All Age Research (AAR)
Research published by Swansea University School of Education.
For more information about All Age Research (AAR):
Dr. Alma Harris FAcSS, FLSW, FRSA [email protected]
Dr. Michelle Jones FAcSS, FLSW, FRSA [email protected]
What is purpose of the study?
This is a research study funded for two years (2000/2022) by Welsh Government focusing on ‘All Age Schools’ in Wales. It is being undertaken by a research team from Swansea University School of Education led by Professor Alma Harris and Dr Michelle Jones.
The AAR focuses on three main questions:
- What does effective leadership look like in All Age Settings?
- What Pedagogical approaches are most effective in All Age Settings?
- What evidence is there about students’ well-being in All Age Settings?
There are two strands to the project
- Working with a group of All Age schools to support their own enquiry work on the three main research questions.
- Swansea University’s independent research on the three main research questions including a pupil survey, semi-structured interviews, and case studies.
Progress
The selected schools received extensive enquiry training from Swansea University during 2020 and were in the final stages of completing their enquiry/research. A dissemination conference was arranged for the Summer 2020 but with COVID 19, this had to be abandoned.
The Swansea Team had collected all its stakeholder data and was about to embark on its school level data collection when COVID 19 happened. The team has interviewed a group of headteachers but all other data collection with schools has stopped.
There is an international dimension to this work as there is separate ERASMUS funding to look at All Age/Though Schools in Murcia and Iceland. This is a comparative project running in parallel to the WG funded work.
Next Steps
To re-engage with enquiry schools and to establish a new (2021) date for the dissemination conference on All Age Research. With a new Education Minister, this is likely to be in the Autumn term 2021.
The Swansea University team will re-commence data collection with schools- this will require negotiation, and much will depend on the COVID situation. On-line interviews are acceptable, and the Swansea University team hopes that schools can be approached in due course to set these up.
The Swansea team will keep the All-Age Forum updated and to seek their advice on re-engaging with schools as things progress.
It is anticipated that an interim report will be available by December 2021 and a full report will be completed by the December 2022.
For more information about All Age Research (AAR):
Dr. Alma Harris FAcSS, FLSW, FRSA [email protected]
Dr. Michelle Jones FAcSS, FLSW, FRSA [email protected]
