Each year AISNSW calls for applications for schools to undertake research over a two-year period, with support from The Evidence Institute, academic mentors and critical friends. After completing a rigorous selection process in 2021, Minarah College was awarded a School Based Research Project for their project Implementing Classroom Practices to Support Girls in Co-educational Islamic Schools. In the same cohort, Warakirri College was awarded a School Based Research Project for their project Enhancing Literacy Acquisition in Vulnerable Senior Secondary Students.
Implementing Classroom Practices to Support Girls in Co-educational Islamic Schools
About Minarah College
Minarah College is a Kindergarten to Year 12 Islamic co-educational school established by the Muslim League of NSW Inc in January 2002. Minarah College was founded for students to acquire knowledge and education on Islamic Ethical Values through a wide range of learning experiences, in a supportive, caring and intellectually stimulating environment. The school motto is that students will seek increased knowledge through faith and prayer.
Project Overview
This project stemmed from a perception that female students in Stage 3 are quieter, less demanding of teachers’ time and more cooperative than male students. The project has evolved to focus on school activities and classroom practices that promote the confidence and aspirations of female students. It also aims to explore teacher assumptions about differences in behaviour and the positive contributions of Stage 3 male and female students in an Islamic school context. One of the main goals of the project is to develop a Teacher Resource Kit of digital and web resources to complement a term-long Personal Development and Health (PDH) Unit, focusing on the Health, Wellbeing, and Lifestyle strand.
The research began with an investigation into the current opinions and perspectives of teachers, parents and students via an anonymous survey. The data collected will inform potential changes in programming and the classroom. Focus groups and workshops will be conducted with parents to discuss the changes being considered.
The Research Team
Minarah’s research team is led by Associate Deputy Principal, Fiona Robbie. The team consists of teachers from across the school and is supported by Dr Roberto Parada, an Educational Psychologist from Western Sydney University.
Progress to date
Under the guidance of Dr Parada, the project has successfully narrowed from a large-scale gender inquiry to a more focused investigation into the development of the confidence and career ambitions of female students.
Obtaining ethics clearance took longer than expected, which delayed aspects of the project. However, the research was also strengthened by the ethics process because it assisted in focusing the research and methods employed.
The following positive outcomes are already evident:
- Based on anecdotal teacher observations, female students have been actively engaged and enjoyed a range of new activities introduced as part of the project.
- Support from the external community has been a particular highlight and it appears that members of both the internal and external school community value the project.
- The project has already shown promise that it will be able to create constructive change in teaching practices and have a positive impact on teacher engagement in learning and professional learning.
- It has also been beneficial for the research team to question their assumptions (e.g. by looking for patterns that fit a pre-conception), and then as a group, develop future plans and directions.
Where to next?
The next steps of the project involve:
- conducting focus groups and workshops with parents
- preparing specific interventions for classroom practice (scheduled for February 2023)
- developing and implementing the new Health, Wellbeing and Relationships teaching and learning unit, based on results from the research
- analysing and evaluating data gathered and outcomes obtained.
In the long term, it is hoped that the project will encourage teachers to be willing to examine themselves and their contributions towards student achievement, or as John Hattie would say, “Know thy impact”.
Enhancing Literacy Acquisition in Vulnerable Senior Secondary Students - Warakirri College
About Warakirri College
Warakirri College is an independent high school for young people completing Year 10 and Higher School Certificate (HSC) studies as part of a social impact initiative of MTC Australia. It is a school for students aged 15–22 who have disconnected from mainstream education or don’t feel comfortable in a traditional school. At Warrakirri, students are encouraged to be themselves while they study in a flexible adult learning environment.
Project Overview
This research project was developed to identify, implement and evaluate strategies to enable vulnerable senior students to improve their ability to read, comprehend and evaluate the texts required to complete their schooling and successfully navigate post-school life.
The research is being conducted in two distinct tiers based on the first two levels of intensity in the Response to Intervention model. In Tier 1, the research focuses on the impact of classroom-level strategies for Year 10 students. Data about student engagement is collected through teacher observations of the classroom and by students who complete a checklist. In Tier 2, the research focuses on the role of speech pathology in small-group literacy interventions for targeted Year 11 students.
Pre and post-tests are administered to help assess the impact of the interventions, including:
- Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS) for assessing mental health
- York Assessment for Reading and Comprehension (YARC) for assessing literacy
- Macquarie Oxford Reading Anxiety Test (MoRAT) for assessing levels of reading anxiety
- Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) for assessing self-esteem
- Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals 5th edition (CELF 5)
Data collection also includes attendance rates, student case studies and interviews with teaching staff.
The Research Team
The project is led at the school level by Carolyn Blanden, Principal of Warakirri College. The Warakirri team of teachers and Student Learning Support Officers (SLSOs) are mentored by Professor Pamela Snow and Associate Professor Tanya Serry from La Trobe University. Dr Julia Starling from the University of Sydney leads the speech pathology team.
Progress to date
The project experienced some delays due to difficulties procuring the CELF-5 screening test, inconsistent student attendance and students leaving the school. However, once initial hurdles were overcome, the Year 11 (Tier 2) intervention groups commenced. Some groups have already completed initial testing, interventions and post-testing. Focus groups with teachers have also been conducted, producing valuable data for the project.
Initial writing samples have provided evidence of significant progress in students’ comprehension and unpacking of questions, an increase in the quantity of writing, and an improvement in the structure of extended writing responses.
The Year 10 (Tier 1) pre-tests have occurred and an SLSO new to the school is driving this part of the project and its implementation for the intervention classes. Half of the intervention students have completed self-assessment of engagement and classroom observations have occurred.
Where to next?
Warakirri is continuing to work with both the Year 10 and Year 11 intervention groups and will collate data for the project mid-2023. Teacher feedback has highlighted the importance of communication and collaboration to enable the research to be successful.
Warakirri is already looking at potential future projects, possibly in conjunction with Cornell University and its Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI) model.
To keep up to date with these projects, visit our School Based Research Projects webpage.
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