Improvement questions

Educational psychologists have developed research questions based around the different foci provided each year. Some of the research questions asked across the programmes have been:

• Do we have mutual vision for what attendance looks like and what it should be? Has this changed since the pandemic?
• Impact of COVID-19 and creative learning and teaching solutions?
• Impact of interrupted learning, particularly for vulnerable groups?
• How could a more robust tracking and monitoring systems for wellbeing begin to address the attainment gap?
• Is Glasgow Counts effective in closing the poverty-related attainment gap?
• According to National 5 Maths pupils, what are the key factors affecting their numeracy and mathematics skill development in school?
• Can a valid, reliable and robust scale be developed to measure wellbeing in families in Scotland?
• Following attending nurture principles training, will there be evidence of the implementation of nurture principles in the classroom e.g. awareness of body language, modelling of positive relationships?

About this research

Background

Since 2016, educational psychologists from Scotland have been participating in the National Action Enquiry Programmes for Educational Psychologists. Since 2016 there have been four cohorts and all have used national priorities such as Scottish Attainment Challenge and National Improvement Framework priorities as their focus. The third cohort also included the impact of COVID-19 as a research theme. Cohort 4 are looking at issues arising post-pandemic, within a context of education reform.

Why was this done?

The National Improvement Framework and Scottish Attainment Challenge emphasise the importance of being evidence-informed through data and research in order to improve outcomes for children and young people. This is fully supported by the OECD and EEF:

• The 'Improving Schools in Scotland: An OECD perspective' (2015) report made a clear recommendation for the use of “research into schools and learning environments that make a significant difference to engagement and achievement of those facing greatest social and educational difficulties".
• Education Endowment Fund advises that evidence is a crucial tool to inform senior leaders' decision-making and help them identify 'best bets' for spending. Time and money is too scarce to stick with approaches and programmes which do not make a real difference. The effective use of evidence means strategically abandoning ineffective approaches, as well as implementing new ones with positive evidence behind them.

Educational psychologists are well placed to inform this research base for Scotland's children as research and development is one of their core functions/ roles.

All the research papers and think pieces written have the aim of supporting educational practitioners and leaders achieve excellence and/ or improving outcomes for children and young people in Scotland, particular those identified with additional support needs.

What was done?

Since 2016, the profession has been supported by Education Scotland as part of the Scottish Attainment Challenge and in partnership with the Association of Scottish Principal Educational Psychologists (ASPEP) and the British Psychological Society (BPS): Scottish Division of Educational Psychology (SDEP) to carry out research which will help to inform priorities for Scottish education:

Cohort 1 (2016-17) focus: Health and Wellbeing and Numeracy

Cohort 2 (2018-19) focus: Closing the poverty-related attainment gap and or achieving excellence and equity for all related to numeracy, literacy, health and wellbeing

Cohort 3 (2020-22) focus: the impact of COVID-19 on learners, staff and families and interventions/ supports to mitigate impact

Cohort 4 (2023-2025): psychology being at the heart of current education reform and priorities debates.

What was the impact?

Each year, the Scottish evidence base is added to through research undertaken in Scotland. This programme ensures research which is completed in Scottish schools by Scottish educational psychologists in partnership with Scottish teachers, children, young people and parents is a vital part of the evidence based being used to inform local authority and national priorities. Since 2016-2019, 40 research papers have been carried out and published.

This research tends not to end with the publication of the research and continues to be developed by the educational psychologists within their own services. Therefore more detailed information on the research tends to be available on each educational psychological services website or available on request from the authors.