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Initial Project Summary
People
Prof Carol McGuinness, (Queen's University, Belfast)
Prof Noel Sheehy (Queen's University, Belfast)
The project will create and evaluate practical teaching strategies
to improve classroom learning in primary schools, enhancing pupils’
thinking skills across the curriculum.
The research examines the role of metacognition in teaching thinking
skills at Key Stage 2. "Metacognition" refers to people's
knowledge about thinking which helps them to manage effectively
their thought processes in learning and problem solving. Classroom
dialogue is thought to play a key role teaching this form of intellectual
management. This project will focus on assessing and promoting appropriate
dialogue, analysing the critical features of this approach in terms
of improving learning outcomes for both pupils and teachers, and
models of teacher support which can sustain innovation in this regard.
Three interrelated studies will be conducted. The first will develop
and evaluate a framework for analysing metacognitive features of
teachers’ and pupils’ classroom dialogue. The second will
evaluate an intervention process involving the promotion of appropriate
teaching; the effects on both teachers' and pupils' learning will
be appraised. The third study will develop long term strategies
for sustaining thinking classrooms with a focus on metacognitive
activity.
The research builds on the achievements of the ACTS (Activating
Children’s Thinking Skills) project in Northern Ireland. The
project involves a wide range of collaborations, working with teachers,
curriculum advisers and officers from the Council for Curriculum,
Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) in Northern Ireland to develop
evidence-based teaching strategies.
The project will generate training materials in a variety of forms
for teaching thinking skills, which teachers can apply to their
own practice. These will also be valuable for teacher trainers,
education authorities and curriculum support units. |
