7 THE REPORTED BENEFITS
Introduction
7.1 As we noted earlier in this report, while projects had initial aims, the process of collaboration and discussion during the project meant that these initial aims changed and priorities and timescales shifted. For many projects, the most valuable aspect was the experience of reflecting, reviewing and being adaptive in development. It is therefore not appropriate to measure the projects against original aims as part of this evaluation; instead we have focused on the reported benefits as described by teachers, pupils and their parents. The content of this section is drawn from interviews and group work with pupils and teachers and from questionnaires completed by pupils and parents.
Background
7.2 It should be noted that at the time of the research, a very small number of projects had not yet engaged directly with pupils or with certain groups of pupils. These were projects that had decided to drive developments via the production of an end certificate of achievement harnessed to an electronic portfolio. In this situation technical issues had tended to absorb most energy and resources with the result that the process of recognising achievement with young people had not started, for example:
' Since our Certificate of Achievement has not actually happened, [and the process leading up to its production had not been in place either] there's no evidence of benefits… and any potential benefits will be highly dependent on the value given by end-users to the certificate.' (Local Authority Representative)
7.3 In these projects, any results of the development work were identifiable largely in terms of staff development:
' Although we've not got it to the level of pupils yet, we've got ourselves sorted out and have worked through a lot of the issues, and we all agree what we're trying to do.' (Principal Teacher)
Overview of the range of positive benefits
7.4 All other projects reported a range of positive benefits arising from the development work they had undertaken. Young people, their parents and school staff shared the view that key benefits had been: improvements in confidence and self-esteem; better team work and communication skills; and greater understanding of themselves and their achievements.
7.5 Three projects involved the provision of a rich experience, whether a single enterprise event, a week's programme at a college or a half-day a week off-site experience over 10 weeks, which made a strong impact on many young people. In analysing the data on benefits for young people it proved impossible for either the research team or the projects to say what exactly was the balance of contribution to the benefits noted in and by the young people in these three projects between the effect of the actual rich experience that they had encountered and the effect of the process of reflecting on and recognising achievement.
7.6 As can be seen later in this section, however, there was a key difference in that although certain benefits (such as increased pupil confidence) were noted across almost all projects, where the project had much more of a focus on recognising achievement and had spent more time on this process, pupils were also able to use the language of achievement, ie talk without much prompting about what they had achieved, how they had reflected on it and what it might mean to them.
The views of pupils
7.7 Almost all responses from pupil groups and questionnaires in the three projects which had focused on providing additional rich experiences for pupils reported the development of a range of core skills, such as confidence and team work. The following examples are from S3 and S5 pupils:
' I'm more confident in myself with people I don't know'
' My teacher saw that I've become more confident and I do stuff more'
' I thought it might help, that's why I said I'd do it, I was really shy and nervous, everyone noticed a change in confidence in me, I can speak to anyone now, speak properly.'
Would you take that certificate to a job? 'Aye, shows you can work in a team, you'd be more confident because of it.'
' Working in a team alongside new people, I can do it now'.
7.8 Pupils in these three projects thought their communication skills were improved, and that this could help them be more tolerant of others and might spill over into school and social situations:
' Communicate with people better, get on with them better, trying things I wouldn't maybe try, learn no tae judge folk cos you're stuck with them and you've got to get on with it.'
' gave me confidence in speaking in English, in other classes and in clubs outside school'.
7.9 The experience might lead to increased commitment to learning:
' I'm stickin in at school, at classes now'
' The skills you get, like being confident and not giving up, they're good, but you need qualifications, too, for employers to want you… so it's made me get back to school and try a bit more.'
7.10 Perhaps the other most commonly reported benefit was an improvement in self-esteem as pupils recognised the importance of their own achievements and saw that others, too, valued them:
'I had to do a presentation to people from Dundee, I would never have been able to do it before, I did pretty well and I felt quite proud of myself'
' My year head and my guidance teacher, they asked how I got on, they were really proud I'd stuck at it, I was proud of myself.'
7.11 Other projects had a clear focus on the process of 'recognising achievement' rather than on the provision of a rich experience and in this situation children and young people reported similar benefits to those just outlined but were, in addition, able to use some of the language of achievement and recognition and to report a number of gains:
- better understanding of themselves and an ability to express this:
' I can confidently say what I've done'; 'helps us pick out the positive things about ourselves, not just the negatives'; 'I can get my words out and be some proof of what I've done'; 'more confidence to express my achievements'. (S1 pupils)
- a broader understanding of what 'achievement' might mean:
'things you do on a daily basis and do without thinking are stuff that arctuarly (sic) you achieved from'; 'realise not all my achievements have to be in school to go up on the achievers' board' (S1 pupils)
- a perception that achievement can lead to more achievement:
' it can give me more confidence to take part in other activities to grow my achievements.' (S3 pupil)
- it might be useful in the future:
' It may be that someone's achievement could be an attractive quality to an employer and that they wouldn't know this otherwise'; 'in proof to my future employer that I did well'. (S2 pupil)
7.12 One senior student had already benefited from the project:
' I have been able to account all my achievements and use them for college and work interviews'. (S6 pupil)
7.13 The perception of the possible value of recognising achievement in the future was not confined to secondary school pupils:
'I will be more likely to talk more about myself in a job interview.' (P7).
7.14 While older pupils expected to use their experience of recognising achievement in creating a CV or personal statement for university, there was also some scepticism about the value of a record of achievement for entry to higher education:
'I don't think they'd be that useful because when you leave school universities are more interested in your exams than what you are achieving'. (S6 pupil)
7.15 And for young people in projects that were more focused on immediate learning, there could be less of a long-term perspective:
' will use these skills at school but not when I leave.' (S4 pupil)
7.16 It could be a way of letting children and young people tell others in their lives about what they were doing:
' Will help me because the teachers will get to know me better'; 'so the teachers could know what you are like outside school'. (P7 and S1)
'it has been useful to me because my teachers and friends know what I am like out of school and my parents and friends know what I am like in school.' (S2 pupil)
The views of parents
7.17 Only a small number of parents, in two projects, were sufficiently involved and knowledgeable to comment, but they also noted similar results: by far the most common gain reported was in self-confidence, but other benefits such as improved team work, ability to communicate, planning and self-knowledge were also observed by parents in their children:
' She's more able to communicate the meaning of achievement and what it says about her as a person.'
' She's got confidence she can achieve things, particularly in things outwith the academic.'
' Other achievements outside academic learning teach him how to live, enjoy life and be a good person.'
The views of teachers and school managers
7.18 As well as the gains they noted for the pupils themselves, teachers and school managers also pointed to a positive impact on relationships between staff and pupils:
' The school report now includes a bit about achievement, it means as guidance teachers we've got something more to talk about, it's encouraged good dialogue, it's good to know what kind of things they think they've achieved.' (Principal Teacher Pupil Support)
7.19 Some schools reported a change of mind-set among some staff who were now able to take a more positive view of pupils who had previously been seen as difficult or uninterested. There was also a suggestion that the overall atmosphere in one school had lifted:
' a feeling of fun as the positive is focused on instead of the negative'.
7.20 Teaching was also thought to be more effective because of increased dialogue between teachers and pupils, for example on the four capacities:
' The first years are really familiar with the 4 capacities now and what they mean, and teachers are drawing this out in lessons - HMIE noticed how confidently pupils could talk about the capacities and illustrate when they were learning them.' (Headteacher)
7.21 A final benefit for school staff of involvement in the projects resulted from the collaborative element of the development work:
' I've been working with people I've just said 'hello' to in the staff room, and finding out about what pupils are learning in other subjects, not just my own.' (Teacher)