By Najiyah Rahman
Analytical questions plague all aspects of the English Curriculum and students are required from time to time to show this skill, but are they engaged in doing so? This last term I set out to change my practice as I had identified a key concern in my Year 11 class, which is a lack of fluency in analytical writing. My students know the basics of writing and have knowledge of the text but are not incorporating this knowledge in their writing consistently. My results from Inquiry 1 show that students prefer classroom oracy as a method of engagement. It was also identified that they find structuring their answers difficult.
In this inquiry, I will discuss how removing PEEL/PEE writing frameworks for paragraph writing in exchange for thinking frameworks like WHAT HOW WHY allowed my students to better structure their work and discussions. I aim to understand the correlation between using an optimal engagement tool (as identified via student voice) and improved performance in analytical writing tasks.
What did I do?
I had introduced debate and discussion lessons based on an exam question. We followed this format for other lessons leading up to the exam however below is an example: I wanted to hone in on Shakespeare’s purpose as a lot of their analytical paragraphs lacked in this area. They were able to make points and provide evidence but not explain why these choices were made. The aim of this task was to equip them with several different reasons as to why Shakespeare made particular choices.
Students had 5 minutes to plan in groups on their tables. They needed to make three points. The way I had guided their discussions was through the WHAT HOW WHY thinking frameworks which I made explicit on the slide below. I made it clear that the screen was there for support but they could use the framework to shape their thoughts individually.
Group 1 and Group 2 had three tables each. After the 5 minutes were up, they had 2 minutes to discuss their answers with the other two other tables and find the strongest point that each of them would argue.
When the debate started, all students had to write notes from each point each table discussed. At the end of the discussion, students were given 3 minutes to order their 6 points and answer the debate questions.
After they had written their responses, a student asked “This isn’t an exam question, how do we apply this to the exam?” to which I had responded, “You all identified that debates and discussion engages you the most, all of you identified you found structure difficult and all of you were unable to explain your points in detail. This task has allowed you to use a new thinking framework to answer any question, it has also provided you with 6 different points about Shakespeare’s purpose which you can apply to EVERY question!
How did I measure it?
I measured feedback via student voice, pre-existing and new mock data and observations to triangulate my data.
My primary source of data came from the mocks comparing what they achieved in the autumn pre-mocks and the winter mocks. Here is the table below:
The table shows the distribution of grades in Autumn and Winter Mocks. Here's a comparison:
Below 4: The percentage of students scoring below 4 decreased from 52% in Autumn Mocks to 43% in Winter Mocks. This indicates an improvement in overall performance.
9-4: The percentage of students achieving grades 9-4 increased from 48% in Autumn Mocks to 57% in Winter Mocks. This suggests a significant improvement in the higher-achieving band.
9-5: The percentage of students scoring 9-5 remained consistent at 39% in both Autumn and Winter Mocks. This suggests that the proportion of students in this range remained relatively stable.
9-7: The percentage of students achieving grades 9-7 decreased from 26% in Autumn Mocks to 22% in Winter Mocks. This might indicate a slight decline in the top-performing group.
Overall, the data suggests a positive trend with a decrease in the percentage of students scoring below 4 and an increase in the percentage of students achieving grades 9-4.
However, a slight decline is observed in the top-performing group (9-7). This may have been due to external factors such as revision and time-management (which a lot of them had informed me of after their exams).
My second piece of data collection was through observations. I had seen a significant improvement in engagement, comments like “Miss, that was a fun lesson!” and “I’ve learnt a lot today!” and all students were able to write significantly more than what they previously were able to do.
I am awaiting books to photograph evidence of this*
And my third piece of data, I am still awaiting student feedback via survey.
Below are the questions from the survey:
Student Survey: Impact of Debates/Discussion on Analytical Writing
How engaged did you find yourself during these discussions/debates?
a) Not at all engaged
b) Slightly engaged
c) Moderately engaged
d) Very engaged
To what extent do you believe participating in discussions/debates helped you to: Understand the different perspectives on the topic?
1 (Strongly Disagree) - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 (Strongly Agree)
To what extent do you believe participating in discussions/debates helped you to:
Develop your own arguments?
1 (Strongly Disagree) - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 (Strongly Agree)
To what extent do you believe participating in discussions/debates helped you to:
Identify and analyse evidence to support your arguments?
1 (Strongly Disagree) - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 (Strongly Agree)
To what extent do you believe using the WHAT HOW WHY thinking framework helped you to: Structure your written responses to analytical questions?
1 (Strongly Disagree) - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 (Strongly Agree)
To what extent do you believe participating in discussions/debates helped you to:
Improve your use of language and vocabulary in your writing?
1 (Strongly Disagree) - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 (Strongly Agree)
Overall, how helpful do you think class discussions/debates and thinking frameworks were in preparing you for writing analytical essays?
a) Not helpful at all
b) Slightly helpful
c) Moderately helpful
d) Very helpful
Do you have any other comments or suggestions regarding the use of debates in class?
(Provide space for open-ended written responses)
So what were the challenges?
There were many challenges I had encountered:
Maintaining Focus: While the initial enthusiasm for debates was high, sustaining student engagement proved to be a challenge after a while. Some students, particularly those less confident in their speaking abilities, tended to disengage or become passive listeners.
Differentiation: Ensuring all students, regardless of their confidence levels, had an equal opportunity to participate and contribute to the debates was challenging. Some students dominated the discussions, while others remained silent and it was hard to force them to talk.
Activity Time Management: Incorporating frequent discussion into the lesson required careful planning and time management as often I had found we ran out of time to get to writing.
Assessing Participation: Accurately assessing individual student contributions within the dynamic context of a debate presented a challenge.
Revision: While the debates improved student understanding of the text and helped them generate ideas, some students still struggled with effectively revising the scheme of work/what they had learnt about the text prior/forgot key moments of the text etc.
Individual Time Management: Students still had difficulties with time management during the writing process and being able to finish an answer within the allotted time.
What are my key takeaways?
My 5 key takeaways from this inquiry were:
The positive impact of classroom oracy: The initial data analysis suggests that classroom debates, when effectively implemented, can significantly enhance student engagement and improve performance in analytical writing tasks.
The importance of scaffolding and support: Providing clear structures, such as thinking frameworks (WHAT? HOW? WHY?), and explicit guidance can help students navigate the debate process and maximise their learning.
The need for ongoing evaluation and adjustment: I need to continue to refine my approach to classroom debates, addressing the challenges identified and exploring new strategies to enhance student participation and learning.
The importance of addressing individual needs: I need to implement strategies to ensure all students have an equal opportunity to participate and contribute to the debates, such as peer-to-peer support and differentiated questioning techniques.
The need for continued focus on revision strategies: I will need to provide more explicit instruction and support for students in the revision process, including strategies for time management and effective use of feedback.
Thank you for taking the time to read my blogpost! Feel free to share your comments and thoughts at n.rahman@westminsteracademy.org.uk
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