CfBT has commissioned, conducted and published a significant
volume of research over the past ten years. The research largely
aims to provide evidence about effective interventions, strategies
and policies in education with a view to impacting on or improving
practice and policy.
CfBT is not just committed to investment in research but also to
the use of evidence in education. CfBT recognises the need to
promote research-based evidence and to encourage practitioners and
policy makers to think and act purposefully on what it says.
Current Research Projects
Published Research Reports
Evaluation of the Languages
Support Programme in Teaching Schools
The Languages Support Programme aimed to expand the capacity of
Teaching Schools in England to develop and share best practice in
languages education so that achievement in languages could be
improved nationally.
This report presents the findings and conclusions from an
evaluation of the programme, commissioned by CfBT and carried out
by the National Foundation for Education Research (NFER).
To the next level:
good schools becoming outstanding
Building upon a previous report this research focuses on
schools that either achieve and maintain high-quality teaching or
succeed in rapidly improving the effectiveness of lessons.
The report reviews current UK research and identifies some key
features of teachers’ strategies/professional development
Action
research at St Mark's Academy 2012
This is the second collaboration of
practitioner research reports produced by St Mark's Academy
staff.
In this publication middle leadership practitioners consider
questions and issues which present potential barriers to success at
the CfBT school and seek evidence-based practitioner solutions.
Action research in languages
teaching schools
This is a collaboration of practitioner research reports
produced by teachers from languages departments in secondary
schools across England.
Each chapter focuses on a particular issue of interest to
languages departments and was written by the teachers who ran each
practitioner research project.
Enhancing primary mathematics teaching and
learning
This publication, edited by Professor David Burghes, outlines a
sustainable method of enhancing the teaching and learning of
mathematics in the primary phase of education; the Mathematics
Enhancement Programme (MEP).
School2School: How to make
Teaching Schools a success
This paper aims to analyse and describe the potential of the
Teaching Schools initiative to improve teaching and raise
standards, identify some of the risks that might jeopardise its
successful implementation and propose possible mitigations.
It contains insights for policy makers and practitioners.
Myths, evidence and innovation: a
guide to making the most of Free School freedoms
This research fills a gap between a wealth of anecdotal evidence
on the value and impact of debate activities, and actual empirical
evidence on the benefits for children and young people and their
learning.
The research finds evidence that debate activities have a
practical and meaningful influence on the attainment of young
people and the potential to increase in student engagement.
Debating the evidence: An
international review of current situation and
perceptions
This research fills a gap between a wealth of anecdotal evidence
on the value and impact of debate activities, and actual empirical
evidence on the benefits for children and young people and their
learning.
The research finds evidence that debate activities have a
practical and meaningful influence on the attainment of young
people and the potential to increase in student engagement.
Computer-based play in the early
years
This research is a practical booklet for teachers in
the early years. Based on original research conducted by Swansea
University it explains how to engage children in computer-based
play. The booklet contains discussion points, tips and real
life examples as well as references to the best practice discovered
by the research.
Action Research at St Mark's
Academy
‘Action Research at St Mark’s Academy’ is the culmination
of ‘on the ground’ practitioner research conducted by teachers
at a UK school. It examines the experiences of a group of
teachers whose objective was to improve the quality of the teaching
and learning through their own research undertaken at the
CfBT-sponsored St Mark’s Church of England Academy in Mitcham,
Surrey.
Action Research in Abu Dhabi
II (2011)
In 2011 CfBT offered 50 teachers the
opportunity to participate in professional development workshops to
learn how to conduct action research projects in educational
settings. The training included: designing research questions; an
introduction to qualitative and quantitative research
methodologies; an overview of data analysis; and a brief discussion
on research ethics. Following the training, four kindergartens,
four girls’ schools and three boys’ schools decided that they would
like to conduct an action research project.
Leading learning in further
education
The purpose of this report is to identify those things that
college leaders do that have the most impact on the quality of
learning. The report is based on review of the
relevant literature and a series of interviews with strategic
leaders. The Institute for Learning (IfL) supported the project by
conducting an online survey of its Fellows – a subset of members
who are experienced and highly qualified practitioners.
Instinct or Reason: How
education policy is made and how we might make it better
(2010)
This report investigates the factors that lie behind the
formation of educational policy. It is based on discussions with an
expert group, a desk based literature review (including academic
research and politicians' memoirs), interviews with stakeholders
and an extended process of draft revision. The study looked at
policy changes across a range of policy areas to help give a
representative view.
Learning from international links
between schools: an overview of what
works (2010)
Linking is the process by which communities across the world
form sustained partnerships. At school level this is a link between
the staff and students in a school in one country with others in a
school in another country.
This study collected data via a literature review and through a
series of in-depth interviews with students and teachers in 21 UK
schools and 9 schools across India and Kenya.
Action Research in Abu Dhabi
(2010)
CfBT works closely with the Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC)
to operate a number of primary schools and kindergartens in Abu
Dhabi. In December 2009, 33 teachers from 13 primary schools and
kindergartens in Abu Dhabi participated in a one-day professional
development workshop to learn how to conduct an action research
project in an educational setting. Following the training, six
primary schools and four kindergartens decided that they would like
to conduct an action research project. This book reports the
findings from each of the ten projects.
Neuro-linguistic programming and
learning: teacher case studies on the impact of NLP in education
(2010)
The aim of this report is to address
two significant gaps in the research literature: the absence of any
formal and systematic literature review of evidence in relation to
the impact and use of NLP in education, and the lack of any
substantive teacher-led and classroom-based action research in this
area.
Evidence Matters: Towards informed
professionalism in education (2009)
Evidence Matters, Towards informed professionalism in
education by Andrew Morris argues that the ways in which
knowledge about educational practice is produced and put to good
use is of utmost importance. It outlines the need for evidence in
education, where it comes from and how it is used. It also puts
forward a compelling case for an "evidence friendly world" and
highlights the changes needed to achieve this. In the words of
Professor Charles Desforges, the report provides "a road map for
the way ahead" and "should be required reading for anyone who wants
to surpass current educational goals and save public money".
Tackling bullying, using evidence,
learning lessons (2009)
The CfBT/Coventry Anti-Bullying Development and
Research (D&R) Project focused on tackling bullying in Coventry
schools using strategies developed through development and
research.
Funded by CfBT Education Trust and Coventry
City Council, it was a collaborative experiment between ten
practitioners, a local authority advisor and an educational
researcher.
Leading learning through relationships: the
implications of Neuro-linguistic programming for
personalisation and the children's agenda in England
(2008)
This paper discusses research and
thinking on the importance of interpersonal and intrapersonal
effectiveness for teachers, school leaders and school improvement,
and explores implications of the use of NLP in relation to
personalisation and the children’s agenda. It outlines initial
research carried out as part of the Fast Track Teaching programme
(the UK government accelerated leadership development programme)
and on the London Leadership Strategy and makes suggestions for
further research.
Practitioners and Evidence
(2007)
The report sets out principles for CfBT and
others which should underpin the design of research and development
programmes in order to help maximise their impact on
practice. The outcomes of the study are of value to both
research designers and schools and colleges. The report has been
presented at a DCSF school teachers’ conference on 5th
December and at the national Learning and Skills Network Conference
in London on 6th December 2007
The voice of young people: An
engine for improvement? Scoping the evidence?
(2007)
This review, undertaken by NFER, aimed to provide evidence of
the impact of the voice of young people on policy and practice, and
on young people themselves. It identified the following five main
impact areas:
- changes in organisational practices, services and
facilities
- strategy and policy development
- impact on budgetary decision-making
- impact on recruitment practices
- the production of materials and information
resources.
Archive Projects