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How might we improve pupils’ engagement with learning tasks? PDF Print E-mail
Research taster
Changing the classroom layout can have a positive effect on the behaviour of pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties (EBD), but the strategy is really only a ‘quick fix’. One study Image has shown how arranging children’s tables in rows can have a positive impact on the time the children spend on task, working independently etc. Arranging tables into groups can increase the amount of time children spend off-task (talking, interfering etc). The beneficial effects of changing the classroom layout to rows tend to be most marked for pupils who are easily distracted - but  these effects may not last long.
Your evidence
You may like to focus on one or two individual children and work out the amount of time they spend engaged actively with the learning task. You could watch the children during several teaching/learning sessions and judge the times at which they are:
  • on-task (i.e. actively engaged in the given task and learning objectives)
  • doing other necessary activities related to the task (e.g. sharpening pencils, fetching equipment)
  • off-task (i.e. appear distracted or disengaged).
You could calculate the total amounts of learning time in each category:
  • on-task time           
  • task-management time     
  • off-task time          
Moving forward
You may like to think about what kind of changes you could make to your classroom organisation or management strategies that might help you to maximise active learning time. You may also like to see whether there are children in your class who spend large amounts of time off-task, but still manage to learn effectively, and consider why this might be the case.

Find out more
Further info You can find out more about effective strategies pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties on the EPPI-Centre website at: http://eppi.ioe.ac.uk/cms/Default.aspx?tabid=124

You can find summaries of research on the theme of behaviour on The Research Informed Practice Site at: http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/research/themes/behaviour/?digest=all

The GTC’s Research of the Month summary ‘Effective strategies for pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties’. Available at: http://www.gtce.org.uk/research/romtopics/rom_inclusion/ROMprimaryEBD/

The Behaviour 4 Learning website at: http://www.behaviour4learning.ac.uk/

You can find further reading suggestions on the theme of behaviour at: http://www.rtweb.info/ch11/nfr11.html



 
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