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Improving Outcomes for Learners Through Self-Evaluation

5. QI 2.1 Learners’ experiences/Children’s experiences

This QI is placed in the ‘impact on learners’ section of the model. It evaluates the impact of the education provided by the school or centre on individual learners.

5.1 Key Features

In evaluating this QI, a holistic, rounded judgement is made on the quality of learners’ experiences. The scope of the QI is given in the Key Features:

This indicator relates to the quality of learners’ experiences. Learners are aware of their strengths and needs as learners and are satisfied that their views are taken into account.

When applying this QI and making judgements on the quality of provision it is important to:

This QI is evaluated primarily by observing the impact of teaching on learners. The impact of other out-of-classroom activities and experiences should also be taken into account.

Other evidence of learners’ responses can be obtained by talking to them, and by using stakeholder questionnaires. Such evidence can support direct observation. In addition, a sense of learners’ broader engagement with the establishment can be found by looking at participation data and exclusion and attendance data. These indicators may be measuring other things as well, and consequently they are not as useful as the first two in supporting direct observation.

If learners are consulted and their views are acted upon, then they may be positively disposed towards learning and hence there may be good learner engagement in the class or playroom. However, this is not of itself a good yardstick for QI 2.1. Similarly, we can seek evidence on the seven well-being indicators — safe, nurtured, healthy, active, achieving, respected and responsible, and included. These are important but they are themselves not primary indicators of effective engagement with learning. Although if any of these factors are absent in some way and adversely affect the learner, then we cannot expect to see effective engagement of learners. These are therefore necessary factors for really effective learning, but they are not primary indicators that effective engagement with learning is taking place. What is crucial is the quality of engagement with learning.

The impact of the school or centre on learners will determine how well they achieve the outcomes in the four capacities. Through active engagement in appropriate tasks, they will be developing as successful, confident and responsible learners who contribute effectively. However, the extent to which they have actually developed the capacities is evaluated in the second theme of QI 1.1.

The second component of QI 2.1 is about the development of children and young people as effective learners. The way teachers and other staff engage with learners and how they take account of learners’ views is important. Effective teaching and learning develops learning skills and this is a good impact measure of teaching. Observations of learning and discussions with learners and teachers will provide further evidence of the development of learners’ skills and their awareness of their own needs as learners.

In making the overall evaluation a balanced judgement would have to be made across these two elements.

5.2 QI 2.1 Organising evidence underpinning evaluations

This QI is about the response of learners to teaching and to the other activities that the learner is involved with in the establishment.

There is just one theme to this impact QI and the following table provides more information on making an evaluation.

Key Questions

Sources of Evidence

Related Process QIs

  • To what extent are our learners well motivated and actively engaged in learning?
  • Are there signs that our learning activities are developing the four capacities?
  • How do we take account of the views of learners?
  • Are our learners actively involved in out-of-classroom or out-of-hours learning activities; how are they benefiting from these activities?
  • Are our learners with complex additional support needs experiencing a range of contexts?
  • Observation of learning and teaching
  • Depth of learners’ engagement in activities and tasks
  • Observation of pupils/children engaged in activities beyond the class/playroom, in the playground, corridors, on excursions and fieldwork
  • Discussion with learners on the quality of their learning experiences
  • Analyses of responses of learners and other stakeholders to questionnaires

Other evidence can be found from records of:

  • levels and trends of attendance and exclusion;
  • learners’ profiles, assessment records, achievement records; and
  • participation and progression in social, sporting, cultural and citizenship activities, including out-of-school learning.
  • Is the curriculum appropriate?7(QI 5.1)
  • Is the range of teaching approaches appropriate for engaging learners? (QI 5.2)
  • Are tasks, activities and resources appropriate? (QI 5.3)
  • Are teachers’ and learners’ expectations appropriate? (QI 5.5)
  • Are learners treated fairly? (QI 5.6)
  • Has sufficient account been taken of learners’ emotional, physical and social needs? (QI 5.8)

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