David Schley from the charity Sense About Science discusses a series of guides to help teachers become confident questioners in the face of claims about new educational initiatives. Schools, teachers and parents are regularly introduced to new measures designed to improve education. However, education is a zero-sum game. The introduction of a new initiative inevitably comes at the expense of something else, be that time, effort, another part of the curriculum, or money. It is important to understand whether adopting a new educational initiative is worth it. In this episode, David Schley of the charity Sense About Science talks with Hamish Chalmers about an initiative to provide educators with key questions to ask when faced with decision about whether to adopt a new educational initiative. The episode is accompanied by a Questioning Guide for teachers, which can be downloaded from the Oxford Education Deanery website. Download a copy of the questioner’s guide: https://www.education.ox.ac.uk/oxford-education-deanery/resources/ Learn more about Sense About Science: https://senseaboutscience.org Learn more about the confident questioners initiative and see guides from other areas: https://senseaboutscience.org/ask-for-evidence/questioning-guides/ Learn more about the Oxford Education Deanery: https://www.education.ox.ac.uk/about-us/oxford-education-deanery/ Join our mailing list: https://education.us21.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=2b84fd25801a8e6f131fdf744&id=1a0dba83bc

Professor Kathy Sylva OBE speaks to Engagement and Partnerships Lead Joe Bullough about research which she was co-investigator for, which points to the benefits of coaching as part of Early Years' Continuing Professional Development (CPD). The 'Expert and Mentors' programme, which was funded by the Department for Education's £180 million Early Years' Recovery initiative, provided on-site coaching for up to six hours per term to Early Years' settings, with a focus on improving the way the setting supported personal, social, and emotional development (PSED) and communication and language skills. The evaluation, involving 400 settings, showed significant positive impacts on practitioners' confidence and skill in both PSED and (to a lesser degree, though still significant gains) in communication and language. However, it did not find any effect on retention of staff, which was a secondary focus of the investigation. Qualitative findings also highlighted the transformative impact of coaching for practitioners and managers—but, interestingly, also pointed to the most significant benefits for coaches and experts involved. The research finds on-site coaching as a tried and tested, low-cost method to "lift" practice, as part of an effective CPD programme. However, it also makes the case for further longitudinal work, linked to learning outcomes, to make more comprehensive assessments of the longer-term impact of such programmes on children's actual development. A Digest (plain language summary) of this research can be viewed and downloaded here:https://www.education.ox.ac.uk/oxford-education-deanery/digest/the-benefits-of-coaching-as-part-of-early-years-continuing-professional-development-cpd/ Subscribe to the Oxford Education Deanery's mailing list: https://eepurl.com/iAtDik Subscribe to the Oxford Education Deanery's podcast: https://podfollow.com/deanery-digests/view Read the full report, which this episdode and digest are based on: Ecorys UK and Sylva, K., (2025) Evaluation of the Early Years Experts and Mentors programme, UK Government: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67e42d3ad052ace7e89776c1/Evaluation_of_the_Early_Years_Experts_and_Mentors_programme.pdf Speaker Bios Professor Kathy Sylva OBE Professor Kathy Sylva is Honorary Research Fellow and Professor Emeritus of Educational Psychology at the Department of Education, University of Oxford. She has conducted large-scale studies on the effects of early education and care on children’s development and has led several RCTs to evaluate parenting interventions. She has been specialist adviser to Parliamentary Select Committees and currently advises Ofsted, and the Education Endowment Foundation. Kathy is a Fellow of the British Academy, the Academy of Social Sciences, the British Psychological Society, and recipient of the British Educational Research Association’s Nisbett Award in 2014. She received an OBE for services to children and families in 2008 and has honorary doctorates from the Open University, Oxford Brookes, the University of Gothenburg and the University of Jvyaskyla. https://www.education.ox.ac.uk/person/kathy-sylva/ Joe Bullough Joe Bullough is the Engagement and Partnerships Lead at the Department of Education, University of Oxford. He leads school partnerships under the Oxford Internship Scheme (PGCE), and, with the co-directors, drives the development of the Oxford Education Deanery —a platform for exchange between school teachers in practice and researchers at Oxford. He also provides advisory support to the directors on wider partnership matters. Prior to his role at the Department of Education, Joe managed partnerships and engagement for the Research on Improving Systems of Education (RISE) Programme—a £40 million, UK Aid-funded progamme focused on improving learning outcomes and education systems around the world. Prior to that, he worked for UNESCO’s Asia-Pacific Regional Bureau for Education, and the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organisation (SEAMEO). https://www.education.ox.ac.uk/person/joseph-bullough/ Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike 2.0 UK: England & Wales; http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk/

Dr Nici Simms discusses her research exploring the different ways clinician-educators experience and understand assessment. Assessment in the field of health professions, such as medicine, is of critical importance because it has implications for the public; for example, certification of health professionals as equipped for patient care. However, within health professions, little attention is paid towards the many health professionals who are involved in assessment – most of which are unlikely to have formal educational qualifications. In this episode, Dr Nici Simms discusses findings from interviews with clinician-educators responsible for assessment in undergraduate medical programmes and identifies four key levels at which they engage with and make sense of assessment in their work. The Deanery Digest (a plain language summary) of this research can be viewed and downloaded here: https://www.education.ox.ac.uk/deanery-digest/what-do-clinician-educators-really-think-about-assessment/ Nici’s Socials: Twitter @DanicaAnneSims @OxfordMMEd, LinkedIn Danica (Nici) Simms Learn more about the Oxford Education Deanery: https://www.education.ox.ac.uk/about-us/oxford-education-deanery/ Join our mailing list: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=G96VzPWXk0-0uv5ouFLPkdxpy7LmNcFLujTOHXPmFwlUOUtYSFBOMklHRUhJMzhPRU9GRTJGRDFWQyQlQCN0PWcu&route=shorturl

Dr Sandra Mathers discusses her research exploring how adults and children interact while using touchscreen apps. Millions of children around the world use mobile touchscreen devices – tablets or smartphones – every day. Although young children can learn from solo media use, research shows that they learn more when an adult joins them. In this episode, Dr Sandra Mathers discusses a survey of more than 1,000 caregivers of children aged between 3 and 7 that sought to understand the nature and extent their interactions with their children when using these kinds of app. She describes fostering a ‘balanced digital diet’ of touchscreen use and considers the value added when adults and children collaborate on digital media use. The Deanery Digest (a plain language summary) of this research can be viewed and downloaded here: https://www.education.ox.ac.uk/oxford-education-deanery/digest/adults-joining-and-supporting-young-childrens-touchscreen-use-does-it-happen-what-does-it-look-like-and-what-are-the-influences/ Learn more about the LiFT project: https://www.education.ox.ac.uk/project/lift-learning-in-families-through-technology/ Learn more about the Oxford Education Deanery: https://www.education.ox.ac.uk/about-us/oxford-education-deanery/ Join our mailing list: https://education.us21.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=2b84fd25801a8e6f131fdf744&id=1a0dba83bc

Dr Mariela Neagu discusses her research exploring the experiences young people who grew up in care when it comes to making education and career choices. Young people who grow up in care constitute one of the most vulnerable groups in society. Many of them enter care during adolescence, a critical time for development, when they form their identities, set their future aspirations and make education and career choices, usually with support from their family. In the absence of family support and influence, the risk of young people leaving care to end up not being not in education, employment or training (NEET) is much higher than in general population and only a small proportion of them go into higher education. In this episode, Dr Neagu discusses findings from interviews with 12 young people (over 18) who spent their teenage years in foster or residential care, and three professionals who work with young people to support them with education and employment. The research focussed on how the young people had decided what to do in the future, and who or what influenced and supported them. The Deanery Digest (a plain language summary) of this research can be viewed and downloaded here: https://www.education.ox.ac.uk/oxford-education-deanery/digest/who-influences-the-career-choices-of-young-people-in-care-vocational-identity-formation-in-the-absence-of-family-support/ Mariela’s Socials: https://marielaneagu.com/ X @MarielaNeagu, LinkedIn Mariela Neagu Learn more about the Oxford Education Deanery: https://www.education.ox.ac.uk/about-us/oxford-education-deanery/ Join our mailing list: https://education.us21.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=2b84fd25801a8e6f131fdf744&id=1a0dba83bc

In this episode, Professor Jenni Ingram and Dr Stuart Cadwallader discuss their analysis, undertaken with Pearson for the OECD, of England, Northern Ireland and Wales' performance in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2022. In doing so, they discuss some of the key findings and headline takeaways of their analysis for parents, teachers, and for policy. The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is a worldwide study of 15-year-old students. Primarily, it assesses students' knowledge and skills in mathematics, reading and science, but, in 2022, it also gathered valuable information about student experiences, attitudes and beliefs through a questionnaire. PISA facilitates (cautious) comparisons of performance between education systems (usually different countries) and over time, between PISA cycles. For this reason, PISA results often have a strong influence on education policymaking. Among some of the key findings from their analysis, Jenni and Stuart highlight that the three nations perform above, or close to the OECD average in mathematics, reading, and science. Encouragingly, their analysis also points towards narrower socio-economic gaps in performance compared to many other countries, and they discuss findings on the balance of the three nations' performance in different areas of mathematics. They also address new questionnaire data which sheds light on safety and belonging in school, and the need for responsible interpretation of PISA data. Deanery Digests (plain language summaries) of the research can be viewed and downloaded here: 1. PISA performance in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in 2022: https://www.education.ox.ac.uk/oxford-education-deanery/digest/15472/ 2. PISA 2: What do students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland tell us about their experiences of learning mathematics? Analysing student questionnaire and performance data from PISA 2022: https://www.education.ox.ac.uk/oxford-education-deanery/digest/pisa-2-what-do-students-in-england-wales-and-northern-ireland-tell-us-about-their-experiences-of-learning-mathematics-analysing-student-questionnaire-and-performance-data-from-pisa-2022/ 3. PISA 3: What do students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland tell us about their wellbeing? Analysing student questionnaire data from PISA 2022: https://www.education.ox.ac.uk/oxford-education-deanery/digest/pisa-3-what-do-students-in-england-wales-and-northern-ireland-tell-us-about-their-wellbeing-analysing-student-questionnaire-data-from-pisa-2022/ This podcast and the digests are based on the following open access reports: * Ingram, J.; Stiff, J., Cadwallader S., Lee, G. & Kayton, H (2023) PISA 2022: National Report for England. Department for Education. Available from https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pisa-2022-national-report-for-england * Ingram, J.; Stiff, J., Cadwallader S., Lee, G. & Kayton, H (2023) PISA 2022: National Report for Northern Ireland. Department for Education. Available from https://www.education-ni.gov.uk/articles/programme-international-student-assessment-pisa * Ingram, J.; Stiff, J., Cadwallader S., Lee, G. & Kayton, H (2023) PISA 2022: National Report for Wales. Welsh Government. Available from https://www.gov.wales/achievement-15-year-olds-program-international-student-assessment-pisa-national-report-2022 Learn more about the Oxford Education Deanery: https://www.education.ox.ac.uk/oxford-education-deanery Join our mailing list: https://bit.ly/deanery-subscribe Biographies Professor Jenni Ingram Prof Jenni Ingram is Professor of Mathematics Education at the Department of Education, University of Oxford. She is Deputy Chair of the Joint Mathematical Council, Executive Trustee and Treasurer for the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education, and Chair of the European Society for Research in Mathematics Education Interaction, communication and Language in Mathematics Education thematic working group. She is a member of the Royal Society Advisor Committee on Mathematics Education 11-16 Expert Group and the Mathematical Observatory Research Expert Panel. She is also an Editor of Research in Mathematics Education, Guest Editor for The Mathematics Enthusiast, and member of the Editorial Boards for the Journal of Mathematical Behavior and the Journal for Mathematics Teacher Education. Dr Stuart Cadwallader Dr Stuart Cadwallader is a Departmental Lecturer in Educational Assessment at the Department of Education, University of Oxford. Stuart has a PhD in Education from the University of Warwick. His research interests cover many aspects of educational assessment, including examination standards, the assessment of practical skills, the use of assistive technology for assessment, and the digitisation of assessment. Prior to January 2022, Stuart was Associate Director for Research at Ofqual, where he helped lead a research programme to support the regulation of examinations and qualifications in England. He has held senior research roles both at Ofqual and at an examination board. Joe Bullough Joe Bullough is Engagement and Partnerships Lead at the Department of Education, University of Oxford. He leads school partnerships under the Oxford Internship Scheme (PGCE), and, with the co-directors, drives the development of the Oxford Education Deanery. He also provides advisory support to the directors on wider partnership matters. Prior to his role at the Department of Education, Joe managed partnerships and engagement for the RISE Programme-a £40 million, UK Aid-funded programme focused on improving learning outcomes and education systems around the world. Prior to that, he worked for UNESCO's Asia-Pacific Regional Bureau for Education, and the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organisation (SEAMEO). Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike 2.0 UK: England & Wales; http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk/

Dr Nici Simms discusses her research on the assessment behaviours of clinician educators charged with assessing in undergraduate medical programmes. Assessment in medicine and the health professions includes theoretical and clinical (practical) assessments to determine student competency – their knowledge, skills and attitudes. Assessment is therefore of critical importance, because graduates are certified as ‘safe’ for public patient care. In this episode, Dr Nici Simms discusses a study exploring the assessment behaviours of clinician-educators, using a theoretical model called ‘Health Behaviour Theory.’ Nici explains some of the multitude of factors that influenced clinician educators’ assessment behaviours across three diverse contexts in the global South. The Deanery Digest (a plain language summary) of this research can be viewed and downloaded here: https://www.education.ox.ac.uk/deanery-digest/a-model-to-understand-assessment-practice-in-medicine/ Nici’s Socials: Twitter @DanicaAnneSims @OxfordMMEd, LinkedIn Danica (Nici) Simms Learn more about the Oxford Education Deanery: https://www.education.ox.ac.uk/about-us/oxford-education-deanery/ Join our mailing list: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=G96VzPWXk0-0uv5ouFLPkdxpy7LmNcFLujTOHXPmFwlUOUtYSFBOMklHRUhJMzhPRU9GRTJGRDFWQyQlQCN0PWcu&route=shorturl

Dr Nici Simms discusses her research on the assessment behaviours of clinician educators charged with assessing in undergraduate medical programmes. Assessment in medicine and the health professions includes theoretical and clinical (practical) assessments to determine student competency – their knowledge, skills and attitudes. Assessment is therefore of critical importance, because graduates are certified as ‘safe’ for public patient care. In this episode, Dr Nici Simms discusses a study exploring the assessment behaviours of clinician-educators, using a theoretical model called ‘Health Behaviour Theory.’ Nici explains some of the multitude of factors that influenced clinician educators’ assessment behaviours across three diverse contexts in the global South. The Deanery Digest (a plain language summary) of this research can be viewed and downloaded here: https://www.education.ox.ac.uk/deanery-digest/a-model-to-understand-assessment-practice-in-medicine/ Nici’s Socials: Twitter @DanicaAnneSims @OxfordMMEd, LinkedIn Danica (Nici) Simms Learn more about the Oxford Education Deanery: https://www.education.ox.ac.uk/about-us/oxford-education-deanery/ Join our mailing list: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=G96VzPWXk0-0uv5ouFLPkdxpy7LmNcFLujTOHXPmFwlUOUtYSFBOMklHRUhJMzhPRU9GRTJGRDFWQyQlQCN0PWcu&route=shorturl

Dr Faidra Faitaki discusses her research on using a drama-based intervention to help develop oral language proficiency among primary school learners. Oral language refers to the linguistic skills needed to understand and produce spoken discourse. Children’s oral language and communication skills at the earliest stages of education are good predictors of their later success at school. In this episode, Dr Faidra Faitaki discusses a pilot study she conducted explore the possibilities offered by drama-based activities in helping to support development oral language proficiency among primary school children. In addition to describing the study and discussing what she found, Faidra offers help to teachers who might not be natural performers, but who nonetheless want to explore the use of drama with young learners. This includes a free booklet of activities to try out in classrooms, developed out of this research. The Deanery Digest (a plain language summary) of this research can be viewed and downloaded here: https://www.education.ox.ac.uk/deanery-digest/developing-oral-language-through-a-drama-based-intervention/ Faidra’s Socials: Twitter @FaidraFait, BlueSky @faidra.bsky.social Teacher resource pack of drama activities: https://www.education.ox.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/FFSL_Drama_Activities-Booklet.pdf Learn more about the Oxford Education Deanery: https://www.education.ox.ac.uk/about-us/oxford-education-deanery/ Join our mailing list: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=G96VzPWXk0-0uv5ouFLPkdxpy7LmNcFLujTOHXPmFwlUOUtYSFBOMklHRUhJMzhPRU9GRTJGRDFWQyQlQCN0PWcu&route=shorturl

Dr Faidra Faitaki discusses her research on using a drama-based intervention to help develop oral language proficiency among primary school learners. Oral language refers to the linguistic skills needed to understand and produce spoken discourse. Children’s oral language and communication skills at the earliest stages of education are good predictors of their later success at school. In this episode, Dr Faidra Faitaki discusses a pilot study she conducted explore the possibilities offered by drama-based activities in helping to support development oral language proficiency among primary school children. In addition to describing the study and discussing what she found, Faidra offers help to teachers who might not be natural performers, but who nonetheless want to explore the use of drama with young learners. This includes a free booklet of activities to try out in classrooms, developed out of this research. The Deanery Digest (a plain language summary) of this research can be viewed and downloaded here: https://www.education.ox.ac.uk/deanery-digest/developing-oral-language-through-a-drama-based-intervention/ Faidra’s Socials: Twitter @FaidraFait, BlueSky @faidra.bsky.social Teacher resource pack of drama activities: https://www.education.ox.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/FFSL_Drama_Activities-Booklet.pdf Learn more about the Oxford Education Deanery: https://www.education.ox.ac.uk/about-us/oxford-education-deanery/ Join our mailing list: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=G96VzPWXk0-0uv5ouFLPkdxpy7LmNcFLujTOHXPmFwlUOUtYSFBOMklHRUhJMzhPRU9GRTJGRDFWQyQlQCN0PWcu&route=shorturl

Associate Professor of Educational Assessment, Michelle Meadows and local teacher, Jonny Tridgell discuss the A-level grading process and how grade boundaries are set for these important national exams. This podcast is released on the eve of A-level results day. We thought it would be an ideal moment to reflect on the grading process. Michelle Meadows, Associate Professor of Education Assessment, and Jonny Tridgell, a local teacher with wide experience of exam marking and supporting young people as they receive their A-level results, chat with Deanery co-director Hamish Chalmers. How are grade boundaries set? Who takes the final decision about grades? How comparable are grade boundaries from different exam boards? How is fairness achieved for young people with special educational needs and other access challenges? And, inevitably, what role might AI play in the process in the future? Michelle, Jonny and Hamish delve into these and many more questions about these important national exams to demystify the process for students, parents and teachers. Resources related to Michelle’s research with Qualifications Wales (applicable UK-wide): https://www.education.ox.ac.uk/research/research-on-standards-in-gcses-in-wales/ Five-minute video about why grade boundaries change: https://vimeo.com/933257777/f846b0bce5 Teacher resource packs on assessment in education: https://www.education.ox.ac.uk/about-us/oxford-education-deanery/knowledge-hub/ Ofqual analytics website (a selection of interactive visualisations to allow users to explore examinations data): https://analytics.ofqual.gov.uk Learn more about the Oxford Education Deanery here: https://www.education.ox.ac.uk/about-us/oxford-education-deanery/ Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike 2.0 UK: England & Wales; http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk/

Associate Professor of Educational Assessment, Michelle Meadows and local teacher, Jonny Tridgell discuss the A-level grading process and how grade boundaries are set for these important national exams. This podcast is released on the eve of A-level results day. We thought it would be an ideal moment to reflect on the grading process. Michelle Meadows, Associate Professor of Education Assessment, and Jonny Tridgell, a local teacher with wide experience of exam marking and supporting young people as they receive their A-level results, chat with Deanery co-director Hamish Chalmers. How are grade boundaries set? Who takes the final decision about grades? How comparable are grade boundaries from different exam boards? How is fairness achieved for young people with special educational needs and other access challenges? And, inevitably, what role might AI play in the process in the future? Michelle, Jonny and Hamish delve into these and many more questions about these important national exams to demystify the process for students, parents and teachers. Resources related to Michelle’s research with Qualifications Wales (applicable UK-wide): https://www.education.ox.ac.uk/research/research-on-standards-in-gcses-in-wales/ Five-minute video about why grade boundaries change: https://vimeo.com/933257777/f846b0bce5 Teacher resource packs on assessment in education: https://www.education.ox.ac.uk/about-us/oxford-education-deanery/knowledge-hub/ Ofqual analytics website (a selection of interactive visualisations to allow users to explore examinations data): https://analytics.ofqual.gov.uk Learn more about the Oxford Education Deanery here: https://www.education.ox.ac.uk/about-us/oxford-education-deanery/ Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike 2.0 UK: England & Wales; http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk/

Hamish Chalmers discusses his study asking teachers what kinds of research they think should be prioritised to help inform policy and practice in teaching pupils for whom English is an additional language (EAL). People who do research are not usually the people who use research. Therefore, if research is to be meaningful, relevant and useful to research users (in this case, teachers and other educators), it is important that those people are given a voice in telling researchers what questions they should try to answer. In conversation with Laura Molway, Hamish Chalmers from the University of Oxford’s Department of Education describes a research project in which he worked with teachers and other educators to develop a Top 10 list of research priorities for supporting the education of children who are learning English as an additional language (EAL). He discusses the process and summarises the results, and explores implications for future research that fosters collaboration between teachers and researchers to ensure that new research is meaningful, relevant and useful. The Deanery Digest (a plain language summary of this research) can be viewed here: https://www.education.ox.ac.uk/deanery-digest/setting-research-priorities-for-english-as-an-additional-language-what-do-research-users-want-from-eal-research/. The full published journal article can be viewed here: https://doi.org/10.1075/ltyl.00043.set. The project website can be viewed here: https://ealpsp.wordpress.com. Learn more about the Oxford Education Deanery here: https://www.education.ox.ac.uk/about-us/oxford-education-deanery/.

Laura Molway discusses her research on students’ attitudes and experiences of learning French in secondary schools. She explores the value of teachers seeking direct feedback from their students and how this can help develop policy and practice. To develop their practice, languages teachers need detailed feedback about the quality of their classroom teaching. Students have extensive, first-hand experience of their languages lessons and they can offer direct feedback to their teachers that is cheap and easy to collect. In conversation with Hamish Chalmers, Laura Molway from the University of Oxford’s Department of Education describes how she developed, tested and implemented a student survey tool, which languages teachers can use to help evaluate their own teaching. She describes the results of using the survey with 1,370 Year 8 pupils learning French in the South of England, and an accompanying survey of their teachers. She describes the implications of her research for teachers and modern language departments for reflecting on their policies and practice. The Deanery Digest (a plain language summary of this research) can be viewed here: https://www.education.ox.ac.uk/deanery-digest/what-can-we-learn-from-asking-students-directly-about-their-experiences-of-french-lessons/. The full published journal article can be viewed here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2020.102440. The tool can be downloaded from the IRIS database here: https://www.iris-database.org/details/hiUZN-cD4y3. Learn more about the Oxford Education Deanery here: https://www.education.ox.ac.uk/about-us/oxford-education-deanery/.