Research Taster

Classroom ethos has a big impact on pupil voice. Pupils say that several factors help them stay interested in learning and participating in activities. These include: receiving positive feedback and encouragement, being involved a broad variety of activities and having opportunities to make choices. 

Your evidence 

You can easily identify ways of motivating pupils, mostly through the way you talk with them. You might like to consider your recent conversations with pupils and try to see what has motivated them most.  For example, you could look at how often you praised them, their work or their behaviour. What form did this praise take? What might you do to make your comments more effective?

Moving forward

Having found out what type of praise seems to motivate your pupils best, what strategies might help you use them more consistently?  Could you work with a colleague to explore patterns of praise in your classroom?  You might like to ask pupils for their own views on what motivates them.

Find out more 

The project website: http://www.consultingpupils.co.uk/

A TLRP Research Brief on pupil voice at:

http://www.tlrp.org/pub/documents/no5_ruddock.pdf

A GTC Research of the Month summary on pupil voice at:

http://www.gtce.org.uk/policyandresearch/research/ROMtopics/pupilvoice/