ResearchED is a teacher-led organisation aimed at improving research literacy in the education community. Elaine Sharpling and Siân Brooks discuss their recent visit to one of its conferences… After an inspirational opening speech from Tom Bennett, director and founder of ResearchED (which describes itself as “a grass-roots teacher led organisation”), the conference began. Tom asked…
Gareth Evans considers the importance of positive communication in delivering Wales’ ‘national mission’ for education… Wales’ education system has, it is fair to say, withstood a fair amount of flux in recent years. It was former Education Minister Leighton Andrews who really triggered the reform agenda, ripping up and overhauling much of what had gone…
Advancements in technology are changing the world as we know it. But at what cost? Carys Jennings investigates… Children are now bombarded from infancy with a diet of fast moving sounds and images produced by gadgets. In restaurants, shopping centres, cafes and homes our youngest are being pacified with digital dummies – (a term coined…
A recent survey of school staff shone a light on the many challenges facing the Welsh education workforce. In a fascinating blog post, Nerys Defis explains the everyday reality for teachers in Wales and opens up on why she swapped the classroom for university… For almost 20 years I spent my professional life as a teacher.…
The link between physical activity and academic performance is well-documented. But changes in society have brought about new challenges, according to Dr Nalda Wainwright… We are facing issues that we have never encountered before in our society. As a result of the increased levels of inactivity in children it has been predicted that they may…
As Kirsty Williams nears an important milestone, Gareth Evans looks back on the Cabinet Secretary for Education’s first year in post… They say a day is a long time in politics. If that’s the case, a year must feel like an eternity to Kirsty Williams. When Wales’ Cabinet Secretary for Education marks her first…
Inspired by a recent conference, Mererid Hopwood considers the lessons we can learn from our forefathers when teaching language… By now, delegates have returned home from the Athrofa’s first ‘Research in Education’ conference, having given the great cauldron of Languages, Literacy and Communication a good stir. It was almost inevitable that one of the key ingredients…
Strengthening research in teacher education was the focus of a recent OECD workshop commissioned by the Welsh Government. Elaine Sharpling reflects on a productive meeting of minds… I certainly found the recent OECD workshop in Cardiff to be an enlightening experience. Fellow teacher educators from the international community led a series of workshops which…
The results of Wales’ first National Education Workforce Survey have been published and, according to Gareth Evans, cannot be ignored… Against a backdrop of shrinking budgets, concerns around accountability and a steady stream of negative press, it was perhaps no surprise that Wales’ first National Education Workforce Survey returned something of a mixed bag.…
As the Athrofa finishes preparations for its first research in education conference on ‘Languages, Literacy and Communication’, Mererid Hopwood revisits a report published 90 years ago: ‘Welsh in Education and Life’… 1927 It’s a significant year. This is the year the British Broadcasting Corporation was established under the leadership of Sir John Reith as Director…