Developing communities of learners

This article describes some of the findings of an evaluation of a ‘cross- curricular’ digital media arts project for Year 8 students at Lister Community School in the London Borough of Newham. The project was designed to provide opportunities for a thematic curriculum in which quality learning encompassing both independent and collaborative learning was central. The project was also aimed at fostering a range of knowledge, skills and attitudes around students' personal and social development. The findings of the evaluation suggest that the project was successful in a number of ways: in enhancing students' personal and social development; in developing a community of learners in which learning was shared between teachers and students; in developing students' confidence and skills in their own learning; and in providing models of a more integrated and thematic curriculum.     

Measuring challenge,fun and sterility on a ‘phunometre’ scale: evaluating creative teaching and learning with children and their student teachers in the primary school

‘It was the funnest week in the whole history of funnest weeks’: our case study, the second phase in a three-phase research project, evaluates the successes and limitations of creative teaching and learning during the ‘The Creative and Effective Curriculum’ module for PGCE primary student teachers which includes a one-week placement in school. Student teachers', children's and teachers' perspectives pointed to a range of factors necessary for effective and creative teaching and learning. These included learning which is ‘fun’, achievement through intrinsic motivation, willingness to take risks and learn from mistakes, children's ownership of learning and the teacher's role as facilitator. Our findings enabled us to formulate ‘phunometre scales’ which we suggest can be used to assess both the organisation of learning areas and also planned activities in terms of their capacity for learning which is both challenging and fun.     

A Systematic Review of Barriers and Facilitators of Disability Disclosure and Accommodations for Youth in Post-Secondary Education

This review critically appraised the literature on disability disclosure and accommodations for youth with disabilities in post-secondary education (PSE). Systematic searches of 8 databases identified 36 studies meeting our inclusion criteria. These studies were analysed with respect to the characteristics of the participants, methodology, results of the studies and quality of evidence. Five thousand, one hundred and seventy four participants (mean age 26.4) were represented across six countries. Barriers to disability disclosure and requests for accommodations in PSE included stigma, discrimination, lack of knowledge of supports and how to access them, type of course and instructor, coping styles, and nature of the disability. Facilitators included supports and resources, coping and self-advocacy skills, mentorship, and realising the benefits of disclosure. Factors affecting the process and timing of disability disclosure in PSE included the type of disability, and mode of disclosure. There was a lack of consensus on the timing of disclosure.     

The Rise of Creative Writing Programmes

Creative writing courses are growing in universities and outside them. Publishers and agents even turn to them now as sources of promise and talent. This article describes a particularly successful MA in creative writing at Goldsmiths College in London and makes a case for the popularity and the usefulness to universities, to aspiring writers and to publishers of such courses.     

Pupil participation and the home–school relationship

Schools are required to develop policies and practices in line with the principles of both partnership with parents and pupil participation. However, there is increasing recognition of the potential tensions that may exist between these two principles. This paper reports on a study that aimed to explore the question of how schools might develop their home–school relationships in ways that enhance rather than constrain pupil participation. It focuses on the perspectives of children aged 6 to 16 years (with and without special educational needs), parents and teachers concerning children's involvement in decision-making at home and at school, and their participation within the home–school relationship. The findings highlight the need for schools to develop a coherent view of what active participation means for children and a vocabulary to communicate about this not only with pupils and staff across the whole school, but also with parents. They demonstrate that there is scope for two-way support between parents and teachers in relation to the promotion of children's involvement in decision-making both at home and at school. Further, they illustrate the complex and evolving three-way partnership between parent–child–teacher that is central to the home–school relationship. While it is acknowledged that children may rightly wish to keep a distance between aspects of home and school life, it is argued that there is a need for schools to give explicit consideration to the place of pupil participation within the home–school relationship.