Partners in Learning School Research Overview
What is School Research?
Educators around the globe recognize that teaching and learning needs to be transformed to align with the realities of life and work in the 21st century. Today's learners need to develop higher order skills and know how to create and collaborate. At the same time, school leaders need to build their teachers' capacity to develop these skills in students.
Innovative Teaching develops students 21st Century skills
The transformation goes beyond Information Communications Technology (ICT). Merely having technology inside the classroom does not by itself change teaching and learning. For ICT to be effective, educators need to adopt and use the very skills they are seeking to instill in their students: collaboration, real world problem-solving, knowledge-construction, self regulation, and the use of ICT for learning. Partners in Learning School Research can be an important first step in bringing about this deeper transformation of the teaching and learning experience.
Free surveys that measure 21st Century teaching and learning skills
Partners in Learning School Research is a free, online survey sent out by a school administrator to school leaders and teachers to gain their individual self-assessment on the current state of innovative teaching practices in their school and their own class. Everyone is encouraged to participate (it only takes ten minutes), and all responses are anonymous and confidential.
Easily create data driven, action oriented reports
Once your surveys have been taken, your school receives a data-driven, action-oriented report with concrete recommendations for how your school can develop and expand its innovative teaching and learning. The surveys can be used to measure progress by establishing a baseline of your school's current teaching practices using the initial survey results, and then conducting subsequent research every year thereafter to assess how those practices have evolved.
Partners in Learning School Research is free, automated, and requires a minimal time commitment from participants. Plus it's quick and easy for your school to sign up.
Who benefits from this research
| School research helps: | School Leaders | Classroom Educators |
|---|---|---|
| Understand and measure innovative teaching practices specific to your school |  |
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| Get a comparison of school leader's and educator's perspectives on these practices | |
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| Data to guide educator professional development and school investment decisions | |
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| See examples of innovative teaching practices that build students' higher order skills | |
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| Get a tool for building a common vision among educators, parents, students, and other community stakeholders about transforming teaching and learning practices for the 21st Century | |
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| Clear definitions and examples of what teaching 21st Century skills means in practice. | |
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| A common language for discussing innovative teaching practices and for collaborating with other educators and school leaders | |
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| Recommendations and online opportunities for professional development unique to your own context and progress on teaching practices | |
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| Opportunities to use the surveys and data for your own research and publishing. | |
Getting started
Once your school decides to participate in Partners in Learning School Research, the next step is to setup a survey. You will be asked to designate a school research leader, select the language the survey is to be conducted in and the dates you would like the survey to be available to participants.
The survey has two sets of questions. One consists of questions designed to be answered by teachers. The other consists of questions specifically designed for school leaders. Once the survey has started, members of your school will be invited to participate in the appropriate survey.
Preview survey questions prior to setting up your own survey or view frequently asked questions.