learning (in publications this is referred to as The Standards, or The Standards for Effective Pedagogy). A rubric related to this approach is appended to this guidance. Dr Flynn has an established researcher partnership with Professor Annela Teemant of Indiana University who is the principle architect of this approach. Both academics have a longer-term goal of empowering schools to adopt and embed the Enduring Principles of Learning in practice independently. This project will generate data to evidence the successes and limitations of this approach to teaching. The studentship project is a mixed methods study with an emphasis on measuring pupil progress through quantitative data collection and analysis. It complements Dr Flynn's qualitative analysis of teachers' changing practice.