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Hi Chris, It is not possible to make valid claims about learning impacts on pupils based on data collected from teachers. Feedback collected from teachers should focus on topics within the scope of their direct knowledge, for example, whether a session was helpful for satisfying curriculum needs, whether they felt it was competently delivered, whether they felt the content was appropriate (note: they may be wrong in this judgment), etc. Teachers are in a position to provide an accurate account of externally visible behaviours and learning that they have directly tested (extremely unlikely they would happen to have tested a class before and after a session though). It is particularly problematic to ask them to provide a single description for an entire class full of individual students (e.g. 'the class learned a lot') given there will of course be individual-level variation in impacts. If teachers are to be asked about whether they feel an experience was beneficial for their students, the results should be reported as the teachers' perceptions (e.g. 'Teachers viewed the event positively') not as evidence of impact on students. Technology is not relevant to the basic research principle that you cannot validly ask someone to report on the mental processes of another person. Given that teachers do not routinely do individual interviews with all the pupils in their class before and after informal learning experiences, there is no plausible case for asking them to report on pupils' learning impacts. Best, Eric --------------- Dr Eric Jensen, Fellow Higher Education Academy Associate Professor (Senior Lecturer), Department of Sociology, University of Warwick http://warwick.academia.edu/EricJensen Recent books: - The Therapeutic Cloning Debate: Global Science and Journalism in the Public Sphere (published April 2014) - http://www.ashgate.com/isbn/9781472403803 - Culture & Social Change: Transforming Society through the Power of Ideas - http://www.infoagepub.com/products/Culture-and-Social-Change Upcoming Books: - From Conservation Education to Public Engagement: Research, Principles and Practice (Cambridge University Press) - Making the Most of Public Engagement Events: Research, Principles and Practice (Cambridge University Press) - Doing Real Research (SAGE) Current project: - Using Social Media to Identify and Leverage Engagement (SMILE) with Arts and Culture - http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/sociology/staff/academicstaff/jensen/ericjensen/smile The Department of Sociology at the University of Warwick has been ranked 3rd in the University Guide 2015 Guardian league table and 23rd in the QS World University Rankings 2014 From: Chris Chadwick <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> Reply-To: Chris Chadwick <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> Date: Wednesday, 19 November 2014 13:33 To: "List for discussion of issues in museum education in the UK." <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> Subject: Methods of getting feedback from teachers Hi all Does anyone have any top tips about how to get feedback from teachers on the impact of learning sessions on their pupils? I realise it's a case of "not that old chestnut again" but wondered if perhaps times have changed, given new technology etc. Very happy to collate any responses I get and to disseminate the results here. Chris Christine Chadwick Consultancy Ltd www.christinechadwick.co.uk T 0161 929 9079 M 07939 123529 Company Number 6199131 + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + GEM list: Contact the list owner for assistance at [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> For information about joining, leaving and suspending mail (eg during a holiday) see the list website at https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A0=GEM + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + GEM list: Contact the list owner for assistance at [log in to unmask] For information about joining, leaving and suspending mail (eg during a holiday) see the list website at https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A0=GEM + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +