Learning Lessons

Volume 2 issue 2 March '09

Author: M Gray

Editor: T Carter

“Developing the capacity to pursue new and interesting ideas with fellow educational practitioners to

have a real impact on the lives and life chances of young people”

Revision provision at KEGS A research project undertaken by Ruth

Wheeler, Geography Department, KEGS. Words and pictures by Michael Gray, with thanks to

Will, Angus, Kevin, Mark and Phil.

“When I was at school, we had no advice on how to learn, how to revise. So, out of desperation, really, I developed my own method, writing out notes endlessly. Which I still do now, as a teacher ! I wondered if I'd been taught differently, I might have been a more effective learner, and a more efficient teacher ...” Ruth explained that some learners are able to read some-thing once, and it has soaked into their memory, for ever. But no two learners are alike, and this research project aimed to examine how we revise, and how we could do it better. Ruth's research shows that Study Skills, including revision techniques, are already a part of what we provide at KEGS. The PSE Programme provides four half-hour sessions on Study Skills, delivered in most cases by the Form Tutor. The Duffield Library carries an up-to-date selection of revi-sion guides for most subjects. In Year 11, Study Skills Revision booklets are available for use during PSE, although pupils are not currently able to take these home. And individual subject areas typically provide input and sup-port as part of their teaching; the approaches and emphases naturally vary from subject to subject. Her research was inevitably limited by time and logistics. Originally she had hoped to research the process of memory itself, examining how we remember facts and technique. This turned out to be a fascinating but vast field, and could be a subject for a future project. This research unit has instead focused on two areas How do we revise now ?

“...if I'd been taught differently, I

might have been a more effective

learner, and a more efficient

teacher…”

“Most [students] did not make a

timetable, and only half of those

who did (about a fifth of the sam-

ple) managed to stick to it !”

What could we do better, or differently ? Ruth interviewed teachers from a range of disciplines, and talked to students, some of whom completed a brief questionnaire. The student questionnaire finished with two final ques-tions to elicit student recommendations: How do you think you could improve your own revision?

Do you have any recommendations about how KEGS can improve

revision? Student response was restricted to a small sample from one year 11 class. Questionnaires enabled a wider response, but with little scope for detail; individual interviews might have given more depth to the research and a greater under-standing of why students responded in certain ways. The following is an extract from the results: Do you think where you revise is important (the environment/surroundings)? Yes No 27 1

Ruth Wheeler, Geography Department, with a pupil from Year 11.

Why? NO - I think I can still remember things when my surround-ings are noisy or quiet YES - Quiet atmosphere is better, easier to concentrate without noise (11), affects your performance focusing on work, can't be distracted (11), quiet and on my own, harder to learn on a bus or with music on, noisy, distracting envi-ronments or uncomfortable environments mean I do less revision and work less efficiently then quiet, comfortable environments Which subjects do you spend more time revising ?

Remove any possible distraction from the room/improve work environment (3) Start revising earlier/spending more time (13) Be more organised when revising (3) Concentrate on harder topics Study an array of subjects more equally (2) Spend more time on subjects unsure of Being more focussed on my revision (7) Revise for longer periods (2) Revise for less time but more intensively (2) Notes organised & filed properly Revising regularly (2) Use revision guides more Q2 - Do you have any recommendations about how KEGS can improve revision? Advise on techniques/methods/most efficient ways to revise (11) Give us our notes to revise from More simplified note, so it's easier to revise from Use PSE sections for revision & help with revision All subjects should focus on revision/give lesson time for revi-sion (7) Lend students revision books/past papers (2) Give students/put on Kegsnet syllabus sheets (2) Revise earlier topics before the exam More revision sessions at lunchtimes (4) Subject teachers go through major topics in depth before ex-ams Give model answers to read Provide optional past papers to students (3)

Do you think revision is important? YES NO 27 1 Why? NO - work throughout year you should already know most things YES - helps you to remember/recall important info (12), re-freshes your knowledge/memory on certain topics (4), pre-pare/perform highest potential in the exams (13), necessary to remind yourself of info learnt earlier in school time (2), go over harder topics (2), learn more than in lessons, knowl-edge base From which subject do you get the most help? Sciences (4) Physics (3) Maths (2) Chemistry (2) History (2) Reponses to the final two more open questions were as follows: Q1—How do you think you could improve your own re-vision? Write notes to absorb the information (2) Use a revision timetable/improve structure of revision time (8) More breaks in timetable, to help concentrate better Use different methods/strategies to revise (7)

Allow an area where students can revise together, as in the library we have to be silent Inform pupils about revision books in library

“Although everyone knew you

could buy revision books, only a

quarter knew they could

definitely find them in the

school library”

“The students' preferred path to

improved revision was to start

earlier – better organisation was

much less prominent”

Longer study leave, especially mocks (2) Give lessons in each subject on how best to organise notes Dictate lessons to reading over our notes and asking questions Provide notes/summary sheets (see Science) (2) Make a list of good revision guides (3) Offer to sell revision guides Conclusion – Student Questionnaire responses The student questionnaire highlighted some interesting trends. Despite their “typical arrogance and complacency”, almost everyone thought revision important, though most did not make a timetable, and only half of those who did [ about a fifth of the sample ] managed to stick to it ! Al-though everyone knew you could buy revision books, only a quarter knew they could definitely find them in the school library. The students' perception was that Science and Maths offered most revision help, followed by History. The students' preferred path to improved revision was to start earlier – better organisation was much less promi-nent. They felt the school could offer more advice on tech-niques and methods, with suggestions for revision guides, and lesson time [or even lunchtime !] devoted to revision.

Staff Questionnaire

In addition to the student questionnaire, a staff questionnaire was used as follows:

Subject Knowledge & Skills

What knowledge do pupils need to acquire in your subject?

What counts as knowledge?

Do pupils learn mainly by product or process in your subject

area?

What unique skills do pupils develop in your subject? (not

acquired in any other subjects)

Revision/exam preparation

A year 11 pupil has an exam in 4 weeks time. When would you

expect them to start revising/preparing?

Immediately

2-3 weeks before the exam

1 week before the exam

Night before the exam

What does revision look like in your subject? How are pupils

expected to revise in your subject?

Do you teach about different revision strategies? YES/NO

Which strategies do you advocate/promote from the list be-

low for revision?

Copying out notes

Summary sheets/cards

Summary shapes (e.g. circle, star, wheel)

Mind maps

Use past exam papers

Test yourself (devising your own questions & answering them

at a later point)

Using Mnemonics

Analytical reading (Adding to text: colour/underling key-

words/annotations/symbols)

Revising with others

Use revision websites

Other (please state)

_______________________________________

Do you have any recommendations about how KEGS can im-

prove revision provision? Student revision diagram

“I would expect him to be en-

gaged in a process of continuous

improvement. I could give a test

tomorrow.”

“More important, probably, is

getting them motivated and ex-

cited about the subjects they're

learning”

Summary of conclusions from staff interviews “Talking to a range of staff opened my eyes to the different learning environments within KEGS, from the strictly ana-lytical [maths] to the creative [art]. Some subjects have much more content than others, some are cumulative, some are skills-based.”

Yes, in science we'd say it's all in the syllabus. There's a whole checklist up on KEGSnet ! Art needs skills, obviously, like drawing and painting, but as well as that you need a practical understanding of other art-ists, and how that relates to your own practical work. Problem solving in maths; being able to apply learnt tech-nique in a wide range of tasks. Handling numbers, algebra. Visualising in three dimensions. Do pupils learn mainly by product or process in your subject area? Practice makes perfect, in Art. In Maths it's a combination of both, though the product tends to be a bonus. Yes, it's a bit of both in Science, too. In English you try to integrate the product into a process ... What unique skills do pupils develop in your subject? (not acquired in any other subjects) Insight – seeing the bigger picture. Analytical skills.

Technical skills, and developing original, personal ideas. Problem solving, analytical skills. What does revision look like in your subject? How are pupils expected to revise in your subject? It's active, it's student-led – they devise their own questions, plan their own revision. We give them a revision guide – this year just year 11, next year year 10. Very practical; sketch books for four weeks, similar to course-work Revision notes on cards, lots of past papers. And maths clinic revision sessions for all years. A year 11 pupil has an exam in 4 weeks time. When would you expect them to start revising/preparing? I would expect him to be engaged in a process of continuous improvement. I could give a test tomorrow. Well, preparing straightaway. For the GCSE they're given the paperwork, and then there's a weekly tutorial to assess pro-gress. It's a four week preparation period, a taught exam, if you like. Yes, immediately, I would say. In science, there are tests throughout the Key Stage 4 cur-riculum, a lot of them linked to experimental work. So we're really looking at a continuous process of preparation and re-vision.

Do you have any recommendations about how KEGS can improve revision provision? Sixth form revision classes at lunchtime. More important, probably, is getting them motivated and excited about the subjects they're learning After-school revision lessons [paid !] Encourage them to think for themselves Use Moodle more, for past papers and mark schemes, say time and resources.

Future research Further research is needed to enable us as a school to tailor revision advice to specific students. The students should have a say, too, in what provision is made, which revision guides are provided or recom-mended. Perhaps a whole school working group would be a suitable forum. What should be provided ? How early ? Would a talk to a whole year group be effective ? Is PSE the best route for delivering study skills and revision tech-niques ?

These comments came out of discussion with volunteers from Maths, Science, Art and English What knowledge do pupils need to acquire in your subject? What counts as knowledge? For us in English, they need to know their texts, alternative interpretations, technical vocab. But it's now like science, where you might have to learn, say, halogens.