Our critical friend, Dr Phil Cummins, shares some of the findings from a major International Boys' Schools Coalition research project on the nature of character education in schools for boys, of which Scots was a key participant.
The popular ScotsIdeas program of ‘compelling conversations in education’ is back for 2020 with more engaging, relevant and thoughtful voices to help you bring out the best in boys. On 24 February, a sold-out audience of parents and staff enjoyed a compelling conversation about the science and character of relationships in schools.
Dr Rob Loe, former teacher, senior leader and leading academic in the measurement and management of human relationships as CEO of the Relationships Foundation, spoke lucidly about why relationships matter and why we don’t understand them as well as we should. In an age obsessed with social networks, he called for schools and families to invest in ‘relational networks’. ‘Relationships are not about how well you like people, but how well you know them,’ and the foundation for flourishing individuals, communities and nations. How can we build deeper relational networks in schools? Drawing on ground-breaking research with tens of thousands of school students, teachers and parents around the world, he showed the protective impact of good relationships, and how great schools invest seriously in creating belonging. Four key strategies for improving relationships in schools included:
See below for a full recording of Dr Loe's talk. The 2019 International Boys School Coalition conference was preceded, as usual, by a series of meetings of the Board of Trustees and Committees. The Principal currently serves on the Board of Trustees as Vice-Chair (Australasia) and Chair of the Research Committee, where he is supported by Dr Hugh Chilton (Director of Research and Professional Learning) and Dr Caitlin Munday (Research Fellow). Leaders discussed the challenges and opportunities facing boys' schools, and ways the IBSC can continue to be a leading voice. One such exciting initiative launching soon is a major research project, a major study of the impact of new and emerging technologies (including AI) on the learning relationships in boys' schools. We look forward to contributing to this important research.
Our membership with IBSC also allows opportunities for staff members to participate in Action Research projects. Mr Duncan Kendall and Ms Elizabeth Smith were the 2018/2019 IBSC Action Research Participants. Over a period of two years, they participated in an Action Research Project of their choosing. The topic of their research was 'The Power of Old Boys' Stories to Develop Character'. They believe that through the storytelling of Old Boys' personal narratives and Year 5 Boys' narratives, meaningful connections could be made for students, with boys deepening their understanding of these qualities and how to enact them. Four recent Old Boys of the College were chosen to share their personal stories, which richly exemplified one of the attributes of the ‘Fine Scots Boy’ (Faith, Courage, Compassion or Integrity). The Old Boys were specifically chosen because of the strength of their personal character and exemplary role modelling for younger students, their age and the connection their stories had to boy’s interests. After sharing his personal story in a campus wide context, the Old Boys and Year 5 Boys took part in a ‘fireside chat’, sharing their personal stories together, debating the attribute, answering questions and together considering how they could display these attributes in everyday contexts of their own lives. This action was intended to develop a real-life, meaningful connection to the qualities of a ‘Fine Scots Boy’, thereby developing a rich understanding. Key findings from the Action Research Project are revealed below: 1. The attributes of a Fine Scots Boy became personalised: They changed from being abstract, to being lived out in a physical example of the Old Boys. 2. Boys learnt the meaning of the qualities to their own lives and asked for guidance and wisdom from the Old Boys on how to apply these qualities. 3. Boys could communicate through their own personal stories their understanding, explaining why the attributes were important and how to apply them to their lives. 4. The ‘fireside chat’ changed the hierarchical structure usually observed in a classroom. The Old Boys and Year 5 students felt it was a shared experience, developing community and camaraderie.
Over the first two weeks of the July school holidays, the College was involved in running and attending major conferences of the International Boys’ Schools Coalition. The IBSC brings together over 280 schools around the world to share research and practice in the educating of boys. The Principal has, for some years, been a Trustee of the IBSC, and since July 2017 has chaired its Research Committee (which also involves Scots Research staff Dr Hugh Chilton and Dr Caitlin Munday). As of July 2018, the Principal was elected the IBSC’s Vice-President for Australasia, further cementing the desire for the College, in the words of our vision statement, to be ‘recognised globally as a leading, caring school for boys’.
IBSC Annual Conference The 25th IBSC Annual Conference took place at The Southport School on the Gold Coast 8-11 July. It featured over 600 delegates from some 14 countries. Taking advantage of the proximity of this year’s conference and the opportunity to expose our staff to the world, we sent a delegation of 43 staff, selected from across our campuses and from executive, teaching and support teams. Scots staff gave 6 presentations, including a Featured Speaker session on research and innovation in boys’ schools in conjunction with Eton College and St Christopher’s School. Science Teacher Nick Little won the Action Research Award, the top in his global cohort, for his year-long study of how boys learn in our Graeme Clark Centre activity-based learning environments. He has since been asked to speak on the topic at a major conference in Melbourne. Staff who attended the program were effusive in their reflections on the ideas and inspiration this gave them for their work at the College. IBSC Pre-Conference Adventures: ‘Ventures and Adventures in the Real World: Educating boys experientially’ As a boost to the Annual Conference and an opportunity to show delegates the College’s programs and the Australian environment, we organised a 3-day experiential learning program at Glengarry, Bannockburn and Bellevue Hill. We had around 60 delegates from leading schools in the US, UK, Canada, South Africa, India, China and Peru. They engaged in a range of activities and sessions built around our experiential approach to teaching and learning, as well as our 5 Patribus Initiatives. Leading thinkers spoke to the guests, such as Jason Pellegrino, Old Boy and MD of Google Australia/New Zealand, on entrepreneurship, and Prof Kees Dorst (UTS) on design thinking and creativity. A highlights video of the conference can be seen here. This program provided a unique opportunity to share and build on the world-class work of our staff, and provide a new model of professional learning for future IBSC conferences. One attendee had this to say about Scots: “Not only is your school outstanding, but the way you present yourselves to the outside world, especially those of us from outside Australia, is a genuine inspiration.” During Term 1, The College community participated in a Character Education survey in partnership with the International Boys Schools Coalition (IBSC). The purpose of this survey was to provide the first layer of data in an attempt to orient the College community towards a greater understanding of its practice and pursuit of the Character and Care of our boys.
This week, as a continuation of this process, principal researchers Miss Rachel Yijun and Mr Hugh Ouston, from CIRCLE - The Centre for Innovation, Research, Creativity and Leadership in Education, conducted focus group interviews as a means of gaining a richer understanding from parents, staff, and boys in most aspects of College learning community, from Transition to Year 12. Research suggests the quality of a students' relationships, the structure behind their social processes, and the philosophy that undergirds their collective agency affects how and why we learn in all spheres of life (Elias et. al, 1997). In a broad sense, character education refers to the engagement with core values and virtues and the development of personal traits or character strengths that promote well-being, purpose, and success. Character education includes what happens throughout the College, formally and informally within the: curriculum, co-curricular, character and care, leadership development, physical activity, ceremonies and events, and relationships more generally. The Research Centre wishes to thank all members of College community who wilfully volunteered their time to contribute to this endeavour. It is highly appreciated and seen as a valued investment in the future lives of our students, contributing to their longitudinal development for the common good. Mr Toby Castle Research Officer, Experiential Education and Leadership Development
"Countries must learn how to capitalise on their citizens' cognitive resources if they are to prosper, both economically and socially. Early interventions will be key."
Quoting a recent publication in Nature, eminent thinker Professor Ian Hickie AM opened our recent ScotsIdeas forum, Beyond Mental Health, with this provocation. As he explored the unique developmental differences between individual young people, and the value and importance of 'kin' - networks of relationships within communities who are invested in that individual's care and flourishing - it was the nature of such interventions that characterised much of his subsequent discussion. As those in attendance will testify, the evening offered an important and timely exchange of ideas about the ways we can best care for the social and emotional wellbeing of our young men. The video of Professor Hickie's presentation is now available online - please click here to view it in full. It was a true privilege to have such world class thinkers contributing to our knowledge and practice as a College community, particularly as we look to create the first of our five Patribus Centres, focusing on the character and care of fine young men. Be sure to visit scotsresearch.org/scotsideas to watch videos of past forums on topics ranging from sustainability to speechmaking, sports science to the art of motivating boys. We look forward to seeing you at future ScotsIdeas events in 2017. Dr Caitlin Munday Research Fellow (Professional Learning) In very large schools like Scots with boys from ages three through to 18, there can be the perception that most of the deep reflection on educational practice takes place in the Senior School, when things 'get serious'. When you look at the Early Learning Centre, however, that assumption could not be further from the truth. Under the leadership of Mrs Gaye Entwistle, the ELC has built a rigorous, reflection-rich professional culture, seeking to provide the best experiential education for our youngest boys in a critical stage of their development. That culture was on display this week as each full-time teacher presented the fruits of their action research on developing a philosophy for the ELC that integrates the best of the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood formation. This project was conducted as part of a joint study with the Early Childhood Education team at Macquarie University. Mrs Entwistle explained the process of collaboration between academics, teachers, boys and families, the questions teachers explored, and the fruit of this research in enriching practice:
A focus group of families and boys were given opportunity to meet with the lecturers to discuss the heart of the Centre. What was the evident practice that made the Centre unique? How was the impact of the reflective Reggio Emilia practice part of the Centre's philosophy? Each teacher then chose an action research question and became part of a practitioner inquiry to research the question in their class. The research was diverse and was refined over a year as small groups and teachers refined their thinking and saw evidence of change in their practice. Data was collected, practice changed and re-evaluation in teams and classes meant at the final presentation of the work, teachers had not only found some answers but continued with a further question or line of inquiry. Many felt it had finished with a new beginning. Shared ideas and experiences have provoked new directions with year levels and teams reexamining documentation, classroom designs, furniture, small group combinations and programs. Parent participation has given us a great collection of ideas and information to rebuild our website and to offer different ways of communicating our learning while reinforcing the much loved portfolios and celebration materials we currently share. Questions explored included: Gaye Entwistle What starts aggressive play in the playground? Kindergarten Deborah McMurtrie How does the outside environment impact learning? Cubs Kitty Joson How do we normalise IT in the Lions program? Lions Christa Sheaffe Do parents value/understand our practice or do they think we should be more formal? Lions Kathy Gibson How can I prioritise reading skills and strategies during guided reading time? Kindergarten Markie Calle What strategies impact phonetic development in the EALD boys? Sam Nealson How do we build a class community? Kindergarten Sarah Jane Marmion Can problem solving maths strategies be productive in low skill sets? Year 1 Adelaide Brown How can I utilise the best class arrangement with boy's voices to build community? Year 1 Penny Ryder What impact is fidgeting having on learning? Year 1 Kate Stoddard How can I encourage a student voice in curating the class displays? Year 1 The research confirmed our list of essential philosophy components in the Centre.
These key points will now become the basis for our document outlining the philosophy for the Centre. We are not a Reggio Emilia 'all of us thinking a bit differently about it' school. We are The Scots College and we do Early Childhood Education this way. We seek to reflect world's best practice, influences and research, in an Australian context.
Congratulations are due to Year 3 teacher Mr Stuart Pearson for having his International Boys' Schools Coalition Action Research Project selected as one of the eight best presentations at the 2016 Annual Conference in Vancouver. Mr Pearson's research project, picking up on the conference theme of 'Boys as Global Citizens', was entitled 'The Power of the Stories We Tell: Creating a Multimodal Text to Foster Boys' Engagement with Children's Rights'.
This action research project saw ten Year 5 and 6 boys voluntarily undertake a process of researching, designing and writing a multimodal text. In this initial iteration of the action research cycle, the boys benefited greatly from the writing process, showing greater engagement, interest and understanding of children's rights. By the end of the project, it became clear that it is not enough to merely 'teach' children's rights. Instead, by having boys develop their own projects inspired by a genuine audience, greater understanding, engagement and empathy is engendered. Mr Pearson was praised for his rigorous data collection, honest reflections on the mixed results of his intervention and understanding of the way action research leads to continuous cycles of improvement. Mr Pearson's work will soon be published on the IBSC's website. "I am thrilled to have been part of the IBSC Action Research program," said Mr Pearson. "It has been a wonderful experience, injecting enthusiasm and new ideas into my classroom." Recognition is also due to the College's part-time Research Officer, Dr Caitlin Munday, who played a key role in mentoring Mr Pearson and the other staff participating in the Action Research Program. How do we engage boys in transformative learning experiences? That is the question every teacher at Scots asks every day as we seek to bring out the best in our boys and form them into fine young men. To help us create rigorous, reflection-rich learning designs connected to real-world practices and places, the College has been developing its own model of Experiential Education in line with our Strategic Intent 2015-2025. Last week a number of teachers from across all areas of the College had the opportunity to encounter, understand and begin to apply Experiential Education (or ‘ExpEd’) practices at a special workshop conducted by the Glengarry Leadership Team and the Scots Research Centre. Staff began the day in the blackness of the basement of the Main Building, simulating the caving activity boys undertake at Glengarry. They were guided through a modified version of the Kolb Experiential Learning Cycle – framing, immersion, direct debriefing, bridge-building and assimilating – and shown how an outdoors experience such as caving can be powerfully connected to other curriculum areas, discussing Plato’s conception of the cave and listening to poetry on the nature of darkness and light in Christian formation. Staff then participated in interactive sessions exploring the ‘what’, ‘why’ and ‘how’ of ExpEd at Scots, before exploring ways of embedding it in their own practice. Hearing from exemplars such as Mr Phil Atkinson’s Year 9 Mathematics Fishing Hike, Year 10 Australian Business Week and the Vanuatu Mission Trip, we had the opportunity to imagine the rich possibilities for transformative learning experiences which we could provide for our boys. A number of pilot programs are now taking shape to test and refine our model of ExpEd, while wider training and conference programs are being developed to further enrich our collective understanding of ExpEd. |
Recent News
May 2022
Categories
All
|